Hi all,
I've been reading these forums for a few weeks while beginning LH running for the first time. I thought I would share my results thus far. I'm 34, so I believe my MAF is 146-151. My first treadmill test was July 19, 9:44 pace at 143 BPM average. Today August 3, I did my second test at 9:17 pace at 142 BPM average. I'll admit that I was getting very skeptical that I would see any marked improvement. Running in the heat and humidity in DC makes it very hard to see progress on runs, as my pace slows considerably as the runs get longer and I get dehydrated.
Previous to starting this, I was running maybe 45-50 minutes 2-4 days a week I would guess around 8:00-8:30 pace. That left me feeling pretty beat up on the 4 day weeks. It has been kind of amazing that slowing down a little reduces the effort and stress on my body so much that I'm barely noticing the mileage increase.
I'm doing this training, because I'd like my first marathon experience to be as pleasant as possible. I do have one question for the folks here: Once my mileage gets high enough that I'm comfortable to tackle a marathon, is the MAF pace comparable to marathon pace? I saw that some people posted that 10-15 BPM higher is normal, but I don't know how to translate that to mile pace.
Thanks for any feedback!
Matt
For the data junkies, here is my training so far:
Consistently Slow
http://bkclay.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2010-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-08%3A00&updated-max=2011-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-08%3A00&max-results=13
maff marathon prediction pace chart. from jimmyb. I find the chart to be spot on +- 10 seconds for each race.
Run until the trail runs out.
SCHEDULE 2016--
The pain that hurts the worse is the imagined pain. One of the most difficult arts of racing is learning to ignore the imagined pain and just live with the present pain (which is always bearable.) - Jeff
http://bkclay.blogspot.com/
Clay,
That's a great chart, thanks!
Welcome to the forum MT
That chart is a good ballpark. There are other ways to zero in on a target pace before your marathon as well:
1) Tune-up race. Run a 5k/10k or a half marathon. Then go to the Team Oregon Pace Wizard and insert your race time. It will give you a possible time and pace for a marathon. It's important to not that the time it gives you assumes you have developed your aerobic system. I't optimum. Record the temps and humidity for your races. If you ran the 5k in 40°F and your marathon is going to be run in 60-70°, there will be a slow down due to the temps.
2) If you know your MHR, put it into the Team Oregon Pace Wizard along with any race time (if you don't have one, just make one up--it doesn't matter for this). The Wiz will give yo a heart rate for a marathon. Let's say it's 170 bpm. Do a few runs during training constructed around this heart rate (a.k.a. marathon race pace tempo run). A good one to do is at least a 5-mile run in a zone where you start at marathon HR -10 beats to marathon HR (in this example 160 bpm to 170 bpm). Of course this can, and probably should, be tweaked and personalized the more you learn about how your race times relate to this heart rate. Warm-up for 30 minutes at MAF and below, then get your heart rate up to marathon heart rate -10, and hold the speed as best as possible you run in that first mile at -10. Let your HR drift up to marathon heart rate as the run progresses, holding the same feel and tempo. THis will give you another ballpark figure. I find for me that it has been very close to what I can ultimately do.
The MAF speed is really important. I always needed to have my MAF test speed at around 9:15 or so to run 3:30 in cool temps. To run a 3:22, I was somewhere in the neighborhood of 8:15-8:30, if I remember correctly.
You can devise almost any technique. In the Lore Of Running, there is a chapter on Bruce Fordyce, the great Comrades ultramarathon champ. He knew that when he could run an 8k track test in 25:00, he was ready. That was his thing. He knew himself. Joan Benoit Samuelson had a loop she ran up in Maine. She knew she was ready when she could run that loop at a certain speed and feel a certain way.
Keep a good training log, not forgetting to enter temperature, humidity, and wind speed (easy to get at the National Weather Service website). You'll find that all your training runs will contribute to helping you know what you're ready for, or not.
I wish you the best. Keep us posted on your progress and results.
Jimmy
Jimmy,
Thanks for the warm welcome and all of the good links. That Oregon Pace Wizard is handy for identifying a target HR for the marathon. As it turns out, I'm now entered in the Marine Corps Marathon, Oct 27, through a transfer entry as of this morning. So that will now be forcing my hand as to when I'm "feeling ready" :-) My only race this year was going to be the Army 10 miler Oct 20, but now that will just be a tempo run I guess. I'll try to find a 10k type race around Saturday, Sep 14 just to test the waters a bit.
I was not planning to do anything other than MAF runs for 6-9 months, other than the 10-miler. At this point I have 11 weeks and 2 days until the marathon. I'd like to continue doing just MAF runs for at least 7 or 8 more weeks, before I add anything faster. Even then, maybe just one 60 minute interval during a longer run per week at the marathon HR-10 up to the marathon HR like you suggested. Do you think that's enough speed work, and I use that term loosely. I noticed in another thread that someone discussed the Hadd plan which had 2 tempos per week. Some people seem to like that too.
I will post my treadmill MAF tests every 2 weeks. My next one is still 9 days out. I ran 2:05, 1:45, and 2:45 so far this week, and still no aches or pains. Probably do another 2 hours this afternoon once it cools off. I'm guessing I'm running around 10m/m+ pace with stops at water fountains and uphill walks factored in, so my mileage this week should be around 75-85. As long as I don't feel any pain, I might increase it again next week.
One other question regarding rest: I'm not feeling much stress from these runs, but the time/mileage is adding up. What's the consensus from the LHR community here on what constitutes adequate rest? So far I've been doing mostly 90 min+ workouts for 23 days, with 3 days off in there, so 20 workouts. The days off are not planned in advance, just days I had other obligations. Do others feel the need to take days entirely off after longer runs or just keep chugging along if the MAF results are trending in the right direction and no joint/muscle pain?
Jimmy, thanks again for your thoughtful feedback!
I always enjoyed doing some time at marathon pace before the race. It gives you an idea of the feel.
As far as rest goes, every one is different in that regard. Let your body and MAF tests guide you. I've always had my traditional rest day every week. And sometimes I take more if I feel I need it. I don't do workouts if I'm feeling exhausted.
2) If you know your MHR, put it into the Team Oregon Pace Wizard along with any race time (if you don't have one, just make one up--it doesn't matter for this). The Wiz will give yo a heart rate for a marathon. Let's say it's 170 bpm. Do a few runs during training constructed around this heart rate (a.k.a. marathon race pace tempo run). A good one to do is at least a 5-mile run in a zone where you start at marathon HR -10 beats to marathon HR (in this example 160 bpm to 170 bpm). Of course this can, and probably should, be tweaked and personalized the more you learn about how your race times relate to this heart rate. Warm-up for 30 minutes at MAF and below, then get your heart rate up to marathon heart rate -10, and hold the speed as best as possible you run in that first mile at -10. Let your HR drift up to marathon heart rate as the run progresses, holding the same feel and tempo. THis will give you another ballpark figure. I find for me that it has been very close to what I can ultimately do. The MAF speed is really important. I always needed to have my MAF test speed at around 9:15 or so to run 3:30 in cool temps. To run a 3:22, I was somewhere in the neighborhood of 8:15-8:30, if I remember correctly.
this was an informative post.
two things I would like to ask/say.
1) that oregon thing doesn't want to work for me if I input 210 as maxHR (I've seen higher of 211 but nevermind that now), it gives me 196 for 10K and 187 for HM... if this is meant as average HR for the races then 196 is too much and 187 is too low! my numbers are more like 193 for well-run 10K (I could perhaps do 194 if I run as hard as I can right from the start) and 190 for optimally run all-out HM.
...it gives 179 for marathon, I don't know about that one yet. but it sounds realistic enough and I'm ok if it's a bit conservative, this will be first marathon anyway. so I think I could use this for marathon pace runs. my marathon will be in october, so this is a good bit of information here...
2) I don't understand how for a 3:30 marathon (8min pace) the MAF was 9:15 and for 3:22 - which is 7:40 pace, that is, 20sec/mile faster - the MAF was almost a minute faster. did you maybe increase the MAF HR between the two?
this was an informative post. two things I would like to ask/say. 1) that oregon thing doesn't want to work for me if I input 210 as maxHR (I've seen higher of 211 but nevermind that now), it gives me 196 for 10K and 187 for HM... if this is meant as average HR for the races then 196 is too much and 187 is too low! my numbers are more like 193 for well-run 10K (I could perhaps do 194 if I run as hard as I can right from the start) and 190 for optimally run all-out HM. ...it gives 179 for marathon, I don't know about that one yet. but it sounds realistic enough and I'm ok if it's a bit conservative, this will be first marathon anyway. so I think I could use this for marathon pace runs. my marathon will be in october, so this is a good bit of information here... 2) I don't understand how for a 3:30 marathon (8min pace) the MAF was 9:15 and for 3:22 - which is 7:40 pace, that is, 20sec/mile faster - the MAF was almost a minute faster. did you maybe increase the MAF HR between the two?
The HR's the Wizard gives is the best you can probably do, if you're in really great shape, and run the race as hard as you can. It just puts you in the neighborhood and aren't necessarily what you'll be able to do. Some of us don't run races like a great runner would, keeping at that edge between the best possible run and a blow-up. Many of us would probably fall a few beats short of the number.
I just did a check on my 10k heart rate, and it gives 187-188 for me (my MHR is aprox 200-202ish). The last 10k where I measured HR (didn't run by heart rate, just measured it), the average was 186-187 (max HR of 201 during the gut-busting last .2 mile).
If it gives you 196, and you can do 194, then that's pretty close. Perhaps when you get to be the best racer you potentially can be, you might be getting to 196.
On my MAF's in relation to my marathon times. If you look at the chart, you'll see that the MAF first-mile speeds and marathon pace get closer and closer the faster you get at MAF.
MAF....5k pace....5k time.....Marathon.....Mpace
10:00..7:30..........23:18..........3:47:09...........8:41
9:30....7:15..........22:31..........3:39:31...........8:23
9:00....7:00..........21:45..........3:32:02...........8:06
8:30....6:45..........20:58..........3:24:24...........7:49
8:00....6:30..........20:12..........3:16:55...........7:31
7:30....6:00..........18:38..........3:01:39...........6:56
7:00....5:30..........17:05..........2:46:32...........6:22
6:30....5:15..........16:19..........2:39:04...........6:05
6:00....5:00..........15:32..........2:31:26...........5:47
5:45....4:45..........14:45..........2:23:48...........5:30
5:30....4:30..........13:59..........2:16:19...........5:12
5:15....4:20..........13:28..........2:11:17...........5:01
5:00....4:15..........13:12....... ..2:08:41...........4:55
My fastest MAF first mile leading up to my 3:22 was 8:15, measured in the final week of that 100-mile per week experiment I did. The test was about 6-7 weeks before the marathon. My volume was substantially lower in the final 6 weeks, and probably lost a bit of aerobic speed by the marathon. So, definitely in the ballpark, in terms of the chart. The rest of my marathons were in the 3:28-3:37 range (except for Seattle, where I tanked), and the first-mile MAF speeds leading into each marathon were:
RACE.................MAF............race time.....race pace.....temp
Philly '05...........9:04...........3:28.............7:57............... (55°F)
Sugarloaf '06...9:04...........3:30.............8:02................(64°F)
Vermont City...9:03...........3:38............8:21..................(73°F)
You can those 3 races were pretty much the same if you take temperature into account (Vermont was tough). Without looking at a chart, I can ascertain that I need to have an aerobic speed of 9:00-ish to run a 3:30--ish marathon. That's using my numbers. I do my tests on a TM, which would a little different than outside on an uneven course with wind. Comparing to the chart in this thread, it's in the ballpark. It says 3:32 for a 9:00 MAF first-mile. But I run my MAF tests in a warm room that tends to be warmer than the race (in the case of the Vermont race, the MAF test was done in cooler temps, no sun). It's ballpark.
Your MAF speed gets closer to the marathon pace, the fitter your aerobic system becomes. I'm not sure how accurate the chart is at the fastest speeds listed in terms of the projected marathon times. I don't have any data from elite marathoners in terms of MAF vs. their marathon pace.
The HR's the Wizard gives is the best you can probably do, if you're in really great shape, and run the race as hard as you can. It just puts you in the neighborhood and aren't necessarily what you'll be able to do. Some of us don't run races like a great runner would, keeping at that edge between the best possible run and a blow-up. Many of us would probably fall a few beats short of the number. I just did a check on my 10k heart rate, and it gives 187-188 for me (my MHR is aprox 200-202ish). The last 10k where I measured HR (didn't run by heart rate, just measured it), the average was 186-187 (max HR of 201 during the gut-busting last .2 mile). If it gives you 196, and you can do 194, then that's pretty close. Perhaps when you get to be the best racer you potentially can be, you might be getting to 196.
you perhaps skipped the fact that my actual HR average for a HM is higher than what this oregon wizard calculates...... I have done 192 average in HM and 190 is about optimal for me while oregon only gives 187.
(the 192 one wasn't an optimal race, I slowed in the second half, it was warm too. but possibly if I can get faster and can race hard all-out I can do 192 as optimal HR avg for HM)
that kind of makes the argument about oregon giving the highest possible HR avg invalid.
I think it's simply that calculators are often not perfect. why would they be?
btw I thought your 10K was at 184 not 187? new record avg HR? cool either way
but this much? the pace difference between 3:30 and 3:22 isn't that big. *shrug*
you perhaps skipped the fact that my actual HR average for a HM is higher than what this oregon wizard calculates...... I have done 192 average in HM and 190 is about optimal for me while oregon only gives 187. (the 192 one wasn't an optimal race, I slowed in the second half, it was warm too. but possibly if I can get faster and can race hard all-out I can do 192 as optimal HR avg for HM) that kind of makes the argument about oregon giving the highest possible HR avg invalid. I think it's simply that calculators are often not perfect. why would they be? btw I thought your 10K was at 184 not 187? new record avg HR? cool either way but this much? the pace difference between 3:30 and 3:22 isn't that big. *shrug*
So, one of your HR is a little higher and one's a little lower. Sill in the ballpark. It's not that far off. Doesn't invalidate any argument, because they're is no argument. I've always said these figures from The Wiz are ballpark. Of course the calculators aren't perfect. They are just tools to help you zero in on paces and intensities for races, and they offer help with training paces. I always say you have to keep in touch with your own numbers and work from there.
The pace between 3:30 and 3:22 appears small to you, but wasn't for me. It took a lot of hard work to get to that 3:22. I made huge leaps from my first marathon to the 3:28 PR in 2005. But the increments of improvement get smaller the closer you get to your potential, which from this viewpoint 3:22 looks pretty close ( I dream that it isn't) That was my 1st-mile MAF pace at 141bpm (what I used for MAF) (8:15) and that was the marathon I ran that day (3:22). What's so hard to believe about the relationship between those paces?
Where did you get a 184bpm in a 10k from for me? If I ever mentioned a 184 for 10k, I was mistaken, or just approximating from memory. The 187 I get is from this race on 6/19/10. It's actually the only 10k I've measured:
8:00 172 8:02 182 8:06 187 8:08 191 8:26 192 7:55 194 (short mile marker IMHO) 2:28 198 (longer than .21 mi)
perhaps my math is wrong, but I get 186.3 for the first 6 miles, adding in the last .21, it comes to aprox. 187 (rounded up).
The context of my post to MT79 is zeroing in on race pace, or what HR one should run at (if that's how you race). My suggestions are just suggestions, and they'll either help someone develop their system, or not. Experimentation, trial and error, will always get you there.
okay, so I get what you meant about ballparks and calculators. btw for me there is a pretty big difference between 193 and 196 for example. when it's a number around/above LT, it's like that for me, almost each additional heartbeat is a noticeable difference for me in terms of how it feels, what pace improvement it allows, etc.
as for 10K: then it's the other possibility I thought of (that is, I remembered it wrong )
btw I see it was a summer day, that reminds me, I noticed I can average higher HR's in races in hotter weather. how about you? did that help with getting a 186-187 avg? for example I did a race at 199 average for almost 40minutes which I wouldn't be able to do in cooler weather. oh and I was slower back then as a beginner but now the time for that could allow me to run almost a 10K distance. surpassing oregon calculator's 196 after all. but only in hot weather.
as for the MAF vs marathon paces: it just seems a lot bigger difference between the 3:30 (or 3:28 then?) MAF pace and the 3:22 MAF pace than I'd expect. I don't know what that means exactly, just an observation on its own but interesting - so I asked if it was the same MAF HR.
keep dreaming and working, I think you could possibly get much closer to 3 hours. I think just because it was hard to shave 6mins off 3:28 it doesn't mean that it was because it was close to your max potential. it could have been any other factor. e.g. did you do the same training (or maybe it should have been increased) etc. etc.
Thanks, C. It's nice to get encouragement like that.
I'll keep dreaming.
I did my 3rd treadmill test yesterday, and saw more improvement:
The actual settings for the treadmill were 1% incline, 9:40 pace, 9:13 pace, and 8:49 pace for the 3 runs. On the 9:40 and the 9:13 I slowed the treadmill down once for water when my HR got to 148, around 50 minute mark, so I lost a few more seconds than the last test. On this test, my HR only hit 147 with 3 or 4 minutes left, so I just ignored it and it peaked at 148. I am expecting to see diminishing returns starting on the next test, because I won't continue to gain 27 seconds every 2 weeks.
After the 1 hour test, I refilled my water bottle and decided to run 11 miles total, I had completed 6.79, so that left 4.21. I put the treadmill at the previous test pace of 9:13 and ran the 4.21 miles. The HR average was only 141, despite already running 1 hour, below the 142 I averaged on my last test.
I'm very happy with this progress, and I think it is entirely due to running a good volume at MAF pace. I feel optimistic about the marathon on Oct 27.
Nice progress, MT. Looking good for a decent marathon (if you don't start too fast, of course).
Awesome.
--Jimmy
I did my 3rd treadmill test yesterday, and saw more improvement: Date Time Activity Ave HR Test 19-Jul 1:10:04 Run 143 Treadmill - 9:44 pace 143 BPM, max 149 3-Aug 1:00:00 Run 142 Treadmill - 9:17 pace 142 BPM, max 148 17-Aug 1:00:00 Run 143 Treadmill - 8:50 pace 143 BPM, max 148
Just wanted to provide an update. I continued the MAF training from July 16-Sep 9. This is my mileage from start to finish and average pace, and note that I was running 20 miles a week previously:
I got injured unrelated to running Sep 9. Didnt run again until Oct 13. Ran 3 runs of 3 miles each Oct 13, 15, 17. Ran the Army 10-miler Sunday Oct 20, ran one 3 mile run Tuesday Oct 22, and then the Marine Corps Marathon October 27.
For comparison, I ran the Cherry Blossom 10 miler in early April in 8:27 pace. I ran the Army 10 miler in 7:45 pace, 42 second per mile improvement. One week later I completed my first marathon. Unfortunately there is a hairpin turn on that course about 7.5 mile mark at the top of a hill where you turn and head back down the hill. I had to come to a near stop to avoid running over the people in front of me, but the people behind me didn't quite stop and I got run over and hurt my quad muscle pretty badly. My family and friends were waiting to cheer at various spots from mile marker 10 to 20, so I didn't want to quit despite the fact that I knew I was injured until I at least got to mile 20. Probably like a lot of marathon injuries it gradually worsened until I was running with a hitch in my stride and then the pain spread to other places. I made it to the 20 mile mark and then just a little further and then I finally allowed myself to alternate walk/jog the rest of the way. I did my last walk section before the 25 mile marker and then jogged all the way in. I couldn't bear the idea of walking past the cheering marines and walking up the hill to the memorial. Normally I just toss my finishing medals away, but this finishing medal I am going to keep, because for the first time it wasn't just normal running pain and fatigue, it was a real mental effort just to finish a race.
Anyway, I finished in 3:54, which is 8:56 pace. If you told me before the race I would run 8:56 I would have been discouraged, even despite the lack of training the last 6+ weeks. However, I didn't wear a watch, and I didn't see the clock when I started, I just ran. So I was pleasantly surprised to see my splits, which very much validate the MAF running. Even though I was just trying to keep going and was only thinking about my leg the whole time, my pace continued to improve throughout the entire race from 5k until I walked from mile 20.5 to mile 21. Instead of focusing on the negative last 5-6 miles, I will console myself with the fact that I ran 21 miles in Oct at a pace faster than my 10 mile race in April. Also, my conditioning still seemed OK despite the time off. I can't guarantee that I wouldn't have slowed down some anyway due to fatigue, but it hadn't happened yet which is a great sign. Overall I was about 4,100 out of a field of 23,500.
Now I'm more motivated to get back out and run some MAF again once my leg feels normal. My next goal is a marathon in the Spring at sub 3:30 pace. Jimmy, thanks for your support!
These are my splits from the unofficial results: