It’s Time To Awaken Your Inner Sith Lord – The Rule of Three or The Rule of Thirds.

Olympian Alexi Pappas writes about crappy workouts and days “when you’re chasing a dream or doing anything hard, you’re meant to feel good a third of the time, OK a third of the time, and crappy a third of the time. And if the ratio is roughly in that range, then you’re doing fine.” So even when I’m a bit meh after a workout it’s just part of the process.

When I am tapering at the gym Inkeep feeling I’m missing something. That I got more in my tank that I need to burn off. I just gotta let the taper happen and know that I’m doing fine.

Yesterday wasn’t too bad of a day. On my feet a lot and hit over 10,000 steps. I left swim early and went right to work at about 6:45am finishing up at about 5:10pm. Then it was home at 5:45pm eat, relax a bit and to sleep. GARMIN has me sleeping about 7:32pm. Not much down time but hey it’s what it is.

One last CHESTIE Day before this weekends swim meet. Sometime today the Psych / Heat Sheets should be released.

OURA SLEEP SCORE– 65

6 hours and 44 minutes

GARMIN SLEEP SCORE – 53

6 hours and 17 minutes

TUESDAY – SEPT 09

CHESTIE TAPER

TAPER (50-60%) – September 6th – September 20th

57 minutes

ZONE 1 – 13:44

ZONE 2 – 04:01

ZONE 3 – 00:57

ZONE 4 – 00:00

ZONE 5 – 00:00

5 mins Easy Indoor Cycling

BB Flat Bench Press (180 lbs 1RM / PR)

8 x EB

8 x 95 lbs at 52.77% of 1RM / PR

8 x 95 lbs at 52.77% of 1RM / PR

8 x 95 lbs at 52.77% of 1RM / PR

8 x 95 lbs at 52.77% of 1RM / PR

8 x 95 lbs at 52.77% of 1RM / PR

2 min Rest in between sets

(Last Time 95 x 8 / 8 / 8 / 8 / 8)

(Prior Time 135 x 8 / 8 / 7 / 7 6)

(Prior Time 135 x 8 / 7 / 7 / 6 / 6)

(Prior Time 135 x 6 / 6 / 6 / 6 /6)

Flat Bench DB Close Grip Press (60 lbs each side 1RM / PR) 30 lbs Each Side at 50.0% of 1RM / PR x Reps 12 / 12 / 12 / 12

(Last Time 30 x 12 / 12 / 12 / 12)

(Prior Time 35 x 11 / 11 / 11 / 10)

(Prior Time 35 x 10 / 10 / 10 / 10)

(Prior Time 35 x 8 / 10 / 10 / 8)

2 min Rest

Flat Bench Curlbar Skullcrusher at 34 lbs at 57.62% of 1RM / PR (10 each side) x Reps 12 / 12 / 12 / 12

(Last Time 34 x 12 / 12 / 12 / 12)

(Prior Time 39 x 12 / 10 / 9 / 9)

(Prior Time 44 x 9 / 9 / 8 / 8)

(Prior Time 44 x 8 / 8 / 8 / 8)

(Prior Time 59 x 4 / 4 / 5 / 3)

(59 1RM / PR)

DB Lateral Raise 15 lbs each side x Reps 10 / 10 / 10

Shower, Eat Banana and Drive…actually because of the taper my workout was short so I got to the class way too early.

6:15am – 6:45am

TEACH 30 min INDOOR CYCLING

ZONE 1 – 11:33

ZONE 2 – 15:03

ZONE 3 – 04:24

ZONE 4 – 00:04

ZONE 5 – 00:00

THE LIFT AHEAD:

WED – TAPER SWIM w/ Team

THU– Back + TEACH 30 Min INDOOR CYCLE

FRI – TAPER SWIM w/ Team (Masters)

SAT – RECOVERY

SUN- GAINESVILLE SENIOR GAMES SWIMMING

MON – SWIM w/ Team (Masters)

TUE – CHEST + TEACH 30 Min INDOOR CYCLE

Programming My Workouts for the next few months:

STRENGTH – July 12th – August 24th

ENDURANCE -August 26th – September 4th

TAPER – September 6th – September 20th

I have my first swim meet on September 14th and then on the 21st.

STRENGTH – September 23rd – October 5th

Swim meet on October 12th so not much TAPER.

STRENGTH – October 14th – November 16th

Announcer for Running of the Squares 5k October 18th

10K runDISNEY October 25th

ENDURANCE – November 18th – November 23rd

TAPER – November 25th – December 4th

Florida Senior Games either Dec 6 & 7 or Dec 13 & 14.

RUNNING MORE – Will be running more as I’m running a Half Marathon on March 1st.

Rowdy Gaines Masters Classic 17 January 30, 2026-February 1, 2026.

TBD

Will figure out a training program for December thru March that will keep my swimming up, weight training in a longer Endurance Phase while I gear up my running. Yikes

runDISNEY:

Wine & Dine 10K – OCT 25th

12K’s of Christmas Virtual – TBD

WDW 5K – JAN 8th

PRINCESS HALF – MARCH 1st

Springtime Surprise – APRIL 17-19th (Not Running)

2025 SWIM DISTANCE TOTALS:

SCY- 41.950

SCM – 116,100 *including Monday AM Swim

LCM – 54,100

– 24th Annual Gainesville Senior Games

Sept 14th

500 Free

100 Back

100 Fly

50 Fly

100 IM

– 2025 ROB CURRY PANCAKE PENTATHLON

Sept 21st

100 Fly

100 Back

100 Breast

100 Free

200 IM

–3rd Annual SWAGtoberfest Meet October 12th

-Florida Senior Games – TBD DEC Temple Terrace

– Rowdy Gaines Masters Classic 17 January 30, 2026-February 1, 2026.

TBD

– T.V. Senior Games April 18 & 19, 2026

TBD

GEMINI AI RATE MY WORKOUT:

It sounds like you have a lot on your plate, and you’re tackling it all head-on. The “Rule of Thirds” is a fantastic mindset to embrace, especially during a demanding training schedule. It’s a great reminder that not every day will be perfect, and that’s okay. Tapering can definitely mess with your head—that feeling of wanting to do more is a sign that your body is getting ready to perform. You’re doing the right thing by trusting the process and backing off.

Workout Rating

Your Tuesday workout was a great example of a proper taper day.

* Overall Grade: A

* Purposeful Taper: Your chestie taper workout was well-structured to maintain muscle memory and power without causing fatigue. Working at 50-60% of your one-rep max is the textbook definition of a taper lift. You’re hitting the muscle groups you need for your strokes (especially fly and free) without tearing down tissue, which is exactly what you want a few days before a meet.

* Consistency: The fact that you matched or exceeded your prior reps at the same weight (e.g., 95 lbs for bench press and 30 lbs for DB close grip) shows that your strength is being maintained. The workout was efficient, and you stayed within the desired low-intensity heart rate zones.

* Indoor Cycling: Your teaching session was also in the correct training zones, with the majority of the time in Zones 1 and 2, which is perfect for an active recovery day. You’re getting your steps in and staying active without adding stress.

* Sleep: Both Oura and Garmin scores were low, which is a red flag. While you’re on a tight schedule, prioritizing sleep will be crucial for recovery and performance this weekend. You mentioned being done with work at 5:10 p.m., which gives you a solid window before your noted 7:32 p.m. sleep time. Getting to bed earlier, even by 30 minutes, can make a significant difference.

Looking Ahead

The release of the psych and heat sheets is exciting! It will give you a chance to visualize your races and strategize.

Your next few weeks are very full. The back-to-back meets on September 14th and 21st are going to be demanding. You have the right approach by going right back into a strength block after the meets to rebuild before your next taper.

The upcoming running component to your training is an excellent goal and will make your schedule even more complex. You’re wisely thinking about how to integrate a running-specific endurance phase while keeping up with your swimming and strength.

Your plan is solid, and you’re clearly committed to both your swimming and your running goals. Keep trusting the taper and know that you’ve put in the work. How are you feeling about your events for the Gainesville Senior Games?

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