re: MAF Training for Runners?

From what I've been reading about MAF is that it's a guide for people looking to lose weight with running as its exercise mechanism. The 220 minus your age with an extra step is there to make sure that beginners using this form of exercise don't get too overzealous.

He's got a little "triangle of blame" for lack of better term which is primarily food, stress, exercise in that order of importance with his method. "are you not improving?" is the question for runners that plateau with this method. The MAF answer is: check your diet. Good? Check your stress. Good? Okay, now you can do a farlek workout or two.

Here's the main takeaway and the most important part IMO. MAF is a diet, not a training plan. Maffetone is not a running coach, he is using running as the fitness part of his diet.

I don't think he is misrepresenting himself, but I do think that many runners misinterpret what he's selling.

Most of your training runs should be aerobic, that's not new, that's been a staple in running training and fitness that has existed since the beginning.

Those that have been running as long as you have, stand to gain little as far as this training goes. That is unless you are following this plan as a diet and have no improvement goals beyond running base miles. Maffetone method will not improve an experienced runner's times in my opinion and experience.