Another thumbs up for Extramilest, which is mainly about the MAF method of HR training. There are a lot of decent interviews on there but one that really resonated with me and I got loads from is this one with Brit Jonathon Walton. He's a very quick runner (2:30 50 year old) but it was a great interview.
Big_G - I have used and momitored my heart rate since the 90s, ran a 2.38 marathon and raced to 100km (8hours) at my best I could run an 8 min mile at sub 114 HR and even I got bored when I reviewed and played with MAF.
There is a point where no matter how serious you are you need to still be able to enjoy running and frankly MAF removed that :¬0
Interesting, Gobi. I'm finding it okay, although frustrating at times. Generally speaking I'm enjoying it as I've been able to get some consistent, high mileage in. What I'm currently thinking is to introduce some speed work at end of July (which will then be 3 months of MAF), and then if we get back to racing soon I'll race regularly too. Maffetone says in his book that racing is good for speed work anyway, which suits me just fine. Probably I'll basically switch from Maffetone's method to Fitzgerald's 80/20 and use some of his marathon speed sessions, with the 80% still being at MAF. But I'll see how it goes. I did have a frustratingly bad run today, so all what I said above may change when I get to the end of July! I have found that my better runs tend to be when I get a major hill out the way first (run/walking....mainly walking), and then I do a run that undulates back down to the finish. I have a 6, 7 and 10-mile version of this and they're often my better runs.
I have the tolerance to run hours on a treadmill staring at a wall, I can repeat a process 10000 time to learn it so I can coach it with both hands(used to be an international level roller hockey coach) and yet MAF just removed the joy of running.
For pictures, Big G, you need to upload the picture to the gallery, then copy and paste the code into your post. Sometimes it can be more convenient to screenshot it, and upload that. Here's one of mine:
[ IMAGE 108828 ] without the spaces inside the brackets gives ...
(This was from before Fetch tweaked the colour scheme so it looks less dramatic.)
Everything you need to know about training with a heart rate monitor. Remember the motto "I can maintain a fast pace over the race distance because I am an Endurance God". Mind the trap door....
Gobi lurks here, but for his advice you must first speak his name. Ask and you shall receive.
A quote:
"The area between the top of the aerobic threshold and anaerobic threshold is somewhat of a no mans land of fitness. It is a mix of aerobic and anaerobic states. For the amount of effort the athlete puts forth, not a whole lot of fitness is produced. It does not train the aerobic or anaerobic energy system to a high degree. This area does have its place in training; it is just not in base season. Unfortunately this area is where I find a lot of athletes spending the majority of their seasons, which retards aerobic development. The athletes heart rate shoots up to this zone with little power or speed being produced when it gets there." Matt Russ, US International Coach
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Daniels Running Formula. The Definitive Wire.
Jul 2023