I have a general question on RPE: I started training in 2021 and have used RPE mainly (I have trained with kettlebells / kettlebell sport before for ca. 9yrs and was familiar with session RPE). However, I have found that various coaches have slightly different “interpretations” of that scale? For example in Athletica RPE 4 = Somewhat hard and 5 = hard. However, my coach (who only prescribes RPE not HR or pace) instructs 4-5 as “Cooldown” and 5-6 as “completely conversational”. This would be more “easy” for me. I mean I can’t talk “purely conversational” when I am running “hard”.
I did a bit of research yesterday and have found that these “slightly different” interpretations of RPE exist between running / endurance coaches, which I find very odd if it is all based on the original Borg Scale & used by so many in the running community nowadays with prominent coaches even advising that HR is basically meaningless and RPE a much better metric to pace oneself after.
Can I get some advice on this? I am just getting on board with Athletica and was wondering if someone else has noticed these variations in how RPE is used or if I am misunderstanding something.
1 Like
Hello! You’ve opened up an interesting can of proverbial worms with this question! It’s a good one. Here’s my take: The 10-point RPE scale and the 20-point Borg Scale (same thing, different numbers) are all based on estimates of how much work you’re doing - how the efforts feel.
That’s why there tends to be differences in how people use it.
Generally, zone 2 endurance tends to be a 3 or 4 on the 10-point scale, although some say a 5 is also endurance. Tempo runs are 5 and 6, threshold runs are 7 and 8, sometimes 9 for the short, harder hill efforts. And all-out sprints like 200s are 10s.
I would never say, as an endurance coach, that HR is ever meaningless. It’s a good measure of the response your body is having to the training stress. What’s important to know is that running tends to have a little higher heart rate than cycling simply because you’re using more muscles and landing on/pushing off the ground. For many people, running in the 130s (bpm) is a good endurance zone.
Finally, you can use a talk test to triangulate all of this. If you’re breathing easy enough to talk (conversational about anything except religion or politics), then you’re in zone 1 or 2. If you’re panting and breathing hard, unable to get more than a few words at a time out, then you’re over threshold.
I hope that helps. Let me know what other questions you have.
2 Likes
Thanks! I totally agree with you on the heart rate. Interesting, I wasn’t really aware that RPE was used slightly differently but I think now that could be a real problem if athletes use various sources / resources for their training without guidance from a coach, especially with such narrow numbers. All the workout descriptions from the coach I started working with have RPE 5-6 for “building the base” or “endurance run” If I go with my usual scale (the one that Athletica seems to employ too) that would put me in Zone 3 for all base building runs (which is not the best idea imo).
2 Likes