Pete Plan Thread

[mdpfirrman]

I don't know half of what Greg does and I'm coming off of back injury, but I would find the BPP too easy also.

I'm planning on doing the 5K PP as my ongoing training. I don't like, though, too much stress unless I'm coming up on an indoor race (I only race once or twice a year). I've found in the past, doing too many rotations of the full PP, I get injured often or sick.

I like the 5K PP a lot because it's mostly working on aerobic with one fast session, one intermediate interval and one TT a week, like the PP. It's very similar. If you take off the TT at the end of the week and make it another long SS day, I think it's sustainable as a decent long term plan.

I find that the difference in "stress" workouts being done 2 versus 3 times a week makes a huge difference in my ability to continue doing a plan.

[jackarabit]

Mike’s experience with PP matches mine. Like others before you, you will probably love it. The positive bumps to sprint and middle distance performance are so obvious (perhaps a bit too obvious?) as you cycle thru the same 9 core workouts every three weeks. Very incentivizing, weirdly motivational, Pavlovian treadmill with a great big red button marked Positive Reinforcement! Button is very sensitive to overuse. For the majority, it becomes inoperable after 3 or 4 cycles (9 to 12 weeks).

There will be some who blow smoke up your a$$ that they have improved on the plan for six to nine months. Be that as it may (or may not) be, PP is not a training regimen that should be expected to work to our advantage year round (in either physiological or psychological terms). PP works very well on final approach to competition or a PB test. Periodized block training of specific energy systems is a vital prerequisite or base training for PP. Certainly you can skip a class and do PP. When you have done it return your attention to pre-Pete and don’t fall victim to re-Pete.

[nabonasar]

Hello: I'm new here, I don't know if I'm doing this posting (inquiring) the right way. I'm 56, 5'10", 175lbs, I have been running almost all my life (from 6 miles daily to marathons), but this year I have had a recurrent SI Joint pain - injury, so I decided while recovering, and to add a low impact cardio exercise, get into indoor rowing. I got the Concept2 Model D with PM5 just 15 days ago, I have rowed almost all days since, awith this indicators: rowing machine set at 5, SPM 27, 85 watts average, 30 minutes and 5600 meters. Am I doing good job? Where can I go to get a serious atheltic plan to keep doing great cardio. BTW, muscle wise I'm feeling stronger. Thank you for your help. I'm at your service in Cartagena, Colombia (South America). Best regards, Nabonasar.

[RayOfSunshine]

Hello everyone. I completed the BPP on 8/6/18. I'm back for the PP.

C1.W1.D1
DF = 120
--------Pace --SPM--HR
4000m--01:51.3--27--140

500m--01:53.0--25--151
500m--01:52.1--25--158
500m--01:52.8--26--161
500m--01:51.9--26--164
500m--01:52.0--25--166
500m--01:51.8--26--169
500m--01:51.3--29--172
500m--01:45.4--33--157

[hjs]

Hello: I'm new here, I don't know if I'm doing this posting (inquiring) the right way. I'm 56, 5'10", 175lbs, I have been running almost all my life (from 6 miles daily to marathons), but this year I have had a recurrent SI Joint pain - injury, so I decided while recovering, and to add a low impact cardio exercise, get into indoor rowing. I got the Concept2 Model D with PM5 just 15 days ago, I have rowed almost all days since, awith this indicators: rowing machine set at 5, SPM 27, 85 watts average, 30 minutes and 5600 meters. Am I doing good job? Where can I go to get a serious atheltic plan to keep doing great cardio. BTW, muscle wise I'm feeling stronger. Thank you for your help. I'm at your service in Cartagena, Colombia (South America). Best regards, Nabonasar.

First get your technique sorted. 85watts at rate 27 is almost no stroke at all. Look around on youtube for examples, tape yourself and compare. Your current stroke is, to short and without any power.

[jackarabit]

Hello: I'm new here, I don't know if I'm doing this posting (inquiring) the right way. I'm 56, 5'10", 175lbs, I have been running almost all my life (from 6 miles daily to marathons), but this year I have had a recurrent SI Joint pain - injury, so I decided while recovering, and to add a low impact cardio exercise, get into indoor rowing. I got the Concept2 Model D with PM5 just 15 days ago, I have rowed almost all days since, awith this indicators: rowing machine set at 5, SPM 27, 85 watts average, 30 minutes and 5600 meters. Am I doing good job? Where can I go to get a serious atheltic plan to keep doing great cardio. BTW, muscle wise I'm feeling stronger. Thank you for your help. I'm at your service in Cartagena, Colombia (South America). Best regards, Nabonasar.

First get your technique sorted. 85watts at rate 27 is almost no stroke at all. Look around on youtube for examples, tape yourself and compare. Your current stroke is, to short and without any power.

Nabonasar, you did ask and hjs is correct that your current output won’t garner many laurel wreaths. Indoor rowing requires a bit of experience and skill. 15 days and 3 watts per stroke is not much of either! The good news is that 30’ @ rate 27 tells us you have the cardio/pulmonary fitness we expect from a lifetime of running. Attention to improved technique and hours on the seat will put you on the path to improved performance.

In the next 4-6 weeks, set a first goal of 100-105 average watts @ 25 spm for 10’. It may not take 6 weeks to reach that goal. When you do reach it, work to extend the time that you can maintain that power per stroke. When you reach 6000m in 30’, the rewards of hard effort will make you hungry for more!

Take a look at the Crossfit subforum to see what fellow runners are doing and at Health and Fitness to share experience with injury and rehabilitation. ¡Buena suerte! and don’t be a stranger.

[nabonasar]

Guys, thank you so much. Today I rowed 30'30", for a total average of 101 Watts, 26 SPM, 6,000 meters. Is this a good work? Best, NM.

[sdr2017]

Nabonasar, you reached that 100+ watts goal quickly! I would suggest trying a slower SPM but keep up the power output. Try an spm of 20, but keep your power above 100 watts. You should look at the online videos about rowing form. You want a long stroke that delivers most of the power from your legs and is smooth. You can use higher spm to go faster, but improving your form and power output with a slow stroke will allow you to build a good stroke. 30' sounds like a good session for you, since you keep doing it.

Have fun!

[hjs]

Guys, thank you so much. Today I rowed 30'30", for a total average of 101 Watts, 26 SPM, 6,000 meters. Is this a good work? Best, NM.

Would like to see you row, still expect you to make mistakes. I expect you not to fully finish the stroke and to rush the revovery.
Also, use you back after you use the legs and rock over with your back, think 11 ovlock 1300 oclock.
100 watt is ok, but for a relative fit guy, modest. If you get your stroke fixed you will be faster.

That said, expect good progress as a newby, runners lack certain muscle, those will pick up relative fast.

[Dangerscouse]

Guys, thank you so much. Today I rowed 30'30", for a total average of 101 Watts, 26 SPM, 6,000 meters. Is this a good work? Best, NM.

As you will know from your running experiences there are no short cuts to getting better other than lots and lots of metres.

Don't be competitive at the moment just try and improve on your own sessions. As you have got the aerobic base fitness keep getting used to the rower at 26-28spm for a couple of months at different distances but keep speeding up too. When you are more used to the rower slowly lower the spm over a number of weeks so you can go at 20spm.

Make sure you perfect your technique now as it's a lot easier to start with good technique than to try and correct it later on.

Best of luck with it all

[jackarabit]

Excellent progress, NM. I’m familiar with the tasks I assign but I keep this calculator handy to check on what’s what.

[RayOfSunshine]

W1.D3
5x1500m, 5' rest
DF =120

Meters Pace SPM
7,500m---01:58.0---26
1,500m---01:58.7---24
1,500m---01:57.7---25
1,500m---01:56.0---27
1,500m---01:59.7---25
1,500m---01:57.9---29

Trying to figure out pace & SPM. Purposely tried to keep 3rd interval at or above 26SPM. I paid for it! Emptied what was left in the tank on final interval.

[rascott]

PP cycle 2 week 1 session 3
5 x 1500m / 5min rest
Previous average split was 2:02.9
This one is turning into a tough session!

[RayOfSunshine]

@Robert That's great improvement. I just did the same workout the other day (1st cycle), and I would love to see the improvement you made when I go through a second time.

I absolutely hate 1500 intervals more than any workout.

[brent-83]

Hello All.

Introduction and then a question....

I am very new to rowing and came to it by the way of Crossfit and have fallen in love with the erg. I've since bought my own c2 rower and have been doing Pete's Plan beginner but have noticed a number of comments on here that suggest jumping straight into the normal program instead. Should I just make the switch now? I would erg 4-5 times per week in addition to some strength training.

As for where I am at.... 35 years old, 87kg and 183cm and almost finished week 5 of the beginner plan. I've rowed a 7:13 2km and two primary goals are to build a large aerobic base (never been a strong suit) and break the 7 minute 2km mark.