MAF training break

by Arun
(London)

Hi

I have been doing MAF training for close to 9 months of base building. My HR was 137 and started at around 9.45/km and progressed to around 8.10/km. However had to take a break for a couple of months due to a minor health issue. Have started training again. Should i start afresh with Base building for 3+ months or can i incorporate some speed sessions (say once a month) to see some improvement?

Have been running for around 11 years now with a couple of marathons and few halfs under my belt. My pace prior to MAF training was between 6.00 - 6.15/km. Will i be able to hit my earlier pace or go better using MAF?

Nicole's reply:
Hi Arun, thanks for the question. It seems like you had progressed really well with you MAF training and there is no reason why you shouldn't be able to get back to your previous pace.

I would say that if you have had some health issues then start back in with MAF minus 5 (possibly even minus 10 depending on your health issues). Always better to start slower if you are not sure.

I would suggest that you do 3 months of base training again especially since you've had some time off but do regular MAF tests to see how you are progressing. After the 3 months and if all is going well, then you could add the beats back in.

As for when to add in speed work, it should only be when your MAF pace stagnates or you've seen steady improvement over a solid base building period. When to add speedwork.
I hope that helps.