Pete Plan Thread

[mdpfirrman]

@ RowerGal - thanks, Mark's PB is only from around a week ago. He's one of those guys that makes you jealous. Only been rowing (what Mark) around 6/8 months! He's setting lots of PBs! Nice work on the SS today!

@ Henry - Agreed Henry on the pacing. I've tried to not go by the book on the PP but more on feel. I was feeling really good on the 2nd and probably got a bit ahead of myself. Really felt it on the 3rd. I'm thinking, though, if not still a bit hungover, I might have held on. I agree my average probably would have been better but a lot to learn, too, by having put myself in trouble and not doing a HD. I think doing it on this forum teaches you how to back off just enough to keep going. I had to back up to around 1:53/27 on the 3rd set to keep going in the middle. I know now if I'm in deep trouble I can fall back to there in a race for 150 or so meters if I absolutely had to.

[VeloMark]

RowerGal - I'd forgotten to update my signature line after last week's 2K test, thanks for jogging my memory!

Mike - You're too kind! At 6 months in, I'm enjoying the 'easy' gains of a beginner. In my 'other' sport, where I've been @ a high level for years, I get a little slower each passing year. So, improving again (even by just 1 second), is very motivating.

[jackarabit]

Re: stroke length, legs are the prime mover power-wise but don't discount the contribution of a relatively long back to reach at catch and layback at finish.

[jbhop5857]

Good Day,

After a tough session on Saturday, I decided to rotate my day off to Sunday instead of today. Still pretty sore today, but felt good to push through it a bit.

Cycle 5/ Week 2/ Day 6

15k steady state at 2:05/500 and 23spm.

The dreaded 4x2k and 4x1k this week.

Have a nice day,

David

[mdpfirrman]

Re: stroke length, legs are the prime mover power-wise but don't discount the contribution of a relatively long back to reach at catch and layback at finish.

You all had me curious about mine. Mine is usually 1.37 to 1.39m each stroke, roughly. I'm around the same height as RowerGal so easy comparison. Mark, my guess would be you're heavily reliant on your legs, which makes sense with your background in biking. I was opposite actually when I started. Too much reliance on core/upper body and not enough on the legs. I think I'm finally better about working my legs now after 3 years of doing it.

10K SS today for me at around 2:09.7 pace. Not too hard, not too easy either. Last week of the full PP for me (cycle 2, week 3).

Looked up my PB on the 4 X 1000 today. It was 1:48.5 average back in Sept 2016. So yesterday's workout quite a bit off from that, but considering the night I had, to be expected. I'm a bit off from that one still but I'm planning on being well rested going into the race with a taper for a day or two. I'll finish off the PP and then do a few hard, fast workouts next week and lessen the total meters. Currently doing around 50K or so. I'll probably do around 35K to 40K next week and easy especially on the SS meters (and shorter on the SS work). 8K rows tops. From what I've read, you don't need a really long taper. It's not like I'm doing a marathon, just 2K. Just lessening the workload for the week, limiting the meters, keeping work fast and short and taking an extra day off should do it.

[VeloMark]

Jackarabit - Point taken, as another of my excuses falls

I tried lowering my foot rests today in hopes I could gain a little at the catch. Seemed to work, and my pace for 5 x 1K didn't appear to suffer, it might have even been slightly better. I did seem to notice far more 1.21 to 1.27 pulls (vs 1.12-1.17), although these still seem far short of what many are pulling. Guess I'll just keep at it.

As a long time cycling coach, I'd be hard pressed to recommend back to back Vo2max workouts, but I did it anyway. Yesterday was my first try at 1K intervals, and while productive (and hard), I felt there was a bit left in the tank. So, I decided to give it a go again today. I stuck with the 3 minutes rest, but tightened up my pace and added a fifth interval for 5 x 1K/3r.

After 30 minutes on the stationary trainer, then a 5K Fletcher's 2K race warm up (1:46 pace):

Time Meters Pace Watts Cal/Hr S/M
17:56.9 5,000m 1:47.6 280 1263 33 156
3:37.8 1,000m 1:48.9 271 1231 32 148
3:37.9 1,000m 1:48.9 271 1230 32 155
3:35.7 1,000m 1:47.8 279 1259 34 158
3:35.7 1,000m 1:47.8 279 1259 34 160
3:29.8 1,000m 1:44.9 303 1342 36 162

Saw my highest HR so far on the erg today, which suggests to me that I'm learning to apply myself more fully. Still not able to generate the max HR that I can on the bike, but getting closer. I'm also noticing that, same as on the bike, I seem to benefit from much more of warm up than I used to need. While I started my 5th interval fairly fatigued, it felt surprisingly comfortable considering my recent 1:46.8 2K PR.

[jbhop5857]

Wow, that is a fast 5k, very well done..

David

[VeloMark]

Wow, that is a fast 5k, very well done..

David

Well... not really, it was 5 x 1K. Although, almost the exact pace of my 5K PB when I used to row back in 2002, as a 16 year younger heavyweight! Sigh...

[RowerGal]

Lookin' real good @VeloMark. I think you will fly once you get the right set up down and the technique and timing dialed in and practiced. As a cyclist you are "comfortable being uncomfortable" which will take you far on the erg. I am with you on the warm up. I do much better with a good 2K warm up, but I am lazy and typically only do 500m-1K on most days. Keep up the good work. Your 2K is going dooowwwwnnn again very soon.

I was quite pleased with my session today. 4x1000m on 5:00 RI. Last average pace was 2:04 when I rowed this on Christmas Day.
Today the goal was 2K PB+1 (2:02.9 for me). Happy with the outcome.

[VeloMark]

Thanks RowerGal! I hope you're right, but the way I suffered last Friday for a 2K PB, it's kind of hard to imagine right now.

Very nice on your 4 x 1K! Nice improvement. I have a new respect for that workout, and all of you that do it regularly

[mdpfirrman]

@ RowerGal - very nice 4 X 1K! You're improving rapidly! When is your race? Do you even have a race in mind?

@ Mark - to do that workout two times on less rest in two days (and to add an interval) is some hard stuff! Very impressive. Take an easier day today!

[VeloMark]

Take an easier day today!

Definitely! Thanks Mike!

[mdpfirrman]

Last intermediate interval day on the PP for me! Yay, I hate intermediate intervals, though I plan on attacking my 10K PB soon, so I suppose I better get used to them because I'm about to undertake a steady diet of them soon.

PP Waterfall (W3/D3)

Like Sunday's workout, I didn't bother doing the math and thinking too hard on this one. Honestly, sometimes I think overthinking keeps me from going out based off of "feel" and I end up shorting myself of what's possible, if that makes sense. It's supposed to be based on a recent 5K PB, but my 5K is somewhat soft I think, so it's supposed to be 5K recent best pace + 1, for me that would be 1:57.7. My PB on this workout turns out was back in Sept 2016 (looked it up afterward) and that was a 1:56.6, so not a huge surprise as (although I hate intermediate intervals) I tend to outperform these on the PP.

3000 / 1:55.7 / 26
2500 / 1:55.5 / 26
2000 / 1:56.4 / 26

1:55.8 Avg / 26 (PB by .8, so for this workout, quite a bit of a PB).

Not going to lie, this was very hard. It's supposed to be though. I feel, barring getting the flu, I'm better prepared for a race than I have been in two years. Hoping to break 7:15 optimistically. We'll see. I have the pressure of a PB off me (having done one two weeks ago). Just plan to go out loose and see what I can do. I have one semi hard row planned Thursday, then it will mostly be easier SS rows and some fast, fun sprints preparing for next weekend. My race is Saturday (I think), the 3rd.

[Dangerscouse]

We'll done Mike. It looks like your peaking at the right time

[JerekKruger]

Nicely done Mike. You should take a crack at a sub-19 5km at some point after your races are done. I think you could make it.