Pondering the Beginner Pete Plan

[fancyoats]

W7S4 6000m


And just bc I thought it was neat to see how the HR, S/M and Pace all correlated so closely when I boosted towards the end, I'm including the graph.

[jrkob]

Ok so this is interesting because I am precisely 1 week behind fancyoats in the BPP and today was W6S4 for me, 5K.
Our numbers aren't dissimilar ! Normally the BPP calls to do this 5K at the same pace as the 7.5K of a few days ago (which was 2:45/500m in my case), but instead today I decided to up the pace and do it 20s faster, so 2:25/500m. Just to see what happens (iain this isn't a substitute to the 10K exercise your suggested 2 days ago, I am still preparing for it).
I think the biggest difference with fancyoats seems to be the cadence. Fancyoats seems to have a much stronger stroke than me. Man I have small muscles !

I realised that my rating was drifting up during this row.

This 5K was done after 10' warm up.

[iain]

Nicely done to neg split all of it. From the graph I would say that you were not all out and could have accelerated in the final 1k if you had minded to. I would suggest 2:28 starting pace for the 10k.

[fancyoats]

Any idea what your watts numbers are jkrob? I think doing the calculation: watts/SPM gives us a more apples-to-apples idea of how strong a stroke you’ve got. Your pace from today is much faster than mine, so your watts numbers are probably much higher too.

[jrkob]

I would suggest 2:28 starting pace for the 10k.

This 10K row would be double today's and even rowing 4s slower at 2:28, this looks very agressive to me. But ok let me try and see how far I can actually go. Will revert.

[jrkob]

Any idea what your watts numbers are jkrob? I think doing the calculation: watts/SPM gives us a more apples-to-apples idea of how strong a stroke you’ve got. Your pace from today is much faster than mine, so your watts numbers are probably much higher too.

Unfortunately our older PM4 doesn't connect to my iPad for some reasons so I need to take a screenshot of the PM after each row and in this case, it didn't include the watt numbers for each split.

However, using Concept2's formula, this is what I see, see below revised table including the watt numbers.

Could you clarify the part I underlined in your question ? It sounds interesting but I'm not familiar with the concept.

* edit: ha I see. I divide Watt/number of stroke.
So in my case 116/23=5W/stroke
In your case 100/16=6.25W/stroke

So basically your stroke produce 20% more power than mine roughly ? Is this the takeaway ?

[fancyoats]

Any idea what your watts numbers are jkrob? I think doing the calculation: watts/SPM gives us a more apples-to-apples idea of how strong a stroke you’ve got. Your pace from today is much faster than mine, so your watts numbers are probably much higher too.

Unfortunately our older PM4 doesn't connect to my iPad for some reasons so I need to take a screenshot of the PM after each row and in this case, it didn't include the watt numbers for each split.

However, using Concept2's formula, this is what I see, see below revised table including the watt numbers.

Could you clarify the part I underlined in your question ? It sounds interesting but I'm not familiar with the concept.

I think that metric is called the Stroke Power Index? It’s a way to calculate how strong your strokes are - if you take the power you generate (watts) and divide by your stroke rate. I read about it in an older thread https://www.c2forum.com/viewtopic.php?t=192090

I’ve used it to see how my intervals vary one from another during any given session, it will give a picture of some intervals having stronger or weaker strokes, etc. I’m not sure it’s a metric generally used to compare one person to another? Not that we should even be comparing ourselves to each other, it’s kind of silly. Although it’s hard to resist given we’re doing roughly the same thing at the same time working through this plan.

[iain]

I use the term "work per stroke" for what was originally called the SPI as the purists stated that strictly an "index" should be dimensionless, while this has the units WMin (a wierd unit as it is JMin/S, ie multiply by 60 to get work per stroke in Joules). I think it is a useful comparison, but like any comparison we need to account for differences between people, but it is useful (perhaps divided by weight) to get an idea about the quality of strokes and strength of the rower that is effectively utilised. It is interesting to compare how this varies for different rowers. Some keep work per stroke fairly constant between rows, while others reduce it for longer rows (essentially compensating for the lower work per stroke by doing more strokes, within the normal TT range, this means loading the CV more on longer rows to take the strain off muscles). Those with a higher anaerobic muscle composition can produce significantly higher work per stroke for shorter distances.

Interestingly for me my work per stroke has held up much better following a 15 month break than my CV based ability to maintain a high stroke rate and recovered quicker as well. So for me it gives a way to monitor the return of CV fitness adjusted for returning strength.

For reference Watts are "speed [in M/S] cubed multiplied by 2.8. This speed is distance [m], 500m when converting pace] divided by time [seconds].

[fancyoats]

W7S5 3x1500m/3min rest
instructions say to target the pace of the most recent 2000m intervals, which I did at 2:24.6 on June 6th. I was feeling fast today so I went for it.

[fancyoats]

And now looking ahead to next week, I'm supposed to do these 1500m intervals again, but 4 reps.

Oh no. lol.

[aegis]

It doesn't get easier, it only gets faster.

[p_b82]

* edit: ha I see. I divide Watt/number of stroke.
So in my case 116/23=5W/stroke
In your case 100/16=6.25W/stroke

So basically your stroke produce 20% more power than mine roughly ? Is this the takeaway ?

By working out what your sustainable Wmin rating is, you can then play with rating up holding the same stroke power (5Wmin in your case)
20spm = 2:32
25= 2:21
28 = 2:16
etc

5Wmin was where I ended up for my HM @25spm - CV system wasn't completely overloaded, but I was at low 170's bpm's, so there really wasn't much more in the tank on the CV side over this distance/time.

You can also see if at lower rates you're using a more efficient stroke eg a higher Wmin rating & what effect that is having on your CV system.

I found I could do the same pace at 28spm with a lower Hr than the same pace at 25spm = working my muscles harder was putting more stress on my CV system, than the additional movement up and down the slide.
Knowing that, I'm currently working on my CV system by concentrating on higher work per stroke because I'd hit a bit of a plateaux after my initial early n00b gains - It feels like a bit of a reset for me but it'll be worth it, I feel, in the long run.

[fancyoats]

W8S1 8500m
I backed off the pace this morning, not because of my HR (it actually looked pretty good the whole way through, I think) but because I am "saving myself" for tomorrow.


I did get a fan pointed at me but it's not a very good fan - doesn't seem to actually be *moving* much air around. But until I get a better one, it's what I've got.

[winniewinser]

BPP W11S1 - 10km

Max 147

42:24.7 10,000m 2:07.2 170 884 19
8:28.9 2,000m 2:07.2 170 884 19
8:29.3 4,000m 2:07.3 170 883 19
8:29.4 6,000m 2:07.3 169 883 19
8:28.7 8,000m 2:07.1 170 885 19
8:28.3 10,000m 2:07.0 171 887 19

[fancyoats]

W8S2 4x1500m/3min rest

I was dreading this one, but I did it and I kept the pace. phew! Rest day tomorrow.