Running pace zones & the demi-Cooper test

What VO2max pace is

Your VO2max pace is the speed you can hold for about 6 minutes at a hard, even effort. It is one useful input for calculating pace targets, which can be expressed as a range relative to that speed.

In French, it's called VMA (Vitesse Maximale Aérobie). Same concept, different name.

When a session uses a pace target, RunCadence can calculate it from your VO2max pace. Other sessions may be prescribed by time, distance, perceived effort or heart rate, so you can use RunCadence without knowing this number.

If you don't know yours yet, you have two ways to find out: tell the coach about a recent race result so it can estimate, or do a quick field test (see below).

Pace zones explained

A session that includes a pace target may use one of these zones. Here's what each one means in plain language:

• Recovery: very easy. You could talk in full sentences and still feel fresh. Used between hard sessions or as walking jog between intervals.
• Easy: comfortable conversational pace. The bulk of your training lives here. Easy runs build aerobic base without taxing you.
• Long: slightly faster than easy but still conversational. The right pace for long runs that build endurance without trashing you.
• Tempo / Threshold: comfortably hard. You can speak two or three words at a time, not full sentences. Sustainable for 20-40 minutes.
• Intervals (VO2max): hard. You can barely speak. Held for short bursts (30 seconds to 5 minutes) with recovery in between.
• Sprints: full effort. Short, sharp, followed by long recovery. Used sparingly.

RunCadence picks the right mix of zones for your goal and your week. You don't need to memorize the percentages: follow the target when one is prescribed and use the effort description as context, especially when terrain or conditions change.

How do I update my VO2max pace?

You can update it in two ways:

1. Field test: ask the coach for a demi-Cooper test (see the next section).
2. Just tell the coach: open the chat and say "my VO2max pace is 13.5 km/h" (or "my pace at VO2max is 4:27/km"). The coach can update your profile and use the new value for future pace targets.

Reassess when a recent race, field test or several comparable quality sessions indicate that your current value no longer reflects your running. If RunCadence proposes a recalibration from your results, you review it before the value changes.

The demi-Cooper field test

The demi-Cooper is a field test used to estimate VO2max pace. It is a 6-minute hard, even effort on a flat course after a proper warmup. The distance covered provides the estimate.

How to do it:

1. Pick a flat course: a track is ideal, but a flat road or wide path works fine. Avoid hills, wind, and uneven trails.
2. Warm up properly: at least 10 minutes easy jogging, then a few short accelerations (4 × 30 seconds at moderate pace, with 30 seconds easy in between).
3. Run 6 minutes flat out: pace yourself so you finish on empty. Start firm but not sprinting, hold a controlled hard effort, push the final minute.
4. Note the distance: record the result and tell the coach the distance covered in six minutes. The coach can calculate an estimate and discuss whether to update your profile and future pace targets.
5. Cool down: 10 minutes easy jogging.

Do it fresh (not after a hard day), in cool weather if you can. It is a demanding test, so ask the coach how to place it in your current week and stop if you feel unwell or unsafe.