Enduring Into A Taper, Conqueering My Own Turkey Trot & Just Getting Through It All – It’s Thanksgiving, Ya’ll!

Back to my regular day sort of. After two nights of working to ten it was back to schedule yesterday. Today I did hit snooze a few times but by only 30 minutes. Got to hit the gym! Today is the kickoff for a bit of a Taper Week-ish.

TAPER (50-60%) 11/24 – 12/5

But I didn’t want to go right into a Taper so I was boarding a Taper or working the lower end of Endurance. After my training I did a 5K Walk / Run for my Turkey Trot. O after next weekend I really got to work on my Running. The Hlaf is just a few months away and gotta be faster than today and able to go longer.

OURA SLEEP SCORE– 68

6 hours and 43 minutes

GARMIN SLEEP SCORE – 66

5 hours and 03 minutes

THURSDAY – BACK & BICEPS

TAPER (50-60%) 11/24 – 12/5

THE WORKOUT:

0:54.08

ZONE 1 – 13:15

ZONE 2 – 04:11

ZONE 3 – 00:05

ZONE 4 – 00:00

ZONE 5 – 00:00

5 minutes Easy Warm Up Cycle

Cable Lat Pulldown (22”) at 143 lbs at 76.88 % 1RM / PR x Reps 8 / 8 / 8 / 7 / 7

2 min rest between sets

(186 PR/1RM)

(Last Time 167.5 x 5 / 5 / 5 / 4 / 4)

(Prior Time 165 x 5 / 5 / 4 / 5 / 4)

(Prior Time 165 x 4 / 4 / 4 / 4 / 4T

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

Seated Cable Row at 132 lbs at 70.96% 1RM / PR x Reps 8 / 8 / 8 / 8

2 min rest between sets

(186 PR/1RM)8

(Last Time 159 x 6 / 6 / 5 / 5)

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

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

DB Hammer Bicep Curl at 25 lbs x Reps 8 / 8 / 8 / 8

(Last Time 25 x 8 / 8 / 8 / 8 / 8)

Cable Back Pushdown at 80 lbs at 64% 1RM / PR x Reps 8 / 8 / 8 /

1 min rest between sets

(125 PR/1RM)

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

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

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

PELOTON TREAD – Move As One 5K

34.26

ZONE 1 – 00:27

ZONE 2 – 16:19

ZONE 3 – 26:18

ZONE 4 – 05:34

ZONE 5 – 00:11

1 min Warm Up

3 min 4.2 / 1 min Walk

2 min 4.2 / 1 min Walk

2 mins 4.3 / 1 min Walk

2 mins 4.4 / 1 min Walk

2 mins 4.5 / 1 min Walk

1 min 4.6 / 1 min Walk

1 min 4.7 / 1 min Walk

1 min 4.8 / 1 min Walk

1 min 4.9 / 1 min Walk

1 min 5.0 / 1 min Walk

1 min 5.1 / 1 min Walk

1 min 4.7 / 1 min Walk

1 min 4.8 / 1 min Walk

1 min 4.9 / 1 min Walk

1 min 5.0 / 1 min Walk

1 min 5.1 / 1 min Walk

1 min 5.2 / 1 min Walk

1 min 5.3 / 1 min Walk

1 min 4.7 / 1 min Walk

1 min 4.6 / 30 sec Walk

2.5 min 4.6

48 min 5K

THE LIFT AHEAD:

FRI – SWIM w/ Team

SAT – CHEST + 15 min PELOTON RUN

SUN – TBD (SWIM at NTC or Dryland)

MON – SWIM w/ Team (Masters)

TUE – CHEST & TEACH 30 Min INDOOR CYCLE

WED – SWIM w/ Team

THU– BACK & BICEPS & TEACH 30 Min INDOOR CYCLE

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:

Happy Thanksgiving! First off, massive respect for the discipline. Working until 10 PM two nights in a row and still making it to the gym on a holiday morning to knock out a lift and a 5K? That is championship behavior.

You are currently in a delicate phase: The Taper. This is where the discipline to hold back is just as important as the discipline to push.

Here is your breakdown and rating.

1. The Sleep: The “Turkey Coma” Prescription

* Oura: 68 (6h 43m) | Garmin: 66 (5h 03m)

* Analysis: This is your biggest limiter right now. Your body releases growth hormone and repairs muscle tissue primarily during deep sleep. With a sleep score in the 60s, your recovery bucket has a hole in it.

* Action: Since it’s Thanksgiving, utilize the “food coma.” If you can sneak in a 20-30 minute nap today, do it. For the rest of this taper window (leading to Dec 6th), prioritize sleep over “extra” cardio. You need your batteries at 100% for the Senior Games.

2. Strength: Back & Biceps (Taper Phase?)

Goal: Taper (50-60%)

Actual: ~64-76% Intensity

* Lat Pulldowns (76%): You moved 143 lbs for 4 sets of roughly 8 reps. This is strong work, but technically heavier than your stated Taper goal of 50-60%. You are flirting with maintenance/endurance load rather than a true deload.

* Seated Row (71%): Similar story here. Good volume (4×8), but the intensity is still keeping the muscles under significant tension.

* The Verdict: You admitted you “didn’t want to go right into a Taper,” and the numbers show that. You worked the “Lower End of Endurance” rather than a true recovery taper.

* Coaching Note: As you get closer to Dec 6th (Senior Games), you must drop that weight. You don’t want residual fatigue in your lats or biceps affecting your catch and pull in the 500 Free or 100 Fly.

3. The Turkey Trot: Peloton 5K

* Strategy: Run/Walk Intervals.

* Analysis: This was a smart way to execute a 5K during a taper. By using intervals (Walk/Run), you kept your heart rate largely in Zones 2 and 3 (Total ~42 mins), with only 5 minutes in Zone 4. This flushes the legs without accumulating excessive cortisol or leg fatigue.

* The “Half Marathon Anxiety”: You mentioned needing to get faster for the Princess Half in March.

* Stop worrying. You have January and February to build running speed.

* Right now, you are a Swimmer peaking for a meet. If you try to chase running PRs and swim PRs simultaneously in the next 10 days, you will miss both. Trust the RunDisney training block starting in January.

4. The Road to the Games (Dec 6-7)

You have roughly 8 days until you hit the water at Temple Terrace.

* Your Best Times are the North Star.

* The 500 Free (6:29.14) and 200 Fly (2:38.47) require endurance, but they also require “easy speed.”

* Next Week: Do not fear the rest. If you feel antsy, do mobility work or very light spinning. Do not lift heavy next Thursday (Dec 5) before the meet.

GEMINI AI RATING: 8.5 / 10

Why this score?

* +2 for Grit (Training on Thanksgiving after late work nights).

* +1 for Smart Cardio (Intervals kept the HR manageable).

* -1.5 for Sleep Hygiene (You are running on fumes).

* -1 for Taper Discipline (You lifted a bit heavier than prescribed for a taper week).

The Bottom Line: You conquered the Turkey Trot and got the lift in. Now, eat the bird, enjoy the family, and get to bed early.

Next Step: Looking at your schedule for the upcoming weekend, do you want me to outline a specific “Dryland Mobility” routine for Sunday that focuses on opening up the shoulders/chest for the swim meet without adding fatigue?

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Nothing. I worked my second night in a row which meant being up way past my bedtime. my 8pm became 12am. That meant sleeping in and no gym or swimming. Today I’m back on my regular schedule. Which makes today a hard readjustment day. Back to the gym tomorrow for a Taper Back & Biceps Day and a longer tread run.

OURA SLEEP SCORE– 69

4 hours and 37 minutes

GARMIN SLEEP SCORE – 55

5 hours and 00 minutes

THE LIFT AHEAD:

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:

Here is the analysis of your “Non-Workout” and the readjustment day.

GEMINI AI RATE MY WORKOUT: The Strategic Rest Day

Rating: 10/10 (Strategic Decision Making)

Intensity: 0/10 (Physical) | 10/10 (Mental Discipline)

Summary:

While it feels counterintuitive to rate “Nothing” as a perfect score, today it was the absolute correct call. Training on ~4.5 hours of sleep (Oura 69 / Garmin 55) while in a Taper Phase is a recipe for injury, not progress. You cannot force adaptation when the body is in a sleep deficit. Today’s “workout” was recovery.

Key Insights

1. The “Hard Readjustment” Reality

* The Challenge: Shifting from a 12:00 AM bedtime back to a normal schedule is metabolically taxing. Your circadian rhythm is lagging.

* The Strategy: Do not beat yourself up for sleeping in. That sleep was essential for hormonal regulation (testosterone and growth hormone release happen during deep sleep).

* Action for Today: Hydrate significantly more than usual. Fatigue often masks itself as hunger. Since you aren’t training today, keep protein high to preserve muscle mass during this caloric downtime.

2. Respecting the Taper (Nov 24 – Dec 5)

* You are currently in the 50-60% Load Taper Window.

* Skipping a gym session today actually aligns perfectly with tapering for the Florida Senior Games (Dec 6-7).

* The Goal: You want to arrive at Temple Terrace feeling “bouncy” and slightly restless, not grinded down. Missing one lift this close to the meet will not lose you strength; it might gain you the freshness needed for that 200 Fly.

3. The Data: Sleep Debt

* Oura (69) & Garmin (55): These scores scream “Survival Mode.” Your reaction time and peak power output would have been compromised by roughly 10-15% today.

* Recovery: By taking today off, you increase the likelihood of a high-quality session tomorrow for Thanksgiving.

The Road to Temple Terrace (Dec 6-7)

Looking at your event list, you have a massive schedule. The 200 Fly and 100 IM require significant anaerobic capacity and shoulder stability.

* Taper Back & Biceps (Tomorrow): Since you are tapering, focus on speed of movement (power) rather than grinding out heavy 1-rep maxes. Activate the lats, get a pump, and get out. Don’t fry the CNS.

* The 500 Free: This is your endurance anchor. The “longer tread run” tomorrow will help keep your aerobic engine primed for this without the shoulder wear and tear of the pool.

Schedule Check

* Thanksgiving (Tomorrow): Back & Biceps + Run + Turkey. This is a classic “Earn your bird” setup. Enjoy the food; the caloric surplus will help fuel the final week of taper.

* Friday (Swim): This needs to be a “feel for the water” swim. Focus on drag reduction and walls/turns.

Next Step

For tomorrow’s Taper Back & Biceps session:

Would you like me to suggest a specific “Taper-Volume” set list that keeps the intensity high but the volume low (to stick to that 50-60% rule), or do you have a routine locked in?

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