MAF running after one year?

by Lucy
(Boulder CO)

Hi Nicole,
I just hit my one year mark MAF running and I need advice. 1) I still have to jog/walk at 14/15 minute miles even though I have improved. I obviously have a very poor aerobic system. I feel like I’ve “ plateaued”, and I can’t seem to jog consistently below my MAX HR. I’m afraid to do any faster pace short workouts for fear of regressing. I have high altitude and cold weather challenges. My nutrition and low stress are in good shape, so I’m stumped. What should I do? Thanks, Lucy

Nicole's reply:
Hi Lucy, thanks for your question. Your question is quite common so you are not alone. The fact that you are improving is a great sign as you know that you are going in the right direction. Some people do take a long time to see results and sometimes the reasons are not clear. Have a look at the following link and see if anything resonates. Why don't I get faster

The other thing is that you say that you have been doing MAF training for a year, so maybe now is the time to introduce some speed work. Phil Maffetone in fact advocates doing a split of 80:20 (aerobic vs anaerobic) especially if you start to plateau. MAF Plateau and Speed Work
I hope that helps and let me know how you get on :).