The Running Channel Podcast 163: How To Build Your Perfect Running Week
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Mar 28, 2026 They unpack how to structure a training week, from recovery runs to tempo and intervals. The conversation explains Rate of Perceived Exertion and how it maps to different sessions. They debate balance, variety and the role of easy miles. Listeners get tips on using coaches, apps and avoiding guilt when adapting plans.
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Use RPE To Balance Training Intensity
- Use RPE (rate of perceived exertion) instead of blindly chasing watch paces to balance training intensity.
- Grade efforts 1–10 (easy conversational 3–4, steady 5, hard tempo 6–7, VO2 8–9, all-out 10) and adjust by how you feel that day.
RPE Reflects Daily Context Better Than Pace
- RPE captures daily variation (sleep, stress, weather) that pace or heart rate can't reliably reflect.
- Run the same workout on two days and it can feel very different; trust perceived effort over fixed numbers.
Aim For Roughly 80/20 Easy To Hard
- Follow an approximate 80/20 intensity split: most weekly volume at easy effort, small portion at hard effort.
- If you run low volume (2–3 sessions/week) apply the principle flexibly and prioritise easy miles over constant hard sessions.