Some runners follow pace-based training, where every run is structured around specific target paces and times. Others prefer heart rate training, which involves running within certain heart rate zones to optimize aerobic and anaerobic capacity. While these styles work very well, they can sometimes feel restrictive.
Training by effort— is a more intuitive style that prioritizes how your body feels. You might find it useful if you’re a runner who feels frustrated by strict paces and metrics. Rather than relying solely on the numbers from your watch, this approach encourages you to tune in to your body’s signals. Let’s explore –
Training by effort asks you to recognize your running paces based on perception, not precision, and adjust in real-time based on factors like fatigue, weather, and sleep. Training by effort offers a range of benefits that go beyond just performance improvement.
Running by feel develops a deeper connection with your body, enhances self-awareness. You’ll start noticing subtle cues in breathing, muscle fatigue, and overall exertion.
By focusing on how you feel you reduce the risk of pushing too hard too soon. This makes injury and burnout less likely, leading to Sustainable Running.
Weather, terrain, and general fatigue can impact performance. Training by effort builds your ability to adapt to these variables.
When you’re in touch with your effort levels, you’re less reliant on pace or distance markers on the race day. You’ll know how to read the fatigue signs early, and adapt your paces for better race day outcomes.
Runnning by effort might feel foreign at first if you’re used to relying on exact paces, but these steps can help you get started.
Understand Your Body’s Signals: The first step is learning how different levels of effort feel. An easy aerobic run should feel relaxed, while the threshold effort will be challenging yet sustainable. With high-intensity efforts, you’ll feel the strain but know it’s not sustainable for long.
Practice Varied Paces Consistently: Include a variety of runs in your training, from easy recovery sessions to intense threshold workouts. The more you practice, the better you’ll get at identifying and maintaining different effort levels.
One of the easiest ways to feel the effort is to use Talk Test. Imagine you are talking to a friend while you are running. Here is how to identify if the effort and how you feel match.
| Pace | Talk Test Description |
|---|---|
| Recovery | Could speak comfortably and the person next to you may not hear your breathing. |
| Easy | Able to maintain a conversation, but the person next to you can hear your breathing. |
| Aerobic Endurance | Talking is more challenging; short sentences are possible. May need to break sentences unnaturally to breathe. |
| Threshold Pace | Speaking a few words is possible, but it’s noticeably difficult to speak short sentences; |
| Interval Pace | Speaking is nearly impossible; you can only manage a few words between intervals due to labored breathing. |
| Speed Pace | Talking is impossible; the focus is entirely on the physical demands of the exercise, like sprints or hills. |
Please note that these guidelines are general, and the exact point at which talking becomes difficult will vary based on individual fitness, weather, and terrain. The key is to use the talk test as a way to gauge your body’s responses and adjust your pace accordingly.
Apart from Talk Test, you can use other tools. Here are few well-known tools to identify the effort and how you feel.
When using RPE, post-run reflection is a good idea to build the awarness of the effort. After each run, take a few moments to reflect on how it felt. Most GPS watches and apps like Strava allow you to mark the effort after the run. Click ‘Edit Activity’ on strava and look for the “Perceived Exertion” section. This is an excellent way to reflect the effort perception and use it to adapt paces in the future.
| Effort Level | Example Breathing Pattern |
|---|---|
| Lower Efforts | 3-3 pattern (inhale for 3 steps, exhale for 3) |
| Moderate Efforts | 2-2 pattern (inhale for 2 steps, exhale for 2) |
| Higher Efforts | 2-1 (inhale for 2 steps, exhale for 1) or 1-2 pattern (inhale for 1 steps, exhale for 2) |
Once you get the feel of the relationship between breathing pattern and effort, you can better adjust pace based on exertion levels.
While training by effort emphasizes internal cues, the metrics can complement this approach without dominating it.
Heart rate can be a helpful reference, especially during threshold workouts. However, don’t rely solely on it; use it as a secondary check on your perceived effort.
Tracking the metrics such as pace on the watch is super helpful, especially with interval trainig, but avoid constantly checking your paces.
So next time when you lace up, try challenging yourself to run by effort.
This article is compiled by Team GeeksOnFeet for the love of running. If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to reach out to us at [email protected].