MAF for Beginners

by Karan
(Hyderabad,India)

Hi. I am a very new runner, having started only 4 months back. I used to be obese (i have lost about 32 kgs in last 14-15 months) and had basically started with walking to lose weight and then slowly started running and now have fell in love with it. Last month, i ran my first ever 10K race which i completed in about 77 minutes. After the race i realised, that though i completed the race, my heart rate was very high during the race (avg 178 bpm) and my pace had dropped with every Km (my first 5k happened in 34 and next 5 took 43 mins).My short term goal (about a year) is to complete a half marathon in about 2 hours 10 minutes and mid term goal is to do a full marathon in under 4 hours. I came across the MAF training on the internet while trying to find ways to control the HR. I recently started trying it, but my MAF pace comes to around 9.2 min/Km. I currently run 4 days and about 25kms in a week. My questions are as under:

Is MAF recommended for me?
Do i include any speed work along with MAF?
Do i need to increase my mileage per week? If yes, what is the recommendation?
Is the goal set to be achieved in a year realistic with consistent training?

Nicole's reply:
Hi Karan, thanks for your question. First off, congratulations on your achievements so far. Losing so much weight and then finishing a 10k after 4 months running is fantastic. Well done!

To answer you questions:

#1. Is MAF recommended for me?
Absolutely. Most people have room to improve their aerobic function and as a fairly new runner, doing MAF training is a great way to start.

#2. Do I include any speed work along with MAF?
I would suggest that you stick to a good 6 months of MAF training with no speed work during that time. Make sure that you do a MAF test every 1-2 months as then you can see if you are improving. Once your MAF tests start to stagnate (and assuming that you are feeling fit and well), then that is the time to introduce a little bit of speed work, but no more than 20% of you weekly total time spent running.

#3. Do I need to increase my mileage per week? If yes, what is the recommendation?
Most people feel that about 7 hours a week of MAF training is the magic number in order to get good results. Having said that, not everyone has 7 hours free a week so don't worry if you do less as you will still see results. If you have the time, increase your mileage slowly by adding in say 10 minutes a week to your longest run. Always be mindful though that you can still get injured if you overdo your training, MAF training included. I don't know your medical history, so if in doubt, always check with your doctor first.

#4. Is the goal set to be achieved in a year realistic with consistent training?
Your goal of a half marathon could certainly be possible but it will depend on you training smartly and not getting injured.

I hope that helps and best of luck on your running journey :).