Maximum Aerobic Speed (MAS) Training

Maximum aerobic speed (MAS) training is designed to improve your aerobic capacity (VO2 max) and the duration you can maintain this speed. This is your foundation for endurance running and will help you improve your performance. When considering running, maximum aerobic speed is the highest speed you can run at while still using oxygen to produce energy. An increase in intensity (running speed) will have an increase in the demand of oxygen. At a certain point the body will no longer be able to utilise oxygen and the volume of oxygen will start to plateau, even if there is an increase in the intensity. This point is called your VO2 max or your aerobic capacity and the MAS is the speed at which this happens. Your MAS is normally represented in the speed of minutes per second (m/sec). One way to estimate your MAS is by doing a 2km time trial and then working out the speed at which you did it. For example, if you did the 2km in 8mins you would divide (2000m / 8mins) / 60 = 4.17m/sec Then demanding on how many seconds the interval is you would times this by your MAS. For example, if you were doing 15sec intervals you would time 4.17 x 15 = 62.5m This means would measure out 62.5m and try to run this in 15sec intervals. If you are not very good at mass I have put a link to a MAS calculator that will do the mass for you. The program aims to progressively increase the intensity and volume of the MAS training.