@VirginiaEdie Everyone is frustrated starting MAF. Plain and simple: It sucks!
I found having purpose to my runs helps. Run 6 miles on a track? Sure, as long as it’s for a monthly MAF Test. Run slow on my normal runs? Well, it sucked until I realize my city is flatter on the east-west streets so I set out to run all of them (at least the major ones and now moving to minor and residential streets). Getting passed by other runners? After that first twitch, I tell myself “It’s not in my training plan todaybto run faster than that random person whom I know I can run faster than.”
A few years ago I did a treadmill/lactate test. The coach told me to do most of my runs aerobic, one long run tempo and one anaerobic speed workout per week. He’s 100% HR method and modified MAF. It makes sense and it keeps running fun.
lets remember we are only applying MAF to training runs and not ‘events’ be it competitive or fun runs, sportives etc.
So what someone you think is less fitter than you over takes you, do you know what their HR is ? nope Do you know their actual physical and stress condition etc.
the thing about MAF is the LONG term benefits, I know in this world everyone wants results NOW but look at mine over 12 months doing MAF roughly 75-80% of my training. In events I can now hold a much higher HR so for example averaging 160 up the 4 hour climb to Mt Teide … WITHOUT food, think about that !
I know the feeling. A few years ago I had to stop running and ride a bike due to ITBS (was training way too hard and too many miles).
I’d ride by runners on the bike/running path and I’d want to yell at them “I’m a runner too! I’m only on the bike cause I’m injured!” Running addiction… it’s a thing…
That’s a good point.
In addition, I hope to be able to engage in endurance events over many years and not suffer from the heart scaring that has been found in triathletes (not that I’m on that level) who have died from a cardiac event.
If I can run for hours, at a lower HR, MAYBE that is protective from long term damage to the body. From what I understand, they don’t know what is causing the scaring in those athletes and until they do, the more protective measures we can “use” (like the MAF method of keeping HR lower, eating keto etc.) the better.
that is exactly it, we need the hours of training so why not calm the HR down and prevent the stress and inflammation, plus of course a lot of these are carb eaters and eat shiut loads of those god awful gels and drinks !
Thats why I love MAF, sure not as good as some (or as diligent !!) BUT the stress levels way down and my body knows it say from a year ago …
Have you looked at your HRV Ian? I’m waiting with itchy fingers for my TickrX to turn up so I can reassure myself I’m not overtraining and I’m just being a pussy with the aches
Note Saturday is higher as then I did a 4 and half hour ride … The figures in themselves mean nothing just a gauge between 0-100 but about trends and knowing when you body says, hang on, maybe I need a bit of a rest !
I think it’s also worth looking at Jeff Galloway and the run walk idea. This keeps the heat rate low, and reduces impact of exercise.
The trouble with it is, if you are self - conscious of being overtaken while running slow with the maf method, just wait for the feeling when you deliberately slow to a walk halfway up a hill and get asked if you are okay by joggers who then overtake you, even though you are not even a little out of breath.
and think when you are in an event say a marathon these hares sprint off but you win easy as you do not have to stop - fat adaption, feed and keep a constant rhythm
I’m already walking with my MAF runs, so no worries beyond my current insecurities there. More interested in how the much more intensive kick boxing is affecting my recovery and wether I can fit in some kettlebell on the off days (MAF or not)
and that is where HRV Jack comes in but as others said on this ay of life, just do it on feel, do you feel tired before, then maybe ramp it down and relax for that day …
The easiest way for me to tell if I am training aerobically as a runner is the conversation test. If you cannot speak in full sentences without pauses for breathing, then you are likely in the anaerobic zone and should go slower. Additionally, it you cannot breath from your nose then you are training anaerobically.
For beginners to running, that may mean walking uphill and running downhill.
Just a theory for now, but I think LCHF endurance athletes will live longer than their sugar/carb burner counterparts!
The reason I say this, is because somebody recently expressed to me, not sure about their sources (have not researched this myself) that “…endurance athletes have a high mortality rate and die at a young age…” That really caught me off guard and kind of stunned me!
I paced the local marathon last March (doing it again this year…).
I asked to pace the 4:30 group but it was not available, they asked if I’d pace the 5 hour group, I said sure, had no idea how to do it but said I’d give it a shot (I’d never ran a marathon that slow before).
My co-pacer had ran 50 marathons and she suggested we “do a Galloway”. I said you tell me what that is and we’ll give it a shot. We ran for 9 minutes at a 10:45 pace and walked for one minute, this was MUCH easier than plodding along at an 11:15 pace for the entire 5 hours.
Some of the runners were complaining because they had not trained that way, they got grouchy when we told them the pace plan, we told them to run their race and just be ahead of us at the end and they would beat five hours, one way other another. By the end of the race we still had a LARGE pace group and many of the previously grouchy runners were extolling the virtues of the method. I found that afterwards my recovery was quicker and the run was simply more pleasant, as pleasant as it could have been considering the first 15 miles were the toughest race I’ve ever run due to the extreme cold, blowing wind/snow/ice/sleet… just pain… The wind finally stopped around mile 16 and we hit the sheltered portion of the race and then the downwind, still, toughest marathon ever for me.
Bottom line, Galloway certainly works, AND, we were the ONLY pace group to make the time (not that hard considering…but still, an accomplishment).
I hate that I have a garmin chest strap that works with my running watches but I can’t find the ap etc (using android) to use my garmin to test HRV. From what I can tell, I need another device and I’m loathe to do that…
For now I realize when I start running if my HRV is “off” when I have to run slower than usual to meet my MAF, often due to not enough sleep or too much beer the day before…
Well, even when I am supposedly out of my aerobic zone, at the low end of anaerobic, I can still talk. I’ll have to try breathing through my nose and see what happens then.
I’m 51 but training in my supposed MAF zone was so much more walking than running. I upped the top of my aerobic zone to 145 (as calculated by my Fitbit) and that seems to feel okay. I can talk at that heart rate and my body is not worn out or sore afterwards. I am also running farther than I have been able to previously. I hope to enter my first half marathon in May.
What I’m doing seems to be working. Who knows maybe really keeping my heart rate between 120 - 130 would work even better but I don’t think I would be running at all. I can walk and have my heart rate in that zone.
but as others said on this ay of life, just do it on feel, do you feel tired before, then maybe ramp it down and relax for that day …