Joel and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Morning

Ugh, sleep. Yesterday was a long day as I started with swim at 5am, into work at 9am and done about 7:30pm. I didn’t have much time to eat all day which is bad but Inwas 165.2 pounds in the sacks this morning. Since I worked late I didn’t get to bed on time and then I had 2am anxiety about work things. If I didn’t have to teach cycling this morning Inwojld have skipped the gym. But I need the gym to wake up and to face another crazy morning at work.

I didn’t drink water all day after swim and a morning coffee. Then after that I did drink White Claws as I was tired but wired from my event. I barely ate all day so between that and my pre workout I was not feeling good for my workout. Stomach was sour. After I showered and brushed my teeth I felt a bit better. I’ll eat a banana for my class then eat breakfast and that will be it to about 1pm. P

OURA SLEEP SCORE– 61

4 hours and 39 minutes

GARMIN SLEEP SCORE – 42

4 hours and 5 minutes

THURSDAY – BACK & BICEPS

STRENGTH (80-100%)

THE WORKOUT:

1:10.

ZONE 1 – 27:24

ZONE 2 – 22:09

ZONE 3 – 09:53

ZONE 4 – 01:08

ZONE 5 – 00:00

5 minutes Easy Warm Up Cycle

Cable Lat Pulldown (22”) at 165 lbs at 88.71 % 1RM / PR x Reps 5 / 5 / 4 / 5 / 4

2 min rest between sets

(186 PR/1RM)

(Last Time 165 x 4 / 4 / 4 / 4 / 4)

(Prior Time 132 x 8 / 8 / 8 / 8 / ?)

(Prior Time 143 x 8 / 8 / 8 / 8 / 7)

Seated Cable Row at 154 lbs at 82.79% 1RM / PR x Reps 8 / 8 / 8 / 8

2 min rest between sets

(186 PR/1RM)

(Last Time 154 x 8 / 8 / 8 / 7

(Prior Time 154 x 8 / 8 / 7 / 7 )

(Prior Time 154 x 8 / 7 / 6 / 7)

(Prior Time 99 x 10 / 10 / 10 / 10)

Cable Hammer Bicep Curl at 100 lbs at 83.33% of PR x Reps 4 and that’s it. My Wrist is still sore.

2 min rest between sets

(120 PR/1RM)

(Last Time 90 x 8 / 8 / 8 / 8)

(Prior Time 70 x 8 / 8 / 8 / 8)

(Prior Time 60 x 8 / 8 / 8 / 8)

Cable Back Pushdown at 110 lbs at 88% 1RM / PR x Reps 8 / 7 / 7 / 6

1 min rest between sets

(125 PR/1RM)

(Last Time 110 x 6 / 7 / 6 / 5)

(Prior Time 90 x 8 / 8 / 8 / 8)

(Prior Time 100 x 8 / 8 / 8 / 6)

(Prior Time 110 x 8 / 7 / 6 / 6)

10 min Peloton Hike 10%

Shower, Eat Banana and Drive…

6:15am – 6:45am

TEACH 30 min INDOOR CYCLING

ZONE 1 – 08:32

ZONE 2 – 20:45

ZONE 3 – 14:23

ZONE 4 – 01:28

ZONE 5 – 00:00

Left GARMIN on for 45 mins

THE LIFT AHEAD:

FRI – SWIM w/ Team

SAT – CHEST + PELOTON RUN

SUN – LEGS & MORE + PELOTON RUN

MON – SWIM w/ Team (Masters)

TUE – CHEST + PELOTON RUN & TEACH 30 Min INDOOR CYCLE

WED – SWIM w/ Team

THU– COMBO + PELOTON RUN & TEACH 30 Min INDOOR CYCLE

THE ROAD AHEAD:

STRENGTH (80-100%)

ENDURANCE (60-80%}

TAPER (50-60%)

Programming My Workouts for the next few months:

STRENGTH – November 4th- November 23rd

TAPER – November 25th – December 4th

Florida Senior Games Dec 6 & 7.

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.

JUST KEEP SWIMMING:

-Florida Senior Games – DEC 6th and 7th Temple Terrace

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

2025 SWIM DISTANCE TOTALS:

SCY- 56,350 including last workout

SCM – 161,075

LCM – 66,300

runDISNEY:
12K’s of Christmas Virtual – TBD

WDW 5K – JAN 8th

PRINCESS HALF – MARCH 1st

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

GEMINI AI RATE MY WORKOUT:

What a day! Starting at 5 AM and ending late, then battling anxiety and lack of sleep—it’s impressive you got out of bed, let alone completed two taxing workouts.

Here is my breakdown and rating of your Thursday combined strength and cycling session.

 Gemini AI Workout Rating: B+ (For Execution Under Duress)

Overall Analysis

This was a session defined by discipline and grit. Given the severe sleep deficit (Oura 61 / Garmin 42) and poor fueling/hydration the day before (sour stomach, White Claws, minimal food/water), simply showing up and executing heavy, high-intensity sets is a win.

You wisely kept the strength workout focused on key lifts and demonstrated significant strength gains, successfully achieving your STRENGTH (80-100%) goal for the major back lifts. The indoor cycling session was a necessary commitment that you handled with solid effort (Zone 2/3 focus).

The lower rating is due to the cumulative stress (lack of sleep, poor nutrition) which compromises recovery and increases the risk of injury, especially with max-effort lifting.

Detailed Component Breakdown

1. Strength Workout (Back & Biceps)

| Lift | Weight / % 1RM | Performance / Goal Alignment | Note |

|—|—|—|—|

| Cable Lat Pulldown | 165 lbs / 88.71% | Excellent! Surpassed previous performance. Getting 5/5/4/5/4 is great high-intensity volume. | Clear strength progression towards 186 PR. |

| Seated Cable Row | 154 lbs / 82.79% | Solid! Maintained weight and improved volume (8/8/8/8 vs. 8/8/8/7 last time). | Consistency in the 80%+ range is key for strength. |

| Hammer Bicep Curl | 100 lbs / 83.33% | Tough spot. Wisely stopped after 4 reps due to wrist pain. | Crucial self-awareness. Stopping prevents a minor issue from becoming major. |

| Cable Back Pushdown | 110 lbs / 88% | Strong Finish! Improved volume over last time (8/7/7/6 vs. 6/7/6/5). | Good high-intensity work with short rest (1 min). |

* Zone Analysis: The short duration in Zone 4 (1:08) and zero in Zone 5 is appropriate for a heavy lifting session focusing on maximal force output rather than cardiovascular stress.

* Verdict: A-. Great intensity, great progression, and smart decision-making to stop the bicep curl.

2. Indoor Cycling (Teaching)

* Duration: 30 minutes (Garmin recorded 45 mins).

* Intensity: Solid time in Zone 2 (20:45) and Zone 3 (14:23). This is a great way to “wake up” the system and use the legs, serving as a functional transition into the workday.

* Verdict: A. Met the goal of teaching and getting an effective metabolic boost without overly taxing the body before a work day.

3. Critical Recovery Factors (D)

* Sleep: Alarmingly low (4 hours, 5-40 minutes). This is your single biggest limiting factor right now.

* Nutrition/Hydration: Minimal food, poor hydration, and alcohol consumption the night before. This explains the sour stomach and drastically impairs recovery needed for the next day’s high-intensity schedule (Swim on Friday).

 Focus for the Weekend

You have a very heavy weekend ahead (Swim, Chest + Run, Legs + Run). Given the consecutive low sleep scores, I strongly recommend prioritizing recovery today and tonight to salvage Friday’s quality.

* Immediate Fueling: The banana is a good start. Ensure your breakfast is protein-rich (for muscle repair) and contains complex carbohydrates (to refill glycogen stores for tomorrow’s swim).

* Hydration: Aggressively rehydrate with water and electrolytes throughout the day.

* Sleep Target: Try everything possible to get 7+ hours tonight to recover from the past two days.

You are moving directly into your TAPER in 12 days. Maintaining this level of sleep deprivation and stress will negatively impact your performance at the Florida Senior Games.

Given your intense schedule, would you like me to look at your weekend plan (Friday-Sunday) and suggest specific recovery/adjustment points to protect your fitness for the upcoming TAPER?

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