Thoughts of Dog is the main reason I am on Twitter. I adore this dog, his every tweet is a gem, but this one in particular really fired up my running self. Now every morning, after my special old-goat-made coffee, I put on my running clothes and think “Ready your tippy taps, today has potential”. What better running slogan could you wish for?
And talking of tippy taps, my modus operandi at the moment is to stick to slow running, concentrating on my tippy taps. Are my feet landing midsole? Are my footsteps teeny and quick? Do my feet land under my hips? Am I running tall and relaxed, leaning ever so slightly forward? I pick one or two to focus on for each run, or run through all four in my mind as I go.
I find one can’t concentrate on form when doing speed work, or even when the pace is too fast on a long run because as you fatigue, you lose form. So I have gone back to proper Maffetone style running which incorporates loads of walking to keep my heart rate where it should be.
The theory behind Dr Maffetone’s method is that before you move onto speed work you need to build a strong aerobic base. This allows you to run longer, stronger and with minimal injuries, if any. Step one is to find your MAF pace. Easy – take 180 and minus your age, so for me 180 – 60 = 120. This is the heart rate that I must work at. At first it is extremely and frustratingly slow with frequent walk breaks to bring the heart rate down. The theory is that the longer you work on it, the faster the pace you will be able to hold at that same heart rate. In other words you will be building a much stronger engine and chassis. Read more about Dr Maffetone here .
In the past I have tried building a base at my MAF pace but I have always cheated, allowing myself extra beats (at least 10 😀) above my 180 minus age. I then end up in that grey zone where I am training neither the aerobic system nor the anaerobic system. This time I have checked my ego at the door and as soon as that heart rate is over 120 I walk.
The beauty of this method is that absolutely everyone can do it, however unfit or whatever your age. So come on peeps, READY THOSE TIPPY TAPS. TODAY HAS POTENTIAL!
Thank you @dog_feelings for making twitter great – I hope you don’t mind me sharing this on my blog!