Pondering the Beginner Pete Plan

[Dangerscouse]

In that vein -

Progress isn't linear, nor rapid, so you need to learn to love the process and not focus on progress. When you just enjoy doing what you're doing, you'll go much further than focusing on your progress at a granular level.

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, I was a skinny young triathlete. When I had enough time to train, I noted that my progress often happened in discrete steps.

An example is that for months I would run a ~10k route at the same pace, notably struggling and slowing on some of the rolling hills. Then one day I would suddenly be running 5s/mile faster, and I was faster up the hills, and felt better doing so. And this improvement would remain - it wasn't just a one off good day. A few months later another discrete improvement might happen, and again, for no apparent reason. Something just clicked in my brain or body, and I made a jump. It certainly helped that I would sometimes run that route twice in a single day, but what's really important is that my improvements were discrete, not gradual or continuous (linear or otherwise).

It reminds me of my favourite James Clear quote:

“Complaining about not achieving success despite working hard is like complaining about an ice cube not melting when you heated it from twenty-five to thirty-one degrees. Your work was not wasted; it is just being stored. All the action happens at thirty-two degrees.” 

[PleaseLockIn]

In that vein -

Progress isn't linear, nor rapid, so you need to learn to love the process and not focus on progress. When you just enjoy doing what you're doing, you'll go much further than focusing on your progress at a granular level.

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, I was a skinny young triathlete. When I had enough time to train, I noted that my progress often happened in discrete steps.

An example is that for months I would run a ~10k route at the same pace, notably struggling and slowing on some of the rolling hills. Then one day I would suddenly be running 5s/mile faster, and I was faster up the hills, and felt better doing so. And this improvement would remain - it wasn't just a one off good day. A few months later another discrete improvement might happen, and again, for no apparent reason. Something just clicked in my brain or body, and I made a jump. It certainly helped that I would sometimes run that route twice in a single day, but what's really important is that my improvements were discrete, not gradual or continuous (linear or otherwise).

It reminds me of my favourite James Clear quote:

“Complaining about not achieving success despite working hard is like complaining about an ice cube not melting when you heated it from twenty-five to thirty-one degrees. Your work was not wasted; it is just being stored. All the action happens at thirty-two degrees.” 

Agreed! I know at least I am putting in the work stored… though sometimes I feel as if it may be too long for the action to come… and I only have less than 5 months for that.

Leading me to more desperate measures like increasing the long distance steady even further than BPP states in an attempt to develop a base, changing the strength exercises with a different routine to try to break this plateau…

The issue is that even in the nighttime it’s already 27*C and even with a fan I still sweat quite a lot, even in SS. 80% relative humidity is definitely NOT helping. I feel as if the heat is significantly dragging my splits down. I wonder if you have any tips on erging in the heat (especially if even worse in Sep i need to hit 1:59 30r20 in the heat in blistering summer). I could try to use another fan to cool down but sometimes summers where I live has 90%+ relative humidity and 35-40C weather…

Or should I just erg indoors? Kinda overwhelmed by juggling training and studying harder, competing to stay ahead academically.

[Dangerscouse]

Leading me to more desperate measures like increasing the long distance steady even further than BPP states in an attempt to develop a base, changing the strength exercises with a different routine to try to break this plateau…

The issue is that even in the nighttime it’s already 27*C and even with a fan I still sweat quite a lot, even in SS. 80% relative humidity is definitely NOT helping. I feel as if the heat is significantly dragging my splits down. I wonder if you have any tips on erging in the heat (especially if even worse in Sep i need to hit 1:59 30r20 in the heat in blistering summer). I could try to use another fan to cool down but sometimes summers where I live has 90%+ relative humidity and 35-40C weather…

Or should I just erg indoors? Kinda overwhelmed by juggling training and studying harder, competing to stay ahead academically.

I'm not sure, but my instinct is to try to ignore the heat and humidity. Before I got dehum****ers (the word is picked up as spam), I was all too often rowing in 90+ humidity, sometimes 99%, so it isn't nice, but it is possible as long as you stay well hydrated.

Tolerance to heat is good training, but it will affect your HR, so just allow for that and keep an eye on recovery. You're young enough to cope with it (hopefully), and it does get more tolerable the more you do it. I've been doing dynamic pilates every week for 13 years in 35c heat, so I do know what it feels like.

If all things are equal, doing more distance is usually a good thing, so I don't think that's a desperate measure.

[reuben]

The issue is that even in the nighttime it’s already 27*C and even with a fan I still sweat quite a lot, even in SS. 80% relative humidity is definitely NOT helping. I feel as if the heat is significantly dragging my splits down. I wonder if you have any tips on erging in the heat (especially if even worse in Sep i need to hit 1:59 30r20 in the heat in blistering summer). I could try to use another fan to cool down but sometimes summers where I live has 90%+ relative humidity and 35-40C weather…

Or should I just erg indoors? Kinda overwhelmed by juggling training and studying harder, competing to stay ahead academically.

I have no tips regarding "erging in the heat", but acclimatization is real. If you row in it, your body (and hopefully mind) will become used to it.

Your goal is to make the team by breaking 1:59 for 30r20. I would suggest training in the same environment as the test, or at least not an easier environment. If the test is in a warm and humid environment, training in a cool and dry environment will only be to your detriment.

[Nomark]

I wonder if you have any tips on erging in the heat (especially if even worse in Sep i need to hit 1:59 30r20 in the heat in blistering summer). I could try to use another fan to cool down but sometimes summers where I live has 90%+ relative humidity and 35-40C weather…

I don't have any tips, but I agree with the previous comments. Train for your goal. Just like there have been comments about whether the BPP is the ideal plan for a 30r20 test, similarly what will the conditions be like for the test? An air conditioned gym or hot and humid? If it's the latter then you will just have to push through, accept your HR will be slightly higher than you might expect and use it as acclimatisation training!

[Nomark]

Week 15.1 10k. I decided to skip the optional interval training from last week and go ahead with the more useful SS workout.

Went pretty well although was "comfortably" hard. 10k feels like a long way again, but I'll get there. I pushed a bit at the end to beat 45 mins but the rest was natural SS, not really looking at the monitor too much, just smooth and relaxed or whatever the Pete mantra is. About a week and a half ago it took me almost 30 seconds longer, so the plan part 2 is definitely working.

Time Meters Pace Watts Cal/Hr S/M
44:58.6 10,000 2:14.9 142 790 22
9:01.3 2,000 2:15.3 141 786 23
8:58.9 4,000 2:14.7 143 792 22
9:08.8 6,000 2:17.2 136 766 22
9:06.2 8,000 2:16.5 137 773 22
8:43.3 10,000 2:10.8 156 837 23