Pete Plan Summer 2015 starts June 14

[Edward4492]

Ha.ha....no lectures G-Dub. Just a bunch of guys weighin' in (nothing else going on in erg world right now). Just to re-iterate, I like to do the 2k's just to keep my head in it. Not a training exercise from a physical stand point, just mentally doing one with out the pressure of a PR attempt. Guys like you and I stress over the 2k. In particular when we're flirting with the 7:00 minute barrier. Hell, I train all year for CRASH B's; that's one shot every 12 months. It's no wonder it becomes obsessive! I went through a nasty period of HD'n my 2k PR shots....the only way I broke it was to decide to refuse to quit. I started out doing an 8:00m 2k, then 7:45, 7:30. Now my target is to just rack up sub 7:20's. If it's going well I push it, if not I back off. 7:17, 7:11, 7:13...just keep putting one in the log every week or two. Obviously continuous improvement is not possible. There's nothing wrong with logging in solid work outs. Then every so often drive for a peak.Re-group, re-evaluate, set new goals. I decided last month to play around with the 100m and 1min pieces. I did the non-athlon including a miserable full marathon to add variety.

Settle in to some do-able times for the Pete Plan intervals and relax and let it come to you.

[G-dub]

I have only HDed on one of the interval workouts (the last interval of the 4 x 1000 of the first cycle) since we started this. I have also beat my time each time. Yes, I have had trouble on the hard distance ones, and I didn't even start the 4 x 2000 this week, but I can assure you I got a good workout on those days. I don't know what you or others are talking about, frankly.

[Edward4492]

Sorry if I mis-intrepreted....no offense intended I assure you!

[G-dub]

No worries Edward, you have your own thing going and are understandably viewing the world of fitness from that perspective and through the lens of your own strengths and challenges. Your practice of doing sub max 2 K's makes sense for you and I actually appreciate it for the reasons you mentioned. But the plan I am on doesn't allow for that so I need to stay in the dark until the day of reckoning - which is not an easy thing for my worrying ass to do. Enjoy your training.

[gregsmith01748]

G-dub: Sorry if I caused any offense. I'm kind of passionate about being careful setting goals on this plan since I burned myself badly a couple of times by pushing too hard.

As I said in my earlier post. Doing single pieces at race pace and building out distance toward the 2K is a good part or final race prep, so I actually think your idea has a ton of merit and a lot of people do it.

[G-dub]

Coach - I have no problems with any of your advice, I know it comes from experience. Both you and Henry (in case he is listening) have helped me tons - even though it's not always what I want to hear. It seemed that the point of the discussion I was having with ccooper got lost along way. But as you and Henry (who I also don't have a problem with) pointed out and I admitted, I am way to focused on my 2K time goal. Not sure how to deal with it, since the plan is built around that, but I will keep trying. Maybe, as I have ruminated before I should just try to beat 7:08 right now. BTW - I've had two hard distance day finishes in a row. Your advice about dramatic negative sits has helped a lot. Yesterday's was very dramatic to be sure, but it tells me there is a strategy there to work with. Thanks. And please continue to keep me in line when needed.

[gregsmith01748]

I think focus on a 2K is a really good thing. It really drives the whole process. The harder part of this is trusting the plan and picking the right targets for each session. You need to simultaneously ignore your 2K goal, while focusing on it. Tough to do!

I'm glad that the negative split advice is working out for you.

[jackarabit]

We've all critiqued the Plan from the point of view of what I like, what I screw up and what i wouldn't screw up if i didn't have to do it. Assuming we're keeping to the 31 July test, should or shouldn't we be sticking to the daily schedule this week? Should we be reducing the workload daily? Should we reduce volume? Intensity? Do a "maximal effort" below race distance?

[Galeere]

Glenn, the critique probably pinpointed on my 4x2k fail. And I know that it´s right to criticise when someone just gives up. During our Pete plan that was my second fail (the first was at the first round of 5x1,5k which I mispaced). I think my pacing was totally doable under normal circumstances, but something was utterly wrong that day, probably the lack of sleep but also bad hydration, as my heart acted like an engine with one piston loose, and it just didn´t follow gear. Total power loss and in my book and to my feeling it would not have made sense to go at any speed in that state. So I quit. But that is not going to lead to a mental state in which quitting will be the solution to self inflicted pain. In fact I gain a lot out of this state. Not neccesarily while being at it, but afterwards looking on good results and another mental breakt thorugh. So don´t think that quitting twice will easily lead to a third. It might happen but it will have a reason whcih will not be mental.

[Galeere]

We've all critiqued the Plan from the point of view of what I like, what I screw up and what i wouldn't screw up if i didn't have to do it. Assuming we're keeping to the 31 July test, should or shouldn't we be sticking to the daily schedule this week? Should we be reducing the workload daily? Should we reduce volume? Intensity? Do a "maximal effort" below race distance?

I think I will redo the 4x2k (depending on the amount of sleep I will get ) and than kind of take it easy next week, maybe the sprint interval section on Monday but nothin heavy afterwards.

[jackarabit]

Bob S. writes:

I would say that a cyclist who has done a number of century rides has enough athletic pedigree. The longest I was ever able to do was 96 miles, but it had a several thousand foot descent in the first 20 miles or so.

I probably did 15 centuries from 1996 to 2001 and a number of one week sagged camping tours. Did a B&B tour once. Carried rear panniers on that and some of the camping tours. I respect loaded tourists altho I was not one. Jack

[G-dub]

Glenn, the critique probably pinpointed on my 4x2k fail. And I know that it´s right to criticise when someone just gives up. During our Pete plan that was my second fail (the first was at the first round of 5x1,5k which I mispaced). I think my pacing was totally doable under normal circumstances, but something was utterly wrong that day, probably the lack of sleep but also bad hydration, as my heart acted like an engine with one piston loose, and it just didn´t follow gear. Total power loss and in my book and to my feeling it would not have made sense to go at any speed in that state. So I quit. But that is not going to lead to a mental state in which quitting will be the solution to self inflicted pain. In fact I gain a lot out of this state. Not neccesarily while being at it, but afterwards looking on good results and another mental breakt thorugh. So don´t think that quitting twice will easily lead to a third. It might happen but it will have a reason whcih will not be mental.

Well I would have gotten more pissed if anyone was actually pointing to your workouts. There is no doubt in my mind about your toughness, my young friend. You are on your way toward many fast times and this is just a first stop along the way. - it's been fun riding along side of you while I could. But I think what happened yesterday was that after a couple of us were chatting about the mental difficulty of the 4 x 2 over the 5 x 1500 it went sideways - maybe it sounded to them like we were falling apart instead of actually enjoying the trials and tribulations of wanting to deliver every Saturday, Tuesday and Thursday.

[Galeere]

Redo of the 4x2k, DF140, goal sub 1:54, neg. splits and fast last
2k @ 1:53.8
2k @ 1:53.5
2k @ 1:53.2
400m into the fourth going at an avg. of 1:50ish I started to loose power again; fortunately my wife came in and provided the reason by saying: "What are you doing, there is no air in here". What a dumb ass I have been, using up the O2 and transforming it to CO2 while going at HRs > 160......
So I stopped after 500m, kept the door open (which I normally close so I don´t wake up anybody) and opened a window next to that door, felt some fresh air pouring in, started again after 3 extra minutes of rest (which I hope will be found eligible after the extra 500m) and went
2k @ 1:51.7, maxed HR @ 171
SPM was mostly @ 30 (29 on the third interval)
1,3k of paddling, no c/d as family was waiting with breakfast
So there is one happy camper to be found here today.....

[Galeere]

Well I would have gotten more pissed if anyone was actually pointing to your workouts. There is no doubt in my mind about your toughness, my young friend. You are on your way toward many fast times and this is just a first stop along the way. - it's been fun riding along side of you while I could. But I think what happened yesterday was that after a couple of us were chatting about the mental difficulty of the 4 x 2 over the 5 x 1500 it went sideways - maybe it sounded to them like we were falling apart instead of actually enjoying the trials and tribulations of wanting to deliver every Saturday, Tuesday and Thursday.

As we are writing back and forth there is always room for misunderstandings and misinterpretations. As a seasoned poster in social media I have seen many a discussion going sideways because of the lack of body language and resulting misinterpretations. There are studies that tell us that under normal circumstances 70-80% of communication/social interaction is by body language, which is totally missing on platforms like this one. A sentence not said or an extra explanation not given due to the lack of time is another reason for these oberservations. So all in all I am very thankful for any advice we are getting as it surely is all meant in good spirits to help us along and as I read your statements Glenn, the same is true for you as well. We are learning (and improving) a lot here, thanks to your initiative with the Pete Plan Summer 2015.

[kacken66]

Well I would have gotten more pissed if anyone was actually pointing to your workouts. There is no doubt in my mind about your toughness, my young friend. You are on your way toward many fast times and this is just a first stop along the way. - it's been fun riding along side of you while I could. But I think what happened yesterday was that after a couple of us were chatting about the mental difficulty of the 4 x 2 over the 5 x 1500 it went sideways - maybe it sounded to them like we were falling apart instead of actually enjoying the trials and tribulations of wanting to deliver every Saturday, Tuesday and Thursday.

As we are writing back and forth there is always room for misunderstandings and misinterpretations. As a seasoned poster in social media I have seen many a discussion going sideways because of the lack of body language and resulting misinterpretations. There are studies that tell us that under normal circumstances 70-80% of communication/social interaction is by body language, which is totally missing on platforms like this one. A sentence not said or an extra explanation not given due to the lack of time is another reason for these oberservations. So all in all I am very thankful for any advice we are getting as it surely is all meant in good spirits to help us along and as I read your statements Glenn, the same is true for you as well. We are learning (and improving) a lot here, thanks to your initiative with the Pete Plan Summer 2015.

Agree fully with you! Keep going lads!