Pace, Heart Rate, or Effort: How to Know How Hard to Run
One of the most common questions I get from newer runners is some version of, how hard am I supposed to be going? It is a great question, because most people run their easy days too hard and never really run easy at all. That one habit holds back more runners than almost anything else.
There are three main ways to gauge how hard you are running: pace, heart rate, and effort. Here is what each one is good for, and which one I would trust if you are just getting started.
Pace: useful, but easy to obsess over
Pace is how fast you are running, usually measured in minutes per mile. It is concrete, it is easy to track on a watch or phone, and it is great for structured workouts later on.
The problem is that pace lies to you about effort. The same pace can feel easy on a cool, fresh morning and brutal on a hot day, up a hill, or when you are tired. If you chase a number without listening to your body, you will end up running your easy days too hard and your hard days not hard enough. For a brand new runner, I would not build your training around pace yet.
Heart rate: honest, if you can use it well
Your heart rate tells you how hard your body is actually working, which makes it more honest than pace. It adjusts for heat, hills, fatigue, and stress automatically. Train by heart rate and you will naturally slow down when your body needs it.
There are two catches. First, you need a reasonably accurate monitor, and a chest strap tends to be more reliable than a wrist reading. Second, and this is important, heart rate guidance does not work the same way for everyone. Certain medications, especially heart medications like beta blockers, change your heart rate response entirely. If you take anything that affects your heart, talk to your doctor and lean on effort instead. This one is personal for me, and I will come back to it.
Effort: the one I trust most for beginners
Effort, sometimes called RPE or rate of perceived exertion, is simply how hard the run feels to you, on a scale from very easy to all out. It sounds low tech, and that is exactly why it works. It is always available, it needs no gadgets, and it automatically accounts for everything going on in your body that day.
The simplest version is the talk test. On an easy run, you should be able to speak in short, full sentences. If you can only get out a word or two, you are working too hard, so slow down or take a walk break. If you could belt out a song, you can pick it up a touch. That is it. Most of your running, especially early on, should live in that easy, can-still-talk zone.
So which should you use?
If you are newer to running, start with effort, using the talk test as your guide. It is the most beginner-friendly, it keeps you out of the classic too-hard trap, and it builds a skill that will serve you for as long as you run: actually listening to your body.
As you get more consistent, you can layer in pace for specific workouts and heart rate for a fuller picture, as long as heart rate is a safe and accurate tool for you. Plenty of experienced runners end up using a blend of all three. But you do not need all of that on day one.
A personal note on heart rate
I do not bring up the heart rate caveat lightly. A few years into my own running, I had a major cardiac event and came back with a rebuilt heart and medication that changes how my heart rate behaves. For me, chasing heart rate numbers the standard way does not work, and effort is what keeps my training both effective and safe. If your health situation is anything like that, please loop in your doctor and let effort lead.
The takeaway
Do not overthink it. For most new runners, the honest answer to how hard should I go is easier than you think, literally. Keep the easy days easy, use the talk test, and let the harder efforts come later, in small doses, when your body is ready.
If you want help dialing in the right effort for your goals and your situation, that is a big part of what I do as a coach. You can learn more here.
