Topsy-Turvy, Up And Splash Somewhat Taper Swim Workout Oh And Don’t Forget A Helping of Fly!

Grrr…43F means swimming indoors and SCY. I was hoping to get in some LCM this morning. Only 4 swimmers showed up two of which are slow triathloners and one older Master Swimmer. I swim with the Masters Swimmer often and I know he takes extra rest so I was okay with that. As he is also going to Florida Senior Games next week he wanted to Taper and only do 1,800 yards. I did not cuz I have time to spend in the pool being a Holiday and not having to work. But I didn’t first set with him which was suppose to be the last set. I sort of loaded the first set as I wasn’t ready to sprint.

The second set I was on my own and turned the 50’s into Butterfly with rest to get my body ready for the 200 Fly in a week. It was a good test and boy I wish I had been swimming 200 Flys for the last few months. But it’s all good. Next weekend isn’t the “big” meet for me as that is Rowdy Gaines. Then it’ll be Bumpy Jones LCM in June as I have some goals for that meet.

OURA SLEEP SCORE– 82

8 hours and 43 minutes

GARMIN SLEEP SCORE – 74

6 hours and 06 minutes

BLACK FRIDAY 11-28/25

THE WETDECK:

Masters Swim Intervals

1:15.45

ZONE 1 – 15:26

ZONE 2 – 40:06

ZONE 3 – 19:11

ZONE 4 – 07:07

ZONE 5 – 00:11

WARM UP: (500)

200 Free

100 Back / Breast

200 Kick IM

SET ummm… ONE: (1000/1500)

4 x 50’s Free off the Blocks (200)

4 Rounds: (400/600)

50 Fly/Back Off The Block

50 Back / Breast Off The Blocks

4 x 100’s Free / Back by 50 on 1:50 (400/1000)

SET ummm…TWO: (1000/2500)

3 x 100’s Reverse IM on 2:15 (300)

4 x 50’s Fly in 2 min (200/500)

3 x 100’s IM on 2:15 (300/800)

4 x 50’a Fly on 2 min (200/1000)

SET THREE: (400/2900)

2 x 200’s Free Pull on 3:40 (400)

2,900 SCY Done!

2025 SWIM DISTANCE TOTALS:

SCY – 64,250 including last workout

SCM – 166,925

LCM – 69,200

THE LIFT AHEAD:

SAT – CHEST + 15 min PELOTON RUN

SUN – TBD (SWIM at NTC or On My Own 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 / Travel to Tampa

SAT – Florida Senior Games

SUN – Florida Senior Games

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

runDISNEY:
12K’s of Christmas Virtual – TBD

WDW 5K – JAN 8th

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

GEMINI AI RATE MY WORKOUT:

This is a fantastic example of a “making lemonade out of lemons” workout. You dealt with the weather (43°F is no joke), the facility change (LCM to SCY), and the social dynamics of the lane, yet still managed to construct a highly specific session for your goals.

Here is my rating and breakdown of your Black Friday “Topsy-Turvy” Swim.

Workout Rating: 8.8 / 10

The “Adapt & Overcome” Badge

* Volume: 2,900 SCY (Appropriate for 1 week out from a “B” meet).

* Intensity: Managed well. The long rest on the Fly sets allowed for quality technique over cardio burnout.

* Focus: High. Switching the order to accommodate the tapering Masters swimmer showed lane etiquette, but adding the solo Fly work afterward showed discipline.

The Breakdown

1. The Pivot (Set One / Taper Set)

> “I sort of loaded the first set as I wasn’t ready to sprint.”

>

Starting with the “last” set first because of your lane partner was actually a happy accident. Doing Starts/Block work while relatively cold (or at least, not exhausted yet) mimics race morning reality.

* The Win: Getting those “Off the Blocks” reps in. With the Florida Senior Games next week, reaction time and entry mechanics are free speed. Don’t underestimate the value of those 400/600 yards of starts.

2. The “Meat” (Set Two / The Fly Prep)

This is where you earned your points.

* The Strategy: Turning the 50s into Butterfly with generous rest (2:00 interval) is the perfect way to prep for a 200 Fly this close to a meet.

* Why it works: You aren’t trying to build aerobic capacity 8 days out; you are trying to imprint Pace and Neuromuscular patterns. You need your stroke to hold together when tired.

* Reverse IMs: These are mentally taxing but great for body awareness. Finishing on Backstroke (in a Reverse IM) forces you to maintain a strong kick when your legs want to sink.

3. The Physiology (Heart Rate & Sleep)

* Sleep Wars: Oura (82) vs. Garmin (74).

* Verdict: Trust the Oura here. 8 hours and 43 minutes is massive recovery time. The Garmin likely penalized you for “awake” time if you were restless, but that duration in bed is money in the bank for recovery.

* Zones:

* Zone 2 (40 mins): Excellent aerobic maintenance.

* Zone 4 (7 mins): Just enough bite to keep the engine sharp without digging a recovery hole.

Meet Prep Analysis: Florida Senior Games

Target Date: Dec 6-7

You mentioned this isn’t your “Big Meet” (Rowdy Gaines is), which explains why you went 2,900 yards during your designated “Taper” window (11/24 – 12/5).

* Men’s 200 Fly (Target: 2:38.47): This is the scary one. Since you haven’t been swimming 200s of Fly recently, the strategy for next week must be control. The 4x50s you did today on 2:00 suggest you have the speed, but the third 50 of that race is going to be the truth-teller.

* Men’s 500 Free (Target: 6:29.14): Your aerobic base looks solid (64k yards this year SCY). This should be a comfortable race for you.

* The Sprints (100 Fly/Back/IM): The block work today was essential for these.

Critique of “The Lift Ahead”

Your schedule looks balanced, but keep an eye on the legs.

* Tuesday: Teaching a 30 min cycle class + Chest.

* Thursday: Teaching a 30 min cycle class + Back/Biceps.

* Friday: Travel.

Caution: Even though you are “teaching” the cycle class, try to stay in the saddle and keep resistance low on Thursday. You don’t want heavy quads for the 500 Free or the 200 Fly kick on Saturday/Sunday.

Next Step

For the 200 Fly next weekend, do you have a specific splitting strategy in mind (e.g., easy speed on the first 50, build the second, survive the third, sprint the fourth), or are you planning to swim it by feel?

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