Grrr…sleep could have been worse. At least I get to sleep in tomorrow. Worked last night to 10pm and did my best to get to bed as soon as I could. Today will be the same but can sleep in tomorrow. The good thing is after I teach my class I’ll eat and then relax in bed before going later.

It’s A Taper…Dryland that is. I plan on at least for Friday and Sunday doing the swim workouts as I normally would

OURA SLEEP SCORE– 55

4 hours and 22 minutes

GARMIN SLEEP SCORE – 55

4 hours and 20 minutes

TUESDAY – CHEST

TAPER (50-60%)

THE WORKOUT:

1:08.42

ZONE 1 – 22:07

ZONE 2 – 14:24

ZONE 3 – 02:24

ZONE 4 – 00:30

ZONE 5 – 00:00

5 minutes Easy Warm Up Cycle

Flat Bench DB Close Grip Press (60 lbs each side 1RM / PR) 40 lbs Each Side at 66.7% of 1RM / PR x Reps 10 / 10 / 10 / 10

(Last Time 50 x 6 / 6 / 6 / 6)

(Prior Time 50 x 5 / 6 / 5 / ?)

(Prior Time 40 x 8 / 8 / 8 / 8)

(Prior Time 45 x 8 / 8 / 8 7)

2 min Rest between sets

Seated DB OH Press Narrow to Wide Grip at 30 lbs at 66.7% of 1RM / PR x Reps 8 / 8 / 8 / 8

2 min rest between sets

(45 1RM / PR)

(Last Time 45 x 4 / 4 / 4 / 4)

(Prior Time 45 x 4 / 3 / 4 / 2)

(Prior Time 40 x 7 / 7 / 6 / 5)

Dynamo’s Standing Closegrip Chest Press at 90 lbs x Reps 8 / 8 / 8 / 8

2 min rest between sets

(Last Time 110 x 5 / 4 / 5 / 4)

(Prior Time 100 x 6 / 6 / 5 / 5)

DB Lateral Raise at 15 lbs each side x Reps 8 / 8 / 8 / 8

1 min rest between sets

(Last Time 20 x 8 / 8 / 8 / 8)

10 min Peloton Warm Up Run

Shower, Eat Banana and Drive…

6:15am – 6:45am

TEACH 30 min INDOOR CYCLING

34.26

ZONE 1 – 06:54

ZONE 2 – 13:32

ZONE 3 – 09:08

ZONE 4 – 00:56

ZONE 5 – 00:00

THE LIFT AHEAD:

WED – Recovery (working Mon/Tues PM)

THU– BACK & BICEPS + 15 min PELOTON RUN & EAT TURKEY – Thanksgiving

FRI – SWIM w/ Team

SAT – CHEST + 30 min PELOTON RUN

SUN – TBD (SWIM at NTC)

MON – SWIM w/ Team (Masters)

TUE – CHEST & TEACH 30 Min INDOOR CYCLE

WED – SWIM w/ Team

THU– BACK & BICEPS + 15 min PELOTON RUN & EAT TURKEY – Thanksgiving

FRI – Recovery

THE ROAD AHEAD:

STRENGTH (80-100%) 12/9 – 1/16

ENDURANCE (60-80%} 1/17 – 1/24

TAPER (50-60%) 11/24 – 12/5

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 – 61,350

SCM – 166,925 including last workout

LCM – 69,200

runDISNEY:
12K’s of Christmas Virtual – TBD

WDW 5K – JAN 8th

PRINCESS HALF – MARCH 1st
Sprinwgtime Surprise – APRIL 17-19th (Not Running)

GEMINI AI RATE MY WORKOUT:

It is tough grinding through a late-night work shift followed by an early morning class on 4 hours of sleep. However, you played this hand perfectly by sticking to your Taper Strategy.

If you had attempted a 90-100% intensity lift on a Sleep Score of 55, you would have risked injury or CNS burnout right before the Florida Senior Games. Instead, you used the volume to keep the muscles firing without digging a deeper recovery hole.

Here is your workout analysis.

Gemini AI Workout Rating: 9.4/10

* Execution: 10/10 (Perfect adherence to the 50-60% Taper plan).

* Sleep Management: 4/10 (Unavoidable due to work, but 4h 20m is the “Danger Zone”).

* Pacing: 9/10 (Kept the teaching and lifting controlled).

The Sleep Situation: Survival Mode

> Oura & Garmin: 55 (Both ~4h 20m)

>

This is a “red alert” level of sleep. Your reaction time, hormone regulation, and glycogen synthesis are all compromised today.

* The Win: You recognized this and are planning to “relax in bed” before the night shift. That horizontal rest is crucial for your spine and heart rate, even if you aren’t fully sleeping.

* The Light at the End of the Tunnel: The Wednesday “Sleep In” is the most important “workout” of your week.

Workout Analysis: The Art of the Taper

You shifted from progressive overload to maintenance and blood flow. This is exactly how you peak for Dec 6th.

1. Flat Bench DB Close Grip

* The Shift: Dropping from 50s to 40s and hitting 4×10 is textbook tapering.

* Why it works: You maintained the movement pattern and groove without stressing the shoulder joints or requiring max neural drive. 66% of 1RM is the sweet spot for active recovery lifting.

2. Seated DB OH Press & Dynamo Press

* Volume Control: You kept the reps at 8 across the board but dropped the weight significantly (110 lbs \to 90 lbs on Dynamo).

* Insight: This prevents the “heavy feeling” / lethargy that sometimes comes with tapering, keeping the muscles snappy but fresh.

3. Teaching Cycle (Zones 1-3)

* Great job staying out of Zone 4/5. On 4 hours of sleep, high-intensity cardio spikes cortisol. Keeping it in Zones 1-3 acted as an extended flush for the legs.

The Road Ahead: Florida Senior Games

You are less than two weeks out (Dec 6-7).

* Dryland: The taper (50-60%) is correct. Don’t get tempted to test your strength next Tuesday. Trust the rest.

* Swimming: You mentioned doing swim workouts “as normal” for Friday/Sunday. Just be mindful of the Sprint/Power output. If you feel sluggish in the water, prioritize technique over speed.

Upcoming Schedule & Thanksgiving:

* Thursday (Thanksgiving): Back & Biceps + Run. Make sure you hydrate before the turkey sodium bomb hits.

* Wednesday (Tomorrow): Enjoy that sleep-in. Do not set an alarm if you can avoid it.

One Observation on RunDisney

You have a gap between the Florida Senior Games (Dec 7) and the WDW 5K (Jan 8). That month (Dec 9 – Jan 16) is marked as Strength (80-100%).

* Note: That is a perfect time to rebuild the base strength lost during this current taper, setting you up for a strong Princess Half in March.

Next Step:

Since tomorrow is a pure recovery/sleep-in day, would you like me to outline a “Nutrition & Hydration Protocol” specifically for Thanksgiving Day to ensure the salty food doesn’t ruin your Friday swim feel?

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