Pete Plan Summer 2015 starts June 14

[jackarabit]

Glenn, my meter challenge buds on the Knotty Knitters virtual team have a phrase for exercise endorphin addiction. A team mate who racks up astronomical meter totals is said to be "wearing the red shoes" (from the eponymous story by H. C. Anderson). I managed just under 778K meters for the Virtual Team Challenge earlier this year. At 30-45K per day I lost the ability to erg a 5k under 26'. After 30 days, the "shoes" were dancing me like a stuffed doll with cross-stitch eyes. Too much volume at moderate or low intensity doesn't allow adequate rest. Too much volume at high intensity is said to damage the body on the cellular level. A healthy skepticism is the best defense against every sort of flagpole sitting, six day racing, ultra-marathoning excess. Certainly, the answer to Q5 is that when the target is barely reached, the target remains the same three or four weeks later. Of course the desire to evade the daily dose can raise it's ugly head absent an indication of impending weakness or failure from the metrics.

Jack

[jackarabit]

More deep thought: Pete Beginner Plan 24 wks. The interactives duration from 8 to 26 wks. Changing off between continual and periodized training offers a minimum of three distinct programs--intensity/volume mix, volume or base only, intensity only. Subtract 4 weeks vacation/holiday/illness from 52. 48/3 or 16wks on one track. I did two 3-week cycles immediately before starting this guinea pig series. Two four wk rotations will do it for me. I see reason to be cautious but not pessimistic about my chances of training continuously for 4 months. Competing time demands and stress much higher for athletes with jobs and growing families of course. Jack

[G-dub]

I also am conflicted with the plan since so much of it is proportionally Hard/Medium unless you are also doing loads of easier 70% work at lots of volume - which ain't going to happen. I feel like I can do intensity or volume but not both at this age and genetic makeup. I think after this 8 weeks I will do many weeks of more 80/20 type training with one to two max of the Pete Plan workouts each week. But I truly believe this week and the next 7 weeks will give me the best near term shot at reaching my time goal for 2K and 5K. The challenge is to not blow up mentally or physically too soon.

[gregsmith01748]

Oooo, a chance for mor philosophizing!

Personal thoughts /questions /perceptions so far:
1. I may need an 8 day week to get two days between hard sessions.

I toyed with that idea. Row 3 days, then a day off. It might work well.

2. If I don't do the above, I may need to only do two hard sessions on the second week and three on the 1st and 3rd.

That also could work. But, I think it might be better to temper the intensity of the hard sessions so that you need a bit less recovery time.

3. Concern is accumulating too much tiredness that will eventually inhibit desire. I'm motivated today, but didn't sleep well last night and am having trouble thinking about an interval session tomorrow. I have that antsy crawly feeling of an overly stimulated body. I don't want to go into a hard one with an excuse in the back of my mind. Rest day today will shake things out I hope.

Been there, done that. I have often had sleep troubles worrying about the next morning's session. The 4x1k inspires the deepest terror. I see this as another sign that my intensity level has gone above a sustainable level and I need to pick slightly easier targets. It's easy to underestimate the importance of being able to "win" these sessions by finishing strong. I have no evidence, but I believe that a complete 4x2k with a 2 second slower avg pace has a more beneficial training effect and faster recovery than one where you go 2 seconds faster and fail in the third or fourth rep.

4. On week 4 I'm thinking about a 5K TT and on week 8 a 2K TT. I'm really wanting to gear up for the 4x2K workout and the 4 X1K workout (this one especially). They will require loads of courage and will reveal lots in terms of where endurance and confidence stands relative to time desires for 5K and 2K.

How do you plan to work I n the time trials? I assume the 5k slips in as your hard distance session? When I've done 2k tt efforts, I usually put them on my short interval day. I'd do the same warmup (fletcher) for each and the paces are similar. If I was feeling manly and wanted to impress others with my toughness, I'd do the 2k and then take 10 minutes and then do a short stack Of intervals to make it a full session. (http://indoorsportservices.co.uk/forum/ ... 3dc6e6b4af)

Best thing you can do for your confidence going into time trials is to set realistic targets in prior training sessions and nail those mothers with perfect execution.

5. The Plan is neat in that it asks for continual improvement. It will build confidence. But in terms of "training" is that necessary each week. For instance, if I'm able to do all the short intervals at 1:44/1:45 and the long at 1:53/1:54. (eventually) and my near term goal is a 7:00 2K, why is it not acceptable to do the same times the following weeks? Does the push to beat last weeks time create the motivation to do the workout? Mostly I am worried about the implications of racing all the training.

You should be worried. It's the major danger of the plan. Since some many of the sessions are ranking distances, it's very easy to let ones desire to excel turn into self immolation. There is nothing wrong with staying at the same paces, especially if there was even a twinkling of doubt that you would succeed with them during the last round. You should let your improved fitness drive the pace changes, not the other way around. Essentially having that exultant feeling halfway through that last 2k, "I think I can speed up! I think I will speed up! I am an erg monster! I rule this hunk of steel!" And then crushing a fast last.

It might be worth establishing a cal factor for yourself. Pick a pace and then force yourself to go 2 seconds slower than that on rep 1, then let yourself have more fun as you go along.

6. Having said that, I liked having a plan to follow and the competitive aspect to push the workout along. Maybe I'm looking too far ahead and assuming that I'll crash and burn.

Speaking fatalistically, you will eventually crash and burn. If you know that, you can take steps to postpone it, and see it when it happens. You can also react faster if you expect it to come. Most importantly, you can look at it as a sign that it's time to changes things up, not some kind of personal failure (because it isn't ).

Enough pontificating. As soon as I land, I'm going for a row. I'm racing this weekend in Lowell and there is tapering to be done!

[gregsmith01748]

I also am conflicted with the plan since so much of it is proportionally Hard/Medium unless you are also doing loads of easier 70% work at lots of volume - which ain't going to happen. I feel like I can do intensity or volume but not both at this age and genetic makeup. I think after this 8 weeks I will do many weeks of more 80/20 type training with one to two max of the Pete Plan workouts each week. But I truly believe this week and the next 7 weeks will give me the best near term shot at reaching my time goal for 2K and 5K. The challenge is to not blow up mentally or physically too soon.

I found that I was almost exactly 80/20 on the Pete plan when I measured it in terms of hr in training zone. I was 80% sub-UT2,UT2,UT1 and 20% in TR,AN. I consider AT to be my no mans land and tried to avoid that band unless I was zooming up through it or drifting down. When you include all the warmup and cool down minutes, plus the steady sessions, you can hit the ratio. If you find that you are burning out from a total training load that is too high, I'd reduce the number of reps for the short and long intervals and stick to shorter hard distance pieces, but still aim at the same schedule. I think most of us deal better with frequent minor abuse better than infrequent major abuse.

[G-dub]

Great stuff Greg. I think the place, as you say, to keep things in check is on the hard distance session. The good news is that Galeere is so far ahead of me now on those that I won't feel the need to chase him! And I like the advice about letting the day determine if it's a green light day to go faster.

[jackarabit]

Greg writes:

I found that I was almost exactly 80/20 on the Pete plan when I measured it in terms of hr in training zone. I was 80% sub-UT2,UT2,UT1 and 20% in TR,AN. I consider AT to be my no mans land and tried to avoid that band unless I was zooming up through it or drifting down. When you include all the warmup and cool down minutes, plus the steady sessions, you can hit the ratio.

Have all the interval sessions on favorites and logcard. I should take the time to set those (and the hard distance options) in the RP Cussdumb Studio and export the core pieces to Excel/Burpee to get % time in zones. Long recovery day (HR capped) and windup/down should be 100% below AT HR, a simple addon. Jack

[Galeere]

Had a few too many beers last night at a function FOR ME. Decided on 30 minutes - went 7591 (dang I wish I would have snagged the last 9 seconds. 7600 sounds more baller, doesn't it?). Anyway, bumped above 90% HRR at the last 1250 or so. Pulled it back a little (or decided not to kill myself further) at that point (not 9 seconds worth though). Anyway good workout and advanced my distance at 30 minutes which is always nice. Week one complete for the most part. I feel great about each workout and having you guys to inspire me really helps. So next week we have the speed pyramid and 4 x 2K if memory serves.

Nice!

[Galeere]

Personal thoughts /questions /perceptions so far:
1. I may need an 8 day week to get two days between hard sessions.
2. If I don't do the above, I may need to only do two hard sessions on the second week and three on the 1st and 3rd.
3. Concern is accumulating too much tiredness that will eventually inhibit desire. I'm motivated today, but didn't sleep well last night and am having trouble thinking about an interval session tomorrow. I have that antsy crawly feeling of an overly stimulated body. I don't want to go into a hard one with an excuse in the back of my mind. Rest day today will shake things out I hope.
4. On week 4 I'm thinking about a 5K TT and on week 8 a 2K TT. I'm really wanting to gear up for the 4x2K workout and the 4 X1K workout (this one especially). They will require loads of courage and will reveal lots in terms of where endurance and confidence stands relative to time desires for 5K and 2K.
5. The Plan is neat in that it asks for continual improvement. It will build confidence. But in terms of "training" is that necessary each week. For instance, if I'm able to do all the short intervals at 1:44/1:45 and the long at 1:53/1:54. (eventually) and my near term goal is a 7:00 2K, why is it not acceptable to do the same times the following weeks? Does the push to beat last weeks time create the motivation to do the workout? Mostly I am worried about the implications of racing all the training.
6. Having said that, I liked having a plan to follow and the competitive aspect to push the workout along. Maybe I'm looking too far ahead and assuming that I'll crash and burn.

For now I am comfortable with the number of hard sessions. But truth to be told I flunked one of them. But I guess it comes down to Gregs advice:
1) Don´t go at 100% but at 90% (by HRR).
2) Do long and very easy cool downs
3) Do long and easy steady rate distance work at low SPM
and hope for that instead of crash and burn speed keeps improving at 90% HRR.

[Galeere]

Enough pontificating. As soon as I land, I'm going for a row. I'm racing this weekend in Lowell and there is tapering to be done!

I´ll keep my fingers crossed. Show them, wo der Hammer hängt (can´t translate that )

[Galeere]

Rest day is over. Spent 6 hours in my car (heavy traffic in a 400-miles journey). Will do the speed pyramid tommorrow morning with a goal of 1:51 up to 1k and then try to speed up but monitor HR as well (160).

[Citroen]

, wo der Hammer hängt (can´t translate that )

http://translate.google.com gives that as "Where the rubber meets the road."

[DanielJ]

3. Concern is accumulating too much tiredness that will eventually inhibit desire. I'm motivated today, but didn't sleep well last night and am having trouble thinking about an interval session tomorrow. I have that antsy crawly feeling of an overly stimulated body. I don't want to go into a hard one with an excuse in the back of my mind. Rest day today will shake things out I hope.

Been there, done that. I have often had sleep troubles worrying about the next morning's session. The 4x1k inspires the deepest terror. I see this as another sign that my intensity level has gone above a sustainable level and I need to pick slightly easier targets. It's easy to underestimate the importance of being able to "win" these sessions by finishing strong. I have no evidence, but I believe that a complete 4x2k with a 2 second slower avg pace has a more beneficial training effect and faster recovery than one where you go 2 seconds faster and fail in the third or fourth rep.

I have this issue right now. Having been rowing much less for the last couple of months and concentrating on weight training, my power is there and I then find myself sure I can do the interval sets harder than ever before... and then truth sets in and I fall apart. Yesterday I tried a speed session, 6x500m r4, @ 1:41 (I assume that's about 2k - 4.5 secs?), and I died in the fourth interval. I was happy with the manner in which I did the first and second intervals, but my drop in the third was horrible. But then I went away and walked a mile on the treadmill at UT2 HR, came back to the rower and did a 20 spm 2k test and went about 3 secs per 500m faster than I thought I was capable of. The "fitness" is returning, but it's taking time. I suppose there might be some kind of nervous system re-adapting thing going on too: in Jan-Feb I was rowing 250k per month; last two months have been about 20k each.

But we test on July 31st. 6 weeks today. I think in that time I can make sufficient improvements in fitness and possibly break 7:00 for 2k but, like you say, I need to face reality and take a couple of seconds off the paces and make sure I get the intervals done. I used to be on the other side: going too slow and then going 5, 6+ secs faster in the last interval, probably rendering the first n-1 intervals useless.

p.s. Jack -- not sure why the shoulder has gone to pot. Might be from lifting. But yesterday 1 Advil + 1 naproxen + 1 acetaminophen seemed to do the trick.

[quickstepper]

More deep thought: Pete Beginner Plan 24 wks. The interactives duration from 8 to 26 wks. Changing off between continual and periodized training offers a minimum of three distinct programs--intensity/volume mix, volume or base only, intensity only. Subtract 4 weeks vacation/holiday/illness from 52. 48/3 or 16wks on one track. I did two 3-week cycles immediately before starting this guinea pig series. Two four wk rotations will do it for me. I see reason to be cautious but not pessimistic about my chances of training continuously for 4 months. Competing time demands and stress much higher for athletes with jobs and growing families of course. Jack

Can't agree more with you Jack. Life is getting in the way of having the energy to row. Many long days leaves the desire to row at 9 or 10pm lacking. Next week is looking to be a long week too. All I'm going to do is try and maintain my level and take week 7 again when I return in a week in a half (hopefully). Which is why I haven't been posting much either.

For today... 20min... 5438m (fairly constant 5min intervals). 1362 on the last one which was the best of the 4.

Marco

[G-dub]

Daniel j, just a thought but you seem to be wanting to pace the speed intervals on what you think you can do now vs what you have done in the past. Granted, you probably are faster than your last 2K, but 141 on the 8 x 500 would equal 143 /144 on 2K. No wonder you didn't make it! I think Greg is saying to work them down from a known and doable first interval. I did that this week and was able to finish. This next speed interval session I will start at current 2K (the one done in February) and prove to myself that I can do better by doing them all and hopefully doing them faster than current 2K. The way I figure it, I only need to be at 7:00 2K paces by end of July. Might as well use the time we have to get there in style and with tons of confidence.