Running Paces, But Make It Human: Understanding RPE Without Losing the Plot

There’s a moment in every runner’s life when you realise you’ve spent more time staring at your watch than looking at the world around you. I’ve been there. Obsessing over splits, wondering why my “easy pace” feels like a mild cardiac event, and convincing myself that the algorithm knows my body better than I do.

Spoiler: it doesn’t.

To make it worse, we love to make the language more complicated or like we have this secret knowledge. It also doesn’t help that coaches and runfluencers use terms such as threshold and tempo, easy/zone 2 and recovery, intervals and repetitions etc inter-changeably.

The only way to truly know scientific markers like your VO₂ max, heart rate zones and lactate thresholds, is through controlled lab based tests. Field tests such as time trials, Cooper tests etc can be great proxy indicators but consideration needs to be given for the number of factors that influence the results of these tests. For example, your recent diet, sleep, recovery, illness, weather, setup of your watch etc. all impact performance.

That’s where RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion) comes in. It’s not fancy. It’s not scientific‑looking. It won’t impress anyone on Strava. But it will make you a better, more intuitive runner.

RPE is simple: a scale from 1–10 that asks, “How hard does this actually feel?” Not how hard your watch thinks it should feel. Not what the pace chart says. Just you, your breath, your legs, a bit of honesty and your ability to talk.

Recovery Run (RR) — RPE 4–5

Intensity focus: Recovery

Breathing: Comfortable, barely above walking

Talk test: Easy to speak — full sentences, maybe even a rendition of Meatloaf’s Paradise by the Dashboard Light

This is your “reset” pace. Legs are moving, but nothing’s strained. You could chat about last night’s dinner or your favourite socks without breaking rhythm. If you’re puffing, you’re pushing too hard. It aims to increase the blood flow to the working muscles to support recovery.

Endurance Run — RPE 5–6

Intensity focus: Aerobic endurance

Breathing: Moderate, not laboured

Talk test: Conversational pace — you can still tell a story, just maybe not a dramatic one.

This is your bread-and-butter pace. You’re working, but it’s sustainable. Think long runs, base building, and the kind of effort that feels like you’re getting somewhere without needing a lie-down.

Steady State Run — RPE 7

Intensity focus: High-end aerobic

Breathing: Deep and laboured

Talk test: 2–3 sentences before you need a breather

This is where things get purposeful. You’re not sprinting, but you’re not coasting either. It’s the kind of pace where you feel strong, focused, and slightly less chatty than usual.

Tempo Run — RPE 8–9

Intensity focus: Lactate threshold

Breathing: Deep, laboured, and elevated

Talk test: 5–7 word sentences — enough to say

“This is fine” but not explain why

This is your “comfortably uncomfortable” zone. You’re holding form, breathing hard, and riding that edge where fitness grows. It’s tough, but controlled.

Running Intervals — RPE 10

Intensity focus: VO₂ max

Breathing: Short and rapid

Talk test: Single words — mostly “help” or “done”

This is your top gear. Short bursts, full effort, and no room for conversation. You’re pushing your limits, improving speed and power, and probably counting down the seconds until it’s over.

Why RPE Can Works Better Than Pace Charts

Pace charts assume you’re running on a perfectly flat road, in perfect weather, after a perfect night’s sleep, with a perfect life.

Real life is… not that.

RPE adapts to hills, weather, fatigue, stress, sleep and the existential dread of a Tuesday morning!

It teaches you to listen to your body. And when you train by feel, you build consistency. Consistency builds fitness. Fitness builds confidence. Confidence builds joy.

That’s the whole point, isn’t it?

The Takeaway

Running isn’t always about hitting exact numbers. It’s about learning the language of your own effort.

• Easy builds your base fitness

• Steady builds endurance

• Tempo builds strength and increases your lactate threshold (point which your body produces more lactate than it can clear)

• Intervals build speed and VO₂ max (body’s ability to use oxygen)

  
  

Master the feeling, and the fitness follows.