I am currently following a modified “Pete Plan“.  This plan is based on the Wolverine Plan.

This plan has 3 core sessions per week

• Short Intervals (8×500,4×1000,250/500/750/1000/750/500/250) with rests roughly at least as long as the work time
• Long Intervals (5×1500,4×2000, 3000/2500/2000) with 5 minute rests
• Hard distance (5K,6K, 30min, 10K)

And 3 “steady” sessions a week.  In the Pete Plan, these are 8K sessions done at a pace a couple seconds slower than one’s pace for the hard distance session.  I am deviating from the plan for these sessions.  Based on material posted on the Rowing Illustrated forum, I believe that longer sessions at lower intensity will provide greater long term improvement in aerobic capacity.  The material posted on this thread is particularly persuasive.

To manage the intensity of these sessions I use lactate testing.  My typical steady state session is 4 – 20 minute intervals with 1 minute rests for hydration. I will typically row between 14.5K and 15K in these sessions.  I measure lactate after the first 20′ segment and try to keep my lactate reading at or below 2.0mmol/l.

I followed this plan last winter and set personal records for nearly all distances, but frustratingly not for my 2K.  This winter, I will not have an opportunity to race, but I am aiming to perform a formal time trial in late March before  the OTW season starts.