How do you know when all of your training is paying off? Are you currently trying to measure and track your fitness? What adjustments should you make to your training based on what you’ve done, how you feel, and what your goals are?

If you’re like most triathletes, you probably try to gauge your fitness off of some indicators such as the total time for your local 4 mile run loop, or your average speed on the bike during a group ride. Or you may simply say to yourself, “Wow, that hill finally felt easy today!” On the other hand, you might conclude, “Oh phooey, my legs just didn’t have the goods today. I guess five margaritas and a night of dancing do not a fast time trial make!” Although time and pace yield quantitative results for comparison, they do not tell the complete story of an athlete’s progress. For example, how would you feel about a run time that was only 8 seconds faster than last week (when it was rainy with a 20mph headwind) but you just got 3 hours of sleep because you had to prepare for an important presentation at a conference in France? There are many variables to consider when comparing the results of two fitness tests: duration and intensity of recent workouts, weather, stress levels, sleep quality, resting heart rate, and nutrition to name just a few. So how do you conduct a fitness test that allows for apples-to-apples comparisons that can truly inform your training plan?

One of the best and easiest fitness tests you can do is called a “Maximum Aerobic Function” test, or MAF test for short. All you really need is a heart rate monitor that displays your current HR; no other special functions are necessary. The key word here is aerobic. A MAF test is NOT the same as a maximum heart rate test (which is widely considered to be a painful experience to be done only once or twice per year.) The idea behind a MAF test is quite simple: the athlete swims, bikes, or runs over a measured course at precisely their aerobic threshold HR (approximately 80% of their maximum HR.) If all is going well with your training, you will demonstrate genuine fitness improvements through faster times at the same HR compared to a previous test. Or to put it another way, as your fitness level improves, you get to go that much faster before your heart muscle hits your aerobic threshold. This approach reveals real progress in developing efficiency in your cardiovascular system and your endurance level.

The PTS Fitness Testing Series will host a running MAF test once per month dates and time to be announced. You could easily substitute this workout for a moderate to fast run in your training plan that is about 30-45 minutes long. Coach Matt will guide you through all aspects of the workout and will record all of the relevant data. At the conclusion of each test, there will be time for individual consultations where you can discuss your results, make comparisons to your previous data sets, or seek advice about upcoming training. This workout is always very informative and can be a huge confidence booster. Hope to see you there!