Back to MAF

I just finished a little over a week of pure aerobic, low intensity, running. Basically Maffetone based HR training (180-age, with minor adjustments). I'm happy. I was sick of getting tired, getting sick, or injured. Funny that my attitude changed when I missed 2 days of work due to illness (right after a VERY hard run). I also was reading the book "The Happy Runner" at the same time (very good read). Things converged and I had an epiphany! I want to be happy. I want to run. I want to run happy. I need to be healthy and injury-free to run happy. Thus, I need to slow down and enjoy the whole process. No stress, little pressure. My last long run, 13 miles on the Kickapoo Rail Trail, was fantastic. I maintained a 9:23 pace with a heart rate average of 126. Never felt tired (during or after the run). No pains. Recovered quickly. This is real-life healthy training!

For a distance runner like me, the MAF method makes sense. If I add just a touch of speed, like regular strides and short hill repeats, then I'll be fine for almost any race I target (half-marathon to 100 milers). The half-marathon may require tempo runs, but if those are done judiciously, I'll stay healthy.

I have a half-marathon race at the beginning of October. Then a 50 mile race beginning of November. We'll see how my training and racing goes. Feel comfortable and confident that I'll be fine. For me, the priority is life-long running. And enjoyment. I want to be a happy runner.

NOTE: If you are training by heart rate, make sure you have a reliable and valid measure of HR. Wrist-based optical HR sensors are notoriously unreliable. I switched to a chest strap and have very good readings that I can trust.