Achieving That 40% And The Power of Dissapointment

On the Whoop Poscast the one and only Michael Phelps talked about achieving at least 40% of his sleep in REM and RECOVERY. Since then I made it my goal to get to 40% myself. Last night I hit it but really don’t feel that more energized. But I will take anything over 6 hours of sleep if only by a few minutes.

I did wake up a bit groggy and my Legs, oh boy. My Legs and Glutes are sore from yesterday. Since I don’t wanna push my Legs just 10 days before the Half I did skip running today.

Arms, Arms, Arms! Since no WALK+RUN I did more Back & Biceps. We have a quarterly supervisor meeting today so it would be nice to have a pump going and showing.

I was going to complain about a bit of disappointment I had this week at work but after our meeting and talking to folks I’m just gonna brush it off. I did recently apply for a job outside and had a phone interview. But when they wanted to go ahead with an in person interview I declined the opportunity. The timing wasn’t right. Right job just not the right time now. So having some work disappointment after that stung a bit.

OURA SLEEP SCORE – 80

6 hours and 02 minutes

40% REM and Recovery

GARMIN SLEEP SCORE – 62

6 hours and 23 minutes

THURSDAY 2/19/26

BACK & BICEPS – STRENGTH (80-100%)

THE WORKOUT:

1:05:33

ZONE 1 – 19:30

ZONE 2 – 05:17

ZONE 3 – 02:49

ZONE 4 – 00:12

ZONE 5 – 00:00

5 minutes Easy Warm Up Cycle

Cable Lat Pulldown (22”) at 178.5 lbs at 95.96% 1RM / PR x Reps 5 / 5 / 5 / 5 / 5

2 min rest between sets (w/ Wrist Straps)

(186 PR/1RM)

(Last Time 178.5 x 4 / 5 / 5 / 4 / 5)

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

(Prior Time 178.5 x 3 / 3 / 2 / 2 / 2)

Curlbar Bicep Curl w/ Arm Blaster

25 each side x Reps 5 / 5 / 5 / 4

2 min rest in between sets (PR 65 lbs)

(Last Time 22.5 lbs each side 5 / 6 / 6 / 6)

(Prior Time 22.5 lbs each side 4 / 5 / 5 / 5)

(Prior Time 20 lbs each side 6 / 6 / 6 / 4)

(Prior Time 12.5 each side 8 / 8 / 8 / 8)

Cable Back Pushdown at 120 lbs at 96% 1RM / PR x Reps 5 / 4 / 4 / 4

2 min rest between sets

(125 PR/1RM)

(Last Time 115 x 5 / 5 / 5 / ?)

(Prior Time 110 x 7 / 7 / 7 / 7)

(Prior Time 110 x 6 / 6 / 6 / 6)

Standing Cable Hanmer Bicep Curl at

90 lbs at 85.71% of 1RM / PR x Reps 5 / 6 / 6 / 5 / 5

(Last Time 85 x 8 / 8 / 7 / 6 / 5)

(Prior Time 92.5 x 8 / 8 / 6 / 6 / 6)

Shower, Eat Banana and Drive…

6:15am – 6:45am

TEACH 30 min INDOOR CYCLING

33:25

ZONE 1 – 05:37

ZONE 2 – 19:43

ZONE 3 – 07:33

ZONE 4 – 00:00

ZONE 5 – 00:00

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:

FRI – SWIM w/ Team

SAT – CHEST + TREAD

SUN – BACK + TREAD

MON – SWIM w/ Team

TUE – CHEST + TREAD & TEACH 30 Min INDOOR CYCLE

WED – SWIM w/ Team

THU – BACK + runDisney expo

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:

First off, congratulations on hitting that 40% metric! Whether it’s Michael Phelps or a weekend warrior, seeing those recovery numbers align with your goals is a huge psychological win.

The “groggy” feeling you experienced is likely Sleep Inertia. Ironically, when you get a high percentage of REM or Deep sleep, waking up in the middle of a heavy cycle can leave you feeling “drunker” than if you’d slept less. But don’t let the morning fog fool you—your brain and tissues did the heavy lifting while you were out.

Here is your breakdown for Thursday, February 19, 2026.

 Workout Rating: 9.2/10

Focus: Peak Strength & Hypertrophy

You nailed the “Supervisor Meeting Pump” objective while showing great discipline by listening to your legs 10 days out from the Half.

The Highlights:

* Lat Pulldown Dominance: You hit 5×5 at 95.96% of your 1RM. That is true “Strength Phase” execution. The volume at that intensity is impressive, especially considering your prior sessions where you were struggling to finish the sets. You’ve officially broken through that plateau.

* Arm Blaster Efficiency: Moving to 25 lbs per side (65 lbs total) with an arm blaster is no joke. The blaster eliminates momentum, making those 5s feel like 10s.

* Strategic Audible: Skipping the run was the smartest move of the day. With 10 days to go, “the hay is in the barn” for the Half. Pushing through sore glutes today would only increase injury risk with zero cardiovascular gain before the race.

* Active Recovery: Teaching the 30-minute Indoor Cycle kept your heart rate primarily in Zone 2. This is perfect for flushing out the lactic acid in those sore legs without adding impact stress.

 The “Power of Disappointment” & Career

It’s a strange mental space to be in: declining a “new” opportunity because the timing isn’t right, only to be met with frustration at your “current” one.

Think of it like your training: The “No” you gave that interview was a “Yes” to your current stability during a heavy race season. Disappointment is often just the gap between where we are and where we know we could be. You’ve got a Half Marathon in 10 days and Senior Games registration opening—you have enough “new” on your plate. Brushing off the work drama is the right executive move.

 Sleep & Recovery Analysis

* The Discrepancy: Oura (80) vs. Garmin (62).

* The Takeaway: Garmin is notoriously harsher on shorter sleep durations (barely cracking 6 hours), whereas Oura rewards the quality (that 40% REM/Recovery).

* The Reality: 6 hours is still a bit “thin” for a 95% intensity lifting day. If you can bump that to 7 hours leading into the race, your “groggy” feeling will likely transform into “explosive.”

 Just Keep Swimming

You are sitting at 41,700 total meters/yards for the year. With the USMS Open Water 1K coming up in April, your endurance base is looking solid. The LCM (Long Course Meters) focus for the Bumpy Jones meet will be the real test of that 40% recovery goal later this summer!

Next Step: Since those legs and glutes are screaming, would you like me to suggest a specific 10-minute mobility/active stretching routine you can do tonight to help prep you for your Swim Team session tomorrow morning?

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