MAF Test - Month 3

I didn't do a great job eating right this month, but I still hoped for a better MAF Test. It was not to be! Here are my splits:

Sports Complex (5km) at 121-131bpm:

	October 31	November 30	January 5	January 31
Kilometer 1	8:19	8:10	8:04	8:28
Kilometer 2	8:45	8:49	8:26	9:01
Kilometer 3	9:26	8:44	8:51	9:05
Kilometer 4	9:23	8:55	9:13	9:12
Kilometer 5	9:34	9:00	9:20	9:18
	45:26	43:38	43:54	45:03
Pace (min/mi)	14:37	14:03	14:08	14:31

I was really puzzled about this. I could have expected to have stayed the same, but to regress? I really don't know.

But I have just stumbled upon the concept of Metabolic Efficiency Training (MET), which more or less uses the same aerobic training principles as Maffetone but with a greater emphasis on eating right in order to maximize burning fat as fuel. This is one area I have completely ignored. So this month I am going to be mostly free of grains (bread, rice, and noodles) and sugars, and we'll see if that has any effect. The MET people also recommend at least 6 hours a week of MET training, whereas I rarely get over 5 hours a week. In fact as I look at my training, I see a correlation. In November, I ran 22.5 hours and saw much improvement. In December I ran 19 hours and regressed. And then in January I ran just under 16 hours and regressed further. Could that be it?

All in all, I am not all that discouraged with my results (although I'd gladly take a faster pace!), because I'm running more than I ever have, with no injury or soreness. Not a bad way to spend the off-season, regardless of my improvement or lack thereof.