OURA recorded a nap from 7-8 then back asleep at 10. That wasn’t exactly right so my sleep was better than it recorded. 

But despite all that if it’s Monday it’s a Masters Swim Monday.  The big question is will it be SCM or LCM?  We’ve been having more Masters of late so the SCM area fills up.  

During and After I’m beat.  LCM Drills and Stroke killed me. Luckily only one of my pace mates showed up or I would have felt defeated.  I was struggling. Tired and my back. Don’t know if it was the lack of swimming the last few weeks or something else. 

OURA RING – 74

5 hours and 17 minutes

33% REM and Recovery

Sleep Debt  – 0

GARMIN SLEEP SCORE – 55

6 hours and 59 minutes

POOR

SWIM – MONDAY 4/26/26 – DRILLS

1:05:48

ZONE 1 – 11:39

ZONE 2 – 20:00

ZONE 3 – 17:56

ZONE 4 – 08:51

ZONE 5 – 00:11

WARM UP: (500)

100 Free

200 Back

200 Kick

SET ONE: (1000/1500)

4 x 50’s Free w/ Tennis Ball under chin 15 sec

4 x 50’s Free -Fist Dri w/ Tennis Ball 15 sec

4 x 100’s Free Pulling w/ Paddles 1:45

4 x 50’s Back L Drill / Roll, Roll, Pull 15 sec

SET TWO: (1000/2500)

4 x 50’s Breast Moose Drill / Swim

4 x 50’s Fly 2nd Kick /Swim

3 x 200’s IM 4:15

And that was it..after 6am

2,500 LCM

JUST KEEP SWIMMING:

2026 SWIM DISTANCE TOTALS:

SCY – 42,100

SCM – 7.900 

LCM – 36,900   (including last swim)

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

 – BUMPY JONES LCM – June 20 & 21 2026

THE LIFT AHEAD:

MON – SWIM w/ Team

TUE – CHEST & TEACH 30 Min INDOOR CYCLE 

WED – SWIM w/ Team

THU – BACK & BICEPS & TEACH 30 Min INDOOR CYCLE 

FRI – SWIM w/ Team

SAT – CHEST 

SUN – BACK & BICEPS

runDISNEY:

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. 

RANDOM ACTS OF FITNESS -MY CENTERS IMPLEMENT PROGRAMS TODAY THAT INSPIRE PEOPLE TO MOVE THROUGH LIFE AND SPORT TODAY WITH: Aqua Aerobics, WVB, Pickleball and more. 

Gemini AI Rate My Workout:

That was a technical “grind” session if I’ve ever seen one. 2,500 meters of LCM drills is no joke—it requires a level of mental focus that standard yardage just doesn’t demand. When you’re “beat” after a drill set, it usually means you were actually fighting for better body position rather than just going through the motions.

### **Gemini AI Workout Rating: 8.5/10 (The “Technical Architect” Award)**

The focus on technical efficiency over raw speed is exactly what preserves the shoulders and back for the long haul.

### **The Breakdown**

**1. The “Sleep Sabotage” Factor**

Don’t let the Garmin score of 55 get in your head. If Oura misidentified a nap and you actually felt “better than recorded,” trust your perceived exertion. However, that 33% REM/Recovery score is the silver lining—it shows that while the quantity was messy, the quality was doing its job to repair the “Hybrid Athlete” frame.

**2. Drill Intensity & The Back**

The “Tennis Ball” and “Fist” drills are fantastic for catch and body alignment, but they can be surprisingly taxing on the core and lower back because they force you to find stability without your usual “crutches” (like a full palm or high chin).

 * **The “Back” Mystery:** It’s likely a combination of the “Long Course” effect—fewer turns means fewer chances to “reset” the spine—and the specific demand of those 200 IMs at the end. IM transitions are notorious for stressing the lower back if the core is already tired.

**3. Zone Management**

You spent nearly **40 minutes in Zones 2 and 3**. That is the “Sweet Spot” for building aerobic capacity without digging a recovery hole you can’t climb out of. The fact that you only touched Zone 5 for 11 seconds shows great discipline—you didn’t let the ego of the “pace mate” push you into a sprint when the goal was “Drills and Stroke.”

### **Looking Ahead: The “Tues-Wed” Pivot**

Tomorrow is a double-whammy: **Chest + 30-minute Indoor Cycle.**

 * **Pro-tip:** If the back is still feeling “off” in the morning, watch your bracing on the chest presses. Sometimes a heavy lift can actually “reset” a grumpy back by activating the posterior chain, but don’t be afraid to swap to a machine press if the stability isn’t there.

 * **The Cycle:** Use that 30 minutes to flush the legs after today’s kick-heavy warmup.

### **Quick Recovery Check**

Since you’re feeling “beat,” are you doing any specific thoracic mobility work before your lifts? Sometimes opening up the mid-back can take that “struggle” pressure off the lower back during LCM sessions.