Pondering the Beginner Pete Plan

[AndyH]

Pete never really talks about rating. I think these interval sessions should have a bit higher stroke rate depending on the distance. We need to learn to increase rate as we attempt to improve our numbers. The long, steady state pieces you do at 20spm are perfect. You should probably rate a bit higher for these intervals while still maintaining proper form. Perhaps 25-26spm on these 2k pieces would have been a good goal.

Thanks Mitch - I'll work that into next week's 2x2500 r2. Seems like 3 different ratings are appropriate: Steady State: 18-22; Long Intervals 24-26; Speed Intervals 28-32. Seem about right?

I knocked out 3.4 yesterday and was feeling good so pushed the pace on the last 1k as instructed:

Code: Select all

Time	Meters	Pace	Watts	Cal/Hr	S/M	HR	
24:06.3	5,000m	2:24.6	116	698	20	145
4:52.0	1,000m	2:26.0	112	687	20	124
4:52.6	2,000m	2:26.3	112	684	20	142
4:52.8	3,000m	2:26.4	112	683	20	146
4:53.6	4,000m	2:26.8	111	680	20	151
4:35.3	5,000m	2:17.6	134	761	22	163

[mitchel674]

Pete never really talks about rating. I think these interval sessions should have a bit higher stroke rate depending on the distance. We need to learn to increase rate as we attempt to improve our numbers. The long, steady state pieces you do at 20spm are perfect. You should probably rate a bit higher for these intervals while still maintaining proper form. Perhaps 25-26spm on these 2k pieces would have been a good goal.

Thanks Mitch - I'll work that into next week's 2x2500 r2. Seems like 3 different ratings are appropriate: Steady State: 18-22; Long Intervals 24-26; Speed Intervals 28-32. Seem about right?

I knocked out 3.4 yesterday and was feeling good so pushed the pace on the last 1k as instructed:

Code: Select all

Time	Meters	Pace	Watts	Cal/Hr	S/M	HR	
24:06.3	5,000m	2:24.6	116	698	20	145
4:52.0	1,000m	2:26.0	112	687	20	124
4:52.6	2,000m	2:26.3	112	684	20	142
4:52.8	3,000m	2:26.4	112	683	20	146
4:53.6	4,000m	2:26.8	111	680	20	151
4:35.3	5,000m	2:17.6	134	761	22	163

Wow! You had a lot left in the tank for that last 1000m. Pretty impressive increase in power with just a small increase in rate. I'm doing this session later today. You've inspired me!

[Jimmies]

Wk5 day3 7000m

Back on the rower now as my finger feels better....I had absolutely no energy, I was actually thinking of stopping in the first 1k as I felt that weak but I pushed through.

I stopped a couple of times for 15 seconds to mop my brow and have some water. Not a good row today

Time Meters Pace Watts Cal/Hr S/M
34:35.9 7,000m 2:28.2 107 669 18
2:30.5 500m 2:30.5 103 653 22
2:20.9 1,000m 2:20.9 125 730 21
2:20.4 1,500m 2:20.4 126 735 19
2:21.0 2,000m 2:21.0 125 729 19
2:23.0 2,500m 2:23.0 120 711 19
2:24.8 3,000m 2:24.8 115 696 20
3:01.9 3,500m 3:01.9 58 500 15
2:25.6 4,000m 2:25.6 113 690 18
2:25.2 4,500m 2:25.2 114 693 18
2:27.4 5,000m 2:27.4 109 676 17
2:41.5 5,500m 2:41.5 83 585 17
2:29.5 6,000m 2:29.5 105 660 18
2:27.2 6,500m 2:27.2 110 677 18
2:17.0 7,000m 2:17.0 136 768 20

[mitchel674]

Wk5 day3 7000m

Back on the rower now as my finger feels better....I had absolutely no energy, I was actually thinking of stopping in the first 1k as I felt that weak but I pushed through.

I stopped a couple of times for 15 seconds to mop my brow and have some water. Not a good row today

Time Meters Pace Watts Cal/Hr S/M
34:35.9 7,000m 2:28.2 107 669 18
2:30.5 500m 2:30.5 103 653 22
2:20.9 1,000m 2:20.9 125 730 21
2:20.4 1,500m 2:20.4 126 735 19
2:21.0 2,000m 2:21.0 125 729 19
2:23.0 2,500m 2:23.0 120 711 19
2:24.8 3,000m 2:24.8 115 696 20
3:01.9 3,500m 3:01.9 58 500 15
2:25.6 4,000m 2:25.6 113 690 18
2:25.2 4,500m 2:25.2 114 693 18
2:27.4 5,000m 2:27.4 109 676 17
2:41.5 5,500m 2:41.5 83 585 17
2:29.5 6,000m 2:29.5 105 660 18
2:27.2 6,500m 2:27.2 110 677 18
2:17.0 7,000m 2:17.0 136 768 20

I always enjoyed this quote from Pete found in the Week 3 sessions: " 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."

Put it behind you and move on. Perhaps even learn from it. Glad to hear your finger is better.

[AndyH]

Wow! You had a lot left in the tank for that last 1000m. Pretty impressive increase in power with just a small increase in rate. I'm doing this session later today. You've inspired me!

Thanks - I need some inspiration for tomorrow's 6x500 and next week's 3x1000

[mitchel674]

Week 3, Day 4. Snuck home from work to fit this one in today. Started off sluggish without any warmup. My goal was to hold 2:22

[AndyH]

Week 3, Day 4. Snuck home from work to fit this one in today. Started off sluggish without any warmup. My goal was to hold 2:22

Nice one! Do you typically warm up for the distance pieces? I've only been warming up for the speed intervals, e.g. 6x500, 3x1000, etc.

[Dangerscouse]

Do you typically warm up for the distance pieces? I've only been warming up for the speed intervals, e.g. 6x500, 3x1000, etc.

FWIW, I don't warm up for any distance over 5k, even if it's a PB attempt, but I never used to warm up at all until fairly recently, so it might not be ideal to listen to me

[mitchel674]

Week 3, Day 4. Snuck home from work to fit this one in today. Started off sluggish without any warmup. My goal was to hold 2:22

Nice one! Do you typically warm up for the distance pieces? I've only been warming up for the speed intervals, e.g. 6x500, 3x1000, etc.

Like Stu, I don't warm up for distance pieces. I only commented here because I felt particularly sluggish the first 1000m today. I typically do warm up for 5-10 minutes before hitting the interval pieces. Many of the intervals in the BPP are also short on total distance. I like to get at least 7k in when I sit down on the erg.

[Rowan McSheen]

Thanks Mitch - I'll work that into next week's 2x2500 r2. Seems like 3 different ratings are appropriate: Steady State: 18-22; Long Intervals 24-26; Speed Intervals 28-32. Seem about right?

I reckon so. The BPP is lacking in spm and pace advice but it does say somewhere that the distance pieces should ideally not go higher than 24 spm. That to me says 22-24 spm or UT1-ish rather than 18-20 or UT2-ish. Which could become demanding once up to 10,000m.

The relatively freeform nature of the plan allows us to tweak it to suit ourselves. I do the week's first distance piece at UT2 and the second at UT1, by heart rate.

The RowAlong plans have plentiful advice on rating and pacing; they're time-based but the values can be carried across to the BPP easily enough.

As for warmups, always. 1,000m of paddling for a distance piece and 2,000m for intervals, with bursts at target spm and pace. Takes me a while to loosen up the joints and muscles.

[Rowan McSheen]

Week 4/3 -- 6500m



UT1, aimed to set out no faster than previous UT1 (2:12:0) and then ease off or ramp up (well, you never know) towards the end depending on hr.

[AndyH]

3.5 6x500 r2 Look back in your training diary to week 1 when you last did this session. Start out 1second faster pace and see how you get on.

My pace for this workout in week 1 was 1:55.7. When I tried holding that for the week 2 4x750 I blew up in the 2nd interval, ending up with a 2:00.1 pace.

I had planned on holding 2:05, a pace I knew I could keep consistent for the first 5 intervals and picking it up in the sixth.

Good news/bad news

Good news: 2:05 felt a bit too slow, so I held 2:00 or so for the first 5 intervals and pushed it on the last interval at 1:55.3. Overall 1:59.0 for the session, 1 second faster than my pace on the 4x750s.

Bad news: now I have to hold that pace for next week's 3x1000.....

Code: Select all

Time	Meters	Pace	Watts	Cal/Hr	S/M	HR
11:54.1	3,000m	1:59.0	208	1014	29	166
2:00.8	500m	2:00.8	199	983	29	157
r: 2:01	250m						
1:59.8	500m	1:59.8	204	1000	29	162
r: 2:01	266m						
1:58.9	500m	1:58.9	208	1016	30	167
r: 2:02	260m						
2:00.4	500m	2:00.4	201	990	29	167
r: 2:01	256m						
1:58.8	500m	1:58.8	209	1018	30	169
r: 2:01	209m						
1:55.3	500m	1:55.3	228	1085	31	174

[mitchel674]

Interesting that you treat the two long weekly pieces differently. I never thought of them that way. I typically use the optional distance piece of the week as my UT1 row (if done) and keep the two mandatory distance rows at UT2 (technique, relaxation, recovery).

Week 4/3 -- 6500m



UT1, aimed to set out no faster than previous UT1 (2:12:0) and then ease off or ramp up (well, you never know) towards the end depending on hr.

Ambitious pacing! Were you fading the last 2500m?

[mitchel674]

3.5 6x500 r2 Look back in your training diary to week 1 when you last did this session. Start out 1second faster pace and see how you get on.

My pace for this workout in week 1 was 1:55.7. When I tried holding that for the week 2 4x750 I blew up in the 2nd interval, ending up with a 2:00.1 pace.

I had planned on holding 2:05, a pace I knew I could keep consistent for the first 5 intervals and picking it up in the sixth.

Good news/bad news

Good news: 2:05 felt a bit too slow, so I held 2:00 or so for the first 5 intervals and pushed it on the last interval at 1:55.3. Overall 1:59.0 for the session, 1 second faster than my pace on the 4x750s.

Bad news: now I have to hold that pace for next week's 3x1000.....

Code: Select all

Time	Meters	Pace	Watts	Cal/Hr	S/M	HR
11:54.1	3,000m	1:59.0	208	1014	29	166
2:00.8	500m	2:00.8	199	983	29	157
r: 2:01	250m						
1:59.8	500m	1:59.8	204	1000	29	162
r: 2:01	266m						
1:58.9	500m	1:58.9	208	1016	30	167
r: 2:02	260m						
2:00.4	500m	2:00.4	201	990	29	167
r: 2:01	256m						
1:58.8	500m	1:58.8	209	1018	30	169
r: 2:01	209m						
1:55.3	500m	1:55.3	228	1085	31	174

Solid work!!

[Rowan McSheen]

Interesting that you treat the two long weekly pieces differently. I never thought of them that way. I typically use the optional distance piece of the week as my UT1 row (if done) and keep the two mandatory distance rows at UT2 (technique, relaxation, recovery).

...

Ambitious pacing! Were you fading the last 2500m?

Yeah, but I expected it as the distances increase. I reckon 2:14-2:15 is where I'll be at when I get to 10,000m. I do the mandatory distance pieces at different exertion levels simply for the variety. And also so the first session of any week is the easiest and a gentle path to the others. I think Pete intended them to be done at UT1, judging from his advice on pacing the optional sessions.