Pete Plan Autumn 2015

[jackarabit]

Yes, on further rumination, I see that trying for top end in the sprint minute is not very intelligent in the context of continuous work.

[hjs]

I just started erging following a running injury that left me aimless in terms of an exercise plan. I am currently horrible at rowing, but I'm hoping that once I've done it more than ten times I will get better and see the times that everyone puts up on this forum as a real inspiration. My plan is to follow the Pete Plan for beginners and to post here to get advice from more seasoned rowers, but if it's felt that I will not add in a meaningful way to this discussion I'm happy to bow out gracefully.

A little background about me, I'm 38 years old, 5'9" and 140 pounds. My first time on the machine I rowed in over 3 minute splits. I then watched a video on technique and now after 8 times total on the machine, today I rowed 6K in 2:23/500m (obviously still horrible, but massively better). My goal is to get down to a <8:00/2K by February.

Any comments on whether this is reasonable would be appreciated. Also, I have no idea how to pace the interval workouts in the PP. If I'm rowing a 2:23/500m for 6K what pace should I be aiming for for 6X500.

Thanks so much for reading and looking forward to having exercise buddies to keep me motivated.

Try 2.15 to start with for the first 5, the 6 th faster. After this first run you will have a better idea. Don,t overthink the sessions, just do them on feel and use that info for the next.

[Tyche]

I am currently running the PP but are willing to sync in on ya'lls starting date.

[Rowan McSheen]

I just started erging following a running injury that left me aimless in terms of an exercise plan. I am currently horrible at rowing, but I'm hoping that once I've done it more than ten times I will get better and see the times that everyone puts up on this forum as a real inspiration. My plan is to follow the Pete Plan for beginners and to post here to get advice from more seasoned rowers, but if it's felt that I will not add in a meaningful way to this discussion I'm happy to bow out gracefully.

A little background about me, I'm 38 years old, 5'9" and 140 pounds. My first time on the machine I rowed in over 3 minute splits. I then watched a video on technique and now after 8 times total on the machine, today I rowed 6K in 2:23/500m (obviously still horrible, but massively better). My goal is to get down to a <8:00/2K by February.

Any comments on whether this is reasonable would be appreciated. Also, I have no idea how to pace the interval workouts in the PP. If I'm rowing a 2:23/500m for 6K what pace should I be aiming for for 6X500.

Thanks so much for reading and looking forward to having exercise buddies to keep me motivated.

The standard method here is to select a pace you know you can maintain (2:15/500 sounds reasonable) and hold that for the first 5 reps, no faster, and then in the final rep give it the beans. Calculate the average pace and that's your target for the next time you do this session: hold the pace, no faster, until the final rep when you give it the beans. And so on and so on. A final rep that's way faster than the others means you've undercooked it a bit, but you want to avoid doing the reverse, ie going out too fast. It might take a couple of sessions for you to find the right pace and initially you will probably see big increases in pace. This is a fairly intense session, and when you're up to speed you would want to do 5 evenly-paced reps and have enough left in the tank to turn in at least an incremental improvement on the final one.

[bisqeet]

I was looking at the PetePlan (coincidentaly) and really wanted to start on Monday (CW 44), but I got bored and decided today was also a good day to die (old klingon proverb).
Ideally I would train Mon to Sat, Sun as rest (although i do like a sunday morning HM - all the rest of the family is in bed). So that being said and i do like my order - i started with Week 1 -day 3.

1500 x 5 r5min

Although not stated i used an active rest using a very slow pace (2:30/500m) - unfortunately i buggered the rowpro session and forgot to configure it correctly so the rest meters weren't added (grrr..)

[Balkan boy]

Bisqeet, that's pretty solid.
My last 5x1500 was around 1:58/500m, and it took a lot out of me.

This morning I did 4x2000m.
I paced it generously, with +3-4s of what I could do. Last week I went too hard and got over my (previous) maxHR a couple of times. It wasn't pleasant or useful.

I've adopted a new warmup routine, as suggested by Mike Caviston.
Depending on the session, I do at least 2km or more. I start easy and go trough different pacing every 30''-1'. Bit of low rate-strong pull, fast rate-easy pull, 10 strokes hard pull, etc. I like the effect, and I found I'm more ready to jump straight into 500m interval or something like that.

[Fish out of water]

I just started erging following a running injury that left me aimless in terms of an exercise plan. I am currently horrible at rowing, but I'm hoping that once I've done it more than ten times I will get better and see the times that everyone puts up on this forum as a real inspiration. My plan is to follow the Pete Plan for beginners and to post here to get advice from more seasoned rowers, but if it's felt that I will not add in a meaningful way to this discussion I'm happy to bow out gracefully.

A little background about me, I'm 38 years old, 5'9" and 140 pounds. My first time on the machine I rowed in over 3 minute splits. I then watched a video on technique and now after 8 times total on the machine, today I rowed 6K in 2:23/500m (obviously still horrible, but massively better). My goal is to get down to a <8:00/2K by February.

Any comments on whether this is reasonable would be appreciated. Also, I have no idea how to pace the interval workouts in the PP. If I'm rowing a 2:23/500m for 6K what pace should I be aiming for for 6X500.

Thanks so much for reading and looking forward to having exercise buddies to keep me motivated.

The standard method here is to select a pace you know you can maintain (2:15/500 sounds reasonable) and hold that for the first 5 reps, no faster, and then in the final rep give it the beans. Calculate the average pace and that's your target for the next time you do this session: hold the pace, no faster, until the final rep when you give it the beans. And so on and so on. A final rep that's way faster than the others means you've undercooked it a bit, but you want to avoid doing the reverse, ie going out too fast. It might take a couple of sessions for you to find the right pace and initially you will probably see big increases in pace. This is a fairly intense session, and when you're up to speed you would want to do 5 evenly-paced reps and have enough left in the tank to turn in at least an incremental improvement on the final one.

Thanks for the advice, I really appreciate it. I went ~2:12/500 to start with (was aiming for 2:15 but I am still learning how to properly control my pace) and then 2:08 on the last one. Was definitely worn out from the session. Don't know how you guys do these monster sessions. Thanks for the inspiration.

[G-dub]

Fish, be sure to allow yourself time to get fit in the rower. You are right, these interval sessions can be very taxing - especially if you are coming into them without a lot of time spent on the rower before. I might be out of school, but maybe don't max these out first round and be sure to do the aerobic rows too. Use the first 3 week cycle to get the feel for pace and level of effort and also get some more time on the machine. Just a thought.

Nice session Bisqeet. I like the 5 X 1500 workout. It's not as daunting to me as the 4 X 2K.

[Tyche]

I am hitting the 5x1500 today and since i dont have a 5k time i am wondering what to go for, i am currently thinking about aiming for 1:50, 2k time was 7:02 and i'm about 4 weeks into erging

[bisqeet]

actually looking at the comments about choosing the pace:
https://thepeteplan.wordpress.com/the-pete-plan/

it states:

8 x 500m = 3seconds faster than 2k pb pace (2k – 3)

so if im looking at a 7minute 2k - (1:45) - then im looking at 8x 500@ 1:42 ? that looks as though it could hurt...

[G-dub]

actually looking at the comments about choosing the pace:
https://thepeteplan.wordpress.com/the-pete-plan/

it states:

8 x 500m = 3seconds faster than 2k pb pace (2k – 3)

so if im looking at a 7minute 2k - (1:45) - then im looking at 8x 500@ 1:42 ? that looks as though it could hurt...

Bisqeet, do what you think is doable. Tough but doable. Don't sweat those recommendations in the Pete Plan - especIlly the first time through. I also like to negative split them, so start a little conservative on the first one or two and then pick it up on the later intervals once you know you can. Of course the last one is for giving it full the treatment.

[bisqeet]

I am hitting the 5x1500 today and since i dont have a 5k time i am wondering what to go for, i am currently thinking about aiming for 1:50, 2k time was 7:02 and i'm about 4 weeks into erging

try it - you're young

actually im looking forward to some answers - i can do a 7:07 (actually i might be faster now), but only managed a 19min 5k (again i might be a bit faster now) based on that i tried a 1:54 split for the excersize.
honestly - i didnt feel it was that hard - but maybe thats the point

[mdpfirrman]

I'm trying to work out in my mind how I'll do the five sessions a week. I try to keep all my workouts to lunch time (they can run over an hour though if necessary). I'm thinking what I'll do is four sessions a week and when it comes to the longer, slower SPM pieces that I'll just do toward the higher end of distance recommended by the plan (thus protecting the speed / interval pieces). Currently, I'm just doing hard pieces a week now that are probably too fast and too intense (for me that is). I didn't even start to read about power and slowing down the SPM until recently.

Looking forward to starting in a few weeks. I think I have the base for it down now. Currently I've been doing a 10000m on Mondays, an hour row on Wednesdays (just added in a few weeks ago) - this one I use my active rest as form work - essentially it's intervals for an hour and then on Friday I do a timed 30 minute row. I follow up Monday / Friday with 10 or 15 minutes on the Stairmaster at a pretty decent clip.

Biggest things I need is structure and pace. I'm all over the board when I row and it's been just row till your pooped and then slow down until you can go faster again. Really spotty pacing. Pete's Plan is what I need so I know how to pace myself for a race and what I'm capable of - right now I'm not certain.

[G-dub]

I am hitting the 5x1500 today and since i dont have a 5k time i am wondering what to go for, i am currently thinking about aiming for 1:50, 2k time was 7:02 and i'm about 4 weeks into erging

Tyche, didn't you do the 4 X 2K at 1:50? If so, that is a good place to start. You will probably be able to do a little better than that though, but allow that to happen through the workout.

[Rowan McSheen]

Thanks for the advice, I really appreciate it. I went ~2:12/500 to start with (was aiming for 2:15 but I am still learning how to properly control my pace) and then 2:08 on the last one. Was definitely worn out from the session. Don't know how you guys do these monster sessions. Thanks for the inspiration.

Don't forget that in the Pete Plan the intervals cycle through different distances. So when calibrating your pace for the 500s bear in mind that next time you'll have to hold it for 750m and the time after for 1,000