It’s Almost Taper Time! The one word that makes a swimmer smile…TAPER!

Today was the last Endurance Day as I head into a D-Load or Taper Week.

ENDURANCE (60-80%) 1/17 – 1/23

TAPER (50-60%) 1/ Yu iey68 suit: 24 – 1/30

OURA SLEEP SCORE – 82

7 hours and 15 minutes

GARMIN SLEEP SCORE – 45

6 hours and 07 minutes

THURSDAY – 1/22/26

BACK & BICEPS DAY – ENDURANCE (60-80%)

THE WORKOUT:

55:02

ZONE 1 – 20:58

ZONE 2 – 05:17

ZONE 3 – 00:51

ZONE 4 – 00:00

ZONE 5 – 00:00

5 minutes Easy Warm Up Cycle

Cable Lat Pulldown (22”) at 132 lbs at 70.96% 1RM / PR x Reps 8 / 8 / 8 / 8 / 8

2 min rest between sets (w/ Wrist Straps)

(186 PR/1RM)

(Last Time 143 x 8 / 6 / 6 / 6 / ?)

(Prior Time 178.5 x 4 / 5 / 5 / 4 / 3)

(Prior Time 178.5 x 4 / 4 / 4 / 3 / 3)

(Prior Time 178.5 x 3 / 3 / 3 / 3 / ?)

Curlbar Bicep Curl w/ Arm Blaster

12.5 each side x Reps 8 / 8 / 8 / 8

2 min rest in between sets (PR 65 lbs)

(Last Time 15 lbs each side x 7 / 6 / 6 / 6)

(Prior Time 20 lbs each side x 7 / 6 / 6 / 6)

(Prior Time 17.5 lbs each side x 6 / 7 / 6 / 6)

Seated Cable Row at 132 lbs at 70.96% 1RM / PR x Reps 8 / 8 / 8 / 8

2 min rest between sets

(186 PR/1RM)

(Last Time 132 x 8 / 8 / 8 / 8)

(Prior Time 165 x 4 / 4 / 5 / 4)

(Prior Time 161.5 x 6 / 6 / 5 / 4)

(Prior Time 159 x 7 / 6 / 6 / 5)

(Prior Time 159 x 6 / 5 / 5 / 5)

Shower, Eat Banana and Drive…

6:15am – 6:45am

TEACH 30 min INDOOR CYCLING

40:41

ZONE 1 – 16:51

ZONE 2 – 14:25

ZONE 3 – 07:43

ZONE 4 – 00:10

ZONE 5 – 00:00

JUST KEEP SWIMMING:

2026 SWIM DISTANCE TOTALS:

SCY – 21,000 (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 Taper

SUN – BACK & BICEPS Taper

MON – SWIM w/ Team

TUE – CHEST Taper & TEACH 30 Min INDOOR CYCLE

WED – SWIM w/ Team

THU – BACK Taper (got a sub for my cycle class)

FRI – SWIM ROWDY 800 Free / 25 Fly

SAT – 400 Free / 200 Fly / 100 Back

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

MON – RECOVERY

THE ROAD AHEAD:

ENDURANCE (60-80%) 1/17 – 1/23

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)

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 testosterone replacement therapy. 

GEMINI AI RATE MY WORKOUT:

Nothing beats the feeling of hitting that final endurance session before the “magic” of taper kicks in! You’ve put in the yardage and the heavy lifting; now it’s time to let your nervous system recover so you can explode off the blocks at the Rowdy Gaines Classic.

Here is your Gemini AI Workout Rating for Thursday, January 22nd.

The Stats At A Glance

* Total Activity Time: ~95 minutes (Lift + Cycle)

* Intensity Profile: Pure Zone 1 & 2 (Perfect for the end of an endurance block)

* Sleep Discrepancy: Significant gap (Oura 82 vs. Garmin 45). Given the heavy training load, your body likely “felt” more like the Garmin score, but the Oura score suggests your recovery systems (HRV/RHR) are holding steady for the taper.

Workout Analysis

1. Back & Biceps (Strength-Endurance)

* Lat Pulldowns: Moving 132 lbs for a clean 5 \times 8 is excellent volume. Compared to your last session where you hit 143 \times 8/6/6/6, dropping the weight slightly to ensure you finished all 8 reps across all 5 sets was a smart “Endurance Phase” move. It builds that muscular stamina you’ll need for the 800 and 1500 Free.

* Seated Rows: Total consistency here. Matching your previous 4 \times 8 at 132 lbs keeps the volume high without overtaxing the CNS right before the meet.

* Bicep Curls: You’ve found the “sweet spot” with the 12.5 lbs (per side). Completing all sets of 8 reps shows better muscular endurance than the 15/20 lb attempts where you were hitting failure early.

2. Indoor Cycling (Active Recovery/Teaching)

* Teaching while staying largely in Zone 1 and 2 is a masterclass in restraint. It’s easy to get caught up in the music and push into Zone 4, but staying low-intensity today ensures your legs are fresh for those long-distance swim events (800/1500m).

The “Rowdy” Outlook

Your event lineup for Jan 30 – Feb 1 is ambitious:

* The Distance: 800, 400, and 1500 Free.

* The Sprints: 25 Fly, 25 Back.

* The Grinders: 200 Fly, 100 Fly.

Because you have such a mix of grueling distance and high-intensity fly, this upcoming Taper Week (50-60%) is non-negotiable. Your yardage is sitting at 21,000 SCY for the year—you’ve built the engine. Now, you just need to sharpen the blades.

Final Rating: 9/10

This was a “Professional’s Workout.” You didn’t chase a 1RM (One Rep Max) today; you chased quality volume and stayed within your heart rate zones. You are exiting the Endurance phase exactly where you need to be.

The “Taper Smile” Checklist:

* [ ] Trust the Taper: You will feel “heavy” or “weird” in the water for the first 2-3 days of taper. This is normal!

* [ ] Sleep: Try to bridge the gap between those Garmin and Oura scores this week.

* [ ] Subbing the Cycle: Great call getting a sub for next Thursday. That extra rest will be the difference in your 1500 Free.

Would you like me to help you calculate your target Taper weights (50-60% of 1RM) for your upcoming Sunday Back & Bicep session?

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