Pondering the Beginner Pete Plan

[reuben]

Week... 15?

Tired. Sleepy tired. Tried to take a nap and failed - it's been that kind of day.

I eventually forced myself to saddle up for 10k. Stroke felt smoother than usual, and the curve validated this. Slightly higher spm of 21, and my pace was consistent, resulting in a perfectly normal elapsed time. I was kinda surprised by that, but too tired to care.

I'm hoping to sleep well tonight, as tomorrow will probably be tennis or cycling, and hopefully a few odd jobs around the property.

[DJ1972]

Week 15.1
10000m – You’re probably getting into this indoor rowing lark by now, impressing your mates with split times and stroke rates. You must really want a new 10000m personal best to tell them about tomorrow. Aim for the stroke rate of 24spm, and go for the same split time as last week for the first 8000m, and then speed up over the last 2000m just for those bragging rights!

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Time	Meters	Pace	Watts	Cal/Hr	S/M	
44:37.9	10,000	2:13.8	146	801	20	149
26:46.3	6,000	2:13.8	146	802	20	147
r: 2:00	15						
17:51.5	4,000	2:13.9	146	801	20	151
r15					

I did not really follow Pete's advice to row at 24 SR or for my bragging rights (yet). I wanted to work at SR20 whilst improving my 10k time. With 2 min rest in the middle for HR purposes, I stayed in my UT1 most of the time.

[Nomark]

Week 13.2 4x1000, r3. Pete recommended going at week 9s pace for the slightly shorter 4x800s followed by a big finish. That meant a target of 1:55.7 for me, which I just about managed, but no quick finish. Leaving me with a weird feeling of satisfaction that I can do 4x1000 at the same pace I used to do 4x800, but the oddly disappointing feeling that it felt *far* too hard. It felt hard after the first rep. I wanted to lie down after the third. And I had nothing left to give in the fourth. I'm probably being harsh on myself and maybe a session I'll look back on and appreciate but right now it was good enough rather than good. Quads still a bit tender from Saturday and my hands are killing me - right where my middle and ring finger hit my palm. Callous over already!!! On the positive side, averaged 9W/stroke and 0.7s/500 quicker than my last 1000m intervals with an extra rep.

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Time	Meters	Pace	Watts	Cal/Hr	S/M
15:24.9	4,000	1:55.6	226	1079	25
3:51.5	1,000	1:55.7	226	1076	26
3:51.3	1,000	1:55.6	226	1078	25
3:51.6	1,000	1:55.8	225	1075	26
3:50.6	1,000	1:55.3	228	1085	26
r71

[reuben]

Week 13.2 4x1000, r3. Pete recommended going at week 9s pace for the slightly shorter 4x800s followed by a big finish. That meant a target of 1:55.7 for me, which I just about managed, but no quick finish.

I've found Pete's pace recommendations be be pretty much spot on. I guess that shouldn't be a surprise, given the popularity of his plans. Sometimes I adjust a bit up or down, but overall my paces track the BPP pretty well. If I can pick up the pace near the end that's fine. If not, that's fine, too.

I can do 4x1000 at the same pace I used to do 4x800, but the oddly disappointing feeling that it felt *far* too hard

When I run into something like this I tend to tell myself to "Shut up and take the win." If it doesn't work next week or the week after, that's fine - it worked today.

Quads still a bit tender from Saturday and my hands are killing me - right where my middle and ring finger hit my palm. Callous over already!!!

I wish my quads were more tender after a workout. The fact that they aren't tell me that I have a long way to go regarding technique. My explosiveness after the catch is lacking.

I've had some callouses for decades. Erging seems to makes the one on my left hand at the middle finger/palm intersection fall apart. My right hand has no such inclination, and I'm right handed. Go figure.

[Nomark]

I did not really follow Pete's advice to row at 24 SR or for my bragging rights (yet). I wanted to work at SR20 whilst improving my 10k time. With 2 min rest in the middle for HR purposes, I stayed in my UT1 most of the time.

Good idea. I'm not sure I could do 5k at 24 let alone 10k and I'm only a week or 2 behind you

When I run into something like this I tend to tell myself to "Shut up and take the win." If it doesn't work next week or the week after, that's fine - it worked today.

Haha. Excellent advice. I generally like to focus on the positives but have had a couple of workouts recently that didn't go as well as I'd hoped going into them. But you are right, I need to give myself a proverbial slap and "shut up and take the win"

I've had some callouses for decades. Erging seems to makes the one on my left hand at the middle finger/palm intersection fall apart. My right hand has no such inclination, and I'm right handed. Go figure.

I didn't get them when I started as the BPP was seemingly gentle enough to break my hands in. But after a couple of weeks off on vacation they must have gone soft and diving back in at the deep end I can't seem to get my hands right. It doesn't bother me in normal life but feels quite tender at times pulling the handle. I've seen people recommend sports tape so might give that a go.

[DJ1972]

Week 15.2
5 x 750m / 2min rest – This is similar to the 4 x 1000m session from week 13. Aim for the same pace as you achieved then over the first 4 reps, and then try to go faster for the final rep.

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14:23.4	3,750	1:55.1	229	1089	26	164
2:55.3	750	1:56.8	219	1054	25	154
r: 2:00	19						
2:53.5	750	1:55.6	226	1078	26	162
r: 2:00	20						
2:53.4	750	1:55.6	227	1079	26	166
r: 2:00	18						
2:53.3	750	1:55.5	227	1081	27	168
r: 2:00	14						
2:48.0	750	1:52.0	249	1157	29	172
r71					

Target was 1:57 and below. I must say that it has been 2 months without work travel, illness or any other discontinuity in the plan. It is still very very hard work but improvements come along more than I expected.

[Nomark]

Target was 1:57 and below. I must say that it has been 2 months without work travel, illness or any other discontinuity in the plan. It is still very very hard work but improvements come along more than I expected.

That's a great result, well done! Shows that with patience and hard work the plan really works week by week, month by month.

[reuben]

Like DJ, I'm on week 15. In addition to trying to follow Pete's advice, I also wanted to work on a higher stroke rate, something I haven't accomplished. My steady state sessions are 19-20, which is fine, but my intervals are only around 24.

Anywho - 5x750 2r. Pete said to try to maintain a recent 4x1000 3r pace and ramp it up at the end if possible - but he always says that. Coincidentally, I felt like trying something foolish to see if I'd crash and burn.

The 4x1000 3r was at 2:16, r24. Today's 5x750 2r:

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Time 	Meters 	Pace 	Watts 	Cal/Hr 	S/M 	
16:48.6 	3,750 	2:14.4 	144 	795 	26 	153
3:23.9 	750 	2:15.9 	139 	779 	26 	144
3:22.1 	750 	2:14.7 	143 	792 	25 	152
3:22.6 	750 	2:15.0 	142 	788 	26 	154
3:22.8 	750 	2:15.2 	142 	787 	26 	154
3:17.1 	750 	2:11.4 	154 	830 	27 	161

I'm not really sure where that last interval came from, but it didn't feel too terrible. Probably the usual combination of newbie gains + finding my limits (I recently found that my max HR is at least 5 bpm higher than I thought).

[Nomark]

I'm not really sure where that last interval came from, but it didn't feel too terrible. Probably the usual combination of newbie gains + finding my limits (I recently found that my max HR is at least 5 bpm higher than I thought).

Wow, you smashed that target, well done! Its great when everything comes together like that and you go further or faster than you ever thought possible.

Maybe you'll even feel it in your quads tomorrow

[DJ1972]

Like DJ, I'm on week 15. In addition to trying to follow Pete's advice, I also wanted to work on a higher stroke rate, something I haven't accomplished. My steady state sessions are 19-20, which is fine, but my intervals are only around 24.

It is good to know there are more people around following the plan and confirming that it does wonders if you keep going without too many interruptions. Any thoughts for after the plan ? I already my mind on the Lunch Hour plan at the end of May.

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Time	Meters	Pace	Watts	Cal/Hr	S/M	
30:00.0	6,735	2:13.6	147	804	21	146
10:00.0	2,225	2:14.8	143	791	21	141
r: 2:00	10						
10:00.0	2,244	2:13.6	146	804	21	148
r: 2:00	16						
10:00.0	2,265	2:12.4	151	818	21	151
r26					

Now, going away from my normal 2:18-2:20 pace that I use for steady state or recovery sessions.
I managed to stay UT2-UT1 and my SR is more stable and consistent towards the end.

[reuben]

It is good to know there are more people around following the plan and confirming that it does wonders if you keep going without too many interruptions.

Agreed. I don't consider myself to be a dedicated rower, even though I've been following the BPP since around week 3 or 4 of the plan. I only do the three core sessions per week, and am willing to let rowing ebb and flow in my life over time. Nevertheless, I've definitely made progress. Consistent work leads to improvement. Shocking, eh?

Any thoughts for after the plan ? I already my mind on the Lunch Hour plan at the end of May.

Probably more tennis, cycling, fishing, and other outdoor warm weather activities. However, I do plan to give 2k a shot just to see where I stand, as it's a standard measuring stick. It'll take a few tries to find my limit. I'll probably do some rowing over the summer so that I don't have to start from scratch next winter. How much is both unknown and unplanned.

Now, going away from my normal 2:18-2:20 pace that I use for steady state or recovery sessions.
I managed to stay UT2-UT1 and my SR is more stable and consistent towards the end.

That's similar to what I've been doing the past week or two, ableit at slower pace. HR a tad lower, pace apparently increasing a bit, and a smoother stroke. I definitely need to work on explosiveness at the catch, though. I'm losing a big opportunity for power there.

I think that next week we start to ramp up the SS session lengths again. I feel more ready for it than I did a few weeks ago.

[Nomark]

Week 13.3 2x15 minutes, r2. Fairly easy - not too long, not too fast. Went for a moderate pace, around my new 10k pace to start and faster for the second at a low rate. I much prefer distance pieces to times because I can affect the finish time by going faster! Timed pieces are probably better for me when I need to go slower for recovery. Nice to do a broken 7k(ish) at a decent clip. I may incorporate some broken longer distances going forward as it allows a faster pace which is good to get used to.

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Time	Meters	Pace	Watts	Cal/Hr	S/M
30:00.0	6,968	2:09.1	162	859	21
15:00.0	3,423	2:11.4	154	830	22
15:00.0	3,546	2:06.9	171	889	21
r26

[Joris]

Week 19.4 [30m]

Since I was still not feeling 100%, I picked out the session which felt like the easiest one and the best one to regain fitness, that is, a relatively short steady state session. Same pace as last week (2:20) but like last session, my heart rate was again significantly higher (5 points) than previous similar sessions.

The best I can do is probably stay patient and wait until I regain my previous form before trying to speed back up.
A bit frustrating, but I'd rather continue with the plan (with fewer sessions a week or a slightly higher heart rate) than slow down or redo previous weeks.

In a week, I will also be on holidays for 10 days, so keeping the achieved form of the last few months seems sufficient as an ambition for the next weeks.

I haven't been very active on the forum lately since I was quite busy on the one hand and there wasn't much to tell on the other hand, apart from still struggling to find my old form back again.
This week I did another two steady state sessions. Monday (3 x 10m @ 2:17), Tuesday (10k @ 2:22). Both went okay, but they still felt a bit harder than they should be.
Yesterday I wanted to finish with an interval session before leaving on holidays for 10 days.

* Week 19.2 [5 x 800m]
During week 15 I did 5 x 700 (for some reason I did 700s instead of the prescribed 750s) at 1:59 + last rep at 1:57.
Although I felt that I wasn't back on top yet, I thought a 1:58 target was reasonable after four weeks of extra training.
Unfortunately I didn't make that target, failing for the first time on a session since I started with the BBP plan. During the first three sessions I was still able to hold on to the set target, but the fourth session I had to slow down to 2:00 and the final session ended up with a 2:02 split.

I don't put too much weight on it, but a vacation will be welcome. And hopefully I can then resume the plan with lots of energy (and hopefully not too much lost fitness) upon my return. And meantime I will undoubtedly continue to follow the updates here.

[DJ1972]

* Week 19.2 [5 x 800m]
During week 15 I did 5 x 700 (for some reason I did 700s instead of the prescribed 750s) at 1:59 + last rep at 1:57.
Although I felt that I wasn't back on top yet, I thought a 1:58 target was reasonable after four weeks of extra training.
Unfortunately I didn't make that target, failing for the first time on a session since I started with the BBP plan. During the first three sessions I was still able to hold on to the set target, but the fourth session I had to slow down to 2:00 and the final session ended up with a 2:02 split.

I don't put too much weight on it, but a vacation will be welcome. And hopefully I can then resume the plan with lots of energy (and hopefully not too much lost fitness) upon my return. And meantime I will undoubtedly continue to follow the updates here.

This has not yet occurred to me and I imagined that, as you get closer to your capabilities and on a day you don't feel that good, you might fail the target, but not a session since you completed it. Lunch Pete Plan indicates that you should never fail to complete a session (whatever the time).

Happy break and, as a humble recommendation, repeat Week 19 with extra SS until you feel comfortable. I had breaks at the start of the plan when it was not too demanding. It helped to repeat the same week when I had paused the plan. Week 19 is different 'beast'....

Week 15.4
[8000m] – You went quite hard on the 10000m session this week to show off to your mates, so take it easier on this one. Restrict the stroke rate as you have done before to a maximum of 22spm, focus on technique, and don’t worry too much about the pace.

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Time	Meters	Pace	Watts	Cal/Hr	S/M	
30:00.0	7,051	2:07.6	168	879	20	158
6:00.0	1,414	2:07.2	170	883	19	151
12:00.0	1,405	2:08.1	166	872	20	156
18:00.0	1,410	2:07.6	168	878	20	161
24:00.0	1,411	2:07.5	169	880	20	161
30:00.0	1,412	2:07.4	169	881	21	164

I changed this session to a 30R20 to work on strength and technique again. Anything above 6998m... I managed with a more or less steady SR. Rest today before a 4x1500m.

[Nomark]

I don't put too much weight on it, but a vacation will be welcome. And hopefully I can then resume the plan with lots of energy (and hopefully not too much lost fitness) upon my return. And meantime I will undoubtedly continue to follow the updates here.

Before I went on holiday in February I had a couple of 'off' sessions and definitely felt better after some time off. I'm sure you are fitter than me with your football and martial arts, but it makes sense that you'd need a little time off after so many months on the plan and a couple of minor injuries/ illnesses. Enjoy your break!

Week 13.4 - 8k. I'm sure I'm still feeling my HM effort even though it was almost a week ago so I decided to take it easy. Mostly blind row with the occasional glance, no time in mind and mainly catching up on watching Daredevil. Happy with how it went and how it felt. I need a lot of metres to get fitter and it's going to take a long time, but I get a little better every day. My next row will take me over 400k for the season (since November).

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Time	Meters	Pace	Watts	Cal/Hr	S/M
36:44.8	8,000	2:17.8	134	760	22
7:28.6	1,600	2:20.1	127	737	22
7:20.3	3,200	2:17.5	134	762	23
7:24.9	4,800	2:19.0	130	748	23
7:16.7	6,400	2:16.4	138	773	23
7:14.3	8,000	2:15.7	140	781	23