Pondering the Beginner Pete Plan

[Rowan McSheen]

Go for it FO! It's customary to do 500m reps at 28+ spm so if you can (almost) hold your target pace at 24 spm after already doing three 1000m reps you've clearly got strength, just need to convert it into speed.

[fancyoats]

Go for it FO! It's customary to do 500m reps at 28+ spm so if you can (almost) hold your target pace at 24 spm after already doing three 1000m reps you've clearly got strength, just need to convert it into speed.

I haven’t tried to push rate up over 24, even in those 500m intervals. It’ll be something I’ll have to continue working on in the future I think. This won’t be my last chance at a 2k I’m sure!

[fancyoats]

Just for posterity's sake, here's my 2k (kind of disappointed, I feel I could have done better - I definitely hit some kind of wall in the last couple minutes.)




Anyway.

[p_b82]

Just for posterity's sake, here's my 2k (kind of disappointed, I feel I could have done better - I definitely hit some kind of wall in the last couple minutes.)

Anyway.

I don't think it's anything to be disappointed about - it is very difficult to judge the pacing until you've had a go a few times imo, or built up towards holding a specific pace you know you can hold until the end.

I'd say you just went a bit too hard, too early - I made the same sort of error on my first one too (but I backed off in the middle to avoid the end brick wall) 1st 2k attempt.

[Rowan McSheen]

Not to worry, FO. 2ks are awful, which is why I don't bother with them! If you need a reference 2k pace for a training plan, they say the most recent 500m intervals session is as good as anything..

Looks like you went out with all guns blazing and then ran out of ammo. FWIW another go but controlling the pace at 2:09 or 2:08 might be worth attempting?

You've still got all the fitness and health benefits of completing a gruelling plan.

[Rowan McSheen]

W12 S3 3 x 10 mins 2 mins rest



I like to do stroke ladders for the 10 minute intervals, 4-3-2-1 minutes at 20-22-24-26 spm, aiming for 2:20-2:15-2:10-2:05. I was more or less thereabouts so this was a decent workout.

S3 done out of sequence because of a hard run yesterday. Seemed better for creaky legs than the 4 x 1500m of S2.

[Rowan McSheen]

W12 S2 4 x 1500m 3 mins rest



Instrux are to match W8 pace (2:08.1) on first three reps and beat it on the last one. Done, and marginally quicker than the same optional session of last week. Only by 0.1/500 but quicker means quicker. Not sure how the PM can record 26 spm for all four reps and then say the average was 25

[Rowan McSheen]

W12 S4 8000m



Done as straightforward UT1 (120-130 bpm). Hr took a while to get up to speed but a good row and slightly quicker than the previous equivalent session.

[Rowan McSheen]

W12 S5 4 x 800m 2 mins rest



My least favourite session, along with the 1000m intervals. But just gotta man up and do it. Standard routine: go for pace of previous session (2:03.1 in W9) and beat it on the final rep. Done, but not much left in the tank.

This takes me to halfway through the BPP and is where I jump (or fall) off. The BPP is brilliant but at my age and fitness level there's only so far I can go with a progressive plan before plateau and tedium set in. But it is the plan to which I return when I take a break from the machine or when I run out of road with others so I'll be back on it sooner or later.

Happy erging and lots of pb's wished to those still on it!

[RayOfSunshine]

Needed a reboot, so I'm back.

[RayOfSunshine]

W1S2

1st time doing intervals in over a year.

[RayOfSunshine]

W1S3

[aegis]

Needed a reboot, so I'm back.

Do you follow the plan exactly when you return? I actually changed all the SS to either 45 or 1hr sessions and just keep the intervals. Recently I've been playing with Pete's 5k plan, the 12*500m 1r are tough.. I was destroyed the first time I tried it with an overly optimistic pacing.

[RayOfSunshine]

Needed a reboot, so I'm back.

Do you follow the plan exactly when you return? I actually changed all the SS to either 45 or 1hr sessions and just keep the intervals. Recently I've been playing with Pete's 5k plan, the 12*500m 1r are tough.. I was destroyed the first time I tried it with an overly optimistic pacing.

I did almost the exact same thing you're talking about. This time, my knees feel like they may allow for some jogging. Instead of BPP being my primary workout, it will be a supplementary. As of right now, I may just stick to the plan.

I also played with the PP and 5K PP. Agree on 12*500. I never do intervals unless training with a plan.

[aegis]

Needed a reboot, so I'm back.

Do you follow the plan exactly when you return? I actually changed all the SS to either 45 or 1hr sessions and just keep the intervals. Recently I've been playing with Pete's 5k plan, the 12*500m 1r are tough.. I was destroyed the first time I tried it with an overly optimistic pacing.

I did almost the exact same thing you're talking about. This time, my knees feel like they may allow for some jogging. Instead of BPP being my primary workout, it will be a supplementary. As of right now, I may just stick to the plan.

I also played with the PP and 5K PP. Agree on 12*500. I never do intervals unless training with a plan.

I had problems with my left knee for a long time due to a muscle imbalance with my vmo, rowing kinda fixed it for me. I only work on the erg and do strength training, I actually think my knees can take to running again but just find rowing much more efficient in terms of time. My wife thinks its dumb that I don't row on the water given that I live near a lake with a rowing club but I suspect she will complain if I start training there.

Most of my rowing is SS and I have one or sometimes two harder sessions a week. I'm just hoping to continuously improve my timings. Kinda annoyed with myself that my 2k time is about 70 percentile but 5k is just hovering above the 50th percentile. Need to work on that endurance!