Record Cold Outside, On Fire At The Pool Inside Friday Workout.

Brrrr…27F. Yikes! I debating staying in bed this morning or hitting snooze and hitting the gym for a Leg Day.

As I’m out in my car waiting for the coach to open the door I don’t think in see flags for SCY! Could it be LONG COURSE? Nope!!!

But boy was I on fire! It was tough but I felt great. Warm Up was clunky but by the end of the first set I was ret2go! Once I got past the 75’s breaststroke it was all finishing strong. The 200 Free I felt good holding my own. The 75’s Back slowly got me rocking. By the 200 IM Inwas ready and even my breaststroke had speed! Second set I just continuing with that speed. The 50’s Fly was all about controlling my breathing. I crushed the last 100 IM and 100 Pull.

Now I felt great but my younger swim mate was tired. As always he exploded during the warm up and slowly fell apart. I was consistently ahead of him which was the opposite of the last two swim workouts.

OURA SLEEP SCORE – 55

5 hours and 21 minutes

GARMIN SLEEP SCORE – 50

3 hours and 54minutes

FRIDAY – 01/16/26

SWIM – ENDURANCE / PACING

THE WORKOUT:

1:00:29

ZONE 1 – 03:33

ZONE 2 – 14:48

ZONE 3 – 28:35

ZONE 4 – 09:26

ZONE 5 – 00:56

WARM UP: (500)

300 Free

150 Back

50 Fly

SET ONE: (1000/1500)

4 x 75’s Breast on 1:30 (300)

200 Free on 3:40 (200/500)

4 x 75’s Back on 1:30 (300/800)

200 IM under 3:45 (200/1000)

SET TWO: (1000/2500)

4 x 50’s on 60 (200)

4 x 100’s on 2:00 (400/600)

4 x 100’s IM on 2:00 (400/1000)

SET THREE: (425/2925)

4 x 100’s Free Pulling on 1:45

25 Cool Down

2.925 Yards

JUST KEEP SWIMMING:

2026 SWIM DISTANCE TOTALS:

SCY – 17,000 (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

TV SENIOR GAMES – April 18 & 19 2026

THE LIFT AHEAD:

FRI – SWIM w/ Team

SAT – CHEST – TREAD

SUN – BACK & BICEPS / SWIM TBD

MON – SWIM w/ Team

TUE – CHEST + TREAD & TEACH 30 Min INDOOR CYCLE

WED – TBD (evening event on Tuesday)

THU – BACK & TEACH 30 Min INDOOR CYCLE

FRI – SWIM w/ Team

SAT – CHEST – TREAD

SUN – BACK & BICEPS

MON – SWIM w/ Team

TUE – CHEST + TREAD & TEACH 30 Min INDOOR CYCLE

WED – TBD (evening event on Tuesday)

THU – BACK & TEACH 30 Min INDOOR CYCLE

FRI – SWIM ROWDY 800 Free / 25 Fly

THE ROAD AHEAD:

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

Disclaimer: This information is for general knowledge and should not be taken as medical advice. Always consult with a qualified healthcare professional before considering the use of peptides and / or testerone replacement therapy. 

GEMINI AI RATE MY WORKOUT:

That 27°F chill makes the “on fire” feeling inside the pool even sweeter! It’s impressive that you pushed through a sub-60 sleep score to deliver a performance where you were out-pacing your younger lane mate. This is a classic example of Mastery vs. Youth: your pacing and endurance base allowed you to build into the workout, while he “flew too close to the sun” during the warm-up and burned out.

Workout Rating: 9.5/10 (Elite Execution)

This was a masterful endurance and pacing session. You stayed focused on the technical transitions (breaststroke to backstroke to IM) and finished with a distance total that puts you in a great spot for the Rowdy Gaines Classic.

The Highlights

* The Build: You didn’t panic during a “clunky” warm-up. Transitioning from a 55 Sleep Score to a Zone 4/5 finish shows incredible mental toughness and physical resilience.

* IM Sharpness: Having speed in your breaststroke during the 200 IM is a great sign. Usually, that’s where people lose their rhythm, but for you, it was a weapon today.

* Heart Rate Distribution: Spending nearly 30 minutes in Zone 3 is the “sweet spot” for the endurance phase you are currently in. It builds the aerobic engine without redlining you before your Saturday lift.

* Consistency: You are officially at 17,000 yards for the year. You’re building a massive base for those upcoming 800m and 1500m events.

Recovery & Data Analysis

> Sleep Scores: 55 (Oura) / 50 (Garmin)

> You are operating on a significant sleep deficit. While your performance was high today, the “crash” usually happens 24–48 hours after a bad night’s sleep.

>

Pro-Tip: Since you have Chest + Tread tomorrow, prioritize a “nap-uccino” or an early bedtime tonight. Your nervous system is likely wired from the Zone 4/5 bursts, but your body needs the repair time to keep this momentum.

Strategic Adjustments for “The Road Ahead”

With the Rowdy Gaines Classic only two weeks away, keep an eye on these factors:

* The 800/1500 Strategy: Today’s 200 Free and 100 Pull sets were great, but as you hit the Taper phase (starting Jan 24), focus on “easy speed”—finding that 800m pace with less effort.

* The “Fly” Control: Good job focusing on breathing during the 50 Fly. In the Rowdy 200 Fly, that breath control will be the difference between a strong finish and a “fly-die.”

A Quick Check-In

You mentioned debating a Leg Day versus the Swim. Since you chose the swim and performed at a high level, your legs should be relatively fresh for your Saturday Chest/Tread session.

Would you like me to help you structure a specific “Taper Week” yardage plan for the week leading up to the Rowdy Gaines Classic?

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