Pete Plan Autumn 2015

[G-dub]

So, I just did the speed pyramid and beat my last PB, but I am wondering 1 thing..


Last september when I did this with an overall split of 1:52.1, I was hitting heart rates of 180 on a few of the intervals, with similar splits as today, but today I felt more pain hitting HRs in the 170s than I did hitting 180 last year. Is this due to me not being fully recovered from other workouts? Last year I was generally 100% recovered when doing HIIT rowing sessions, this year I'm like 80 - 90% recovered since I'm doing a LOT more volume than last year (last year I was doing ~ 3 lifting sessions / week + 80 - 90 km rowing / month, this year I'm doing 4 - 5 lifting sessions / week + 150 km rowing / month)

f2d - I am only guessing based on what Ive read. But these things are interesting and fun to speculate on. You could be more fit, meaning you can do more intense work at a lower heart rate. This is good. However, sometimes when you are not recovered your heart rate can stay low for a given level of effort - it never rises as normal - this is not good. I think you can tell the difference by how your spirit is when you do the session. If its is challenging and invigorating with big healthy deep breaths, you may be getting fitter. If it was a slog through mud and you were really panting for shallow breaths, you may not be recovered enough.

[Edward4492]

I can't address all of your thoughts Glen, but one thing I noticed for sure is that when I was doing the type of volume you're doing (several 15k's a week)I felt really good due to the low intensity. But it definitely affected my ability to go hard. I could still go reasonably fast, just I could feel the affect of the volume. This time of year I limit myself to 10k's so I can stay fresh.

[G-dub]

I can't address all of your thoughts Glen, but one thing I noticed for sure is that when I was doing the type of volume you're doing (several 15k's a week)I felt really good due to the low intensity. But it definitely affected my ability to go hard. I could still go reasonably fast, just I could feel the affect of the volume. This time of year I limit myself to 10k's so I can stay fresh.

Ed, not sure what this is refering too? I was responding to f2d. I'm not doing much longer work at the moment.

[Edward4492]

Sorry, guess I wasn't paying attention. Thought you were still doing the long stuff along with the speed work.. Regardless, seems like it paid off. Good luck in your comp next week.

[G-dub]

Lots of stuff flying around here! Thanks Ed, I think I can finish 2K, the question is "at what time"! I am hoping to be at 1:45.5 average at 500 to go and feeling like I can do something with it. Going to try and hold it down to 1:46 on the way out for about 800 m (1200 to go) then see if lowering it a titch is possible over the next 600. If not, I can live with being at 500 to go at 1:46 avg. Main thing I am hoping for is a pb of any sort and solid pacing - I guess that is what we all are hoping for!

[christopherregisryan]

Did the 4x1k w 5' this morning. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Does everyone else see this as the toughest of the PP intervals? I certainly do. I was able to override the HD voice during the 4th interval, but I certainly heard it. Anyway, total time 13:27.0; Avg Split: 1:40.8. Splits were 1:41.0; 1:40.9; 1:40.8; 1:40.7. It was a PR and 0.8 splits faster than my 10-Feb-2015 effort. Intervals 1 - 3 were reasonable and steady mainly at 1:41. Interval 4 was rough as the lactic acid built in my legs and my O2 intake was insufficient. I saw a few 1:44s and 1:45s with about 300m to go. Thanks to this group for providing some motivation to find a "sprint" over the final 200m. I committed to post my result no matter what and that gave me strength to finish hard. Time for some rest, recovery and adaptation. 14 DAYS UNTIL BOSTON! - Chris

[mdpfirrman]

Nice PB Chris! I know it's one of the toughest for me. I don't if the 4 X 2000 is tougher or not. Many are not my favorites but they certainly make you tougher.

Cincinnati Indoor Rowing Championships today. Don't know where to start. My first race. Excited, didn't sleep well. Haven't felt the best to be honest the last couple of days. I suffer sometimes from some lasting cases of exercise induced asthma and my lungs hadn't felt 100%. Woke up yesterday really congested on top of that. Temps were 10 this morning so maybe that had something to do with it. Race was at 9AM so got up @ 6AM, ate a big bowl of oatmeal as soon as I got up along with my one weekend cup (per day) limit of caffeine.

My wife was nice enough to get up with me and go with me, which was exciting. Not only my first race but also had my lovely wife as a cheerleader. The fact that Mike Robinson from Indy was in the race (and I knew I had no chance at first) I think helped ease my nerves. Got there early, watched a race of high school novices and then started warming up around 8:30 (to do the full Fletcher WU). Didn't know the races were running a bit late. Felt good in warmups.

Got set up in the rower. Was so naive didn't know they had boat assignments and I just so happened to sit in the right boat. Didn't realize that till after the race. Mike Robinson, of course, was assigned right next to me as if I wasn't intimidated enough. He'd just come off of a 6:45 two weeks earlier at the Indianapolis Indoor event.
Set up my DF, screen changed, the guy to my right asked how long I'd been rowing and asked my time. He rows for Row America in Hamilton, Ohio (where I grew up). We chatted for a minute and he told me that I was going to finish ahead of him. Confidence booster. Looked up at the screen and the start seemed to go fast. I was already out of sorts a bit without my headphones and my padded seat. Started quick and once it hit row, I was slow out of the gate.

Quickly caught up to where I should be after about five pulls and was finding I was in the low 1:40s. I was telling myself the whole time that I needed to break it down like Jack told me -- 800 / 600 / 400 / 200. First 800 was pretty smooth though I was a bit fast - around 1:50.0. Figures that Jack was right -- I started too fast I thought. I pretty much focused on the PM4 above me. It had that Mike Robinson was 50m ahead (I thought for a second it was seconds ahead) and pulling away. To be expected. Board was a bit confusing as there were the Veterans and Masters rowing together. When I looked up at the race screen, I was around fourth, but I was second on the PM4 (the Veteran group of which there were five of us). During all this (keeping my eye on pace) I was holding a 1:50 pretty well overall. Felt good at 1000m to go. Held a 1:50 pace for the next 500m and my wife was behind me the entire time encouraging me. Crowd was great! Didn't expect so much interest in the old man race! I found myself thinking the entire time from around 1000m down, Jack is right, I'm going to fly and die and pretty much just have to die and keep up best I can. Strange thing happened. At 500m, I still had something left in the tank. Dropped it down at 500m and still had enough in the tank to even pull harder at around 200m down and started closing the gap a bit between Mike Robinson and I. He finished at 6:48 (I think) but my pace was showing 1:49 something. I started thinking, hell, I might break my long term goal when I started PP to break 7:20. Hung on for dear life at the end and got a 7:19.1 (I think). I'm still in disbelief a bit. Dropped from 7:26.1 (a whole 7 seconds). Finished in 2nd place in the group.

Got a kiss from my valentine (after my lungs cleared up for about five minutes) and headed to the gym for my lift. Great first race day. I'm hooked.

[G-dub]

Absolutley terrific Mike! Great stuff. Its an awesome experience, eh? That one needs to go in the PB thread.

Great session Chris! You are on it.

[Sideshow Bob]

Way to go, Mike! I knew you'd smash it!!

[f2d]

So, I just did the speed pyramid and beat my last PB, but I am wondering 1 thing..


Last september when I did this with an overall split of 1:52.1, I was hitting heart rates of 180 on a few of the intervals, with similar splits as today, but today I felt more pain hitting HRs in the 170s than I did hitting 180 last year. Is this due to me not being fully recovered from other workouts? Last year I was generally 100% recovered when doing HIIT rowing sessions, this year I'm like 80 - 90% recovered since I'm doing a LOT more volume than last year (last year I was doing ~ 3 lifting sessions / week + 80 - 90 km rowing / month, this year I'm doing 4 - 5 lifting sessions / week + 150 km rowing / month)

f2d - I am only guessing based on what Ive read. But these things are interesting and fun to speculate on. You could be more fit, meaning you can do more intense work at a lower heart rate. This is good. However, sometimes when you are not recovered your heart rate can stay low for a given level of effort - it never rises as normal - this is not good. I think you can tell the difference by how your spirit is when you do the session. If its is challenging and invigorating with big healthy deep breaths, you may be getting fitter. If it was a slog through mud and you were really panting for shallow breaths, you may not be recovered enough.

I definitely think I'm getting fitter aerobically. The sessions feel a bit easier aerobically, but harder on the leg muscles due to not being fully recovered. On my UT2 sessions I also spend a longer time in the lower heart rates for the same pace than before.

[christopherregisryan]

Congratulations, Mike! Great race. Your training had you ready. When you saw the chance to smash 7:20, you found that extra gear. Huge PR. Enjoy the afterglow. Thanks for the excellent write-up. It has been very encouraging to watch your progress in training and then to see it translate to race performance. Best. - Chris

[jackarabit]

Mike, from one Buckeye to another, congratulations on your PR and your placing in River City. I believe you must have coped pretty well with the unfamiliar race start and the kick at 200 isn't a big surprise as you always dig down and finish the training chores.

"Do the work and the results will follow." --Greg Smith

[Sideshow Bob]

Well Mike's big result inspired me! 5x1500 in 1:55.9, which is 2 sec under my 5k PB pace. Well pleased with that. But even more than the pace, I was happy with how much I had left in the tank at the end. Never got winded until the final 500, when I was pulling in the low 1:30s. I think I can smash my 5k PB if I just resist the temptation to HD.

[christopherregisryan]

Well Mike's big result inspired me! 5x1500 in 1:55.9, which is 2 sec under my 5k PB pace. Well pleased with that. But even more than the pace, I was happy with how much I had left in the tank at the end. Never got winded until the final 500, when I was pulling in the low 1:30s. I think I can smash my 5k PB if I just resist the temptation to HD.

Next time you try a 5k, negative split the piece so that you are feeling good for the first 4k (maybe 1:59/2:00, which should be comfortable given your 4x1500 pace). It looks like you have a lot of top end speed to bring your average split down during the last 1k. Best. - Chris

[Sideshow Bob]

Well Mike's big result inspired me! 5x1500 in 1:55.9, which is 2 sec under my 5k PB pace. Well pleased with that. But even more than the pace, I was happy with how much I had left in the tank at the end. Never got winded until the final 500, when I was pulling in the low 1:30s. I think I can smash my 5k PB if I just resist the temptation to HD.

Next time you try a 5k, negative split the piece so that you are feeling good for the first 4k (maybe 1:59/2:00, which should be comfortable given your 4x1500 pace). It looks like you have a lot of top end speed to bring your average split down during the last 1k. Best. - Chris

Thanks, Chris. I think that's exactly how I need to pace it. Whenever I start out at my target pace, doubt starts creeping in around the halfway mark, and then I'm toast. Middle distances are a mental struggle for me.

Btw, really well done on that 4x1k. No doubt it's the worst of the PP sessions. Your pace is scary good...can't wait to see what you (and Glenn et al) pull at crash-bs!