Over the past 7 weeks, I’ve been very seriously running. Consistent in a way that I’ve never been before, I’m falling deeply in love with trail running again. Much of this rekindled love came from a single run, which was the first run I’d ever monitored heart rate.
A simple 5 mile, 10-minute-pace run helped me realize that, despite being able to run, I wasn’t nearly as fit as I thought or wanted to be. I was pretty disturbed to find that an “easy” run had my heart rate pushing into the 180s, averaging 169 bpm over the course of the effort. At the recommendation of my Ironman brother-in-law, I started reading Phil Maffetone’s ‘Big Book of Endurance Training and Racing.’ I was immediately convinced this was The Way for me to get fit in a way I’ve never been.
Using the 180 Formula Maffetone has created, I targeted my maximum aerobic heart rate at 148 and started “running.” The first run was hilarious. An 11:30 pace, 6 mile run that had me VERY seriously questioning what the hell I’d been doing running on and off over the past years. Clearly not creating aerobic base. Within a few weeks, though, my pace dropped to the mid-10s, then further. Once I was in the 9s, I felt like I was really making progress.
Now, roughly 7 weeks into training at only my MAF heart rate, I’m running better and easier than I ever have before. This morning, I ran 6.5 miles at a 9:12 pace (145 bpm average), the fastest I’ve managed so far. I also finally completed a long-time goal of running the Dirty Bismarck, a well known single track loop very near my house, in its entirety. From door-to-door, it was 15 miles, my longest run ever. Even after 2 hours and 30 minutes running it, I felt great.
I’m sold. I can’t wait to see what another 7 weeks brings. Then another and another. I’m also seriously considering an ultra in my future, which has been a somewhat unrealistic dream for a long time. Now it doesn’t feel so unrealistic.