How fast should I be running?
One of the most important aspects of starting a running training program is to understand what level of effort is appropriate to both challenge yourself and keep yourself healthy.
You have two options for determining the appropriate training speed for your goals: Rate of Perceived Exertion or Pace Charts.
Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE)
RPE is great for beginners or runners who don't own a GPS watch. Furthermore, RPE allows for daily variation in pace due to weather, body soreness, or energy levels. After reading the workout for the day, identify the paces that you will be hitting. Check the right column for these paces. The corresponding "effort level" will give you an idea of what this pace should feel like - both by number and by brief description.
This pace chart is designed to help you reach your 5k goal. First, choose your goal time from the yellow line. Below this goal time are the approximate training paces that correspond for this level of performance. These paces are just estimates and will vary based on factors like the weather, body soreness, or energy levels. If you consistently feel that the paces are too hard or too easy, consider adjusting your goal pace.
You can use a GPS watch or a phone app like Strava to track your pace in real time. As you become more familiar with the training system, you might find that you no longer need to reference your GPS watch throughout the workout. It's a smart idea to check the RPE scale (above) to make sure that your effort level matches your paces.
If determining specific paces feels intimidating, use the RPE chart instead! While not exact, it will be a fully sufficient way to reach your goals as well.
