{"id":26879,"date":"2014-07-31T11:00:12","date_gmt":"2014-07-31T15:00:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/?p=26879"},"modified":"2021-09-11T04:23:19","modified_gmt":"2021-09-11T08:23:19","slug":"running-training-maf-method","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/fitness\/running-training-maf-method\/","title":{"rendered":"Run Faster With Suprisingly Simple Technique"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"MAF
Photo: Pond5<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

You run. You run a lot. You do speed work<\/a>. Yet, you haven\u2019t achieved your PR. In fact, you haven\u2019t seen many improvements and you\u2019re feeling burnt out \u2014 maybe even injured. So what’s going on?<\/p>\n

The problem may not be your training, your shoes<\/a> or your diet. It may be your aerobic base, or lack thereof. That\u2019s right \u2014 many runners and athletes don\u2019t have the aerobic conditioning they think they have.<\/p>\n

A solid aerobic base is important for athletic performance as well as overall good health. And your running won\u2019t improve until you get your body\u2019s energy systems in check. One way to do that is with the Maffetone Method, a strategy to help runners \u2014 slowly and steadily \u2014 win the race. Read on to find out what the MAF Method is and if it might work for you.<\/p>\n

Easy Does It<\/b><\/h3>\n

\u201cMost people have never developed good aerobic conditioning because it takes time and consistency,\u201d says Dr. Gangemi.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Chances are that when you run or work out, you are working anaerobically<\/i> versus aerobically<\/i>. That means that your body is working at a higher intensity and generating energy without relying on oxygen.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a no pain, no gain<\/i> attitude about training. More miles<\/a> must be better and you have to train fast to race fast,\u201d says Dr. Phil Maffetone<\/a>, internationally recognized researcher, educator and best selling author. Athletes would come see him for an injury but then return a few weeks later injured again. \u201cIt made me realize that many of them were overtraining,\u201d he says. According to Dr. Maffetone, \u201cheart rate is a good gauge of the amount of stress our bodies experience.\u201d Translation: Higher heart rate equals more stress.<\/p>\n

\u201cMany people think that aerobic training will make them slow and lose muscle but it doesn’t,\u201d says Dr. Steve Gangemi<\/a>, aka the \u201cSock Doc,\u201d a chiropractic physician specializing in holistic health care. \u201cYour aerobic system keeps you strong and powerful over a consistent period of time,\u201d and helps your body run more efficiently, burning fat for fuel instead of sugar. It improves the function of slow-twitch muscle fibers and increases blood volume (and in turn, the amount of oxygen available to your muscles). With less stress on your body, your nervous system stays relaxed.<\/p>\n

The problem is, \u201cMost people have never developed good aerobic conditioning because it takes time and consistency,\u201d says Dr. Gangemi. \u201cThey end up with poor aerobic physiology and metabolism<\/a>.\u201d Because your body turns to sugar instead of fat for fuel, it’s harder to maintain stable blood sugar levels and avoid glycogen depletion.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s what happened to Amanda Loudin, endurance athlete and RRCA certified running coach. After returning from injury in the fall of 2011, Loudin jumped right back<\/a> into intense training instead of building her aerobic base. The resulting effects included sub-par performances at the 2012 Boston Marathon<\/a> and California International Marathon. \u201cI had a couple of bad marathons in a row where I was bonking. I was running out of energy far too early [in the race],\u201d she says. After consulting with Dr. Gangemi, Loudin came to the conclusion that her body wasn\u2019t effectively burning fat.<\/p>\n

When training aerobically, \u201cyou should feel energized and not like you need a nap or a GU to replenish your carb stores,\u201d says Dr. Gangemi. Dr. Maffetone says, \u201cYou should quickly see positive changes in a runner. In particular, they should be running faster at the same heart rate and their injury should go away.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Running
Photo: Pond5<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Building Your Base<\/b><\/h3>\n

To build your aerobic base, you have to train at a low heart rate<\/a>, a relaxed pace that passes the \u201ctalk test<\/a>.\u201d But finding the right heart rate is an individualized process. After evaluating numerous athletes, Dr. Maffetone came up with a formula to determine an optimal heart rate training zone \u2014 the Maffetone Method<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The formula, which has been around since the early 1980s, provides a simple way to calculate your maximum aerobic training heart rate. Here\u2019s how:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Subtract your age from 180.<\/li>\n
  2. Modify this number based on your own fitness and health profile:<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n