Trail Runner Nation
EP 752: Train Slow, Race Fast and Train Your Brain: Maffetone Returns
1h 17m
Dr. Phil Maffetone returns to revisit the MAF Method—training by low heart rate (≈180 minus age)—with Don sharing how it saved his a 100-mile race. Phil explains why most endurance performance is aerobic and how building that system (plus cleaning up diet) beats “no-pain-no-gain.” The episode pivots to his new brain-health research: refined carbs and excess body fat can impair the brain, but the good news is the brain is highly resilient and improves quickly when you remove junk sugars and eat healthy fats. Practical takeaways include using a heart-rate monitor to measure progress, prioritizing diet alongside training, and adding brain-boosters like aerobic exercise, novelty/music, meditation, deep breathing, and even cold exposure. Phil shares daily habits (his “fat-burning coffee,” eggs, veggies) and the famous Mark Allen story to show how speed rises at the same heart rate as fitness improves. Throughout, the crew keeps it playful—touching on music, comedy, and even AI—while reinforcing one theme: train smarter, feed your brain, and you’ll run better.
- Here is the LINK to the Brain Training research paper we talked about.
- Here is the Human Error article
- Link to Dr. Phil's music
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