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When you think of progressing as a runner, you probably think about getting faster and/or going farther, but there’s another variable to consider: running intensity.

To Steve Mura, manager of runner training and education at New York Road Runners, running intensity is the effort you put into a run or how hard the body is working during that run. So, speed usually plays a role, but so, too, can things like elevation.

That means running intensity is a pretty personalized metric—and while it sounds, well, intense, it’s something you can improve whether you’re a new or advanced runner, notes Hunter Carter, an exercise physiologist at the NYU Langone’s Sports Performance Center.

In fact, it’s beginner runners who may benefit most from switching up their running intensity: “I have a lot of new runners who will tell me running is boring,” Carter says, and then they’ll tell him they ran the same loop at the same time at the same intensity. “You need to change up your routine,” he says, and increasing your intensity is one way to do that.

There are plenty of other perks to upping your running intensity: In terms of speed, “adding one higher intensity run [per week] will make your time go down, whether [your goal is a] 5K or a marathon,” Mura says.

It’s a confidence-builder, too, because as you increase intensity, your usual running paces start to feel easier. And, as Carter noted, increasing your intensity can make running more interesting and fun. It’s also a good way to continuously improve your cardiorespiratory metrics, Carter says, like VO2 max.

Below, Carter and Mura explain how to measure running intensity, how to safely increase it—and signs that you’re overdoing it.

When it comes to measuring running intensity, it should be part art, part science, the experts agree. In other words, runners should be using both subjective and objective measures to determine how intensely they’re working.

Tips to Safely Increase Intensity or RPE is one popular way to measure running intensity, per Mura. That means considering how hard you feel like you’re working on a scale of 1 (an easy walk) to 10 (an all-out sprint). “If we’re doing a hard workout it might be an eight out of 10,” he says.

Carter agrees that RPE should be “the guiding principle for everyone,” whether or not you’re following a training program, working with a coach, and/or following heart rate guidelines. (More on the latter soon.) The reason is that intensity is often subjective: “Just because you had a great workout yesterday doesn’t mean that you can run with that same intensity, with that same vigor, today or tomorrow,” Carter says. “A workout that you might’ve done last week may feel different today.”

Mura and Carter also both like using another subjective measurement: the “talk test.” “If you can [talk in] a full sentence, it’s probably an easy pace, but if you can only get a few words out, that’s a lot harder pace,” Mura says, adding that if you can’t speak at all, you’ve reached your (current) most intense pace.

You can also get a more objective measure of running intensity by tracking your heart rate, which you can do with many wearables. Carter suggests determining your Why You Should Add Walking as a Second Workout (the simple formula to estimate it is 220 minus your age, but check out our guide on Why You Should Add Walking as a Second Workout for more accurate estimates) and then varying intensity levels from 50 percent to 90 percent of your max.

Using that simple formula, if you’re 35 years old, you’d aim to do easy workouts at a heart rate of around 93 to 130 bpm (that’s zone 1 and zone 2) and your most intense workouts around 167 bpm (zone 5).

If you wear a smartwatch, it will likely track your heart rate and your heart rate zones for you, giving you a picture of your overall intensity throughout a workout.

If you’re rdquo; “If you can talk in a full sentence, it’s probably an, Carter says to start at an intensity of 4 RPE. As with many things in running, gradual shifts in intensity are best, Mura says.

Once you start noticing your pace increasing at your current 4—say you’re running the same loop but finishing it faster and at the same effort—try running at a 5 RPE.

Running at an RPE above 7 is more advanced: “You are working very hard, getting toward a race performance pace or all-out sprint for most of your workout,” Carter says of an 8 RPE and beyond. So you want to ease into those efforts.

If you prefer to work with Why You Should Add Walking as a Second Workout, beginners and those who have taken a hiatus from fitness should start by working at around 50 percent of your Why You Should Add Walking as a Second Workout, and then progressively increase from there. That might mean adding in walk breaks Maintain VO2 Max as You Age start running, to keep your effort low. Over time, you shorten those walk breaks or increase your running intervals, and begin to increase your overall intensity.

While there’s no hard and fast research-backed rule by how much to increase, Carter says a safe bet may be to increase by 5 percent of your Why You Should Add Walking as a Second Workout weekly or bi-weekly. But remember to factor in RPE and how you feel! “Ultimately, one must gradually increase intensity to get better, faster, [and] stronger, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be a linear or stepwise progression,” he emphasizes.

More advanced runners can work at up to 90 percent or more of their Why You Should Add Walking as a Second Workout, per Carter. But keep in mind that you shouldn’t work at your highest intensity every day—no matter your level. “If you run three days a week, one of those runs can be a higher or a stronger intensity,” Mura suggests. “As you get more confident in that one run, you can add another one, but you’re taking it slowly and gradually over time.”

You never want to do two high-intensity runs back to back, Mura notes. “You want to take a day off or an easy run in between each high-intensity day.”

Most training plans will balance running intensity for you, programming in easy days and interval workouts throughout a week. But you also will likely have dips and peaks in intensity throughout a year, pulling back while base training or in maintenance mode, rdquo; Mura says.

Another sign that it’s time to increase intensity is when workouts start to feel stagnant or boring. As Carter mentions above, adding intensity can help you It’s a confidence-builder, too, because as you increase intensity, your usual Why Runners Botch Pace on New Race Distances interval workouts. Plus, the progress you make by doing so can also lead to more motivation to keep going.

Vary Your Intensity

Increasing your running intensity is great for all of the aforementioned reasons, but that doesn’t mean you should be redlining every run. In fact, you’ll get the most benefits by varying your intensities throughout the week.

As Mura notes above, you need a day off or an easy run between each high-intensity workout, How to Master the 5k recover.

On the other hand, adding some of those high-intensity workouts to your weekly schedule—instead of sticking to only easy efforts—can lead to serious progress. “Many runners find a comfortable pace and stick with it all the time,” Mura explains. Getting outside of that comfort zone can lead you to faster and longer runs.

If you’re not sure how exactly to add intensity to your schedule or how intense to go, a running coach can help personalize your workouts. “A good coach will help you define different running intensity levels and tell you when to do them and why to do them in certain training cycles,” Mura says.

Make It Fun

Mura emphasizes that upping your running intensity shouldn’t feel like torture. He likes Fartleks, for example, to make interval training more enjoyable. “I think it’s one of the most fun workouts as an experienced athlete and as a new runner,” Mura says.

To do it, choose an intensity (like an 8 RPE) and push to that pace between street lights or stop signs, for example, and walk or jog at a recovery pace in between. “Or, you could say, ‘every time I see someone in a red shirt I'm going to go faster for 20 seconds,’” or every time a certain song comes on, you could push the pace, he says.

Be Extra Mindful of Recovery

Putting as much emphasis on recovery as you do on training is good practice across the board, but Mura argues it’s even more critical as you ramp up running intensity, considering your muscles and aerobic system Why Runners Botch Pace on New Race Distances.

Mura emphasizes focusing on sleep quality as much as you focus on quantity. A really good seven hours may be better for running recovery than a crappy eight or nine after a night of drinking, for example.

Carter adds that consistency is also key when it comes to sleep: “[Sleep] as much as you can, as consistently as you can, it’s pretty simple.”

Fuel Your Intensity

Mura also emphasizes quality when it comes to nutrition: “That’s what’s going to help those runs be that much better and that recovery be that much better,” he says.

The experts agree an overall healthy diet is key, and when it comes to Other Hearst Subscriptions, Carter says to focus on carbs, such as fruit, whole grain bread, or even some rice. “Whatever sits in your stomach well while you are exercising,” he says.

Threshold Workouts to Build Speed Endurance replenish your body postrun The experts agree an overall healthy diet is key, and when it comes to.

Increasing your running intensity is a delicate balance—and it’s possible to do too much of a good thing. Mura says to keep an eye out for signs including an increase in fatigue, like feeling ready for bed hours sooner than usual, or lasting soreness. “Obviously your body’s going to feel a little sore and you’re going to be a little tired, but if that soreness and muscle heaviness persists for days on end,” that’s a red flag, Carter adds. Pain is always a sign to pull back, Mura emphasizes.

One potentially overlooked clue that you’re overdoing it, per both experts, is a drop in motivation: “All of a sudden, I just don’t want to do that workout anymore, but four weeks ago I was really excited to start my plan,” Mura says, of how you might feel.

Carter puts it this way: “If you feel like your body is cooked, it’s probably cooked.”

He also adds that you can also look out for signs you’re overdoing it within a run: “If your heart rate is increasing so high you feel like it’s difficult to breathe,” that’s your body telling you to pull back, Carter explains.

If you notice any of these signs, reduce the intensity of your runs overall, or if you’re doing two intense runs a week, drop it back to one, Mura suggests. Take a light week or even a full week off to let your body and mind recover, says Carter.

While intensity should help progress your training, when it starts to stall out or feels like you’re regressing, it’s always smart to add more recovery to your week.