Reddit mentions of The Big Book of Endurance Training and Racing

Maffetone's formula is predicated on fact that (unlike maximum heart) the aerobic threshold doesn't vary much in the general population. Has he published any of his data to back this up?

Maf suggest I should run at 150 (180 - 30.) During a race I was able to run at an HR average of 198bpm for 51:55. I have a hard time believing I was able to sustain almost 40bpm above my aerobic threshold for nearly an hour. I typically train at 165bpm which puts me on the slow side of Jack Daniel's VDOT paces.

If his formula is accurate for some people, I'm sure there would be anecdotal success stories but personally I'd like to know if his recommendations would be ill-suited for a subset of the population. Do you know if I can find his data in his book or elsewhere?

3-4 times per week, 3-5 hours each, 55-75% of MHR.

Avoid "chronic cardio" where you are over 75% of MHR for extended periods of time, as it causes inflammation, oxidiation and faster aging.

Sources:

Mark Sisson, former 2:18 world class marathon runner

Phil Maffetone, coach of the year and trainer of six time Ironman Champion, Mark Allen

His book

You can use the Maffetone formula and a HR monitor to figure out your target zone, and then do all of your running in that zone. Running as hard as you can all the time is a good way to plateau, as you're going to be doing a lot more anaerobic work. According to Maffetone, you'll have more consistent progress if you keep in that aerobic base-building zone on pretty much all runs, and you'll still eventually become a pretty quick runner.

For more: this is a pretty useful resource, especially for a relative novice runner.