Pete Plan 2017

[mdpfirrman]

Nice work on the 1000s Paul! Nice work Stu on keeping the HR down! That's progress. That beer sounds good right now!

Back to it today. I was worried with good reason!

W1D1 (full PP) 500 X 8 (3:30 rest)

Didn't know what to aim for as I've not done a 2K in two months (last one was 2:19). According to PP pacing, goal should be then 1:49.7 - 3 = 1:46.7, which sounded very daunting! My plan setting out was around 1:48 (thinking that was more realistic).

1:46.2 / 30
1:46.5 / 29 I'm not good with plans!
1:45.9 / 30 Feeling like all that lifting really helped!
1:46.7 / 29 Starting to wonder if I made a pacing error!
1:46.7 / 30 Praying I can hold near this.
1:50.7 / 28 Praying they don't have to use the paddles on me at the gym.
1:50.5 / 28 Just trying to get through...
1:50.0 / 27 Not what I had in mind for negative pacing!

1:47.9 / 28 Avg.

Not what I had in mind at all. It was more painful than I recall, but I was thinking if I could do a 1:47.5, I'd be pleased. I think if I had started out slower, I probably could have done that. Lower back a bit tight (though I think my form was decent). I have to do some yard work today and lift tonight (depending on how the back feels then).

Looked back at last September. I was at a 1:45.6 Avg for this workout. I've got a lot of work to do!

[Litewait]

1:46.2 / 30
1:46.5 / 29 I'm not good with plans!
1:45.9 / 30 Feeling like all that lifting really helped!
1:46.7 / 29 Starting to wonder if I made a pacing error!
1:46.7 / 30 Praying I can hold near this.
1:50.7 / 28 Praying they don't have to use the paddles on me at the gym.
1:50.5 / 28 Just trying to get through...
1:50.0 / 27 Not what I had in mind for negative pacing!

@mike - as depressed as I am being down with a hurt back, this made me ROFLMAO. Treat this one as just a reference point, cycle 2/3 bet good money that these will be upside down compared to this.

[optimuswolf]

Good work everyone - Mike I'm going to be slightly controversial and say that getting your pacing wrong in training isn't always a bad thing - you get to practice hanging on which is essentially what you have to do in competitive situations. Think of it as training your mind to keep going.

So after all the words of wisdom I've decide I'm going to move to the proper Petes plan, with a twist...I'll follow the programme but replace two of the sessions (hard 5k+ and a steady 8-12k) with equivalent runs. So I'm upping to 4 sessions a week which is tops for me right now.

Already mucked up the schedule a bit by doing two 'easy' days in a row. I worked very hard to keep my 8.5k at recovery pace, or what felt like the lower level of the cardio zone.

Wins - SR down to 22, held handle with no thumbs, felt less pull on the straps
minus - my splits are now much worse, I got blisters in a new place on my hand proving I'm still doing too much/too early with my arms.


8,500m 2:06.9 171 888 22
1,700m 2:06.5 173 895 21
3,400m 2:06.7 172 891 22
5,100m 2:06.9 171 888 22
6,800m 2:07.1 170 884 23
8,500m 2:07.0 171 888 22

My 10 k run only 10 hours later was pretty easy and actually didn't drop much below 4:30/km pace.

Hope people don't mind me keeping on posting here even though I'm messing with Pete's plan to fit my life. Tomorrow pm is the first 8*500 of the cycle proper.

[Rowan McSheen]

Mike, I wouldn't beat myself about that session if I were you ... the point of the first one is to find your pace by trial and error, no? You now have your target ...

Wolf: if your 10K run just a few hours after went easy, it means that your ss row was done right.

[optimuswolf]

Mike, I wouldn't beat myself about that session if I were you ... the point of the first one is to find your pace by trial and error, no? You now have your target ...

Wolf: if your 10K run just a few hours after went easy, it means that your ss row was done right.

Thanks Stu. I didn't intend the gap to be just 10 hours but gotta fit these workouts in when I can!

I'm tracking your progress as we're at similar points as beginners. You are being very disciplined with the SR and pace on the steady rows - something I have struggled with. I think I should probably add another second on to follow the "endurance interval + 10 rule".

[IefTheChief]

Good morning all! Recovered from the flu and started week 3 of cycle 3 yesterday. I did feel a bit better on friday and saturday so did some steady 10K's. Thinking about trying a sub 20' 5K row this week on the hard day, will decide tomorrow if I feel strong enough. Maybe it's a bit too much and I should do this in two steps.

PP, cycle 3
3.1 4x1,000m/5'r. Target from cycle 2 1:56.7

15:25.6 4,000m 1:55.7 226 1077 26
3:53.3 1,000m 1:56.6 221 1060 25
3:53.4 1,000m 1:56.7 220 1056 26
3:53.3 1,000m 1:56.6 221 1060 26
3:45.5 1,000m 1:52.7 244 1139 28

Like the previous cycle, another second stolen so happy with that one

Have a good week everybody!

[optimuswolf]

Hi Paul - that isnt my HR! I lazily copied and pasted from the logbook - its av watts I think. I don't monitor heart rate as imho it is pretty easy to tell what zone you're in once you're used to cardio work.

Ivo that is good work (second per cycle is great) I'm starting C1W1S1 tonight...setting my 500m split pace at 1:50.5 based off what I did on the BPP.

[IefTheChief]

Ivo that is good work (second per cycle is great) I'm starting C1W1S1 tonight...setting my 500m split pace at 1:50.5 based off what I did on the BPP.

Thanks! Yes, feels like good progress indeed. Good luck with PP, that's a serious target you're starting off with

[mudgeg]

Confidently expecting to be back this weekend, but this cold/flu has hit my hard. No voice, raw chest cough and generally feeling crap. Coming back is going to be very hard.....

[mdpfirrman]

@ Tim - Yeah, I had to laugh at it myself. I was putting too much pressure on myself going in to it.

@ Dean - I have zero problem with you modifying the PP to fit your life. I make the PP work for me and my various training regimes throughout the year. It's a great base for a training plan. If you lengthen out the meters and shorten the intervals, it's a great base building plan. If you lower the meters and keep the intervals hard, you can add lifting and make it a down time period (with slightly less emphasis on rowing). That's essentially the phase I'm coming off of. After probably two rounds and a test, I'll go back to more of a base building phase for probably 16 to 20 weeks. Also, I hear you on the "crash and burn". You learn from those. I've never HDd and knew I probably wouldn't. I've never been too conservative with paces. I'd rather crash and burn (pushing the envelope) than go so easy it's not challenging and kill the last two. On a great effort you're negative pacing but you're not outrageously better on the last one - that just means you pushed it as hard as you could throughout. Crashing and burning is painful though!

@ Ivo - quite the improvement with being sick in between!

@ Gordon - that flu hit me really hard the first time (this stuff I had last week was nothing compared to that first time - this was just a slight cold). Ease back in.

I'm trying to figure out what I did leading up to last September. My times were SO much better then. I'm going to have to go back through my training logs but I'm pretty sure prior to that I was doing heavy lifting (skipping too much legs) right before I did the rower. Perhaps being accustomed to fatigue and pushing through moved me to another level back then. If only I had done a 2K test back then. I might have been around 7:12 to 7:15.

[Rowan McSheen]

Crashing and burning ... been there, done that! This is why I like the BPP, it's a gradual progression on all fronts from long steady rows to eyeballs-out short intervals. I've dabbled with the full-fat PP but it doesn't serve my purpose, I'm never going to be a 2K artist. After the BPP I might have a go at the 12-week 5K plan that Pete has on his website. Or concoct my own plan, similar to my running schedule, with an eye to maintenance rather than continual improvement. There's only so far one can improve before getting to the stage of managing decline, and then the trick is to maintain interest and motivation.

For those wishing to mix n match their workouts, some good ideas here: https://quantifiedrowing.wordpress.com/workouts/

Sorry to hear of your continued indisposition, Gordon. Not good that it's on the chest, take it easy. I find that a decent slug of scotch with warm milk and honey (what we in the UK call a hot toddy) helps in such situations

[mdpfirrman]

Crashing and burning ... been there, done that! This is why I like the BPP, it's a gradual progression on all fronts from long steady rows to eyeballs-out short intervals. I've dabbled with the full-fat PP but it doesn't serve my purpose, I'm never going to be a 2K artist. After the BPP I might have a go at the 12-week 5K plan that Pete has on his website. Or concoct my own plan, similar to my running schedule, with an eye to maintenance rather than continual improvement. There's only so far one can improve before getting to the stage of managing decline, and then the trick is to maintain interest and motivation.

For those wishing to mix n match their workouts, some good ideas here: https://quantifiedrowing.wordpress.com/workouts/

Sorry to hear of your continued indisposition, Gordon. Not good that it's on the chest, take it easy. I find that a decent slug of scotch with warm milk and honey (what we in the UK call a hot toddy) helps in such situations

That blog you mention is Greg Smith's blog. He's on the forums too. I haven't seen him around as much lately but he's a wealth of information. Some of his posts on periodization / polarization are what made me gear more toward the training plan that I have now. I think around the only thing I could do better is spend more time on the rower (and without owning one that's not going to happen). I'll probably break down and get a used one later this year. You can get better, but it might take 75K meters a week or more. You also have to mix in weights (for shorter rowers), speed work and AT work at least every week to 10 days. The speed work (as Paul has mentioned before) is least important of all (because you can pick it back up quickly). The meters and the AT work are most important in any plan. If you aren't doing meters, aerobic work and lots of it. There have been several aerobic sports people in rowing that picked it up later in life and are tremendous rowers. There's one guy (I won't name him) that picked it up around 2 years ago and already is ranked #2 in the world in his age group. If you're an endurance athlete with decent muscle (and a good build for it), you can be a very good rower. Years of doing aerobic work doesn't all of a sudden leave you if you choose other activities instead of the rower.

[mdpfirrman]

SS work today -- 10K @ 2:12.6 (slower for me). Took it easier. Had to come home from the row and catch up on yard work - 3 hours of yard work and I ended up getting in my lift later last night. Today, I was very sore (from all 3 things). Feeling a bit better after the row. That 2:12 was including a small towel off at 30 minutes or so in (mostly so I didn't drift too far into UT1). I think I was mostly UT2 on this row. Now, keep in mind, I'm just joining back in two rotations or so then I'm going into a higher meter phase. If I had a race coming up, I'd probably push the SS meters a bit more.

[optimuswolf]

Evening all

Cycle 1 week 1 session 1 (8x500/3:30) Target 1:50.5

14:33.7 4,000m 1:49.2 28
1:50.4 500m 1:50.4 27
1:50.4 500m 1:50.4 27
1:50.5 500m 1:50.5 28
1:50.5 500m 1:50.5 27
1:50.3 500m 1:50.3 27
1:50.1 500m 1:50.1 28
1:47.0 500m 1:47.0 30
1:44.5 500m 1:44.5 30

Tried to keep the stroke rate reasonable. But I found the rests really dull, even with the football on. So I decided to up it the last two intervals. I think I actually achieved my 'low pull' of 1:38 during the last interval.

I might do a 2k test at the weekend...wonder if I can get as low as 7:15...?

[optimuswolf]

Thanks Paul. I'm trying to keep some training discipline so next time will be 1:49.2 for first 6 reps. I actually found the reps themselves tough but recover quickly. I've got a background in sports where stop start fitness is key so I'm not surprised I find that element easier than say the strength or distance work. Also noticed a sight glitch in my power curve half way up so need to concentrate on taking my improved form from the longer rows into these shorter sessions.

Mike - good long row - UT2 is middle cardio range in laymans terms?