Effort Over Numbers: A trail running coach’s take on what really counts

If you’ve ever finished a run that felt solid and then your watch tried to shame you… welcome to the club.Here’s your permission slip: the watch is a tool; it is not the boss of your training or your life.

I coach effort because trail running is chaos in the best way—heat, climbs, sandy washes, random rock gardens, life stress, period bloat, crappy sleep. Numbers can’t keep up with that. Effort can. And when you learn to train by effort, you also learn how to show up for your real life with the right kind of push.

Effort-Based Training for Trail Running

Here’s the RPE scale I actually coach with—the same one I use with my women ultra runners and everyday athletes:

• Easy Effort — RPE 2–4/5Time on feet. Conversational. You could talk about tacos. Stacks durability without trashing you.

• Endurance Effort — RPE 4–6Steady, sustainable. You’re working, but you could hold it for a while. This is “stronger for longer.”

• Tempo / Threshold — RPE 6–7You feel the edge. Controlled discomfort. Builds the engine you race with.

• VO₂ Max — RPE 8–9Short, spicy, purposeful. You don’t live here—you just visit for 3–4 weeks in a training block to sharpen the blade.

  
  

Notice what’s missing? Pace and heart rate targets. We’ll peek at them sometimes, but we don’t worship them. Why? Because Phoenix trail running in August is not the same as a 55° morning in October. Because that work fight, the 3 a.m. dog bark, or the 90-minute carpool changes the body you bring to the trail. Effort accounts for the human—the whole-ass human—wearing the shoes.

The Real Win: Coaching Yourself With Effort

Here’s the part most trail runners miss: effort isn’t just about the run you’re in. It’s about learning how to coach yourself when life (or the trail) throws curveballs.

You don’t need five different workouts crammed into a week. What you need is to know your gears.

• When the plan says easy, trust that RPE 2–4/5 is building your base—even if your ego wants faster.

• When it’s an endurance day, lean into RPE 4–6 and let the steeper climbs be hikes. That’s not weakness—it’s strategy.

• When it’s time for a threshold workout, step into RPE 6–7 and practice controlled discomfort that makes you durable on race day.

• And every so often, you’ll flirt with RPE 8–9 to wake up your speed. But you don’t live there.

  
  

It’s less about how many runs you stack and more about matching the effort to the purpose.

The Life Parallel

Effort isn’t just for the trail—it’s how you navigate real-life miles, too.

Easy Effort days (RPE 2–4/5):Bed on time. Say yes to the walk. Eat the meal you planned. Nothing sexy—everything foundational.Translation: you’re building capacity without fanfare.

Endurance days (RPE 4–6):Work, kids, training… you’re carrying a full pack, steadily. Boundaries are tight, distractions are low.Translation: you’re getting stronger by holding the line.

Tempo/Threshold days (RPE 6–7):The push you choose: having the hard conversation, asking for help, blocking 60 minutes for your run and guarding it.Translation: controlled discomfort that changes you.

VO₂ Max moments (RPE 8–9):The stuff you didn’t pick: grief, setbacks, chaos. You breathe, shorten the stride, and keep putting one foot down.Translation: you don’t live here—but you’re capable here. And in training? You don’t live here either. Ultra runners touch this effort for 3–4 weeks in a training block. Not too much, not too little—just enough to sharpen the blade without burning it down.

When you train by effort, you practice listening to your body and picking the right response—on climbs and in conflict, in heat waves and hard weeks. That’s why my athletes don’t just get faster—they get steadier. Good effort. Positive attitude. Reps on the trail that translate to reps in life.

Stop Letting the Watch Talk Smack

Use data; don’t let it use you. Your watch can’t feel the headwind, the sand, the sleep deficit, or the thousand tiny wins you stacked this week. Effort can. The longer you coach yourself by feel, the less you spiral when a metric looks messy—and the more you trust the work you’re actually doing.

Want more? Episode 4 of Dirt Nap Diaries just dropped: Effort Over Numbers: Why Your Watch is Lying to You. I share real athlete stories, break down how to use RPE in training, and give you a challenge to run by feel this week.

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Trail running at an easy effort can be the hardest thing