Pete Plan Autumn 2015

[G-dub]

Looks on the money over the hump, Mike.

My fingers are crossed but what's working for me right now is two hard sessions - both around 2K pace and the rest 2K + 25-30. I finally figured out that also trying to do threshold work was blowing me out. I need just two more good weeks and one easy one!

[mdpfirrman]

Looks on the money over the hump, Mike.

My fingers are crossed but what's working for me right now is two hard sessions - both around 2K pace and the rest 2K + 25-30. I finally figured out that also trying to do threshold work was blowing me out. I need just two more good weeks and one easy one!

I think you'll be fine Glenn and do exceptionally well. I guess what I've learned from doing the PP for three months now is that it's really three rules when you break it down (and maybe I'm oversimplifying it). A) Do a lot of meters. Do one to three speedwork sessions a week and make them challenging (the emojie was supposed to be a "B" but I'm not sure what's going on with this post). C) On longer recovery days, make sure you are working your HR but not too hard (lower UT1 or more preferably UT2).

Henry just made a comment that struck me on another thread (the 2K strategy thread) about how simple or basic the training plans of the top rowers truly are. I think at times we make it too complex.

[christopherregisryan]

Glad to see that you are finding a good groove, Glenn. Working at a sustainable level is critical.

I did the minute of madness in preparation for my upcoming 500m race. It was my first try at this piece. My strategy was to pull very fast and very hard for 8 strokes and then hang on to a 1:19 split for as long as I could. I got the average split down to 1:20 at just about the 30 second mark. That was about the same time as my 1:19 started to decay. I held on to 1:20 for a bit and then staggered home for a 1:20.6 average split (372m). I think I saw 1:24 on the last couple of strokes. Rated 51 and had the drag at 150. I think I can be a little more efficient than this. Will taper with 200m intervals going into Saturday's race.

[G-dub]

I could have listened to you a month or two ago Chris! Actually, I may not have learned as much. Sometimes being stubborn forces learning!

[Sideshow Bob]

Hi everyone!!

Long-time lurker/part-time Pete Planner. First, let me just say "thanks" to the OP and all of the participants in this thread for some really great tips and motivation. I finally dove in to the PP last month and just finished wk2 of cycle 2. Cycle 1 went OK - stuck to the Plan religiously - but then it started going downhill fast and I had to really scale back on the mileage and intensity. I'm in awe of the training volume many of you are able to sustain!

My basic question is this: should I continue limping through a watered down PP, or would I be better-served by working on my (crap) cardio for a while before returning to the PP? As matter of background, I've been erging since Feb 2015. I have zero natural talent or ability and my endurance has always been rubbish (I think my first 2k was around a 10:30!).

Cheers!

SSB

[christopherregisryan]

I could have listened to you a month or two ago Chris! Actually, I may not have learned as much. Sometimes being stubborn forces learning!

Ha! That is so funny and so true, Glenn. Sometimes we just have to touch the hot stove ourselves to understand. I was told by very accomplished rowers for years to emphasize steady state workouts in my training. I had to fully plateau before I was able to hear that advice. Human nature. Sometimes we are our own worst enemy.

[mdpfirrman]

Always nice to hear your advice Chris. Speaking of steady state, just came back from 9K meter row @ around 2:18 or so. I'm not sure exact figures. Actually, I've been paying just more attention to how I feel / HR and not pace on my steady state days, especially today. I was thinking for a while that if I could cut time off on my steady state days that somehow I'd be helping my strength. I think now I'm finally understanding if you limit your stroke rate and make sure your HR is up in the UT2 range that power (and aerobic base) take care of themselves. I was trying to push 2:12 for a while (which is 2K PB plus 21). Now I'm more like PB 2K plus 26ish.

HR stayed 140 to 150 until the very end (upper end UT2 range most of the row).

Hit my first million lifetime meters today. Yeah! Most of it was this season (with around 200K last season).

[christopherregisryan]

Always nice to hear your advice Chris. Speaking of steady state, just came back from 9K meter row @ around 2:18 or so. I'm not sure exact figures. Actually, I've been paying just more attention to how I feel / HR and not pace on my steady state days, especially today. I was thinking for a while that if I could cut time off on my steady state days that somehow I'd be helping my strength. I think now I'm finally understanding if you limit your stroke rate and make sure your HR is up in the UT2 range that power (and aerobic base) take care of themselves. I was trying to push 2:12 for a while (which is 2K PB plus 21). Now I'm more like PB 2K plus 26ish.

HR stayed 140 to 150 until the very end (upper end UT2 range most of the row).

Hit my first million lifetime meters today. Yeah! Most of it was this season (with around 200K last season).

Congratulations on the 1mm meters, Mike. Hopefully the first of many milestones. Keep your steady state workouts nice and easy so that you have lots of intensity available for the PP interval work. That is why folks look at lactate testing, etc., to make sure you keep your steady state slow enough so that you can work your aerobic system but still recover quickly for your next workout.

[christopherregisryan]

Hi everyone!!

Long-time lurker/part-time Pete Planner. First, let me just say "thanks" to the OP and all of the participants in this thread for some really great tips and motivation. I finally dove in to the PP last month and just finished wk2 of cycle 2. Cycle 1 went OK - stuck to the Plan religiously - but then it started going downhill fast and I had to really scale back on the mileage and intensity. I'm in awe of the training volume many of you are able to sustain!

My basic question is this: should I continue limping through a watered down PP, or would I be better-served by working on my (crap) cardio for a while before returning to the PP? As matter of background, I've been erging since Feb 2015. I have zero natural talent or ability and my endurance has always been rubbish (I think my first 2k was around a 10:30!).

Cheers!

SSB

Hi Bob. The Pete Plan is designed to help you reach a racing peak. If the intensity/volume is too much, then by all means scale it back. For me, that meant to replace one interval session and the long, hard distance session with UT2 steady state (2k+25-28) sessions. Endurance is my weak point too, so the extra UT2 work has been helpful in improving my aerobic endurance. It is also a good idea to cycle off of the PP from time to time to refresh and recharge. Given your current times and you LW status, you are doing really well. I hope you stick with it and continue to improve. Best. - Chris

[mdpfirrman]

In just looking at your times Bob, you're no slacker on strength, especially for your size. You're my height with less pounds. You've shown great progress since just February, so you're doing something right obviously.

I'm relatively new also (only erging since last Winter). I'm the wrong one to ask for advice but your 10K times don't match your 2K ability, which points to what Chris mentions - your aerobic strength needs work.

For what it's worth, I do a bit of a watered down version of PP. I do it five days a week - skipping the last steady state. I intend on changing that after my race in two weeks and doing the full six days. I could use another steady state day. For me, I was reversed a bit for a while (my aerobic capacity being better than my strength or possibly pain tolerance). My 5K and 10K times were better relative to my 2K times. Welcome. Hopefully my status as a "newbie" has helped you when lurking! I think I've asked every question under the sun and these guys have been nice enough to answer them.

For you to pull a 1:29 500m at your height and weight is very impressive!

[G-dub]

Bob, if I had called the thread "something like the Pete Plan for guys over 50" it might have allowed us all to fit into it as we can without guilt! I certainly crashed and burned on it. In hindsight, I think that how you approach making adjustmemts depends on where you are and what you are trying to do. Right now, for many, speedier sessions are the focus because folks are pariticpating in races to test their 2K mettle. Other times of year, focusing more of the endurance intervals may make sense. But as Chris says, for most of us a weekly foundation of UT2 sesssion really helps and mixing threshold and speed and hard distance in the same week - actually even two of those - is really hard to sustain for us average joes.

[Sideshow Bob]

Hi Bob. The Pete Plan is designed to help you reach a racing peak. If the intensity/volume is too much, then by all means scale it back. For me, that meant to replace one interval session and the long, hard distance session with UT2 steady state (2k+25-28) sessions. Endurance is my weak point too, so the extra UT2 work has been helpful in improving my aerobic endurance. It is also a good idea to cycle off of the PP from time to time to refresh and recharge. Given your current times and you LW status, you are doing really well. I hope you stick with it and continue to improve. Best. - Chris

Thanks, Chris. I too started dropping the hard distance session (on which I'd stupidly go all out only to handle down and then get super discouraged). I find it's the mental strain as much as anything that makes the PP so tough! I may try cycling off for a week, as you suggested.

[Sideshow Bob]

In just looking at your times Bob, you're no slacker on strength, especially for your size. You're my height with less pounds. You've shown great progress since just February, so you're doing something right obviously.

I'm relatively new also (only erging since last Winter). I'm the wrong one to ask for advice but your 10K times don't match your 2K ability, which points to what Chris mentions - your aerobic strength needs work.

For what it's worth, I do a bit of a watered down version of PP. I do it five days a week - skipping the last steady state. I intend on changing that after my race in two weeks and doing the full six days. I could use another steady state day. For me, I was reversed a bit for a while (my aerobic capacity being better than my strength or possibly pain tolerance). My 5K and 10K times were better relative to my 2K times. Welcome. Hopefully my status as a "newbie" has helped you when lurking! I think I've asked every question under the sun and these guys have been nice enough to answer them.

For you to pull a 1:29 500m at your height and weight is very impressive!

Thx for the compliments and advice, Mike! Actually, I have been following your posts and have found them very helpful. I am envious of your endurance...your 30' and 10k times are awesome (and way better than mine ). Fwiw, I think you could probably match or better my 2k time right now if you dig deep. I can fake it over shorter distances but At anything beyond about 4K, I get "found out" quickly.

[Sideshow Bob]

Bob, if I had called the thread "something like the Pete Plan for guys over 50" it might have allowed us all to fit into it as we can without guilt! I certainly crashed and burned on it. In hindsight, I think that how you approach making adjustmemts depends on where you are and what you are trying to do. Right now, for many, speedier sessions are the focus because folks are pariticpating in races to test their 2K mettle. Other times of year, focusing more of the endurance intervals may make sense. But as Chris says, for most of us a weekly foundation of UT2 sesssion really helps and mixing threshold and speed and hard distance in the same week - actually even two of those - is really hard to sustain for us average joes.

Lol...a PP for average joes would be great, although, tbf, your times are FAR from average! I guess you guys have convinced me to suck it up and stick with a (heavily modified) PP for a bit longer. Secretly, I think I was hoping you'd tell me to take it easy!!

[mdpfirrman]

Thanks Bob, but I think with strength you either have it to start or you don't. My legs and arms are shorter, which doesn't help and I had a catastrophic knee accident 10 years ago (they wanted to do a knee replacement at that time but decided to do microfracture surgery / ACL instead). I actually couldn't walk for a year and lost a ton of leg strength (my right leg completely atrophied). I do think that strength can be built but that might be ultimately my limiting factor. We'll see. My knee feels better rowing (and has held up better) than anything else I have done. If I could ever just hit sub 7 ultimately, I'd be over the moon. My low SPM on my 2K now indicates (I think) that it's ultimately possible (but will probably take another year or two to get there).