Measuring your effort

It’s important that you train at the right effort level and intensity to ensure you’re training to reach your full potential. Most of us think that
training “harder is better” so we end up training too hard, which can result in feeling tired, illness or injury. Understanding what each
session is trying to achieve and how it should feel is the way to train smart, so here’s a guide to effort levels that you’ll find mentioned in
your training plan and a note of how they should feel as a ‘talk test’.

Type of Perceived effort

Heart rate How it should feel – the ‘talk test’
Session level (1-10)*

You can speak in complete sentences, totally conversational, you’re relaxed and
Recovery 6-6.5 65-70%
enjoying it the session.

You’re in control and very much at a conversational level but you’ll feel slightly
Easy 6.5-7 65-70%
flushed with a gradual build up of muscular fatigue.

You can speak in short sentences but have a slight pause on your breath. This can
Steady 7-8 70-80%
often be ‘no man’s land’ in training terms if this is all you do.

You could speak 4-5 words if somebody asked you a question. Your breathing is
Threshold 8-8.5 80-85%
more laboured and you know you’re working, we call this ‘controlled discomfort’.

Hard 9-9.5 90-92% 90-92%

*Perceived effort = where 1 is easy and represents minimum effort and 10 is hard and represents maximum effort

Beat heartbreak forever © British Heart Foundation 2019, registered charity in England and Wales (225971) and in Scotland (SC039426)
 50K trek training plan:
Advanced
Week Monday Tuesday
Rest 35 mins cross training - 10
1 mins easy effort, 15 mins
steady effort, 10 mins easy
effort (can be indoor bike
or eliptical trainer) or 35
mins easy effort run. 15 mins
strength and conditioning
Rest 35 mins cross training - 10
2 mins easy effort, 15 mins
steady effort, 10 mins easy
effort (can be indoor bike
or eliptical trainer) or 35
mins easy effort run. 15 mins
strength and conditioning
Rest 30 mins easy effort
3 cross training or run,
30 mins strength and
conditioning
Rest 30 mins easy effort
4 cross training or run,
30 mins strength and
conditioning
Beat heartbreak forever © British Heart Foundation 2019, registered charity in England and Wales (225971) and in Scotland (SC039426)
Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
50 mins easy 40 mins cross training Rest 45 mins easy effort 2 hr steady effort
effort walk (eliptical trainer) - 10 mins
cross training (can walk over off road
easy effort, 20 mins steady
effort, 10 mins easy effort be indoor bike or undulating terrain if
or 40 mins easy effort swimming) possible please
run. 15 mins strength and
conditioning
2 hr
60 mins easy 40 mins cross training Rest 45 mins easy effort 2 hr 30 mins steady
effort walk (eliptical trainer) - 10 mins
cross training (can effort walk over off
easy effort, 20 mins steady
effort, 10 mins easy effort be indoor bike or road undulating
or 40 mins easy effort swimming) terrain if possible
run. 15 mins strength and
please
conditioning
2.5 hr
40 mins cross training (can 30 - 45 mins easy Rest 3 hr steady effort 1 hr steady effort
be indoor bike or elipitcal
effort walk, 15 - 30 walk over off road walk over off road
trainer) or 40 mins run - 10
mins easy effort, 6 x 2 mins mins strength and undulating terrain if undulating terrain if
at threshold effort off 60 conditioning possible please possible please
seconds easy effort recovery
between intervals, 10 mins
easy effort
1.25 hr 3 hr 1 hr
40 mins cross training (can 30 - 45 mins easy Rest 3 hr 30 mins steady 1 hr 30 mins steady
be indoor bike or elipitcal
effort walk, 15 - 30 effort walk over off effort walk over off
trainer) or 40 mins run - 10
mins easy effort, 5 x 3 mins mins strength and road undulating road undulating
at threshold effort off 60 conditioning terrain if possible terrain if possible
seconds easy effort recovery
between intervals, 10 mins please please
easy effort
1.25 hr 3.5 hr 1.5 hr
1/4
 50K trek training plan:
Advanced
Week Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
Rest 30 mins easy effort 40 - 45 mins cross training 30 - 45 mins easy Rest 5 hr steady effort 1 hr 30 mins steady
5 cross training or run,
(can be indoor bike or
effort walk, 15 - 30 walk over off road effort walk over off
elipitcal trainer) or 40 - 45
30 mins strength and mins run - 10 mins easy effort, mins strength and undulating terrain if road undulating
conditioning 6 x 3 mins at threshold effort conditioning possible please terrain if possible
off 60 seconds easy effort
recovery between intervals, please
10 mins easy effort

1.25 hr 5 hr 1.5 hr

Rest 45 mins easy 40 - 45 mins cross training 30 mins easy effort Rest 4 hr 30 mins steady 2 hr steady effort
6 effort walk, 15
(can be indoor bike or
cross training or run, effort walk over off walk over off road
elipitcal trainer) or 40 - 45
mins strength and mins run - 10 mins easy effort, 30 mins strength and road undulating undulating terrain if
conditioning 5 x 4 mins at threshold effort conditioning terrain if possible possible please
off 75 seconds easy effort
recovery between intervals, please
10 mins easy effort

4.5 hr 2 hr

Rest 45 mins easy 40 - 45 mins cross training 30 mins easy effort Rest 4 hr 45 mins steady 2 hr steady effort
7 effort walk, 15
(can be indoor bike or
cross training or run, effort walk over off walk over off road
elipitcal trainer) or 40 - 45
mins strength and mins run - 10 mins easy effort, 30 mins strength and road undulating undulating terrain if
conditioning 5 x 4 mins at threshold effort conditioning terrain if possible possible please
off 60 seconds easy effort
recovery between intervals, please
10 mins easy effort

4.75 hr 2 hr

Rest 45 mins easy 45 - 50 mins cross training 30 mins easy effort Rest 5 hr steady effort 2 hr 30 mins steady
8 effort walk, 15
(can be indoor bike or
cross training or run, walk over off road effort walk over off
elipitcal trainer) or 45 - 50
mins strength and mins run - 10 mins easy effort, 30 mins strength and undulating terrain if road undulating
conditioning 6 x 4 mins at threshold effort conditioning possible please terrain if possible
off 90 seconds easy effort
recovery between intervals, please
10 mins easy effort

5 hr 2.5 hr

Beat heartbreak forever © British Heart Foundation 2019, registered charity in England and Wales (225971) and in Scotland (SC039426) 2/4
 50K trek training plan:
Advanced
Week Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
Rest - easier week this 30 mins easy effort 45 - 50 mins cross training 45 - 60 mins easy Rest 5 hr 30 mins steady Rest
9 week to allow some cross training or run
(can be indoor bike or
effort walk effort walk over off
elipitcal trainer) or 45 - 50
training adaptation mins run - 10 mins easy effort, road undulating
and recovery from 6 x 4 mins at threshold effort terrain if possible
the previous weeks of off 90 seconds easy effort
recovery between intervals, please
training
10 mins easy effort

5.5 hr

45 - 60 mins strength Rest 50 mins cross training (can 45 mins easy Rest 5 hr 45 mins steady 2 hr 30 mins steady
10 and conditioning
be indoor bike or elipitcal
effort walk, 15 effort walk over off effort walk over off
trainer) or 50 mins run - 10
(can be a fitness mins easy effort, 5 x 5 mins mins strength and road undulating road undulating
class) at threshold effort off 90 conditioning terrain if possible terrain if possible
seconds easy effort recovery
between intervals, 10 mins please please
easy effort

5.75 hr 2.5 hr

Rest 45 - 60 mins strength 50 mins cross training (can 45 mins easy Rest 6 hr steady effort 2 hr 30 mins steady
11 and conditioning
be indoor bike or elipitcal
effort walk, 15 walk over off road effort walk over off
trainer) or 50 mins run - 10
(can be a fitness mins easy effort, 5 x 5 mins mins strength and undulating terrain if road undulating
class) at threshold effort off 90 conditioning possible please terrain if possible
seconds easy effort recovery
between intervals, 10 mins please
easy effort

6 hr 2.5 hr

Rest - easier week this 45 - 60 mins strength 50 mins cross training (can 45 mins easy Rest 6 hr 30 mins steady Rest
12 week to allow some and conditioning
be indoor bike or elipitcal
effort walk, 15 effort walk over off
trainer) or 50 mins run - 10
training adaptation (can be a fitness mins easy effort, 5 x 5 mins mins strength and road undulating
and recovery from class) at threshold effort off 60 conditioning terrain if possible
the previous weeks of seconds easy effort recovery
between intervals, 10 mins please
training
easy effort

6.5 hr

Beat heartbreak forever © British Heart Foundation 2019, registered charity in England and Wales (225971) and in Scotland (SC039426) 3/4
 50K trek training plan:
Advanced
Week Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
Rest 45 - 60 mins strength 60 mins easy 30 mins easy effort Rest 7 hr steady effort 2 hrs steady effort
13 and conditioning effort walk cross training or run, walk over off road walk over off road
(can be a fitness 30 mins strength and undulating terrain if undulating terrain if
class) conditioning possible please possible please

7 hr 2 hr

Rest 45 - 60 mins strength 60 mins easy 50 mins cross training Rest 2 hr steady effort Rest
14 and conditioning effort walk
(can be indoor bike or
walk over off road
elipitcal trainer) or 50 mins
(can be a fitness run - 10 mins easy effort, 5 x 5 undulating terrain if
class) mins at threshold effort off 60 possible please
seconds easy effort recovery
between intervals, 10 mins
easy effort

2 hr

45 - 60 mins strength Rest 45 mins cross training (can 30 mins easy effort 45 mins easy Rest 1 hr steady effort
15 and conditioning
be indoor bike or elipitcal
cross training or run effort walk walk over off road
trainer) or 45 mins run - 10
(can be a fitness mins easy effort, 4 x 5 mins undulating terrain if
class) at threshold effort off 60 possible please
seconds easy effort recovery
between intervals, 10 mins
easy effort

16 Rest 30 mins easy effort

cross training, walk
Rest 20 mins easy effort
cross training, walk
Rest, plan, prepare
and look forward to
Event day! Event day!
or run or run the challenge

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