A new beginning

If I’m going to launch a “Pete Plan Blog”, I really have to be following the Pete Plan. In the run up to the Munich 30min race I didn’t do any training below 5k pace for a couple of months, so now is the time to bring back in the speed work.

So today I have begun back on the Pete Plan with the first session of week 1. In this blog I will try to include all the training I do, including warm up, cool down, interval rest metres, and any additional training on top of the erg work. This will give a better indication exactly how I follow the plan, and also give me motivation to actually warm up once in a while!

 8 x 500m / 3:30 rest:

1:32.8 / 34

1:32.8 / 34

1:32.8 / 34

1:32.8 / 34

1:32.8 / 35

1:32.7 / 36

1:32.6 / 36

1:32.6 / 36

Averages = 12:21.9 / 1:32.7 / 35

Interval rest metres = 4009m

This was a tough start back into the speed intervals work, and I picked a pace about as fast as I could have maintained today, evident from the last rep not being any faster, and the rate creep over the second half.

So I’m back on the Pete Plan, and the “Pete Plan Blog”, your only official source of Pete Plan information, is born.

Munich 30min erg race

On 16th February 2008 I took part in the Munich 30min erg race. There were 20 race machines set up on two levels, with the race screen behind. Here I am on erg 14 just prior to my race (after sitting there for 20mins waiting for the race to start!):

I have only raced 5k twice before, with the majority of my erg racing experience being 2k races. We had the same race information on the monitor in terms of distance ahead the behind your nearest competitors, but equating this to a much longer race is difficult unless you get your mind around it before. Here I am somewhere mid race:

At half way I was comfortably in second place, with first 60m up, and 3rd about 50m down. I settled at this point into believing that I wasn’t going to change position in either direction, because 60m in a 2k race would be a long way. With a reasonable finish though I pulled the lead down to 29m, with my result being 8580m, or 1:44.9 pace. The winner managed 1:44.5, so well within sight really, and a pace I was certainly capable of on the day. Of course he could have been cruising knowing I was a safe distance behind, and may well have had lots in hand.

I’ll know if I race a 30min again though that a big lead can be overcome over that duration (or I’ll just try harder from the start!).