Back in the water and at 45F we went inside. Was so hoping the pool would be set up for Long Course but nope it was Short Course Yards.

Earlier this morning I started thinking about 2027. I told myself that cuz’ it’s so cold this time of year that I’d take some time off or a break. Therefore I wouldn’t do Rowdy Gaines. They should have left this SCM in November. But that’s next year.

OURA SLEEP SCORE – 65

8 hours and 10 minutes

GARMIN SLEEP SCORE – 76

7 hours and 26 minutes

MONDAY 1/12/26

SWIM -TECHNIQUE

THE WORKOUT:

1:00:21

ZONE 1 – 02:28

ZONE 2 – 14:52

ZONE 3 – 24:49

ZONE 4 – 12:57

ZONE 5 – 00:22

WARM UP:(600)

200 Free

100 Back

100 Breast

200 Kick w/ Board & Fins

SET ONE: (1000/1600)

4 x 50’s Breast to Free Transitions on 1:00 (200)

4 x 50’s Back to Breast Transitions on 1:00 (200/400)

4 x 50’s Fly to Back Transistions on 1:00 (200/600)

2 x 200 IM on 4:00 (400/1000)

SET TWO: (1000/2600)

4 x 100’s Free Breathing 3/5/7/5 on 1:50 (400)

4 x 50’s Breast on 1:10 (200/600)

4 x 50’s Back on 1:10 (200/800)

200 IM Sub 4:00 (200/1000)

SET THREE: (200/2800)

200 Choice Pull

2,800 SCY

Ugh! I was MEH. Maybe from not swimming all week but I just couldn’t get any speed going. My HR was up there but I did not feel it. Maybe it was cuz it was a lot of Breaststoke. I dislike and I’m slow at Breaststroke.

JUST KEEP SWIMMING:

2026 SWIM DISTANCE TOTALS:

SCY – 11,125 (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

USMS OPEN WATER CHAMPIONSHIP 1K – April 3, 2026 Sarasota

THE LIFT AHEAD:

TUE – CHEST + TREAD & TEACH 30 Min INDOOR CYCLE

WED – SWIM w/ Team

THU – BACK + TREAD & TEACH 30 Min INDOOR CYCLE

FRI – SWIM w/ Team

SAT – CHEST – TREAD

SUN – BACK & BICEPS

MON – 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

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:

Welcome back to the pool! It sounds like a bit of a mental battle today—45°F is no joke for getting motivated, and the disappointment of SCY (Short Course Yards) when you were mentally prepped for Long Course can definitely throw off your “flow.”

Given you’ve been out of the water for a week and faced a heavy dose of your least favorite stroke, a “meh” feeling is completely normal. Here is the breakdown of your session.

Workout Rating: B+ (Solid Technical Re-Entry)

While you felt slow, this was actually a very productive session for someone coming off a break and heading into a meet in less than three weeks.

* The “Breaststroke Burden”: You mentioned your HR was high but you didn’t “feel” the speed. Breaststroke is notoriously high-effort but low-velocity compared to the other strokes. Spending roughly 1,000 yards of your workout on Breaststroke transitions and sets is exactly why your HR spiked into Zone 3 and 4 despite feeling “slow.”

* Transition Focus: The 50s focused on stroke transitions (Fly to Back, Back to Breast, etc.) are elite-level prep for your upcoming IM swims. It forces the brain to “switch gears,” which is harder than just swimming straight sets.

* Breath Control: The 3/5/7/5 breathing pattern in Set Two is excellent for building lung capacity and composure under stress—crucial for those upcoming 400 and 800 Free events at Rowdy Gaines.

Physiological Feedback

* The Sleep Discrepancy: Oura gave you a 65 while Garmin gave you a 76. Usually, when Oura is lower, it’s flagging a high Resting Heart Rate (RHR) or lower HRV (Heart Rate Variability). This aligns with your body working harder than usual in the pool today after a week off.

* Zone Distribution: Spending nearly 38 minutes in Zone 3 and 4 is a heavy cardiovascular load for a “Technique” day. It’s no wonder you felt “meh”—you were essentially doing a threshold workout disguised as a drill session.

The “Rowdy Gaines” Perspective

I hear you on the 2027 break! It’s smart to plan for seasonal burnout before it happens. However, for this year:

* You have a massive schedule (800 Free, 200 Fly, 1500 Free!).

* Today’s 2,800 SCY was exactly what you needed to “wake up” the muscles.

* The Silver Lining: Doing SCY today is actually better for your Rowdy Gaines prep, as that meet is typically run in Short Course. It gets your turns and push-offs sharp.

Quick Comparison: 2026 Totals

| Metric | Distance |

|—|—|

| Today’s Swim | 2,800 SCY |

| 2026 Total (SCY) | 11,125 |

| Focus | IM Transitions & Hypoxic Free |

Looking Ahead

You have a heavy lifting and cycling day tomorrow. Since your HR was high today and your sleep scores are slightly suppressed, make sure you’re hitting your protein goals and staying hydrated. That “meh” feeling usually disappears after the second swim back.

Would you like me to help you design a specific “taper-lite” swim set for your Friday session to help you find that “speed” feel you were missing today?

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