used it. liked it. got better from it. but wouldn't use it too often.
i think it's good for a reset once in awhile. I would only use it every 2 or 3 years or so. The aerobic only, very easy running period is just too long. Similar to how I view Daniels.
but everyone is different. that's just my experience.
the heart rate thing is not an exact science. what they have put together is just a very safe method to make sure you are not running too fast. better to go to easy than too fast. especially for those who are injury prone.
It doesn't work. I felt for this pyramid scam years ago. You don't improve going slow. The idea that easy runs get easier so that you can run faster at the same heart rate is baloney. Not a single pro runner does this. Even Kofuzi tried it but gave up.
His ridiculous "Maf" formula for determining the heart rate to limit yourself to is part of the issue as well as the idea that you should ONLY run at this HR for months and months.
Eg-20 year old with years of running experience would have a MAF Hr of 165. That's could likely be approaching Threshold or at least Sub-T for a huge percentage of people. That would almost be too intense to run at every day, but it would work for sure barring injury.
Eg-2-50 year old running for a year, on a blood pressure med. His Maf HR would be 125 give or take. That's not only low for many it also that forces ALOT of older folks into 13-15 minute per mile shuffles. Not running but but some kind of weird shuffle.
I was Example 2. Wasted alot of time shuffling. It turned out to be the slow end of Zone 1 recovery Pace and HR.
Heart Rates are too variable to contemplate using that formula.
Most people run for fitness and most people are not disciplined. That's why you see your resolution runners fail about two weeks unto January each year - they max out their heart rate and run until they are red faced, get sore, and then quit because "running is just too hard!".
In that regard, methods like MAF, Galloway's Run/Walk, Japanese Niko Niko Slow Jogging, etc. have a place for these folks. It's a means of making running easier to do until they build some aerobic fitness. They are designed for the hobbyist, not the athlete.
It depends on the distance. Of course track runners need to be running faster but what about marathoners? Notice that US professional distance runners are not nearly as competitive in the marathon as they are on the track. Their methods aren’t working.
The idea that easy runs get easier so that you can run faster at the same heart rate is baloney.
This is one of the basic principles of training. Consistent, easy aerobic training lowers a person's resting heart rate and therefore a person can run faster at the same heartrate than they could earlier.
The MAF formula is just another way to force people to slow down and run easy.
It doesn't work. I felt for this pyramid scam years ago. You don't improve going slow. The idea that easy runs get easier so that you can run faster at the same heart rate is baloney. Not a single pro runner does this. Even Kofuzi tried it but gave up.
This!
Running slower has benefits but this Maf stuff gets way, way oversold for what it is.
Especially this idea that you can run painfully slow for 6 months and you will be some type of aerobic beast. And then you simply sprinkle in some speed work and that’s all it takes. Now you are faster! BS.