My experience with MAF

When I first read the summary of big book of endurance training and racing, I could immediately recognize the level of my body and how hard I was pushing it in the events, even to the level of recurrent injuries! Be it Mumbai marathon or Delhi everywhere I was going much above the expected speed in order to satisfy my running ego. And this ego is much more prevalent today than few years ago. Few questions from peer runners are very conducive in that ego creation e.g. what was your timing? Man, I got my PB! And this is the reason why we are creating such a big mess in the whole learning process. We all want to be like some other ideal runner, none of us want to be like our own self. In the process, we do what others do (who have achieved a respectable level) without understanding the physiological demand and current limitations of our own body.  I was also victimized and it took so much of time and effort to realize that I run just because of sheer joy of running. I love that rhythm where each muscle, each tendon and every cell contributes towards a smooth mobility. I feel focused, I feel spiritual when I run then why am I making it complex by relating it to others. My competitor could only be myself. All I need is to go outside and run and be a better runner than my own previous self.  I had to make a choice between making it or breaking it. And that’s when I decided to follow maffetone method. Get slower, build an efficient machine and use that machine later. 

I was following it ON and OFF for many years but it took time to surrender myself to this process and follow it without any exception from last year ‘May’. It was 8:05 min/km. When winter started I had reached to 6:27 in November. But unfortunately winter comes with lots of smog and N99 particles in my region and I quit outside running due to my asthmatic nature of lungs 😉 . Started again in Feb and took my MAF test in march: 7:27. Was upset but optimistic. I never thought I will be able to reach below 7 MAF pace in this summer given my weak aerobic base. Rising temperature of the region stood tall like strong enemy against all the heart rate trainers including me.  But, I wanted to take it below 7 even in rising temperature. How? I was not sure but had few thoughts which needed to be experimented. Increased my mileage to 30 miles per week in march at even lower than MAF range along with few more experiments with body, mind and nutrition. It finally concluded to 6:50 in April.

Story doesn’t end here. Last week I visited Gangotri (a place in Himalaya) where temperature was quite low and people staying there have just heard the word ‘air pollution’, they don’t realize it. I drove for almost 17 hours and did some trekking without any tiredness day after. I wanted to do it with my 5 yr old kid but guide suggested me not to go with her as its very steep. She insisted papa i want to come and i could not reject her request. Guide just told me in despair its all your call sir, pls dont blame me if anything goes wrong. We started and finished the trek. Guide was happy and said  Sir! How did you manage this, you completed it with your kid in almost the same time as many trekkers take it alone? I replied "Probably MAF is working" He didnt understand me but smiled back!

We are not just getting faster! We are getting healthier and happier!