Why Your Best Race Result Matters for Future Training
2026-05-17 21:41
When filling out your training settings, the “best result” field may seem like a small detail. In reality, it’s one of the key parameters that determines the quality of your entire training plan — just like your correctly set maximum heart rate.
Your current fitness level defines:
training paces
workout structure
training intensity
and overall training load
What is calculated from your result?
Your best result becomes the starting point for calculating:
easy run pace
long run pace
threshold pace
interval and VO₂max workout pace
overall Training Load
Training Load is not just a buzzword. It’s a real metric that reflects how much work your body performs above its baseline effort level, combining both volume and intensity.
If your starting result is inaccurate, the entire system shifts with it. Training may become either too easy — or too hard.
Why accuracy matters
Short distances are highly sensitive to errors
The shorter the distance, the bigger the impact of even a small mistake.
For example:
1 km in 5:00
vs 1 km in 6:00
That’s only a one-minute difference, but it dramatically changes all calculated training paces.
In this case:
easy pace may differ by about 1 minute per kilometer
threshold pace by nearly 50 seconds
interval pace by more than 30 seconds
For your body, these are completely different training loads.
Long-distance results are less sensitive
Now compare:
a 1:40 half marathon
and a 1:41 half marathon
The resulting training pace difference will only be a few seconds per kilometer.
That’s why small inaccuracies matter much less for long-distance results — but become critical for short ones.
Why recent results matter
Even a perfectly accurate race result loses value over time.
If your PR was set a year ago, it may no longer reflect your current condition:
you may have improved
or lost fitness
changed training volume
had injuries, illness, or long breaks
That’s why results from the last 2–3 months are usually the most useful.
They provide the best representation of your current fitness level and allow training zones to be calculated more accurately.
Why you shouldn’t “invent” a future result
One of the most common questions is:
“What result can I realistically expect?”
The truth is: nobody can predict it precisely.
Too many factors influence race performance:
time available before the race
consistency of preparation
weather
elevation profile
course surface
number of turns
time zone adaptation
recovery
and, most importantly, how your body responds to training stress
What we can do is prepare you for your possible maximum at your current stage.
That’s why a good training plan gradually increases:
volume
intensity
workout pace
and overall training load
while also including recovery weeks so your body can adapt properly.
The biggest mistake: overstating your current level
Some runners enter not their actual result — but the result they want to achieve.
The logic usually sounds like this:
“If I enter a faster result, my workouts will be faster, and I’ll improve faster too.”
In practice, this is almost always a bad idea.
Training at paces above your real fitness level often leads to:
chronic fatigue
overtraining
injuries
illness
and loss of motivation
Your body cannot be tricked by numbers in the settings.
What if you don’t know your current maximum?
In reality, many runners don’t know their actual current level.
A common sign is when someone chooses the 1 km option simply because they don’t have recent race results.
So how do you find your current maximum?
There are essentially only two reliable ways.
1. Run 1 km all-out
The simplest option.
Pros:
quick
accessible
can be done alone
Cons:
hard to truly push yourself solo
many runners leave a little reserve unintentionally
2. Race an official event
This is usually the best way to determine your true level.
During races:
motivation is higher
competition helps you push harder
runners often perform better than in training
The key is choosing a distance appropriate for your current fitness.
And don’t forget about maximum heart rate
If your watch tracks heart rate, both of the tests above can also help you identify another critical parameter — your maximum heart rate.
It is just as important for training accuracy as your race result.
Correctly set:
maximum race result
and maximum heart rate
make your training plan more accurate, safer, and more effective.