So, you are ready to start your training, but you don’t know how to gauge if you are taking it too easy or pushing too hard. You’ve heard runners talk about pace, heart rate, and RPE but what does it all mean? Do I use all three at the same time, do I just pick one, do I use them in different settings? It can be confusing, and you will also see a difference in what is commonly used on trails differ from what is used on roads. We will break down each of them so you can figure out what might be best for you in the season you are in.
Different ways to train:
- RPE (rate of perceived exertion)
- Heart Rate
- Pace
RPE
A person’s rate of perceived exertion is the measurement of how physically and mentally difficult an individual feels an activity is. To measure this subjective method of assessing one’s physical exertion or pain level we use the rate of perceived exertion scale. This scale was created in the 1960s by Dr. Gunnar Borg, a Swedish psychologist. Dr. Borg created two RPE scales: the 6-20 scale and the CR10 Scale. The most commonly used is the CR10 Scale because it is perceived as more intuitive. The Borg CR10 scale ranges from 0-10, with 0 being no exertion (at rest) and 10 being the maximal level of intensity. See the chart below provided by UESCA.
RPE can be used for both trail and road running and what I would recommend most people to use. However, for trail running and especially ultra trail running it is the preferred method of training. Why is this the recommended method to use for trail running? As you know, trail running has many variables that include surface change, elevation changes, temperature swings, more likelihood for fatigue, etc. When using RPE it can give you a real-time assessment of how you are feeling in the moment, and you can adjust as you go along.
One can also easily relate different types of runs (ex. recovery, endurance, tempo, intervals, etc) to a number on the scale, your breathing rate and talking ability. Which makes it specific to your current fitness level and capabilities which means you should be doing the run as prescribed to you and you alone. You just need to become one with your body to understand what each number on the RPE scale feels like to you. It will take some time and practice but after a while it will be easy to slide into the effort you need.
Heart Rate
Heart rate has been the standard in measuring, assessing, and prescribing training and intensity since the 1970’s when heart rate monitors started to become more accessible. Today’s heart rate is broken into five zones to figure out the effort to your maximum heart rate. To understand heart rate training you will first need to calculate your max heart rate which the common formula, however very generic, is 220 – your age = max heart rate. You then take the percentage of max heart rate for each of the five zones and times it by your max heart rate to get the “zone” for that level of intensity. With each zone it will have the percent of max heart rate zone, word description of type of intensity level, and the type of run that normally falls into that zone. There is another more detailed formula that also takes into account your resting heart rate as well, which is called the Karvonen formula. That formula is ([maximum heart rate – resting heart rate] x % intensity) + resting heart rate = training zone. I would recommend using the Karvonen formula, so it is directed more to you personally that the generic “someone your age.”
However, there are many pitfalls to using heart rate outside of a controlled lab setting which is where the concept of heart rate training first started. One of the biggest pitfalls is how we get the heart rate data. Most of us are only wearing wrist-based heart rate monitors that are part of our running watches. The technology used to collect this data has been found to be directional at best. If you want a more reliable reading it is recommended to wear a cheat strap to get your heart rate data. The next pitfall is that many things can impact your heart rate on that day and on that run which include core temperature, caffeine or other stimulants, excitation/nervousness, hydration, elevation, fatigue, sleep, and cardiac drift.
My recommendation is to use heart rate as a data point but not as your main focus for how you train and how you do your runs. From the above it is easy to either be going too slow or too fast IF you rely on heart rate alone.
Pace
When training at pace you are always targeting a certain speed during your runs. Since our watches tell us a pace per mile, we will often convert the given speed to a pace per mile. It makes it much easier to understand and execute in the real world. When you hear people talk about pace, they normally call out easy, tempo, or interval as the main difference between the types of runs you may do. Although easy in concept if you don’t know how to figure out what your realistic pace is with your current fitness you can easily have yourself trying to reach unrealistic paces or taking it too easy and not pushing yourself hard enough. There are a few different pace calculators you can find on the internet to help you figure out your pace ranges for each run type. Most normally have you do a 1-mile time trail run to be able to place you into the correct ranges.
Using pace is excellent for road running and track. But it is almost useless for trail running. There are so many changes consistently with trail running that trying to hold the same pace can become frustrating and at times impossible. It can be semi done if the trails you are running are more like crushed rock, don’t have tons for rocks and roots, don’t have constant vert changes, etc. This is why I would never recommend a goal pace time for anyone on trails. Instead, we recommend total time on trail and how far you get it how far you get. But back to road and track this can be a great way to progress training and set goals. I would still recommend using it alongside RPE because every day is different.
So now the question is what is right for you based on your fitness, your goals, and type of running. You could use all three depending on the type of run you are doing but it is best to have one be your standard, so it is easier to benchmark progress in your training. All have their pros and cons. Try them all out and see what works for you best.
Want to learn more about being out on the trail? That’s where I come in. Let me help you understand the ins and outs of getting out on the trail in nature. I want to take all the knowledge and experiences I have had and share them with you so you can hit the trail with more confidence. Ready for whatever comes around the next turn. I would be honored to be your Trail Coach. We can go anywhere from city parks to state parks to national parks to blm land to national forests and everywhere in between. If there is some amazing nature to be seen, we can do it together one adventure at a time.
Get my Trail Checklist now to make sure you are prepared to head outdoors. This list is a great starting point and has my top items for both hiking and trail running.
https://shop.fabandfitwithrj.com/trailchecklist
Follow me on Instagram at @fabandfitwithrj for more education, motivation, and inspiration.
Until the next trail…
Coach RJ
References:
Pittman, C. (2023, October 23). Should You Train By Heart Rate or RPE? https://www.trailrunnermag.com/training/should-you-train-by-heart-rate-or-rpe/
Koop, J. (2024). UESCA Ultrarunning Coaches Course. UESCA.
Cleveland Clinic . (2023, December 12). Heart Rate Zones Explained. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/exercise-heart-rate-zones-explained
Photo Credit:
Photo by Leah Newhouse: https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-looking-at-the-map-3935702/
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