Pete Plan 2017

[mdpfirrman]

Welcome Optimus! Glad to have you. Your goals are good to have. Your times (for your weight) are very impressive. I've found that weight probably means more than height (as long as there is some strength behind the weight). Some would argue that (and they have a case) but I've seen shorter rowers than I power right through sub 7 - they all tend to be very "stout" rowers. You're off to a great start.

If you can, we'd also like to have a name. It just helps to cheer you on with your training.

@ Paul - I would agree with you about the speed being least important. I just like to do it and it only takes a very short period of time per week to work it.

[mdpfirrman]

Sorry can't get the pic to post here's a link to the sit

https://www.marigoldbars.com/the-primal-macarooned

They look tasty! I've been cooking these every week for my snack fix as part of my batching and prepping on a Sunday..

http://blog.myfitnesspal.com/chunky-monkey-oat-bars/

I probably wouldn't pay that much for a bar, but they do look good. The whole diet thing has gone around on the C2 site before. Everyone has their own opinion (for various reasons). I've done Whole 30 before. My wife has fibromyalgia, but she's pretty much 95% better from us changing our entire approach to eating. We are dairy free and gluten free and, now, in the process of leaning more vegan. The strongest research on fibromyalgia (not anecdotal) is that vegan, not even vegetarian, is best. I do think paleo is healthier than 99% of Americans eat. We are actually striving to do lower carb (not ultra low carb), high fat dieting with a strong emphasis on plant based eating. Most all our carbs from brown rice or sweet potato or vegetables (tons of peppers, onions, leafy greens and raw foods). Minimal meat (seafood, chicken), eggs and a lot of seeds, nuts and healthy fats. Nearly all of our fat comes from avocados, olive oil, nuts, coconut oil (and eggs). What concerns me about paleo is the amount of chemical residue in commercially produced meat (Round-up in particular). If it's fed non-organic grain, it has lots of Round-up in the tissues of the meat (especially collagen). I strongly, strongly feel that they will figure out in 5 or 10 years that fibromyalgia, MS, autism and many other conditions are tied to chemical sensitivities. Some of the various hypothesis about glyphosate (the chemical in Round-Up), which is a synthetic amino acid, taking the place of glycine in the body scare the bejesus out of me.

The unquestionable science shows that eliminating sugar, processed foods and eating more vegetables is always a great idea. Aside from that, there's huge debate and a million approaches.

[optimuswolf]

Welcome Optimus! Glad to have you. Your goals are good to have. Your times (for your weight) are very impressive. I've found that weight probably means more than height (as long as there is some strength behind the weight). Some would argue that (and they have a case) but I've seen shorter rowers than I power right through sub 7 - they all tend to be very "stout" rowers. You're off to a great start.

If you can, we'd also like to have a name. It just helps to cheer you on with your training.

Thanks Mike. Couple of things I've already noticed is that I'm more naturally comfortable with a high stroke rate - I've done some cycling in the past and always had a high cadence. So being comfortable with a sub 24 stroke rate and increasing the power are priorities. In a month or so I should have a basic home gym sorted so will work on getting a bit stronger. Realistically though I'm never going to be a powerful rower pulling 1:30.

Also noticed your diet discussion - my diet is awful, loads of sugar, scary amounts really. Will head over to that section to get some inspiration but I find it very hard. Also difficult to get motivated to eat well when outwardly I look in pretty good shape.

The name is Dean, but happy to go by handle on the web.

[mdpfirrman]

Welcome again Dean. Don't feel bad about diet. 10 years ago I was 240 roughly @ 5'10" and probably 45% or more body fat. I lost 25 or so on my own and then started logging my weight on Loseit.com and lost 45 more (down to 170). My diet back then was pretty bad too. At least you've stayed relatively fit (very fit cardio wise!) and managed to keep your weight down. Some people can eat a lot of sugar and carbs and stay active enough to manage it. I didn't. I was very inactive for as much as I ate. I got my weight down mostly by eliminating stuff I shouldn't have been eating to begin with. I gradually got better about specifically what I ate over the last 3 or 4 years. Why I waited so long, though, to get healthier is just my fault. Better later than never! I'm roughly 190 now but at around 17% or so body fat (same body fat I was at 170 when I lost the weight). That journey has been longer than my rowing journey! Perhaps I'll never get a sub 7 2K (my goal also) because of all the damage I did to my body in my late 20s, 30s and early 40s, but I'm sure gonna try! I was athletic in high school (and college) until I blew an ACL out. Rowing is a fun outlet to feel athletic again. I would say the rowing training rivals anything I did for athletic training in my youth (probably because I never played university sports).

You never know about power. I could show you pictures of me four or five years ago and now. I've packed on a LOT of muscle with consistent rowing and lifting.

[Litewait]

PP Cycle 2 - 2.4 8,000m DF119

SS Strapless @ 2:17.1 SPM 22/23. Never going to push it after 3/2.5/2, legs are like jello.


@dean - welcome, another youngster to make me feel that much older

[ChasinElk]

Welcome aboard optimus

street those sound tasty- making your own is always best since you can control what actually goes into your body!!

Mike i agree with you - I eat a lot of Elk and venison (fresh off the mountain- the best organic meat you can get ) as far as market bought i do go for the grassfed meats but then again who really knows if they're lying to us!!! I may have to start raising my own cows I've got a little over an acre maybe the neighbors wouldn't mind the smell !!!

[ChasinElk]

3/29 12000m
avg 1:59.4/22


3/30 6000m
1:52.4/24

Squats 5x5
Bench Rows 3x10
curls for girls 2x15

[IefTheChief]

A big session for me, my first sub 8' 2K row! And it wasn't even my target for today, it was part of my 4x2k interval session Very happy with this, I can't believe how much I'm improving over the last weeks. I lost 15 kilos and generally feel so much better since I started rowing early January. And now suddenly I did my sub 8' 2K, something I saw as a really big target 1,5 months ago. I love it.

PP, cycle 3, 2.3, 4x2,000m/5'r. Target last cycle 2:07.1.

33:22.1 8,000m 2:05.1 179 915 24
8:28.2 2,000m 2:07.0 171 888 24
8:28.1 2,000m 2:07.0 171 888 24
8:28.2 2,000m 2:07.0 171 888 25
7:57.6 2,000m 1:59.4 206 1008 26

There it is in black & white

[Rowan McSheen]

Top man Ivo ... and there's more to come off that time

BPP week 8 optional 4th session, instrux: 25 mins at constant pace about 1 sec faster than usual ss, spm below 24.
So target 2:13-2:14, did 2:12.4 @21 spm with hr in UT2 throughout (although reaching upper limits by the end). Felt good, easier at 21/22 spm than at 20. And did 30 minutes because I couldn't be bothered to set up RowPro for a single 25 min row.

Next up is the 1k hard intervals ... my least favourite session. They are strictly speaking optional but I shall man up.

[mudgeg]

@Iefthechief - nice one Ivo, really well done, breaking 8min was huge for me and I am sure you will now push on from there. That said it was also a bit of a watershed, as I have had some awful sessions since then!

BPP 24/2 (actually third session of the week as I mixed up two and three).

5x1500

1. 6:12.4 / 1500 / 2:04.1
2. 6:11.5 / 1500 / 2:03.8
3. 6:10.4 / 1500 / 2:03.5
4. 6:08.0 / 1500 / 2:02.7
5. 6:09.8 / 1500 / 2:03.3

Almost exactly the same as my Week 21 sessions, except I faded on the last one this time whereas before interval 5 was a 2min split then. Happily the gym aircon is fixed - what a difference!!

[Litewait]

PP Cycle 2 - Week 2.5 5,000m DF125

Hard distance, last was 2:06.8, this was 2:06.0. Couldn't push it further. Doing week 2 next week as this was week 3 done out of order.

@ivo - excellent impressive after all those intervals.

[Street]

Good work Ivo, especially doing it on the last interval. You'd demolish 8mins if you did a standalone test!

[mdpfirrman]

@ Gordon - glad your gym finally got the AC fixed! That's great news!

@ Elk - that's probably the ideal way to eat. I believe that grass fed beef is probably mostly grassfed. I've thought about buying a half of a cow (they have a few organic farms in my area). I think that's the only way I'd do beef again. Not cheap, but cheaper if you get a 1/2 cow or a 1/4 cow. I have read that the bedding that they sleep in is not organic and if they eat their bedding, it might have minimal chemicals in it, but it's still MUCH better.

@ Tim / Paul - Nice work on the hard row!

@ Ivo - Awesome! Great job on the weight too! I'm just curious, are you eating better too? That's a huge improvement in such a short time!

@ Stu - nice SS. Feels good when you get stronger at the end!

[IefTheChief]

@Rowan, @Gordon, @Litewait, @Street, @Mike, @Paul thanks! It feels like a massive breakthrough. Sure there will be worse sessions again, but it does feel like there's (a lot) more in the can. I now am not afraid anymore of the sub 2' average pace which helps also towards my next goal the sub 20' 5K. It's mostly a mental thing this rowing isn't it.

@Street, @Paul there isn't really place for a standalone 2K test in Pete's Plan, maybe I should plan one in for a hard distance day. But for sure I can have some serious improvements on the 4x2K.

@Mike, Yes I have changed many things. Started the new year wanting to lose 20 kilos; I was 103kg, my aim is 83kg. I'm 181cm, 45y. so bordering obese. I didn't want to do a diet, but instead just be sensible on everything and start working out. So no more snacks after 8pm, healthy breakfast, good lunch, bike to work, take the stairs, etc (the normal stuff really). But I still want to have the nice dinners, eat out, have a beer now and then. I have as rule of thumb I should burn at least 500Kcal per day while still doing all the things I like in life (but sensibly!). And with this plan and your support I am achieving that...I lose 1 kg per week and now weight 88kg. When I'm on 83kg I will either start eating a bit more or do less meters on the erg. I'll cross that luxury bridge when I get there Think it will take me 5-6 cycles.

PP cycle 3, 2.3 10,000m SS

42:13.5 10,000m 2:06.6 172 891 24
8:42.0 2,000m 2:10.5 157 840 24
8:22.0 4,000m 2:05.5 177 908 24
8:22.5 6,000m 2:05.6 177 908 25
8:23.5 8,000m 2:05.8 175 901 25
8:23.5 10,000m 2:05.8 175 901 25

Warming up first 2K then find a steady pace -not too slow- that I feel comfortable enough with doing the remaining 8K. Happy again with these meters.

[mudgeg]

Hard to believe really, after six months of the BPP, 118 sessions completed, I get to the last two optional sessions of Week 24 and get the flu. Felt it coming on this morning and hoped I would be able to complete a session this afternoon but had to content myself with watching the Boat Race. If we think we work hard, that's 6779m of lung and heart bursting effort.

I'll check back in when I recover......