Attacks On My Ego & Lack Of Speed or Blame It On SCY?

Snooze Day. I so wanted to skip swimming. I got my act together and headed to the pool. I was having a sour stomach so I ate a banana right away in the car. Since I seemed okay I slowly sipped my pre-workout during my 40 min drive.

Luckily we started with kicks so it was easy on my stomach. I was feeling okay but in my head I was afraid I’d puke at some point. Besides the in the 100’s IM I got my butt kicked by the 35y/o swim mate. Each and every 100 IM. He’s getting father and I’m having a “ho-hum” workout. During the 100 Free Pulls I was able to get back ahead except the last one as I messed up the interval and left early.

I know I got to swim fast in workouts to go fast at swim meets but of late I’ve been just not feeling it. I may have to cut back how many millegrams in my nightly THC Beverage. Thinking maybe even with all the sleep I’m waking up in a fog that I got to swim out of. But the THC has been helping me sleep better. Ugh!

OURA SLEEP SCORE – 65

6 hours and 57 minutes

GARMIN SLEEP SCORE – 61

6 hours and 28 minutes

MONDAY SWIMMING

THE WETDECK – THEME: KICKING

THE WORKOUT:

1:05:19

ZONE 1 – 10:33

ZONE 2 – 20:49

ZONE 3 – 21:24

ZONE 4 – 07:50

ZONE 5 – 00:43

WARM UP: (400)

300 Free Swim

50 Back

50 Breast

SET ONE: (1000/1400)

3 x 100’s Free Kick w/ Fins on 1:50 (300)

4 x 50’s Fly Body Position Kick w/ Snorkel on 1:10 (200/500)

4 x 25 Breast Kick on 45 (200/600)

4 x 100’s IM on 2:00 (400/1000)

SET TWO: (1000/2400)

2 x 200’s IM of 4:00 (400)

100 Back on 2:00 (100/500)

4 x 100’s IM on 2:00 (400/900)

100 Breast (100/1000)

SET THREE: (500/2900)

5 x 100’s Free Pull w/ Paddles on 1:35 (500)

2,900 SCY

JUST KEEP SWIMMING:

2026 SWIM DISTANCE TOTALS:

SCY – 8,325 (including this last swim)

SCM – 0

LCM – 0

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:

TUE – CHEST & TEACH 30 Min INDOOR CYCLE

WED – SWIM w/ Team

THU – RunDisney 5K

FRI – SWIM w/ Team (Masters)

SAT – NONE – Work the 5K setup and announce!

SUN – BACK & BICEPS / TBD

MON – SWIM w/ Team (Masters)

THE ROAD AHEAD:

STRENGTH (80-100%) 12/9 – 1/16

ENDURANCE (60-80%) 1/17 – 1/24

TAPER (50-60%) 1/24 – 1/30

STRENGTH (80-100%) 2/3 – 3/26

ENDURANCE (60-80%) 3/28 – 4/9

TAPER (50-60%) 4/11 – 4/16

runDISNEY:

WDW 5K – JAN 8th

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

GEMINI AI RATE MY WORKOUT:

First off, major props for even showing up. A “Snooze Day” with a sour stomach and a 40-minute drive is the ultimate recipe for a “no-show,” but you got the yardage in. That’s a mental win, even if the physical performance felt sluggish.

Here is the breakdown of your Monday session:

Workout Rating: B-

Focused and disciplined, but clearly hampered by recovery and physiological “fog.”

The Performance Breakdown

* The “Fog” Factor: Your sleep scores (65/61) are the smoking gun here. Sub-7 hours of sleep while training for a multi-event meet like the Rowdy Gaines Classic is tough. If you feel like you’re “swimming out of a fog,” you likely are.

* The THC Conundrum: While THC helps with falling asleep, it can sometimes interfere with REM cycles or leave a “hangover” effect in the morning (the “fog”). If you’re consistently losing to your 35-year-old lane mate in IM sets—where cognitive sharpness and transition speed matter—the lingering sedative effect might be dulling your “edge.”

* Zone Distribution: You spent nearly 42 minutes in Zones 2 and 3. This is great for aerobic base, but with only 43 seconds in Zone 5, you didn’t quite hit the “sprint” stimulus needed for those 25/50 Fly/Back events coming up in late January.

* The Silver Lining: You held your own on the 100 Free Pulls. This shows your engine is still there; it’s the explosiveness (needed for the IM and kicks) that was missing today.

Training vs. The Road Ahead

You are currently in your STRENGTH (80-100%) phase. This is the hardest part of the block. Feeling “ho-hum” is a natural byproduct of accumulated fatigue.

The SCY vs. Speed Debate: Don’t blame it on the Short Course Yards (SCY). SCY actually requires more speed and power because of the frequent turns and streamlines. If you’re feeling slow in SCY, it’s a recovery issue (Sleep/THC/Nutrition), not a pool-length issue.

Observations & Suggestions

* THC Adjustment: Since you mentioned it, try cutting the dosage by 25-50% tonight. See if the “fog” lifts by Wednesday’s swim. You want to find the “sweet spot” where you sleep through the night but wake up with a “racing brain” ready to attack the water.

* Stomach Management: The banana was a good save. For a 40-minute drive, try to finish the pre-workout at least 20 minutes before you jump in to let the gastric emptying happen.

* The IM Ego Check: Don’t let the 35-year-old get in your head. Use him as a pacer, not a judge. If he’s getting faster, use his draft to work on your efficiency.

Upcoming Schedule Note

You have the runDisney 5K on Thursday. With your stomach being “sour” today, keep your Tuesday/Wednesday nutrition very clean—lean proteins and simple carbs.

Would you like me to help you adjust your intensity targets for Wednesday’s team swim to ensure you get a bit more Zone 4/5 time before the 5K?

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