The idea
Not everyone has time for six runs a week, and not everyone wants to run only three. Volume mode is the dial that sets how many days you train, and Pheidi shapes the rest of the plan around your choice — which days carry the long run, which carry quality, and which are rest.
The four modes
- Minimal — up to 3 runs/week. A long run, a tempo, and a speed session, in the spirit of the FIRST / Furman "run less, run faster" method. Every run has a clear job; the rest of the week is cross-training or rest.
- Moderate — up to 5 runs/week. The sweet spot for most runners. Enough easy volume to build aerobically without crowding out recovery.
- High — up to 7 runs/week. For daily runners. Every day has a purpose, with easy days protecting the hard ones.
- Elite — up to 7 runs/week, with doubles. Adds a second easy run on your busiest training day so weekly volume can climb past what a single daily run allows — built for 80+ km / 50+ mi weeks.
How doubles work
Doubles are exclusive to Elite mode, and they only appear in the Build and Peak phases — the stretches where extra easy volume pays off. On your highest-load day, Pheidi adds a short PM recovery run alongside the main session. Base and taper weeks stay single-session so you're not piling on volume while you're still ramping up or winding down.
Picking a mode
You set your mode during onboarding, and you can change it later in Settings. Pheidi suggests a sensible default from your experience level — Moderate for beginners and intermediate runners, High for advanced runners — but the choice is always yours. Your mode together with the days you mark available set how many days you actually run.
Volume modes live inside the Pheidi app — sign in to pick yours and build a plan.