I'm not a seasoned runner by any stretch but I am a girl who loves to run so I've researched the fat loss vs running fast debate. The consensus seems to be that you should focus on fat loss only during a base building period when your intensity isn't high. However, if you're training hard and for a
PR then in order to have optimal performance, eating at maintenance is necessary.
It seems like we can't have our cake and eat it too. It's either fat loss or train to run faster.