A ride and a run

Friday, October 14, 2011

Today I started the day with a trail ride through the harvested wheat fields. Together with a friend we let our horses climb the hills in perfect fall weather, around 55-60 degrees F.
My resting pulse was still up to 70 this morning.
Just for fun I wore my heart rate monitor during the trail ride and confirmed that riding is really not a cardio workout for me most of the time. My heart rate never went over 115 except when I lifted the saddle on the horse. Even grooming and brushing did not get my pulse up very much. Next time I'll put the heart rate monitor on the horse, not kidding, they make straps for heart rate monitors that fit horses.
This afternoon I went back to the gym for another 3 mile run on the treadmill.
Incline was set at 2, the difference to last time was that I cut the warm-up down to 7-8 minutes from about 15.
The results were a little different:

Mile 1: 3.5 mph
Mile 2: 3.5 mph
Mile 3: 3.5 mph

Phil Maffetone mentions in his book that if people do the MAF test without proper warm-up it can happen that Mile 1 is slower than Mile 2 or 3. So next time I will go back to doing the full 15 minute warm-up.

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

LINDAKAY228 10/16/2011 6:09PM

I haven't ridden a horse in years but I used to love to do trailriding. Reading this brought back so many fond memories! Report Inappropriate Comment

KKINNEA 10/14/2011 11:07AM

Looks like the miles are a little speedier here? Enjoying this experiment you're undertaking. Report Inappropriate Comment

Second MAF test

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

I had originally planned to do an uphill walking MAF test today because walking is what I do on my non-running days.
I started this morning by taking my resting pulse which was 68, a little on the high side, normal is about 60 for me.
When I got on the treadmill this afternoon I decided to repeat the jogging test from yesterday. I was still feeling slightly frustrated by the results I had gotten yesterday and was hoping against all odds that the heart rate monitor or the treadmill was wrong and that today's results would be much better.
Well, it got worse. After half a mile of warmup walking uphill I started the 3 mile test with the treadmill set at an incline of 2.

Mile 1: 3.7 mph average speed
Mile 2: 3.3 mph average speed
Mile 3: 3.1 mph average speed

After the first mile I went through everything in mind that I had just read in Phil Maffetone's book about the role of stress on the body and how the MAF test will often show this before any other obvious signs. I was thinking first of the heavy chlorine smell at the gym that is due to the indoor pool next door having the same venting system. I've always been affected by chlorine in the air, even when I'm not swimming.
What surprised me is that after three slow miles (4 incl. warmup and cooldown) I felt like I had had a hard workout. Now, about 1 hour after the workout I'm still feeling tired and am wondering if I caught my daughter's cold or at least if my body is fighting it off. If that is the case my results should improve in a week from now. Or maybe I'm just the slowest jogger around.

  

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KKINNEA 10/12/2011 11:24PM

It will be interesting to see the results of the various tests. Report Inappropriate Comment

First MAF test

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

I didn't feel that much like running today but was curious what the MAF test would show using my new heart rate monitor rather than the built-in heart rate monitor of the treadmill at the gym. When I got to the gym I found it to be fairly warm and humid in there, quite the contrast to the cool outside air.
I set the incline of the treadmill to 2 to roughly simulate the effort of outdoor running, which is what I usually do. Then I started by warming up at a walk. The first 5 minutes I walked at 3mph, then increased the speed by 0.1 every minute until my pulse got close to my target heart rate of 132. My usual speed for long slow runs is about 5 mph or a 12 minute mile when running outside. My typical heart rate is around 140 bpm.

Here are the surprising numbers of the test after the warm-up:

Mile 1: 3.7 mph average speed
Mile 2: 3.4 mph average speed
Mile 3: 3.2 mph average speed

My average heart was 132-33 bpm but it ranged from 127 to 135. I found that when it went a little too high I could usually bring it back down by focusing on good form. I also found that looking down at the display brought my heart up by 2-3 beats, then when I looked straight ahead again and had my weight better balanced the heart rate went back down.
I realized sometime during mile 2 that if I had not had the heart monitor to rely on I would most likely have stopped running somewhere during mile 1 today. Judging my effort by speed would have misled me to think that I was doing so poorly that it's just not worth the effort. The heart rate monitor reading confirmed to me that my effort stayed the same throughout the workout regardless of the speed at which I was going.
I may repeat the MAF test with a different workout tomorrow: uphill walking on the treadmill.
Using the treadmill makes it a little easier to compare MAF tests with each other although there are still some variables like temperature and humidity in the gym and hydration.

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

APIRLRAIN888 10/21/2011 3:03PM

very interesting! read ur post on c25k. forum Report Inappropriate Comment

The Maffetone method of endurance training

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

I came across the Maffetone method on the Runner's World Forum about 2 weeks ago. This is not a method about the form of running but about training intensity, biofeedback, nutrition, life style issues and injury prevention that affect endurance training.

Dr. Philip Maffetone's latest book "The Big Book of Endurance Training and Racing" came out about a year ago and has gotten excellent reviews.
What caught my attention immediately is the strong focus on health above athletic performance. Given the very high percentage of endurance athletes who are injured and/or are affected by over training issues every year I thought this was something I needed to know more about.
Again, this is a holistic book that has much more to offer than just a style of training. The author talks at the beginning of the book about the difference between fitness and health. There are people who can exercise at very high levels of competition and still not be healthy.
Phil Maffetone has written two articles that are very eye-opening, one with the title "The Overtraining Syndrome", the other "Athletes: Fit but unhealthy".
Both articles are available for free on his website.

Spark People, of course, is all about helping people to get healthy, not just about helping them to lose weight or become successful athletes.

For anyone who is curious I highly recommend the book, it is very reasonably priced given the amount of information given.

My focus here will be primarily on the day to day exercise experiences I have with Phil Maffetone's method of training for endurance. I will also comment on things that I find of particular importance or interest as I continue reading through the book.
Using the Maffetone method requires a reliable heart rate monitor that can be manually set to a heart rate of 180-age. Based on Phil Maffetone's experience this is approximately the maximum aerobic heart rate that should be the maximum at which to train to improve aerobic endurance.
There is this article on his website that will explain the details:

philmaffetone.com/180formula.cfm

On a regular basis I will do a Maximum Aerobic Function (MAF) test to determine the improvement in my aerobic functioning.
Here is an article that explains the MAF test:

philmaffetone.com/maftest.cfm

I will do my first MAF test in the next few days and will post the results here.

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

MARTHASPARKS 10/11/2011 5:21PM

Great information. I'll be watching! Report Inappropriate Comment

HOUNDLOVER1 10/11/2011 5:20PM

It looks like the ultramarathoners are more likely to embrace what Phil Maffetone has to say. I used to think that anyone who does ultras or even marathons is crazy, but if I can do it without pain maybe it's not that different from hiking. In any case, people who can go the distance should know something about training for endurance. Report Inappropriate Comment

KKINNEA 10/11/2011 4:54PM

Interesting stuff - hope you don't mind if I add you as a friend so I can follow along! Report Inappropriate Comment

GETFIT2LIVE 10/11/2011 4:50PM

I've been thinking of getting that book because of the recommendation of a friend who is currently training for an ultramarathon (50 miles). He swears by the training, so I'll be very interested to hear how it goes for you! Report Inappropriate Comment

Moscow Mountain Madness Trail Run

Monday, September 12, 2011

This run was something I had been looking forward to. I knew that the trails are beautiful since we had checked them out ahead of time. I also knew that it would be much harder than the first Half-Marathon that I ran this March which was all level and when the weather was cool.
This time there were very significant repeated elevation changes, temperatures at the end of the race around 90 degrees and what is considered a technically challenging trail, including very narrow trails, sandy gravel, river rock, tree roots, tight turns.
Several people said this run is harder than a Marathon on the flat and I suspect they are right. I did not have as much time to train for this run as I wanted to by a long shot. I only started running trails about 2 months ago and I also only started running hills about 2 months ago. The main goal was to finish the race without injury which I did. My muscles are slightly sore but everything works. Yeah!
What helped me a lot was reading the book by Danny Dreyer "Chi Running". My running style was already very similar to what he teaches in his book since I run in minimalist shoes (Merrell Pace Glove for this race) and the centering and relaxation techniques described in this book I also use when riding my horse. What was helpful in addition was the suggestion to run sideways on steep uphills to save my calf muscles as much as possible. Running in minimalist shoes, when transitioned to gradually, allows for better ground feel on trails and will strengthen all the muscles in the lower leg and in the feet. This leads to a greater level of natural balance and stability when running on very uneven ground. It will also lengthen the achilles tendon over time, because there is no heel cushion in the shoe to keep the heel from gently making contact with the ground (after the fore/midfoot) making it much easier to run up hills. Running up hills is accomplished more by leaning forward and letting the legs swing forward, not so much by pushing off with the calf muscles. All this allowed me to handle the uphill portions of the race without having trained on hills very much. I did have to slow to a walk because I ran out of breath on the steeper slopes, especially towards the end of the race when it got very hot. Improving my cardio will only happen with much more running over the coming year. The level and downhill portions of the run were pure bliss. Taking in the beautiful sights of trees and plants with the light shining through and the occasionally views of the surrounding Palouse countryside and taking in the smells and sounds of nature were worth it. The feeling of running on the trails was almost one of dancing. Some of the downhills I was probably running at around a 9 minute mile which felt almost like flying compared to the shuffle-jog on the uphills.
I'm definitely hooked on trail running, although most of my practice runs will be more in the 3-5 mile length. This particular run was a little on the hard side for my training level, especially since I hardly ran at all in the last 3 weeks before the race but it worked out very well because I did not give into the temptation to go too fast. During the last two miles I started feeling tired, mostly because of the heat. My Camelbak-type backpack worked well and I used most of my 70 oz. supply of water with Nuun tablets and could have skipped all three water stops except for pouring water over my head.
Now I'll take a look at where there are more trail runs in our area (Eastern WA, North Idaho).

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

M77355 1/3/2013 9:07PM

Hi there! You might enjoy seeing Jen's Journey on FB or JensFitJourney here on SP. Super person and lots of running/training info. Also, have you heard about the Indian tribe that can run long distances barefooted - it's deduced that it's more than likely due to carb prep before running. This is a link: http://youtu.be/FnwIKZhrdt 4 Hoping this finds all well in your world Comment edited on: 1/3/2013 9:08:27 PM Report Inappropriate Comment

KATHYKIM 9/14/2011 10:28AM

It sounds like an awesome run! It also appears that you achieved what you wanted to and did very well! Congrats! Report Inappropriate Comment

IMSMILEY88 9/12/2011 10:20PM

It sounds like a great run. I'm off to see what kind of trail runs are available around here! I'd really like to give it a try, though it'll mainly have to wait until the spring. CONGRATS!!! Report Inappropriate Comment