16 Week Beginner Olympic - 2x question

RPE means Rating of Perceived Exertion.
In other words, Zone 1-2 or 2-3 modified RPE means take it easy, you should be able to maintain a conversation while you train do not push too hard.
There is an interesting article here about heart rate and perceived exertion in training. http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/Scott%20Herrick/HRMoniterPartII.h...

Chuckie I'm in the same boat, I don't know what my RPE's are. But I'm training and I bump up or down from normal based on the number.

I believe the modified RPE scale goes from 1-10 so it is a fairly simple concept.  It's all how hard the effort feels to you...10 being the hgardest you could push and 1 being almostvery easy and relaxed...liesurely even.  It's called a "modified" scale because the original scale had some strange values...1-17 or something like that.  People can relate to the 1-10 much better.

Anyone who knows me knows that I like to quote Joe Friel...so here goes. According to his Cyclist Training Bible, the Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) "is frequently used to determine at what level an athlete is working...There are two ways to measure this...heart rate monitoring of the cardiovascular system and power measurement of the muscular system..." He goes on to demonstrate the BORG SCALE OF RPE. I don't want to reproduce that scale because I'm not sure of copywrite laws, but to summarize - it is a scale from 1-20 and depending on your PURPOSE the RPE changes. For example, if your purpose was RECOVERY, then the RPE would be VERY LIGHT, if your PURPOSE was TEMPO DEVELOPMENT then the RPE would be SOMEWHAT HARD, and if your PURPOSE was AEROBIC CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT, then the RPE would be VERY VERY HARD. RPE is just another method utilized in measuring training and racing intensity. Because your heart rate varies depending on diet, rest, and other factors, you may do the same activity two days in a row and not have the same HR. RPE is a more scientific way of training in your HR Zones. Hope this long winded explanation helps. If I confused you further I apologize. Maybe you can get more information from www.TrainingBible.com