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.
