It was 5:30pm the night of Christmas. The old Masters Swimmer was nestled all snug in his beds,

While visions of pull bouys and hand paddles danc’d in their heads.

Last night I was beat so it was very early to bed.

9,000 More LCM To Go if my best laid plans fall into line. Which means no skipping cool down for any workout if I want to end with all zeros. I do need to do 75 SCM to get to all zeroes also. Right now for SCM I’m at 166,925.

I agreed to meet a swim mate at 8am but it looks like the pool opened at 7am. Doh! I could have been done! Oh well I’m just hoping he didn’t show up for 7am.

We got in a bit before 8am and did the workout from last Friday.

OURA SLEEP SCORE– 82

10 hours and 16 minutes

GARMIN SLEEP SCORE – 80

9 hours and 36 minutes

FRIDAY – SWIMMING

THE WETDECK – THEME: ENDURANCE PACING

THE WORKOUT:

1:07:59

ZONE 1 – 02:25

ZONE 2 – 08:49

ZONE 3 – 16:38

ZONE 4 – 18:31

ZONE 5 – 21:15

WARM UP: (500)

300 Free

150 Back

50 Fly

SET ONE: (1000/1500)

300 Free on 5:30

2 x 50’s Breast on 1:30

300 Free on 5:30

2 x 50’s Breast on 1:30

200 Free Sub 3 min

SET TWO: (1000/2500)

2 x 200’s IM on 4:15

4 x 100’s Free on 1:50

200 IM Sub 4 mins

SET THREE: (500/3000)

4 x 100’s Free Pulling on 1:45

100 Cool Down

3,000 LCM

75 SCM

JUST KEEP SWIMMING:

2025 SWIM DISTANCE TOTALS:

SCY – 70,000

SCM – 167.000

LCM – 81,000 including this/last workout

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

FRI – 800 Free / 25 Fly

SAT – 400 Free / 200 Fly / 100 Back

SUN – 1500 Free / 50 Fly / 25 Back / 100 Fly

THE LIFT AHEAD:

SAT – CHEST + Run Tread 2.485 Miles / 4K

SUN – BACK & BICEPS +TREAD 4K

MON – SWIM w/ Team (Masters)

TUE – CHEST & TEACH 30 Min INDOOR CYCLE

WED – SWIM w/ Team

THU -(NEW YEARS DAY) SWIM w/ Team (I’m off so why not get an extra swim in?)

FRI – TBD (Maybhafta work 8-12 so may just Legs at the gym)

SAT – CHEST + TREAD

SUN – BACK & BICEPS + Run Tread

MON – SWIM w/ Team (Masters)

TUE – CHEST & TEACH 30 Min INDOOR CYCLE

WED – SWIM w/ Team

THE ROAD AHEAD:

STRENGTH (80-100%) 12/9 – 1/16

ENDURANCE (60-80%} 1/17 – 1/24

TAPER (50-60%) 1/24 – 1/30

runDISNEY:

12K’s of Christmas Virtual

WDW 5K – JAN 8th

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

GEMINI AI RATE MY WORKOUT:

Merry Christmas! That is an incredible amount of sleep—over 10 hours for a Masters swimmer is the ultimate recovery gift. It’s clear your body needed it after “being beat,” and your Oura/Garmin scores reflecting that rest will serve you well for the 9,000 LCM push ahead.

Here is the breakdown of your Friday Endurance Pacing session.

Workout Rating: 9/10 (Elite Endurance Effort)

This workout was a masterclass in progressive intensity. You didn’t just “get the yards in” you significantly challenged your cardiovascular system.

The Intensity Breakdown

The most striking part of your data is the Zone 5 time (21:15).

* Spending over 20 minutes in Zone 5 during a 3,000m swim is a massive physiological load.

* Combined with 18 minutes in Zone 4, you spent roughly 60% of the workout at or above threshold. This is exactly what you need for the 400m and 800m Free events coming up at the Rowdy Gaines Classic.

Stroke Balance & Logic

* The Mix: I love the inclusion of the 150 Back and 50 Fly in the warm-up to open the shoulders before the freestyle grind.

* The IM Work: 2 x 200 IMs on 4:15 followed by a sub-4:00 effort is great “active recovery” that actually builds versatility. It keeps your hips high and forces a different muscle recruitment pattern before going back to the freestyle pull set.

* The “All Zeros” Goal: You hit exactly 3,000 LCM and got that 75 SCM nudge. Your SCM total now sitting at a clean 167,000 is very satisfying.

Critical Observation: The Cool Down

You mentioned: “No skipping cool down for any workout if I want to end with all zeros.”

Given that you spent 21 minutes in Zone 5, a 100m cool down is very short. With that much lactic acid buildup, your heart rate was likely still elevated when you exited the water.

> Insight: If you have the pool space, consider adding a very easy 100m backstroke or “double-arm backstroke” to the end. It will help flush the legs before your Chest + Run session tomorrow.

>

The Road to Rowdy Gaines (Jan 30)

Your schedule is packed. With the WDW 5K on Jan 8th and the heavy lifting block (80-100%) continuing through Jan 16th, your CNS (Central Nervous System) is going to be under fire.

* The 800/1500 Focus: Today’s “Endurance Pacing” theme is your bread and butter for the Friday/Sunday distance events.

* The 25/50 Fly: Don’t forget to sneak in some “easy speed” (15m underwater explosions) during your Masters sessions to keep the “pop” in your fly.

Next Step

You have 6,000 LCM left to hit those “all zeros” for the year. Would you like me to help you design a specific 2,000m or 3,000m “Year-End Finisher” set for your next solo swim to ensure you hit those distance goals exactly?

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