Low Heart Rate training is not something that I ever thought I’d enjoy…I mean it’s another number to track and without any speed work, how does someone possibly get any faster? MAF training results seemed hit or miss in the Facebook groups I joined, but were they really?
Turns out LHR training is NOT slow training.
It just feels that way because many have to slow down initially.
I was nervous like anyone who initially undertakes MAF training. However, within the first few months, I quickly realized it might just be a game changer for me.
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: In 2021, our Virtual Run Club will be doing a deep dive on LHR! You’ll be able to ask a coach all your questions, get feedback from other runners and figure out how to make more progress.
Results of MAF Training
Here I’ll take you through my initial results when I started using it in 2014 through my current usage in 2020.
Round 1 Results (2014)
A 4 min half marathon PR when I was really hoping just to get 1-2…well that’s not too shabby in terms of Maffetone training for just 4-5 months.
But beyond that was my pure enjoyment of the entire training cycle. I didn’t have the complete physical break down that I often do during peak weeks and though I’ve had a little knee trouble that appears to be more from stepping in a hole than mileage.
If you don’t know much about LHR training, please read these first or for additional information on how to implement it:
- Understanding Low Heart Rate Training – benefits and methodology
- Low Heart Rate Training Plans
- How runners I coach get results with Maffetone
- LHR Training Plans
Now I’m going to give you a quick rundown of my experience when I started using LHR and where I am today.
MONTH 2
My first update was mid-January 2014 {2 months of following LHR}.
At that time I had run the NYC marathon in November and spent most of Nov-Dec in recovery mode with easy runs and lots of time on the bike trainer.
The biggest issue I was facing with MAF was that I actually couldn’t run fast enough to get my HR up to the prescribed level as the Florida temperatures dropped and my body wasn’t working so hard to cool itself.
**Note: Often times if you can’t get your HR high enough it’s because you are over trained. This was a unique case of going from 90% humidity and 90 degrees to 45 degrees, which is a massively smaller load on the body.
MONTH 3
During the remainder of January I eased in to my own way of using LHR.
Since my legs simply couldn’t hit the paces it would take to maintain the high end of my LHR {148-150} I just kept trying to run faster at a pace I could sustain. No speed work because that does spike the HR, just consistently increasing my pace a little.
- Used decline on treadmill to practice faster turn over while keeping HR low
- Used incline on treadmill to increase strength while maintaining my normal easy pace and keeping HR low
- Used outdoor long runs as a time to keep pushing the pace and understand how my body reacted. Though I might have felt it was hard, my body told me it wasn’t which provided me the confidence to keep pushing.
- Aimed for 140-142 as my max HR
I think this month was huge in showing me the impact of temperature on how the body reacts. It’s much easier to keep it down when not also battling humidity and heat or the spring full of allergies.
MONTH 4
On Feb 1, David and I ran the Best Damn Race in Safety Harbor as our practice race. Over the years since, I found that without even knowing it I was doing the best thing I could with MAF, which is placing a race about 4 months in to base building, as an opportunity to allow my body to push beyond that max HR.
I soaked in every detail of the race to help set me up for better racing in the future. While we didn’t take it easy on race day, neither of us pushed ourselves extremely hard.
We had a satisfying finish of 1:50, feeling really strong {finally with a finishing kick}, with my heart rate averaging about 156-160.
Occasional races are the one instance that Maffetone allows for speed work (until you’ve stopped progressing at base MAF), in other words when you can run without looking at your HR.
I chose to treat the following week as recovery, to make up for exceeding my HR because that was a sign I had taxed my body {see when to run again after racing for more}.
- 1 practice race {which is considered speed work}
- 1 week of recovery after the race
- 2 weeks of only LHR runs, not a single mile faster than 8:30
- 1 week of taper with knee injury the week before the race
RACE DAY PR
All of this lead up to race day on March 1.
I had been setting everyone’s expectations low to save my sanity because honestly I didn’t know without speed work what would happen! Would it be a total flop? Would I run out of gas?
This was yards from the finish line, where I realized how massively I’d blown away my own expectations.
- 4 min PR
- Avg 7:56
- Felt like I was pushing, but never like I wanted to quit or was exhausted
- Able to enjoy the entire race
- Nursed 1 gel from start to finish
- Avg HR 168 <<< ahh this is what lets me know I need to keep working
I couldn’t have been more thrilled with this race experience. It was a course with over 30 turns, a few hairpins, and miles on cobblestone roads, so I had no anticipation of a PR that huge while feeling so good.
In the weeks post race, I could tell what a difference it makes when I exceed LHR because I really need more easy movement to recover. It took a full two weeks before I had an 8 miler back at my easy pace of 9:12 with a 136 HR.
2nd Round of MAF Results
After knee surgery in 2017, I went back to MAF Training to help rebuild my base before I started racing again. I have been sticking to it without a lick of speed work all year because it just felt good.
My last race:
- 95% of training was done at a 10 minute pace
- Race day was an avg 8:38 per mile pace
- I felt great during that race, my HR was only about 10 beats higher
- My recovery post race went quickly
It’s continuing to work for me, but as you’ll see below I’m going to start adding in some additional speed workouts to my Low Heart Rate training.
3rd Round of MAF Results (2020)
As the year shifted away from my goal of running the Chicago marathon, I decided I simply wanted to test my endurance.
This was another time to shift my MAF training slightly to achieve another new goal.
- I spent a few months running 5 beats below my MAF and grew my weekly mileage to 5oMPW
- I had no fatigue or injures in running my highest mileage since 2015 and post surgery
- I then was able to practice some better speed work by having that additional 5 beat cushion
- I am on track for my first ultramarthon this year
Long Term LHR Results
**Update I’ve now being using MAF training for years to keep me feeling strong and enjoying my runs.
As someone who has hormonal issues, LHR training allows me to continue enjoying running the miles that I want without being run down or spiking my cortisol.
Most recently, I was a life saver as I returned to running after knee surgery. It allowed me to comeback safely and strong.**As noted previously, this method becomes much harder when running through hot and humid temps, as will have have a HUGE impact on HR.
It turns out moving from FL to 5500 feet above sea level in Denver also made it a bit harder for me to keep my HR down. That shocked me for at least the first year in Denver, but I have continued to see improvements and it is so fun to race at sea level!
Maffetone method training is definitely NOT for everyone. It suits my personality and has really allowed my body to feel it’s best, which is why I’m going to continue pursuing it to some additional race goals.
Who should try the Maffetone Training?
- Those who get injured frequently
- Those who are over trained and fatigued
- Those who enjoy long steady state runs
- Those who don’t mind the lack of variety in types of runs
- Those looking to improve how their body uses fuel
If you like lots of variety it could feel tedious. If you LOVE the I feel like hurling effect of speed work, you definitely won’t get that. If you always run with a group there may be frustration because initially it causes most folks to slow way down.
Speed work on Maffetone Method?
You’ve been diligently following MAF for at least 3-6 months and now feel like you aren’t getting any faster…it might be time to enjoy a little bit of speed training.
Here is where you need to continue being smart about training!
- I found that racing every few months is a great way to keep improving my paces without doing much speed work.
- Keep actual speed sessions short and to 1-2 times per week for a month. (20% of your total training volume)
- After that period, go back to LHR training for at least 4 weeks.
- Here’s a video where I talk more on this topic.
Any other Maffetone Training questions?
Have you experimented with it?
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Jonathan Brandau
I’ve been looking into this and just started doing LHR…slowed way down, my 5k time went from 22 minutes to 36, then the next day I went out and did the same course and got 35 minutes, although would have been faster had I not taken the pup. It is hilly where I live, but I’m hoping by keeping it up I’ll be able to get up and over the hills without having to walk in a few weeks.
I assume you have to stay at that heart rate zone to stay in fat burning mode, but I was curious as to the races. Do you watch the heart rate at all or just go? Everything that I’m reading about LHR and low carb diets dictate the training, but nobody says anything about hr during a race.
amanda
Great question!! Assuming you aren’t racing all the time, on race day just let it fly! Don’t check your HR until you finish and even then just for your knowledge, don’t worry about it.
Jonathan Brandau
Thanks! I have a follow up question.
I thought the point of going LHR was to get faster at the lower heart rate because if you go above your threshold your body stops burning fat for energy and switches to glucose/carbs. If during a race when you are trying to go fast would you start out doing the first half under heart rate and then during the second half go all out?
I’m training for a marathon and the last one I did I crashed pretty hard around mile 18 and that was while taking gels and the aid stations also had bananas and what not. I guess I’m having trouble wrapping my brain around what my body uses for fuel at what speeds. If most people hit the wall around mile 20 you could theoretically run at LHR max for 10 miles and then kick it into high gear for the remaining 16 miles?
Jonathan Brandau
I realize I might be looking at it too simplistically, assuming that the body only burns one type of fuel at a time. Does training at LHR makes the aerobic process more efficient and therefore you burn more fat at the higher exertion, but also using some carbs to take up the slack?
Chandra Wst
I am on week three of the Maffetone Method (I have been running for several years). I live in Texas and the heat has set in for the summer. I also have to run hills to stay close to the house. My questions is, my max HR is 135 and in order to keep my HR that low in the heat and hills I have to walk several times. Is this helping me? I do enjoy not being exhausted at the end of a run, but I would like some reassurance that in the end it will produce results…
amanda
Hey Chandra! Yes it’s still helping you!! I did the MAF living in Miami and Orlando, so there were days where I had to walk more, but overall it lowered my training time and I got a 4 minute half PR!
Kara
Hey Amanda. Can I know where I can find more information on MAF Method and how use it?
Michelle
I’ve read Maffeton’s Big Endurance book (the exact title escapes me now) and I so need to follow this type of training. I have both autoimmune and adrenal issues. I am running currently with the only expectation to recover so I am very aware of heart rate and not pushing it/listening to my body, etc. In looking at 2018, I want to set more specific goals. Do you have any tips as to how to apply Maffetone’s method to a training plan?
Thanks for your help!
amanda
Hey Michelle! I do provide coaching for one on one help, but in general truly it’s as simplistic as it seems. Never ever run above your max hr, which means no speed workouts usually, and letting your body be your guide to either when you can speed up for shorter distances or how to maintain a slower pace to go longer.
Wayne
Hi Amanda
I have just started the MAF method on the 9 March 2019. I see that most of your training is done at a much slower pace than your race pace. In the actual race, do you keep running withing the MAF heart rate zone or do you run according to how you feel?
amanda
Nope, on race day you ignore HR totally and run on feel.
honey
Hi Amanda,
First of all thanks for such informative article.
I m 34 and started running 2.5 months back.Now i did registration for half marathon on 21 july 2019. At present my avg pace is 7.30. Can u suggest that i should follow LHR training or start this training after my first half marathon. i tried LHR training for few days ,my average pace become 10.5.
little bit confused with this ..plz give some suggestions.