Discover the Magic of Low Heart Rate Training for Older Runners
Key #1 BUILD: Chapter 1-Jog to Run Faster
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KEY #1 BUILD - Build Your Aerobic Capacity and Run Injury Free!
Key number one, BUILD is the running section. This is where we go through changing you from slow, stiff and sore all the time to effortlessly running faster without injury. There are three steps within key #1 BUILD which we will cover in the first 3 chapters. Each chapter has a brief introduction, 3 action steps, and homework for you.
Chapter #1 Jog to Run Faster, we’ll get you started on low heart rate training, building that strong aerobic base which is the source to the power in your running.
Chapter #2 Rest to Revive, Almost more important than how much you run is how much you recover. Other than running with good posture at an easy pace, implementing the correct strategies in recovery will keep you pain free and injury free as you age.
Chapter #3 Sprint Like a Kid, We finish off with the sprint step. You don’t want to spend all your running just slogging around. Incorporating sprinting at the right intervals will rewire your neuromuscular system to help you run faster and release helpful hormones to keep you fit and trim.
Chapter #1 - Jog To Run Faster
You may remember from the Introduction that I said the #1 mistake older runners make is running too hard all the time. It may sound counter intuitive, but training at a slow pace develops your aerobic slow twitch muscles that provide over 90% of your power during your run, even in a 5K race! The key is setting your training pace at the proper heart rate to maximize building your aerobic capacity which is also your maximum fat burning mode.
Jog action #1 – Set your training heart rate
To get the right low intensity training zone. I use Dr. Phil Maffetone’s proven heart rate formula,180 minus your age. So if you're 55 years old, that would be 125 beats per minute. This is your “MAF” training heart rate.
If you’re in your 60’s or 70’s, the calculated heart rate gets down around 120 to 110 beats per minute, and it's difficult for a lot of people to actually run at that heart rate. I suggest if you are over 55 years old, you try 125bpm to start with.
Dr. Maffetone has other corrections that can be made to the calculation due to your fitness, health or medications, but for us, let’s just keep it simple. My experience is his formula becomes less accurate after age 60, but it’s a great place to start.
Jog action #2 – MAF test
The second step is to do what we call a MAF test. This is where you measure your mile running pace at your calculated MAF heart rate. This you can do once a month that will really show if you're improving or not with your training.
You want to find a flat section of road or a track where you can run three to five miles. Find a place nearby, that's convenient where you can go back and run on the same route, month after month.
To start the test, first warm up by running for 15 to 20 minutes slowly, building up your heart rate. Then, depending on your fitness level, run two or three miles at your calculated MAF heart rate. Don't exceed it. If your heart rate goes over, stop running and walk until your heart rate returns to below your MAF rate, then start running again. Don’t stop your watch when you do this. Your watch will automatically record the pace at each mile.
You don't need to stop and start again after each mile, just run and record your pace for those three miles. Then when you're done, slow down and jog it out for 15 minutes.
Basically, you want to take the average of those three min/mile paces and write it down. That's your pace for your initial MAF test. We’ll test each month on the same course. That pace should either get faster or at least stay the same every month. Don’t worry about variations of your pace during the month. Some variation is normal. If you actually start running slower than that pace at your next monthly MAF test, then that means you're doing something wrong and some adjustments need to be made. You can always contact me when that happens.
“Reverse MAF” Option:
If you cannot run continuously at your calculated MAF training heart rate on level ground, try my “Reverse MAF” option. While the MAF test measures your pace while keeping your heart rate steady, with Reverse MAF, we keep your pace steady and measure your heart rate. You do this by running as slow and comfortably as you can on a flat surface without stopping for 2 -3 miles, no regard to your heart rate, then after the run, record your what your average heart rate was as your MAF test.
So what that would look like is if you just went out and started running slow and your heart rate ended up being around 130, so that would be the heart rate you would be training at for the next month. You just want to get comfortable running at that slow pace. Then essentially, after that, we'll just start ratcheting that heart rate down from there to get to where you should be.
With some of my clients, it's just easier for them if they can actually run most of the time and work on being more efficient running than spending half their time walking at these low heart rates. That will create better running form for you as you speed up.
Don’t be embarrassed or quit if you have a high training heart rate. This is not a quick process. It can take several months to see progress, but when it comes, you’ll add years of enjoyment to your running!
Jog Action #3 – Your Training Plan
Step number three is to adopt a low heart training plan. There's no set rule with how much you should be running. The beauty of running is that you can get all the benefits by only running about 2.5 hours per week with low heart rate training.
The bottom line, is the more you run, the better you'll be, but there's different levels of fitness. If you're running just to be fit and healthy, you only need to run three times a week, 30 to 45 minutes per run. If you actually want to be more of an endurance athlete, you should be running four to six times a week, again 30 to 45 minutes per run with one long run each week under 2 hours. All of these runs should be run at or below your calculated MAF heart rate to build your aerobic base.
The goal, in the beginning, is to spend three to six months in this base training phase. That's to build up your aerobic capacity. You'll see your pace will start to get faster and faster as you build up this capacity at the same heart rate. One of the ways to approach this is if you are interested in doing a race like a 5k, 10k or a marathon, you want to do a base phase and then you'll transition into more of a race training phase. In race training, do at least 80% of your runs at or below your calculated MAF heart rate, with the remainder runs being more race specific pacing.
During the base phase, you want to build up your mileage to meet the minimum required when you switch over to your race training plan. So if you're supposed to be able to run five miles to start your training plan, then in this base training phase, you want to make sure you can work up to that same thing. If it's nine miles or 12 miles, that's what you want to work up.
To get your mileage up, I recommend a weekly long run, one and a half times longer than normal(but not over 2 hours). This will help with your endurance and your running economy. Your body will get used to being out there a little bit longer. And if you're going to build your mileage, do it slowly; five to 10% a week is all you need to do.
In the base training phase, the critical thing is to stick to your run speed at your MAF heart rate and put in the time. You'll see your pace get quicker and quicker even at these low heart rates.
The 4 Phases of MAF Training
Maffetone method training can be frustrating and hard for older runners. What I found is runners go through 4 phases of MAF training.
Phase #1: “I can't do this!” You're at a heart rate of 125 or 120 and you can't even run at this low heart rate. You have to walk half the time. And that's okay. That's how you get started, you’ll improve.
Phase #2: “Gee this is hard!” You're staring at your watch all the time because you're redlining, and you have to walk every little hill. You can just barely hang in there, but you're doing it.
Phase #3: “The sweet spot!” This is where you can complete a run five to 10 beats below your calculated MAF heart rate effortlessly with good running form.
Phase #4: “Holy Moly!” Your pace is too fast to maintain MAF for any length of time. The fourth phase has to do mostly with younger runners where they can't maintain their MAF heart rate because they're running so fast. Pros can be running at a six-minute pace at their MAF heart rate.
Our goal is to get to that Phase #3 “Sweet spot” so that when you go out for your runs, you just don't have to look at your watch. And you're in that great training zone.
JOG Homework
Your homework is to:
1. Calculate your MAF or “Reverse MAF” heart rate for your training.
2. Record your base MAF monthly test.
3. Come up with a weekly run training plan.
Now you've got a plan moving forward. And again, if you have any questions, let me know. Let’s get running.
Thanks for taking a look. I would appreciate some honest feedback on this chapter. This review is not about spotting typos. Instead, the most useful feedback is about stuff like:
Where do you get confused or lost or have an unanswered question.
Where do you disagree, or have different experiences.
Where you start to get bored and feel like skipping ahead or giving up.
Anything you find especially interesting or helpful.
You can leave comments below(paid member) or email them to me at: Herb@foreverrunner.com
Next Chapter: [[Rest to Revive- Stay energized and refreshed every day]]