Pete Plan Thread

[Dangerscouse]

Finished my BPP for week 5 last night so I thought I'd do a low SPM 10k tonight - 21 SPM at 45:40. Not a quick one but wanted to experiment with watts and heart rate to see how I was doing.

The funny thing was one of the guys that does weights - one of those typical guys who looks twice the size of popeye and only does weights - any other form of training is useless! Anyway he said to me after the row, you were going slow, I can do the 10K in 23 minutes and 33 SPM. You need to go faster he said!!! I just said that's impressive and walked away! I'm sure what I'm doing is the correct thing, building on technique and taking it easy. I can't for one minute think he can do a 23 minute 10k!! Put a smile on my face as i left the gym!

Hahahahaha, 23 minute 10k @ r33?!?!?!?! I'll bet he can't even finish a 10k at r33

Some people need to feel superior even when all they are doing is proving themselves to be fools. I bet he will tell you he can bench press & squat more than Arnie too

[RayOfSunshine]

I think David did a nice job in answering your question Rownan. All I'd add is that both the full PP and the BPP seem to have built in correction mechanisms in place if you try to go too far to either side of going out too hard or going out much less than you're capable of.

In time, the plan will correct those times where (perhaps) you should go slower or you need to go faster. That's part of the beauty of the plan. If you push yourself, the plan will let you know where you fall in terms of your current state at any given time and the BPP, especially, is gradual but also very challenging toward the end. And honestly, that's what any good endurance building plan should be -- gentle and gradual in the beginning but end up challenging you.

thanks, and thanks @david too.

yeah i think maybe the picture hasn't quite become clear yet after only four weeks, i find the distance stuff definitely very challenging but the intervals seem relatively easy, which is nice in a way as it makes the overall thing more varied.

I felt exactly like you do. I couldn't contain myself so I would pick a pace usually 0.2 to 1.0 seconds faster than what was prescribed... eventually, you'll get a good feel for what you should be able to hold. If not, as mentioned, the plan will get you there. It's a great training plan.

I also attempted to limit the SPM (to 20 on 1st interval then adjusting as needed), but I injured my back. So, I wouldn't recommend doing that.

I'd either stick exactly to plan or shave a little off the target (for now).

[warnie]

@Ray - yeah meat head is one word for him, I prefer the term Grand Chocolate Knob Biscuit (delete what you think is appropriate - or not!!!) Yeah he was there again this morning, I went in to do a 5k - getting hooked!! He didn't mention anything to me today! Finished the week off with a Season best 5K 22:19 at 23 SPM. It felt really good and I know I have a lot more in me as I progress but at 168cm tall (or short) I think it's going well. Weight is coming off and this plan and the support from you guys is huge

Also forgot to say Heart rate is now consistently under 153 BPM towards the end of my rows (it was mid to late 160's when I started five weeks ago) but for the most part I'd say HR is averaging out at 138-145. Small improvements but in the right direction.

[JerekKruger]

The funny thing was one of the guys that does weights - one of those typical guys who looks twice the size of popeye and only does weights - any other form of training is useless! Anyway he said to me after the row, you were going slow, I can do the 10K in 23 minutes and 33 SPM. You need to go faster he said!!! I just said that's impressive and walked away! I'm sure what I'm doing is the correct thing, building on technique and taking it easy. I can't for one minute think he can do a 23 minute 10k!! Put a smile on my face as i left the gym!

So he claimed to be able to row five back-to-back 4:36 2ks (the world record is 5:36ish), or 20 back-to-back 1:09 500ms (the world record is 1:10.5)

Yeah you're doing the correct thing.

[rascott]

PP 1.3.3
3k, 2.5k, 2k / 5min rest
aimed to do 10K PB pace for 1st three (2:07.5)
This felt OK with plenty left for a decent 2k (decent for me)

[jbhop5857]

Good Day,
This is one of the more difficult mental rows I've been doing lately. Just plain not fun, but a very good training tool.

Cycle 1/ Week 3/ Day 5
30R20 = 7172

An improvement of over 100m compared to last week. Shorter term goal is 7500, but that will probably mean I am over 8k open and that hasn't happened yet either.

If you are looking for an axx kicking, this will do it.

Have a great day,

David

[JerekKruger]

Shorter term goal is 7500, but that will probably mean I am over 8k open and that hasn't happened yet either.

Hmm... not sure about that. I've been able to row 7500m in 30 minutes at rate 20 for a long time now, long before I could row 8000m in 30 minutes free rated. I think I was closer to 7800m for a proper 30r20 when I first hit 8000m for 30 minutes. That said, I do all my steady state rows at rate 18/19 so I'm more used to using a relatively powerful stroke at low rate, but I still doubt a 7500m 30r20 equates to an 8000m free rated 30 minutes.

[hjs]

Shorter term goal is 7500, but that will probably mean I am over 8k open and that hasn't happened yet either.

Hmm... not sure about that. I've been able to row 7500m in 30 minutes at rate 20 for a long time now, long before I could row 8000m in 30 minutes free rated. I think I was closer to 7800m for a proper 30r20 when I first hit 8000m for 30 minutes. That said, I do all my steady state rows at rate 18/19 so I'm more used to using a relatively powerful stroke at low rate, but I still doubt a 7500m 30r20 equates to an 8000m free rated 30 minutes.

True, if you have a 500m difference, your stroke is weak, doing more low rate work will improve that, but don,t expect that to fully carry over to free rate, it won,t.

[jbhop5857]

Tom and @hjs - Thank you for that feedback. I thought there was suppose to be a large distance between the two. I pushed 7930 about 4 months ago. Maybe part of it is I am just not use to R20? It feels so much harder (mentally especially, but also in my quads) than free rate where I can screw around depending on how I feel. I would usually aim for 28 in an open rate 30 mins. Do you think that is too high?
Finally, when you say weak stroke, could you elaborate a bit more on that? Sometimes I feel like I get in a rythmn where my drive and recovery are pretty close in time, especially on the lower rate sessions. I assume you would say this is wrong and I need to focus on more power at the drive?

Thanks guys,

David

[RWAGR]

@David- my 30r20 PB is 7,693 and my 30’ PB is 7,968. So under 300m difference.

[hjs]

Tom and @hjs - Thank you for that feedback. I thought there was suppose to be a large distance between the two. I pushed 7930 about 4 months ago. Maybe part of it is I am just not use to R20? It feels so much harder (mentally especially, but also in my quads) than free rate where I can screw around depending on how I feel. I would usually aim for 28 in an open rate 30 mins. Do you think that is too high?
Finally, when you say weak stroke, could you elaborate a bit more on that? Sometimes I feel like I get in a rythmn where my drive and recovery are pretty close in time, especially on the lower rate sessions. I assume you would say this is wrong and I need to focus on more power at the drive?

Thanks guys,

David

Its mostly a matter of being untrained at rate 20. Rate 28 free is fine, always use a rate that feels best and gives the best results if you do a test.
Toprowers use high rates when doing a testpiece. But can also go pretty fast on low rates.
Are you saying your drive and recovery take the same time at low rates? That sounds od, you would expect 1:2 1:3 drive:recovery. At higher rates it would be much closer.
I think you could improve your stroke a lot. You are not small so 2.00 rate 20 should be not overly tough. And yes its a but about strenght, but still toprowers can pull 1.40 pace at a 30/20 piece. And pull ut2 pieces around 1.45 rate 20. Talking about the very best. And those guys are no monsters strenghtwise. But monsters aerobicly wise.

Effort. Free rate feels much easier compared to rate restricted. You should aim for using a stroke you use during a 2k test. Not go stronger, thats not needed. Only when your 2k stroke gets stronger/faster your training stroke should also be stronger.
If you now pull a 2.07 on a 30/20 piece, and had 1.53 on a free rate that way to much difference. For 153 free rate, you certainly should be able to pull sub 2.00

If you would invest time in low rate work, I would expect you rapidly to get stronger.

Pete himself, from memory, pulled 1.42 free rate and 1.46 rate as pbs on 30min. And he is a smaller guy, not overly strong and never did serious weights.

[JerekKruger]

I think it's because you do your steady state work at relatively high rates. Simply changing so your three longer rows are rate 18-20 will help a lot I think. If you read Pete's notes carefully you'll see he rows them at a higher rate not because he thinks it's better, but because he didn't like low rate. You don't need to follow his advice on that.

[hjs]

I think it's because you do your steady state work at relatively high rates. Simply changing so your three longer rows are rate 18-20 will help a lot I think. If you read Pete's notes carefully you'll see he rows them at a higher rate not because he thinks it's better, but because he didn't like low rate. You don't need to follow his advice on that.

He did train very hard at times, if you do three max sessions a week, those other three need to be a bit softer. Ratingwise he often pulled 22/24, so not super soft.

[JerekKruger]

Oh no doubt, his results speak for themselves. I'm just mentioning that he specifically said he didn't like low rate work hence why he did stuff at 22-24. My point being that others did experiment and see what suits them.

[hjs]

Oh no doubt, his results speak for themselves. I'm just mentioning that he specifically said he didn't like low rate work hence why he did stuff at 22-24. My point being that others did experiment and see what suits them.

He is a pure erger and had the idea that heavyweight rowers did not need extra strenght, and L4 work like the Wolv. Plan was for lightweight rowers. Most of those guys later, see Benton, changed that view a good bit. Not that they need extra strenght, but L4 work is not strenghtraining, but endurance training.