
“I want to say one very important thing which is that, we are in this for fun, we are in this to be happy. There is nothing greater than being healthy and fit… to see that we are now able to run at a faster pace at the same level of intensity / heart rate, we are generating more power, what a happy feeling that is.” – Dr. Phil Maffetone
In this new episode of The Extramilest Show (#39), we welcome back Dr. Phil Maffetone. Many listeners to the podcast are already familiar with his work. He is a recognized researcher, coach and clinician in the area of food and nutrition, exercise, sports medicine and biofeedback. He is also the author of more than 20 books, including the first on heart rate monitor training in the early 1980’s.
We discuss changes, challenges and uncertainty for most runners in 2020, 2021 and beyond. We also dive into people who have made a big impact on our lives and development, among other things:
- the new MAF foundations course by Dr Maffetone and team
- mindful running and flow state.
- setting PR’s in your 40’s and beyond.
- working from a strong aerobic foundation.
- MAF training, considering age and health.
- flexibility, mobility and stretching.
- Dr. Phil Maffetone’s books, writing, collaborations and available resources.
Hope you enjoy this conversation with Dr. Phil Maffetone!
Enter for a chance to win 1 of 3 of the Pyrenees hooded running shirts by PATH projects. This is my favorite running shirt for fall, winter and cold spring morning runs with a GPS watch slot, hand warmers and a snorkel hood. The most comfortable running shirt you would never want to take off.
3 lucky winners will win and you can enter at PATHprojects.com/flo
What was your favorite quote or takeaway from this episode? I would love to hear from you in the comments in the comments on YouTube.
Watch this full interview on YouTube.
Listen to the conversation on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher or your other favorite podcast platform.
- Stream by clicking here
- Download as an MP3 by right-clicking here and choosing “save as.”
- Watch the video on YouTube
Links and tools mentioned:
- MAF Foundations (e-learning course)
- The MAF 180 formula
- Dr. Phil Maffetone – website
- The Big Book of Endurance Training and Racing, by Dr. Phil Maffetone
- The Big Book of Health and Fitness, by Dr. Phil Maffetone
- Paper on MAF: Dr. Phil Maffetone and Prof. Paul Laurson
- Daily Dad / Ryan Holiday
- Cal Newport / Digital Minimalism, Deep Work
- Tim Ferriss / The 4-Hour Work Week
- Exercise Physiology, by William McArdle (book)
- Medical Physiology, by Vernon B Mountcastle (book)
- Tim Noakes / The Noakes Foundation
- Tim Noakes, studies in heart disease and marathon runners
- George Sheehan
- Dr. Dan Plews, Prof. Paul Laurson
Show notes:
- The relationship between stress and aerobic running pace. Stress as a limiter to fat burning, reducing pace and power. How do we adjust our training accordingly? How can we limit stress? [04:34]
- Mindful running. What is a flow state? Biofeedback via heart rate monitoring, in terms of stress. [11:23]
- Heart rate monitoring, power meters and additional monitoring, across sports. Cardiac Drift, aerobic fatigue and environmental stress factors. [17:59]
- Mixing high-intensity training with MAF training is great, to an extent. If you want to improve aerobically as an endurance athlete, then you have to limit anaerobic training. Negative effects of over-training are evident in gait and posture. [25:00]
- Recovery from high-intensity workouts is quicker with a strong aerobic foundation. The process of aerobic development is personal. Training fast to race fast doesn’t work. [31:14]
- MAF Foundations course for trainers and for beginner to advanced athletes. [33:54]
- MAF works for everyone, Dr. Phil Maffetone has seen it work for horses. [41:01]
- MAF training related to age and health. What changes as we age and how do we individualize our diet, for example, to match our needs? [46:43]
- Hitting an aerobic peak and setting PR’s in your 40’s and beyond. Racing in different age groups. [51:16]
- Mobility and flexibility. A great aerobic system improves flexibility. When stretching can increase the risk for injury. The power of the warm-up. [57:29]
- Acknowledgements. Floris and Dr. Phil Maffetone talk about people who have helped and influenced them. [01:03:05]
- Dr. Phil Maffetone talks about his books and available resources. [01:11:30]
- Closing thoughts. We’re in this for fun, we’re in this to be happy. [01:13:33]
You can find me, Floris Gierman, here:
- Strava
- YouTube
- My Training Course – The Marathon PR Program
- Weekly newsletter with Running Tips and Racing Strategies
- Podcast
- Facebook (Extramilest Group)