Relative Effort on Strava

Have been using this function for a while as a guide to managing my training, ie not overdoing stuff, which has been a feature of previous versions of me when training🙄. Last week and now into this week, it seems to have jumped in its calculation of the efforts that I have put out. My perception is the workouts have not been that more strenuous, it might just be that I'm finally getting younger or that my fitness has jumped (hopeful on both counts), just wondered if anyone else used the feature and noticed a change, might it be a change in an algorithm on Strava?

[2718281 Half Marathon]

I think improving your fitness means that you can get a higher load over time, as the same run (same time, same distance, same weather, same personal conditions...) will require less effort. I don't really look at it much, but according to strava my relative effort has been decreasing since the end of May

[Hidden in reply to 2718281]

Well Strava tells us it's based onyour max heart rate and your effort as a percentage plus the duration of session. So I'm guessing even if you don't run/ride harder but longer your score goes up. Maybe that's the answer?

[SueKen Half Marathon in reply to 2718281]

My fitness went up Jan - Mar as I was doing progressively longer runs. I dropped off sharply when I reduced my distance. Now I can see the difference if I have a good run when my heart rate stays down (especially if I jeff!).