Pete Plan Autumn 2015

[Galeere]

I think Jack would have been proud of the execution today of my test 2K. I even did the Eddie Fletcher 2K W/U (based on my 7:30 PB time last time) before.

1:50.5 / 29 / 166
1:51.8 / 28 / 167
1:52.4 / 28 / 170
1:51.4 / 29 / 172

7:26.1 / 1:51.5 / 28 / 168 (a new PB by four seconds) - I even figured out how to find the verification code for the log to rank it -- Yeah!

Nice PB Mike. Pacing-wise I would recommend to start a second or two slower (1 sec below target pace instead of 1 sec above).

[Papy]

Great PB, Mike, congrats !

[bisqeet]

Wtg Mike.
Next target 7:20!!! You are making great leaps and bounds...

[mdpfirrman]

I think Jack would have been proud of the execution today of my test 2K. I even did the Eddie Fletcher 2K W/U (based on my 7:30 PB time last time) before.

1:50.5 / 29 / 166
1:51.8 / 28 / 167
1:52.4 / 28 / 170
1:51.4 / 29 / 172

7:26.1 / 1:51.5 / 28 / 168 (a new PB by four seconds) - I even figured out how to find the verification code for the log to rank it -- Yeah!

Nice PB Mike. Pacing-wise I would recommend to start a second or two slower (1 sec below target pace instead of 1 sec above).

Thanks all. I thought about this Hardy. After I did the Fletcher warm up, I planned in my head a 1:50.5 (nailed that), then two 1:51.5 for the next 500 / 500 and then thought I might finish stronger and have a shot at 7:24 or lower. Not to be. I think, for me, I might have to start out quick to account for adrenaline. I'm hoping race day I can stick to this plan. It's one thing in a gym, Jack, entirely different race day I'm sure. I haven't proved you wrong yet...

[G-dub]

Mike , you might be interested in this. Page 2: The Importance of Pacing.

http://concept2.van-diepen.nl/forum/Wol ... ion_02.htm

[Bob S.]

Mike , you might be interested in this. Page 2: The Importance of Pacing.

http://concept2.van-diepen.nl/forum/Wol ... ion_02.htm

Fascinating story in the middle of the very long, but worthwhile treatise. There has been a recent discussion in this forum about lifting off the seat with a painful landing on the monorail. Here Mike tells about it happening to him at the start of a Crash-B race. The most interesting part of it is how he used his game plan and control of pacing to pull himself out of the hole. Hoping that Mike Caviston doesn't mind, I think that it is worthwhile repeating here. It is easy to miss if you are doing a casual reading of the quite long post about the importance of pacing.

Last year at the European Open, I initially thought based on my training I would be able to pull a 6:24. But once in Amsterdam, I was feeling pretty sluggish (jet lag, I suppose) and by race day I knew I had to be a little more conservative. It was only during the warm-up I finally decided on a target of 6:26, but I had already mentally rehearsed my strategy for that time so often I felt completely comfortable with it. I started out at a 1:38 pace; meanwhile, Per Hansen of Denmark was blasting off at 1:32 or so. But I knew he wasn’t going to hold that (and if he did, there was nothing I could do to catch him), so I stuck to my plan and slowly worked into the lead with about 500m to go. At the CRASH-Bs, I really had to alter my race plan at the last second. I had expected to pull about 6:22, but at the start of the race I got a little carried away and suspended right off my seat and onto the monorail. By the time I got back in place and into the race, I was so far behind the monitor actually said “HAH-hah!” (in the voice of Nelson Muntz). A typical reaction might be to go nuts for 500m or so in an effort to catch up, but I knew that would result in a painful crash and burn. I didn’t panic, and since I had rehearsed so many possible scenarios and strategies it only took a fraction of a second to shift to a race plan that brought me into the lead with only a couple hundred meters to go. I have to say that all things considered it was a pretty satisfying performance. But the only thing that saved me was a knowledge of effective pacing and a solid race plan.

[G-dub]

So many of those pages on the attachment have useful info.

[jackarabit]

The division of the 2k distance into decreasing increments (800, 600, 400, and 200 meters) can bolster confidence quite independent of whether or not the corresponding pacing scheme is executed perfectly. The illusion is that the remainder left to do always seems a better fit with what's left to do it with than do the reps of 500m. The merest hope of getting to the end without ever once noticing the endless middle extends grunt--a potential victory of the subjective self over the plain vanilla reality of painful repetition.

[christopherregisryan]

First test of my training plan in the 1k at Connecticut Indoors today. Pulled a 3:03.9 (1.7 second PR). I had hoped to be closer to the "big figure", but at age 54 all PR's are to be savored. Got off to a poor start, which is devastating in these short races. My five power pulls were all in the low 1:20s, but my average split only came down from an atrocious 2:47 to 1:34. I kept my focus and hung on to 1:32 for the body of the piece and produced a limited 300m "sprint" which ultimately got me below 1:32. I have some thoughts on how to do better out of the gates in the 500m at the St. Valentine's Day Massacre in Pelham next week. My overall assessment is that the modified PP is working for me as I have PR's in all 7 of the Nonathlon distances I have attempted this season. On to Pelham (Home of the Pelicans)! - Chris

[G-dub]

Well f'ing done Chris! You are on a roll. Nice to see your hard work paying off.

[hjs]

First test of my training plan in the 1k at Connecticut Indoors today. Pulled a 3:03.9 (1.7 second PR). I had hoped to be closer to the "big figure", but at age 54 all PR's are to be savored. Got off to a poor start, which is devastating in these short races. My five power pulls were all in the low 1:20s, but my average split only came down from an atrocious 2:47 to 1:34. I kept my focus and hung on to 1:32 for the body of the piece and produced a limited 300m "sprint" which ultimately got me below 1:32. I have some thoughts on how to do better out of the gates in the 500m at the St. Valentine's Day Massacre in Pelham next week. My overall assessment is that the modified PP is working for me as I have PR's in all 7 of the Nonathlon distances I have attempted this season. On to Pelham (Home of the Pelicans)! - Chris

Very nice, good pb.

You can,t blame yourself for the first pull. Racing starts are what they are, you have the reaction time you can,t get around.

[mdpfirrman]

Very impressive Chris! To have that kind of power as a fellow over 50 is incredible! Very nice PB.

Thanks all on the very detailed feedback about pacing. I read it over the weekend and spent some time reviewing every thread. Thanks Bob, Jack, Glenn and Hardy! I did like the suggestion, Jack, about breaking it into 800 / 600 / 400 / 200 instead like a continuous waterfall workout. I probably will do that. I suppose the only reason I was thinking to start out fast is my concern about my own ability to keep my adrenaline in check race day. I am extremely worried about the crash and burn probability of a first timer. I do, though, think that because of doing PP for four plus rounds that I've probably gained a lot more understanding of pacing at higher levels of performance (something I had no clue about before).

I am planning on doing PP this week as planned and then perhaps dial it down next week and perhaps just do a very short row on Friday (two days before the race).

[jackarabit]

Mike, you are a proven closer. Don't burn the house down in the first 30" and bleed pace. Don't duel with the redline. You'll do fine.

[G-dub]

Being worried about crash and burn, as you say, is a great reason to keep things in check at the beginning. You have a solid time you just did and recent memories of how you felt at each milestone. Why not go out at that pace or even a titch slower for the first 1200-14000 and then see if you have more to give it? It seems like it puts the piece in your hands to do with it what you want / can.

[mdpfirrman]

What you two (Glenn / Jack) suggest makes the most sense. I'll just keep the reigns on the first part of the race and see what I can do at the end.

Did the speed pyramid today. Used my Friday's new PB on the 2K as my goal (1:51.5 goal).

Had technical issues to start the intervals - someone had set the pace to watts to start out and I had to stop and change that on the first interval. Second interval my chest strap HRM sprung off like a coil in the middle of it and I'm trying just to keep it together and not run over the damn thing mid row...

Considering how it started - good solid row.

250 / 1:52.4 / 29 / 146
500 / 1:54.1 / 28 / HR strap fell off
750 / 1:51.7 / 28 / 166
1000 / 1:51.4 / 29 / 173
750 / 1:50.8 / 30 / 175
500 / 1:49.8 / 29 / 172
250 / 1:40.4 / 33 / 170

Avg 1:50.8 / 29

I'm going to make sure that my recovery row tomorrow is just that.