Pete Plan 2017

[mdpfirrman]

@ Hepting / Dyson - if that's what performance looks like after a break, that's pretty darn impressive. I'm sure you've been working out still. Nice work on that. That is a tough one and it looks like you did nearly max out.

@ Cali - you're showing great strides. Your pace on the 8500 and the 1500 intervals are huge improvements from where you started. You might be passing me up soon!

@ Gordon - Great to see you on here! Glad you're finally feeling better. Sorry the work has eaten into your time but 100K meters in around 6 weeks is great! Even slower SS work, you'll retain your cardio with that amount of work. It's up to you. I'd love to see you do a round of PP (I just started one so you'd only be a few days behind me). I don't know if the PP is any harder than the BPP toward the end. You just have to really listen to your body and take it easier if needed on the SS days if you need to. But because it's a "sharpening" program to prepare for a race, your body is supposed to feel stressed. Just take that stress part cautiously with just getting over being sick. I think a lot of improvements can be still gained even if the SS days are bit slower than prescribed. Don't forget that Marston was probably 25 when he wrote the plan. We're more than double his age when he was doing the plan.

[IefTheChief]

Very nice sessions everybody!

@calalli and @mike Very strong & impressive.

I am taking a one whole week off to think about the next step and to be fully recovered to take it. I am starting a new training this Monday.

@ Ivo W:

Here's an alternative to PP for weight loss-directed training: https://indoorsportservices.co.uk/weigh ... ulate=true

The group-training component (daily feedback, advice, mutual encouragement) is missing. Does not exploit the latest toys of data recording, presentation, interpretation. Form your own group and develop your analytical tools with the plan as a test bed/substrate.

Thanks @jackarabit, this training program was the first one I read when I decided to lose weight and because of this plan I bought the C2 and a HR band. I did 3 sessions but I couldn't work out what the HR zones meant for me. Plus I was in such bad shape that I didn't think working on a HR based program didn't make sense until I knew what I could do on the erg. So I looked further for some grip and then found the PP. I immediately liked how the plan is set up (based on the Wolverine I guess), how you constantly improve yourself and push the limits.

Now after 4 PP cycles I think I know what I have to do if they say 6 x 6' AT (for me I guess that's 6x~1,500m @ 1:50) or 3 x 16' UT1 (for me that's 3x~4,000m @ 2:10), etc. There are no long SS sessions, they are all broken up into intervals with rest to get the HR back to warmup level. I think it makes sense so am preparing to start their plan and come back to PP later when I'm on weight target. My program is set up so that I will lose 8kg in 10 weeks, level 3, 6 sessions per week. I'll do 50% of my required cal deficit via this schedule and the other 50% via diet. I already started the low carb high protein diet so that should be ok. Maybe I should get max HR tested before I do this, but I don't think so, I know my body well enough to understand the difference between UT1 and AT. On the occasional TR days I will surely think of you lot

Will post some results here until you throw me out!

[mdpfirrman]

Ivo - Don't be a stranger! Keep us up on your progress...

SS today for me. Nothing really impressive. I listened to my body and kept it around 21 / 22 SPM @ 2:12 for 10K meters (around 44 minutes I think -- I forgot actually). That 2:12 includes two towel off breaks of around 30 seconds each. Wanted to keep the HR in UT2 mostly. That's my idea of coming back "slowly" from injury. I'll watch the SS days and take it as easy as necessary. Normally on SS days on PP when I'm feeling 100%, I'd do 12K or 13K meters (up to around 55'). I've been doing more 45 minutes or so.

[Street]

Just thought I would check in again after a period of absence from this thread.

Good to have you back on board!

I had a bit of a nightmare tonight, think I tried to push it too hard after time off. It didn't help that I'd been climbing last night too for the first time in a few weeks! The last time I did this session was at the very start of April and I averaged 1:52.0 then. I thought I was going well for the first two and was on course for my target but completely hit the wall on the third, not impressed, I should have gone for a more sensible target instead of aiming for my last average!

PP 2.3 4x2km/5' rest. Target 1:52.0
30:27.8 / 8,000m / 1:54.2 / 25
7:26.8 / 2,000m / 1:51.7 / 25
7:26.2 / 2,000m / 1:51.5 / 25
7:49.9 / 2,000m / 1:57.4 / 25
7:44.9 / 2,000m / 1:56.2 / 25

[mdpfirrman]

@ Andy - We had a couple of guys around your pace in the Fall of last year. Right before they went sub 7, they were consistently around mid to even high 7:30 pace for each 2K. The fact that you went 7:20 something for the first two doesn't surprise me that you crashed and burned. Great work just finishing. That must have been really, really hard.

[mdpfirrman]

Hard Piece Day for me - 5K only. 20:02. Not a great time for me on the 5K. Only did bench presses and some situps prior (no back or leg work). Should have really been able to go sub 20 not a problem, but I wasn't pushing all out. Fit the technical definition of a "hard row". Got in a decent lift afterward and cooled down on the Stairmaster machine.

[calalli]

street - I think the 4x2000M might be the toughest session I have yet to attempt. I just dread thinking about it. Good job on sticking it out and finishing as you did - all 4 faster than I could hope for

Mike - I seem to remember you were going to come back slow and easy - don't beat yourself up. That 5x1500 was pretty strong

Ivo - Are you going to start the interactive plan for weight loss? I toyed with it a bit. I did 2 weeks of BPP then the interactive plan for a week before returning to the BPP. I found the interactive plan required more time out of the day than the BPP and I am pushing it as it is with the other demands on my time.

17/5/17 BPP 8.4 25min - I really am fudging here - I started to do the 8000M for the 8.3 and found I had zero energy - Instead of HD, I struggled through for 25 min I knew was due this week anyway. Easily the worst I have felt rowing yet.
Time Meters /500m Watts Cal/Hr s/m
25:11.4 5,589m 2:15.2 142 787 23

18/5/17 BPP 8.3 8000M - plan was to do 6K at 2:12 then pick it up at the end - turned into more of a solid SS, right between the 2 8Ks I did last week. Much better than yesterday
Time Meters /500m Watts Cal/Hr s/m
34:56.5 8,000m 2:11.0 156 835 22
7:03.7 1,600m 2:12.4 151 818 23 132
6:59.7 3,200m 2:11.1 155 833 22 139
6:58.2 4,800m 2:10.6 157 839 22 142
6:58.1 6,400m 2:10.6 157 839 22 144
6:56.8 8,000m 2:10.2 158 844 22 147

[Rowan McSheen]

Afternoon chaps. Been hors de combat for a few days with just stuff in general getting in the way.

Mike: good going on the 1500s. I find these tough, they're neither one thing nor the other, hard to pace.
Dyson: great times, esp with the short 2-min rest!
Cal: interesting variation in paces relative to spm on the reps.
Gordon: welcome back, good to see you recovered and back in the saddle.

Well done to all, excellent going, it's all good even if it doesn't feel so at the time

BPP week 12 optional 5th session: 4 x 800m / 2min rest, refer to same sesh in week 9 for pace so target low 1:59.x. Turned in 1:59.0, 1:58.9, 1:58.9 and 1:58.0 all at 27 spm for an incremental improvement on average pace. The last time I did these the slowest rep by some margin was the last one but this time I got it right.

I figured my model D deserved a proper checkup and service. The guy who did it put in a new bungee and cleaned out the fan housing, but otherwise the machine was good. Not bad after 10 years, and I gave him instrux to pre-emptively replace for the next 10 years. The drag factor is now about 130 at damper 5 vs 115 previously, which I'm going to leave for the moment. Also, a slight lag at the catch is gone ... don't know if that's the machine overhaul or the higher drag. But anyway, it was a good workout and confirmation, if needed, that the machine was a sensible purchase all those years ago.

So that's week 12 of the BPP done. Exactly half way. I move forwards into the dreaded second half with some trepidation ...

[sdr2017]

I have been out on vacation for a few days. It is nice to be back.

BPP Week 9.1
9000 M
41:22.3 9000 2:17.9 19
8:14.7 1800 2:17.4 19
8:14.9 3600 2:17.4 19
8:16.4 5400 2:17.8 19
8:19.7 7200 2:18.8 19
8:16.5 9000 2:17.9 19

It was a good row, fairly steady. I was working harder at the end to keep up the pace.

Week 9.2
4 X 800 M/ r2:00
3200 M 13:15.7 2:04.3 23
800 3:21 2:05.9 23
800 3:22 2:06.3 23
800 3:20 2:05.3 23
800 3:11 1:59.6 25

That last one hurt!

[rlboyles]

Good workouts by so many on here!

The 3000m, 2500m, 2000m workout got me last night.

My goal was 1:51.6 average (Since this is my 5k pace... I was trying to ignore the PP pacing suggestion of 5k + 1 second)

Well ended up crashing and burning, but looking at it in retrospect, my overall average pace was still better than 5k + 1 second

I was glad when I finished that I kept my mind to it to push through no matter how much my muscles had gone to mush on the 2000m... and just keep going as hard as I could. Not pretty, but I'm sure it will benefit me.

3000m - 1:51.2 pace
2500m - 1:52.3 pace
2000m - 1:54.1 pace

[mdpfirrman]

@ rlboyles - yes, I do that often too. You're right, though, it's beneficial because you know you were absolutely pushing the envelope. Nasty way, though, to get there!

@ Cali - regarding going easier. To me, I am (see comment above). I try never to take it easy on the interval sessions. What I do when I'm working back is lighten up the SS work. The interval sessions are meant to push as hard as possible. If I weren't able to handle it, the PP self corrects (see above with rlboyles). What I'll do when I'm working back is do less SS meters and slow them down if I have to or go slower SPM a tad. This usually will help me to recover well enough.
You'll have crappy days and good days. Getting through the tough ones is solid training. Nice work.

@ Scott - nice work on the intervals. 800m is a tough distance.

@ Stu (Rowan) - nice work on the negative splits. Also, bet the rower feels like a new machine. That's quite a difference!

SS work today. Prime example of "lessening the load". Only did the PP minimum 8K. 2:05.7 pace / 22 SPM average. A bit fast for SS but it was a shorter distance and tomorrow is the off day. Felt well enough that I cooled down on the Stairmaster for 9 minutes after (was going to do 10 but the wife was ready to go!).

[Gaucho1]

Hello guys,
looks good to see all the energy and progress. Good feeling to be part of this community.
@Mike - thank´s for sharing your ideas of increasing volume. Think about to put it my training. Doing a race is really motivating. I know it from running, If you habe a goal you stick on a training plan. This week I was riding my bike on Wednesday for 66km in 2hours 50. That´s good SS work. Today I tested the 60min with the rerow function and the pace boat. It´s funny to row a combat against oneself. I could beat me

Time Meters /500m Watts Cal/Hr s/m HR
1:00:00.0 14,744m 2:02.0 192 961 20 157
12:00.0 2,961m 2:01.5 195 969 20 144
24:00.0 2,953m 2:01.9 193 964 20 152
36:00.0 2,933m 2:02.7 189 950 20 158
48:00.0 2,930m 2:02.8 189 948 20 164
1:00:00.0 2,967m 2:01.3 196 973 21 171

Best regards,
Dietmar

[mdpfirrman]

@ Paul - thanks for checking in on me. See the speed / sprint stuff you're doing. Keep up the great work! You're the one that pointed out to me a while back that the hard day isn't supposed to be a PB every time. I used to try to do that each time! Talk about hell! Now, I kind of look forward to the hard days. Pushing it within reason.

@ Dietmar - that's a really solid hour! Very impressive work!

[mudgeg]

I'm going to start on the PP on Monday, I think. Can't tell you much I'm looking forward to an 8 x 500m as I haven't been near an interval in the last few weeeks!

My plan is to work some weights in on the SS days and for the first couple of weeks at least keep the distance down a bit to the minimum recommended of 8k. I say this because I spent an hour with my gym instructor and he produced a weights programme for me working on the legs and core and a little bit of upper body. We spent an hour going through it, although without the talking it will probably take around 30/40 minutes. He asked me how the reps felt on a scale of 1 - 10 and I (I fear in a rather too macho way) said 'oh between 3 and 5'. Well they may have felt easy at the time but am I feeling them now six hours on! So the SS rows on the lifting days are going have to start slow and steady.

[DNA_Rower]

I've made many attempts to start the Beginner Pete Plan over the years and usually get a few weeks in then get distracted.

This time I have managed to be rowing fairly consistently since September, but didn't do the BPP - I just mixed up 5k, 6k and 30min sessions.

Now I wanted to get back in to the BPP but I didn't fancy starting at week 1 and I have a kinda 3 month "project" in mind so I started the BPP at week 13.

I'll tell you one thing - it's really difficult to work out what pace you should be doing for some of the sessions as they are usually based on what you did the previous week. You end up making all these steps backwards to try and work out approximately what rate you should be aiming for. It's like one of those adventure puzzle books!

Anyway I was making good progress, but now the temperature in the gym seems to have jumped about 5C, my 5k splits have dropped 3s. I will stick with the program, but I doubt I'll be seeing any performance on the monitor.