How to Measure the Intensity of Your Runs

Leave your smartwatch at home for this one. In this article we’re learning about a technique that you can use to gauge the intensity of each one of your runs – and it doesn’t include any technology. This simple method can help you structure your training so that you have intense sessions followed by easy, recovery sessions (following the supercompensation principle), making it easier to plan your training.

This method is perfect for the runners that do not own a smart watch, heart rate monitor and/or don’t want to stop in the middle of their run to check their heart rate.

I’m talking about the Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE). The RPE scale is a widely used effort metric in sports and it is a simple and easy to use method of analysing an individual’s effort.
 
Using this technique may not be the best idea for absolute beginners, because it requires you to know and understand your bodies signs of fatigue. Usually, this only comes with time and experience.

Why use the RPE scale?
 
As you know, a 4:30 pace run can feel easy on one day and feel impossible just a week later! This change in performance can come from many things - work related stress, built up fatigue from overtraining, not having enough recovery time between sessions, stress from our daily lives, etc...
 
Scientific research has shown that stress has a real effect on our bodies, decreasing our performance and increasing rate of injury, therefore, it's important to listen to the body and train adequately.

That is why I choose to use the RPE scale with athletes. The RPE scale allows an athlete to train at the highest intensity it can tolerate on any given day. By using the RPE Scale, we know that the athlete is always giving his best effort and is not overtraining. 
 
For example, a 10km Tempo Run with a '9' RPE will always be executed to a high intensity by the athlete, no matter what pace he/she chooses, they will always be pushing their body to the highest effort on that particular day. However, a 4:20 10km Tempo Run might feel just-right on some days but on other it is too intense for the body, due to day-to-day stress, and by forcing our body to follow that pace, we might be causing harm instead of improving our performance.
 
Click here to read a recent study regarding the RPE scale and it's validity in sports.

So, What Is It?

Basically, the RPE scale is based on the feelings and sensations of physical stress a runners feels during activity. The scale goes from 1 (very easy effort) to 10 (incredibly hard effort). The RPE scale is usually applied to any cardiovascular activity but it can also be used to measure effort in resistance training.
 
To become for efficient at using the RPE scale, you need to do it consistently. Make sure you rate each one of your training sessions with an RPE rating! By doing this, you will quickly learn which training effort relates to which RPE reading and you will then become more efficient at using this method. The RPE scale is different for everybody, as mentioned above. A 4x800m @3:50 pace interval training session might be relatively easy (7 RPE) for an experienced athlete, but it may feel like hell for a novice (RPE 10)!

The following image can be used as a guide to how you should be feeling within each of the RPE ratings (click on the image to make it bigger). You can expect the average runners training plan and different training sessions to equate to the example below:
 
10 = Interval training
9 = Tempo running
7-8 = Fartlek
4-6 = Normal running session
2-3 = Light jog/recovery run

The ratings are based on an array of feelings and sensation of physical stresses a trainee experiences during physical activity. And that’s it! Now you know what the RPE scale is, why it’s useful and how you can use it. Using the RPE rating system requires no equipment. As long as you’re willing to listen to your body, you’re good to go. It’s time to hit the road and put the new skills you’ve learnt to the test!

Sit back and have a look at the offers RunPage is exclusively offering their runners community this month - by Route 66 Marathon, Skopje Marathon, BibBoards, Mubert and FinishersGear​​ (Powered by Offerz.me)! Hurry before November ends!
 
Click here to get the offers!

---

About the Author

​Paulo Piedade is a Certified Track & Field Coach, based in Portugal.
Paulo is the advising Running Coach at the Running and Race Training group.
His Runner Profile - runpage.com/profile/paulo.piedade