The Lats Strike Back – It’s The Sequel. When Friday’s Workout Leads Into Mondays.

Since we got to be outside this morning we or I did LCM. I made my swim mate swim with me. The SCM Masters Wormout was lots of kicking so I picked the Triathlete Workout which was LCM.

The breath control part was hard. The 7’s nearly impossible for me. Hell the 5 is hard. I admit at times I was 5/5/3/2/5/5 for the 6’s and sort of like it for the 7’s. When I bilaterally breath my stroke pattern gets changed. I’m a very rhythmic stroke swimmer so altering my breath alters my stroke. I do feel Fridays Workout led into today’s workout. Engaging the Lats for a good strong long pull.

OURA SLEEP SCORE – 76

6 hours and 35 minutes

30% REM and Recovery

GARMIN SLEEP SCORE – 59

4 hours and 48 minutes

MONDAY 2-16 – 26

SWIM – TECHNIQUE LCM TRI WORKOUT

THE WORKOUT:

1:09:29

ZONE 1 – 08:27

ZONE 2 – 10:07

ZONE 3 – 15:36

ZONE 4 – 18:54

ZONE 5 – 01:24

WARM UP: (400)

200 Free

200 Kick

SET ONE: (1500/1900)

3 x 100’s Free 3/5/7/3 by 25s on 1:50 (300)

100 Long Axis on 5th Stroke :15 sec rest (100/400)

3 x 100’s Free 3/5/7 by 100’s on 1:45 (300/700)

100 Long Axis on 5th Stroke :15 sec rest (100/800)

3 x 100’s Free 3/5/7/3 by 25s on 1:50 (300/1100)

100 Long Axis on 5th Stroke :15 sec rest (100/1200)

3 x 100’s Free 3/5/7 by 100’s on 1:45 (300/1500)

SET TWO: (800/2700)

2 x 200’s Free w/ 1 sighting per length on 3:40 (400)

400 Free “reach and finish” sub 7 (400/800)

SET THREE: (200/2900)

4 x 50’s Sprint on 1:30 (off blocks on one end) (200)

COOL DOWN:

100 easy

3,000 LCM

JUST KEEP SWIMMING:

2026 SWIM DISTANCE TOTALS:

SCY – 33,900

SCM – 2,700

LCM – 5,100 (including this last swim)

– SWIM THE VILLAGES VIRTUAL SWIM – OLYMPIA EDITION – COUNTRY CLUB CHALLENGE

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

– TV SENIOR GAMES – April 18 & 19 2026

Senior Games season is almost upon us! We’re just less than 3 weeks away from registration, which will begin February 17th.

– BUMPY JONES LCM – June 20 & 21 2026

THE LIFT AHEAD:

TUE – CHEST + TREAD & TEACH 30 Min INDOOR CYCLE

WED – LEGS + TREAD

THU – BACK + TREAD & TEACH 30 Min INDOOR CYCLE

FRI – SWIM w/ Team

SAT – CHEST + TREAD

SUN – BACK + TREAD

MON – SWIM w/ Team

THE ROAD AHEAD:

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)

WINEDINE 5K – OCTOBER 23rd

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 replacements therapy. 

GEMINI AI RATE MY WORKOUT:

Workout Rating: 8.5/10 

“The Hypoxic Hustle”

You’re feeling the “Lats Strike Back” for a reason—Long Course Meters (LCM) combined with breath control is a recipe for serious muscular endurance. Transitioning from Friday’s pull-heavy session into a 3,000m LCM technical set shows great consistency, even if your sleep scores were battling it out for “most tired.”

The Breakdown

* The “LCM” Factor: Moving from Short Course to Long Course changes the game. Without the frequent turns and push-offs, your lats and shoulders are under constant tension. It makes total sense that Friday’s fatigue carried over; there’s nowhere to hide in a 50m pool!

* Breath Control (The 3/5/7 Struggle): Don’t beat yourself up over the 5/5/3/2 adaptation. Bilateral breathing often breaks the “rhythm” for swimmers who rely on a strong, one-sided rotation. However, practicing those 7s (even poorly) forces your body to become more efficient with oxygen and improves your “reach and finish” by lengthening the stroke.

* Heart Rate Profile: Spending 18:54 in Zone 4 is significant. You were pushing a high aerobic threshold today. Given the Garmin sleep score of 59 (which is basically a “low battery” warning), your body was working extra hard to maintain those intervals.

* Technical Focus: The “Long Axis on 5th Stroke” and “Reach and Finish” 400m are excellent drills for an open-water triathlete. It reinforces the distance-per-stroke (DPS) needed for your upcoming 1K in Sarasota.

Insights & Observations

> Sleep Disparity: Your Oura (76) and Garmin (59) are telling two different stories. Usually, when Garmin is that much lower, it’s reacting to a lack of deep sleep or a higher resting heart rate (RHR) overnight. Watch that “recovery” metric closely—with a big lift tomorrow (Chest + Tread + Cycle), you are entering a high-volume phase.

>

* Bilateral Rhythm: Since you mentioned bilateral breathing messes with your stroke, try “breathing 3” during your warm-ups and cool-downs exclusively. It helps build the neural pathways so that when you hit those 5s and 7s in a set, the “wobble” in your stroke is minimized.

Progress Tracking

You’ve hit 5,100 LCM for the year already. With the Bumpy Jones LCM on the horizon in June, these early-season long-course sessions are putting “money in the bank” for your stamina.

Total Distance Check: You are currently sitting at roughly 41,700 total yards/meters for 2026. You are building a very solid base for the Senior Games!

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