How to use the pace percentage calculator

Pick your machine, choose the units you want to work in, and enter your 100% effort. The table fills in from 95% to 105% in 1% steps, with your entered units in the main column and a second unit beside it. Use Highlight a target to mark the range your workout calls for. The table fits on one phone screen, so you can screenshot it and take it to the gym.

Coaches write a lot of conditioning as a percentage of a known pace. For example:

Enter your 10k pace, set the target to 98–102%, and you have every pace for the workout in one table.

It works great for under/over threshold work. Enter your threshold once, and the rows below 100% give you your "under" paces while the rows above 100% give you your "over" paces, all in one screenshot.

What "100%" means

100% is your threshold: roughly the hardest pace or output you could hold for about 30 minutes. A simple field test is a solo 30-minute time trial. Your average pace (running, rowing or skiing), average watts or average cadence for the whole effort is your 100%. Below 100% is sustainable aerobic work. Above 100% is interval territory that you can only hold for shorter repeats.

How the percentages are calculated

Running: percentages of speed

For running, the percentage is applied to your speed, then turned back into pace. 105% means running 5% faster, so the pace is your threshold pace ÷ 1.05. For a 7:30 per mile threshold, 105% is 7:09 per mile and 95% is 7:54 per mile. We use speed because the energy cost of running rises roughly in a straight line with speed (this is the basis of the ACSM running equation), so a percentage of speed tracks a percentage of effort. The table shows pace per kilometer and per mile, whichever one you entered.

Rower, BikeErg and SkiErg: percentages of watts

On a Concept2, watts are the true measure of how hard you're working. Pace and watts are linked by Concept2's own formula, watts = 2.80 ÷ (pace ÷ 500)³, with pace in seconds. Because watts rise with the cube of speed, 5% more power only makes your split about 1.6% faster. If you took 105% of the split directly, you'd be asking for about 16% more power, which is far harder than the workout intends.

So if you enter a split or calories per hour, the calculator converts it to watts first, applies the percentage to watts, then converts each row back to the units you entered. The BikeErg shows pace per 1,000 m and uses the same formula.

Why calories per hour are converted too

The Concept2 monitor calculates cal/hr = 300 + 4 × watts ÷ 1.1639. The fixed 300 calories is a resting baseline, so 105% of your calories per hour isn't the same as 105% of your work. Converting through watts keeps the percentage honest.

Echo Bike: percentages of watts from cadence

The Rogue Echo Bike's fan resistance climbs steeply with cadence. The calculator converts your RPM to watts using a published Echo Bike RPM-to-watt table (40–90 RPM, extended with a power curve outside that range), applies the percentage, and converts back to RPM. Because resistance rises so quickly, 105% of your watts is only about 2% more RPM. Echo Bike consoles vary slightly, so treat cadence targets as close guides and use watts if your console shows them.

Example tables

Notice how much smaller the change is on the rower. That's the cube relationship between watts and pace at work.

Related tools

• Erg Calculator: convert pace, watts, calories and cadence within one machine.
• Heart Rate Zone Calculator: five training zones from your max heart rate.

Frequently asked questions

Is 105% faster or slower than 95%?

Faster. Higher percentages always mean more work: a faster pace, more watts, more calories per hour or a higher cadence.

Why doesn't my rowing split change as much as my running pace?

Rowing percentages are applied to watts, and on a Concept2 watts rise with the cube of speed. A 5% jump in watts moves your split only about 1.6%. Running percentages are applied to speed, so 5% more speed is about a 5% faster pace.

How do I find my threshold pace?

Do an all-out 30-minute time trial on the machine you'll train on, pacing it as evenly as you can. Your average pace, watts or cadence for the full 30 minutes is your 100%. Retest every 6–8 weeks or after a big jump in fitness.

Can I use this for the Rogue Echo Row, Echo Ski or Assault AirBike?

The Echo Row and Echo Ski are built to match Concept2 numbers, so the Row and SkiErg tabs work for them. The Assault AirBike's cadence-to-watt curve is different from the Echo Bike's, so use watts on that bike.

Can I enter calories per minute?

Use calories per hour: multiply calories per minute by 60. The calculator then converts it to watts before applying the percentages.

Sources

1. Concept2. Watts calculator (pace and watts formula). Link
2. Concept2. Calorie and METs formulas. Link
3. Concept2. BikeErg pace calculator. Link
4. RBST. Air bike calculator (Echo Bike RPM and watts). Link
5. American College of Sports Medicine. ACSM's Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription: running metabolic equation.

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