Pete Plan Autumn 2015

[mdpfirrman]

That's a solid workout Bob! I've moved most of my postings over to the "What training you did Today" thread. I'm still doing the modified PP though. I did 2 X 2000 yesterday along with a 20 minute and 15 minute SS before and after (used as warm up and cool down).

Once Chris' race is over, I might start a revised thread for those of us doing a modified PP. I just think that the Fall PP thread was race prep for this Winter. Most of the initial guys have fallen off the wagon so to speak or moved over to a different plan.

PP is grueling as written because it is a lot of speed work. Perhaps too much after the races are over. I do think it's excellent prep for the period of around 6 to 8 weeks before a race. The more I read what Chris and Greg do, the more it makes sense to me. I think PP while building aerobic is fine, but you'd have to be doing 15 hours of work a week to make it 80/20 slow to fast work. I'm trying to shoot for more of an 80/20 ratio of easy UT2 type stuff to 20% UT1 and harder stuff. I have upped my hours of training to six rowing sessions a week of around an hour each (true PP stuff). Just modified the intermediate intervals because I think there are too many of them for the aerobic base building period (for me). If I had 5 hours more a week to do UT2 stuff on the rower (or by other means), I'd probably stick with PP as written.

[christopherregisryan]

Once Chris' race is over, I might start a revised thread for those of us doing a modified PP. I just think that the Fall PP thread was race prep for this Winter. Most of the initial guys have fallen off the wagon so to speak or moved over to a different plan.

Don't wait on me, Mike. I think it would be great it you wanted start a thread on "off season" training plans. I am sure there will be a lot great ideas for that. Best. - Chris

[Bob S.]

I'm sad to see this thread dying a slow death.

Its time limit was spelled from the start, when it was named. The thread itself was started to take the place of the one entitled Summer when that was no longer appropriate to its name. We are now in the middle of the northern winter and the indoor racing season is in full swing, with its grand finale at the end of this week. Long term training plans are on hold for many of the members. If you want a lasting PP thread, create one with an appropriate name and there is a good chance that it will survive and flourish. At this point, the folks into racing are starting to think about what to do after Boston, like what to do in the next year in order to prepare for the 2017 racing season. Other, like the nonathloners, will be going to work to fill in some of the longer distances, included the marathon. I believe that there is usually a marathon challenge around the time of the seasonal switchover, i.e. about the end of April or the beginning of May.

Bob S.

[Sideshow Bob]

Once Chris' race is over, I might start a revised thread for those of us doing a modified PP. I just think that the Fall PP thread was race prep for this Winter. Most of the initial guys have fallen off the wagon so to speak or moved over to a different plan.

that's a great idea. i'd love to have a place to compare notes on PP modifications and workouts.

[Sideshow Bob]

I'm sad to see this thread dying a slow death.

Its time limit was spelled from the start, when it was named. The thread itself was started to take the place of the one entitled Summer when that was no longer appropriate to its name. We are now in the middle of the northern winter and the indoor racing season is in full swing, with its grand finale at the end of this week. Long term training plans are on hold for many of the members. If you want a lasting PP thread, create one with an appropriate name and there is a good chance that it will survive and flourish. At this point, the folks into racing are starting to think about what to do after Boston, like what to do in the next year in order to prepare for the 2017 racing season. Other, like the nonathloners, will be going to work to fill in some of the longer distances, included the marathon. I believe that there is usually a marathon challenge around the time of the seasonal switchover, i.e. about the end of April or the beginning of May.

Bob S.

Understood. Thx, Bob.

[jackarabit]

I also think it's a good idea to step up and own it, Mike. You will more than likely get some first-timers. Could you offer the option of "modified or old original?" With regard to those trying the plan for the first time (and presumably there are or will be some), I believe an attempt to "follow" the plan for a couple of cycles (6 to 8 wks.) should be encouraged. The willingness to get up, shut up, suck it up, and subject oneself to the fact of pain and discomfort can be short-circuited by the premature development of the critical faculties. If you wrestled, ran the track, or played ball sports as a schoolboy, you know you weren't the best judge of your potential or the rigors necessary to realizing it. There are no magic bullets in any of these plans? But there are old everyday bullets which will hit their targets if aimed and fired. I don't assume the gun is empty until I pull the trigger on an empty chamber. My final testament to the value of training without resort to personal rationalization and scepticism; no more shaming or scolding. Make it happen as you think best.

[christopherregisryan]

Just got home from CRASH-B's. Concept 2 put on another excellent event. I came into today nicely tapered and ready to race. My plan was to hold my average split at or around 6:39.5 for the first 1700m. From there, I would sprint with whatever I had left.

Total time: 6:37.3. Average split: 1:39.3. 500m splits - 1:39.4, 1:39.8, 1:39.4, 1:38.7. 1.5 second beat of last year's CRASH-B result and a 0.9 second beat of my recent PR.

I felt pretty good at my base pace throughout the piece. It was only at about 400m to go that I began to labor as I tried to drive my split down. I had a lot of trouble rating up for my sprint more due to overall fatigue than muscle fatigue. I saw mainly 1:37s and 1:38s over the last 300m. Enough to move the needle, but not enough to bring my time down significantly.

Training program recap: Periodization: March - December base building with longer distance testing (80% UT2/20% High Intensity); Jan - Feb build to peak for 500m, 1k and 2k races (60% UT2/40% High Intensity). Polarization: March - December - tried to avoid UT1. high intensity work was done as intervals at either 5k or 2k pace (as prescribed by the PP). Jan - Feb - split my work between UT2 and intervals at 1k pace.

Assessment: 1) Results. Improved at every distance (ex 500m). Middle and longer distances mostly by more than 1 split. Improved at FM by 9+ splits, HM by 4+ splits, 10k by 2+, 30' by 1+, 6k by 1+. 2k by 0.4 splits and 1k by 0.9 splits. 2) Enjoyment. I found it easier not to push for a result on the monitor every workout. The UT2 work broke up the harder workouts (done once per week) and gave me recovery time. I also enjoyed taking classes on Sundays. Much easier to push myself in a group workout than on my own. 3) Overall wellness. Made it through a training year with zero missed time due to injury or illness. This is the first time I have been able to do this. I chalk it up to managing my recovery resources better via UT2 helping me avoid overtraining. Also, every test piece I did was a B/B+ or better. No poor tests.

Bottom line: I am happy with the progress I made this year. I think I have more improvement left in me. I will make some adjustments to last year's program, but I will keep the guts of it.

Thanks for all of the great insights, war stories, successes and setbacks that everyone shared on this thread. I look forward to working with this great group of supportive and constructive training partners in the future. Best. - Chris

[mdpfirrman]

Great race Chris! I saw your times earlier. Didn't want to steal your thunder. So glad that you're happy with the time and the training. Any PB is an accomplishment (someone told me that once)! Your times are so strong it's harder to improve but I think you have some improvement in you too.

This group will be around in some form or another.

[G-dub]

Nicely done Chris! Sounds like it was a bit of a fight to the end. Way to finish it off with a PB!

[Edward4492]

Nice race Chris! Sorry I missed you at "B"s today, lots going on with my race and one of my athletes. Well done!

[Sideshow Bob]

just back from a week-long vacation with no rowing and lots of eating. i dove straight back in with the PP waterfall last night....probably not the wisest, but i backed off the pace by 1-2 sec and it actually felt ok. 1:58.3 ave. i'll do a bunch of SS this week and then start another PP cycle towards the end of the week.

glad to see your race went well, chris. congrats to you and the others who went to boston.

p.s. mike, i am hoping you'll start up a new PP thread soon so i have somewhere to hang out!