Pete Plan Summer 2015 starts June 14

[G-dub]

Right, focus on rate and watts to groove the stroke with some consistency. But also be mindful of speed so that the speed intervals are still training the rate and watts for a 2K. I was sort of doing that anyway before, but also had the added element of having to go faster too.

[gregsmith01748]

Hi,

I want to clarify the point on the last 10 minutes of a 60 minute piece. A shortcut method to find the heart rate associated with your Lactate Threshold is to take the average HR over the last 10 minutes of an all out 60 minute piece. Another method to do the same is to use the avg HR for the last 20 minutes of a 30 minute trial (ref: http://www.researchgate.net/publication ... _threshold )

In an all out 60' time trial, the last few minutes are likely to be above 95% of your HRR, and the last minute could very well be right at you actual max. Before I decide to increase my MaxHR, I want to see that HR sustained for 10 seconds or so to avoid transient effects.

Thanks for that link Greg, which I am trying to understand. What I get to is that the lactate treshhold test should give you a pace and/or HR you should not exceed when you want to go long distance. I am a little confused though as that very speed seems to differ a lot between long range pieces depending on their length. On a 30min I am able to go faster than on a 10k; on a 10k I am able to go faster than on a 1hr. And that is still faster than a HM. The MHR-measurement (and the 30min test which gives you a HR one should not exceed) seems fairly straightforward by comparison.

I'm not an expert on this stuff, but I'll share what I know. If there are folks that have a better background can correct any misperceptions that I have, I'd appreciate it.

Lactate is produced during exercise. It is also processed as fuel for exercise. Up to a certain exercise intensity, this process will yield a particular steady state lactate level. Above this intensity, the body can not process lactate quickly enough and it begins to rise and ultimately causes the athlete to stop (or slow down, or die). This is the lactate threshold and is usually quoted as 4.0 mmol/l. This is roughly the exercise intensity of an all out 30 minute time trial.

OK, so what is the point of finding and knowing your lactate threshold. Here is where my understanding is pretty murky. It is mainly around managing training intensity. Very simplistically, if you are exercising below your lactate threshold, you are working on endurance, if you are exercising above your lactate threshold, you are effectively working on lactate tolerance. So, keep your HR below that for aerobic training and aim to get above it when you do intervals or at the end of hard distance sessions.

But, as a practical matter, for endurance training, the general guideline is to aim at about 2.0 mmol/l lactate. At this level, a big part of the fuel for exercise is coming from fat, the metabolism of which does not create lactate. As intensity increases, the ratio between fat and carbs tilts more towards carbs and more lactate is produced. It is tough to line this up exactly with a specific intensity, but in general it correlates with a HR around 80% of HRR after about 60 minutes of exercise. The purpose of limiting the intensity to this level is to enable high volumes of exercise without compromising recovery. Here's a thread on a different forum about the efficacy of this as the threshold for endurance sessions.

http://www.rowingillustrated.com/boards ... gic+number

I should note that this is in the context of the whole 80/20 polarized kind of training approach, so some folks might disagree (violently).

[christopherregisryan]

OK, so what is the point of finding and knowing your lactate threshold. Here is where my understanding is pretty murky. It is mainly around managing training intensity. Very simplistically, if you are exercising below your lactate threshold, you are working on endurance, if you are exercising above your lactate threshold, you are effectively working on lactate tolerance. So, keep your HR below that for aerobic training and aim to get above it when you do intervals or at the end of hard distance sessions.

But, as a practical matter, for endurance training, the general guideline is to aim at about 2.0 mmol/l lactate. At this level, a big part of the fuel for exercise is coming from fat, the metabolism of which does not create lactate. As intensity increases, the ratio between fat and carbs tilts more towards carbs and more lactate is produced. It is tough to line this up exactly with a specific intensity, but in general it correlates with a HR around 80% of HRR after about 60 minutes of exercise. The purpose of limiting the intensity to this level is to enable high volumes of exercise without compromising recovery. Here's a thread on a different forum about the efficacy of this as the threshold for endurance sessions.

http://www.rowingillustrated.com/boards ... gic+number

I should note that this is in the context of the whole 80/20 polarized kind of training approach, so some folks might disagree (violently).

Thanks for the post, Greg, and for the excellent thread. I have gone "all in" on polarization this spring and summer. I am seeing a big difference in the amount of training I can handle (up to about 100k/week from less than 40k last year). I have PRd in the HM and 60' this year. As for a faster 2k, time will tell. I haven't tested since CRASH B's. I feel like science is on my side though.

[jackarabit]

Interesting cf. of subjective views of steady state effort among young men and women. 2k + 23/25" @ r18/20 SS pace does sound slow (even to me!) but I think i can manage it.

[G-dub]

1:46 + 23 - 25 = 2:09 - 2:11 which is what felt very steady on my 12K Sunday. I felt like I could have gone for awhile longer and the HR stayed pretty level. Good benchmark to know. Now, do we equate that with a HR and if / when the HR goes down solidly in relation to that time we adjust the pace faster too? I'm not one to prick my finger (isn't their a George Carlin joke in there somewhere or was it someone else's?)

[hjs]

1:46 + 23 - 25 = 2:09 - 2:11 which is what felt very steady on my 12K Sunday. I felt like I could have gone for awhile longer and the HR stayed pretty level. Good benchmark to know. Now, do we equate that with a HR and if / when the HR goes down solidly in relation to that time we adjust the pace faster too? I'm not one to prick my finger (isn't their a George Carlin joke in there somewhere or was it someone else's?)

Yes, the point is to get faster at the same hf range. That way your aerobic system improves. A big point is also temperature. Makes a big impact if its low or high. Which is a big reason some people dislike hf capped work. But cooling off is hard work for the body, so does use energy.

[christopherregisryan]

1:46 + 23 - 25 = 2:09 - 2:11 which is what felt very steady on my 12K Sunday. I felt like I could have gone for awhile longer and the HR stayed pretty level. Good benchmark to know. Now, do we equate that with a HR and if / when the HR goes down solidly in relation to that time we adjust the pace faster too? I'm not one to prick my finger (isn't their a George Carlin joke in there somewhere or was it someone else's?)

I started this year's SS work at 2k + 30 (2:10) and measured my HR. If my HR stays below 135 for a few sessions, I progress. First, I increased work time from 45' to 60'+. Now I am slowly dropping my average split. I am currently about 2 splits lower than where I started (staying within my HR cap). No bloody pricks in my gym! I can do this training almost every day and find it works as recovery from my more intense sessions.

[G-dub]

Now it's starting to come together! I knew this stuff but couldn't quite get it plugged in. I have enough HR experience to know when it is fooling me. And I can keep my temp and humidity in my basement pretty stable. Biggest thing may be staying consistently hydrated.

[Edward4492]

As I've been documenting (and thanks Greg, you always post literate, fact based commentary) The past two weekends I did back to back 15k's, 20r. HR capped at 135 (75%). Have felt great coming out of the weekend, recovery appears uncompromised. Then a mixed bag during the week from the rojabo program including at least one brutal work out. So far, so good.

[G-dub]

So what do you guys think about this plan for a couple of months or three:
Purpose: to get more aerobically fit while also staying in touch with speed and endurance. Structure is much like PP but I add a "long row" to the mix, much like in running, done at SS pace. So I have 4 "hard" sessions (instead of three) but I space them over two weeks. The rest is filled in with the PP's "steady distance" which I'll do at SS pace. The intervals will go in order, so week one I do speed interval and endurance interval. Second week I do hard distance and long row. I want to separate the endurance interval from the hard distance because those seem to work similar systems. Of course there are two rest days in there. I also have two days of mtn biking.

[gregsmith01748]

I think it sounds like a good plan.

A few comments and questions:
- How long (time/distance) are you planning for your long rows?
- I think I remember you saying that you don't get bored with steady state. If you do, you might want to do one or two of your steady state sessions a week as Wolverine Plan Rate L4s.

Check page 6 of the linked document. I found that the pace recommendations were a bit too fast for me, but slowed down by a second or two, they make fantastic aerobic workouts that go by really quickly.

http://www.concept2.com/files/pdf/us/tr ... nePlan.pdf

- I was a bit confused about the total training load. How many total sessions including the biking?
- Do you include a real rest day in the plan on a weekly or bi-weekly basis?

[G-dub]

Greg:
The "long rows" started last weekend at 12K. I'd like to go up in increments to 20K if my arse and patience will allow. I can handle the SS rows from a boredom standpoint, but will look at your ideas. I think knowing the 2K+25 metric referenced above will really help me know that they are getting something done. As for total sessions, I will have 5 erg and one bike (unless it rains and then it will be 6 erg) with one complete rest day per week. Having said that, a couple of days in the week I go for an easy 30- 40 minute run in the morning on the days of the steady distance rows (so 8-9 total training sessions a week). I like to get outside! and like in the PP, the normal SS sessions, not the long row, will be 8-10K.

[jackarabit]

Hey Glenn, what pulse-oximeter did you buy recently. Happy with it? Having trouble guessing at the price point that delivers a model that works the first time and for at least the warranty period. I want it for pulse taking mornings. I am diagnosed with COPD but the blood oxy measurement is less important to me. Thanks.

Your schedule sounds ambitious even with the stretch across the arbitrary week boundary. I have cut back to 30k per week past two weeks. Swelling in knuckles left hand slowly reducing. Better finger mobility and no real discomfort erging. Had to bite the bullet on the test(s) after spraining my hand at sculling camp. Squeaked by but need some rest. Oddly, the CTS/wrist problem disappeared at the onset of the "new" problem? Go figure. Jack

[G-dub]

Jack, I got the accU-rate CMS 500DL on Amazon. Only got it because I'm too lazy to count and I don't want to use a strap. Haven't used it yet - just got it today.

[christopherregisryan]

Endurance intervals this morning. 4x2k w 5' rest. 28:50.0 (1:48.1). PR! Beat July by 0.3 splits (4.4 seconds); April by 1.3 splits (21.3 seconds); and Jan by 2.7 splits (44.2 seconds). I credit my steady state work for a good bit of the improvement. Rest/recovery week ahead. One hard workout on Sunday (UT1 hour at Row House NYC followed by an hour of CrossFit). Otherwise, lots of UT2 steady state.