Exercise intensity during training and competition was assessed in women runners in relation to two metabolic markers determined in the laboratory, ventilatory threshold (VT) and 4 mM of blood lactic acid (OBLA). Heart rates (HRs) were then obtained during 6 days of training and during an 8 km race. These HRs were used as references for quantifying the amount of hard (> HR-OBLA), moderate (< HR-OBLA, > HR-VT) and easy (< HR-VT) intensity training. Mean maximal heart rate (HRmax) was 183 bpm, HR-OBLA was 94.8% of HRmax, and HR-VT was 82.2% of HRmax. Average weekly training time was 301.2 min, of which 45.8% was in the easy intensity range, 45.7% in the moderate intensity range, and 8.9% in the hard intensity range. Self-reports of how training time was spent differed from actual training as revealed by the monitored heart rates. Subjects reported that they completed 3 sessions per week of easy intensity training, less than 1 session of moderate intensity training, and 1.5 sessions of hard intensity training. More than 70% of the 8 km race was performed at an intensity higher than HR-OBLA (173 bpm). Although 8 km race intensity closely corresponded with that at OBLA, very little training time was spent at that running intensity. HR monitoring of training intensity provided more accurate information than self-reports of training intensity.