Method to the Mafness

...I couldn't help myself. I had to make a really horrible pun. Ok, ok... it's out of my system. ;)

Let's talk about the Maffetone Method again. Ben wrote a wonderful little post about the Maf Test and this run-easy training method we've been practicing. For those of you who love the science and enjoy nerding out to the reasons why things work, this post is not for you. This is a practical gathering of my understanding, observations, and experiences with running under the Maffetone Method for - now - over a year. (In other words, I'm taking a load of information and condensing it to easy-to-swallow highlights!) Let's call it the quick-start guide to the Maffetone Method.

WHAT IT IS
Who's this Maff guy? Phil Maffetone's a doctor who studied endurance athletes, runners. There's still not a lot of numbers and data on this - he says that he's seen this method work based on his experience and a similar, but not exact, research study he did back in the day.

But to me, this method trains your body to use oxygen and fuel efficiently. Running below a certain effort level results in your body burning more fat and less carbs. At a higher exertions, the body switches to burning a higher mix of carbs. Fats supply a lot more energy/calories and break down slower (than carbs), which supplies us more energy. Training your body to burn more fats gets you to be more efficient with your energy use.

So, efficiency = less energy needed for the same effort. Wheels turning: if I can run a 4-hour marathon using less energy than I was before, then if I run at the same effort as before and am now more efficient, my marathon time should be faster than it was before. #Winning.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Ugh. This is the part where I have to brag a little, not to make myself feel like a superstar, but because I need to convince you that this works! There are a ton of other benefits, but if you're skeptical about this training method or are just interested in setting PRs for yourself, what you're about to read might convince you to run slower in order to get faster.

Since January 1, 2012, Ben has been using me as his guinea pig, whether he admits it or not. :) During this time, I have not followed a training plan and have been running under the Maffetone Method -- in other words, all slow and easy runs. I haven't trained specifically for any races, and usually signed up if I felt good that week. It's worked!

50 miles later...

• Ran a 50k trail race - significantly farther and longer (time-wise) than I've ever run.
• Ran a 50 mile trail race - even farther than I'd run before! ...with a 3rd place overall finish.
• Broke my 400-meter PR during a random track workout (relay night) I jumped in (74 sec?)
• Ran a 5k PR on the track during a time trial - besting my earlier PR by >15 seconds
• Ran a lifetime mile PR on the track during a time trial, cutting 5 seconds off of my recent mile PR from 4 weeks earlier.
• Ran a personal weekly mileage PR of 100+ miles, averaged over 50 weekly miles in 2012.

/End brag. (Whew)

WHAT WE DID
Running
We ran! We hooked ourselves up to heart rate monitors for each run, and set alarms on our Garmins for 80% of max heart rate. Based on my age, that's around 156 beats per minute. Every time the alert went off or was about to go off, we'd slow down and get the heart rate under control.

It was a battle! There was quite a bit of walking at first (and as the summer humidity started to set in, MORE walking!). If this is any idea for you, my PR marathon pace is around 7:30/mile. I was running - at 80% - somewhere closer to 9- and 10-minute miles at first. Doing this while fighting a little bit of anemia, that pace went up to 10-11 minutes/mile at times. Every day was different, depending on how I felt-- so one day, I could be at 9-minute pace, and the next (on the same route) could be 11 minutes/mile. Add hills, and runs just took a little bit of patience. And accepting that walking was ok.

Source

What's more important is what you don't see on my list of how I ran. I had runs like these rarely (less than once a month):

• track workouts and speed work
• fast runs or races
• tempo/pace runs
• strides/pick-ups

After a few weeks of this, it became easier to predict when the heart rate alert was about to go off to signal that I was exceeding 156 bpm. Also, after a few months my normal 80% pace dropped down to 8:30, 8:15, and approached 8 minutes/mile.

I have to stress the patience part of this training method. I was doing a lot of runs by myself or going with a slower group because it was too easy/tempting to get "sucked in" by the group at group runs, and then exceed my heart rate. Best test? If you can talk comfortably, then you're good and haven't gone over 80%. Not an exact measurement, and I don't recommend this as the sole way to gauge your progress. Just a simple comparison.

I also ran more miles by running to/from places I needed to be (group runs, the Y) and adding a few morning runs (two-a-days). I don't think this is necessary, but I wanted to try it out... I've never been able to surpass 50 miles/week without being injured! Last year I was able to get past that and double it without any issues. Why? I did "other stuff."

Other Stuff
Since I temporarily gave up on triathlons after the Rev3 half, I barely touched my bike last year. All I did was run. I also hit the Y twice a week to lift weights and strength train -- and this is how I stayed uninjured while increasing my mileage. Conveniently, the Y is 2 miles from our house, so I'd run two miles there, lift, and go two miles home. It was nice - the longest I ever ran in one shot was two miles! My typical strength training routine consisted of mostly core and hip flexor strengthening moves, which I designed to be quick enough to complete in 20 minutes or less. (C'mon, I got places to be!!)

• 3 x 15 reps of a circuit of 4 arm exercises with free weights
• Declined bench - 5 sets of core exercises with medicine ball
• 30 lunges with 5-pound weights
• Resistance band exercise around both ankles - walk sideways for 30 paces each side
• Leg press machine - 5 x 15 reps

WINNING (BENEFITS)
The top reasons that the Maffetone Method wins and why YOU should do it too:

1. Your legs won't feel as beat up at the end of runs or at the end of the week. (I used to do 1 or 2 track workouts a week, and legs just felt heavy and tired after 50 or 60 miles!) Your legs will feel.... fresh, leaving you to focus on form (no bad habits with form, no overextending) and make you less likely to be injured.
2. You could then run more miles because you don't feel trashed.
   

   

   Source
   

3. You'll never got sick of running. Usually a a month out from a marathon, after following the training plan and doing all of the workouts, I would just get tired of running and want a break. I never got that feeling like I had to get out the door.
4. IF you do do a track workout, do my reps slower than all-out and still get the same benefit as if you had. For me, the guys who outran me on every rep of a workout probably didn't get any better/faster/stronger than I was while running 3-5 seconds behind them... this means better recovery! Running faster isn't always better. Work smart, not hard!
5. Run with and get to know people you didn't before. It turns out running is way more enjoyable, casual, and social when you're running with the ladies of Team Slow and Steady! (Every run doesn't have to be a race, ya know!)
6. Run with your spouse. Ben and I were able to run together more often, and he stopped saying how it would "hurt" to go as slow as my easy pace. As long as he's not going over 80%, he's still getting aerobic benefit too, and running with me. You can have this too... assuming your significant other runs. ;)
   
   

   

   We ran together!

7. Set some PRs. At the end of races, I quit getting the tired feeling of trying to simply hang on at the end of a race. This type of training gives me a strong all-the-way-through feeling. It's hard to describe and understand until you experience it. Also, I never expected to set PRs... I never really knew how much more efficient I was becoming!
8. I never dreaded a run/workout.
   I get anxious about track workouts, so avoiding them on purpose was a-mazing! No pressure to keep a pace. I didn't feel like I had to hold a certain tempo pace or shoot for a particular finish time, which saved myself the frustration that came with occasionally not meeting a goal for a hard workout. This was huge on the attitude!

Clear as mud?

It's Madness... (It's in my running playlist. I'm obsessed with Muse and this song.)

Are you looking to make a training change? Does this still sound like a whole lotta crazy?

MAF Test #1 (Run Slower!)

Almost a year ago I stumbled upon an intriguing article by someone whose opinion I highly value, Dr. Mark Cuccazella. I had the pleasure of meeting him, without knowing who he was, at the Newton Retail Summit the previous year and what he had to say helped me make better sense of the pros of barefoot-esque running (and living). He is a family doctor that has turned around the health of an entire community in Shepherdstown, West Virginia by helping them get out and become active through running. He has even opened a "minimalist" ONLY running shoe store where none of the "traditional" models are carried. Every year he puts together a race called the Freedoms Run and I was perusing the page when I found an interesting topic: The Aerobic Engine.

For the first time, "base" period of running made sense. And I've coached many levels of athletes, but until then I never got it. Sure, run easy(er), run more mileage, get in "shape," and don't get burned out... that stuff really has very little, if anything to do with it. I'll let you check out the "Aerobic Engine" page rather than explain it here... but it follows up the topic with links for how to heart rate train and the Maffetone Method - and yes, it can be VERY frustrating at first to keep your heart rate under the suggested limit. The hardest mental barrier for anyone to start training this way is the mindset of "the harder you work, the more benefit you get."  This training method has a way of monitoring your progress called the "MAF Test" - Maximum Aerobic Function Test.

Last year we followed the heart rate training for 3 solid months and mostly the rest of the year. Steph PR'd in the 5k and altitude 10k without running a single step at "race pace" before the events. She also was able to run more than 100 miles/wk without injury, where 60 miles would sideline her in previous years. I saw measures of progress in endurance more than speed. I consistently ran 100+ miles a week (156 mile max), finished my first 50 mile race, and was able to run a 16 mile pace run at 5:50/mi pace - surely a PR in the marathon was to follow had I not decided to injure myself trail building (stupid!).

So, Steph and I decided to start off this year's "base" period with the MAF test as we enter the next few months of training with the Maffetone Method. Here's how it works:

Basically, you "warmup" 15 minutes VERY easy (not at HR limit), then run 5 miles straight (some do 3 or 4 miles) as close to prescribed HR limit as you can and mark the times... this should be done on an easy to repeat course so the data isn't skewed in subsequent tests (minimize variables!). Next time compare both the pace and the difference between your first to last mile, because the pace will slow down throughout the 5 miles... then 15min "cool down."

As an example, Saturday we were on the indoor track and I ran:
Mile 1 - 7:39.9 @ 156
Mile 2 - 7:47.5 @ 156
Mile 3 - 7:54.7 @ 156
Mile 4 - 7:56.8 @ 156Mile 5 - 8:03.7 @ 156

[Click on the image for a larger view or see it here on Garmin Connect]

Steph ran:
Mile 1 - 8:13.0 @ 156
Mile 2 - 8:17.1 @ 156
Mile 3 - 8:24.7 @ 155
Mile 4 - 8:21.6 @ 156
Mile 5 - 8:24.5 @ 156

[Click the image for a larger detailed view or see it here on Garmin Connect]

We'll revisit the test next month see how it compares!

Quite a few BARA people have started trying doing it, anybody else in?

Is this actually happening?

And now, another diversion from the Boston trip recap...

The Summer training schedule! Anyone who's crazy/reading this is more than welcome to join. The string of emails today includes our tentative Summer training schedule. Just remember, Rick/Ted/Ben/Zach are training for the "Ironman"/iron distance triathlon Rev3 in Sandusky, OH. So, when you see these numbers: yes, they do refer to miles - not minutes. [gasp]

The tri itself sounds pretty cool because Rev3 is all about family events. They choose good vacation destinations or, in the case of Sandusky, offer activities for families while their athlete is out racing for hours... and hours... and hours... Basically, the family gets free entry into Cedar Point during the race. Ever been to Cedar Point? It's a roller coaster-lover's paradise.

But I digress! Workouts: I'm going to come along for the ride (haha, get it?), but probably can't pull 20+ mph on the bike with the rest of the guys. This sort of schedule will probably warrant the purchase of a pair of bike shorts with a good pad! Honestly, I'll probably cut the mileage in half and sign up for the half ironman... who's with me??

If you're just looking to kick your butt into shape (or alternatively, sustain an overuse injury), this is the way to do it! Leave a comment or email me if you want in on these shenanigans. The actual schedule may vary.

So what do you think? Is this completely insane or necessary?

Update - 6/25/2011: We're still hittin' it hard with the mileage, and I've maxed out at 65 miles on the bike when we were in Sandusky last week for some Rev3 course recon. I almost forgot how much better riding on flat roads can be! Today we finished a 35 mile hilly ride (up from the Lake Monroe Reservoir on 446 and around to the dam) and I was able to - somehow - squeeze out an 8 mile run, tying my longest run since. The fast guys did a "King of the Mountain" challenge, consisting of 8 out-of-the-saddle climbs and racing all the way, as fast and as hard as they could. Ben had his first wreck during this competition when he was going too fast down a hill. Cars were warned to take the turn at 15 mph, but he was well over 20 on his bike!! He ditched off and jumped/flew over his handlebars and into a dirt bank a la runaway truck ramp. A little scrapes on his arm, but all looks well. He's lucky!