Training by Pace, RPE, or Heart Rate — Which Should You Use?

When it comes to running training, one of the most common questions athletes ask is: "Should I train by pace, heart rate, or how I feel?"

The answer? It depends. Each method—Pace, Heart Rate, and RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion)—offers a unique lens for guiding your training. But they're not interchangeable, and using all three simultaneously can actually confuse your training more than it helps.

1. Training by Pace

What it is: Pace is simply how fast you're running, usually expressed in minutes per kilometre or mile.

Pros: Excellent for race-specific training, easy to measure and track progress, great for tempo runs, intervals, and speed sessions.

Cons: Doesn't account for terrain, wind, heat, or fatigue. Can push you too hard on a bad day, or hold you back on a good day. Lag when running very short fast intervals.

Best for: Race-specific workouts and runners training on flat terrain or in consistent weather conditions.

2. Training by Heart Rate (HR)

What it is: Your heart rate reflects how hard your cardiovascular system is working. Heart rate zones (typically 1–5) guide the intensity of your sessions.

Pros: Tailors training to your body's internal effort, helps prevent overtraining on recovery days, useful for long runs, easy runs, and aerobic development.

Cons: Lags behind actual effort (especially in intervals or hill sprints), affected by heat, stress, dehydration, caffeine, sleep and more, inaccurate readings from wrist-based sensors.

Best for: Easy runs, recovery runs, and aerobic base building.

3. Training by RPE (Rating of Perceived Exertion)

What it is: RPE is a subjective scale (usually from 1 to 10) that reflects how hard a run feels to you.

Pros: No data or device needed, adjusts automatically for stress, heat, terrain, and fatigue, helps build body awareness and long-term consistency.

Cons: Takes practice to judge accurately, subjective—can be skewed by mood or motivation, harder to use for structured workouts.

Best for: Trail running, long runs, racing, and adapting to fatigue or weather conditions.

Why You Shouldn't Use All Three at Once

Using Pace + Heart Rate + RPE at the same time might sound like you're being extra precise… But it can actually backfire.

Let's say you go for a tempo run: Your watch says your pace is too slow. Your heart rate says you're working too hard. Your RPE says you're running just right. Which one do you trust?

They don't always line up—especially when you're tired, dehydrated, or running uphill into a headwind. Chasing all three metrics simultaneously can pull your focus in too many directions and ruin the purpose of the session.

The Smarter Approach: Choose Based on the Run

Final Thought: Simplicity = Consistency

The best metric is the one you'll use consistently and interpret correctly.

At A-Team Coaching, we build custom training plans that blend heart rate, pace, power, and RPE based on what works best for YOU.