Rate of Perceived Exertion: How to Determine Running Pace and Effort + Interval Workout

I am working on a new strength training and running program. It will include running workouts as well as short runner-specific strength workouts that can be completed after your runs on easy effort days. I am writing the program for a wide audience (hopefully, cross your fingers and toes) so I have to be more general than I would be with my own clients. Since I don't know your running background, experience or injury background, I can't give you specifics on what paces or distances you should run. As I learned in my Precision Nutrition training, don't "should" all over your clients. It's not about what you should do, it's about what you are ready, able and willing to do.

For example, if I assign a 10 minute mile pace for three miles as an "easy" day run, this may not be so easy for a brand new runner. On the other hand, if I assign a 9 minute mile pace for five miles as a tempo run, it may not be challenging enough to achieve tempo for a more experienced runner. 

On my programs, I define runs as "easy runs" and "interval runs" and I leave it up to you to decide what those paces mean to you. If you try to hit someone else's arbitrary paces before your fitness level dictates it, you'll only end up frustrated and possibly injured.

We solve this issue by using the RPE (rate of perceived exertion) chart. It is very easy to follow. You base your pace on your perceived level of effort. By determining your own paces based on your current fitness level you will be able to grow with the program as you get faster and stronger. 

THE TALK TEST | RPE CHART

Your RPE can be determined by the talk test.

RPE:1 No effort. You are probably sitting.

RPE:2-3 Light effort. Breathing is extremely easy. You may be walking at a leisurely pace.

RPE: 4-6 Moderate effort. You are working a little harder, maybe a jog, but you can carry on a full conversation at this pace without gasping for air between words or sentences. 

RPE: 7-8 Hard effort. You can speak a sentence or two at a time before having to taking a gasp of breath.

RPE: 9 Extremely hard effort. You can get out a word or two but breathing is labored and talking is challenging.

RPE: 10 Maximum effort. You are completely out of breath and unable to talk. You would only be able to hold this pace for a very short time.

EASY RUN

When your plan has an easy run day, this would be a RPE level 2-6. You should always be able to talk through full sentences and conversations when at this pace. It is sometimes referred to as 'conversational pace.' For some this may be walking briskly, for others a jog. 

To get the most out of your training it is important to go easy on easy days and hard on hard days.

INTERVAL PACE

An interval is when you run at varying paces throughout the workout. It is an effective and time-saving way to get the most out of your run. In an interval run, I may ask you run one minute at a RPE of 7-8 followed by one minute at a recovery pace. Your speed for one speed minute interval should feel hard, but not an all out effort. It may take some experimenting to find out what that pace is for you.

RECOVERY PACE

The recovery period during the interval workout will be a RPE 2-3. After a period of a hard effort, you will return to a much easier pace in order to recover before repeating the interval. 

TRACKING YOUR PROGRESS

If you have the means to do it with a GPS watch or a treadmill, I recommend tracking your current paces at each RPE level. You may find when you start, as an example, that a RPE 2-3 is a 15 minute mile, a RPE 4-6 is a 10 minute mile and a RPE 7-8 is 9 minute mile. Then over time, as you get faster and more efficient, your paces will go down for each level. You may find after regular training that now your RPE for 2-3 is a 12 minute mile, RPE 4-6 is a 9:30 minute mile and RPE 7-8 is an 8:30. It's a great way to track improvements. Make sense? Have questions? I'm happy to help. 

RUNNING SPEED INTERVAL WORKOUT

Here is a workout that you can try to get a feel for the different paces. This is a very short and efficient workout. I recommend warming up with dynamic stretches before the run, then begin with the 3 minute RPE 2-3 pace as shown below.

You'll notice that as we start with a 3 minute interval at a moderate pace then a 2 minute interval at a harder pace and finish with one minute at an extremely hard pace. See what feels right for you at each of these work intervals.

The pace you choose for the 3 minute interval will feel harder than a walk, but not so hard that you can't maintain it for three minutes.

The 2 minute interval will be a little harder than your 3 minute interval, but still not so hard that you can't maintain the pace for two minutes

The final 1 minute interval will be just under an all-out effort. Good thing you only have to hold that pace for one minute.

Either cool down with a three minute recover walk (beginners) or repeat the workout (advanced).

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QUICK DYNAMIC WARM UP FOR RUNNERS

Welcome to the latest edition of Workout Wednesday! Today I am sharing a quick warm up to try before your runs. It's important to prep your body for the workout, so if you have just been just jogging, walking or worse, no warm up at all, then I suggest this dynamic warm up to prime your body for running. 

A dynamic stretch moves the joint through the full range of motion. This warm up increases blood flow, warms up muscles, improves hip mobility, core stability and balance. A quick dynamic warm up can improve performance and help prevent injuries. 

 

LEG SWINGS FORWARD/BACK

Standing on one leg with your knee (ever so) slightly bent, engage your core and squeeze your glutes (butt muscles). With a straight leg swing your leg out in front, then behind. Repeat 10 times on each leg. If you have to hold on to something or touch your foot down to maintain balance it is ok at first, but work on building balance over time. Have a strong core and balance will benefit your running form and efficiency over the long term. 

LEG SWINGS LATERAL

Standing one one leg with your knee (ever so) slightly bent, engage your core and squeeze your glutes. With a straight leg swing your leg out to the right then cross over the front leg to the left. Repeat 10 times on each leg. Work to build up balance over time.

HIP ROTATION

Standing on one leg, bend your knee to 90 degrees and lift your thigh up until it is parallel to the ground. Engage your core and glutes. Rotate your hip out to the side then return to starting position. Repeat 8 times on each side. 

WALKING HAMSTRING STRETCH

Standing on one leg, pull up the opposite leg and hug to your chest to stretch your hamstring muscles in the back of your leg. Hold the position for 2 seconds, lower your leg to step forward and repeat on other side. Walk forward bringing each leg to chest eight times. You could progress this exercise by performing high knees, quickly bringing your knees up alternating between right and left. 

WALKING QUAD STRETCH

Standing on one leg pull your heel back until it touches your butt to stretch the quad muscles in your thigh. Keep your knees together. Hold for 2 seconds, lower your leg and repeat on other side while walking forward in a fluid motion. You could progress this exercise by performing butt kicks, quickly bringing your heel to your butt alternating between right and left.

WALKING LOW LUNGES

Step one leg forward into a low lunge while keeping the back leg as straight as possible. You'll notice when you straighten the back leg, you'll feel the stretch in your hip flexors, hold for two seconds. Keep your core engaged, your back straight and step the back leg forward to meet the front leg. Step forward with opposite leg and repeat eight on each side.

CARIOCA

No, I didn't mean karaoke. I'm not going to make you sing or worse, listen to me sing. This is a fun drill to open up your hips before your run. I recommend doing it once slow and then again as quickly as possible.

Start with your feet about hip width apart, step your left leg behind, then bring your right leg in front so you return to hip width stance, then bring your left leg in front and right leg behind to return to hip width stance. Take 10 steps in one direction, then 10 steps in the other direction.

HIGH SKIPS

Finish off your warm up with high skips to get your heart rate up a bit. Drive your right knee and right arm up while skipping, focusing on moving vertically. Switch leg and arm moving dynamically through the motion eight times per side.

Ready to run? Do you warm up before you run? If not, will you start? Pinky swear? 

Who's a good boy?

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Outdoor Boot Camp

Welcome to the latest edition of workout Wednesday! This week I thought I'd give you a taste of our outdoor boot camp workouts in case you you don't live in Fort Worth and are unable to join us. 

In Texas there is a very short period of time that I like to call "free weather." We don't need our heaters and we don't yet need our air conditioners. It is the perfect weather to get outside to workout in the fresh air. 

This is a full body strength and cardio workout that can be done in about 20 minutes. 

CIRCUIT ONE

Set a timer for 5 minutes

8 plank rows (each side)
8 plank jacks
8 squats
repeat until time expires

Perform 8 walking lunges (each leg) to the next station.
30 second to one minute rest before beginning the next circuit

CIRCUIT TWO

Set a timer for 5 minutes

8 sumo squats
8 high knees
8 curtsy squats (each side)
repeat until time expires

Perform 8 walking lunges (each leg) to the next station
30 second to one minute rest before beginning the next circuit

CIRCUIT THREE

Set a timer for 5 minutes

8 pushups
8 mountain climbers
8 supermans
repeat until time expires

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The 30-20-10 Interval Running Workout

Welcome to the latest edition of workout Wednesday! This week I have a great interval running workout for you to try. This workout was developed by Dr. Jens Bangsbo at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark to increase speed in recreational runners. If you are looking for an easy way to incorporate interval or speed training into your running workouts this is a great place to start. You could do it on the street or the track with a timer (affiliate --> I use a gymboss interval timer) or on the treadmill.

This is a by-feel paced workout. That means you don't need a GPS watch to make sure you hit certain paces. All you need is a timer and a pair of running shoes (OK, clothes would probably be a good idea too). 

Warm up by walking or jogging 10 minutes or one mile.

30 seconds

Start at a slow pace for 30 seconds. This should feel very easy, breathing is easy. For a beginner this may even be a brisk walk. It's called conversation pace. You could hold a conversation while maintaining this pace. 

20 seconds

Accelerate to a moderate pace for 20 seconds. This should be your race pace. A little faster than your easy pace but not an all-out-sprint. It should feel comfortably hard. You could probably get out a sentence or a few words between breaths, but you are working too hard to hold a conversation.

10 seconds

Then sprint as hard as you can for 10 seconds. Go for it. Give it all you have for 10 seconds. You can't talk at all while holding this pace. 

Repeat four more times in a row without rest for a total of 5 minutes of these intervals.

2 Minutes

Rest until your breath is fully recovered (about 2 minutes).

Repeat

Repeat these 30-20-10 sessions and rest periods until fatigued (no more than 30 minutes) for a quick and effective speed workout for runners of all levels

Cool down by jogging or walking 10 minutes or one mile.

Doesn't Ollie demonstrate the 10 second sprint pace picture perfectly? Good dog. 

Add this workout to your schedule 1-2 times per week with rest days and easy-paced run days in between hard workouts.

A general rule for intense training: A little is better than none and a lot is too much. Remember that our bodies adapt (grow stronger and faster) during rest, not during the workout. Allow your body adequate time to recover between hard workouts for the best results.

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MINI BAND EXERCISES FOR RUNNERS

Welcome to the latest edition of Workout Wednesday! When I talk to runners about strength training we often talk about minimum required dose. Runners aren't usually thrilled of the idea of spending hours in the gym each week. They run because they love to run. They strength train (or they probably should) because they want to be a stronger, faster runner while reducing the chances of injury.

Minimum required dose is the least amount we can do to get results. The truth is you don't need to spend hours and hours in the gym each week. You can spend 10-15 minutes at the end of each run, or 30 minutes three times a week or an hour twice a week. It depends on your goals, your lifestyle, your preferences and your abilities.

My friend took these pictures for me in the #ShredShed and she sent me this GIF. 

If you want to be a great runner it makes sense to spend a lot of time running. However, investing the time in strength training often yields big results for runners. It is OK to start small and build over time. A little strength training is always better than none. Our goal should be to become well-rounded athletes. 

This post contains affiliate links. That means if you click on a link in the post and make a purchase I make a small percentage of the sale with no additional cost to you. No one is getting rich here, it just helps with the running (pun intended) of this blog. 

This is why I love mini bands. They are very inexpensive, portable and the exercises can be done anywhere at anytime (well, maybe not in the halls at work or school). You don't need to invest a lot of money into strength training equipment, these little bands provide plenty of resistance. You could even put one in your running belt so you can squeeze in some exercises after your outdoor run. 

This weekend I hit the #Shredshed to show you some exercises you can do to incorporate glute/hip strength training into your running routine. Weak hips are often the missing link for runners and can be the source of all kinds of problems and injuries. A little pre-hab can go a long way in injury prevention. 

If you are brand new to this or if you don't have mini bands, you can do these exercises without the bands to start and then add bands in a few weeks in order to continue to progress. Our bodies adapt to the exercises that we do, so every three to four weeks look for ways to make the exercise harder, either by adding more resistance, more reps, more sets, more days, etc. 

I recommend starting by incorporating these exercises at the end of an easy run day two times per week. Start with 2 sets of 10 reps of each exercise. I like to do them in circuit fashion, moving from one exercise to the next with little break, then repeating the circuit one more time.

You can buy mini bands here on Amazon.

Coach's Tip

Be careful not to let your knees collapse inward when performing any of these exercises. Work to keep your knees out and inline with your toes. 

what NOT to do.

Good luck! Give it a try after your next easy run and let me know if you feel the burn! 

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