Intensity Guidelines for 80/20 Running
Intensity Guidelines for 80/20 Running
by Matt Fitzgerald
We recommend also reading Understanding Your 80/20 Run Plan and Understanding Your TrainingPeaks Structured Workout Plan
Your 80/20 Run Plan employs a proprietary seven-zone intensity scale. Performing each workout and workout segment at the right intensity is at the heart of 80/20 training. This article provides all of the information you’ll need to determine your personal threshold and intensity zones so you can monitor your intensity during workouts and ensure you’re always in the right zone.
Determining your intensity zones is a three-step process. Step one is to choose a preferred way of measuring intensity. Step two is to perform a field test to assess your threshold. Step three is to calculate your personal zones from that threshold with the help of our zone calculators.
Step 1 – Choose Your Preferred Intensity Metric
There are three ways to measure running intensity: pace, heart rate, and power. The testing protocols for all three metrics are listed below. Each metric has advantages and disadvantages relative to the others:
Pace is useful because it’s a performance-relevant variable. You race on the clock, so why not also train by the clock? However, pace becomes unreliable when you’re running uphill or downhill.
Heart rate has the advantage of reflecting physiological intensity, or how hard your body is working, unlike pace and power. But heart rate is not a reliable way to monitor intensity during short efforts at high intensity because heart rate lags behind abrupt changes in pace. Heart rate is also influenced by environmental and other factors, including temperature and hydration status, that can distort its relationship to actual exercise intensity.
Power is the most versatile way to monitor running intensity. As a pure measure of your work output, power is the same in all conditions, requiring fewer conditional adjustments than pace and heart rate. Less familiar than the other intensity metrics, though, power-based training takes some getting used to.
Power is an output, pace is an outcome, and heart rate is an indicator. To help you further distinguish the respective advantages of each intensity type, let’s use an automobile as an example. Horsepower (power) is the output, and represents actual work performed regardless of terrain, grade, or environmental factors. Your speedometer (pace) indicates the speed, or outcome. Your engine temperature (heart rate) represents how the car is responding to the output and environment. During a hilly ascent, the output (power) might be high, but the outcome (speed) might be low. On a hot day, the engine temperature (heart rate) might be very high even when stopped at a light with almost no output and zero outcome. For this reason, power is considered superior to pace, and pace superior to heart rate to measure intensity. There are some exceptions, such as hills, where HR can be superior to Pace to measure intensity. The recommended best-practice is to use Power or Pace as your primary measure, with HR as a secondary measure.
Step 2 – Perform a Field Test to Assess Your Threshold
Once you have chosen a method of monitoring intensity in your 80/20 Run Plan (and you may use more than one), you need establish a personal threshold for that specific metric through field testing. Threshold is unique to each individual runner and evolve over time with changes in fitness. A number of different field tests have been scientifically vetted and shown to accurately measure your current run threshold.
Pace Testing
The most reliable way to determine your pace threshold is to enter a recent race result for the 5K, 10K, half marathon, or marathon distance into the 80/20 Zone Calculator. The performance does not have to be from an official race—a virtual or solo race will do—but it should reflect your current maximum capability for a given distance, whether it comes from competition or training or is simply an estimate of how fast you could run a given distance today.
Alternatively, you can perform a 20-minute time trial (covering as much distance as possible in 20 minutes) to determine your Threshold Pace (TP) and enter this number into the appropriate field of the 80/20 Zone Calculator. Begin with a warm-up that consists of 15 minutes of easy jogging that ends with a few 15-second surges at the pace you intend to run for the time trial. Next, run as far as you can in 20 minutes, being careful to avoid starting at a pace that’s too fast to sustain and thus slowing down involuntarily near the end.
If you already know your lactate threshold heart rate (LTHR), you can use it to find your TP with an even shorter field test. After warming up, play with your pace until your heart rate settles in at your previously established LTHR for 10 minutes. Your pace at this heart rate is close to your TP.
Heart Rate Testing
The simplest way to determine your heart rate threshold is to back into them through pace. First, follow the guidelines under the Pacing Testing section of this article to establish your Threshold Pace (TP).
The next step is to determine your Lactate Threshold Heart Rate (LTHR) from your TP. To do this, warm up with 10 minutes of easy jogging and then accelerate to your TP on a smooth, flat path or road. Wait for your heart rate to stop increasing and plateau. The number you see after it levels off is your LTHR. Now go to the Run and Cycling Heart Rate section of the 80/20 Zone Calculator and enter your lactate Threshold Heart Rate. Your seven heart rate training zones will be calculated automatically.
If you have not yet established your TP, you can find your LTHR independently through a time trial. Begin with a warm-up that consists of 15 minutes of easy jogging with a few 15-second surges at the pace you intend to run for the time trial. Next, increase your effort to the highest level you feel you can sustain for 20 minutes and hit the lap button on your heart rate monitor watch. Five minutes into the test, hit your lap button again. Fifteen minutes later, at the end of the 20-minute time-trial, hit the lap button again or end the time trial. Your LTHR is your peak 15-minute average within that 20-minutes test (the average heart rate in beats per minute (BPM) of the final 15 minutes of the 20-minute test).
Note that Lactate Threshold Heart Rate is slightly different in running than it is in other aerobic activities, so if you choose to cross-train, you’ll need to do separate tests in each activity.
Also note that heart rate is significantly influenced by factors such as temperature, humidity, sleep, stress, time of day, and even when you last ate. Therefore, your Lactate Threshold Heart Rate test result is specific to the environment and conditions in which you test. For example, an LTHR test indoors in February in the morning will not be the same as an LTHR test in July outdoors in the afternoon. Perform your LTHR in the environment that most accurately represents where you will do the bulk of your training.
For various reasons, most athletes find that their threshold is 5-10 bpm lower indoors than outdoors. For this reason, it may be practical to maintain separate indoor and outdoor HR zones. Or simply adjust your zones appropriately when moving between outdoor and indoor environments.
Power Testing
The most straightforward field test to find threshold power is a 20-minute time trial. Begin with a warm-up that consists of 15 minutes of easy jogging with a few 15-second surges at the pace you intend to run for the time trial. Next, run as far as you can in 20 minutes, being careful to avoid starting at a pace that’s too fast to sustain and thus slowing down involuntarily near the end. Your running threshold power, or rFTP, is equal to 95 percent of your average power over the full 20-minute time trial, which can be entered into the 80/20 Zone Calculator.
The leading brand of run power meter, Stryd, offers a different way to establish power zones. Stryd power meters automatically estimate a variable called critical power (CP) for individual runners through their use in the normal training process. For 80/20 structured workouts to sync to appear in the Stryd platform and apps with the same power targets that you find in TrainingPeaks it is recommended that you disable Stryd’s Auto-Calculated Critical Power and manually set the Stryd CP to match your rFTP as it is defined above. For full details on setting up seamless integration of 80/20 and Stryd, see this article from Stryd.
If you already know your lactate threshold heart rate (LTHR), you can use it to find your rFTP with a short field test. After warming up, play with your power until your heart rate settles in at your previously established LTHR for 10 minutes. Your power at this heart rate is close to your rFTP.
Simultaneous Threshold Testing
Because the 20-minute test protocol is the same for Pace, Heart Rate and Power, you have the opportunity to capture up to all 3 intensity types within the same test.
Talk Test
While it might not seem terribly scientific, the Talk Test is scientifically proven to be an accurate way to assess run fitness and determine appropriate training intensity zones. Because it is less challenging than other field tests, we recommend the Talk Test as a way to adjust your pace, heart rate, or power zones as you make your way through the training process. Whenever you feel your fitness has changed enough to justify a zone adjustment, and you’re not in the mood for a time trial, simply incorporate a Talk Test into any Foundation Run already on your schedule.
The Talk Test may be done either outdoors or on a treadmill. We recommend that you do it where you train most often. Be aware that most treadmills are poorly calibrated for pace, so if you use a treadmill for the purpose of determining pace zones, the result might not be valid outdoors. If you do the test outdoors, choose a smooth, flat route if possible.
- Start jogging at a very slow pace—substantially slower than your normal jogging pace.
- After 1.5 minutes, hit the lap button on your device, note your heart rate, pace, and/or power, and recite a statement that is approximately 50 syllables in length while continuing to jog at the same pace. The American Pledge of Allegiance is often used in the U.S., but any statement will do, and even simply counting will suffice. For example: “One hundred twenty-one, one hundred twenty-two, one hundred twenty-three, one hundred twenty-four, one hundred twenty-five, one hundred twenty-six, one hundred twenty-seven, one hundred twenty-eight.” After you finish speaking, judge whether you were able to do so comfortably. There are three options: yes, no, and not sure. Allow 30 seconds for this step, then hit your lap button again.
- If you were able to speak comfortably, pick up your pace slightly (aim for something in the range of 10 seconds per kilometer or 15 seconds per mile). The smaller you make your speed increases in this test, the more accurate the result will be. When another 1.5 minutes has passed, again note your heart rate, pace, and/or power and recite the same 50-syllable statement as before. As before, continue running at the same pace will performing this second test and allow 30 seconds for this step.
- If you were again able to speak comfortably, accelerate slightly once more, continuing to alternate 1.5-minute running segments and 30-second testing (while still running) segments until you are no longer able to speak comfortably or you’re not sure. At this point the test is complete, and you may either stop or finish out your Foundation Run. Note that it's highly likely you will reach a point where you're not sure if you're able to speak comfortably before you reach a point where you're sure you can't speak comfortably. This is not a problem and will not affect the validity of your result. Any degree of uncertainty about your comfort in speaking counts as "no" and ends the test.
- The key number that you want to take away from this test is the highest heart rate, pace, and/or power at which you were still able to speak comfortably. In other words, if you completed nine steps, and you were no longer able to speak comfortably in the ninth and last step, then the result of your test is the heart rate, pace, or power you noted at the end of the eighth step. Below is an example of what a complete test looks like. The numbers in boldface represent the results.
| DURATION | TIME FROM START | PACE (MM:SS/MILE) | POWER (WATTS) | HEART RATE (BPM) | SPEAK COMFORTABLY? | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Run Segment 1 | 1:30 | 0:00 | 10:00 | 188 | 112 | Yes |
| Test Segment 1* | 0:30 | 1:30 | 10:00 | 188 | 112 | Yes |
| Run Segment 2 | 1:30 | 2:00 | 9:50 | 192 | 117 | Yes |
| Test Segment 2 | 0:30 | 3:30 | 9:50 | 192 | 117 | Yes |
| Run Segment 3 | 1:30 | 4:00 | 9:40 | 196 | 122 | Yes |
| Test Segment 3 | 0:30 | 5:30 | 9:40 | 196 | 122 | Yes |
| Run Segment 4 | 1:30 | 6:00 | 9:30 | 200 | 127 | Yes |
| Test Segment 4 | 0:30 | 7:30 | 9:30 | 200 | 127 | Yes |
| Run Segment 5 | 1:30 | 8:00 | 9:20 | 204 | 132 | Yes |
| Test Segment 5 | 0:30 | 9:30 | 9:20 | 204 | 132 | Yes |
| Run Segment 6 | 1:30 | 10:00 | 9:10 | 208 | 137 | Yes |
| Test Segment 6 | 0:30 | 11:30 | 9:10 | 208 | 137 | Yes |
| Run Segment 7 | 1:30 | 12:00 | 9:00 | 212 | 141 | Yes |
| Test Segment 7 | 0:30 | 13:30 | 9:00 | 212 | 141 | Yes |
| Run Segment 8 | 1:30 | 14:00 | 8:50 | 216 | 145 | Yes |
| Test Segment 8 | 0:30 | 15:30 | 8:50 | 216 | 145 | Yes |
| Run Segment 9 | 1:30 | 16:00 | 8:40 | 220 | 148 | Not Sure |
| Test Segment 9 | 0:30 | 17:30 | 8:40 | 220 | 148 | Not Sure |
*Be sure to continue running at the same pace during each test segment!
- Go to the online 80/20 Endurance Zone Calculator and enter your result in the appropriate Talk Test field.
Step 3 – Calculate Your Zones
Once you have a result from your chosen field test, go to the pace calculator and enter it in the appropriate field. If you wish to have your zones automatically sent to your your 80/20 workouts on TrainingPeaks, follow the steps outlined in the document Understanding Your TrainingPeaks.com Structured Workout Plan.
Note that your Talk Test result cannot be entered directly into the TrainingPeaks Zone Calculator; you’ll need to first enter it into the 80/20 Zone calculator to obtain your current TP, LTHR, or rFTP and then take that number to TrainingPeaks.
Keeping Your Zones Current
As your fitness level changes, you will need to adjust your zones to keep them current. The easiest way to do this is to perform a Talk Test during a Foundation Run or Recovery Run whenever you feel that you have “outgrown” your current zones.
Races, of course, are natural opportunities to update your pace zones. For example, if you complete a 5K race during Week 6 of a 12-week 10K training plan, use your 5K time to update your pace zones.
Many athletes like to update their zones on a regular schedule. If you wish to do so, choose a preferred testing method and repeat it during every second recovery week beginning with the first recovery week of your plan. Note that recovery weeks fall every third week in all of our run plans. If you elect to perform scheduled testing, you will test in Week 3, Week 9, Week 15, etc. Your zone tests will be least disruptive to the overall training process if you do them in place of the most challenging workout of the relevant week that features efforts in Zone 3 or higher. For example, the most challenging workout featuring efforts in Zone 3 or higher in Week 9 of our Level 1 Half-Marathon Plan is a Hill Repetitions Run (RHR37). This would be the best run to replace with a test.
Also note that if you are an intermediate- or advanced-level runner and you use heart rate as your primary intensity metric, you probably don’t need to update your zones very often. This is because LTHR doesn’t change a lot with changes in fitness once you’re past the beginner (or starting-over) phase. What you will find as you gain fitness is that you run faster and faster at the same heart rates. Indeed, one simple way to update your pace or power zones is to do a test where you run at your current known LTHR and identify the corresponding pace/power, then plug this number into the appropriate calculator. For example, if you know that your LTHR is consistently stable at 160 BPM but you notice that you’re running faster at any given HR lately, do a run where you lock into a heart rate of 160 BPM and note the corresponding pace/power. Say your pace is 7:07/mile at this HR. This, then, is your approximate Threshold Pace. It’s best to do this particular test within the context of a scheduled run that targets Zone 3.
"During my first 12-week base period on an 80/20 plan I cut more time off more disciplines than I did in a year of Ironman training with one-on-one coaching. I’ve also boosted my bike FTP by 20 watts. It’s unreal."
Chris DiRienzo
"The results were amazing. I shed 27 minutes out of my 70.3 personal best and felt so strong and confident during the race that at times I thought the pace and time my watch was showing me was wrong!"
Carlos Salgado
"Only in my dreams did I dare to aim for 10:45 but the result was so much better: 10:34! No injuries were recorded during the whole preparation period."
Hanan Drobinar
"Over the past 16 weeks on an 80/20 plan I have improved my fastest kilometer by almost a minute, my 5k went from 38:50 to 30:28, and I ran 10 km, 21 km and 30 km for the first time ever. Oh, and I lost 22 kg in the process!"
Franziska Kühne
"My mom lost about 40 pounds, learned how to eat and exercise, and completed her first tri. I did my first Ironman on the 80/20 system. She continues to run and swim 4-5 days a week and honestly lives an entirely different life."
Skylar Clark
"The 80/20 plan was a joy and a relief. I now enjoy running more, run more with friends, and am creeping up to faster and faster speeds without injuries."
Ben Graham
"The almost-daily runs and training consistently with the established intensity were key. I had no injuries while training!"
Ashish Gupta
"Using the 80/20 system, I ran a half marathon in 1:25, and followed up the performance with a Boston-qualifying 3:08 marathon at age 45!"
Dean Murley
"At 46, I broke my 5K record from when I was 33 and qualified for Boston using the 80/20 method."
Jennifer Hickman
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Randy Kinsey
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Jacques Van Wyk
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"I searched for answers and discovered the 80/20 way. Trust the process and stick to the plan!"
Mauricio Hernandez
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Peter Richmond
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Winston Bryn
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Thomas Løvholt
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Scott Bass
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Marcin Bury
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Richard Sudworth
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Matthew Neale
"I never thought I could beat my personal best Marathon time of 3:09, but with the 80/20 I ran a 2:57! My last kilometer was my fastest and I could have gone another 10K at that pace!"
Lindt de la Port
"80/20 Endurance dropped my threshold pace by 2 minutes per mile!"
Michael Metz
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Mike McPharlin
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Juan Carlos Diaz Arelle
"80/20 is a huge underlying principle of what I do week-in, week-out."
Bronwyn Tagg
"I'm making a lot of progress due to the increased volume I'm able to do by just slowing down. I'm also feeling more rested for the tough workouts and really appreciating the recovery workouts in between."
Pete Babins
"The results so far have been an increase in fitness and performance. I can run much farther at a constant pace than I have ever been able to before I also know so much more about my body and limits."
Ben Wyld
"Thank you for the role 80/20 played in getting to the finish line of Ironman Arizona. Going top 10% for my age group feels really great. Thanks for helping me conquer this life goal!"
Dwight Robertson
"After following the 80/20 plan I was able to break a personal best record. I not only finished within the goal I had set but did negative splits the entire race, which was a first for me."
Marco de Tavira
"I’ve never felt more energized in a training cycle. I’m really able to balance my training load and my workload without burning out."
Troy Bedik
"Thank you 80/20 Endurance! I followed the plan and ran a half marathon as a "feeler." I ran a 1:26, won my age group and was amazed that I could run that pace. Using 80/20, I went back to a marathon course where I ran a 3:23 on and ended up running a 3:13! I'm now qualified for the Boston Marathon!"
Andy Jones
"I honestly believe that there is no way I could've completed my first Ironman 70.3 were it not for the 80/20 training plan."
Shawn Platt
"I used the 80/20 plan to prepare for my first triathlon, which was also an Ironman 70.3. I was worried about injuries, available time, and being in shape to go the distance. All this worry for no reason, as the plan worked me up to the correct endurance levels without too many stresses on my aging body, and my plan did not overtake my life."
Pat Donohue
"I was in that "every workout should be hard" mentality until I trusted the 80/20 plan. My hard workouts were tough, but having fresh legs going into them was key."
Alicia Phillips
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A.J. Moser
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Marco la Spina
"This past weekend I completed Ironman Wisconsin on the Run/Bike Power version of the Level 2 80/20 plan. While the volume was drastically higher than any I had done in past years, I had no injuries and I felt confident in the specificity of the purpose for each workout. On race day I was able to hit my power and pace targets and finish strong with a smile on my face!"
Roger Hipwell
"The 80/20 program made my first Olympic Triathlon not only attainable, but something that left me hungry and ready for more the moment I crossed the finish line."
John Hodges
"After three surgeries in three years I realized my way of training was wrong. After reading the book 80/20 Triathlon I decided to give it a try. It was fun and easy to follow and I ended up with my a PR in all three disciplines!"
Edson Vassoler
"I like 80/20 because it gives me permission to take it easy on some day. I don’t need to go out and hammer every day to get a new PR like I did in the beginning. The easy days are enjoyable and give me the power to nail (most of) my harder workouts. I don’t dread my sprint and hill work anymore, and at 54 I’m still setting PRs and I’ve been injury free."
Karin Peters
"I really felt my endurance build consistently throughout the training with my Level 3 80/20 Ironman 70.3 Plan. I was fatigued at times but never felt overtrained, and I went into my A race feeling more prepared then the three years prior."
Shawn Craig
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Kevin Pogacar
"By following the 80/20 program I transformed from a 222-lb nonrunner to a 175-lb marathoner in the 10 months."
Brett Hoyer
"I swear by 80/20 and always talk it up during tri conversations. Thank you!"
Christopher Barry
"Heart rate training can definitely feel like defeat when you focus on how slow your training paces are, but the victory comes on race day. I am so glad I found 80/20 Running!"
Sarah Pirolli
"Before I started your program I predicted a 14-hour finish in my first Ironman. After sticking to the program and training for six months my conference grew tremendously. I crushed my goal by three hours!"
Greg Pawlisa
"With 80/20 training, I improved my 70.3 result by almost half an hour."
Mikhail Tinovitckii
"By following the principles of the 80/20 programming I was able to finish my first ever Half Ironman. Leading up to the Half Ironman, I also ran my first ever half marathon. The 80/20 programming also helped me to get through my full racing season injury free as well as feeling well trained and ready for all of my races."
Steve Messenger
"Absolutely loved the plan. It has allowed me to cut almost 8 1/2 minutes off my half marathon PB. The workouts were varied and fun (well sometimes fun in a brutal way haha) and I got great support from David when I had any questions about the plan. Would recommend unreservedly."
Mark Sun
"The 80/20 plan allowed me to train every day without getting stressed or fatigued and to show up on the day and perform fresh and uninjured."
Helen Hayward
"I've successfully lowered my Ironman 70.3 time by nearly 40 minutes through 80/20. Don’t be afraid to go slow when you’re supposed to!"
Damon Lebeouf
"Used an 80/20 plan for Ironman 70.3 Bintan in Indonesia and it went perfectly. Sometimes I had doubts that the training was too light or intense, but I kept repeating to myself "Trust the plan" and I ended up having an amazing race--much faster than expected!"
Sergio Real
"I trained with the 80/20 half marathon plan, and did a personal best! I felt good after! It made me think about what it could do for me for a marathon or beyond. It taught me so much about how to pace myself and be more in tune with my body when I ran. I cannot recommend this training enough. It made me believe that Matt Fitzgerald and David Warden truly know how to train us to be better athletes."
Lai Flushing
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Erik Enqvist
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Mark Burdeshaw
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Mitch Atkinson
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Julia Ponce
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Scott Bleazard
"When I made the switch to 80/20 I quickly realized that after 10 years of hard training, this new method felt very doable and was a comfortable fit. Thanks for making it available to us in the age-group triathlon world."
Jim Moore
"The best year ever! After a few years of sporadic training efforts and competing in triathlons from Sprint distance to full Ironman I decided to look into a more structured approach to training. After looking into the plethora of plans available, I selected a 80/20 Endurance plans. I completed 2 Sprints, 1 Olympic, 3 halves and 1 full Ironman, and setting personal bests at all distances, slicing 2 hours 20 from the full Ironman."
Mark White
"Kudos and appreciation to your training programs as I set a new 1/2 marathon PB at 1:28:20 (6:13 off my previous best). My cycling FTP is now just short of 300W (from 230W) after starting training with your programs around 8 months ago. I also took 30 minutes off my 70.3 personal best time with a 4:56, while balancing a large family and professional commitments."
Jeremy Biggelaar
"This year I decided to use an 80/20 plan. For the first time, I felt that my training had structure; each unit was part of a whole and it made sense. I was very satisfied with the results."
Jose Fraile
"I PB'd every race I did this year and then topped it off with my first 70.3 thanks to the 80/20 plan I used! PB'd the Olympic distance at nationals! The 80/20 method really changed my approach to training and got me fitter than I've ever been without a single injury."
Claire Colbert
"Matt created a customized training plan for me that not only allowed me to balance triathlon training with marathon training, but to have PR's in all my repeat races!"
Mackenzie Howard
"I used 80/20 for all of my raining this year and got my highest age-group finishes at any event in my nine years of racing triathlons."
Bob Ford
"In my first triathlon after switching to 80/20 I had my fastest swim pace at any distance and my fastest Olympic bike and run splits. Even my transitions were faster!"
Curtis Repen
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Rachel Whitehead
"IUsing your Level 3 Ironman 70.3 Plan I have gone from the bottom third to the top third in my age group at the half-Ironman distance."
Michael Shulman
"I have started to run after few years off and the 80/20 plan allowed me to get fit and achieve my first half marathon in Verona in no time! What I love most is that following a clear and defined plan boosts my motivation because I can see the progress I am making."
Marco Saraceno
"David and 8020 helped me set a new half marathon PR of 1:46 from 2:35 in 15 weeks. Thank you David for your hands-on coaching. I love the data-driven, balanced approach. I'll never overtrain again."
Tiara Womack
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Meaux Redhead
"I used the 80/20 plan for the first time this year. I absolutely loved it. Well Balanced and effective. I can't wait till my preparation for next year starts."
Dennis Ruts
"After reading 80/20 Running and focusing on slowing down, I am absolutely amazed at the results. I just completed a PB of 2:52:48. By slowing down my recovery has been excellent."
Daniel Velardo
"Using an 80/20 plan, we both came in 7th place in our AG at 70.3 New Zealand! We were fresh all the time and the fatigue we had become accustomed to all those years was not there."
Jose and Isobel Uribe
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Colin Lewis
"I have travelled with 80/20 plans within my country, to Boston in 2018, and soon to Berlin. I am now a wholly better person than I was before."