The Pete Plan

[alanbrandenburg]

Are you looking for a training plan that you can understand and will also take seconds off of your 2K race. Then look at the "Pete Plan" from Peter Marston of the UK (where such matters are take quite seriously. This plan lays out quite plainly what you need to do each week and provides some variety of work.

"Pete Marston Posted: Tue Jul 27, 2004 1:49 pm Post subject: The Pete Plan

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I had an email today asking for details of the "Pete Plan". I get the odd email asking me this, as well as a few questions on here about where the original details of the training plan are. As I don't remember putting the details on here in the first place, and must have just mentioned at some time what sessions I do each week, I thought I would post details here of what has become known as the "Pete Plan" for anyone who is interested.

Quick disclaimer first - I didn't call this the "Pete Plan", it just happened to be the sessions I was doing each week at the time (and will be doing again soon). So if you think it looks very similar to some other training plans out there then you're probably right.

So the basic plan is this:

Monday - Speed intervals; 3 weekly rotation between:
8 x 500m, 3:30 rest
4 x 1k, 5min rest
250/500/750/1k/750/500/250 pyramid (1:30 rest per 250m after interval)

Tuesday - Steady distance (8 to 15k)

Wednesday - Steady distance (8 to 15k)

Thursday - Distance intervals; 3 weekly rotation between:
5 x 1500m, 5min rest
4 x 2k, 5min rest
3k/2.5k/2k, 5min rest

Friday - Steady distance (8 to 15k)

Saturday - Hard 10k

Sunday - Rest"

[magnuson]

Sundays look awesome!

Seriously, Alan, do you think you can translate this into timed intervals instead of meters, so we can all do the workouts together? We should, in any case, put Pete into effect forthwith.

[Alan]

Yeah, it is easier to use "meters" instead of "time" for our intervals (that way we don't have DJ tapping his fingers as he waits for us to finish our piece). If we substitue 2 minutes for every 500 meters, we should be close. So 8X500m becomes 8X2'.

[Thom]

Ah ha -- so this is the origin of the Ladder of Death!

[dowbiggin]

Here is an erg ladder we use at Cambridge:

1000 meters. 3 mins rest.
2000 meters. 3 mins rest.
3000 meters. 3 mins rest.
4000 meters. 3 mins rest.
5000 meters. 3 mins rest.
4000 meters. 3 mins rest.
3000 meters. 3 mins rest.
2000 meters. 3 mins rest.
1000 meters.

Before trying this, I suggest you eat your porridge.

Cheers,

Rebecca

[Thom]

I count nine days in that erg ladder; where do you suppose Pete's awesome Sunday goes, Mike?

[Dawn]

Ooo, I like the 4 x 1k, 5min rest. That is something we should do. Oh my, the Cambridge ladder frightens me. I wonder if they ever do planks...?

[Thom]

I did the 4 x 1K + 5' rest today.
It's the first time I've done the stand-up-and-walk-around thing after pushing hard for a time or distance.
Let's just say -- ouch -- it was an[other] -- ouch -- education...

[Alan]

Pete is pretty affable fellow, except on Mondays and Thursdays. The 4X 1K has those two nasty 1K's in the middle, that are hell to get through, mentally and physically. Of at least that is my memory of them a month ago. Nice job Thom.