Running and RPE - the metric you are missing

By: Molly King DPT, ATC

Runners tend to be data junkies - they track every mile down to the step, and every split down to the millisecond.  What if I told you that there’s one more thing you should be tracking - the ultimate metric that will change the way you train, reduce injuries, and help you stack up PRs.  And it doesn’t cost you a thing?  Ears perking up?

First thing we need to understand is that there is more to training management than pace and mileage.  As a runner, you intuitively know this to be true.  We’ve all run that go-to route and felt like it was significantly harder than the last time you ran it, even though the route didn’t get longer and you didn’t run faster.  

Let’s talk about other factors at play.  What kind of terrain are you running on?  What’s the weather like?  What time of day is it?  How are you fueling your body?  When was your last rest day?  Are you doing any training other than running?  Are you feeling sick or run down?  Staring down a big work deadline?  Generally stressed out?  For ladies, where are you at in your cycle?  

Pause - that’s a lot to track.  You may like data, but no one wants to log all of that.  Fortunately, it can all be rolled into one metric - rating of perceived exertion (RPE).  RPE is a 0-10 scale that takes into account all of these factors that impact the subjective experience of a workout. 

The scale looks like this (complete with Emojis):

0 - could not be more comfortable and relaxed, think lounging in bed. 😎

1 - 😁

2 - 🥳

3 - 🤗

4 - 😅

5 - moderate activity, you can hold a short conversation, but you’re definitely breathing harder and sweating a bit.  From a runner’s perspective, this is a comfy place and you feel like you could run at for miles without suffering. 🙂

6 - 😮‍💨

7 - 😵‍💫

8 - Oof, now it's getting challenging. 😓

9 - 🫠

10 - You’re unsure if you are alive or dead, you can’t take another step. ☠️

The benefits of utilizing RPE are numerous.  First, it helps you to tap into how you’re feeling rather than relying on just the numbers.  The numbers are helpful, but they lack depth and context.  Your pace and mileage may be increasing, but you could be pushing through an illness, eventually making yourself sicker, and your numbers won’t reflect that until it’s too late.  Second, it can optimize your training.  We all have those days where we just aren’t feeling it, but we have a long run scheduled, so we grind through it because we live and die by the calendar.  Other days, we feel amazing, but we have a short recovery run scheduled, and after your run, you still have tons of gas in the tank.  Following a more fluid training schedule based on RPE can help you capitalize on those those “on top of the world” days, and give yourself the recovery you need on garbage days.  Finally, it can help you avoid injury by reducing the likelihood of overtraining, and increasing your awareness of things that aren’t feeling quite right.  

A training and behavior log can be hugely helpful when starting to track RPE.  It can help you notice patterns and adjust factors that are impacting your overall performance.  You’ll always want to track RPE, mileage, and pace, and the other factors you track will depend on what you may want to learn more about or are willing to modify in your program. 

Options include, but are not limited to:

• Elevation gain
• Weather (temp, humidity, wind, precipitation)
• Time of day
• What and when you last ate
• Other training sessions that day (strength, mobility, etc)
• Hours/quality of sleep
• Mood
• Cycle Tracking
• Illness/injury
• Stress level

You’ll be amazed at how much more efficient and enjoyable your training can be when you start to account for the day to day variation you experience by focusing on RPE.  Data is valuable, but the human experience is the most important metric you can track.