Pete Plan Autumn 2015

[Fish out of water]

Fish, I agree with Edward that you need more time on the seat before cranking it on short intervals. However, the good news is that Pete Marston's pacing recommendation of a first target for 8x500 is "best 5k pace." Obviously the initial target pace would be well within your current capability as it's almost unimaginable that you can do 5k continuous but fail at 4k total at the same pace with generous interval rest periods. You're delivering on leg speed and power at a low df. Your 20 rate allows gives plenty of recovery time and allows the flywheel to slow enuf to maximize power per stroke (nearly 5Watts/stroke which is a solid start). You are doing everything right thus far which puts you ahead of the game. Best spend some time--say a month and a half and a couple hundred K--on aerobic endurance and muscular adaptation. Jack

That makes a lot of sense. I think based on all of these suggestions from much more seasoned rowers that I'm going to put the PP on hold, spend 2 months just doing long aerobic rows trying to build up distance and muscle and then jump into the PP around the new year. If I'm doing that what should my goals be? To increase each session by 500m/week until I get up to 10K? Something different? I'm open to doing anything. I likely won't be rowing more than 4 times a week until my back starts to get stronger. Thanks.

[G-dub]

Fish, you might think about this plan. It starts out with aerobic rows for a little bit then works in intervals. It won't be as intense starting out as PP. You can dial it in for your own HR info and pace.

http://indoorsportservices.co.uk/traini ... 53&mhr=190

[jackarabit]

Fish, looks like you're capable of 25k per week now. Four workouts per week Is a good number to get the rhythm of alternating work and recovery. Increasing distance or time of long, steady-paced rows Is a good idea. Yes, 500/1000m added every week will get you to 10k and beyond very soon as will adding 2-5" to timed sessions on a weekly basis. This is the major emphasis and strategy of the Pete Beginner Plan which you may want to look at. Also interval work included. Whereas Pete Lunchtime asks for six sessions per week, Beginner has three required and two optional days. You can progress at your own rate and vary or cut back volume easily when necessary.

[mdpfirrman]

Looking at the peak of the plan, it's around 41,500 meters a week (that's assuming minimum distance on the longer endurance workouts - doing 8K meters).

That's what I'm deciding. I've been at around 30K meters now for 3 weeks and I have another four weeks to get ready. My question is can I handle the intensity with the amount of meters combined and do I really want to row 6 days a week or not. I'm personally probably going to modify it down to five sessions a week (not six) and do a hybrid like the Pete's beginner plan but keeping the interval / speed pieces and just making my endurance sessions toward the longer side.

Rowing an hour yesterday, my "sit bones" are sore as hell. That's my biggest concern is will the time in the rower be physically possible for me.

[jackarabit]

Warmup and cooldown meters aso contribute to volume per week and time required. I averaged 65k per week across the 5 weeks I did with the Pete Planners in June and July. In the second week a couple of us did a HM as the "hard distance" day. I deducted 11k from the 5 week total before averaging because this was the single instance of my exceeding a 10k row for any day of the plan. I was on vacation the sixth week. Jack

[Bob S.]

Your 20 rate allows gives plenty of recovery time and allows the flywheel to slow enuf to maximize power per stroke (nearly 5Watts/stroke which is a solid start).

Math question here. I came up with almost exactly 6 watt-minutes/stroke for 2:23 at 20 spm.

[Bob S.]

Fish, you might think about this plan. It starts out with aerobic rows for a little bit then works in intervals. It won't be as intense starting out as PP. You can dial it in for your own HR info and pace.

http://indoorsportservices.co.uk/traini ... 53&mhr=190

Second that. The Pete Plan is fine for a relatively short time spent tuning up for speed, but the IP is more suited for long term cardio buildup.

[jackarabit]

Answer to math question: 119.7/20=5.985 (6W' per stroke)

Apologies to Fish. Jackanapes will be staying after school.

[jackarabit]

Week 1, Day 3
Endurance intervals
2k wp, 1500 wd
Df 110

Average on 14 July was 2:09.4. How to pace? Thought I would lose some ground in 3 months so chose 2:12 as first target. 2:14 would have been a much better choice! Note that the meter total with rest, warmup, and cooldown is almost 12k.

[Fish out of water]

Fish, you might think about this plan. It starts out with aerobic rows for a little bit then works in intervals. It won't be as intense starting out as PP. You can dial it in for your own HR info and pace.

http://indoorsportservices.co.uk/traini ... 53&mhr=190

Second that. The Pete Plan is fine for a relatively short time spent tuning up for speed, but the IP is more suited for long term cardio buildup.

OK. Two votes for this plan and more in line with what I'm shooting for, and I was sold. Wish I had realized how unpleasant the 2K time trial would be to start this thing off and I might have reconsidered. Was feeling proud of myself when I started out at 2:05 for the first 800m and was feeling good and then I just died. The last 600m or so felt like I was going to vomit. Needless to say I didn't maintain the 2:05 and finished in 8:41.7. Good news is there's lots of room for improvement. Anyway, I'm going to use that as my starting point for the plan you guys recommend and will wait until I've built up some more fitness and plan on starting the Pete Plan on the next cycle with you guys. Is it ok if I keep posting here or should I post somewhere else. I love the feedback I'm getting from you guys and would love to keep receiving it, if you're willing, but if there's somewhere more appropriate for me to post, let me know and I'll move to that subforum.

One last question, this new plan recommends some warmup and cooldowns for each of the rows. What's the general rule of thumb for these in terms of pace?

[jackarabit]

There are three Indoor Sports Interactive Programmes: weight loss, fast track fitness, and 2K prep. The Link by G-dub is to the 2K prep. It is the only one of the three which features a "Test" as session one in week one. I understand this "test" to be a 2k time trial. There is no such requirement in either Pete 2K or in Pete Beginner. In point of fact, "best 5k pace" is the determinant of initial target for the speed intervals in PP. Similarly, it's "best 8-10k pace" for the initial encounter with endurance intervals. Some fleas accompany every dog--no escape. What we are say-ay-ing, Is give Pete a chance (preferably Pete Beginner). Maths Whiz

[Bob S.]

There are three Indoor Sports Interactive Programmes: weight loss, fast track fitness, and 2K prep. The Link by G-dub is to the 2K prep. It is the only one of the three which features a "Test" as session one in week one. I understand this "test" to be a 2k time trial. There is no such requirement in either Pete 2K or in Pete Beginner. In point of fact, "best 5k pace" is the determinant of initial target for the speed intervals in PP. Similarly, it's "best 8-10k pace" for the initial encounter with endurance intervals. Some fleas accompany every dog--no escape. What we are say-ay-ing, Is give Pete a chance (preferably Pete Beginner). Maths Whiz

Strange. When I used the Pete Plan, it too was 2k based. The recommended paces for various workouts were 2k pace +/- x seconds. No doubt the version I have belongs in the museum of erg antiquity.

[gregsmith01748]

One last question, this new plan recommends some warmup and cooldowns for each of the rows. What's the general rule of thumb for these in terms of pace?

The plan gives you guidelines for how long to warmup and cool down and I generally agree with them. As for pace, I usually do warmup by starting at my ut2 pace, then going to my ut1 pace after a couple minutes, then throwing some 10 or 20 stroke bursts at the pace I will be doing for the main set of the workout.

For cool down, I usually start at about a ut1 pace, and gradually slow down to finish at the slow end of the ut2 paces.

[jackarabit]

Bob, see "Pacing The Sessions" section in Marston's Lunch hour: The Pete Plan Blog:
https://thepeteplan.wordpress.com/the-pete-plan/, second paragraph. This material is post-2008. Perhaps you have the originalist view from 2002? Citation?

[bisqeet]

W1_Day4.
Steady Row.
I iften do a 10k so I can sort of run through that - ingrained.
pace: i started off thinking sub7 pace +20 = 2:05/500.

I changed this for BPM cap Zone 3 using 70 -80% HRR (Karvonen) which is for me a 155 cap (based on rest 52 - max 180).
2:05 seemed a little off, so quickly changed this to .. row a 2:00 / 500 pace until you reach 155 then use the cap.

ended up doing a sub 40 race before going over the cap (39:58)....

Today is 10k hard