FITNESS
The idea behind MAF is
that in endurance events
lasting 2 or more hours,
99% of effort comes
from the aerobic system,
which in many athletes
is poorly trained. When
building the aerobic base
by finding your maximum
aerobic heart rate, determined with the 180
Formula, there is less stress
on the nervous system
and eventually the athlete is able to go faster,
but with a lower heart
rate. It takes patience
and dedication to stick
with the slow running
(and a bit of walking)
long enough to see results.
Not surprisingly, the first
few weeks with MAF were
difficult. But by paying
close attention to my
heart rate, I learned how
to lower my heart rate
simply by avoiding shallow clavicular breathing and, surprisingly, by
relaxing while running
uphill and periodically unclenching my hands. But
as the weeks went by, I
started to see results from
MAF. My first MAF test was
at a 6:12/km pace, the
2nd at 6:07 pace and the
3rd at 5:57 pace.
I started running trails
shortly before starting
MAF training and that,
too, was a struggle. Battling hot and humid
temperatures, the slower
pace, swarms of mosquitoes and the constant
fear of tripping almost
made me go back to
the roads permanently.
It got easier with the slow
pace and cooler weather to explore the natural
beauty that exists just
minutes from my home. I
grew to love seeing the
brilliant colours of autumn
leaves, the pale winter
sunlight sparkling on the
frozen white wonderland,
while listening to the soft
sound of my breath and
eyes on the winding path
beneath my feet.
In addition to his health
and fitness research,
Dr. Maffetone is also an
accomplished musician
and composer. He recommends using music as
relaxation therapy preand post-workout, as he
believes the high-intensity
music that many people
prefer to listen to during
exercising can have an
adverse effect on the
nervous system. This statement spoke to me, for as
a pianist, I gave up listening to music while working out several years ago,
preferring to be more
aware of my surroundings
– to other participants
during a race, and to the
natural sounds around
me during a training run.
The upcoming spring
race season will show
whether or not Maffetone
training has a positive
effect on lowering my
race times. Regardless of
the outcome, MAF has
taught me that running is
not always about the pursuit of fast times, and that
tuning into your heart
rate, your body and your
environment can bring
great satisfaction.
Patty Scott is a mom and piano teacher based in Burlington, Ontario. She
is a 9-time marathon and 20-time half marathon finisher and always strives
to be fashionable at races in her signature running skirt and coordinating
manicure. Her running adventures have been profiled on Runner’s World
and MSNBC.
She can be found online at Z o r bl o g.