Steady effort running is carried out a perceived effort level of 7.5-8 out of 10 (75-80% HRR) and is where you are running at a level of some discomfort. A lot of runners do most of their running at this effort level because they feel they are working but, in reality, it is not focused enough to be of real benefit and neither is it easy enough to be recovery. We do however sometimes use this level of training when trying to develop your training towards Threshold effort or increasing general workload.