Pete Plan Group - Startup Aug 20th thru 22nd

[G-dub]

Joe L - Should you go a titch harder on the 750/1k/750 if the 500 and 250 are too easy! At least the 500 should feel tough!

Luke - welcome! As has been mentioned by many, it's a long haul and there is an aspect of preserving s bit of energy. So no worries about hitting pace targets during the steady distance pieces if it doesn't feel there. And there is no reason you can't do those at 19 either. The master didn't believe in that low of rate, but it would seem to be a position rather than a rule.

I'm off to get my procedure. I hungry to say the least. It's the second one in a month. Had to go back to get something they could cut out of there done at the hospital. No worries though.

[Slacker]

BPP Week 5 Day 2

This was supposed to be 4 x 800m r 2 but I screwed up and did 4 x 500m r 2. That's probably why I thought the target rate seemed off. I didn't notice the mistake until after breakfast.

2:06.4 r24
2:06.3 r24
2:05.2 r23
1:56.3 r28

I'll have to decide how to make up for it seeing how the day goes. Maybe do some work this evening or skip my rest day tomorrow and hit the next workout.

[aussieluke]

Cheers everyone! Going to try it as written to start with. Actually enjoyed rating up to 22 - and as even that felt fairly quick, it is definitely something I need to work on.

[Galeere]

I'm off to get my procedure. I hungry to say the least. It's the second one in a month. Had to go back to get something they could cut out of there done at the hospital. No worries though.

Good luck Glenn, fingers crossed!

[mdpfirrman]

@ Ben - I'd just go on to the next day and not worry about it.

@ Luke - Welcome to the thread Luke. Was hoping you'd join in the fun! I know what you're saying about rate / strength per stroke preservation and I also know what Glenn is thinking too (perhaps us Masters think different than you guys in your prime!). I think the discussion (and the one in the other thread you created Luke) go at the difference between the Wolverine and the PP (in my humble opinion - and I'll be careful here as I don't want to be corrected by MC himself).

The Wolverine never sacrificed power per stroke ever. Period. That's part of the discipline of the Wolverine. If you're not "ready" for the Wolverine higher rates, you simply don't do them, they are supposed to "come to you" is the way I've read it. As you gradually, linearly get in better and better shape and can sustain more powerful strokes, you can gradually up the stroke rate while managing to keep your excursion in check (on the L4 days). Where PP differs is (I think) Marston felt you can compromise somewhat power per stroke on SS days (pull less hard yet increase SR to 22 to 24). That's the biggest difference (and a huge one) between the plans.

I know a lot on the boards here (like Greg) are proponents of proper recovery. I don't want to speak for Greg (and he put a long and really detailed thread last year on Polarization that was fantastic!). But what I personally think Marston believed was that you had to be properly recovered to do the speed work really fast. Really fast or fairly easy is the idea behind polarization - 80% relatively / fairly easy / 20% really hard. I think in particular for Masters guys like me, this works really well. As race "season" approaches (which means different things to everyone on here - whether OTW, indoor racing or just a PB attempt), the 80% can become more like 60% or even 50% (and really push it more). But most of the year should be overwhelmingly 80/20 type work. I will also add that I've come to believe that guys that have had years in athletic training don't need as much SS work because their "system" / heart valve / mitochondrial development are already there from the years of work they've done in the past.

If you Google Matt Fitzgerald / Steven Seiler (Google both together), you can read up on this approach until your hearts content. Basically, the theory is you maximize your ability to go fast by going slower with mitochondria changes and heart valve changes. Their opinion (and a lot site Steven Seiler because he's been many times the first and the ONLY one to do these types of studies) is most recreational types (like us) go too slow on fast days and too fast on slower / recovery days. Also, Fitzgerald believes even ratios of 70/30 can keep a person from reaching their full potential. Personally I'm a believer in that approach. That's why I like the PP because you can modify the SS days to be less taxing / more recovery.

It doesn't have to be all one or the other but I hope I made sense to especially the newer guys the contrasting thought processes.

http://home.trainingpeaks.com/blog/arti ... -intensity

Here's just one article that talks about this philosophy.

By the way Luke, not being critical at all. I personally think you have the strength NOW to go sub 7 (with the cardio / aerobic improvements you will see from just more meters). As someone your height, I'm very impressed with your strength.

[bisqeet]

chickened out of the 4x2k today.
I won a 4 week gym pass at the finess studio - today was the first day.
1 on 1 training, bit of analysis, the whatnot.
apparently i have the biological age of a 34 year old.
other than that, i dont think i left a bad impression of rowers as athletes.

have a OTW session later today, so hard will be tomorrow, then mabe gym again. back and arms are feeling a little heavy

[Litewait]

BPP Week 5.1 7000m

Had to take a break since Saturday, suffer from psoriatic arthritis, at times get horribly anemic and (literally) have trouble climbing a flight of stairs.

Felt well enough to give 7000m a shot, just happy I survived it, I did adhere to what everyone was telling me not to go out too fast and try to head for negative splits. What I was thinking in my head was to start at a pace where I could have a (labored) conversation with someone standing next to me (that is my 80%).

32:20.0 7,000m 2:18.5 132 754 23
2:19.0 500m 2:19.0 130 747 24
2:19.7 1,000m 2:19.7 128 740 24
2:20.4 1,500m 2:20.4 126 733 24
2:20.1 2,000m 2:20.1 127 736 25
2:19.8 2,500m 2:19.8 128 740 24
2:18.1 3,000m 2:18.1 133 757 23
2:18.4 3,500m 2:18.4 132 754 23
2:17.8 4,000m 2:17.8 134 761 23
2:18.2 4,500m 2:18.2 133 757 23
2:15.1 5,000m 2:15.1 142 788 23
2:17.5 5,500m 2:17.5 135 764 22

[mdpfirrman]

Nice work Tim! Arthritis is no joke. I have a bit of it in my hands. Take it easy if needed. Nice work on improved pacing.

Dean - I don't think anyone would accuse you of "chickening out". Doing a hard trainer workout instead of a row says something. I would think the fitness of a 20 something the way you work!

PP 4 X 2000 -- Goal - last round time - 1:56.3

7:45.8 / 2000 / 1:56.1 / 27
7:44.1 / 2000 / 1:56.0 / 27
7:45.4 / 2000 / 1:56.3 / 27
7:42.5 / 2000 / 1:55.6 / 27

Avg 1:56.1 / 27

Felt good after the pyramid debacle the other day. It was very tough (as it should be) but barely doable. Went a bit too fast on the 2nd one and got it back under control on the 3rd. Just wanted to not die on the 4th and had just enough left in my to slightly improve from the last round.

[jackarabit]

Pete 2.1.3
endurovals
Pace target 2:08.7 previous
df 115
2kWP; paddling, coughing CD

Intentionally held rate down to 23-4 this time and avoided stupid pace pushdowns on starts and desperate end sprints. Tried to stay flat seeing only 2:08, 2;07 and some intentional 2:09s when I got the redline warning. Surprised how well this worked. Third rep was bad. I think the last may have been worse. Couldn't get air. Lost my hearing? OK now.

[mdpfirrman]

Jack - you might have been sputtering and coughing but that was a very nicely executed 4 X 2000. Seems like from your description you pushed just as hard as you could without unwinding - which quite frankly is perfect. Yours sounded very similar to mine. About as good as it gets. As Henry so aptly put it, "it's supposed to be painful...".

Based on your 5K that was solid (better pacing than your PB). If my math is right, you are showing roughly an anticipated / estimated 21:20 on the 5K now.

[G-dub]

I'm off to get my procedure. I hungry to say the least. It's the second one in a month. Had to go back to get something they could cut out of there done at the hospital. No worries though.

Good luck Glenn, fingers crossed!

Cheers guys. Apparently I had a 3 cm polyp in there, which they say is pretty big. First biopsy said no cancer but, also apparently, it's pretty rare when one that size isn't or isn't on its way to be soon. Interestingly, had I gotten my colonoscopy when I was supposed to 4 -5 years ago and it had been that size (tough to tell) they wouldn't have had the tools and would have had to cut a length of the colon out! Having said that, not getting one of these done is not a good idea. I feel very lucky that I wasn't too stubborn, chicken or dumb and got a colonoscopy when I did. The day before and procedure is a whole lot less tough than a 4 X 1k - more like an easy half marathon. And like the half, the only thing that really gets worked over is your bum. So enough of of that for now!

Great work Jack and Mike.

[mdpfirrman]

I'm off to get my procedure. I hungry to say the least. It's the second one in a month. Had to go back to get something they could cut out of there done at the hospital. No worries though.

Good luck Glenn, fingers crossed!

Cheers guys. Apparently I had a 3 cm polyp in there, which they say is pretty big. First biopsy said no cancer but, also apparently, it's pretty rare when one that size isn't or isn't on its way to be soon. Interestingly, had I gotten my colonoscopy when I was supposed to 4 -5 years ago and it had been that size (tough to tell) they wouldn't have had the tools and would have had to cut a length of the colon out! Having said that, not getting one of these done is not a good idea. I feel very lucky that I wasn't too stubborn, chicken or dumb and got a colonoscopy when I did. The day before and procedure is a whole lot less tough than a 4 X 1k - more like an easy half marathon. And like the half, the only thing that really gets worked over is your bum. So enough of of that for now!

Sorry to hear that Glenn but at the same time good to know that too! Wishing you all the best!

[bisqeet]

Yep. A little OT, but..
It may be the differences in the medical insurances or the policies...
I have the hose pipe camera procedure up the jacksy every 5 years since turning 40. Prostate and stuff yearly. Blood checked every 6 months ( hashimoto)... Better safe them sorry...

[S-man]

Glad that is taken care of Glenn, although not sure now if I'm more or less inclined to do a half marathon

Today PP W5D2 SS 8k - kept it nice and steady at 2:24.4 r20.
Sanz

[Pie Man]

Definitely better safe than sorry. Glad the procedure wasn't as bad as it sounds Glenn, hopefully you will have a speedy recovery.

@Tim, good to hear you are back on the erg with a solid 7000m

@Jack, nice 4 x 2k as Mike says 21:20 5k is on the cards.

@Mike solid 4 x 2k, well paced and I covet your 27spm.

@Sanz another 8k in the bag.

I did my 4 x 2k today, looking back last time I did 1:56.7 @ 29spm, and boy did that hurt.
2k warm up with bursts at 500m
Better today
7:46.2 2000 1:56.5 30spm 152 HR
7:45.5 2000 1:56.3 30spm 155 HR
7:43.0 2000 1:55.7 31spm 160 HR
7:37.2 2000 1:54.3 31spm 166 HR

Av 1:55.7 @30spm
2k very gentle CD
Very pleased with the pacing, the last rep was all out from about 500 to go, consistently pulling 1:51, I was spent at the end of it which was nice and was 5 seconds under my 2k PB which does need a refresh.