Pete Plan Autumn 2015

[ericallenboyd]

thanks. yes HR Is much better than it has been and feeling better for sure. I am expecting by the end of this round that during round 3 I will start to get over the hump and push it even more. you are doing well also and keep it up.

w2d3, 4x2000m. probably my least favorite workout of the bunch but being the second time around I at least have an idea of what times to do.

last time I did: 8:11.3, 8:11.5, 8:11.1 and 8:11.6

hit my target time going in of 8:05 and which was an improvement of 6 seconds each 2000m. last two were tough during the last 500m stretch.

looking good and by the looks of your HR, plenty of reserves that can be tapped into once the "engine" is built...

[G-dub]

Was supposed to rest! Then decided to give 5 X 1500 a go BUT I was going to go from my usual 9 w/s (remember I'm short) to 10.5 w/s and make them more of a power session. Bad idea! Not sure why I thought it would work, really. I did 2 of them at r22 and 1:55 (which is just above my current 5K PR pace) and blew apart . Good thing I don't get paid for this stuff. Anyhoo, will rest tomorrow and try to conduct a real session on Saturday. I am starting to learn/ wonder that I may do better on 4-5 days a week with a day or two of easy bike for cardio rather than 6-7 days of erg. My legs get too dull. I really need to get this all figured out soon!

[left coaster]

Dang G-Dub, 3 seconds away from that 7 minute goal --- soooo close!!

personally the pete plan was too continuous for me, at 45 and in a rebuilding fitness phase I didn't recover fast enough to keep pace with it. I also needed to bail as I was getting so cognitively fatigued with work and school that I'd get on the erg and just start to feel mentally exhausted and unmotivated. I've been watching the group though, there is some impressive commitment and progress happening here -- wish the timing was better and I could have stayed on with you all!

[G-dub]

I think I am suffering from what you speak about Lefty. I managed for a little while this summer on the PP but can't keep up anymore. I still am pretending I'm doing it though! And yes, once I find those last few seconds I'm not sure I won't just enjoy doing this for basic enjoyment and general fitness. I'm not tough enough!

[christopherregisryan]

Fourth Round of 5x375m w 5'. Total time: 5:33.6. Avg. Split: 1:28.9. Splits were 1:29.0; 1:29.2; 1:29.2; 1:29.0; 1:28.1. Beat 17-Dec by 1.0 split (3.4 seconds). Beat 7-Nov by 3.5 splits (12.9 seconds). Continuing to make progress on the high intensity intervals. I am going to work some endurance intervals in on Sunday: 5x8' w 1' rest @ 5k plus 5. Otherwise, steady state. Best. - Chris

[Galeere]

Was supposed to rest! Then decided to give 5 X 1500 a go BUT I was going to go from my usual 9 w/s (remember I'm short) to 10.5 w/s and make them more of a power session. Bad idea! Not sure why I thought it would work, really. I did 2 of them at r22 and 1:55 (which is just above my current 5K PR pace) and blew apart . Good thing I don't get paid for this stuff. Anyhoo, will rest tomorrow and try to conduct a real session on Saturday. I am starting to learn/ wonder that I may do better on 4-5 days a week with a day or two of easy bike for cardio rather than 6-7 days of erg. My legs get too dull. I really need to get this all figured out soon!

Everybody is different, especially regarding physical predisposition (hight, reach) and regarding the need for recovery. Everybody has something else to do, especially work and family. So everybody needs to find his own sustainable training load. Your session certainly wasn´t wasted but obviously not suited for a 5x1,5k PP-session at that speed. And if 4-5 days will suit you better, Glenn, why not? What I don´t believe is that you are not tough enough. Keep going but have fun and stay healthy while being at it.

[mdpfirrman]

Was supposed to rest! Then decided to give 5 X 1500 a go BUT I was going to go from my usual 9 w/s (remember I'm short) to 10.5 w/s and make them more of a power session. Bad idea! Not sure why I thought it would work, really. I did 2 of them at r22 and 1:55 (which is just above my current 5K PR pace) and blew apart . Good thing I don't get paid for this stuff. Anyhoo, will rest tomorrow and try to conduct a real session on Saturday. I am starting to learn/ wonder that I may do better on 4-5 days a week with a day or two of easy bike for cardio rather than 6-7 days of erg. My legs get too dull. I really need to get this all figured out soon!

I'm in your frustration boat there Glenn. I was hoping to get down below 7:20 this year on my first race and was on track and then got this cold (or whatever it is). Feel like now if I hit 7:25 in late February it will be an accomplishment. I think, though, like Hardy mentions - this is all for health when it comes down to it. I think, like running, that 10% rule makes sense (if you go more than 10% more in volume any one week it's unwise). We went gangbusters with the PP this Fall and my body didn't adapt well. Better than running but not as well as I'd hoped.

I'm going to continue on and just press as much as I can do without feeling ill effects. I think by Spring, my endurance will be strong along with my strength, just not in time for the regatta.

Nice improvements Eric!

[G-dub]

Thanks friends. Looking back, I went from 35-45 meters a week this summer to 65 - 75 this fall and then dumped the PP onto that and expected to beat my summers best times - maybe that took its toll over time. Anyway, it's still fun and I look forward to finding the right balance so that I can keep improving while feeling good and energized. Being obsessed with the 7:00 barrier hasn't helped the process! It has sort of made it a grind rather than a process of discovery. Now I know why they say that process goals are many times better than outcome goals.

[christopherregisryan]

Thanks friends. Looking back, I went from 35-45 meters a week this summer to 65 - 75 this fall and then dumped the PP onto that and expected to beat my summers best times - maybe that took its toll over time. Anyway, it's still fun and I look forward to finding the right balance so that I can keep improving while feeling good and energized. Being obsessed with the 7:00 barrier hasn't helped the process! It has sort of made it a grind rather than a process of discovery. Now I know why they say that process goals are many times better than outcome goals.

Glenn - You can still get sub-7 and probably sooner than you think. All the volume you have done is not lost. Your aerobic system has benefitted. Don't be shy about dropping the volume now. That is what you are supposed to do as you build to a peak. If you are focused on a 2k PB, skip the endurance intervals and the hard steady workout. Rest up a bit. Do a few steady state pieces at 2:10 or higher over a week to ten days. When you are ready add in a weekly speed interval workout and do that one as hard as you can (especially the last intervals). Make sure you are fresh when you do it and that you recover afterwards. You can still build to a February peak even with a 7 to 10 day rest period now. Remember, the Pete Plan is written for younger athletes. Older athletes need more rest and recovery. It is no indictment on you that the PP pushes you into an overtrained zone. I am in the same boat. Best. - Chris

[ericallenboyd]

w2d4 round 2, 10k. 2:22 avg 500m and avg hr at 122. going to do 1 more week of the pp to get 2 rounds in and then I will start travel for my work so I will have to modify my workouts and probably only get 3 days of rowing in weekly. when that happens should I do the intervals or the longer rows?

[G-dub]

Thanks friends. Looking back, I went from 35-45 meters a week this summer to 65 - 75 this fall and then dumped the PP onto that and expected to beat my summers best times - maybe that took its toll over time. Anyway, it's still fun and I look forward to finding the right balance so that I can keep improving while feeling good and energized. Being obsessed with the 7:00 barrier hasn't helped the process! It has sort of made it a grind rather than a process of discovery. Now I know why they say that process goals are many times better than outcome goals.

Glenn - You can still get sub-7 and probably sooner than you think. All the volume you have done is not lost. Your aerobic system has benefitted. Don't be shy about dropping the volume now. That is what you are supposed to do as you build to a peak. If you are focused on a 2k PB, skip the endurance intervals and the hard steady workout. Rest up a bit. Do a few steady state pieces at 2:10 or higher over a week to ten days. When you are ready add in a weekly speed interval workout and do that one as hard as you can (especially the last intervals). Make sure you are fresh when you do it and that you recover afterwards. You can still build to a February peak even with a 7 to 10 day rest period now. Remember, the Pete Plan is written for younger athletes. Older athletes need more rest and recovery. It is no indictment on you that the PP pushes you into an overtrained zone. I am in the same boat. Best. - Chris

You have told me this before and I am too dense sometimes to listen! Thanks again.

[bisqeet]

rest days today...
so why, oh why, did someone put the idea in my head to do a FM ?

I had 2 targets left this year
1) complete a FM
2) finish FM under 3:00

I thought i'd take it easy doe the first HM @ 2:05 pace, then relax 2:10-2:15.

had a waterbreak, stretched legs at 1/2 way and jumped back on...

at 30k i jusat kept thinking... under 3hrs? i have to do this again?
so i upped the pace after a quick water at 30k and paddled on...

seriously - looking at some of the meters on the VTC - some people do this distance every day...

Unbenannt.jpg (34.84 KiB) Viewed 5806 times

[jackarabit]

Very classy, Dean!

[christopherregisryan]

Congratulations, Dean! Sub 3 FM is one of my goals for next year. You crushed it! Way to go. - Chris

[G-dub]

Is there anything he can't do! Nice work Dean.