MAF HR training?

[gumbl3]

Anyone been down this rabbit hole. Did the first "test" and went from running 8:15 miles to 13:00+ miles. Hard to imagine running slow will make you faster.

 

[Ram94]

I started following this approach earlier this spring. Definitely tough to adhere to off the start because you need to move so slowly, but I can tell you it is working very quickly for me. I can now nose breathe and my hr stays lower where I used to be gasping for air just a few months ago. I'm running much faster now and staying aerobic. Invest in a chest strap monitor if you like to see hard numbers, but you can get pretty darn close just based off breathing.

 

[mtwarden]

Anyone been down this rabbit hole. Did the first "test" and went from running 8:15 miles to 13:00+ miles. Hard to imagine running slow will make you faster.

come back in a year and a half and report back

building a solid base takes a looooooooong time

 

[Mtnmilsurp]

Running at an easy/conversational pace addresses the most significant constraint to aerobic fitness which is mitochondrial throughput. If you read that Eliud Kipchoge goes for a 12 mile run every day at 5:30/mile that’s what he’s doing… laughing and joking with the boys at an easy effort level that leaves him no more fatigued at the end of that run than he was at the beginning. Maffetone, Lydiard, Daniels—these guys all focused on growing mitochondrial throughput.

As for my experience: After being the #6 freshman on my high school cross country team (19:00 or so 5k) I ran 1,000 miles during summer vacation (97 days), all easy, and came back as #3 varsity runner as a sophomore (16:50 or so 5k). Ran 1,000 miles each summer and went on to run NCAA D1 cross country and track with a mid-14’s 5k. Never a standout at any level but saw significant improvement throughout my development. Last month I ran a brutal 50 miler at age 45 in 8:15. I still do a good bit of deliberate speed work but 90% is very easy running.

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[P Carter]

Agree on the above. All—or almost all—authoritative sources emphasize the need for a period of slow runs to build the aerobic system, which can only be built “from below” rather than “from above.” If you commit to 3-6 months of low HR base-building, you will see results, period. And those results will build a solid base for long-term fitness.


(There are slight differences between each approach…I think MAF is the most “strict” but there’s no need to haggle about the details.)

I think the Uphill Athlete book has a good, concise explanation of the state of the research on this that’s less confusing than reading the original sources.

Editing to answer the question: yes, I’ve done it. So has my dad, mom, siblings (both D1 cross-country and track athletes), etc. A solid block of this will increase your aerobic fitness but, perhaps more importantly, teach you what a truly “easy” pace feels like. And it makes running fun—it feels really good, and it’s easy to keep up the habit, when your former long run feels like a warmup, and you do it at a faster pace without breathing hard or being in the “gray zone.” The physical adaptations and knowledge will serve you well for a long time.

 

[P Carter]

Running at an easy/conversational pace addresses the most significant constraint to aerobic fitness which is mitochondrial throughput. If you read that Eliud Kipchoge goes for a 12 mile run every day at 5:30/mile that’s what he’s doing… laughing and joking with the boys at an easy effort level that leaves him no more fatigued at the end of that run than he was at the beginning. Maffetone, Lydiard, Daniels—these guys all focused on growing mitochondrial throughput.


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I read somewhere that Kipchoge and his running camp members run slow, at times, around 8:00-9:00 minute pace, which to mere mortals would be like 15:00 or 20:00 or something.

 

[gumbl3]

Thanks for the replies.. Keeps me motivated

 

[pattimusprime22]

Agree on the above. All—or almost all—authoritative sources emphasize the need for a period of slow runs to build the aerobic system, which can only be built “from below” rather than “from above.” If you commit to 3-6 months of low HR base-building, you will see results, period. And those results will build a solid base for long-term fitness.


(There are slight differences between each approach…I think MAF is the most “strict” but there’s no need to haggle about the details.)

I think the Uphill Athlete book has a good, concise explanation of the state of the research on this that’s less confusing than reading the original sources.

Editing to answer the question: yes, I’ve done it. So has my dad, mom, siblings (both D1 cross-country and track athletes), etc. A solid block of this will increase your aerobic fitness but, perhaps more importantly, teach you what a truly “easy” pace feels like. And it makes running fun—it feels really good, and it’s easy to keep up the habit, when your former long run feels like a warmup, and you do it at a faster pace without breathing hard or being in the “gray zone.” The physical adaptations and knowledge will serve you well for a long time.

For those not interested in purchasing the book and/or reading, the author, Scott Johnston, gives a pretty good summary of aerobic base training (which is what MAF training is all about) in this podcast. I highly recommend listening as it's pretty concise:

All About Aerobic Base

It seems that the endurance training world is rediscovering the importance of what we used just call base training but is now often referred to as

uphillathlete.com

 

[thinhorn_AK]

Yes o did it for a long time back when I was big into running and triathlons. I’d run at night because I was so slow that it was embarrassing. I did get faster and manage to complete several marathons under 3 hours and 7 Ironman triathlons in good time.

I don’t do any of that stuff anymore though.

 

[gumbl3]

Embarrassing is a good way to put it.. I could walk faster somedays, lol

 

[P Carter]

Embarrassing is a good way to put it.. I could walk faster somedays, lol

I thought this podcast was pretty good: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aH...Ewi1obGjmeL4AhUYJkQIHTmrCR8QjrkEegQICxAT&ep=6