A New Way To Run II

It’s been about two months of low heart rate training and I feel like it’s going incredibly well. I’ve finally adjusted to running as slow as I need to in order to keep my HR below 145 bpm, and I’ve stopped checking my watch every 30 seconds in order to check if I’m not breaking the threshold. Running at those speeds means I don’t get tired, which means I can think more clearly, motivate myself to get out the door more easily, and still have plenty of energy to go about the rest of my day after a run.

But, perhaps most importantly, I’m already seeing a fair bit of progress with it. My average pace has come down from 7:15/km to 6:45/km and can be as low as 6:20/km on a good day. Going slower has allowed me to increase my volume substantially, without feeling like I’m putting myself at unnecessary risk of injury - before using the MAF method, my previous highest weekly mileage was 64km/40 miles, but in the last couple of months I’ve already had two 80km/50 mile weeks, and my body feels like it could take more.

This new way of running has given me a huge amount of confidence that my training up until the EUT is going to prepare me well for it, providing I can fit in one last piece of the puzzle; elevation. I’ve signed up for the gym opposite my flat which gives me access to the options of an incline treadmill or stair machine, both of which will be invaluable, if not an ideal substitute for an actual mountain. At the expense of jinxing it, so far training is going alarmingly well.