Reader Question: Will MAF ever make me faster?!

Despite the fact that I no longer "train" (or run regularly, for that matter!) I still get asked a particular question pretty frequently. As a running coach, it makes sense that I get questions about running ;)  And running is one of my favorite things to talk/write about!

This question has to do with heart rate training--specifically, MAF training. In short: 'MAF' is a heart rate training method that was developed by Dr. Phil Maffetone; and coincidentally, his method involves a heart rate called Maximum Aerobic Function (i.e. MAF heart rate). From here on out, when I write MAF, I'm referring to the Maximum Aerobic Function heart rate. Heart rate is given in bpm (beats per minute).

(If you want the full, more-information version, here is a post I wrote about the MAF method of training and my thoughts on it.)

Please don't take this as gospel, because it's been a while since I read the MAF book, but the gist is this: a typical person's MAF heart rate is a simple number that is calculated by subtracting their age from 180. (Let's say you are 40 years old--your MAF heart rate would be 140, because 180 bpm - 40 (age)=140 bpm.) 

To train using the MAF method, you do all of your running at or under your MAF heart rate. In the example above, the 40-year old woman goes for a four-mile run several days a week--and each time she runs, she must keep her heart rate at or below 140 beats per minute. Always. No matter the situation.

Let me tell you, it feels VERY SLOW. But we'll get to that in a minute.

According to Dr. Maffetone, if you always run at that MAF heart rate, you will naturally get faster while maintaining the same heart rate. Your muscles and cardiovascular system are getting more efficient each time you run at your MAF rate, and therefore, it takes less effort to do the same amount of work (your running pace).

So, here is the big question/problem that people ask me about frequently: Running at the MAF heart rate is SO SLOW--I have to walk a lot of the time, especially when going uphill, and it feels like I'll never get faster. Does it really work? Will I get faster if I only ever run at my MAF heart rate?

First, let me be clear that I have not done the MAF method 100% for more than a couple of weeks. (I use the MAF formula frequently, but I'll get to that later.) I hadn't really studied the method until a friend told me about it, and the whole idea made so much sense to me. I loved it!

Until I tried to run at MAF pace and was soooo slow that I was very embarrassed. (Wisdom I wish I knew then: Don't ever be embarrassed at what pace you run. Seriously, that's dumb.)

I didn't do MAF training for long because I just didn't have the patience to see it through. I wanted to run FAST, dammit! So I ignored it for a few years. I read a book called Hansons Marathon Method in 2013 to train for the Chicago Marathon. It involved a LOT of running, but it really stressed that most of the running should be SLOW and easy. I didn't even know the meaning of "easy"--all of the runs I thought I was doing at an easy pace were not, in fact, easy. They were pretty much "garbage miles"--too slow for speed work, too fast for cardio efficiency.

(I hope I'm writing this in order--but this is the end result, regardless...) I wanted to train with the Hansons Marathon Method, and decided to use my MAF heart rate as the rate I would use for my easy runs. And finally, I read a book called '80/20 Running' by Matt Fitzgerald--he says to spend 80% of the TIME spent running per week at an easy pace, and 20% of the TIME can be spent doing work that raises your heart rate into a particular zone. (It's key to note that it's *time* and not *distance*.)

I sort of combined the methods to train for Chicago: the training plan in the Hansons Marathon Method Book (you can find my review of the whole method here); the 80/20 rule; and using my MAF heart rate to be the heart rate I spent 80% of my time running.

I took this picture after the hardest training run I've ever done: 3 x 2 miles at race pace (for me, that was 7:55/mile at the time). 

Training for a marathon is more of an extreme example for this particular question about MAF training. I used the method mostly during my training for a 10K (spending 80% of my time at MAF heart rate and 20% of the time doing HARD speed work).

I came in second female overall at a 5K that I decided to use as speed work.

I had results. Really good results, in fact.

I wish I could answer the question that I'm asked so frequently--about whether following MAF exactly as it should be will yield the best results--but I can say that the MAF training heart rate number was perfect for my own training.

The pace I had to run at that number felt way too slow (and yes, I had to walk quite a bit to lower it) in the beginning. At that time, I'd been trying to follow the MAF program as written; however, I got impatient and decided to combine it with the 80/20 Method. Then I could get my "fix" of fast running once in a while.

Using the combination of the MAF easy runs (80% of the time) and very hard speed work (which I'll describe), took my 10K pace from about 11:00/mile to 7:55/mile in about six months. I trained SO HARD and definitely got the results I wanted. (Unfortunately, I was burnt out after going after such a lofty goal.) I hit my 10K goal, which was thrilling.

I absolutely think that the MAF method on it's own probably works--thousands of people rave about it. And actually, if you want to read a book about a famous runner who followed this sort of heart rate training and felt SO SLOW at first, check out Rich Roll's memoir called 'Finding Ultra' (the link is to my favorite running books, so you can find it there). 

So, for the official answer to my question...

Yes, I believe that the MAF method works if you do it like you are supposed to. I didn't do it for long (only a couple of weeks) but I could understand how it starts to feel easier at the same heart rate.

Also, when I first started training with MAF heart rate, I felt super slow. But I forced myself to trust the process (I think my pace was 13-something a mile--when I was used to calling my "easy" runs 9- or 10- something per mile, haha!). I remember my MAF heart rate being 146 bpm, and I always kept my pace below that number when I was doing "easy runs".

Per my own permission, I spent 20% of my running time each week doing speed work--intervals and/or tempo runs. And I went hog wild with them, making each of those workouts really count. Seriously, I gave them my ALL. I think that was important--what's the point of half-assed speed work?

I think the combination of the two methods is a great way to train, regardless of the distance. I wrote out several places that use the method; you can check out my free training plans on this page. The plans can even be used for walking--I've discovered I have to walk VERY fast to get my heart rate up to MAF; and holy smokes, it's a tough workout. 

You could actually use this method for any sort of cardio exercise you like to do, now that I think about it. The whole point is to make your body more efficient at the workload you give it; and it does this by being trained, over and over, at that particular exertion (your MAF heart rate). Eventually, you'll have to work really hard to get it up there!

(If I remember correctly, I think my "easy runs", using MAF heart rate during 10K training, went from 13:00 minutes+ per mile to just under 10:00 per mile. At the same heart rate of 146 bpm! I wish I could tell whether it was the MAF method, the 80/20 Method, or a combination of the two that did it, but I'll never know for sure.)

After all is said and done, it wouldn't hurt to TRY doing the MAF Method exactly as intended--see what happens. (And definitely email me and let me know.) If you really don't see good results after the time that Dr. Maffetone suggests, you can always decide to try a different method (or try adding speed work, like I did). But there certainly isn't anything wrong with giving it a try.

I think the hardest part about it is all mental--making yourself run/walk/bike/etc. much slower than you want or that you're used to is mentally challenging! I'm sure that once you start to see results, it will be encouraging, though. 

(Oh, this is a random question that deserves a spot here as well: Dr. Maffetone says that you don't have to change your MAF heart rate every year on your birthday. He says that as long as it's working for you and your health hasn't changed, you don't need to change it. I found 146 bpm worked so well for me when 10K training that I used that number for a couple of years.)

This post isn't nearly as clear as I hoped it would be, but I wanted to try to write this info in one place for anyone who may be wondering the same question. Give MAF a try, and let us know how it works out for you! Or, make it your own and work the MAF method into your own training like I did.

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A Simple Explanation of MAF Heart Rate Training (and why I love it!)

I just got back from an evening run, and I just have to write this down so I remember it: the circumstances in THIS RUN are exactly the reason I fell in love with MAF training back in 2015.

I'm going to back up and bit and just explain what MAF is and its significance to me (as well as to my running coach style). If you've been reading my blog for a long time, then you can skip over all this...

MAF stands for "maximum aerobic function" (don't worry, I'm not going to get technical about all this, even though I am a total nerd for it; I'm going to keep it very simple here). It was developed by Dr. Phil Maffetone ('MAF' and 'Maffetone' are purely coincidental). Here is how his logic works:

Everybody has a MAF heart rate. There is a formula on his website which takes into several factors, but for the general population--as well as the way I use it--you subtract your age from 180 to get your MAF heart rate. I'm 39 years old, so my MAF rate is 180-39=141. The "golden rule" of MAF training is that you don't exceed your MAF heart rate while exercising.

(Note: Your MAF rate is a single number, but since it's nearly impossible to consistently train at that solid number, Dr. Maffetone says to create a range of 10 beats per minute below your MAF rate, with your MAF rate being at the top of the range. Since my MAF rate is 141, my MAF range would be 131-141 beats per minute. )

For almost everyone, this means exercising considerably easier/slower. For runners, it can feel painfully slow and ridiculous. There is a reason for training at this pace, though, otherwise people wouldn't do it.

To keep things simple and easy to understand, I won't get into the physiology of it, but according to Dr. Maffetone, when you exercise at your MAF heart rate, your body gets more efficient and when you eventually add more stress (running faster, cycling harder, whatever your exercise is), your heart won't have to work harder to keep up. You will be putting in the same amount of EFFORT (as evidenced by your heart rate), but you will improve your fitness level.

I'll use running as an example, since it's my "thing": Let's say I run a 5K race at 10:00 minutes per mile (running as hard as I can for that race). Then I start MAF training: I do ALL of my training runs at or a little below my MAF heart rate--in this case, 141 beats per minute. While it feels like I'm not working hard, I am actually making my body more efficient.

Over a period of several months (more or less--it varies greatly), I might need to start running a little bit faster in order to get my heart rate up to 141 bpm. It will still feel just as easy--I'm still stressing my heart the same as before--but I'll be able to do more/work harder in order to get my heart rate to that number.

Then, because my body has become much more efficient over, say, six months, I might run another 5K race at the same effort as the first one (pretty much as fast as I can) and my pace might be 8:00 minutes per mile.

To put it super simply, when MAF training, you're not working HARDER in order to become more fit; your body is just becoming more efficient at the same effort.

I will use myself as a testament that it really works:

In 2015, my pace had gotten much slower than I used to run. My 10K pace was about 11:00 minutes per mile (just two years prior, I had run just under an 8:00/mile pace in the 10K). My training had never involved my heart rate--I used my pace to gauge my fitness and my training. I did my "easy" runs at a heart rate of about 20 beats per minute OVER my MAF rate!

After getting over a stress fracture, I finally decided to try something I'd never done before: running at a truly EASY pace, by the very definition.

I read a book called '80/20 Running' by Matt Fitzgerald (Amazon affiliate link) that had a huge impact on my training. I combined what I'd read about MAF training with 80/20 running (and my knowledge as a running coach) to produce my own training plan. The biggest change in my training was that I began running MUCH slower than I was used to. I did at least 80% of my training at my MAF heart rate--and that translated to a pace of 11:00-12:00/mile.

Per the 80/20 method, I also did a small amount of speed work (no more than 20% of my TIME spent running per week was done at a heart rate higher than my MAF rate). Here is an explanation I wrote about how I combined the two methods to train.

I found that I was getting faster on the days that I did my speed work and that I was able to run slightly faster while maintaining my MAF heart rate during training. There wasn't a huge difference in the training pace, but I could see progress.

I was training for a goal 10K in April 2016--which was about five months after I started running at my MAF pace. I ended up running my goal 10K in 49:03 (a 7:54 per mile pace!).

Running my easy runs EASY was the best change I could have made in my training. I have no doubt that my combination training (I really should name it something--I made the training method by combining 80/20 and MAF in my own way.)

Anyway, why am I writing about all this again now? (Because you're hypomanic, Katie!) (Just kidding.) (But not really.)

Because my run this evening brought back all the good feels from my MAF training and it makes me want to do it again.

When I first ran at a truly easy pace (my MAF heart rate), I just let go of any and all expectations of my pace (that's very hard to do as a runner--we always want to go faster.) To be successful at this training, and to actually enjoy this training, you have to set your pride aside and trust the process. Someone is giving you ORDERS to go slowly, so enjoy it!

Today, I decided to run at my MAF heart rate range (131-141 bpm) and just see where my pace was when I ran at that heart rate. At first, my thoughts were focused on how slow I was and it's going to appear to others that I am losing fitness and all those thoughts that we need to get over in order to train properly. Once I embraced the slower pace, a big change came over me. I felt wonderful!

I didn't feel out of breath and I stopped focusing on how much longer until the run is over; I started to think that maybe I'd run farther than planned. I had planned to go just two miles and I procrastinated all day long because I didn't want to do it. Once my mindset switched over to that MAF feeling, I felt like I could run for hours (which is how you SHOULD feel when you are running at a truly easy pace). I tacked on an extra mile. When I stopped my Garmin in front of my house, I didn't have to catch my breath. I felt like I'd just gone for an easy walk. I actually felt really excited!

And maybe it's just because I'm hypomanic, but I started thinking that I want to train at my MAF rate again. Not only that, I want to write a new training plan--a lower mileage plan for beginners to MAF training. I am not interested in building up mileage--I only want to run enough to stay fit, at least for the near future--so I want to keep my mileage relatively low. I want to do my own method of combining 80/20 running with MAF.

I have written a couple of plans (that you can find here--named "Your Best 5K" and "Your Best 10K") for 5K and 10K training in this way--those plans were the most challenging plans I've ever written because I had to make all of the math work! However, even the 5K plan has more mileage than I want to run.

I don't want to train for a race or to hit a particular goal. I just want to use the training method because I enjoy it. So, I'm going to work on writing up a training plan for that purpose. (Let's hope it's not just my hypomania talking--this is a textbook example of something like that!)

Since I usually write about my running on Thursdays, I will try to write more about it then. Hopefully I can get the plan done this week!

Note: Something that people always ask about when I write about MAF training is that they can't run and stay under their MAF heart rate. The only way they can stay at that heart rate is to walk (or at least take walking breaks). Dr. Maffetone would say to do whatever it takes to stay in your zone. This really sucks for people who want to run! (And this is the reason that I wasn't doing MAF training as I got back into running--I just wanted to run for the feel of running.)

The training will work if you follow it as Dr. Maffetone states, if you're willing. You will eventually be able to run and maintain your MAF heart rate; it just takes patience. I think one of the biggest factors as to how fast that works is just how much training you're doing.

To a certain extent, the more you are training at your MAF rate, the faster you're going to see progress. Doing 30 minutes 3 times a week is likely to take a lot longer than 60 minutes 5 days a week. (Keep in mind that the training is EASY, so doing a 60 minute run/walk/other exercise at MAF heart rate isn't going to exhaust or overtrain you.)

If there is only one post you read about proper training, let it be this one: The Importance of the Easy Run!

To read all of the details about the MAF method (it goes into WAY more than just the heart rate training) you can find it on his website.

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Couch to 5K : Week 9 Recap (the final week!)

It's over! I finally completed the Couch to 5K plan. (I'm referring to the really old school plan from way back in 2005-ish.) I've attempted it several times, but this was my first time actually finishing. I'll save a "final thoughts" post for later this week, but I just wanted to write a recap of my Week 9.

For Week 9, all three workouts are the same: Run 3 miles. Simple! But definitely not easy.

Week 9, Day 1: Run 3 miles

I went up north on Monday. I packed clothes to do two runs while up north. As it turned out, I only ended up doing one. It was really hard to push myself to go do it, but I'm happy that I at least did one while I was up there. And I chose to do it outside, despite the fact that my sister has a treadmill at her cabin.

Her road is all dirt/gravel--and the gravel is pretty big. It's the kind that will cause you to roll your ankle if you're not careful, so I threw away any sort of ideas of what my pace might be. I even changed my Garmin to show only my distance, time, and heart rate so I wouldn't know what my pace was.

The gravel is 2/3 of a mile, and then there is asphalt. It's extremely rural, so I was only hoping not to encounter a bear. I ran straight on that road (no other options) until my Garmin showed 1.5 miles, and then I turned around. I just kept hoping to get to the dirt road, so I knew I only had 2/3 of a mile left. The last quarter mile or so was really hard. I just wanted to be done!

Overall, though, I felt pretty good. I knew I was probably going at a slower pace, but I was worried if I picked up speed, I wouldn't finish. It worked out well.

My pace ended up being much slower than on the treadmill (or on the streets by my house)--12:33 per mile. I was really happy with my heart rate, though--an average of 149, 150, 154 per mile, respectively. I was simply focusing on running easy--if it felt too hard, I went slower. Most of the run was in Zone 3, and what was in Zone 4 was on the low side.

Week 9, Day 2: Run 3 miles

I didn't do my second run until Saturday. I chose to do this one on the treadmill; it's been super humid here.

I don't know what it was about that day, but my run was horrible. One of the worst runs I've ever had! My heart rate was really high and I felt like I was going to die when I was done. I made it through the run, at the usual 5.0 mph, but the second I stopped the treadmill, I was gasping for air. I could barely gulp down water because I was trying to catch my breath. Jerry said, "Man, you must have been flying!" But I went the same speed as always, and it just felt so much different. I was even still trying to catch my breath after I took a shower.

My heart rate for each mile was 147, 155, 158 respectively. I was so sure it would be higher, based on how hard it felt.

After that, I had bad anxiety about running again. I was so nervous it was going to feel horrible. I planned to get it done yesterday, but like I wrote in yesterday's post, I was extremely tired. I'd even put on my running clothes early in the day, but I couldn't get the energy to do it. So, I put it off to today--knowing that today was my last shot.

Week 9, Day 3: Run 3 miles

I chose the treadmill again. Running in the humidity makes my heart skyrocket, and I really like passing the time on the treadmill with whatever book I'm currently reading. During the morning, I felt very "off". I did manage to sleep a little last night, thanks to my anxiety medication (I rarely take it because it makes me super tired, but sometimes it comes in handy).

Despite sleeping, I still felt lethargic (which was probably the medication still in my system). I knew I had to get my run done today, though, so I got dressed and onto the treadmill. I had a bad feeling about it, but I still just wanted to get it done. A mile in, I knew I wasn't going to be able to finish. I dragged on as long as I could, but I called it quits 1.3 miles in. My legs just felt super wobbly and weak.

I was so mad at myself! I knew I wasn't just being a baby about it--I really didn't feel right today. I laid on the couch, still in my sweaty running clothes, just staring at the ceiling. Two hours later, I woke up to the sound of Joey barking (someone was delivering a package). I had actually fallen asleep! That never happens.

After that, I started thinking about how I should just get back on the treadmill and finish out 1.7 more miles to hit my total of 3 miles. I didn't care if it was "cheating" by not doing it all at once. I wanted to do it--it was my very last day of Couch to 5K!

I was feeling much better than a few hours prior, so before I could talk myself out of it, I hopped back on the treadmill. The treadmill had cleared the data from the previous run, but my Garmin was still showing 15:00-something for the minutes I'd already run, so I was able to just continue on that. Since I was running at 5.0 mph, I knew if I ran until the minutes read 36:00, I would have gotten in 3 miles (the distance on the Garmin isn't correct when running on the treadmill).

The time actually went by pretty quickly--I was so relieved when I saw the 36:00 approaching on my watch! But I still felt like I was cheating somehow. I knew I wouldn't feel like I'd really done it. I wondered if I could keep running until I ran three miles straight. I would only have to run another 1.3 miles.

And I decided to keep going! It was SUCH a hard decision, considering how I felt earlier, but as I got closer to 3 miles, I knew I'd made the right decision. I was thrilled when I finally did it!

In total, I ran 4.41 miles--1.31 of it was at 11:00 AM, and then 3.00 was at 1:30 PM. I think that because the earlier one was so hard, I was probably still feeling the effects of the medication I took last night. A few hours later, I felt better (not good, but definitely better!).

Interestingly, my heart rate was still really high for the second run (in all, my average heart rate per mile was 150, 152, 162, 165). Look how much of it was in Zone 5! Usually, if I hit Zone 5 at all, it's only for a few seconds. Today, I spent 21 minutes in Zone 5. It's weird how the same exact run can feel so different.

I feel like I'm kind of going backwards in the heart rate training--I have been hoping to run at the same pace and eventually my heart rate will get lower (less effort). The logical solution is MAF training, but I don't want to do that (that would mean a lot of walking and I am just now getting back into running). I miss running; it just makes me feel good in a way that no other exercise ever has.

Anyway, now that I've completed the Couch to 5K, my plan is to continue running 3 miles, 3 days a week. I'm going to stick with the 5.0 mph speed on the treadmill and hope to see my heart rate improve over time. I'd like to start noting things like my hydration, amount of sleep, whether I've eaten, and things like that affect how I feel during my runs.

Overall, Week 9 was successful in the sense that I did it, but it was (by far) the hardest week of the plan! I'll write my final thoughts about the entirety of Couch to 5K later this week.

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Couch to 5K : Week 8 Recap

I made it through Week 8! That means I have just one week to go and I'll have finished the Couch to 5K plan.

This week's workouts were all the same: Run 2.75 miles (no walk breaks)

I did all three of them on the treadmill, mainly because it's been hot/humid outside. I ran all of them at the same speed I've been doing each week (5.0 mph). I'm going to stick with that speed until my heart rate can stay in Zones 2-3 for the entire run. Like I keep repeating, my end goal is to be able to run three miles and have it feel easy again. I don't remember how long that took for me when I first started running.

Anyway, here are the details from my runs in Week 8...

Week 8, Day 1 : Run 2.75 miles. (treadmill)

I was really nervous about this run. Even though I'd run 2.5 miles in Week 7, I still worried I wouldn't be able to do it. But I really wanted to focus on keeping my heart rate down--trying to run easy and focus on my breathing.

I was reading a book that I really wanted to finish (it was exciting) and when my Kindle said I had about 45 minutes left in the book, I figured I'd better get on the treadmill so I would have something to read while I ran. I actually felt really good! It didn't start to feel very hard until after I got about two miles in. Still, though, I didn't struggle to finish, which was encouraging.

I was happy with my heart rate, too! I spent more time in Zone 3 than in Zone 4. My average heart rate was 152, so I was borderline between Zones 3 and 4.

Week 8, Day 2 : Run 2.75 miles. (treadmill)

I had a feeling that this was going to be a bad run because I just didn't feel good even before I started. I felt weak, tired, and my heart rate was already fast (my resting heart rate is usually 55-60 bpm, but it was at 90-ish--I have no idea why). I hoped I'd feel better once I started running.

That definitely didn't happen. First, I forgot to turn on the floor fan that I put right behind the treadmill. I was SO HOT. I didn't want to stop running to turn it on, but after about a mile, I couldn't take it anymore and I hopped off the treadmill to turn it on.

My legs felt so heavy and weak. No matter how carefully I tried to run, and no matter how much I concentrated my 3:2 breaths, I just didn't feel good. And my heart rate showed it when I was done. It took everything I had just to finish. As soon as I stopped running, I was gasping for breath. Even when I was showering 10 minutes later, I was still trying to catch my breath.

My average heart rate overall was 154--but the second mile was 156 and third mile was 159 (compared to 150 and 152 respectively during the previous run).

Week 8, Day 3 : Run 2.75 miles. (treadmill)

I was dreading this run because of how hard the last one was. I really didn't want to feel like that again! My anxiety about it didn't help, because it made my heart speed up before I even started running. I texted Caitlin (who is doing Couch to 5K with me) and she said that when she ran Week 8, Day 2, she felt terrible and it was super hard to finish--same as me. She said her third run was much better, which gave me hope that mine would feel better.

It seemed so much longer because the book I'm reading is pretty slow-paced. I found myself looking at the treadmill display way too often to check my distance. I didn't feel terrible, however! I actually felt much better than the previous run. I have no idea why that is--it's so weird how two of the same runs can feel so different just a day apart. After this run, I was slightly out of breath, but not bad at all. Nothing like the run before!

My heart rate didn't show that the effort was any easier, though, which was kind of odd. My average for the run was 153 bpm--it was more consistent though, at 154, 153, and 154 for each split.

Overall, I'm proud that I was able to finish all three runs, especially the second one. I'm disappointed that my heart rate didn't improve, though. I was really encouraged after the first run went so smoothly. I'm going to start paying attention to what I eat/drink and maybe how much sleep I get and see if there is a correlation with how my runs feel and whether my heart rate is high.

Week 9 is going to be interesting... my first two runs will be while I'm at my sister's property in the upper peninsula of Michigan. I know she has a treadmill there, so I may do that if it's super hot outside. But it would be nice to do the runs outside if I can. It will be my first time running three miles in a long time, though, so running on asphalt in sun and heat would make it so much harder. I'll just have to wait and see!

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Couch to 5K : Week 7 Recap

Seven weeks down!

First, I just want to update on the email subscription situation. I'm so sorry to keep writing about this, but I'm trying to get it all figured out. The switch from Feedburner to follow.it has been a total nightmare and I had a complete meltdown this morning (literally sobbing and catastrophizing everything).

I discovered this morning that the email notification for my blog went to my spam folder. I asked Jerry and my mom, and the same thing happened with them. So, if you usually get notifications and you didn't get one today, please check your spam folder. I notified customer service at follow .it and I'm still waiting for help. I'm praying that it will be delivered to my inbox tomorrow morning.

Okay, enough of that (for now). I finished Week 7 of Couch to 5K!

This was the first week without any intervals. All three workouts were the same: Run 2.5 miles. Seven weeks ago, that felt impossible. Logically, I knew I could do it (in 2009, I couldn't even run down my street, and three years later I ran a full marathon). Running just felt so hard seven weeks ago. The intervals were only one minute each, but I struggled through them!

My main focus this week was to "run easy". It sounds like an oxymoron, I know, but at some point running starts to feel easier. And eventually, if I keep training, an easy run will be just that--like going for a walk. I use my heart rate to determine what is genuinely an easy run.

To me, an easy run would be in my MAF zone. Since I'm 39, my MAF rate is 180-39=141 bpm. To figure the zone, you just start 10 beats lower. My zone would be 131-141 bpm. (Here is a post where I went into more detail about easy running. It's a good, informative post--check it out if you haven't already.)

I've mentioned before that my ultimate goal right now is to be able to run three miles while staying in my MAF zone. I'm not even close to that now!

Week 7, Day 1 : Run 2.5 miles

I chose to do this one on the treadmill again. I was kind of nervous--I hadn't run that far in a long time. I set the treadmill at 5.0 mph and read my book. I hoped my foot pod would be accurate this time because I worked on calibrating it, but after a little while, I realized that the Garmin had reset the calibration factor to 100%--so it was completely inaccurate. I don't think I'll ever have an accurate, consistent method to get my Garmin and treadmill to be in sync.

The first half mile, my legs felt so tired and wobbly. I was starting to doubt whether I was going to be able to complete it. Eventually, I managed to focus on my book and stop thinking about my legs feeling so tired. My heart rate showed that it was anything but easy...

My average heart rate was 155 bpm. My MAF zone is Zone 2, so clearly I have some work to do ;) Over time, I'm hoping to see a shift toward Zone 3 and eventually Zone 2.

Week 7, Day 2 : Run 2.5 miles

The weather was exceptionally nice that day and I decided to run outside. I figured I might as well take advantage of it because who knows when we'll have another day like that? Again, I was nervous. Extra nervous because it was outside and I would be venturing away from home.

I made sure my Garmin only displayed the distance and my heart rate; I didn't want to know what my pace was. Since my goal was to run easy, I wanted to run by feel and not let my pace dictate that.

The run felt really good! I was surprised at how good I felt, actually. Much better than the treadmill run. I thought it would feel like it took forever, but it went by more quickly than I thought. The last half mile was harder--my legs became like lead. They felt really heavy and tired. I was glad to be done after that!

I was very surprised at my pace. I was expecting something in the 13:00's, and I was cool with that. I was not prepared for a pace in the 11:00's.

I always subconsciously run faster the closer I get to home, so perhaps that's why my legs felt so tired at the end. I knew my heart rate was going to be up there--it gets higher outside than it does at home. However, my average heart rate was 153 bpm, so at least I'm at the low end of Zone 4.

Week 7, Day 3 : Run 2.5 miles

I did this one on the treadmill again. I usually do my third run on Mondays, but I actually really wanted to do it yesterday after dinner. I've learned to take advantage of the days I want to run, because they are few and far between!

This time, I tried my best to really focus on my breathing and running lightly. I wanted to see if I could get my heart rate down. I read my book while I ran and each time I found myself running too hard, I would try to ease my steps.

It definitely paid off--my heart rate was in Zone 3 longer than it was in Zone 4! After looking at the first two runs, it seems impossible. But it just shows how powerful the mind is--when I focused on running easy, it literally made the run easier, even though I was running the same pace (on both days 1 and 3). My average heart rate was 148 bpm! So my average for the run as a whole was in Zone 3.

I was really happy with my heart rate during that run. I'm going to stop fiddling with the calibration factor on my Garmin (I'll never get it to be consistent) and just focus on running easy. Maybe by the end of summer, I'll be solidly in Zone 3.

Week 7 is now complete. Just 2 more weeks to go for Couch to 5K!

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Couch to 5K : Week 5 Recap

Week 5 of Couch to 5K is in the books!

I'm more than halfway done now; it's going by super fast. Just as I was nervous about Week 4, I knew that the third workout this week was going to be a tough one. The amount of running without walk breaks was a huge leap from last week.

First, though, Week 5 Day 1 - Run 0.5 miles, walk 0.25 miles, run 0.5 miles, walk 0.25 miles, run 0.5 miles.

This one started out great. I've been reading a book while I run instead of watching a show (I just can't find a show to get into lately, which is probably a good thing.) I'm currently reading 'One of Us Is Next'--the sequel to 'One of Us Is Lying'. Reading makes the time go by a lot faster than watching TV while I'm on the treadmill, which is nice.

I was caught up in the book while I was running my first 0.5-mile interval and when I looked down, I saw that I'd run 0.64 miles and my Garmin hadn't beeped. I realized I'd forgotten to turn off the GPS on my watch--AGAIN. (I wrote about this on Friday Night Photos.) So, I wrote a note and taped it to the treadmill to ensure that I don't do it again.

These two "accidental" runs have actually been a little helpful to check out my heart rate, though--since they include only the running portion (no walking), I can see what my heart rate was strictly from the run. This 0.64-mile run wasn't good as far as my heart rate goes. I spent almost the entire thing in Zone 4. (Remember, my ultimate goal is to run three miles in Zone 2--my MAF heart rate.)

When I realized my mistake, I stopped the treadmill, caught my breath, and started all over again after turning the GPS off. I felt pretty decent, but judging by my heart rate, I was working very hard. Too hard. By looking at this in comparison to the one above, I know that the only time my heart rate is in Zone 2 is when I'm doing the walk breaks.

Week 5 Day 2 - Run 0.75 miles, walk 0.5 miles, run 0.75 miles

I remembered to turn off the GPS, thanks to my note. This run wasn't as hard as I expected. I actually was tempted to cut the walk break short because it felt really long. But after the second 0.75-mile interval, I was definitely ready to be done!

Since my main goal is my heart rate, here is what it looked like for this workout:

Week 5 Day 3 - Run 2 miles (!!)

This was the "scary" workout--a random two-mile run at the end of Week 5 (next week goes back to intervals). I wondered if I'd even be able to do it. The farthest I'd run without a walk break so far during the plan was 0.75 miles.

Interestingly, I was looking forward to this workout. First, because I still hate doing intervals; I much prefer to do all of the running at once. Also, I was genuinely curious to know if I could complete it.

I turned off my GPS, set up my book, filled my water bottle, and set the speed at 5.0 mph. I tried to just focus on my book and not think about the fact that I was running. And I did it! I finished two miles--and honestly, I felt like I could have kept going. I was definitely tired when I was done, but I didn't feel like I was going to drop dead or anything. The time actually went by really quickly.

I was pretty happy with my heart rate, too--I stayed out of Zone 5 completely, and I spent more time in Zone 3 than I did in Zone 4. Considering this was a two-mile run--no walk breaks--that's pretty remarkable in comparison to the accidental 0.64 miles I ran on Week 5 Day 1.

I think that keeping the speed low has been most helpful--if I'd tried to bump the speed up, I'm sure I would have collapsed when I was done. I'm just going to stick with this speed until my heart rate is able to stay quite a bit lower, and then maybe I'll increase it a bit. But even if I stay at this speed forever, I'm cool with that.

I'm really excited about how this week went. That two-miler was a big confidence boost!

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Saturday Night Tidbits

I've gotten to the point during this 75 Hard challenge where I completely lose track of, well, everything. I've been doing great staying on the challenge--it definitely feels like habit now--but I feel like I'm so absorbed in all of my tasks that it's taking over all my time (not in a bad way).

I can't remember a lot of what I was going to write about, so I decided to go through the camera roll on my phone and see if I can find pictures of things I'd planned to share and just didn't get around to doing so.

During one of my walks, I was going past the bar/restaurant that is a few blocks from my house, and I noticed a turtle in the middle of the parking lot. The lot is gravel and there are streets on three sides of it, so it was a very odd place to see a turtle. (This picture is from later on; the grass wasn't even near the parking lot he was in.)

I see a ton of turtles on my street because I live right across from the marsh; but this parking lot was three blocks away with no water or anything nearby. I had no idea how it got there--there is no way it could have walked all the way from the marsh to the bar without getting run over by a car. I'm betting some kids probably picked it up and then left it.

Anyway, I decided that if it was still there on my way back home, I'd pick it up and bring it to the marsh. The parking lot was empty because it was morning, so I wasn't worried it would get run over unless it tried to cross the street.

On my way back, it was still there, although it had walked toward the back of the bar. It was a snapping turtle, and even though it was on the small side, I had to be careful when picking it up--I've picked them up before and they don't hesitate to try and snap your fingers off!

When I picked him up, though, he just pulled his head into his shell and barely moved at all. I could see he was alive, but I wondered if he was super dehydrated from being in the sun with no water in sight. He just didn't look very good.

So, I walked him back to my house and I found him a spot on the other side of the dike. I set him down so that he was halfway in the water and I hoped that he'd be okay. He didn't come out of his shell when I set him down, though. (The next day, when I went for my walk, I looked to see if he was still there and he wasn't--so I'm assuming he was fine.)

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Noah turned 16 on July 13th, but wasn't able to get his driver's license because of COVID and the Secretary of State working only by appointments. The soonest appointment was in October! However, when we went up north to visit my sister, the SoS up there had an appointment the next day (that's how rural it is). So, Jerry took Noah to get his license.

I'd been telling Noah for years that he should start saving money for a car, because I said we would not be buying him one when he turned 16. He never listened to my advice until a few months before his 16th birthday, when he started asking family members if he could do some work for them. 

Well, he got really lucky. He'd saved up about $600, which was definitely not enough for a car. But my friend Adam, who just moved into a renovated van, didn't need his car anymore. So, he offered to sell it to Noah for $500. 

Now, this car is old. It's actually the same year of MY first car, which I got 22 years ago! Hahaha. It's a 1989 LeBaron--and it only had 49,000 miles on it! Noah was thrilled--he's like me in the sense that he prefers retro-style things and he loved the idea of having such an old car. He even learned what it means to "roll" down the window ;)

We put about $600 into it for new brakes and rotors and a couple of other things. My dad is an auto mechanic and he and Noah checked out the whole car and they are going to be working on replacing those parts together. It's a great skill for Noah to learn, so I'm happy about that. 

But Noah's lucky to have gotten his license and now he'll have a safe car to drive that will last as long as the motor and transition hold out--hopefully he'll get a few years out of it. I love this photo of him with his new wheels! Hahaha.

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I went for a bike ride with Renee a couple of days ago, and it was great to see her! I haven't seen her since before the COVID quarantine. We met up at the Metropark and rode about six miles to the neighborhood where I grew up, so I showed her my old house and all that, then we rode back--it was about 12 miles total. (Naturally, I forgot to start my Garmin until a quarter mile in.)

I still find it so interesting that my heart rate is much higher when riding my bike versus walking! I was at or above my MAF zone for over 50 minutes during the ride with Renee. I have to work really hard when I walk to even get to the lower end of my MAF zone--so I usually don't hit it. I'm not doing MAF training, but I still get curious about my heart rate)

(Zone 2 below is my MAF zone--it actually should be 132-142, so I'll have to fix that, but it's close enough).

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I happened to get a photo of this rare-as-a-unicorn moment... Phoebe taking a nap within a 20-meter radius of the kittens! 

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Usually, Duck wakes me up in the morning by sitting on my head or draping himself across my neck, so I was surprised a couple of days ago when I noticed it was actually Chick that came to cuddle with me while I was reading my book. Kitten cuddles in the morning are the best!

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Yesterday, my dad took me in his truck to Lowe's so that I could buy the materials to build a wall of shelves in the garage. There was no way I'd be able to get that stuff home without a truck--I had to get eight 2'x4'x12' boards, six 2'x4'x8' boards, and three 1/2"x4'x8' sheets of plywood, ripped in half. 

Today, I cleared the wall and started building. I should be able to finish them tomorrow or Monday. Once those are finished, I'll have so much more space to store things in the garage and everything will have a place. The four shelves will be 12 feet long and 2 feet deep. 

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I'm still going strong on 75 Hard! Tomorrow will be Day 28--four full weeks. It's also Jerry's and my 17th wedding anniversary! :)

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Bike Riding vs. Walking

I had a successful Day 4 of 75 Hard. I can't believe I've made it this far, to be honest!

To give my shin splints a rest, I decided to go for a bike ride in the morning instead of walking. I immediately felt like turning around and doing the walking instead. My "butt bones" hurt so bad from sitting on the bike seat! I kept going, though, hoping it would subside (it didn't--I just hope that I'll get used to it eventually and it'll stop hurting).

If I'd noticed the 6.99 miles before I arrived home, I would've gone a touch farther to hit 7.00--I'm sure that number will bug some of you, haha ;)

Anyway, I found it interesting during each of my (two) bike rides in the past four days that my heart rate is higher when riding my bike than it gets when I walk. In fact, riding my bike puts me right in my MAF heart rate training zone (132-142 bpm).

I never would have thought that to be the case. Biking feels easier to me than walking as fast as my legs will go. When I walk really fast, I can dip into my MAF zone, but it's super uncomfortable and makes the walk not very enjoyable. I have to be very conscious of it. When I ride my bike at a comfortable pace (I keep it on a low speed while in the neighborhoods because I have to pedal more rotations to gain momentum--but it still keeps me slow enough for "neighborhood riding".)

I wanted to find the details on Garmin Connect for my heart rate from yesterday as comparison, but Garmin's app has been "down for maintenance" for 24 hours now. I haven't been able to upload my workouts.

If my butt would quit hurting, I'd like to bike ride more often... maybe one walk a day and one bike ride a day for my 75 Hard challenge. I feel like being in my MAF heart rate zone while intermittent fasting is going to be the most efficient way to burn fat.

Speaking of, the intermittent fasting is getting easier, too. I found that, since I eat a large meal to break the fast and follow it with decaf coffee (with cream) and a snack or dessert of some sort, I'm full enough that I don't even want to eat again for the rest of the evening. Since I eat at 4:00 pm, it's really interesting to me that I don't even have the desire to eat in the evenings--whereas, before, I would snack up until it was time to go to bed. I never felt satisfied. Now I do.

(And yesterday, the kids made cheesecake brownies--I didn't even have a tiny bit of longing to eat one. It didn't even sound good. Very odd for me!)

For my second workout yesterday, I went for a walk in an unfamiliar area (to walk in, at least--I know it well by car). Noah had an appointment and I had an hour to kill, so I killed two birds with one stone--I walked to Lowe's, bought the wood filler I needed, and then walked back to my car. I still had about 15 minutes to go (I'd stopped my watch for the 10 minutes I was in Lowe's), so I just did an out and back from the car.

The timing worked out perfectly--ordinarily, I would have just sat in the car (the waiting room was closed because of COVID). So, it felt good to get the walk done without it even disrupting my day at all.

The walk was totally different from what I'm used to. I live in a very rural area, and I'm not used to busy roads. Walking along this road was a little scary! There was a sidewalk, but the cars were going fast and felt so close. It felt cool to experience a change of scenery, though. I noticed my pace was faster without trying to go faster--it just naturally happened because I was out of my element. My first mile was about 16:00-ish, if I remember correctly.

This 75 Hard challenge has really helped get me into a routine. As I've said many times, I thrive on routine--especially considering I have bipolar disorder. Who knows what will happen when the kids go back to school and my routine changes again, but for now, I feel like I'm back in control. Something I haven't felt in a long time!

I'm really glad that Adam asked me to do this challenge with him. I'm ready to start Day 5--I'm going to take Eli to a fishing area and go for a walk while he fishes.

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Penny Pincher Walk

I planned on writing my July "to do" list today, but I have been so busy that I haven't even had a chance to think about my list.

I woke up at 6:00 and felt really good. I slept through the night from 12:00 until 6:00! That's a huge improvement for me. And I know exactly why it is, too--Jerry's first day back to working on midnights was yesterday, so I had the bed to myself. When I woke up at 6:00, I was surprised to see that I actually felt energetic.

I saw the list on my nightstand for my Cookies Summer Challenge, so I decided to pick an item from the list and go out for a walk. I chose the "Even Split Walk", where you walk 3+ miles with each mile time being within five seconds of each other.

When I went outside, I saw that the fish flies were bad again. I thought they were done hatching, but I was wrong. Still, I was dressed to walk three miles, so I just kept going. A few minutes into the walk, I noticed that I hadn't turned my Garmin on!

Anyway, I wasn't far into the walk when I noticed a dime lying on the ground. I picked it up and decided to count it as my Penny Pincher Walk (finding a coin while out walking/running) instead of doing the Even Split Walk. It's not always guaranteed you'll find a coin while out walking, so now I was able to knock that off my list.

Shortly after that, I found another dime (it was hard to tell whether it was a dime or a penny, because it was SO scuffed up and dirty. A little ways later, I found a penny. And then another. And another! All of the coins were spaced throughout the route. It's clear I haven't been running in a while, because I certainly would have picked them up!

I did see another penny, but it was embedded into the asphalt and I couldn't pull it out.

At first, I was walking at a fairly comfortable, enjoyable pace. After a mile and a half or so, I noticed my heart rate was 118 bpm. I was curious how fast I'd have to walk to get it into the MAF training zone (at my age, 38, my zone is 132-142).

I started walking really fast, and my heart rate was barely climbing. I picked up the pace as quickly as I could, and I saw that as I was approaching the end of mile two, I was able to dip into the MAF zone at 132 bpm. Out of curiosity, I decided to see if I could do a full mile in my MAF heart rate zone.

It was tough! I was walking as fast as I could throughout the whole third mile, but I actually did it! I even got toward the top of the zone a couple of times.

I don't know if I'd want to do that all the time (it's not easy!) but it'll be nice to see if walking regularly will help me get faster. I'll have to go faster if I'm able to stay in that zone. Or, just start running again.

Anyway, it was a great walk and I love that I was done with it nice and early. (Also, it was 93 degrees this afternoon!) I had enough energy left to work on the garage some more. I am 99% done!

Tomorrow, I am going to sand it. Today, I bought the paint for it (and I was in sticker shock--I forgot just how expensive paint is). I had to buy a five-gallon bucket of primer, a 5-gallon bucket of paint, and a few gallons of ceiling paint (I'm sure I'll end up needing more, but I didn't want to buy a five gallon bucket if I don't need that much).

I had absolutely no idea what color to choose for the walls. I wanted something light, so that the garage wouldn't look dark and dreary. But I didn't want anything so light that all the little scuff marks from things in there will show up easily. So, I ended up picking Sherwin Williams Argos, the same color that is in my kitchen and dining room (a very light gray).

I can't wait to get started with the painting! I hope I did a good enough job on the taping and mudding so that the paint looks good. As my brother always reminded me when I was working on my house, "Paint doesn't hide the flaws, it just changes the color of them". Haha! Very true, I've realized.

Okay, I'll recap June and write about my July checklist tomorrow.

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A Bruise to My Ego

Well, Friends, I just couldn't hack it...

Admitting failure is tough. I felt SO determined that I was going to stick out the MAF two-week carbohydrate intolerance test; but I only last four days. That's the problem with making goals so public. On one hand, it helped me to stay on track because of my pride--I would be embarrassed to quit! On the other hand, I still feel like I need to stick something out when I feel that it's just not right for me.

And this CI test, even though it was only two weeks, was just not right for my body. I know my body very well, and I could feel it.

(Please don't be offended by my choice of memes in this post... I just found some of them so funny I had to use them!)

I was completely miserable, physically and mentally. I followed the advice that many of you gave, getting my electrolytes, plenty of water, and all that; I followed the food list right to the letter. But I lost all energy to the point where I couldn't even drag myself around the house. My mind felt super foggy all the time, my vision was getting blurry, and I had horrible insomnia (which compounded the issues). I know this probably would have gone away with time, but I was so crabby and irritated that I made the decision to quit the test.

Another thing that really bothered me (even before I started doing it) was that it was against everything I've ever "preached" on my blog. Doing this two-week CI test was just like the old me... the pre-weight-loss Katie, who was always trying new ways to lose weight, things that I knew I'd not be able to stick to, but tried anyways. (Granted, this wasn't necessarily for weight loss; but that was a big part of it.)

Ever since I lost the weight in 2009-2010, I have firmly believed the following:

1. Do not make any changes you aren't *willing* to do FOREVER. This includes giving up foods and/or groups of foods that I enjoy. (The key word is "willing". It doesn't mean that it must be done, but I believe that I must be willing to if that's what it takes.) This also may change over time. For example, I was willing to do Weight Watchers forever at some point, but now I won't do it.)

2. Eat a variety of foods in moderation. (This is pretty self-explanatory. Moderation goes a long way in lots of different parts of life!)

3. Only do what works for YOU; my way of eating doesn't work for everybody, just like others' way of eating may not work for me. I think everybody is different and needs to find what works best for them.

When I only got an hour and a half of sleep on Saturday night, I decide that was it. Pride be damned, I was going to eat some carbs.

Instead of totally pigging out and bingeing on carbs/sugar, I actually immediately jumped into counting calories, which has always worked well for me before (both in how I feel and in dropping the weight).

Counting calories isn't my ideal lifestyle (I don't love it), but it's something I'm WILLING to do... even if it's forever (see rule number one above). Jerry was so frustrated and hated the two-week CI test just as much as I did, and he texted me, "I'd rather count calories for the rest of my life than do this for one more day!" So he was on board as well.

This morning, I made an old staple, just a little healthier. Oatmeal with blueberries and natural almond butter:

Going into the new year, I knew I was eating way too much sugar and not enough healthy things (see rule number two above) so this experience has made me want to clean up my diet. I want to eat the way I did when I was feeling my best: small portions of foods I enjoy.

I also like to eat on a schedule so that I don't think about food all day long: I used to do 8:00, 12:00, 4:00, and 8:00, but I might change that up now with Jerry working straight days. I don't mind going long periods between meals, so I might do 6:15, 12:00, 6:30, and 8:30.

I used to drink 2-3 quarts of water a day, and I would like to do that again (I have been recently, since I started the CI test). I want to cut back on the sugar/sweets so I only have it for my nighttime treat. I've actually had cravings for the very old school treat I used to have when I was losing weight: a chai latte and a single dark chocolate Dove. I used to make chai lattes by heating up milk with a chai tea bag and then adding a tablespoon of honey. It was SO good!

This (four-day) experiment made me want to focus more on using whole foods with as few ingredients as possible. I may use convenience foods now and then when I feel the need to, but the one thing I really liked about the two-week CI test was using whole foods. I have a whole handmade cookbook of recipes that I make frequently, so I'll go through that and pick out the ones that contain the most wholesome ingredients and use those.

Despite not making it through the two-week CI test, I feel good about the change. I feel good that I'm doing what *I* believe in and have always written about on my blog. Since I started eating carbs again yesterday, I feel a million times better already.

The big question is: How will this affect my MAF (maximum aerobic function) training?

Well, this is where I have been very conflicted. On one hand, I want to continue with the super low heart rate and zero speed work just to see what happens. But since I won't be doing Dr. Maffetone's recommended nutrition plan, I may want to adjust to what worked really well for me a couple of years ago (only toned down so that I don't get burnt out and feel over trained).

Ultimately, I decided I would like to go back to my old way of doing it. I just spent three months running at nothing but MAF heart rate (albeit a higher rate), so I've built up a small base. I don't think adding a little bit of speed work is going to hurt things, and I think it'll give me some variety to actually look forward to. I'm not going to make it as tough as when I trained for my 10K, however.

When I trained for my 10K, I used a MAF rate of 180 minus my age, which was 34 at the time, so my rate was 146. I was also using 146 bpm over the last few months. Now, with my age being 37 (almost 38!) and having taken the MAF test--which gave me the rate of 133, due to the fact that I take a daily medication for bipolar--I'm going to do a bit of a compromise.

I'll start with a rate of 142 (180 minus my soon-to-be-age of 38) and see how that works. I know there is probably a reason for deducting the 10 beats per minute due to the daily medication, but I was taking daily meds when I was training at 146 bpm as well back in 2015-2016. That heart rate worked very well for me! I saw amazing progress in my health and fitness.

I was also following the 80/20 running method (which Dr. Maffetone actually agrees with--once you've built a base, if you'd like, you can add in up to 20% of the time spent running as speed work, going over MAF rate). The best example of all of this put together is my "Your Best 10K Plan". I did all the 80/20 math and used the MAF heart rate for slow runs.

I'm going to make a modified version of it for myself to use now--only four days a week, and only one of those days will include speed work. The other three days will be strictly at my MAF rate of 142 bpm. (No more than 20% of the time spent on speed work will be over my MAF rate)

I will do a MAF run test every month and see how it goes. If I'm not seeing results, then maybe I'll try reducing my MAF rate back down to 133 (ugh!) and walk/jog again. It's not so much that I mind the walk/jogging, but doing it on the treadmill is going to be VERY difficult because of the constant increase and decrease of speed. We've had a mild winter, but it's only just begun--I expect it's going to get crazy cold and wintery by February, and I know I'll have a hard time wanting to go outside.

I realize all of this goes completely against what I wrote about a few days ago. But I was very unhappy with the two-week CI test, as well as going against what I always "preached" about weight loss. I didn't even quit on a whim--I wanted to quit the test SO badly on Saturday, but I gave myself the night to think about it and decide on Sunday. I think I made the right decision (for me).

I'd still like to continue to write about the weight loss and running stuff this year, because I really want to work on getting back down to my goal weight by the 10-year anniversary of when I reached a "normal" BMI.

And then I'd like to really focus on training (not super hard, but very focused) on the 2021 Indy Mini. My sister already said she plans to do it, along with some of her friends. I know Jerry wants to do it, too. I'd like to make it something to really look forward to and work toward.

So, I thank you all so much for the suggestions and tips on the carbohydrate intolerance test. I really, truly appreciate it. I feel bad if I let anyone down who was looking forward to the results of my "experiment", but I just couldn't take it anymore. I have so much respect for anyone that is able to stick it out! It just shows we're all different and we need to find what works for us.

Now, I have a ton of vegetables in my fridge, just waiting to go bad, so I'm going to make a menu for the next couple of days to use them up ;)  I LOVE roasted cauliflower with garlic and parmesan cheese, so I'm thinking that will be part of dinner tonight!

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Carb Intolerance Test: Four Days Down, 10 More To Go

Has it been two weeks yet?! (whine whine whine, complain complain complain)

This MAF Carbohydrate Intolerance Two-Week Test (I'm just going to call it the CI test for short) is driving me crazy, and it's only Day 4 of 14. (Jerry is feeling the same way)

The sugar cravings, headaches, thoughts that revolve around nothing but food, brain fog, snapping at people I care about because I'm so irritable, and the worst part... extreme exhaustion for no reason at all. It's hard! I know that these things are "normal" when cutting carbs like this, but good grief... I don't know how people make this a lifestyle!

The only reason I haven't quit yet is because I know it's only for two weeks. (Well, and because I made a big old post about it and I'd be too embarrassed to quit now.)

It's only been four days, and I'm super tired of eggs for breakfast. For lunch, I typically make a plate of parmesan cheese slices (my favorite), some cherry tomatoes, and almonds. Today I had almond butter and carrots instead of the almonds, and I had some olives, too.

A huge challenge for me about this whole CI test is that I don't love meat. I will eat it, but I usually like tiny pieces of it mixed in with things like rice or pasta, because I don't like just eating a chunk of meat--like, I never eat chicken breasts or steak or anything like that--and when I eat veggies, they are usually mixed in with things, too (like a stir-fry).

I made an exception on Thursday, though, when I cooked a version of chicken parmesan--a chicken breast with homemade marinara, parmesan cheese, and mozzarella cheese. And a side of Brussels sprouts sautéed in coconut oil. I really liked the marinara and cheese, but I had a hard time eating the chicken. I just cut it into really small bites. As you can see, I loaded on extra sauce to mix with the chicken! haha

Yesterday, I made chili without beans, and it was REALLY good. The house smelled amazing, and it felt like a food I would make on a typical day, and not just for this two-week CI test. I added cheese, sour cream, and avocado.

Today, I'm going to make Mahi-Mahi. I used to make a really good pretzel-crusted Mahi-Mahi but today we'll see what it tastes like without the pretzels, haha.

Yesterday, I had absolutely ZERO energy. Which was unfortunate, because I also had a MAF run scheduled: 12 minute warm-up, then 30 minutes at a heart rate of <133 12="" bpm="" cool="" down.="" dressed="" energy="" even="" for="" get="" hard="" it="" minute="" muster="" p="" run.="" so="" the="" then="" to="" was="">
I decided to do it outside. Since I knew I was going to be doing a lot of walking, it would be a pain to constantly have to increase and decrease the speed of the treadmill so frequently. I think I'll have to do that for a while, until I'm able to jog the whole time without walking (other than walking during the warm-up and cool down).

Thankfully, it wasn't nearly as cold as Wednesday's MAF test. The "run" went pretty much the same, though... I walked for the warm-up, slowly building my speed until I hit 12:00 minutes; then I started jogging as slowly as I possibly could, in order to maximize the time I was jogging before my heart rate hit 133 bpm. The second my Garmin beeped that my heart rate hit 134 bpm, I slowed to a walk. Repeated this for 30 minutes. Then I walked slower and slower for 12 minutes as a cool down.

One thing that I noticed when I was "running" was that I was able to jog for longer periods of time between walks. On Wednesday, it was roughly 30 seconds of jogging; yesterday, I had several jogging segments that were over one minute. As far as my pace, however, the average pace for Wednesday's run segment (not counting the warm-up and cool down) was 16:05. Yesterday, it was 16:07. I think I was just jogging slower so that I could go farther before walking.

The average time I spent during each jogging segment for the MAF test on Wednesday was 30 seconds. Yesterday, the average was 48 seconds (I only counted the first 30 minutes of Wednesday's because yesterday's was only 30 minutes long total). Wednesday, I had to walk 29 times, where yesterday, I had to walk 20 times.

This may not mean anything yet, but it's the kind of data I want to look at while I keep moving forward. I can't wait for the day that I can jog the entire thing without any walk breaks!

I'm aware this post sounds completely whiny because I'm not loving this two-week CI test so far. The MAF "running" is great! But the CI test... ugh. I'm going to stick it out just to see the results of this experiment, but I really hope I can at least feel more tolerant of it soon!

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MAF Carbohydrate Intolerance Test (and explanation): Day 1

Like I mentioned in yesterday's post, I decided to try a drastic dietary test to see if certain foods are causing random symptoms I've developed in the last few years. I spent October, November, and December running at a MAF (maximum aerobic function) heart rate, a formula that was developed by Dr. Philip Maffetone as a program to build your aerobic system for endurance training.

There is a whole lot of science around it, and I've been reading his book "The Big Book of Endurance Training and Racing" (Amazon affiliate link). I was never interested in the nutrition aspect of the MAF method, because I've always held my belief that moderation and variety is the best way for me to eat.

Like everyone, I know that eating a healthier diet is going to be better than eating junk food; but I wasn't willing to give up junk food. I'm still not willing to give it up entirely! However, I am willing to be open-minded enough to see if cutting way back on it makes me feel better and gives me more endurance when running.

Getting back into running, as well as reading his book (which I only started because I had questions about the MAF training that I wanted to find answers for), made me think a bit about his two-week test for carbohydrate intolerance.

Now, as soon as I hear the word "carbs" as far as dieting goes, I immediately feel cynical. I think that giving up carbs just isn't sustainable (at least for me) and I don't think it's healthy to cut them out. I think it's best to have a variety of foods in moderation. This is why I never paid attention to his ideas on nutrition, because after hearing about "carbohydrate intolerance" I assumed it was like any other low-carb plan. Maybe it's great for some people, but definitely not something I was interested in.

When I read about the two-week test, however, and the reasons for doing it, I was much more open-minded. I can certainly try something for two weeks. And the reason for it is NOT for weight loss, but to test how well your body burns fats versus carbohydrates (I'll write more about this below) and to see what foods agree best with your body and give you the best results for health and training.

The two-week test is very strict about carbs; but after that, you gradually add them back in, taking note on how they make you feel. The other purpose is to make your body sensitive to carbs so that it learns to burn more fat for fuel (something that is important in endurance training--running, in my case).

I'll try not to get TOO detailed, but the gist is that endurance training uses the aerobic system, which prefers to burn fat for fuel because it lasts a long time (and our bodies, even very fit ones, have enough stored fat to get us through long endurance races). If our bodies burn primarily fat, rather than sugar/carbs, then we can endure a sport much longer. (There isn't nearly as much glycogen, or stored sugar, as there is fat.)

The carbohydrate intolerance test is a way of seeing just how much your body relies on sugar versus fat to get through any sort of exercise or daily living. If you don't really see results from the two-week test, then it's likely you're already burning primarily fat. But if you see a drastic change as your body uses the fat for fuel (because you're not supplying it with more sugar/carbs all day), then it's likely that your body is used to using sugar for fuel.

I have a strong feeing that I am part of the latter group because I eat a lot of carbs. So, my body is burning carbs all day long for fuel. To be a better runner, and be more fit, I want my body to be able to rely on burning fat so that I can run longer with more ease.

Hopefully that makes sense! If you don't want to read the whole book, I'd at least check out Dr. Maffetone's website, where you can read more about the gist of it. (I linked to a few helpful pages of his site at the bottom of this post)

An example that helped me understand it better is when you think of "the wall" in a marathon--when a lot of runners just sort of crash around miles 18-22. I assumed it was just a normal right of passage for any marathoner. But from what I read in the book, the reason is because they are used to burning mostly carbs for fuel (and using simple carbs like gels to keep replacing the carbs they are burning).

At some point (usually around miles 18-22), the sugar reserves (called glycogen, and stored in the muscles and liver) are just depleted. If the body isn't used to burning fat for fuel, then it can cause a big crash--the dreaded wall. If your body is used to burning fat for fuel, then you shouldn't hit the wall; you have plenty of stored fat to get you through a marathon.

So, for me, this two-week test will hopefully help me to see what happens when I don't fuel my body with carbs and force it to rely on fat.

And since I'm expecting that my body primarily runs on carbs, in order to build up my endurance (aerobic system) in the most efficient way, I need to teach my body to burn more fat for fuel. There are several ways to do this, and nutrition is the most important one. Like I said, I can start adding back carbs after the two-week test, but I have to add them one at a time (each day) and keep in tune with my body as to how it reacts. I don't want to cause an inflammation response or to stress my body (the stress causes all sorts of problems as well).

I had a major lightbulb moment when I read about this, especially regarding overtraining and how stressful it is on your body. Overtraining can be super easy to do--running easy runs too hard (higher than MAF heart rate) or doing too much speed work, or just not letting your body recover from workouts--can cause serious stress.

When I trained for my 10K, I trained super hard for six months, and I ran the best race time I've ever had. Training very hard definitely works... temporarily. After that 10K, though, it's like my body totally crashed. I was burnt out from training, I gained 30 or so pounds very quickly, I developed depression that lasted 10 months, I developed chronic pain out of nowhere, and I just did not feel good at all.

While I was certainly doing well with running my easy runs at an easy pace (I used a heart rate monitor and did my MAF heart rate), and keeping my speed work to 20% of training, I was fueling my body with primarily carbs. So, my body was able to get through my workouts with no problem--I had lots of glycogen at the ready. However, there is no way I could run a marathon or even half marathon like that, because I would run out of fuel and crash (despite being super fit).

I suspect that all the problems I had after my 10K were related to the stress that the training had on my body. If I had truly focused on building my endurance the correct way (including nutrition), then perhaps I wouldn't have felt so terrible afterward.

When I start to add back carbs after the two-week test, there is a particular way to do it, which Dr. Maffetone describes, so that I'll continue to teach my body to burn fat for fuel and to develop my aerobic system by way of the MAF method.

I've written about it several times, but the MAF (maximum aerobic function) method is a way of building your endurance. You run with a heart rate monitor, keeping your heart rate under your personal MAF rate (there is a survey you can take on the MAF website and app to tell you your rate, which depends on a number of factors).

The way it works is that you train without ever going over your MAF rate (at least for several months), which may mean that you have to go SUPER slow or even walk for a while. Over time, though, you'll be able to run faster at that same heart rate. So, as you continue to train, your heart rate is always going to stay at MAF--but you will develop your aerobic system to be so efficient that you can easily run at a faster pace and it won't feel any harder than the first (very slow) workout. (During a marathon, you run--if I remember correctly--15 bpm over MAF. So, it'll only feel slightly harder than an easy pace, but you should never hit the wall and you should run a good race.)

As far as how long it takes to get to that point, it depends on how good your endurance is now. If your heart rate gets high really quickly, then you've got a lot of work ahead. MOST people, from reading all the comments from people who have done it, start out much slower than they want. It's frustrating to run so much slower than you're used to (or what you think you can, or should, be running). It feels like you're not doing any good for your body to go so slow!

So anyways, that's the explanation of the two-week test for carbohydrate intolerance and the MAF training. Since my next race goal isn't until May of 2021 (which I wrote about in yesterday's post), I have a long time to work on this method and see if it actually works! And unlike times in the past, I have the patience to do what it takes--even if it means walking most of my "runs" as I build endurance.

Once a month, you take a MAF run test to see if there is any improvement. I did my first one yesterday. After filling out the surveys, I was given 133 bpm as my MAF heart rate (which is a full 13 bpm lower than what I've been doing or the last three months!). I've been running slowly at 146 bpm, so I knew that dropping it to 133 bpm was going to mean that I'd be adding in walking.

I really don't like that I have to take 10 bpm off of the 180 formula (180 minus your age) for the simple fact that I take daily medication (for bipolar). But that's what the guidelines say, so I'm am putting faith in it for now.

My MAF test was to be as follows: 12 minute warm-up, where you gradually bring your heart rate up to MAF (he really stresses how important the warm-up and cool down are... something I never used to do). Then run two miles in the MAF range (123-133 bpm for me). Then a 12-minute cool down.

Jerry is doing this with me, so the two of us went to the local high school track yesterday morning. I chose the track because Dr. Maffetone suggests picking a consistent route (flat) that you can use for each test. A track is perfect for that.

It was FREEZING outside, and I definitely underdressed. I also didn't realize it would be so windy! Since I was going to keep my heart rate under 133 bpm, I knew I wasn't going to get much warmer. But I toughed it out. Jerry's test was slightly different from mine (he had to run one mile at his rate--141 bpm), so we didn't run side-by-side; just on the same track.

I started with a slow walk, and gradually picked it up over the 12 minute warm-up. My plan was to jog as slowly as possible (in order to run longer before having to walk) and then as soon as my heart rate hit 133 bpm, walk slowly until it dropped to 128 bpm. Then jog again. Over and over for the two miles of the test. Then for the cool down, do less and less jogging to get my heart rate back down slowly.

I completed the test without problems. I just had NO idea how much walking I'd have to do or how slow my "run" was going to have to be for two miles. (The goal is for my two-mile time to be faster at the same heart rate in a month.)

Here is what it looked like:

Warm-up: 12:00 minutes, 19:14/mile average pace, HR 121 average bpm
Two mile time: 32:11 minutes
Two mile average pace: 16:05/mi
Two mile average HR: 130 bpm
Cool down: 12:00 minutes, 17:17/mile average pace, HR 124 average bpm

As you can see, all those little spikes are the run/walk/run/walk to keep from going over 133 bpm.

I actually wasn't upset by these results at all. In the past, I would have pouted about how slow I had to go, that I had to walk, and then I'd just quit--saying it's ridiculous. But right now, I have lots of patience, and I truly am curious how all of this will play out. Maybe the training will work, maybe it won't... but it'll be interesting to give it a try.

I was only able to "run" for about 20-30 seconds at a time before my heart rate would reach 133 bpm. Then I'd walk for about 20 seconds or so until my heart rate was lower then 128 bpm. Then I'd jog again. Ideally, I'd keep my heart rate at 133 (or just under) for the entire two miles, but when walking/running, it's nearly impossible to keep a steady heart rate.

Once I'm able to jog the entire two miles without going over 133 bpm, then I'll hopefully be able to keep it steady. I suppose I could walk very fast (with no jogging) to keep my heart rate steady, but I was so desperate to warm up and the jogging actually felt better on my feet than the walking.

I wore my Altras, and because I was going to be jogging so slowly, I thought it'd be the perfect time to work on landing on the middle/balls of my feet instead of my heels. I learned what this felt like when I ran barefoot in the grass at cross country practice. When you run barefoot, you'll notice it's nearly impossible to land on your heels!

Based on these MAF results, my goal for February 1st is to see a faster two-mile time than 32:11. I'm looking forward to trying it! For now, I will run every other day: 12 minute warm-up, 30 minutes at MAF (133 bpm), 12 minute cool down.

Now as far as the nutrition part of yesterday--it was Day 1 of the carbohydrate intolerance test (Jerry is doing this with me as well). I was VERY surprised that I wasn't hungry all day. Carbs are my favorite foods, and I was sure I was going to starve without them. But Dr. Maffetone says to eat a lot of the approved foods during the test, because if you try to cut calories, it will stress your body.

We woke up late yesterday morning, after having a late night on New Year's Eve. We are supposed to eat within one hour of waking, so I got to work prepping veggies for scrambled eggs. I sliced mushrooms and chopped onions and green peppers. Then I scrambled some eggs (three for each of us) with the veggies and added some feta cheese, and that was breakfast.

I wasn't at all hungry for lunch since we ate breakfast at 10:00. For dinner, I had taco meat that I'd prepped the day before (ground sirloin with homemade taco seasoning) with lettuce, tomato, cheese, avocado, and sour cream. It was super filling.

For a snack later, I had some pistachios (in the shell, so that it would take me longer to eat them--otherwise, I could eat them by the handful!).

Notes about how I felt yesterday:

- I felt semi-full after breakfast (not stuffed, but certainly satisfied). Having breakfast and then running shortly after didn't cause any stomach upset.

- I felt fine during the run (other than being freezing)

- About an hour later, I had a headache. And it lasted ALL. DAY. LONG. I woke up this morning and I still have a headache.

- At around 2:00 pm, I completely crashed in energy. My whole body felt so sluggish! We went to the Apple store at the mall to get Eli's phone looked at, and walking around the mall felt so difficult. I just wanted to sit.

- I was very surprised at how easy it felt to get through the day without caving in and eating some sort of sugar or carbs. I wasn't tempted by the cookies at the mall or when the kids had some Christmas cookies at home. I don't think this is due to the diet, however; I think it's more to do with my determination to finish out the two weeks. When I get determined, I feel like nothing is going to stop me.

- Even though my body felt very tired, I wasn't ready to go to sleep until nearly 1:00 AM. I played a game with the kids, wrote in my journal, watched a show with Jerry, and just didn't feel sleepy. My body was tired but my mind wasn't.

- I woke up at 6:00 this morning and my head was hurting so badly I didn't want to try to sleep anymore. So, I didn't get much sleep last night.

- I ate the same breakfast (at 6:30 AM today) as I did yesterday. It's now 2:30 PM, and I'm still not hungry. We are going to have an early dinner, though, because Eli has his first lesson with the baseball coach tonight. For dinner, I plan to make chicken with homemade marinara and mozzarella/parmesan cheese. And sauteéd Brussels sprouts to go with it.

- So far, I'm surprised to say, I don't hate this! (I could never do it forever, but I think I can handle it for two weeks)

Hopefully my updates won't be so long from now on. I just wanted to explain the whole two-week carbohydrate intolerance test before getting into the explanation of my first day.

Some links to Dr. Maffetone's website that explain things better than I can:

Two-Week Test (Nutrition/Diet) Explanation (There are at least a trillion comments, which someone who works for Dr. Maffetone replies to--I spent a lot of time reading them, and they were super helpful!)
MAF Training Explanations (this is the most beneficial read)
Aerobic Training Guidelines
Quick Explanation of the MAF Method Overall

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