I'm using MIke Pigg's PC Coach Triathlon Bundle (based on Dr. Maf), but I've only used it 2 months, so no comment ... I just don't have the experience.

But, here is a link to a thread that discusses your very topic, with some interesting comments from Mark Allen on HR Training and Dr. maf (specifically). There are also a lot of input from others on the subject. Enjoy.

http://www.slowtwitch.com/...search_string;#70161

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-- Every morning brings opportunity;
Each evening offers judgement. --

In 1997 I used the "Maffetone Method" in preperation for Ironman Canada.

It worked.

As a pretty decent age group MOP'er who had a history of chronic illness (Epstein-Barr disease) in the previous two years his training and dietary methods made sense. I employed them with a high degree of attention to detail and kept meticulous written logs and used my heart rate monitor and stayed in the prescribed "zones" religiously. I made charts of resting heart rates, aerobic duration, etc, etc. I had a very good race (for me) at Ironman Canada coming in at about 10:47 something. Most importantly, the race felt pretty easy and was fun the whole way.

My training has been slightly more "traditional" the past 25 weeks in preperation of IMNZ in four weeks. In retrospect, I wish I had more time to do the "Maffetone" thing again, at least in the base phase.

It worked for me. I have no idea how my current training will work for me until 7:00 AM New Zealand time on March 6th. Wish me luck, and you too.

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

Sorry Gutdoc for asking Tom D. a question in the middle of your thread, but Tom, being that I am from Florida I have to ask this, how are you getting in the bike training for IMNZ while you live in the great white north? Seems it would be pretty hard. Good luck in your race.

Gutdoc - follow the link in the post above, some very good stuff posted.

Damn right is works. If you are new to the sport and have patience, if you follow it for 5 years or so, you will make progress every year and also be uninjured and healthy and get faster and faster at lower and lower heart rates. But you have to have patience as one can get tired of not being able to "hammer" for all but 8 weeks or so in an entire year. The payoff through is huge in the long run. Personally, I've been doing this stuff for 20 year. Spent the first 6 - 8 years hammering, and getting faster, but a unhealthy and injured. Spent the last 14 years doing a combination of the Maffetone method and other more traditional one. Usually, I use the Maffetone approach for an entire year, and just race for speedwork. Then the following year, I go with a traditional approach and get good results on much less training leveraging my previous year of Maffetone "base like" training. All that being said, I can't follow his diet recommendations in general and I also like weight training ~ 10 months a year, something he claims is not required, but I've been a bit of a gym rat all my life so for me, weights is just fun !

I always had a good deal of success using the MAf methods but the only time it really seemed to put me out of reach of most competitors was when I finally got a great deal of speed work (10 hard running weeks during Officer Candidate School USMC). I always used races as speed work doing two-three races a month for five months for about five years.

I spent the better part of six months going slow before OCS(but never really that long- at the most ten miles) kept my HR below the 180 formula number and progressed as such:

Check in PFT 3 mile- 18:20, four weeks later- 17:30, five weeks later 16:52.

Think I could have held on for a few more weeks and gone faster but I had torn an ab muscle right before the second run and took a month off to heal up. Since then I have never gotten an oppourtunity to do the same type of progression but would love to get some of those times back, hovering around 18 right now.

I figured out speed work does lead to injuries, but it was worth it.

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"Nobody gets out of here alive."