What is this...a new blog post??? I think this is officially the longest I've gone without a post. I haven't had much to say lately as I have been bit by the injury bug, hard. What do you write on a running blog when you can't run. One of the most frustrating things I've discovered since declaring myself a runner, has been injuries. Since I started running in February 2013, I have had: shin splints, ITBS, a sprained ankle, pulled hamstring (twice), runners knee, and posterior tibial tendinitis. In case you weren't counting, that's 7 injuries in 3 years! That's 2.3333333333 injuries on average per year! That's insane! Each of these injuries have meant time off. Some injuries healed after 2 weeks, others took as long as  months (posterior tibial tendinitis is a nasty thing), and when it comes to running, consistency is key.

My doctor once told me, that he didn't think I was cut out for running. To be honest, I almost believed him. What was I doing wrong, that other runners seemed to be doing right? Didn't Christopher McDougall have this same problem? Do I need to travel to Mexico to find out how to prevent injuries? Inspired by his book Born to Run (but not in the way you think, no barefoot running for me) In November 2014, I set out on my own journey to discover injury free running.

My first stop Phil Maffetone's MAF Training.

I honestly don't know how I came about hearing about this method, I have a couple posts explaining what exactly MAF Training is. Basically, you take 150 minus your age and either add 5 or deduct an additional 5 depending on your running history. This becomes your MAF heart rate and the goal is to never let your heart rate increase over this amount. I devoured the Big Book of Endurance Training and Racing and started drinking the MAF Kool-aid. It was okay, if you don't mind a lot of slow miles. I did decrease my race times across the board and I wasn't injured at all while keeping with the program. However, it gets really (an I mean really) boring training at a slow pace. Not only that, but it was hard always being so dependent on my heart rate monitor. Running wasn't enjoyable anymore. When my heart rate went up running at a slower pace than last week, I would get frustrated, and my heart rate would go up even more. A dog that I couldn't see behind a fence would bark or a car would honk, scaring me, and cause my heart rate to go up. I was honestly kind of miserable.

My next stop was run less. I thought I was victim of the too much, too soon syndrome. I made sure to run every other day to ensure I was rested, if I felt even a small niggle of pain, I would take a few days off. But, it didn't work, because there was always something flaring up, so I was basically always taking days off.

Some time in between, I developed posterior tibial tendinitis, which is just a fancy way of saying my ankle hurt a lot. I couldn't walk or run without pain. I took about 2 months off started in August of 2015 and it wasn't getting any better, so I went to a physical therapist. She worked on it 3x a week for 2 months and suggested I get orthotics and start foam rolling. Well. the orthotics, caused trouble with my knees, and I do believe foam rolling is helpful, it hasn't been helpful enough. Here I am today with another hamstring strain. This one (unlike my previous hamstring strain) wasn't caused by a sudden stopping movement (I was at a full on sprint and came to a stop in one stride), but rather an overuse injury.

So, where is this long post heading to? Well, it's going to what I hope will be my final stop. Even though I've heard this time and time again, I never really believed this piece of advise. I read online once, that runners who only run will eventually get injured. I had tried adding in cycling, and lifting weights a few times a week for a little bit, but I never saw an improvement in race times, so it took a backseat. Well, here I am revisiting it again. Strength training, is going to be my new best friend for this next training cycle. I discovered this website, Strength Running. Now I am a sucker for infomercials, anything I see on TV I swear I need. This may be another one of those, but maybe not. I signed up for a custom training plan by the owner of Strength Running, Jason Fitzgerald, because he specializes in runners who are constantly getting injured. Included in the training plan is a standard core workout and ITB rehab workout. Both of these, like they sound, are all about developing a strong core (abs, glutes, and hips). The plan he made for me is simple. It tells me exactly when to run, exactly what I do to warm up before each run, exactly how fast to run, and exactly what exercises I need to do post-run. Unfortunately, my hamstring started acting up on day one of the training plan, but I have been seeing a PT who thinks I will make a speedy recovery. I am super excited to see if I have finally discovered how to run injury free. I haven't been able to run for more than 2 months injury free since August of 2014. I really want to see my potential, which will only come with running consistently. Fingers Crossed!!!!

Guess what!?! Well besides chicken butt, it is my 2 year runniversary! Honestly, it seems like I have been running forever. I have learned so much over the past two years, not just about running in general, but how my body reacts to specific training. I’ve gotten PRs in every even since my last runniversary and I ran a 10 miles race and a half marathon. I still don’t think I’m ready for the big kahuna (full marathon) yet, but soon.  Last year I did a reflection on what I had learned in my first year as a runner, I think 

I will share some similar thoughts of a 2^nd year runner:

1. I mentioned last year about slowing down. I have learned to advocate it even more. My advice to anyone would be to SLOW DOWN, run your easy runs easy, and your hard runs hard. The only time you need to race anything, is during the race
2. Not reaching your weekly mile quota isn’t the end of the world. I used to think I had to reach that magic number for the week, but I’ve learned, my body doesn’t seem to notice if I missed a mile or 2 throughout the weeks, as long as I am consistent.
3. I don’t need to sign up for every local race. This is something new I’ve learned. In the past I have signed up for so many races throughout the year, I was never really training, just running races. This lead to burnout and injury quick.

As I also did last year, I mentioned my improvements in race times during the year here we go again:

5k PR was 25:41 ---> currently it’s 23:46

8kPR was 43:19, now it’s 40:44

10PR was 54:38, now it’s 53:03

As I mentioned previously, I am doing MAF training. On Monday, I ran my 3^rd MAF test.

Mile	12/23/2014	1/12/2015	2/3/2015
1	13:34	12:26	11:58
2	13:53	12:45	12:10
3	13:42	12:47	12:13
4	13:54	13:04	12:22
0.2	2:48	2:49	2:44
Avg Pace	13:47	12:45	12:12
Total Time	57:29	53:46	51:28
HR Avg	149	148	148
HR Max	152	151	151

Yay, I’m still seeing improvement. Besides the pace decreasing, I have noticed a difference in my resting heart rate (RHR). Prior to starting, my RHR was 64, and although I haven’t’ taken my heart rate as soon as I wake up. I have taken it while I have been sitting for a while, and now it averages to be 57bpm. I even went to a health fair where I had my pulse checked, and the nurse asked me if I was an athlete, I just looked at her questioningly, and she said that I had the heart rate of an athlete (it was 56 at the time). I don’t know why, but that made me feel kind of proud, like I have actually accomplished something J.

Well, hello there. It’s been more than 3 months since my last update. It looks like my last post I was still dealing with the hamstring issue. I am happy to report my hamstring is no longer bothering me. Although, I think I lost a lot of flexibility in my right leg because of it. I can’t even touch my toe now. Hmm…I should probably look into that.

With this new year, I’ve decided to try MAF training again. I tried it last year, did it for about a week, and then basically quit. For those unfamiliar with MAF, the basics of it is, never let you heart rate go above your MAF heart rate (180-your age, then tweaked a bit based on your running history. If your interested in it, find out more here) The goal is increase your aerobic fitness, and basically run faster with less effort. My MAF heart rate last year was 151, and since I’m a year older, my MAF heart rate now is 150. Last year, after a week of running under a 151 HR, I decided to up my HR threshold to 160, then after a week of that (I missed running with friends and actually feeling like I ran that day), I quit altogether and ran how I felt. This year, because I had such a big break between races, and all my running friends have either moved on from running, or moved out of the city AND, I was trying to make a comeback after my injury, I thought I’d try again. So, I sat down and read all 516 pages of The Big Book of Endurance Training and Racing. I am now an expert on the subject of the Maffetone Method of training.

 I am happy to report that I have stuck with it and I have officially started week 6 of training today. It’s not as bad as I remember it being last year. Don’t get me wrong, I hate staring at my watch for HR updates, I hate not being able to just run free, and  I get embarrassed when other runners past me (in either direction) or I slowly approach someone who’s walking, but I have learned to swallow my pride and do what I have to do. My aerobic fitness, I discovered was practically non-existent. For the Maffetone method, I am supposed to run a MAF test ever 3-4 weeks to gauge my progress. The very first day I went out for a run using this method, my first mile was 14:24 (yikes, I can walk that fast) with an average heart rate of 149bmp. I forgot about doing a MAF test the first week, so I made my first run of the 2^nd week my test date. I then tested again 3 weeks later. The results???

MAF #1: 12/23/2014
Test Mile	Time	Avg Hr	Max HR	Elevation
1	13:34	149	152	+12
2	13:53	149	152	+16
3	13:42	149	152	-21
4	13:54	149	153	0
0.2	2:48	149	152	0
Avg	13:47	149	152.2	N/A
Total Time	57:29
Temp Start	43
Conditions	Partly Cloudy
Wind	12mph N
Humidity	42%
MAF #2 1/12/2014
Test Mile	Time	Avg Hr	Max HR	Elevation
1	12:26	145	151	+12
2	12:45	148	151	+16
3	12:47	149	152	-21
4	13:04	148	151	0
0.2	2:49	148	151	0
Avg	12:45	147.6	151.2	N/A
Total Time	53:46
Temp Start	52
Conditions	Cloudy
Wind	10mph NNE
Humidity	40%

I was thrilled with these results. My overall average was more than a minute per mile faster, my average HR was lower, and my final mile in the 2^nd test, was faster than my 1^st mile in the 1^st test! I couldn’t believe all of that progress in less than a month! My next test is scheduled for the 1^st. I’m excited to see if there has been anymore improvement. During MAF you are not supposed to race, but I will be in Nashville in a couple of weeks and my sister and I are going to do a 5k together (her first!!!) and I can’t resist racing a race, and to be honest, I am looking forward to running how I want without being tied to my heart rate. By the time the race rolls around, I will have been at this for 2 months. Depending on how I feel, I may call it quits for MAF and start preparing for the spring racing season, or, I may continue for one additional month.

I have to admit, I am counting down these (possibly) 2 weeks. I can’t wait to go on group runs again, and make new running friends, and surprisingly, I can’t wait to start running hills again. If MAF training has done nothing else but help me appreciate the pure joy of just running, then I’d be fine. You know what they say, you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone.

It's my 1st Runniversary!

I have been reflecting a lot lately. About my training, and the way I am carrying it out. I have in the past been very negative towards it, often comparing myself to others. I don't want to do this anymore. I am my own person. I am proud of what I have accomplished so far. So, for my 1 year runniversary (it was in February), I changed my blog design and title, and thought I would reflect a little on what I have learned this past year.

• When I first started running in February of last year, I had no idea what tempo, LSD, cross training, or even how far an actual marathon was. I refused to call myself a runner. Now, I am proud to have added many new words to my vocabulary, and I am a runner. I run, therefore I am! 
• I started by huffing and puffing through every run, running each one at a pace I hoped to maintain for any given race. I learned this was a very quick way to develop injuries and not improve very much. You can never run an easy run too slow.
• I learned about ITBS, and that it takes a lot of time to recover, and prevention is the key. Strength training is now my best friend.
• The running community is amazing an supportive. From the beginner runner to the crazy fast elite. Everyone seems willing to help
• Compairing myself to others will only bring me down.
• What you eat matters a lot when it comes to running performance, and how you feel during a run.
• Hydration, hydration, hydration!

And to end this quick little post, some of my accomplishments from February 2013 to February 2014:

First 5k: 30:33 --- Most recent 5k: 24:43

Longest distance run: 4mi --- Longest run to date: 12.5mi

Fast training pace: 10:00/mi ---Easy training pace: 9:45/mi

*MAF Update:
In my previous post I spoke about heart rate training and more specifically, MAF training. Even though I did a lot of research on it, I think I jumped in too quickly. Unfortunately, the pace MAF training requires me to run at, hurts my knees and feet. So I think until I have a little more running under my belt, I wont be able to continue on with the plan. This doesn't mean I'm not going to run easier at a slower pace though. I am still wearing my HRM, but it's there for a guideline, not a strict rule.

I have been wondering lately why I can run 400m easily in 1:10 or 800m in 3:00mins, but I can barely run a 10k in under 55 mins. I know there's a big difference between 400m and 10,000m, but I feel like I should be a little faster. After many weeks of research, I think I have finally found my problem. I have a very weak aerobic system.  When I look at McMillian running calculators predicted race paces after plugging in my 800m time this is what I get: 

These time are predict if I'm correctly trained. I have never been able to run any of these times for any of the races listed above. I think because I have always been a sprinter, I have the speed, but nothing to back it up with. 

In my research I discovered MAF Training. the basis of this training is to run at you 180 formula heart rate This formula was developed by Dr. Philip Maffetone. 

The 180 Formula

To find the maximum aerobic heart rate:

1.Subtract your age from 180 (180 – age).

2. Modify this number by selecting a category below that best matches your health profile:

1. If you have, or are recovering from, a major illness (heart disease, high blood pressure, any operation or hospital stay, etc.) or you are taking medication, subtract an additional 10.

2. If you have not exercised before or have been training inconsistently or injured, have not recently progressed in training or competition, or if you get more than two colds or bouts of flu per year, or have allergies, subtract an additional 5

3. If you’ve been exercising regularly (at least four times weekly) for up to two years without any of the problems listed in a or b, keep the number (180 – age) the same.

4. If you have been competing for more than two years duration without any of the problems listed above, and have improved in competition without injury, add 5.

For example, if you are 30 years old and fit into category b: 180 – 30 = 150, then 150 – 5 = 145.

So my MAF HR is 152. You are supposed to give yourself a 10bpm range, so my range is 142-152.

To start this training you do a MAF test, in which you warm up for 15mins then run at your MAF HR for you desired distance. You are never supposed to let your HR go above this number. You repeat this test on the same exact course every 3-4 weeks to see your improvement. 

I performed this test today, and let me tell you. I was served a hearty helping of humble pie. I honestly felt embarrassed with how slow I had to run jog. I think a lady with a walker blew past me. My test results were as follows:

Mile 1 - 11:53

Mile 2 - 11:17

Mile 3 - 12:12

Mile 4 - 13:08

Average pace 12:10/mi and average heart rate 151

As you can see I was keeping it really close to my MAF HR. According to Dr. Maffetone, it is normal for the mile paces to decrease every mile. During mile #1 I was running downhill, and the final mile was uphill. 

I have been running at a low HR for the past week and so far what I have noticed about this type of training is:

1. I sometimes have to walk uphills to keep the HR down
2. My legs get really tired during these runs.
3. It is going to take a lot of patience and discipline to keep up the slow pace

Regarding #2, it's weird that my legs are fatiguing. The only reason I can think of why this may be happening is because my slow-twitch muscles are not used to being activated.

I am putting a lot of faith in this training. I guess I technically have nothing to lose. I'm not an elite athlete that has to be ready for some big race. I am training for a half marathon in April, so I am kind of training backwards, but I will need the aerobic strength to complete the race. It will be my longest race to date. I hope to come in under 2 hours, but it is a soft goal.

Have any of you trained at a low HR?

What were your results?