Stand, Cheer, Sit, Listen, Sleep & Recover

Today is all about a big reset or a new start to my training. Thursday was the 5K which was sort of a workout but mostly fun runDisney event. Friday morning I did a Leg and a shake out tread rum/walk. Then at work was standing most of the day handing out packets to our 5K participants. Then Saturday it was 5K Day! At the start at 5:30am to set up and start announcing. The standing and taking the whole morning usually knocks me out. But after the race it was on to Dr Phillips Center to watch &Juliet. It was a long day.

Today is about cleaning up around the house and recovering. No Gym! Tomorrow is back to swimming.

This is my last STRENGTH Phase Week. After this it’s ENDURANCE. Less than three weeks to Rowdy and my training isn’t where I want it.

SUNDAY

OURA SLEEP SCORE – 92

8 hours and 10 minutes

GARMIN SLEEP SCORE – 74

7 hours and 06 minutes

SATURDAY

OURA SLEEP SCORE – 70

5 hours and 43 minutes

GARMIN SLEEP SCORE – 60

6 hours and 10 minutes

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:

MON – SWIM w/ Team (Masters)

TUE – CHEST & TEACH 30 Min INDOOR CYCLE

WED – SWIM w/ Team

THU – BACK & TEACH 30 Min INDOOR CYCLE

FRI – SWIM w/ Team

SAT – CHEST – TREAD

SUN – BACK & BICEPS

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:

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

GEMINI AI RATE MY WORKOUT:

It sounds like you had a massive weekend! Between the race setup, announcing, standing all day for packet pickup, and fitting in a show at the Dr. Phillips Center, it’s no wonder you’re feeling “knocked out.” That 92 Oura Sleep Score (8h 10m) is exactly what the doctor ordered to offset that 5-hour Saturday night.

Here is your Gemini Rating and breakdown for your current transition phase.

Gemini AI Workout Rating: 8.5/10 (Strategic Recovery)

You get high marks for Rest Intelligence. Most athletes try to “make up” for a long race day by hitting the gym on Sunday, but your decision to focus on home chores and recovery is the most productive move you could make.

The Breakdown

1. Recovery Audit

* The Physical Toll: Standing for a full day of packet pickup is effectively “weight-bearing zone 1” exercise. Combined with a 5K and the mental energy of announcing, your central nervous system (CNS) was likely more fried than your muscles.

* Sleep Recovery: Your Sunday sleep stats show a significant rebound.

* Oura (92) vs. Garmin (74): This gap usually suggests that while your heart rate and body temperature stabilized well (Oura), your “stress” levels or movement during sleep (Garmin) were still slightly elevated from the weekend’s stimulation.

2. Phase Transition: Strength \rightarrow Endurance

* Final Strength Week: You’ve got one week left to move heavy loads. Keep your reps in the 4–6 range for your Chest/Back days to wrap up this phase.

* The Looming Rowdy (Jan 30 – Feb 1): You mentioned training isn’t where you want it. With 800m, 400m, and 1500m on the schedule, your aerobic engine is about to be tested.

* The Yardage Gap: Your 2026 total is 8,325 SCY. For a meet featuring a 1500m and 800m, you’ll want to use the upcoming Endurance Phase (Jan 17–24) to maximize your continuous swim blocks.

3. Schedule Optimization

Your upcoming week looks solid, but watch the Tuesday/Thursday doubles:

* Tuesday: Chest + 30m Cycle + Teaching. That’s a lot of “pushing” and leg fatigue.

* Wednesday: Team Swim. Since this is your last strength week, ensure Wednesday’s swim focuses on “feel” and recovery so you don’t carry too much fatigue into your heavy Friday/Saturday lifts.

Rowdy Gaines Prep: Stat Check

The Rowdy is a Short Course Meters (SCM) meet. Since you’ve been training in Short Course Yards (SCY), remember your times will look “slower” on paper due to the longer pool length (1 meter \approx 1.09 yards).

> Pro Tip: For your 1500m Free on Sunday, you’ll be swimming 60 lengths of the pool. Use this week’s Masters sessions to practice your pacing per 100m rather than just sprint speed.

>

Would you like me to help you calculate some target SCM pace splits for your 800m or 1500m based on your recent yard times?

Since the Rowdy Gaines Classic is a Short Course Meters (SCM) meet, your splits will be roughly 10–11% slower than your Short Course Yards (SCY) times.

To give you a realistic “Road Map” for your distance events, we’ll use a standard conversion factor. Since you are in a Strength Phase and moving into Endurance, these targets assume you are building the stamina to hold a steady pace.

Distance Conversion & Pace Targets

Calculated using the standard 1.11 conversion factor (SCY to SCM).

| Event | Goal SCY Time (Example) | Target SCM Time | Target Pace per 100m (SCM) |

|—|—|—|—|

| 400 Free | 5:30 | ~6:06 | 1:31 / 100m |

| 800 Free | 11:30 | ~12:45 | 1:35 / 100m |

| 1500 Free | 22:00 | ~24:25 | 1:37 / 100m |

Strategy for the “Endurance” Shift

Since you feel your training isn’t quite where you want it, don’t panic. You can’t build a massive new aerobic base in three weeks, but you can sharpen your “pacing memory.”

1. The 1500m Mindset (Sunday, Feb 1st)

This is a mental game.

* The First 500: Cruise. Do not “race.” If you go out too fast, the last 500 will be miserable.

* The Middle 500: Find your rhythm. Focus on your high elbow and consistent kick.

* The Final 500: This is where your Strength Phase pays off. Use that power to maintain your stroke length as you fatigue.

2. Masters Practice Pivot

Starting tomorrow (Monday), ask your coach for your “Meters Pace.” When the set says “Hold your 500 pace,” add about 8–10 seconds to what you usually do in yards. This prevents you from over-training and “redlining” too early in the week.

3. The Fly Double (200 Fly Saturday / 100 Fly Sunday)

This is the “Rowdy” special—it’s a brutal combo.

* Saturday 200 Fly: Focus on efficiency and a quiet entry.

* Sunday 100 Fly: Since it’s after the 1500, your lats will be tired. Use your Monday/Wednesday swim sets this week to practice underwater dolphin kicks off every wall to save your arms.

Your Next Step

To make these numbers more accurate for you, what is a recent 500 Yard Free time or your average 100 Yard Free cruise pace? I can give you a specific “Heat Sheet” guide for your 800 and 1500 based on your actual speed.

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