The heart rate, perceived exertion, and pace of the 1.5 mile run

The logical validity of a 1.5-mile run as a measure of aerobic capacity, and the validity of Borg's laboratory model of perceived exertion (RPE) were examined in a field setting on a 440-yd cinder track. Performance time, heart rate (HR), and RPE were described for college-age males (N=67) instructed to achieve the lowest time possible during an "all-out" effort. Alpha and canonical factor analyses revealed three robust factors for performance times: 1) lap 1, 2) laps 2.5, 3) lap 6; two robust factors for HR: 1) laps 3-6, 2) laps 1 and 2; and four factors for RPE: 1) lap 6, 2) laps 1-3, 3) laps 4 and 5, 4) first 220 yd of lap 1. Results indicated distinct pacing characteristics of an initial sprint, a stable speed reduction, and a finishing sprint. This pace was generally independent of Ss HR (r's, mean lap 1 = 0.09; mean laps 2-5 = 0.19, mean lap 6 = 0.21) and RPE (r's, mean lap 1 = -0.15; mean laps 2-5 = 0.12; mean lap 6 = 0.07), and in part these findings at least implicate confounding influences by anaerobic metabolism and Ss motivation on performance. This possibility was supported by the fact that 95% of performance variance could be accounted for by pace factors of the initial and finishing sprints. Both HR and RPE response followed a linear-like increase as a function of cumulative time and distance. However, only a small relationship between HR and RPE (r, mean = 0.16) was observed during the run, and the obtained correlations did not support a central RPE-control model based on cardiovascular stress.