Concept2 Forum

I know there's been a lot of talk about doing another rendition of the Pete Plan again for Fall. Anyone interested in doing a few rounds in advance of that? I've basically started already but could always repeat week one if necessary if anyone else wanted to join in.

Just the basics before you start - there is a PP beginners plan if you don't want to (or aren't ready to) row as many meters required. I participated in the last Fall's thread and some urged me to continue another thread (as I was still doing perhaps my 5th or 6th round at the time and we were moving into the end of Winter). I decided to not continue PP year round but have been doing more meters and less speed work for the past 6 months or so. Now it's starting to get time when I could use some speed work (and I've seen several others mention the same).

One consideration before starting I didn't think about my first time through. Are you doing enough meters to be prepared for it? It's around 45K meters per week minimum when you add in the minimum suggested SS days (8K or more) along with the warm ups and cool downs (very important with speed work).

Any interest out there. I would start (over) this Sunday if anyone wants to join in. I suppose it depends on how many takers we have. I could help talk people through the Pete Plan basics but I'm hardly a veteran rower so no "coaching" from me. Just mutual support. It's quite a mentally grueling plan.

I know several of you have also talked about doing one in October. I'm going on vacation for two weeks in October so at first thought, I thought I'd just do it on my own, but there seems to be talk on the daily workout thread from others about doing one now. Perhaps this can be a thread to help people just get acclimated for the Fall one. Before last year's PP, I was doing a lot of the intervals in advance just to know what to expect. That helped me greatly getting through it. I also dropped my PB by around 18 seconds from the start to the end of the racing season, most of which I attribute to doing the plan.

mdpfirrman wrote:I know there's been a lot of talk about doing another rendition of the Pete Plan again for Fall. Anyone interested in doing a few rounds in advance of that? I've basically started already but could always repeat week one if necessary if anyone else wanted to join in.

Just the basics before you start - there is a PP beginners plan if you don't want to (or aren't ready to) row as many meters required. I participated in the last Fall's thread and some urged me to continue another thread (as I was still doing perhaps my 5th or 6th round at the time and we were moving into the end of Winter). I decided to not continue PP year round but have been doing more meters and less speed work for the past 6 months or so. Now it's starting to get time when I could use some speed work (and I've seen several others mention the same).

One consideration before starting I didn't think about my first time through. Are you doing enough meters to be prepared for it? It's around 45K meters per week minimum when you add in the minimum suggested SS days (8K or more) along with the warm ups and cool downs (very important with speed work).

Any interest out there. I would start (over) this Sunday if anyone wants to join in. I suppose it depends on how many takers we have. I could help talk people through the Pete Plan basics but I'm hardly a veteran rower so no "coaching" from me. Just mutual support. It's quite a mentally grueling plan.

I know several of you have also talked about doing one in October. I'm going on vacation for two weeks in October so at first thought, I thought I'd just do it on my own, but there seems to be talk on the daily workout thread from others about doing one now. Perhaps this can be a thread to help people just get acclimated for the Fall one. Before last year's PP, I was doing a lot of the intervals in advance just to know what to expect. That helped me greatly getting through it. I also dropped my PB by around 18 seconds from the start to the end of the racing season, most of which I attribute to doing the plan.

Yep -- I'm up for it. Was planning on starting myself as soon as this head cold clears. Should be fine by Sunday though

You're already ahead then Mark. That derailed like four of us (out of the six or seven that did the Pete Plan last year). October / November are also cold and flu season. Extremely hard to do the PP when not feeling 100%. If you're not feeling up to it by Sunday, you could just join in the following week and pick it up on week 2.

At least when the rest of us are getting sick, you'll already have had that knocked out!

mdpfirrman wrote:You're already ahead then Mark. That derailed like four of us (out of the six or seven that did the Pete Plan last year). October / November are also cold and flu season. Extremely hard to do the PP when not feeling 100%. If you're not feeling up to it by Sunday, you could just join in the following week and pick it up on week 2.

At least when the rest of us are getting sick, you'll already have had that knocked out!

I'll be all good by Sunday -- still doing 10K/ per day r20s to keep ticking over ( at not a fast pace, I might add!)

it looks like "angrytongan" started yesterday according to a post on the thread
I am intending to start on September 12 for three cycles and I know that Jack is looking at it too
(although I will have to call it Spring not Fall)

Mike you're looking to have the week starting on a Sunday so that would be sprints on Sundays, endurance intervals Tuesdays, hard effort Thursdays, SS Mon/Wed/Fri and Sat rest? Or would it be not quite as strict co-ordination as that and just have general group of folks all doing PP at the same time?

Bloodbuzz Corio wrote:Mike you're looking to have the week starting on a Sunday so that would be sprints on Sundays, endurance intervals Tuesdays, hard effort Thursdays, SS Mon/Wed/Fri and Sat rest? Or would it be not quite as strict co-ordination as that and just have general group of folks all doing PP at the same time?

Was about to ask the same question!

Bloodbuzz Corio wrote:Mike you're looking to have the week starting on a Sunday so that would be sprints on Sundays, endurance intervals Tuesdays, hard effort Thursdays, SS Mon/Wed/Fri and Sat rest? Or would it be not quite as strict co-ordination as that and just have general group of folks all doing PP at the same time?

Good question. It doesn't matter what day someone starts. It's more important that you just have four or five people doing it together (or less). It helps just knowing someone else is going through it with you. Last go around, we all started a few days apart. Sunday just works best for me personally since PP is a six day plan. That way my off day is Saturdays, which is a really busy day at home for me. You could start Monday, Saturday or whenever and join in.

Cool thanks Mike. I'll defo give it some thought over the next few days - I'll follow along with interest either way but will only join in if I decide I really can commit to 6 days a week on the erg. I assume for most people doing the PP 'properly', so 6 days a week with the recommended intensity this would be likely to be all the exercise they're doing and trying to also be doing strength training on top is likely to be excessive?

Bloodbuzz Corio wrote:Cool thanks Mike. I'll defo give it some thought over the next few days - I'll follow along with interest either way but will only join in if I decide I really can commit to 6 days a week on the erg. I assume for most people doing the PP 'properly', so 6 days a week with the recommended intensity this would be likely to be all the exercise they're doing and trying to also be doing strength training on top is likely to be excessive?

I'm dealing with the same issues Rohan. Based on your times (and low rate work), I'd venture to guess you're stronger physically than I am. I lift, though, 3 times a week (full body, not isolated). That's part of the reason I'm starting on Sunday. I will lift first, rest a bit, then do the rowing (I use a rower at the gym - don't own one). It makes for a hard day of workout but that's why I do my intervals on Sunday. My Monday is SS / recovery day (and it's very important to go easier on these days - ~20 to 25 secs over PB 2K pace). Tuesday (today) I used to lift then row. Today, instead, I'll have to do the intervals only at the gym as they take a full hour (the 1500 intervals X 5) and then lift at home in the evening. Wed - SS again. Thursday - 5K or longer timed workout - along with a lift. Since I only do 5K, I can fit a lift in within around a half hour and then rest a bit and do a 5K still in around an hour and ten minutes (including W/U and C/D). It is a brutal workout on Sunday and Thursday for me but I've been doing it regularly for a few months (I've just shortened the intervals on Sunday until now). Fridays is just SS again.

I find that a three day lifting schedule is doable with the PP but the short interval day and the longer intermediate interval days will take more time and if you don't have an hour to an hour and a half, you'd have to separate them. I know most don't do full body lifting routines but separate them instead. I do full body as I don't have enough time (or the desire) to lift 5 or 6 days a week.

lindsayh wrote:it looks like "angrytongan" started yesterday according to a post on the thread
I am intending to start on September 12 for three cycles and I know that Jack is looking at it too
(although I will have to call it Spring not Fall)

Looking at a calendar, perhaps it makes sense for those of us that want to start early to start three weeks in advance of your group (many of those that did it last year). The more the merrier.

Anyone opposed to starting not this week but next? That will allow us one full Pete Plan "cycle" of three weeks and then join up with the others and combine groups. That would be a start (roughly) the 21st or 22nd of August.

mdpfirrman wrote:

lindsayh wrote:it looks like "angrytongan" started yesterday according to a post on the thread
I am intending to start on September 12 for three cycles and I know that Jack is looking at it too
(although I will have to call it Spring not Fall)

Looking at a calendar, perhaps it makes sense for those of us that want to start early to start three weeks in advance of your group (many of those that did it last year). The more the merrier.

Anyone opposed to starting not this week but next? That will allow us one full Pete Plan "cycle" of three weeks and then join up with the others and combine groups. That would be a start (roughly) the 21st or 22nd of August.

Works for me -- i still have a head cold

If I have the 50 Hm by then I will join Lindsayh in Sept.
Brick are in September and although I hate 2k, I ' might ' enter.... Just for fun....
Haven't done a 2k yet this year tho

I'll start a new thread next week about the start date being around the Aug 21 / Aug 22 time frame. Anyone that wants to join in can. If anyone is going to join the rest of the group in September (I'm planning to), it will be a natural PP cycle to time in at the same time as those guys. We'd just have one more cycle in, that's it.

I'm not going to join in, but having done this a few times before, the best idea is really to come up with a specific weekly schedule for the "hard" sessions. There are 3 a week of those (Hard distance, long intervals and short intervals). If you agree on a schedule of those sessions, and let folks go their own way for the "steady" sessions, it's a lot easier to accommodate a bigger group of people, which makes it more fun.