Pondering the Beginner Pete Plan

[Sakly]

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Time	Meters	Pace	Watts	Cal/Hr	S/M	HR
36:32.8	8,000m	2:17.0	136	767	22	140
7:18.8	1,600m	2:17.1	136	767	22	129
7:16.4	1,600m	2:16.3	138	774	23	136
7:17.9	1,600m	2:16.8	137	770	22	143
7:18.1	1,600m	2:16.9	136	769	22	145
7:21.6	1,600m	2:18.0	133	758	22	149

Managed to keep the HR below 150. I felt like it is easier to keep my HR down when i raise my spm to 22-23. That puts fewer power into each stroke than going at 18-19 spm which is my normal rate.

2:17 pace is pretty exactly my 2k + 20 seconds. I could try to go even lower, but seriously, how do you manage to keep a good form during the stroke when you push/pull at such low watts? I think it's quite hard to maintain a good form stroke with tension in my whole body at such a low pace? Feels somehow...wrong and not like proper rowing at all. I've read recommendations for SS to be 50-60% of the pulled 2k watts. That would lead me to 120 watts or lower!! I really don't know how to row at such low intensity and still feel like I'm rowing at all.

The thing is not to burn out when you row always at higher levels of exhaustion. Long slow rows are meant to be long. Not 8k, more on the double or HM number of km. And HR is a very proper indicator of the load given to the body and its ability to handle that load. Now, if you "only" row 3-4 times a week and the overall volume is low, means 4-5h or probably less, then you will have no deal with improper recovery. But you will also not get the great adaptations of the body which comes with huge amounts of basic hours on the rower.
Try the same pace for a HM and look at the HR in the second half. Basic sessions help you to gain endurance in your aerobic system. Intervals and fast sessions help you to get fast. Both together help you to get fast for longer distances.

[Dangerscouse]

I have a fitness wristband which shows bpm at night between 50 and 60. I've even seen below 50, but I don't know how accurate it is.

This could be your problem. From what I've read, wrist HRMs are notoriously unreliable, so you might be working off inaccurate data. I'd really recommend a chest strap HRM as that might give you totally different results. I use a CooSpo so it doesn't have to be really expensive.

[Sakly]

I have a fitness wristband which shows bpm at night between 50 and 60. I've even seen below 50, but I don't know how accurate it is.

This could be your problem. From what I've read, wrist HRMs are notoriously unreliable, so you might be working off inaccurate data. I'd really recommend a chest strap HRM as that might give you totally different results. I use a CooSpo so it doesn't have to be really expensive.

Oh yes, fully agreed. I tried a wrist band, it gave me 65-75pbm even sitting around doing nothing. At the same time I double checked with my belt which showed 50bpm (which was correct using the manual method of counting the beats).

[justaute]

Finished my first interval of 2k X 2k X 4R for Week 3, with a pace of 2:14.5. Probably could have gone a bit faster, but got a good workout. The second 2k was a bit tougher.

[istro]

Finished my first interval of 2k X 2k X 4R for Week 3, with a pace of 2:14.5. Probably could have gone a bit faster, but got a good workout. The second 2k was a bit tougher.

Welcome to the community, and to this thread! Do keep updating on your progress, it's nice and gives encouragement for the rest of us to keep going, too!

Week 7 Session 1. Extended to 8k again.

Managed to keep the HR below 150. I felt like it is easier to keep my HR down when i raise my spm to 22-23. That puts fewer power into each stroke than going at 18-19 spm which is my normal rate.

Well done experimenting! And interesting that higher stroke rate seems easier for keeping the heart rates down, I haven't noticed an effect like that in my sessions. As to intervals pace - I usually try to match/beat the suggested reference in the first sessions, and then last session try to go all out - that ends up pretty draining. As you progress through the plan, it keeps referring more and more to the pace in prior similar sessions - so soon enough you get to the point of matching or beating by a second being quite a bit of work (and I'm sure soon I'll get to the point where my improvement diminishes and day-to-day variations might make it impossible to match (let alone beat) some prior benchmark. As to longer steady sessions - similar to what others mentioned, seems like the goal is to ensure sustainability of the effort level. Using heart rate as a proxy to effort level allows you to keep them sustainable for much longer periods, though definitely feels like less of a workout. What we can see on the graphs though is that when you keep the heart rate near a stated target, the pace gradually diminishes. So even though it doesn't feel like much of a workout, the data suggests same effort produces less power as time goes by, so we do gradually get tired

I tried a few different things to make it more challenging (such as 10 stronger strokes every 1k or playing with time), what ended up easy and repeatable is to squeeze out the remaining juice out of myself in the last 500m - usually just focusing on powerful strokes for 250m with moderate spm and then the final 250m increase the spm to 30ish and try to just go as fast and as hard as I can.

Here's my last long run from yesterday which illustrates my points - https://log.concept2.com/profile/1744461/log/70564665 - you can see the pace creep down, getting slower and slower, ultimately the last steady chunks over 10 seconds slower than first chunks at the same effort (heart rate) - but then I did have enough in me to push the last 500m.

Maybe in your next 8k, you can focus on heart rate until 7500m - then go all out for the last 500m?

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As to my status update - finished week 18 today. 30 workouts left in the plan, 9 days left in the year!

[RayOfSunshine]

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As to my status update - finished week 18 today. 30 workouts left in the plan, 9 days left in the year!

Nice work.

For me, week 12 complete. Still finding my DF on the skierg. It was 67 on BPP 12.5 today and felt really good.

[istro]

Nice work.

For me, week 12 complete. Still finding my DF on the skierg. It was 67 on BPP 12.5 today and felt really good.

Thanks! Good job to you too, skierg seems a lot more intense. I had no idea "right" drag factor for SkiErg would be almost half of RowErg, that's interesting! Is it due to different muscle groups at work?

[RayOfSunshine]

Nice work.

For me, week 12 complete. Still finding my DF on the skierg. It was 67 on BPP 12.5 today and felt really good.

Thanks! Good job to you too, skierg seems a lot more intense. I had no idea "right" drag factor for SkiErg would be almost half of RowErg, that's interesting! Is it due to different muscle groups at work?

It varies widely compared to the rower. For sprints, some folks remove the damper cover to get a DF of 250+.

[istro]

It varies widely compared to the rower. For sprints, some folks remove the damper cover to get a DF of 250+.

Interesting, I wonder if the power delivered is that different or is software in PM5 accounting for power differently.

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And my final status update for the year - finished week 19 today. 25 workouts left in the plan, 4 days left in the year! Let’s go!

[btswims]

Joining the beginner plan party! I'm at Week 6 Day 3. Had to start with half pete for a few weeks to build up my conditioning.

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Time	Meters	Pace	Watts	Cal/Hr	S/M	
35:16.3	7,500m	2:21.0	125	728	20	146
7:06.3	1,500m	2:22.1	122	719	19	144
6:59.3	1,500m	2:19.7	128	741	20	145
7:00.6	1,500m	2:20.2	127	737	20	149
6:58.0	1,500m	2:19.3	129	745	21	148
7:12.1	1,500m	2:24.0	117	703	20	147

[RayOfSunshine]

Joining the beginner plan party! I'm at Week 6 Day 3. Had to start with half pete for a few weeks to build up my conditioning.

Welcome to the BPP party!

[istro]

Happy new year, everyone!

Joining the beginner plan party! I'm at Week 6 Day 3. Had to start with half pete for a few weeks to build up my conditioning.

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Time	Meters	Pace	Watts	Cal/Hr	S/M	
35:16.3	7,500m	2:21.0	125	728	20	146
7:06.3	1,500m	2:22.1	122	719	19	144
6:59.3	1,500m	2:19.7	128	741	20	145
7:00.6	1,500m	2:20.2	127	737	20	149
6:58.0	1,500m	2:19.3	129	745	21	148
7:12.1	1,500m	2:24.0	117	703	20	147

Welcome to the thread! The splits of your 7500m look consistent, good work! Also don't let the upcoming longer distances minimize the sense of accomplishment for 7500m - that is a very solid distance, and rowing with no breaks for over half an hour is an achievement in itself!
It took me a month to build up to 4k when I just started, and beginning this plan seemed daunting at 5k. But over time you build it up, just have to keep at it! Remember, even though it's hard - it's not complicated, you just have to keep going! Life, on the other hand, is not as hard - but a lot more complicated, and sometimes just pushing through is the quickest way to disaster... Thankfully working out is simple, just keep going and you'll get the results

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My progress update - week 20 complete, 16 workouts to go in the plan!

[mitchel674]

Joining the beginner plan party! I'm at Week 6 Day 3. Had to start with half pete for a few weeks to build up my conditioning.

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Time	Meters	Pace	Watts	Cal/Hr	S/M	
35:16.3	7,500m	2:21.0	125	728	20	146
7:06.3	1,500m	2:22.1	122	719	19	144
6:59.3	1,500m	2:19.7	128	741	20	145
7:00.6	1,500m	2:20.2	127	737	20	149
6:58.0	1,500m	2:19.3	129	745	21	148
7:12.1	1,500m	2:24.0	117	703	20	147

That's a really good looking row! Welcome to the thread. Keep us posted with your progress.

[RayOfSunshine]

BPP 13.5

I went about 95% on the final 2k. I'm still getting used to the DF on the ski and adjusted it from 69 to 79 during the final interval. It didn't disrupt my stroke anything like it would've on the rower, but I'm not recommending it as a regular practice



Week 13 complete.

[btswims]

Thanks for the warm welcome. Week 7 Day 1 -

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Time	Meters	Pace	Watts	Cal/Hr	S/M	HR
37:07.0	8,000m	2:19.1	130	746	19	151
7:21.8	1,600m	2:18.0	133	757	19	149
7:27.8	1,600m	2:19.9	128	739	19	151
7:23.7	1,600m	2:18.6	131	751	19	151
7:24.6	1,600m	2:18.9	130	749	20	154
7:29.1	1,600m	2:20.3	127	735	20	153