Wait I Could Of Slept In? Wait This Isn’t Endurance!! All The Drills In The World Cant Trach This Old Dog New Tricks.

My Oura took part of my sleep as a nap so my sleep time and score was slow as it didn’t reflect that time. I got out of bed and headed to the pool. Once at the pool the Coach gave us a “Drill Workout.” Wait, what happened to our Endurance Workout? Seems like the Thursday group decided thay we would do Drills today. Grrrr!!!

All that back work to get my Lats ready to pull me in an Endurance workout was for nothing. Not really but…

None of my pace swim mates showed up so I wasn’t too motivated and it was Drills. It was a workout…meh!

OURA SLEEP SCORE – 64

4 hours and 57 minutes

24% REM and Recovery

GARMIN SLEEP SCORE – 78

6 hours and 32 nminutes

FRIDAY 03/06/26

SWIM -DRILLS SCM

THE WORKOUT:

1:01:48

ZONE 1 – 20:26

ZONE 2 – 20:59

ZONE 3 – 09:08

ZONE 4 – 04:45

ZONE 5 – 00:00

WARM UP: (500)

100 Free

200 Back

200 Kick

SET ONE: (1000/1500)

TWO ROUNDS

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

4 x 50’s Shark FIN drill 15 sec rest (200/300)

4 x 50’s Back Roll,Roll,Pull drill 15 sec rest (200/500)

SET TWO: (400/1900)

4 x 50’s Fly Second Kick / 2-2-2 Drill 15 sec rest (200)

2 x 50’s Breast Inverted Kick / 2 Kick 1 Pull 15 sec rest (100/300)

4 x 25’s Fly on 30 (100/400)

SET THREE: (400/2300)

4 x 100’s Free Pull on 1:45 (400)

2,300 SCM

Since it was Drills the workout takes longer. So the Second Set was modified down. I did 2×50’s Breast instead of 4 and I only did that full set once instead of twice. It was either that or skip the 4×100’s Pull

JUST KEEP SWIMMING:

2026 SWIM DISTANCE TOTALS:

SCY – 39,800

SCM – 5,000 (including last swim)

LCM – 7,800

– 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

– BUMPY JONES LCM – June 20 & 21 2026

THE LIFT AHEAD:

SAT – CHEST & TREAD

SUN – BACK & TREAD

MON – SWIM w/ Team

TUE – CHEST + TREAD & TEACH 30 Min INDOOR CYCLE

WED – SWIM w/ Team

THU – BACK & TEACH 30 Min INDOOR CYCLE

FRI – 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:
Springtime Surprise – APRIL 17-19th (Not Running)

WINEDINE 5K – OCTOBER 23rd, 2026

WDW 5K – JANUARY 8th, 2027

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 Day:

I feel that frustration! There is nothing quite like psyching yourself up for a grueling endurance grind—mentally preparing for the “suck”—only to show up and find out it’s a “technical” day. It’s like preparing for a marathon and being told you’re doing a 5k walk-and-talk instead.

And let’s address the tech betrayal: Oura and Garmin disagreeing on your sleep by 90 minutes is a massive delta. Since you physically got out of bed and into a pool, trust the Garmin data for your sanity, but listen to your body for the recovery.

Friday Workout Rating: 6.5/10

“The ‘I’m just here so I don’t get fined’ Edition”

The Breakdown

* The Sleep Slog: A score of 64 (Oura) or 78 (Garmin) coupled with under 6.5 hours of sleep is a tough “engine start” for a 5:00 AM-style athlete. You showed up on a deficit, which makes the lack of motivation totally understandable.

* The Mental Pivot: You went in expecting to use those lats for heavy endurance and ended up doing “Shark Fin” and “Back Roll” drills. While frustrating, drills are actually higher cognitive loads than endurance. You managed an hour of focus despite the “meh” factor.

* Tactical Modification: Smart move on Set Two. Cutting the breaststroke volume to ensure you got your 4 x 100’s Pull was the right call. It gave you a taste of the rhythmic pulling you actually wanted while keeping you on schedule.

* The Social Factor: Missing your “Pace Mates” is a real hit to intensity. Training solo in a lane full of people doing drills is a test of character.

Training Load & Consistency

You are currently in your STRENGTH Phase (80-100%), so while the drills felt low-intensity (Zone 1 & 2 dominated 41 minutes of your hour), the “Back Work” you did previously wasn’t for nothing—it’s building the foundation for the Endurance Phase starting March 28th.

| Metric | Status |

|—|—|

| Total Distance | 2,300 SCM (Solid volume for a drill day) |

| Heart Rate | 13 minutes in Zone 3/4 shows you still put in effort during the sets. |

| Consistency | You showed up when you could have stayed in bed. That’s the “Endurance” that matters. |

Reflections for the “Old Dog”

You mentioned “Old dogs can’t learn new tricks,” but technical drills are exactly what keep your shoulders healthy for those LCM meets in June. Think of today as Pre-habilitation. Your lats will be fresh and ready for your Back & Tread session on Sunday.

> Pro Tip: When the tech (Oura) says you’re dying but the coach says “Drills,” take the win. Your central nervous system probably needed the “easier” technical day more than your ego wanted to admit.

>

Next Steps

Since you missed your endurance “fix” today and have Chest & Tread tomorrow, would you like me to help you structure a high-intensity Treadmill Interval session for Saturday to make up for that missed Zone 3/4 cardio?

YES

Since you missed that sustained “burn” in the pool today, let’s use Saturday’s treadmill session to bridge the gap. Since you’re still in your STRENGTH Phase (80-100%), we want this to be high-effort but efficient so you don’t compromise your Chest Lift.

Here is a 30-minute “Cardio Redemption” interval set designed to spike your heart rate and mimic the endurance zones you missed today.

The “Pool-Side Replacement” Treadmill Set

Goal: 30 Minutes | Focus: Zone 3 (Aerobic) & Zone 4 (Threshold)

Incline: Keep it at 1.0% to 1.5% to protect your Achilles and mimic outdoor running resistance.

The Breakdown

| Phase | Duration | Intensity / Pace | Notes |

|—|—|—|—|

| Warm-up | 5:00 | Easy Walk to Light Jog | Gradually build to Zone 2. |

| The Build | 5:00 | Moderate Pace | Increase speed every 60 seconds until you hit Zone 3. |

| Interval 1 | 4:00 | Threshold (Zone 4) | Think “Hard but Sustainable” (Swim Race Pace). |

| Recovery | 2:00 | Active Recovery | Slow walk or very light jog. |

| Interval 2 | 4:00 | Threshold (Zone 4) | Focus on breath control—don’t let the HR redline yet. |

| Recovery | 2:00 | Active Recovery | Get that HR back down to Zone 2. |

| The Finisher | 3:00 | High Intensity (Zone 4+) | The “Final Lap” effort. Push for the last 60 seconds. |

| Cool-down | 5:00 | Slow Walk | Focus on deep breathing to kickstart recovery. |

Execution Tips for the “Old Dog”

* The Lift Sequence: Since it’s Chest & Tread, I recommend doing your Chest Lift FIRST. You want your CNS (Central Nervous System) and glycogen stores fresh for the heavy pressing. The Treadmill is your “finisher.”

* The “Swim” Mindset: During those 4-minute intervals, imagine you’re holding your pace for that USMS 1K Open Water in April. It’s the same metabolic engine!

* Listen to the Lats: If your back feels tight from the “Back Work” you did previously, keep your arm swing relaxed on the treadmill.

Fueling for Tomorrow

Since your sleep scores were low today, try to get to bed 30 minutes earlier tonight. Your body does its best muscle repair (for those lats and chest) during deep sleep.

Would you like me to give you a specific Chest Strength circuit to pair with this treadmill session tomorrow?

NO

Understood—we’ll stick to the cardio redemption on the treads!

Since you’ve got the Chest lift covered and the Treadmill plan ready to go, you’re all set to turn Saturday into the high-intensity win you were looking for today.

Go get those Zone 4 minutes and show that “Old Dog” some new speed. Since you’re in your STRENGTH Phase (80-100%), remember to push the resistance or pace on those intervals—make the heart work as hard as the pectorals!

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