More of less or less of more?

[Sid]

Actually, aren't we in daylight savings right now?

Quite right, I should have written fall back to standard time.

But in the winter I'll definitely be running in the afternoon, when it's warmest for BFR.

I'd suppose that would be best in Minnesota. I haven't been on this forum long enough to see what people do during the winter, particularly in the northern states. I'd imagine that they get creative.

 

[Jaybird]

... I haven't been on this forum long enough to see what people do during the winter, particularly in the northern states. I'd imagine that they get creative.

Try in vain to stay warm, I've been to Minnesota in the winter and OMG its COLD!!

 

[Bare Lee]

I'd suppose that would be best in Minnesota. I haven't been on this forum long enough to see what people do during the winter, particularly in the northern states. I'd imagine that they get creative.

Well, even in January, the average high here is 19F (-7C), and I can run BF in that on smooth, dry asphalt with no wind, so that means on half the days during the coldest month I'm still OK, but it's not the most comfortable. Add in a rougher surface and/or moisture and/or wind, and my tolerance can be considerably less. Last winter was the first winter I ran the whole thing barefoot, with just a handful of times where I needed my Moc3s, but last winter was extremely mild.

As I like to say when people (including myself) complain about the winter here, it's really just two months out of the year--January and February--that really suck. Up to New Year's Day the snow is novel and beautiful, and then in March it starts to get warm again, although March can be the snowiest month, and very slushy. If the right job opportunity came along, I would love to move to somewhere warmer with mountains . . .

 

[Bare Lee]

Well, within just a month or two of beginning hill repeats and fartleks, I got my pace over five miles down from 10mm to 9:30mm. I think my anti Maff method is working, but it'll be interesting to see if the pace improvement continues at the same pace or if it will slow down after some quick immediate adaptations to a new stimulus. It would be great if I could buzz along at 8mm pace over 5-6 miles sometime soon. I think I might then feel like a real runner.

 

[Lomad]

pfft....plodder.

 

[Barefoot TJ]

I know who Phil is, and I know he has his own method many people are following, but what is the Anti-Maff Method? And would you care to start a new thread about it if there isn't one already? I think that would be an interesting one.

 

[NickW]

Oh TJ you're opening a whole can of worms with telling BL to create an Anti-Maf thread! Lol! A lot of people will be upset to see that on here. Kind of like we should all eat paleo too.

 

[Bare Lee]

pfft....plodder.

Plodder > jogger > runner
------------me=now

 

[Barefoot TJ]

I figured as much, but we love controversy, right?

 

[Bare Lee]

I know who Phil is, and I know he has his own method many people are following, but what is the Anti-Maff Method? And would you care to start a new thread about it if there isn't one already? I think that would be an interesting one.

I think that thread is kind of this thread.

Basically the idea is to build up speed within shorter distances and with hills and fartleks or intervals, and then once I've achieved a certain desirable pace within that base distance, which for me right now is 5-6 miles, begin to add distance. It's not really anti-Maff in the sense that I think he's wrong, but rather anti- in the sense that I'm doing the opposite, training at just below or close to max heart rate a good deal of the time. On a three times a week schedule, I'm doing one day hill repeats -- 4-5 miles, fartleks -- 4-5 miles, and steady pace (currently 9:30mm) 5-6 miles. Eventually I'd like to get the steady pace run up to 8 miles or so at 8:00mm pace, and then see where it goes from there.

 

[Bare Lee]

I figured as much, but we love controversy, right?

After the invisible shoes & callus commentaries, I've issued a self-moratorium on all controversial statements that could be construed as having serious intent for the time being.

 

[NickW]

After the invisible shoes & callus commentaries, I've issued a self-moratorium on all controversial statements that could be construed as having serious intent for the time being.

I don't blame you. I seem to be that guy usually. Especially when it comes to Maf training...

 

[Bare Lee]

I guess we're part of the calloused, anti-Maff, pro-stretching crowd, the black sheep of the barefoot-barefoot community. I'm gonna get me a leather jacket and learn how to curl my lip.

 

[DNEchris]

I guess we're part of the calloused, anti-Maff, pro-stretching crowd, the black sheep of the barefoot-barefoot community. I'm gonna get me a leather jacket and learn how to curl my lip.

Then you'll be changing your screen name to Dean - we'll let you decide if you're channeling James or Moriarty

 

[Hawkbilly]

I guess we're part of the calloused, anti-Maff, pro-stretching crowd, the black sheep of the barefoot-barefoot community. I'm gonna get me a leather jacket and learn how to curl my lip.

Definition of "rebel" ==> Failure to conform to the non-conformists.

 

[Bare Lee]

Then you'll be changing your screen name to Dean - we'll let you decide if you're channeling James or Moriarty

I'll have to go with Mr. Cassady on this one.

 

[Bare Lee]

. Kind of like we should all eat paleo too.

Lemme get this straight: you're not Paleo?
How about Ancestral?
Or Primal?

 

[skedaddle]

Hill repeats worked for me better than anything else, hills and core strength exercises. Also remember not everything is about being stronger, although it helps, sometimes running smarter can be more conducive to faster times.

 

[Bare Lee]

Hill repeats worked for me better than anything else, hills and core strength exercises. Also remember not everything is about being stronger, although it helps, sometimes running smarter can be more conducive to faster times.

Thanks for the feedback Skedaddle. If you have time, please elaborate on what you mean by running smarter.

 

[skedaddle]

A whole bunch of things can effect your performance on any given day besides how fit you are. Weather conditions, the terrain, how well you've warmed up, your capacity to relax under greater stress, learning to pace yourself and adapt as conditions change, your ability to run your own race and not be influenced by those around you.
So if you enter a race do your homework first, check out the terrain, look at the weather forcast, make sure your diet is tried and tested. If you look after all the small details then youll be able to set a realistic target for yourself on race day, running with confidence is a huge advantage and a smarter way to run.
What you should be looking for is an average speed over time not a rigid time per mile and even then you need to be flexible depending on the conditions.