Long run Z1 pace and RPE
On my Thursday long runs, there's a 2 miles section that's a steady incline. Up to that point of the run, I can easily maintain Z1 pace as prescribed.
But for that 2 mile section, if I go by RPE, my pace slows down to about Z1+30 sec.
Since my A race run course has rolling hills and 1 short climb (but will have to do that climb 3 times for each loop), should I be maintaining my Z1 pace in the climbs or go by RPE for both training and racing?
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Comments
Gravity's pull WILL slow you down on the way up and speed you up going down. If you have a finely honed RPE, that's the way to go instead of pace. HR is a good fall back metric - just keep the HR the same whether on the flats, going up or going down.
Where I run, it's either up or down, so I've come to learn what pace goes with which gradient. Steady pace only works on a track.