Pondering the Beginner Pete Plan

[flabby100]

W2S2: 4x750m (2m rest): 20:20.6 (2:03.4)

Unable to match my pace on W1S2 (6x500 @ 2:01.5). I intentionally tried to fly-and-survive because I notice that I am scared to push myself. I suspect that hurt my time, but it was good to experiment. I want to be less scared of the pain.

https://imgur.com/a/1KSBtRw

[fancyoats]

W2S2: 4x750m (2m rest): 20:20.6 (2:03.4)

Unable to match my pace on W1S2 (6x500 @ 2:01.5). I intentionally tried to fly-and-survive because I notice that I am scared to push myself. I suspect that hurt my time, but it was good to experiment. I want to be less scared of the pain.

https://imgur.com/a/1KSBtRw

You’ll get plenty more chances to push yourself, don’t worry too much. The plan is constantly referring back to past paces as targets, and every iteration is a new chance for improvement. It’s probably for the best if you don’t come out too hot fresh out of the gate in week 2.

[Rowan McSheen]

W2S2: 4x750m (2m rest): 20:20.6 (2:03.4)

Unable to match my pace on W1S2 (6x500 @ 2:01.5). I intentionally tried to fly-and-survive because I notice that I am scared to push myself. I suspect that hurt my time, but it was good to experiment. I want to be less scared of the pain.

https://imgur.com/a/1KSBtRw

Your split times show that you overcooked it on the first rep. Beware of going too hard at this early stage of the plan, plenty of time yet. On the short faster reps start out conservative at a pace you know you can handle (or experiment to find it). And I use Pete's pacing advice only as a guide -- these 750m reps are 50% longer than the 500m ones with the same recovery period and there's no shame in approaching them slightly slower if you're unsure.

Conventional wisdom is to hold the target pace and no faster up to the penultimate rep and then go faster if you can for the final one. The new average pace is your target for next time.

That said, you are clearly able to generate a fair bit of pace so it's not looking at all bad.

[flabby100]

Thanks fancyoats and rowan for the tips.

Went of script today. Just wanted to feel good on the rower.

3x15:00/2:00r @ 2:25. Stroke rate was 18. Tried to keep the heart rate under 145bpm but it still ended up at 150 at the final third of each rep, and I don’t think I could have carried on a conversation. Going to try even slower next time. Still enjoyed it though.

[fancyoats]

W15S1 10000m

Pete says to try for a personal best so I looked at my previous 10k pb (51:34.1) and aimed to shave a little off each split, progressively. Worked out pretty well, took about 10 seconds off.



RH 91%

[Kerry1960]

Making progress Fancyoats and in 90+ % humidity!

[Rowan McSheen]

W5 S3 7,000m, taken at UT1.



Went smoothly enough, I got a little ahead of myself halfway through and had to ease off a little towards the end to stay within the heart rate band (120-130 bpm). Overall pace slightly quicker than the previous UT1, which was 500m shorter, so I'll settle for that.

[Rowan McSheen]

W15S1 10000m

Pete says to try for a personal best so I looked at my previous 10k pb (51:34.1) and aimed to shave a little off each split, progressively. Worked out pretty well, took about 10 seconds off.



RH 91%

Smooth changing up through the gears, with turbocharge on for the final split. Impressive!

[badge48]

W2s3

V comfortable ut2. Worked hard for first 1000m to get up there then eased off so as not to exceed. Loving it!


Splits
Time Meters Pace Watts Cal/Hr S/M
24:26.0 5,500m 2:13.2 148 808 21 132
4:41.9 1,100m 2:08.1 166 872 25 130
4:46.9 2,200m 2:10.4 158 843 21 133
5:01.5 3,300m 2:17.0 136 767 20 131
4:57.9 4,400m 2:15.4 141 785 20 132
4:57.9 5,500m 2:15.4 141 785 20 136

[fancyoats]

W15S2 5x750m/2:00 rest
target was 2:14.8 from the 4x1000 in week 13, then faster on the last rep



RH 98% (supposed to get thunderstorms today)

[Rowan McSheen]

W2s3

V comfortable ut2. Worked hard for first 1000m to get up there then eased off so as not to exceed. Loving it!


Splits
Time Meters Pace Watts Cal/Hr S/M
24:26.0 5,500m 2:13.2 148 808 21 132
4:41.9 1,100m 2:08.1 166 872 25 130
4:46.9 2,200m 2:10.4 158 843 21 133
5:01.5 3,300m 2:17.0 136 767 20 131
4:57.9 4,400m 2:15.4 141 785 20 132
4:57.9 5,500m 2:15.4 141 785 20 136

Excellent going!

You start off faster to raise hr to the right level and then ease off. I try to hold an even pace throughout so that hr gradually rises and ideally is very near the ceiling of the band at the finish. I wonder which approach is better or whether it makes no difference.

[Dangerscouse]

You start off faster to raise hr to the right level and then ease off. I try to hold an even pace throughout so that hr gradually rises and ideally is very near the ceiling of the band at the finish. I wonder which approach is better or whether it makes no difference.

I'm not sure, but imo I doubt that there is much difference as the body is too robust for it to make a difference. Just doing whatever feels best is always my preference.

[badge48]

W3s1

Up to 6k now. Had to drop the pace so as to stay within ut2.

Time Meters Pace Watts Cal/Hr S/M
26:57.2 6,000m 2:14.7 143 792 20 134
5:17.8 1,200m 2:12.4 151 818 22 127
5:19.3 2,400m 2:13.0 149 811 21 132
5:20.2 3,600m 2:13.4 147 807 21 139
5:23.6 4,800m 2:14.8 143 791 20 139
5:36.2 6,000m 2:20.0 127 738 20 134

[Rowan McSheen]

W5 S4 Just 20 minutes, done as first half UT2 and second half UT1 and trying to improve on the paces (2:19 and 2:13) while holding the stroke rate.



I didn't bother with the heart rate. I find that as I concentrate on particular metric, in this case spm, the others tend to slide. Went well enough, in 70% humidity that to me felt like a sauna but to some would be positively Sahara-like.

[fancyoats]

in 70% humidity that to me felt like a sauna but to some would be positively Sahara-like.

It’s 77% RH here this morning and I was just remarking to my husband that it feels so much drier!