Endurance Planet

Fist of all, I love all of your insight and efforts to look into the literature regarding the questions on strength training. I am a physical therapist and specialize in treating endurance athletes and spend much of my “free time” nerding out by reading articles specifically on this topic so I can best direct treatment and injury prevention programs. The question on episode 283 RE: body weight vs loaded strength sparked and interest because this is a topic that I have changed viewpoint in the past few years. usually, I am a fan of higher load, lower rep exercises that specifically target the muscle/tendon/joint of interest (calf, quad, glute, ham). Of course, this means the loading is much less “functional” but does elicit actual tissue adaptation and general load resilience. Since it seems like you guys get a lot of questions regarding injury prevention and strength training, I though you might appreciate this podcast with Dr. Rich Willy. He is one of the leading experts in the field of running injury prevention and rehabilitation, and happens to live here in Missoula (yep, I’m in Missoula and was stoked to hear that you came through here last year and met Julie and that she is now a part of your show!). He has become a wealth of knowledge for me and has spoken on may other podcasts. I think this interview provides a nice, simple summary that you may be able to pass along to your athletes or use in future questions. Also, I loved Lucho’s contribution about importance of lower leg strength…often so under appreciated. Ok, I apologize for the rambling, but this stuff is my true passion, so I could go on about it all day.

Now for my question: I am a runner, but over the years have dealt with enough of my own injuries (mostly due to relative overtraining and under fueling…getting a handle on that and love the episodes that discuss this btw) that I mountain and road bike just as much. At the moment, I am running healthily and training for several races this summer — a few 30k’s, 14 mile trail race, and maybe a 50miler. I tend to stay away from shorter races because I have a serious problem with operating for very long at high intensities. I have gotten a HR monitor and wear it quite often. My max HR is about 163bpm, and my LTHR is about 149-151. My FTP wattage on the bike is 192 and this correlates with the LTHR mentioned above. My resting HR is about 40bpm. Ok, so my issue is, I feel like i don’t have a lot of wiggle room between my LTHR of 150ish and completely maxing out at 160. Does this seem normal to you? I also find it interesting that my MAF HR should be around 148 (I’m 32), but this is way to hard for me to sustain for a 3 hour run. I have given up on that and followed Lucho’s advice to think more as training in Zone 1-2.  I do believe that I tend to train too much in a zone 3/4/5 and rarely train in the 1-2 range, so I have been working on that (125-135bpm), but, I do continue to incorporate 1 day/week of high intensity work (hill repeats, tempo, 800s). My question is: 1) would you suggest focusing more on tempo runs in the 150bpm range on terrain that mimics the race (hilly), or shorter efforts pushing into my max HR with more complete recovery if my goal is to be more competitive in a 3-5 hour trail race but also be able to hang onto the front group when someone attacks in a bike race? As I write this, I’m thinking that I may not be able to get the best of both worlds, but would love any insight you have on the matter.

I have been running as an adult for about a year and half now focusing on half marathon. My last race (road) was early March and my next one is my first full marathon (trail) in November—getting married in June and maintain fitness until I start my marathon training program when I am back from my honeymoon in July.

Right before my last race I got my first Garmin and am new to watching heart rate. One of the episodes I listened to, there was concern about an athlete running 12% in V4. Looking at my last race, I was 95% in V5 or 1:33. I have been looking st each of my runs and I live in V3-5 for everyone of them. Looking at easy hikes I will hit up V3 but spend most of the time in V2. Watching my Garmin today, it looked like my lowest heart rate was 36… I am questioning how accurate my watch is. If it is accurate, what does this mean for me? If it is not, what should I do? How important is it to watch my heart rate? Not sure if this is helpful regarding my heart question but my Garmin indicates my VO2 Max is 49.

Other useful info: I am 29, female, 5.5 feet, 130lb and healthy body fat range.

I cross train 3-6 times per week and run 3 times per week. Cross training includes rock climbing, circuit training, Olympic weightlifting, and mountain biking. I also walk my dogs, walk to get places, and go hiking regularly.

My goals are:

1) To not get injured

2) Run the distance and climb the feet for my first full (5000 ft trail marathon—North Face Endurance Challenge in Marin Headlands)

3) Run a Boston Qualifier time at some point—first opportunity early March 2020

4) Run a 5:30 mile

I’m an avid listener and so enjoy your podcasts.

Quick backstory on myself:

37YO female that lives in the glorious PNW.

Grew up an avid swimmer and cyclist, picked up running in college.

Played football in college (quarterback and free safety) for a women’s team. When I comment more on this, my husband calls me “Uncle Ricky.”  

Post-college I got into tris (sprint and Olympic distances).

About five years ago, I got into CrossFit and LOVED the competitive nature of it, and for five years have gained a lot of strength, but my running has suffered (just gotten a lot slower, which is frustrating).

I recently got into IM70.3. While training for them, I still did CF 4-5 times per week.  Mostly because I’m competitive and I didn’t want my gym friends to be stronger than me. Haha.  But…Now that I’ve completed two 70.3, I want to be a bit more competitive in them. This fall, i made the hard decision to leave my CrossFit gym to concentrate more on running (my weakest leg in IM).

I’ve ran the better part of 1/2 my life, but never with a lot of structure or strategy.

For three months, I’ve been trying to put into practice a lot that I’ve learned from y’all. My week now consists of shorter runs (3-4miles 3+ times per week) followed by simple strength WODs, 8×400 once per week, and then a tempo run (6 miles) and long run (8-10miles depending on how I feel).

My pace per mile has dropped 1 min (was running at a 9:30 pace, now under 8:30) for my tempo runs.

I love that improvement and it confirms my decision to leave my CF gym.

Two questions that I have regarding all that I’ve learned from listening (and I know I still have a lot to learn, so If anything in my description above sounds off, LMK!):

1) when doing strength wods, is it okay to up the intensity (like I would for CF?)? Or is it better to keep it at a lower intensity and more reps. Does upping my intensity on these shorter wods give more risk to injury in running?

2) my left ankle is constantly giving me problems. I’ve learned that I need to “floss the nerves” in my ankle often to prevent this. Am I the only one that struggles a lot with this? Is it from running? Any advice? I wear Altra shoes and try never to wear high heels. Is the increase in pain due to the more miles I’m running (or the fact I’m getting older?)?

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Topics discussed:

I am doing Ironman Lake Placid in July, as you know the bike course ends with an 11-mile uphill.  On one loop there is about 2700′ of elevation gain.

My training route is 43-miles https://www.strava.com/routes/17451916 with about 3000′ of gain but I live at the bottom notthe top.  It is a low traffic route so it is great for training. I can do it twice and refuel at home.  The big climb is at mile 10-15 with a hard steep climb at mile 35.

I did this route last year for another full distance https://www.strava.com/routes/17451977 that also had 3,000 of elevation per loop but it ended down not up.  I felt good on the bike. The goal was slow and steady and that is what I did (time 7 hours, 14:30 total, The next day I felt tired from going to bed late but I did not feel beat up.  I even did another full 4 weeks later just for the experience).

My question for IMLP is do I need to practice more on ending with a long climb?  Or is just the overall elevation per training loop good enough?

Extra question – to improve my bike times should I do lots of climbing in Zwift or should I focus on speed since I am a slow and steady slowpoke?

My first year in triathlon, I opted for a bodyweight strength training routine instead of free weights and had reasonable success; however, I returned to weights a while back with no significant drawbacks. If my fitness goals are general health focused (as opposed to competing at any particularly advanced level), is bodyweight strength training adequate/comparable? (e.g. does it have the same benefits for cognitive function later in life; building bone density; etc.?)

Separately, are there any good cardio alternatives to running that don’t require a gym and aren’t cycling or swimming? (Had surgery for hallux limitus a few months back and have been advised not to run, lest I accelerate the arthritis).

My name is Josh, I’m a stay-at-home dad and an indoor cycle instructor in Chattanooga, TN.  I’m married with a 14 yr/old step-son, 7 yr/old daughter, and 3 yr/old twin girls. I’ll be 33 in April, I’m 5’10”, and weigh 160-165lbs.  I just found your podcast a couple weeks ago and I’m completely addicted, bingeing my way back in time listening to them in the car (currently on ATC 256).

First question: Why all the talk about weight lifting?  I’ve read Pete Pftzinger’s Advanced Marathoning a couple of times and I’m currently reading (1/4 through) Dr. Maffetone’s Big Book of Endurance Training.  Not sure why I haven’t read Daniels yet, but that’s definitely next on my list. Both books mention strength training, but mostly gloss over it. Maffetone seems to mostly discourage it.  I’ve never really lifted legs, and it makes sense to me that carrying around extra the bulk associated with weight lifting could be a detriment. I used to rep 225 on the bench and be able to bust out 25 perfect form pull-ups.  I’m now down to repping 185 and can probably still bust out 17 pull-ups. I’m completely ok with the loss in upper body muscle mass. I somewhat regularly (at least twice a week) go anaerobic on the bike and while running, so won’t that build any of the muscle I need?

Second (and MAIN) question:

Given the plethora of detail below and my constraints, what constructive criticism and guidance can you provide for me in training for my first full Ironman?

We’re back with episode 5 of Holistic Performance Nutrition featuring Tawnee and Julie McCloskey, a certified holistic nutrition coach who runs wildandwell.fit. On this show we take another dive into the topic of amenorrhea and female athletes, with Tawnee and Julie offering new advice that we’ve not yet shared on the show yet.

I am a huge fan of your podcast and have listened to nearly every one. I know you’ve addressed this topic before but I am a female triathlete with large goals in the sport. I currently podium in my age group at nearly every 70.3 distance I participate in but have hopes to turn professional in the next few years. A year ago I began working with a nutritionist as I was gaining body fat and weight even though training had increased and my diet hadn’t changed. It was really frustrating but after working with nutritionist I quickly saw results and lost 25lbs over the course of a few months. Just for reference, I am 25 years old, 5’6” and currently sit around 125lbs although was probably closer to 119lbs at the end of the 2018 season. If you haven’t guessed where this question is going here it is, I lost my period in July and it still hasn’t returned (as of March 2019). Along with that, I have noticed a significant dip in my sex-drive. In fact I would say it’s nearly absent. My partner is also a triathlete and we both notice fluctuations in sex drive but mine seems to be steadily low if not none which I know frustrates him sometimes let alone myself. My period has always been fickle even as a youth and before endurance sports were a part of my life. Beginning March last year, I have tracked my calories and macros daily and have been very diligent in making sure I nail the numbers my nutritionist has given me based on hours of exercise per day aligned with consumption. In recent weeks, I have let go of the tracking a little bit and focused on eating more carbs and protein and not restricting even when I feel like maybe I should. I am averaging 12-15 hours of training per week right now but body weight hasn’t fluctuated much in a while. Any tips on boosting sex drive and getting the period back without putting on additional pounds or body fat %? Is this nutrition based? When should I be worried? I would guess my current body fat is around 15%. I had blood work done recently to check a number of things including Sex hormone which was in normal range (globulin- 21 and testosterone-12) and Cortisol 13.2 (blood test was taken at 4:30pm). I’ve listened to the Stacy Sims podcast on here multiple times and I still don’t know what else could be causing me to lose period and have no sex drive. Any help or advice would be SO appreciated.

Hi guys (from Scotland).

As you can tell from the subject title I have a few things to consider but Ill give you some background first.

I am 47 (48 in 2 weeks!) years old, married with 3 teenage boys and in full-time work. Oh, and I play the bagpipes (I’m sure you’ve discussed piping on the pod before so just thought I would chuck that in there).

I began running when I was about 40 with the whole family joining a local running club.

Since then I have progressed from cross country, dabbled in a few road races (but hate the standard 5k’s and 10k’s), half marathon, marathon, triathlon and now mainly ultras. My marathon PB was 3:06 2 years ago, I managed a top-ten finish in a hilly 38miler last October (5:33) and a 3rd place finish in a night-time lapped course completing 42.7miles (6:29).

I began MAF training 5 months ago mainly using an undulating road from my front door that does involve a couple of hills but I can keep track of my pace running it regularly. I have done 2 MAF tests (HR 133) on track showing improvements and getting to 8:58 pace. Not at an ideal time of day or week, though (Friday evening after a full week’s work so I know I can perform faster at that HR).

I have a “good for age” entry for London marathon this year and was planning to head for sub 3 but have now scratched that in favour of a 53-mile ultra the day before.

The first race this year (I have a few) is a 50km mix between trail and tarmac on March 30th, relatively flat and I would like to be coming in under the 4 hours.

Since the beginning of January I have started to introduce some faster sessions, back with my local club, once/week. They involve a mix of hill reps, fartlek and tempo runs on road. There is a track session, too but I’m not doing those just now.

On my regular MAF 6-10 miler route I did a threshold test a few days ago and came out with a lactate threshold of 175 at a pace of 6:26min/mile.

What I’m wondering is how best to use this info in my training for the flat-ish 50k?

I’m thinking: dump the club sessions just now, train mostly MAF with at least one tempo or even threshold run each week, building up my tempo runs to maybe 15miles. I think I want to look at maintaining a 7:30 pace over the 50k.

I’m managing to get out 5-6 times/week.

I know I should also be doing some strength training, I even have the kettle bells, but don’t get round to it regularly.

I actually entered for this race late in the day after a friend suggested it, now I want to race it! Ultimate goal this year comes in September with the Transalpine Run over 8 days.

I have service connected PTSD which makes the MAF method difficult as it’s often next to impossible to control my stress levels. It seems to me that running is associated with the “fight or flight” response and that’s one of many reasons why running’s such a taxing activity. Does the MAF method work by de-training the “fight or flight” response associated with running and control stress levels by taking an activity that is stressful, i.e. running, and retraining the person’s response to it so it’s no longer a stressful act? I’m wondering if that is a true hypothesis and if Dr. Phil has ever done any studies on his method and how it affects persons with PTSD?

My question, shockingly, is about MAF (not math, but also kind of math). Back in November, I decided to give exclusive MAF training a shot in preparation for a May marathon. For context, I had just come off a cycling heavy training season following TrainerRoad training plans, which are very heavy on the intensity.

My first MAF test had me at a 9 minute mile. For the next three months I ran 6-7 hours per week, all at MAF, with one day of cycling, also at MAF, and “microdosing” with strength training and yoga. I felt great. I really enjoyed running at the relaxed pace. But here’s the thing: my paces gradually got slower and slower. By the beginning of February, I had gone from 9min/mile to 10:45. No other symptoms. Eating well, feeling great, just getting slower!

So finally I abandoned exclusive MAF and started an 80/20 approach, following a Matt Fitzgerald marathon plan. My zone 2 happens to coincide with my MAF pace, so all it meant was sprinkling in some intensity. Almost immediately, my paces plummeted back down. I have only been doing the 80/20 training for three weeks, and my MAF pace is already down to about 8:45, two minutes faster than it was three weeks ago. WTMAF??

I am wondering if I am an unusual case, or if a lot of people do need intensity to keep the aerobic system thriving.  Am I missing something? I seem to be getting great results with this 80/20 thing, so I will be sticking with it for now.

I hope that this question can bring some insights to other listeners. Thanks again!

P.s. I know that MAF stands for  maximum aerobic function. Are we supposed to believe it’s just a happy accident that it is the first three letters of a certain someone’s last name? In the countless interviews I have heard with him, I have never heard that acknowledged!

I found the Endurance Planet podcast just about a year ago and fell in love with it, especially the Ask The Coaches episodes.  I had a quick question that isn’t really for one of the episodes but more for my own curiosity. Lucho has been talking about the track sprints he has been concentrating on and I would like to transition for a year from endurance events to the shorter (100m and 200m) track events.  Where do you find these events? I know of 10 different sites to find endurance events but the only one I’ve found so far for adult track is the USATF.org calendar which doesn’t have much on it. If you have some links to shoot out I would greatly appreciate it. I’m in the Cleveland, OH area and would travel around the great lakes region to find events.

We are joined by two rockstars of the endurance sports community, Jess & BJ Gumkowski, who are the triathlon & lifestyle coaching team of YogiTriathlete. Jess & BJ are experts in all types of endurance disciplines (from ultra to Ironman) as well as mindfulness and meditation for athletes. They host the YogiTriathlete podcast, as well as host monthly retreats for athletes in San Diego, which entail a 3-day immersion into the “awake and ready life,” and are co-creators of the m21 revolution online mediation and mindfulness community.

Today they join Tawnee on this episode of Endurance Planet to talk about how to ride the high vibe:

I’m a runner making the transition into being a triathlete, and I spent most of last year training for my first full Ironman (Wisconsin). I had the run portion under control from years of half and full marathons, and my high school swim team days paid off by bringing my stroke back pretty quickly, but the bike was another story. I’d never really biked besides to get from point A to point B before Ironman training, and I was doing solid mileage on my point-A-to-point-B road bike, but I was struggling to improve. A friend let me try his super nice tri bike three months before my race so I could try aero position and see how a lighter bike felt, but I was so distracted trying to figure out my positioning and balance and stuff that I ended up losing control and broke my arm in a human vs. pavement collision.

All things considered, I was super lucky. It was a clean olecranon process fracture (basically sheared the head off my ulna), a surgeon stuck a plate in my arm, and Ironman Wisconsin gave me an injury deferral for a year. I healed fast and got back to running, then indoor biking, then swimming as cleared by my doctor, and just got the plate taken out in January. I’m already running, swimming, and indoor biking again, but I am terrified of getting cleared to bike outside (which should happen in a few weeks). Any time I even think about it, I just start replaying the seconds leading up to the crash in my head — realizing I’d lost control, realizing I was going over and it was unrecoverable, and the minute after impact where I just laid there on the (thankfully empty) street thinking, “Shit, I’m hurt.”

My questions:

How do I get over this fear and get myself back to biking outside? I’ve gotten hurt in sports before and have never had this sort of mental block with getting back into it. I’m worried that the 6+ months I’ve been forced to take off outdoor biking has given me too much time to build up my accident into something worse than it was, but I’m also worried that if I get on a bike nervous and jumpy, I’ll be more likely to get hurt than before.

Should I even bother trying to convert to aero position/a nicer bike, or just stick with what I know? I’ve got a half-Iron in June (Steelhead) and then the full in September, and it’s not like I’m trying to do super well in either — I’ve got goal times, sure, but I’m mostly doing this to get the experience and see if I catch the triathlon bug. I’m leaning towards just using my trusted road bike (Diamondback Airen — it’s nothing fancy, but it’s solid), but I totally see the merit in a lighter bike/having the option to shift body positions every now and then, too.

I’m a 29 year old female, I live in Michigan (crappy winters and roads full of potholes), and I train solo (without a coach or group), if any of that impacts your answers.

I don’t get it, when I increase my effort and push harder in swimming to make certain intervals or test my speed, I end up going even slower than when I’m not thinking about speed at all. What gives? Does this mean my technique is falling apart? What can I do to fix this?

Also some background: I only started swimming as an adult when I took up triathlon. I’m a 45 y/ male. Training for Olympics and 70.3s. Swimming is my weak leg, and I generally swim 2-3x a week for about an hour.

Greetings from Norwich, UK! I have a question about training and tapering for a 50k with a marathon thrown in a month beforehand for good measure. Im racing a flat trail 50k (my first ultra) along the Norfolk and Suffolk border on 26th May and have a trail marathon on the 28th April. This will be my third marathon and my second on trails. My road PR is 3:15 and my trail PR is 3:43. I want to enjoy both races and am not going to worry about any scorching fast times, particularly with the 50k where I just want to savour the fact that I’m able to do it. My question is do I regard the marathon as a training run and continue to train right up to it and not taper and then begin the wind down to the 50k or should I include some sort of taper before the marathon, build back a couple of weeks afterwards and taper for the 50k after that? My gut feeling is that I should regard the marathon as my final longest training run and then taper but thought I should really check with the experts. Would I be better off in the long run (pun intended) tapering for both? Any advise would be very much appreciated.

Welcome to episode 4 of Holistic Performance Nutrition (HPN) with Julie McCloskey, registered holistic nutrition coach, and Tawnee, a certified sports nutritionist and holistic endurance coach.

I am a 31-year-old man from Norway. The last years I have been running and trained for trail-marathons. I started my running for about 5 years ago, with the goal to get in better shape, and lose some weight. I am 181cm high, and my weight is now about 67kg. The last year I switched my training to triathlon (half ironman distance), but I still have focus on keeping my running endurance because I still want to participate on a couple of marathons. I am training 7 days a week, about 10 hours. I do the most of my training in the morning (5 o clock) so I don’t lose too much time with my family. One of my biggest concerns, I am always hungry for food, but I feel that I am eating too much already. Do you have any advices on how I can eat to feel a little less hungry and still not increase my weight? Some days (1-3 times a month) I get so hungry so I am «over-eating» on greens and oats, typical on the evening. How can I avoid this?

A typical eating day for me is:

From my understanding the main benefit to a fasting run is to teach the body how to better utilize fat as an energy source due to the lack of available sugar/carbohydrates.  If we run after eating a breakfast with little to no carbohydrate would it have the same benefit since we would not be adding additional sugar to our system? (E.g. my typical breakfast is 4 eggs with butter and cheese with some bacon.). Would we help or hinder our fuel adaptation if we added a faster finish to a fasted or carb-depleted run?

I started the keto diet with a protein focus on New Year’s day. I am a mesomorph. I started off at 188 pounds and weighed in this morning at 179 (so almost 10 pounds in a month). I think I will continue for another month and start adding more carbs back into my diet. So, at 169 while I am in the heart of my Marathon training.

General questions about keto: 1) I am having regular diarrhea or loose stools.  Is this common and, if so, how can I fix it? 2) During my long Runs, I am bonking. Am I supposed to  take in some kind of carbs during these runs? Yesterday’s 17 miles wiped me out. Water only.

Thought you guys may have some fun with this one; and perhaps a little different than some of the other questions you get. Maybe. 35 year old single guy who loves a good endurance challenge (Ironman, Leadville, etc. à humble brag) I’d say I’m slightly better than average but can be put in my place by most at any moment from an athletic perspective.  Don’t really care much though, just out there to compete and play with my friends.

Staring down the barrel of another year of training and practice in prep for 70.3 at St. George and 140.6 Wisconsin.  I love it! It’s fun for me. The trouble is I am actively seeking a partner in crime. How the heck does someone find and maintain love when their favorite hobby includes getting up at 5 AM to ride bikes for 6 hours.  I’ve been on plenty of first dates where her eyes gloss over as you start talking about going to bed at 7:30 PM on a Saturday so you can get up after 10 hours of needed sleep to go make exercise. To be fair Ironman is easier than dating.  So why wound ’t I just Ironman.

I feel like you and the team may have some fun anecdotes and advice for me. I can’t imagine this is unique just to me? All right heading to the pool because that’s the normal thing to do at 4:45 AM on a Friday Morning. You guys rock!

I’m training for an April marathon and I’ve just started to build a better strength program into my training (moving from body weight to actual weights and lifting). I was wondering whether you had advice on how schedule my strength training?

I do a workout run, easy, workout, rest, long (Tuesday to Saturday) then another easy run Sunday and rest Monday pending how I feel.

I tried strength on an easy day, but the workout was really hard the next day – thoughts on how I overcome this (or should I suck it up because it will be hard for a while)?

Thank you for your great advice. I started the keto diet with a protein focus on New Year’s day. I realize that I left out some information from my last question.  I am a mesomorph (think Christian Bloomenfeldt without the talent). I started off at 188 pounds and weighed in this morning at 179 (so almost 10 pounds in a month). I think I will continue for another month and start adding more carbs back into my diet. So, at 169 while I am in the heart of my Marathon training.

Question about Resistance training: I am very muscular (even at 53). Can I keep my Resistance training down to one day? I am already doing core training, Plyometrics and jump rope (plus yoga on my recovery days).

Question about MAF: I started MAF back in October. I feel it was good for my off season but now that I am training for my Marathon I am doing MAF on non-quality days (e.g., when I am not doing Intervals, tempo and hill Repeats) and am doing 2/3 MAF and 1/3 Marathon goal pace on long runs. Trying to stick with an 80/20 formula. I know this isn’t true MAF but does this sound like a realistic training plan? Also, being from the Pacific Northwest, I am not able to get a lot of Quality outdoor runs right now. I do my MAF test on a treadmill in order to create the same run conditions every time (no undulations in elevation or changes in terrain). I feel comfortable with my hill repeats outside but not my intervals (tracks and roads are covered in snow and ice).

I am 51 and have been doing MAF for over a year, No recent injuries although in November or 2016 ( over 2 years ago) I tore my PF around the 9th or 10th mile of a half marathon in which I was on track to break my PR by over 5 minutes.

Currently my workout regimen includes: 2 runs/week–with each run being 10-13 miles. Sometimes a shorter distance if I am doing a high incline run but usually around 3-4 hours/week running; 2-3 swims/week ranging from 2500-3500 meters and 1 (occasionally 2) power ride spinning classes per week.  I use my swims as sort of a recovery day from my runs and rides and vice versa. I went to a 2 run/week regimen because I think I needed more recovery time. I will sometimes do a session on an elliptical rather than a 3rd swim, 2nd bike or 3rd run.

I am 5′ 10″ with a large frame and about 190.  I had gotten my weight down to around 170 on a keto type diet but fell off the wagon and had to stop running for a while after my PF tear. I recently started a No sugar no grain regimen and seem to be loosing weight (and much to my wife’s joy, seem to be a lot less flatulent) ;.).

My current goals are to start running 1/2 marathons again and perhaps entering a 1/2 iron man towards the end of this year.

My questions are:

1) Does max HR as measured by a stress test have any bearing on what my MAF should be?  A recent stress test had my max HR at 179 which is about 10 above predicted max HR according to 220-age formula.  I imagine (or would like to believe) that a higher than predicted HR is a sign of a lower physiological age. If this is so, should I be adding to my MAF based on my higher than predicted max HR?

2) While swimming, would I use the same HR for MAF or decrease it by some specific #.

3) When I do my next 1/2 marathon, what kind of HR should I shot for during the race?  10 beats above, 15? How can I predict expected finishing time for that distance with my MAF pace?

This is Part 2 of our interview with Brad Kearns, for Part 1 click here to listen. In this show, we pick back up on the testosterone conversation from Part 1 of the show.

Brad is the host of the Get Over Yourself podcast, professional speedgolfer, co-author to the Primal Endurance and Keto Reset Diet with Mark Sisson.

Enhancing testosterone naturally (summary):

Topics covered in our continued conversation: