Pondering the Beginner Pete Plan

[Dangerscouse]

ime Meters Pace Watts Cal/Hr S/M HR
28:10.3 6,000m 2:20.8 125 731 18 160
5:42.0 1,200m 2:22.5 121 716 18 149
5:37.7 2,400m 2:20.7 126 732 18 158
5:37.3 3,600m 2:20.5 126 733 18 163
5:38.4 4,800m 2:21.0 125 729 19 166
5:34.8 6,000m 2:19.5 129 743 18 167

3.1 6000m – The distance is still increasing by 500m each week, but your fitness and technique will be progressing rapidly too, so I bet you want to row further than this? Well keep building up gradually, and keep logging your sessions in the training diary, and you can look back in a few weeks time at the progress you’ve made. Again, same pace as the 5500m last week, if you can.

I couldn't do the same pace - it felt too easy. This was by far the best I have felt on a row to date. A full 1.5 seconds better than my second 5500m last week. I had a 5000m a few weeks ago that I came in at 2:20.0 but I absolutely gave it everything on my last interval on that one. Felt like I could have gone to 8 or 9k without any issues. I blame the 9 hours of sleep I got last night!


This is the row that put me at 103k meters rowed since I got the Concept 2 on September 19th. I feel as great as I have in decades, I've been losing a steady 1.5 lbs a week, my back feels so much better already, and I have a lot more energy at the end of the day. I just need to remember that the next set of brutal intervals Pete throws at me.

Well done. Always remember, sometimes you use power and other times, power uses you, but those moments of feeling like you can go faster and longer are always worth savouring.

The humbling days are never too far away but they're very necessary, as they prove that your confidence is improving and you're also getting outside of your comfort zone.

[AndyH]

I couldn't do the same pace - it felt too easy. This was by far the best I have felt on a row to date. A full 1.5 seconds better than my second 5500m last week. I had a 5000m a few weeks ago that I came in at 2:20.0 but I absolutely gave it everything on my last interval on that one. Felt like I could have gone to 8 or 9k without any issues. I blame the 9 hours of sleep I got last night!


This is the row that put me at 103k meters rowed since I got the Concept 2 on September 19th. I feel as great as I have in decades, I've been losing a steady 1.5 lbs a week, my back feels so much better already, and I have a lot more energy at the end of the day. I just need to remember that the next set of brutal intervals Pete throws at me.

Awesome! Well done!!

[winniewinser]

ime Meters Pace Watts Cal/Hr S/M HR
28:10.3 6,000m 2:20.8 125 731 18 160
5:42.0 1,200m 2:22.5 121 716 18 149
5:37.7 2,400m 2:20.7 126 732 18 158
5:37.3 3,600m 2:20.5 126 733 18 163
5:38.4 4,800m 2:21.0 125 729 19 166
5:34.8 6,000m 2:19.5 129 743 18 167

3.1 6000m – The distance is still increasing by 500m each week, but your fitness and technique will be progressing rapidly too, so I bet you want to row further than this? Well keep building up gradually, and keep logging your sessions in the training diary, and you can look back in a few weeks time at the progress you’ve made. Again, same pace as the 5500m last week, if you can.

I couldn't do the same pace - it felt too easy. This was by far the best I have felt on a row to date. A full 1.5 seconds better than my second 5500m last week. I had a 5000m a few weeks ago that I came in at 2:20.0 but I absolutely gave it everything on my last interval on that one. Felt like I could have gone to 8 or 9k without any issues. I blame the 9 hours of sleep I got last night!


This is the row that put me at 103k meters rowed since I got the Concept 2 on September 19th. I feel as great as I have in decades, I've been losing a steady 1.5 lbs a week, my back feels so much better already, and I have a lot more energy at the end of the day. I just need to remember that the next set of brutal intervals Pete throws at me.

Lovely progress, keep it up.

And you're right, those intervals can bite back quick

[AndyH]

9.3. 8000m – Don’t forget your main aim is always to work on technique. Periodically have a look back in the technique section of this guide to make sure you’re not picking up any bad habits.

Code: Select all

Time	Meters	Pace	Watts	Cal/Hr	S/M	HR	
37:47.4	8,000m	2:21.7	123	723	22	141
7:30.4	1,600m	2:20.7	126	731	22	129
7:32.4	3,200m	2:21.3	124	726	22	138
7:35.2	4,800m	2:22.2	122	718	22	140
7:35.9	6,400m	2:22.4	121	716	22	147
7:33.5	8,000m	2:21.7	123	723	22	151

9.4 [8000m] – More of the same.

Fighting off a cold, but didn't want to do nothing. Rowed this purely based on HR and effort, focusing on keeping it as an easy UT2 piece.

Code: Select all

Time	Meters	Pace	Watts	Cal/Hr	S/M	HR
39:38.2	8,000m	2:28.6	107	666	19	135
7:39.6	1,600m	2:23.6	118	706	20	129
7:47.6	3,200m	2:26.1	112	686	20	138
8:00.6	4,800m	2:30.1	103	655	19	135
8:05.3	6,400m	2:31.6	100	645	19	136
8:05.1	8,000m	2:31.5	100	645	19	137

[mitchel674]

Sadly, my house flooded with Hurricane Milton. I did manage to save the C2, but I've no place to set it up right now. BPP is on pause until I can clear some space.

I will continue to monitor this thread for inspiration!

[Sakly]

Sadly, my house flooded with Hurricane Milton. I did manage to save the C2, but I've no place to set it up right now. BPP is on pause until I can clear some space.

I will continue to monitor this thread for inspiration!

Sorry to read this!
Hope, otherwise nobody was harmed and you can deal with it properly.

[Dangerscouse]

Sadly, my house flooded with Hurricane Milton. I did manage to save the C2, but I've no place to set it up right now. BPP is on pause until I can clear some space.

I will continue to monitor this thread for inspiration!

That's bad news and hopefully you'll be back in there soon and the damage wasn't too bad

[winniewinser]

Sadly, my house flooded with Hurricane Milton. I did manage to save the C2, but I've no place to set it up right now. BPP is on pause until I can clear some space.

I will continue to monitor this thread for inspiration!

... sorry to hear that....hope you get things back to something like normality soon.

[winniewinser]

Sadly no repeat if the 4x2k today....and no real rowing either as my back has turned iffy and even a slow 3k aggravated it .

Could have been me dragging a mattress up the stairs on Tuesday....or said new mattress causing some niggles. Always new it was going to be risky but the last one was 15yrs old.

Will try and give it a rest and see how it feels next week.

[dmuskett]

Time Meters Pace Watts Cal/Hr S/M HR
18:11.1 4,000m 2:16.3 138 774 21 162
9:07.4 2,000m 2:16.8 137 769 24 158
9:03.7 2,000m 2:15.9 139 779 19 167

2 x 2000m / 4min rest – This will be the first time you’ve tried longer intervals with a reasonably long rest time. Not too dissimilar to the 5th sessions of weeks 1 and 2 if you attempted those, but the longer rest and slightly lower distance mean you can push the pace a little more. Still focus on technique and efficiency, but try to go about 2seconds faster pace than the 6000m session of a day or two ago.

I absolutely crushed it last row and did 2:20.8 and felt great. Then I had two "rest days" (three days of moving!). Got the rower set up in a nice permanent spot in the living room in the new place where it fits with like, 1 " to spare at the back and to each side. Worked perfectly! No more putting it up and down every day, and the lady likes it where it is. I was supposed to go 2 seconds down from the last row and ended up going 4.5 seconds down.

Was really focusing on technique. I have done almost everything at 18 s/m, so decided to try to do 24 s/m on the first row and 18 on the second interval. The last 600 yards or so I pushed it a little bit at the end of the last interval to drop it down below 2:16, but by focusing on really good strong strokes and form. Two rows in a row where I felt like I had my favorite day on the rower.

November is going to be not great for the plan, with 2 four day trips and one 9 day trip, but I have seen it recommended to repeat the last week if you have to take a week off, which I'll do. I should be able to get 3-4 rows in on the weeks I have a 4 day trip.

[Dangerscouse]

Sadly no repeat if the 4x2k today....and no real rowing either as my back has turned iffy and even a slow 3k aggravated it .

Could have been me dragging a mattress up the stairs on Tuesday....or said new mattress causing some niggles. Always new it was going to be risky but the last one was 15yrs old.

Will try and give it a rest and see how it feels next week.

That's a shame, but moving a mattress upstairs is always going to be a possible issue. Hopefully it'll settle down quickly.

[winniewinser]

Time Meters Pace Watts Cal/Hr S/M HR
18:11.1 4,000m 2:16.3 138 774 21 162
9:07.4 2,000m 2:16.8 137 769 24 158
9:03.7 2,000m 2:15.9 139 779 19 167

2 x 2000m / 4min rest – This will be the first time you’ve tried longer intervals with a reasonably long rest time. Not too dissimilar to the 5th sessions of weeks 1 and 2 if you attempted those, but the longer rest and slightly lower distance mean you can push the pace a little more. Still focus on technique and efficiency, but try to go about 2seconds faster pace than the 6000m session of a day or two ago.

I absolutely crushed it last row and did 2:20.8 and felt great. Then I had two "rest days" (three days of moving!). Got the rower set up in a nice permanent spot in the living room in the new place where it fits with like, 1 " to spare at the back and to each side. Worked perfectly! No more putting it up and down every day, and the lady likes it where it is. I was supposed to go 2 seconds down from the last row and ended up going 4.5 seconds down.

Was really focusing on technique. I have done almost everything at 18 s/m, so decided to try to do 24 s/m on the first row and 18 on the second interval. The last 600 yards or so I pushed it a little bit at the end of the last interval to drop it down below 2:16, but by focusing on really good strong strokes and form. Two rows in a row where I felt like I had my favorite day on the rower.

November is going to be not great for the plan, with 2 four day trips and one 9 day trip, but I have seen it recommended to repeat the last week if you have to take a week off, which I'll do. I should be able to get 3-4 rows in on the weeks I have a 4 day trip.

Strong improvement, well done.
Re the erg placement, be worth double checking the drag in the new location as air flow can affect it quite a bit so if it's tight you may find your usual is now out.

That's a shame, but moving a mattress upstairs is always going to be a possible issue. Hopefully it'll settle down quickly.

A few more niggles but nothing too dramatic so I may try a slow one later or tomorrow. As for the mattress....we have 100 days to decide if we are keeping it

[AndyH]

Sadly, my house flooded with Hurricane Milton. I did manage to save the C2, but I've no place to set it up right now. BPP is on pause until I can clear some space.

I will continue to monitor this thread for inspiration!

So sorry to hear that. Hope things get back to normal quickly!

[AndyH]

Got week 10 going. Pace on the distance piece is still off a little bit from a week or 2 ago. Pushed hard on the 3x2000 though to beat previous pace.

10.1 9500m – Have a look back through your training diary and see how the pace and rate of these single distance rows has been progressing. You should have been holding the pace the same week by week as the distance has increased, but your stroke rate has probably been dropping gradually too.

Code: Select all

Time	Meters	Pace	Watts	Cal/Hr	S/M	HR
45:23.0	9,500m	2:23.3	119	709	20	145
8:56.6	1,900m	2:21.2	124	727	20	133
8:59.4	3,800m	2:21.9	122	721	20	145
9:06.1	5,700m	2:23.7	118	705	20	149
9:10.4	7,600m	2:24.8	115	696	20	148
9:10.4	9,500m	2:24.8	115	696	20	150

10.2. 3 x 2000m / 4min rest – Look back to week 6 when you last did this session, with a similar session in week 8. Go for a pace 1 second faster than you did in week 6, and faster still for the last rep if you can.

Code: Select all

Time	Meters	Pace	Watts	Cal/Hr	S/M	HR
25:27.8	6,000m	2:07.3	170	883	25	171
8:32.0	2,000m	2:08.0	167	874	26	166
r: 4:01	214m						
8:31.2	2,000m	2:07.8	168	877	25	172
r: 4:01	74m						
8:24.6	2,000m	2:06.1	174	900	26	175

[dmuskett]

Time Meters Pace Watts Cal/Hr S/M HR
28:02.2 6,000m 2:20.1 127 737 17 156
5:35.4 1,200m 2:19.7 128 741 18 147
5:37.1 2,400m 2:20.4 126 734 17 155
5:39.6 3,600m 2:21.5 124 725 18 156
5:34.9 4,800m 2:19.5 129 743 18 160
5:35.2 6,000m 2:19.6 128 742 18 163

3.3 6000m – Again, aim for the same pace as your first 6000m session a few days ago. Don’t worry if these sessions feel harder some days and you don’t make your target. Many things can affect your performance from fatigue from previous sessions, to environmental conditions such as temperature, to hydration and nutrition. Any day you don’t perform so well, try to pinpoint anything you might have done differently, and note it down.

An after work row after another busy night last night (Moving people into the same house I just moved stuff out of, how unfair! Uhaul was late and didn't arrive until 8:30 instead of 5:30 so we were all going until 10 PM last night). Shaved another .7 seconds of pace off of the last 6000m I did this week, but it was a hard row unlike my prior 2. I blame late nights and general busyness. May look at slowing the pace down for some distance pieces coming up, as I keep edging it up every time trying to row the same pace as the time before.