you're going to get grilled over following the MAF method on this board but i've had some success with it. eventually you will plateau on doing just aerobic work as per phil which means you're ready for an anaerobic phase of training. shouldn't last more than 6 weeks and not more than 10% of overall volume. then you can go back to your aerobic trng. hope this helps.

It sounds to me like you are just doing great and have come a long way.

I would suggest mixing in some higher HR, say 155 to 160, running one or two days a week for a while. Then you will probably break through a plateau and be able to go back to aerobic training at a faster pace.

You didn't mention your current weight. If you are still heavy, that will limit you big time.

This process is slow and discouraging, especially when you are old like me. I have been chipping away for five years now. I am almost at the level I figured I would be after five weeks, so things are looking great.

"you're going to get grilled over following the MAF method on this board"

This coming from someone who is coached by a reputable high ranking AG who supports LSD training;-)

No offense, but it sounds like you are not training your lungs. VO2Max is key, esp for shorter, harder efforts. You need to run at VO2Max threshold in order to increase your VO2Max. There is a strong correlation between VO2Max and performance, less so for marathon/IM/Ultra distances.

I have at least 1 run a week where I run hard (tempo, hills, intervals, 5k race, whatever suits me that week). I would suggest you ditch the HRM and go run hard(ish) for 30min. Then next week, do it for 40min. By hard(ish) I mean hard enough that you cannot talk while running (need... to... breathe...) but that you can finish the run at the same sustained pace. For me, that's either my leg&lung busting 9k hill run or a 22min 5k (which is fast for me). I don;t even bother with the HRM for those runs. I wore it once for a 5k race, and scared the crap out of myself. So I don't bother with HRMs for those VO2Max efforts. If you just have to wear it, I believe you want to be running around 95% of HRR (HR reserve) for those runs.

first of all, i was, was coached by a top ager (past tense). and he does not advocate just lsd. have you read his book? man, there's a alot of z4 work (a full 10% of total volume but usually 3-4X/wk) training for im. phil wouid not be happy.

Hey AP - how'd your race go?

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patience.... based on my personal improvement, another year or so to get to 8:00 min/mile

commitment.... another 30 lbs or so off will make a huge difference

consistency.... run 4x a week minimum if you're not already. I found upping my frequency to 5 runs per week made a huge difference from 3x a week even though the overall run time wasn't that much more. Run a 3 mile TT on a track every 6 six weeks to plot improvement.

time... work on core strength if not already. this really helps to hold good form on long runs.

13+ to 9:30. That's a huge improvement. You can expect it to get harder and harder to make gains as you get faster.

How long does it take to train that heart?

For an older person who has been inactive, with no athletic background and put on some weight - it takes years. You have pointed out the key things:

- Patience

- Commitment

- Consistancy

Stick with it. There are no secrets, really. Maffetone is a good place to start, but I would suggest not being a complete slave to his principals.

Fleck

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

Well, since it wasn't *really* a race, I took it easy and it went well. 3min off my 1500m swim time, that's a good start. Took the bike very easy, very conservatively. I really noticed the lack of power in my aerobars, esp. coming North on Marine (and wwe had a headwind too - ugh). I'm getting fit for Profile Jammer GTs tomorrow at LaB (thank god). Came off the bike passing OLY distance runners ;-) that always feels good. 5h15. Run was a few K short, swim was 500m short, bike was about 5k short. So it was fast for me (I am queen slowpoke). Should be able to kick 6hrs no problem in August, might have to tighten up my goal time (hee hee).

Great weather day too.