How to Train Without a Heart-Rate Monitor

Springtime means that green grass is growing and the sun is shining. This also means there's time to enjoy the beautiful scenery while you're out on your bike—if you're not staring at numbers on a heart rate monitor or power meter. While these training tools can be useful, it isn't the only way to train for the big event.

Training by rate of perceived exertion (RPE) can be just as useful—and it lets you take your eyes off your cycling computer.

Perceived exertion means paying attention to the signals that your body is sending you: how fast and rapid you're breathing, how hard your heart is beating, and how quickly your muscles are fatiguing.

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According to the American College of Sports Medicine, there's a linear relationship between RPE, oxygen uptake and heart rate—meaning that RPE can provide meaningful feedback when training or racing.

Whether or not you like to train with heart rate monitors or power meters, listening to your body can improve performance and get you more in-tune with how much energy you have left in the tank.

How RPE Works

Two riders raced solo in the Race Across America (RAAM). One rider used a heart rate monitor and carefully stayed within the prescribed zones training and racing. The other rider just listened to his body. After riding 3,000 miles, these two riders finished fourth and fifth.

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How did this happen?

The RPE method is simple. You don't have to interpret numbers and remember training zones. All you have to do is be aware of the changes in your body, and through experience, know when to slow down or go faster. Much like heart rate training zones, your body experiences different stages of stress during exertion. Being aware of these stages is the key to understanding how fast you need to go when training and racing.

This method can also be safer and more fun. You can look at the road and scenery instead staring down at numbers on a gadget.

RPE Can Help Everyone

RPE is useful even if you use a heart rate monitor. Your heart rate can be affected by variables other than how hard you are riding: excitement, heat, dehydration and how well you slept are a few examples.

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If you're on a medication that alters how your heart responds to physical stress, heart rate isn't a reliable indicator. When your batteries go out or your equipment fails, understanding your RPE is a good back up.

How to Train Based on Your RPE

The key to training effectively is finding the right intensity and varying the intensity, depending on the purpose of the workout. That's why you use a heart rate monitor or power meter—to gauge intensity. But you can also use your RPE to gauge intensity.

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I use six different RPEs. Some sports scientists use a 10-point scale, where 1 is barely moving and 10 is a flat-out sprint that you can only hold for a few seconds. Here's my system. Because human power production is a continuum, the different paces and RPEs blend into each other.

1. Digestion pace: This is how you'd ride after a big breakfast or lunch, an RPE of 1 to 2. This is the pace for active recovery rides.

2. Conversation pace: You can carry on a conversation in full sentences, an RPE of 2 to 3. This pace builds endurance and trains the aerobic system to burn fat more efficiently.

3. Hill climbing and headwind pace: You're on a long, steady grade or riding into the wind. You're working hard enough that you can't whistle but still talk in short sentences, an RPE of 3 to 4. At this pace you're improving your cruising speed and training the aerobic system to burn glycogen.

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4. Sub-barf pace: Making a hard, sustained effort, an RPE of 4. This is the pace for a 20 to 40 km time trial or hill climb. You're riding anaerobically to train the lactate system to burn glycogen without enough oxygen--we all know that feeling.

5. Eyeballs out pace: This is the classic hammering pace, a very hard effort for five to 10 minutes with eyes your bugging out, an RPE of 5 to 6. You're training to stay with the group when they put the hammer down.

6. Ouch pace: This is maximum effort for just a few minutes. You're training to increase your VO2 max.

RPEs, Heart Rate and Power

If you want to train without a heart rate monitor or power meter, it might be a good idea to use one to obtain the objective data. This will help you to correlate the objective data with your subjective feelings. Below is an example of heart rate and power equivalents to RPE.

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How you gauge your intensity depends on your goals. If you're riding for recreation, then you don't have to use a heart rate monitor or power meter to improve. If you compete or you're trying for major improvement gains, objective feedback is helpful.

Although quantitative feedback is helpful, it's not essential. How you gauge intensity also depends on who you are and how you perceive stress.

Some people like data and keep extensive training logs, and some people don't care for numbers at all. No matter which side of the fence you fall on, knowing how to listen to your body is an essential tool to improving your performance and becoming a better cyclist. Still want to learn more about RPE?

More: Feeling Fast: Measuring Rates of Perceived Exertion

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