What is RPE?

RPE (Rating of Perceived Exertion) is a simple way of describing how a run feels while you’re doing it.

It’s based on breathing, muscular effort, and how sustainable the effort feels — not on hitting a specific number on your watch.

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Effort Levels

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PaceAdapt uses four clear effort levels to describe runs:

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Relaxed

• Calm breathing, fully in control

• Comfortable and unforced

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Steady

• Controlled, purposeful effort

• Sustainable for longer periods

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Hard

• Clearly challenging

• Limited-duration effort

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Max

• Very high effort for short periods

• Not sustainable for long

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Effort describes feel, not speed.

Any pace ranges shown are guidance only, not targets.

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How Runs Are Structured

Runs follow a simple structure:

• They start at a Relaxed effort

• They finish at a Relaxed effort

This allows the body to ease into and out of each run naturally.

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Shorter runs stay mostly Relaxed and Steady.

Harder efforts appear only when appropriate.

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Why Effort-Based Running Works

Effort-based guidance adapts naturally to:

• terrain and weather

• fatigue and stress

• day-to-day variation

It helps keep easy efforts easy and harder efforts deliberate, without chasing numbers.

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FAQ

Is effort subjective?

Yes — and that’s intentional. It reflects how the run actually feels on the day.

Does effort replace other metrics?

No. Effort is one way to guide a run. Other approaches can be layered alongside it.