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How Does REN Set and Update My VO₂max, Critical Speed, and Aerobic Threshold Paces?

REN support

REN works with three key paces:

  • VO₂max pace – your very hard, short-interval pace

  • Critical Speed (CS) – the fastest pace you can hold for a sustained hard effort

  • Aerobic Threshold (AeT) – your “strong but steady” endurance pace

These paces are the backbone of your workouts and training zones.

1. Initial values: based on your onboarding PRs

When you first set up REN, we ask for your personal records (PRs) over different distances (5 km, 10 km, half marathon, etc.).

From those PRs, REN calculates:

  • Your VO₂max pace

  • Your Critical Speed

  • Your Aerobic Threshold pace

So right after onboarding, all three thresholds are estimated from the race times you provided.

2. You can edit them manually in Settings

If you know your values are off (old PRs, conservative times, lab results, etc.), you can adjust them yourself.

  1. Open REN

  2. Go to Settings → Thresholds

  3. For VO₂max, Critical Speed, or AeT:

    • Tap the pencil icon to type a new pace OR

    • Tap Recalculate to enter updated PRs and let REN compute new values

  4. Tap Save

REN will immediately start using those new paces when building your workouts.

3. They also change automatically when you do REN tests

This part is crucial: your thresholds don’t stay frozen after onboarding.

Throughout your plan, REN will schedule specific tests (for example, time trials or benchmark efforts). When you complete these tests:

  • REN analyses your performance

  • Recalibrates your VO₂max, Critical Speed, and/or Aerobic Threshold

  • Updates your training paces to match your current fitness

That means your zones and workout intensities become more accurate over time, as long as you actually do the planned tests.

Skipping tests = slower, less accurate updates.
Doing tests = faster, smarter adjustments to your training.

4. Why this matters

Accurate thresholds let REN:

  • Prescribe sessions that are challenging but realistic

  • Progress your training as you get fitter

  • Avoid workouts that are too easy to help or too hard to recover from

So in summary:

  • After onboarding, thresholds are set from your PRs

  • You can change them anytime in Settings → Thresholds

  • They will also be automatically recalibrated when you complete planned tests in your training plan

Tweaking them when needed and doing your tests is the best way to keep REN’s coaching perfectly tuned to you.

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