What does the Maffetone Method mean to you?

The concept of low heart rate training was introduced to me in 2003 by a good friend of mine. He recommended that I consider using low heart rate training to train for my ultra-marathons. I did some research on the topic and found various methods. The one that stood out the most to me was the Maffetone method. Throughout the years my application of the method and understanding have evolved. In this blog post I'm going to outline how I started with the method and how it has evolved over the years. Ultimately my hope is to help readers think about what this method means to them and how to personally adapt it to their needs.

Specific information on the Maffetone method can be found at philmaffetone.com and also in The Big Book of Endurance Training and Racing. I don't like calling it a training method or plan. Instead, it is a very holistic approach to lifestyle and training. Nobody will do it the same way, and everyone will have a different journey. By understanding the overall principles, one can constantly learn and adapt while at the same time staying healthy.

The Maffetone method has several different components. There is the 180 formula to measure heart rate, eating whole and unprocessed foods, managing stress, getting good sleep, and recovering from training. Most importantly, I believe that the core of this method is learning about yourself and being mindful of all the components every day. There are many reasons why I say that nobody does this method the same way and that it is highly adaptable to each individual. The 180 formula will have a different effect on each person. We all enjoy and eat different foods. Some of us like being carnivore, some Paleo, others vegan, others Mediterranean, and others agnostic. Our life stress is different from each other. We require different amounts of sleep. We recover differently. Therefore, it is important to be mindful about yourself when taking on this method and lifestyle. Many people who start this method misunderstand the components and view it as very “cookie-cutter,” however I will cover this issue in a separate article. For now, I will focus on my journey and how it has changed over the years, and perhaps this will give readers insight as to how they will approach this method and apply it to their lives in the coming years and decades.

When I first started using low heart rate training in 2003 or 2004 (I don't remember exactly when) I already had a pretty good idea about recovery, as I always took several days off per week. Historically, I have always gotten good sleep so that was not an issue. My focus was the 180 formula. At first, I ran most of my runs using 180 minus my age, with some fudging here and there I’m sure. I improved very quickly when I was consistent with the formula, attaining a personal best of 7:03 per mile in 2006, a year that saw my best half marathon and 10 mile race. I previously mentioned consistency. I was not always consistent with the formula. I did not enjoy wearing a chest strap, and I liked the freedom of just running by feel. However, in the next several years I had some very mediocre results in my ultra-marathons. I had a lot of runs where my energy crashed badly and I was very sore afterward. My performance started to decline. I wasn't looking at long term improvement. In 2010 I became much more consistent and made sure that most of my runs were at an easy pace. I became more aware of nutrition and hydration during training. This resulted in some very good performances in the next several years, including my fastest 50 mile race in 2013.

By 2014, my son had graduated from college and was working. My daughter was heading to college. Suddenly I had a lot more time to train. I made big plans to do tough challenges. I started running more, strength training more, and rock climbing more. In August of that year, I fell while rock climbing and injured my left ankle. I did not run for six weeks, and this ended up being the only injury I have ever had that took me out of running. I never lost sight of my goals, however, but I knew that I needed to make some changes. I knew that I was doing well with the Maffetone method. I was much more consistent with the heart rate training and making sure that I focused a lot of energy on aerobic base building. But I felt that something was missing. Once my ankle healed and I was able to run, I made the decision to make some changes. First of all, I eliminated soda from my diet. I had been drinking high sugar soda for many years. I knew that it was unhealthy, but I was addicted. In the months after I found that I was losing body fat and ended up losing 7 pounds. I didn't even realize I had 7 pounds that I could lose. The next year, I focused on eating more whole and unprocessed foods. I started to read more about how food affects us and how incredibly detrimental and endemic processed foods are in our diets. Many of the foods I considered ‘healthy’ were actually processed junk food (think lowfat energy bars, pita chips, and so on). Over the course of the next several years leading to the present day, I have cut down tremendously on processed sugar, bread, cereal, pasta, and anything else that may contain processed junk. For me, however, it is not an all or nothing approach. When I go to a birthday party, I will eat the birthday cake. I have an occasional donut or ice cream. When somebody makes chocolate chip cookies, I will have one or two. I enjoy an occasional beer or margarita. But these processed foods are no longer a large part of what I eat, and my body feels better for it. I run with no injuries, I sleep incredibly well, and I feel like there is no limit to what I can do. Even though at the writing of this post I am 53 years old, I feel like some of my best running and greatest challenges are ahead of me.

All of these changes I have made since 2003 were done gradually. I did a lot of experimentation, and the way I do the method now is far different than when I first started. Over time, I have become more conscious of all the aspects of the Maffetone method and how they affect me. I no longer run every single run at 180 minus my age. I take it day by day. I pay attention to how I feel. I pay attention to where my mind is. I think about how I slept and what I ate and any stress that I have going on in my life. I don't fixate on constantly trying to improve, because I know that every year there will be an ebb and flow. I know that in the summer I will slow down a lot, so I don't look at what I was doing in the winter and spring because it no longer matters. If I do a hard race like an ultra-marathon, I know that when I recover, I will be much slower and that I will need to start over again. I have learned not to compare so much and that there will be several times every year when I'm starting over, and that's fine.

The method has evolved into a complete lifestyle that just comes naturally. But it is not stagnant or fixed. Every year is different, and I approach training differently depending on where I am at physically and emotionally. I try not to be dogmatic about any aspect of training. I try to keep an open mind to change and try different things. Sometimes they work out, and sometimes they don't. I have experimented with foods, with methods of dealing with stress, and sleep schedules. I have tried different shoes, clothing, and gear. I try different fueling strategies and pacing strategies. I don't compare myself with who I was the previous year or the year before that or when I was 35. Those are all great memories, but the only important thing is how I feel right now. That is what’s great about the Maffetone method. It is always changing and adapting to your lifestyle. It may seem complicated, but I always say “don’t overthink things.” Keep it simple and make changes gradually. Adapt and always be open-minded. A podcaster who I enjoy listening to once said “Don’t be dogmatic. Do what works.” And I very sincerely believe that.

Happy training!