I lost a post yesterday and another one today - what's wrong? Is this one posting? I want to do a MAF test. My MAF is 131=180-age Should I try to stay as close to 131 as possible during the entire test (after warm up)? How do I decide which HR to do the test at?

Hi Shiksa, Thank you for confirming this - actually, I think MAF-20 would be 111 in my case. My MAF is 131. I am not sure if I need to adjust my MAF up or down - I've only been running with the heart rate monitor for about a week now. It is not very difficult to stay below 131; I only have to deliberately slow down while going uphill. I have been running slowly prior to starting to use the heart rate monitor - slowly by feel a la Lydiard, so I am already used to running comfortably slow. Perhaps this is the reason I don't have as much trouble as some of the other novice LHR trainees are reporting on this forum. One week is too little to judge anything. So far, it has not been difficult though. I noticed in the long post (name?) that you have had good success with your MAF training lately - some impressive progress in your Tests. Do you perform the tests every week or every 14 days? I think I will choose an outdoor area to perform my MAF test rather than the treadmill - I have not felt good on the treadmill lately. I can run some loops (circles) similar to a track inside of a new subdivision - it is almost flat but hard top, not soft like a track. I takes approximately 30 minutes to run over there, so that would be my warm up. How many miles of test should I aim for? Is 1 mile enough or is it better to run 4 miles like I have seen you do?

Read the following: http://www.rrca.org/resources/articles/slowdown.html That page is pretty much an excerpt from the first Training For Endurance and from the free material Maffetone has at his website (which I recommend signing up --free--you get access to a lot of articles and interviews) Your MAF is your adjusted number. Use that. Warm-up for 15-20 minutes gradually getting to MAF -10. Then take a few minutes to gradually get your HR up to your MAF. Then begin the test. For a zone, I use MAF -1 to MAF +1. Some use MAF-2 to MAF. Just be consistent from test to test. Also: --If I see MAF +1 more than MAF, I slow the speed. If I see anything over MAF +1, I slow immediately. --If I see MAF-2 or lower, I speed up. --drink in small sips. I find that more than a swallow at a time makes my HR spike, and I have to slow the speed. You can also just stop running and sip, then go. This helps. I use the TM, as I can control the temp, incline, wind, and the fate of the world (my TM is a double-secret event controller.). Outside is fine, just do the same course, making note of the temperature, humidity and wind speed and direction. An MAF-test done in 40 degrees will have a different outcome than one done in 70 degrees and wind. An MAF test can be 1-5 miles, some do more. Since you probably put at least a mile in for a warmup, 6+ miles might be too much for some new runnners. So, a 3 mile tes is fine. Like Maffetone says, even a one mile test will give you valuable information. 5 miles, like Stacey writes, will show you more. Maffetone suggests doing tests every 3-4 weeks as to not to become obsessed with progress (like weighing yourself twice a day to see if you've lost weight yet). To him, obsession with anything just causes undo stress, and stress is the enemy of the aerobic system. Some Maffers do every run like an MAF test, running at the MAF number. Do what is most fun. Every two weeks, every week. Just don't expect progress from week to week. Every 4-6 weeks is more like it. Be prepared to see regression in the opening month--might not happen, might. That is temporary, and will turn around and go the other way. Ooops, gotta go run! --Jimmy

As my mileage increases as I get faster, I may do a 4 or 5 mile test.

Shiksa, You seem very confident that this type of training is going to make you faster - I cross my fingers that I will have this experience myself. When you ran at the wrong MAF last year did you still see improvements in your pace? How do you know it was the wrong MAF?

Shiksa and Jimmy, You have both been a big help. I think I now understand the last pieces of the puzzle - I intend to do a MAF test tomorrow; I could do it today but I think I need a rest day or a very short recovery run tonight - did a long one yesterday and I am feeling undue soreness in a couple of places plus it has been about 10 days since I took a day off. This brings up another question that I have had on my mind about the test. Do you try to always do the same kind of workout (time spent running and same effort) the day before the MAF test? It would seem this would have a big impact on the MAF test. I think keeping as many variables constant as possible will give a more accurate way to compare tests. Jimmy, I think keeping my HR only a couple of BPM below MAF will be rather difficult - I might need to give myself a larger zone/range, for example allow MAF-5 to MAF+1 and then immediately slow down if I get on the +side. Judging by feel only and one week experience with this biofeedback I have a hunch that my MAF is lower than 180-age, thus lower than 131. I find that I feel more comfortable, breath more deeply, relax more, and have a greater awareness of my surroundings when I stay below 125; I may just have to adjust my MAF down by 5 points to 126 - I think Phil Maffetone suggests adjusting by 5 points at a time if adjustments need being done, right? This is going to be very exciting - I look forward to the test.

Whatever your MAF ends up being, a proper MAF test is done AT that HR. It' not very difficult to keep it there. I've never had a problem, even when out of shape. That link I posted explains how to make the adjustments and why. You can always keep your MAF for the tests and train below MAF if you wish. Maffetone guggests a zone of MAF to MAF -10 (121-131 for you). You warm-up slowly to the 121, taking 15-30 minutes, then just hold a pace that keeps you in the zone. You can stay at 121, or let the HR drift up to 131. --Jimmy

I'm reading older threads and came across a link for the ".....Slow Down" article and it's become a bad link.

I found this article at this link though. Perhaps it's a similar article?

 

 Want Speed? Slow Down 

 

 

http://content.bandzoogle.com/users/cippianhotmail/files/Want_Speed_Slow_Down_2007.pdf