Super Slow Running: A Better Way For Beginners To Build Endurance?

Using the Maffetone Method to test your limits

Image by wal_172619 from Pixabay

Hello, readers

Are you a runner, or do you dream of being able to run?

I used to be the person who wanted to be a runner but didn’t know how to start. I didn’t get into the sport until I was 52 years old and had never run before, except while playing tag and soccer about 40 years previously.

I’m no expert, but I know a couple of things from the school of hard knocks that you might want to hear. I figure if I can start running after age fifty, then there is probably hope for you too!

I Started Running Way Too Aggressively

We have this idea that working AS HARD AS YOU CAN is the way to get in shape. This might not be the best way to go about it.

My first mistake was starting a 0 to 5K training plan on a running app. Don’t get me wrong, it was effective in showing me a good starting point and developing an exercise habit.

But I was pushing too hard, too fast, for my fitness level. I was building my new skill from scratch, and that required taking the time to grow stronger tendons, muscles, and even bones. You can’t do that overnight.

I didn’t think about any of that. Following random advice from a Google search, I started training aggressively to complete a 5K race.

I was acting like a 20-year-old. I was pushing hard and going for broke. I was running, doing yoga every day, and even participating in a HIIT class three times a week.

I was SORE!

It started to take its toll on me. I was losing ground. Instead of getting healthier and running farther, I was having trouble even getting out the door.

Did it have anything to do with my age? I was worried that it probably did. I just wasn’t recovering fast enough from all of the hard use my body was seeing. It was time to change gears.

I decided to take it easy on my body and build up my running habit slowly. I didn’t want to end up injured and have to quit.

I stopped doing HIIT. You could find out more about that in this post, All Pain No Gain.

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Using The Maffetone Method

I heard about the Maffetone Method and decided to give it a try. I wanted to be able to run farther, a lot farther, without destroying myself in the process.

According to The Big Book of Endurance Training and Racing, by Dr. Philip Maffetone, too much anaerobic exercise is very counterproductive to an endurance athlete.

Dr. Maffetone advocates slow runs that keep the heart rate lower than you would if you weren’t checking it. The goal is to keep your body in an aerobic state rather than anaerobic. The simple explanation of how to do this is to use the 180 Formula (180 — Your Age). It’s worth going to philmaffetone.com to get the complete picture, so a layman like me doesn’t muck it up!

If your heart rate stays under that number, which for me is around 125, you are exercising aerobically and using oxygen to burn fat. If you get your heart pounding faster, you are in an anaerobic state and just burning glucose. This is less efficient, and you will hit the wall.

Really Slow Running Was Hard At First

When I tried the MAF method out, I found I had to stay around a 12 min/mile pace to keep my heart rate below 140. It seemed like I was just crawling. I was glad there was no one around to see me almost running in place. But I kept it up and found out that I could run A LOT farther without getting tired at all.

I ended up with my personal best for distance on the first try at running this way. I went 4.55 miles in 1 hour, at an average pace of 13:12 minutes per mile. I was shocked at how easy it was. And I could have kept going.

May 9, 2020 Running Stats:

4.55 Miles, 1 Hour, 13:12 Min/ Mile.

I came up with this one-month running plan and did my best to follow it.

• Discuss and change HIIT workouts with Personal Trainer

• Run- every third day with a 10 min warm-up and 10 min cool-down. Heart Rate should stay between 130–140 BPM

• Stop eating so much toast! Replace empty carbs with protein and veggies. Drink more water. Only drink one pot of coffee/ day

One Month Later. Did I Improve?

Yes! I saw drastic improvements. I found that I could run farther and farther. My pace got faster while keeping my heart rate down below 140 BPM. There was no way for me to stay totally compliant with the HR guidelines I was trying to follow, but I did my best.

It started to become intuitive. My body was sending me signals which I slowly learned to recognize. I almost didn’t need to check my watch to know I was in the zone I wanted. It felt natural and sustainable.

Here are my results from back then:

June 12, 2020 Running Stats:

6.48 Miles, Time 1:08 Hr, 10:32 Min/ Mile.

I was happy with the slow-running, steady training method. I was never too sore to stay alive after a run. My distances and times improved.

Slow but steady wins the race.

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Keeping Up the Fitness Levels

After I built that base level of cardiovascular fitness, everything got easier. I started doing trail runs on hills and across rough terrain. I paid attention to my exertion levels and I tried to always keep things under control so I didn’t overtrain and get injured.

I want to stay active and enjoy exercise. I’m planning on running well into my sixties, so avoiding injury is top-of-mind. I refuse to abuse my body with overtraining and black-hole exercise. So I need healthier ways to get in my workouts than putting on endless running miles.

One way I get it done is to throw a slow and steady exercise like rucking into the mix. Packing weight on your back brings the heart rate up enough and activates a ton of muscles all at once, so it puts you in Dr. Maffetone’s aerobic exercise zone. And best of all, it’s easy on knee joints and feet.

Would Slow Running Work For You?

It’s hard when we see someone run by like a gazelle, and we feel we are plodding along like a loser. But we’re all individuals at different fitness levels. I can’t run as fast as that tall teenage gazelle, and that’s reality. Maybe after only working out for a few months, you would have way more endurance and speed than I do. That’s the way it is.

What we can all do is work at maximizing our potential. One of the best ways to do that is slow, steady, incremental growth. You can’t go wrong with proper aerobic workouts for building endurance.

A great place to start is to make sure you can always EASILY carry on a conversation while you work out.

If you’re running out of oxygen, panting, getting stitches in your side, and generally feeling steamrolled after a few minutes of putting out, then you are in an anaerobic state. That’s fine for those workouts where you are pushing yourself with sprints and want to find your limits. But for general aerobic training, back off and take it easier. Your body will thank you. It isn’t about testing your limits, it’s about increasing your boundaries through slow growth.