MAF Test - Month 5

Last month I postulated a correlation between training volume (hours per week) and pace improvement (or regression). After a 101-mile February (almost 26 hours), I did see some improvement. This past month, I ran 133 miles (31 hours), so you'd expect for me to see even more improvement, yes? YES.

	Oct 31	Nov 30	Jan 5	Jan 31	Mar 3	Apr 3
Kilometer 1	8:19	8:10	8:04	8:28	8:42	7:44
Kilometer 2	8:45	8:49	8:26	9:01	8:33	7:43
Kilometer 3	9:26	8:44	8:51	9:05	8:38	7:44
Kilometer 4	9:23	8:55	9:13	9:12	8:53	7:56
Kilometer 5	9:34	9:00	9:20	9:18	9:04	8:08
	45:26	43:38	43:54	45:03	43:51	39:15
Pace (min/mi)	14:37	14:03	14:08	14:31	14:08	12:38

One more month to the Borneo International Marathon. I have no time goals, and don't plan to track my pace. I'm not even sure if I'll wear my HR monitor. I just want to have fun, run at a comfortable but purposeful pace, and if I feel I can give more in the last third, I'll go for it.

Maffetone: Baseline

Now that my racing season is over (makes me sound like such a pro, haha!), and with nothing on the calendar for me until April 2014, I can take the time to do whatever I want (or don't want) to do in my training. Normally that is a recipe for disaster, since if I don't have a race, I don't run. Sad but true. I need a goal.

So hey, good timing, here comes a goal: improve my aerobic fitness so I can run faster with less effort. I already mentioned this briefly, that I'll be following the Maffetone Method to work towards my goal. And it starts now. I probably won't be posting much here as there won't be much to say, but I'll check in each month with the results of my latest Maximum Aerobic Function (MAF) test. The idea is that you run a set distance once a month, and see how long it takes you to do it. If you're doing it right, you should see your times go down each month, while still working at the same heart rate as before. So for my MAF test I'll be doing a 5km (5 laps) course at the local sports complex, and then a day or two later I'll do a slightly-less-than-5km hilly trail course. I'll post both results here monthly. So without further ado, here is my baseline MAF test:

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

	October 31
Kilometer 1	8:19
Kilometer 2	8:45
Kilometer 3	9:26
Kilometer 4	9:23
Kilometer 5	9:34
	45:26

My normal pace for this 5km (regular jogging) is probably a 9:30- to 10-minute mile. At MAF I was expecting to run about a 13-minute pace, maybe a bit slower. As it turned out I ran a 14:37 pace! Wow. But on the positive side, it can only get better from here. Way better I hope. The hardest part was probably passing walkers as it felt like it took me about a minute to actually complete the maneuver! Okay, so let's see how MAF looks on the trails.

Bukit Padang Trails (2.83 miles) at 121-131bpm:

November 1

1:03:00

This route normally takes me around 40-45 minutes, walking up most of the hills and running everything else. So this was about as slow as I would have guessed. But it was much more enjoyable than the sports complex. I could see myself doing this more often. I also felt a bit more in tune with my heart rate and could (usually) alter my pace before my HR monitor started beeping that I was too low or high.

So now I will spend my days running for 30 minutes, 60 minutes, maybe an occasional long run, entirely at or below my training heart rate of 131bpm. I won't be keeping track of my mileage, only time. If I tracked my mileage, I would then know my day-to-day pace and might get a bit obsessive over any minor improvements or setbacks in my training. Once a month is good enough for keeping track. Blogging will therefore also be light, so arm your feed reader if you want to follow my progress!

At the same time, I have a second goal. I'll be working on increasing my barefoot running mileage, following the 12-week training plan in the excellent book Barefoot Running by Michael Sandler and Jessica Lee. It'll involve running 2 or 3 times a week barefoot, increasing my mileage (and types of terrain) slowly over the course of the 12 weeks. I'm looking forward to improving my foot strength which will help ward off the typical running injuries that are caused by wearing shoes. You know the ones. More on my barefoot training later.

Building the Base w/ Maffetone

I knew going into TMBT 2013 that I was undertrained. My weekly mileage was never very high, I almost never (maybe never) ran more than three times in a week, and my longest long run (which I did 3 times) was 24km. Having read the standard ultrarunning books and blogs, I know that having a solid running base is essential to doing well in ultras.

While I was already considering how to build my endurance base in preparation for SAC 2014 and possibly TMBT 2014, I started to more seriously consider the Maffetone Method. For those unfamiliar with this, the premise is that you conduct the great majority of your training at a lower intensity, keeping your heart rate below a certain level (determined through a simple formula plus a modification or two based on your lifestyle and fitness). By training at or below this set level, your body remains in an aerobic state. And by developing your aerobic capacity, the theory is that over time, you will be able to go faster and faster at that same heart rate.

So after running the numbers, it looks like my maximum heart rate, which I should not exceed, is 131 beats per minute. Yikes, that's low. I think when I go on a simple jog, my pulse gets near 150 bpm. So at least in the beginning, I will probably be walking. But I am looking forward to trying this new approach to see what happens!

My baseline test, which I will conduct monthly, will consist of the following:

• 5km at a nearby track. Flat and easy, 5 laps.
• 2.83mi on the trails near my place. It's a set course I often run, and has 636 feet of ascent (and descent).

I'll measure the time it takes me to do those two routes (not on the same day) at 131 bpm, and record my progress.