RPE Pacing Chart by Duration

How do you pace when you have no idea what your numbers should be?

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You use RPE, the Rate of Perceived Exertion. It is a 1 to 10 scale of how much you are actually suffering.

Some people use 1 to 20, but I prefer 1 to 10 because it is easier to count when you are breathing out of your derrière... 

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No power meter, no heart rate strap, just a bit of honesty about how much your legs are screaming.

Your brain knows you are about to blow up long before your head unit does!

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The trick is knowing which number to hit and when. If you attack a 60 minute climb in the Pyrénées at an 9, you will be grovelling in the gutter by the halfway point. If you hit a 30 second sprint at a 6, you are basically just soft-pedalling. If you aim for an 8 in the Gralloch, you'll be beaten to a pulp long before the real racing starts. 

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This chart gives you the targets for the start, middle, and end of nine common durations, from 30 seconds to a 90 minutes.

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Use these three checkpoints to stay honest. Click any row for my coaching notes.

The reference table below shows how these feelings map to your power or heart rate, so you can start to calibrate your internal engine.

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