Pete Plan Summer 2015 starts June 14

[gregsmith01748]

Jack: Nice one!
Galeere: It might have been the time of day or something else, but there is no shame in going back the workout with a slower target and really nailing it. !:55 or 1:56 next time and have enough for a fast last.

On the topic of intensity and taking two days between sessions.

I have a bunch of suggestions, some of them are probably useless.

1. Go even easier on the easy days. Using a 70% HRR cap on the non core days is probably a good idea.

2. Make sure that you do a complete and comprehensive cool down after the intense sessions. I was stunned how much that mattered. My favorite post interval cool down was dubbed the "Happy Ending" by a snarky user over on the UK site. You start at about your UT1 steady state pace (for me 2:00), and then you slow down by 5 seconds every 500m for 2000m. I have changed this one around and extended it out as long as 5K and made the steps smaller or ended up going even slower. It's amazing the difference it makes to really flush out all that nasty lactate.

3. Implement a HR cap on the hard distance. I was doing some training with a bunch of Canadians and our spiritual advisor (Raoul is his name) strongly advocated that pushing beyond ~90% of HRR in these sessions was a waste of training effort. All you did was extend the recovery time without a commensurate increase in training effect. I tended to ignore the advice because I felt like I needed to train myself to tolerate rowing at high HRs for longer periods, but Raoul is way smarter than I am, he was probably right. If you need to back off the pace too much because of the cap, start with a slower target the next time so that you can finish strong.

4. The same thing could be true for the long intervals. Setting a reasonably high cap and bleeding off a bit of pace to stay under it could work, but my concern here is that you are essentially working at odds with the "faster last" principle. I think you might want to pick a pace that you think will get you to your cap at the end of your faster last. If you are getting dangerously close to it in the first couple intervals, back off by a second or two until the last interval and then attack that one as hard as you can and ignore the cap.

The Pete Plan is genetically engineered to ratchet up the pressure on you as you go through the cycles. There is no prize for having the fastest first round and there is an enormous risk of pushing yourself into a "aww f&^k this" attitude. Listen to the wide words from the Wolverine Plan. The workouts should be tough but doable.

[Galeere]

Thats good advice Greg.
1.would be somewhat below 140 for me which makes a lot of sense and which I normally do on most of my long rehab sessions (sometimes I even use 130 as a cap).
2. How long would you suggest for c/d? Is 2k enough (that´s what I normally do)?
3. Just above 160 then, pretty much my max. morning value before training went sideways . With me it so far has been quite a problem that HR reacts and body feels differently each day which makes the correct pacing difficult. I once went 2:02 at a sustainable HR for HM-distance while on other days I am hard pressed to do a 10k at that speed.
4. Will shoot for 1:56 on the 4x2k (and 1:55 for the 5x1,5k next go-around) and hoping for HR below 160 until the last one.....

[gregsmith01748]

2. How long would you suggest for c/d? Is 2k enough (that´s what I normally do)?

2K is fine for the the hard distance and long intervals. For the short intervals, you probably want something a bit longer. There's good advice over on the UK site from the interactive plan.



I'm don't follow it to the letter. I don't warmup or cool down for steady state sessions and I definitely tend toward the shorter end of the ranges.

You can also go somewhat by feel. If you spent a long time in the pain box and you know it, then extend the cool down. If you feel fresh as a daisy, don't bother pushing past 2K.

[jackarabit]

I estimate that I finished the L1 @ under 90% HHR but at about 92% during final 6.5' of L2 workout. I assume performance equilibrates to time above AT (declines) if recovery time is not increased. We're spitballing recovery as roughly 24 hrs. with light work on the rest day because that's Pete's sched. Is it sufficient rest to maintain/sustain/improve paces if time above 90% HR is held to a certain percentage of workout time whether daily or per wk? Is 20% of time in TR/AN zones simply too much? Jack

[jackarabit]

To do list:

1) Cap hard free rate distance at my 90% MHR (160bpm).

2) Try longer "Happy Ending" c/downs w/ declining steps from steady state pace (5") every 500m. (My steady state pace over what distance? 5k? 60'?)

3) Change up the hard distance every week if possible (5k, 6k, 30', 10k).

4) Climb Mont Blanc inside the hard distance at least one time this month.

5) Longest Day HM on the 21st. Or not.

Jack

[jackarabit]

Galeere, Marston on w/up is "3k w/ speed bursts" for speed intervals, 2k for endurance and free rate distance. Jack

[quickstepper]

@Galeere - I think it was the time of day for your row as well. I'm more into the lunch time or later workouts myself. If I work out before 10am I have to slow my pace down 1 or 2 secs/500 to compensate.
@Greg - What a treasure trove of information you're providing. Thanks so much for that. Provides lots of chances for self reflection - love the cool down suggestion and it makes complete sense. I think it would even make me want to come back for the next session.
@Jack - some nice goals to aim for this month. Looking forward to your HM results on the 21st (or not)

For me today... just decided to do 20minutes with bursts every 4 minutes. Kind of like what you, Jack, mentioned about the 3K marston w/up. except that was my workout. Aimed for a pace of 152/153, r24 and then taking it down to 140-145 for the 30second bursts (r26). Felt good, relaxed and managed negative splits. I'm liking this negative split thing. Start out at a comfortable pace and up the pace when I feel it. I added in a 1 miler at the end in 5:52 (r22) as a cool down.

Marco

[jackarabit]

Will G-dub drop the sandbags tomorrow and school us on the value of beauty rest

I think so.

STAY TUNED!

Jack

[Galeere]

To do list:

1) Cap hard free rate distance at my 90% MHR (160bpm).

2) Try longer "Happy Ending" c/downs w/ declining steps from steady state pace (5") every 500m. (My steady state pace over what distance? 5k? 60'?)

3) Change up the hard distance every week if possible (5k, 6k, 30', 10k).

4) Climb Mont Blanc inside the hard distance at least one time this month.

5) Longest Day HM on the 21st. Or not.

Jack

Agreed. I will do the HM on the 21st. Today: 60min at 23 SPM and an HR avg. of 130 (max 140) - so avg. below 70%HRR, max slightly above. It is quite interesting to see the HR climbing without changing or even decreasing the speed

[Balkan boy]

Week 3. Speed Intervals: 4x1000m - 5min rest.
1. 1:55/500m
2. 1:55/500m
3. 1:55/500m
4. 1:53/500m HRmax: 179bpm/100%

[jackarabit]

Occurs to me reading about Galeere's recovery day piece that I catch myself out thinking that capped rate automatically assures time in zone. As Galeere's piece illustrates, time in zone is bounded by a "floor as well as a "ceiling" (respectively 65% and 70% HHR for UT2).

My UT2 zone is 131-137bpm. My 10k rest day piece on the 14th was capped at 137 but the first 8k were done below 131bpm, the floor or threshold of UT2 in my case. So I failed to go hard enuf soon enuf and, altho HR conveniently drifted right to top of UT2 at the end, I spent only the final 20% of the piece in the prescribed HR zone. Second rest day for me today. I will attempt to throttle up into zone in the first K and then maintain or reduce effort as required.

Balkan Boy, keep them coming! Did you hit HRmax only in the fourth interval?

Jack

[Balkan boy]

Balkan Boy, keep them coming! Did you hit HRmax only in the fourth interval?

Jack

Yes, I really pushed on the last interval.
I don't like hitting my max HR during regular training. I only got three hours of sleep the night before, so my overall HR was higher then usual.



This week I'm doing two days of functional training and kettlebells instead of Steady Distance. I've carried a wrist injury during the past two months, and I need to get some upper body strength back.

[jackarabit]

Had second thought about rest day distance rows. Looked back at mine where I was below intended HR zone 80% of the time. Noticed watts output, although very modest, was within the bounds of the "watts/kilo of fit wgt." formula for useful training effect in all but first 500m split (in my case. 105-140 W). Without further bloviation, my question is whether avoiding high intensity on recovery days is the only consideration. Should I push into zone early in piece and level off or is there any virtue in paddling along at sub-UT2 effort (50-65% HHR)? Jack

[G-dub]

Jack, assuming I read your question right, I think watts or pace combined with HR works to get you started in the right way. It helps to keep a log of 30-40 minute rows in terms of average pace and average HR so you can get in the ballpark at the beginning (just like we do with pace on the intervals). Of course we have to deal with cardiac creep, so longer rows may need to be a little slower. I don't warm up these pieces separately so I use the first 500 meters to ease my average pace down to what it will be at 70% HRR (around 2:08 right now) and hover around there while my HR climbs to the right rate and then try to finish the rest of the row - making any adjustments I need to to stay within HR target.

[jackarabit]

Week 1.4
8K/UT2
Rate cap 25
HR cap 140
Df 110



In zone @ 3700m in this time. Feels too much like work cf. to similar last Sunday. Sorta enjoyed that lazy float trip.