Pete Plan 2017

[optimuswolf]

Nice work Dean on the pyramid. You did fine. If you are out too slow (and it's obvious you were just a bit), your last intervals will drag down the average and you'll start faster next time. You're close to me right now (I'm a 7:20 / 7:19 rower on the 2K). Don't know (yet) if you're ready for a 7:15 but you soon will be if not now. Usually, for a 7:15, your middle part of your Speed Pyramid would be around 1:48 or 1:47 pace average. I've done the speed pyramid as low as 1:46 pace and still can't break 7:19 on the 2K (but unfortunately I didn't test when I was performing that well on the PP -- I waited too long and regressed after getting the flu twice this year!).

Some test on the 2K better than their PP indicates but you'd be doing a 2K a whole lot faster than your intervals indicate right now. If you prove me wrong, hey, more power to you. You're 34, you're going to improve right past me! So if on your first attempt you don't hit it, don't be discouraged.

Stu's exactly right too - the BPP has short rest with the intention of working your aerobic capacity more. The full PP has longer rest intentionally. You develop full power better when you wait to fully recover between sets. You should feel totally rested after each interval.

Thanks both - the long rests make sense as explained but tbh they realy stretch my available time for rowing. I'm not sure I could be doing sessions that are all 40+mins. I'm liking the challenge thrown down Mike! I actually would prefer to hit my running goal (sub 40 10k) but if I had to bet I think the sub 7 2k will arive first.

It's really hard to resist doing a test tomorrow! Patience is not my strong suit...

[G-dub]

I would have loved for the rest periods to have felt far too long To me "feeling fresh" for the next one never seemed to be what I was feeling! More power to you if you can clear your legs fast and get your HR and breathing under control to want to do the next one sooner than allowed! Or maybe there is more in the tank to give to the work part?

[hjs]

If rest feels to long, you are not trying hard enough. good thing though, you have some reserve.

If you could pull 7.15, you could this session certainly below 1.50 proberly 1.48 ish.

[calalli]

Rod, I can't imagine rating 40spm, I don't think I will ever move that quickly again. Impressive.

Optimus, I am impressed at the numbers you are putting up having started about the same time I did. I just tell myself "well when I was that age ..."

Mike, I hope you don't mind but I am kind using you as a benchmark. My goal is to be close to where you are now by the end of the summer - both times and weight.

today - BPP wk4 sess 1 6500M - I started out trying to match my 6000 pace from last week, but felt good so I picked up the pace.

Time Meters /500m Watts Cal/Hr s/m
29:14.4 6,500m 2:14.9 142 788 23
5:58.3 1,300m 2:17.8 134 761 24 139
5:53.9 2,600m 2:16.1 139 778 23 146
5:50.9 3,900m 2:14.9 142 788 23 149
5:50.7 5,200m 2:14.8 143 791 22 153
5:40.5 6,500m 2:10.9 156 836 23 157

[ChasinElk]

Paul good luck with the new training regiment- again don't be a stranger to this thread

optimus nice pyramid- that session is really about the 750m/1000m/750m intervals

you will definitely need those "long" rest periods when you are really start taking your paces down for each workout

[hepting]

Suffered my first setback... had a bad week with travel (again) and basically lost a week of the BPP. I did sneak in an uplanned 2k test which was nice to get done but lost some momentum. Funny how quickly i feel sluggish when i miss my routine. So started BPP Week 8 - 8,500 - target was 1:59 and did a 2:01. I just lost it with about 3,500 left. The good news is I got through it! Hoping i can get back in the groove this week.

Looking ahead I'm eager to do the normal peter plan in a few months. Reading about those pyramids is motivating!

[mdpfirrman]

@ Hepting (Dyson) - I wouldn't call doing 8500 @ 2:01 a failure. You might not be getting enough time on the rower, but that's pretty solid. Every single row won't be strong. You're going to have off days with travel especially. Travel takes a lot out of you.

[hepting]

@ Hepting (Dyson) - I wouldn't call doing 8500 @ 2:01 a failure. You might not be getting enough time on the rower, but that's pretty solid. Every single row won't be strong. You're going to have off days with travel especially. Travel takes a lot out of you.

Fair point - and all whining aside more struck by the mental impact of weeks where you miss workouts etc.. consistency is hard if not sometimes impossible given schedules etc.

I find reading this forum helps by providing a level of accountability. In addition to the motivation reading other's progress and results.

[IefTheChief]

After 3 days of rest (and gaining almost 2 kilos over the easter weekend), started cycle 4 today!

PP C4W1D1 8x500m/3'30r, target 1:54.2

15:06.2 4,000m 1:53.2 27
1:54.1 500m 1:54.1 26
1:54.1 500m 1:54.1 26
1:54.1 500m 1:54.1 27
1:54.0 500m 1:54.0 27
1:54.1 500m 1:54.1 27
1:54.1 500m 1:54.1 27
1:54.0 500m 1:54.0 26
1:47.7 500m 1:47.7 31

Quite a bit left at the end, stole another second for next cycle.

[mdpfirrman]

@ Ivo - nice work Ivo. You were eating some Easter meals! I probably gained a few myself! We made a (gluten free for the wife) Pineapple Upside Down Cake covered in brown sugar. I was destroying that!

@ Cal - Thanks Cal. I appreciate it and I'm fine with being a benchmark. Be patient with yourself. I'm pleased with my progress so far but even to get where I am now took nearly 3 years! You might surpass me by the end of Summer but remember it's a marathon, not a sprint. Consistency is where it's at. That's why some of these new guys rocket right past me. Though I've been consistent about working out now for around 6 years, before that -- not so much. Guys like Hepting and ChasingElk (and Kevin -- RowingDad) have obviously stayed in really good shape probably nearly all their lives relative to me. It also takes a bit longer in your 50's to train unfortunately but I know you'll get there. You're better today than you were a few months ago. That's what is key. But sometimes the process seems slow.

Today was 4 X 2000. From the log:

4 X 2000 (PP W2 D3) Target was 1:57.2, which is PB 5K + .5 sec. I was thinking maybe even 1:57.5 to be safe as my 5K PB time is one of my better rankings relative to the rest (as a percentile for my age group)

7:51.3 / 2000 / 1:57.8 / 24
7:48.7 / 2000 / 1:57.1 / 25
7:48.0 / 2000 / 1:57.0 / 25
7:44.8 / 2000 / 1:56.2 / 25

1:57.0 / 24 Avg (don't know how when 3 intervals were 25 but this is what the PM said).

Felt good about this workout. Didn't bother to see what my best workout for this in the past was, but I'm sure this wasn't the best one. I'm not at my peak yet. Felt good about pacing. Challenging but had just enough to negative split. (End log)

Like I put in the log, I was expecting to be only to carry around a 1:57.5 or so. Was surprised that I had something left on the last one. Quite pleased. I'll have to look up my best on this session. I have to say, this is a hard session.

Edit - best on this session was a 1:56.1, so not too far off. Had quite a few low 1:56's on this session last Fall (but at least I'm only less than a second off pace, not 2 seconds like on some other sessions). Interesting thing is my SPM then was around 27, now it's 24 / 25.

[mudgeg]

I'm going to drop of this thread for at least the next couple of weeks. I was within the final two optional sessions of completing the entire BPP (every session including the optionals)' when I fell sick. I've got rid of the virus I had but it has knocked me back and even though I now feel fine the remnants are hanging around. I have done a couple of 10k SS rows at a very slow pace and think I will just see the C2 year out doing those and logging some metres.

Plan to rejoin with a cycle of the full PP and then perhaps a 2k test.

Good luck to all, I shall be watching you and plan to rejoin the fun in a couple of weeks.

[Rowan McSheen]

Evening all.

Gordon: good to hear from you and good luck with the recuperation and regrouping ... see you here again soon, I hope.
Mike: nice low spm for that session.

Reporting BPP week 10 session 3: 8000m, first 6000m steady and then pick it up to finish with a negative split. The plan was to hold the PM3 at 2:14 for the first part and then go to 7000m at 2:12/13 on the PM3 and to 8000m at 2:10/11. Done at 21 spm initially, rising to 22/23, with hr in UT2 territory to 6000m rising to mid-UT1 by the end.

Taken out of sequence because after this morning's run I didn't feel like 3 x 2000m. I'm still finding the balance for running and rowing on the same day.

Looking back to earlier weeks, I see my ss rows these days are at the same spm but nearly 1 sec/500m faster at lower hr, which is gratifying.

[hepting]

Evening all.

Gordon: good to hear from you and good luck with the recuperation and regrouping ... see you here again soon, I hope.
Mike: nice low spm for that session.

Reporting BPP week 10 session 3: 8000m, first 6000m steady and then pick it up to finish with a negative split. The plan was to hold the PM3 at 2:14 for the first part and then go to 7000m at 2:12/13 on the PM3 and to 8000m at 2:10/11. Done at 21 spm initially, rising to 22/23, with hr in UT2 territory to 6000m rising to mid-UT1 by the end.

Taken out of sequence because after this morning's run I didn't feel like 3 x 2000m. I'm still finding the balance for running and rowing on the same day.

Looking back to earlier weeks, I see my ss rows these days are at the same spm but nearly 1 sec/500m faster at lower hr, which is gratifying.

Stu - nice job with the pace increase. On those long SS rows 1 sec/500 is a significant improvement!

[calalli]

It is great motivation following everyone's progress here. Mike, thanks for the kind words. I guess that the end of summer is pretty optimistic if you have been at it so long. I am trying to keep the marathon approach, I just get too caught up in showing improvement. I guess while I am still learning I can do that - eventually it will get much harder to eke out another tenth.

Today was BPP wk4 sess 2 - 3x1000 3r
I need to get more disciplined in staying at the correct rate. I intended to go at 2:05 all 3 segments; I beat that overall but I don't show much consistency. The last split kicked my rear end,
Time Dist Rate spm hr
12:28.9 3000m 2:04.8 24
4:10.7 1000m 2:05.3 23 136
4:05.9 1000m 2:02.9 25 144
4:12.4 1000m 2:06.2 24 146


Cool down was 2000m 9:26.2 2:21.5 r20 just working on correct technique.

[mdpfirrman]

Nice work Cali. If you can start warming up / cooling down unstrapped, that will help you a lot with your sequencing. Look up on the internet rowing unstrapped. Basically, it forces you to have the right sequence of arms, body, legs (on the recovery) and legs, body, arms on the drive (back to arms, body legs on the recovery). If you aren't using that sequence, you'll have a hard time keeping your foot on the pads or staying on the rower. That's the correct sequence. Rowing unstrapped feels really odd at first. Now, I row unstrapped for all my SS work.

Today was SS day for me - 40' @ 2:12 pace. Haven't had this happen in a while but my butt started chafing a bit at the end. Originally was going to go 50' but took 10 minutes off to make sure my bottom wasn't too sore for tomorrow. Got around 9065m in.