Chasing Others To Keep The Fire Going - How Competition In Practices Fuel Me To Be A Better Athlete
Wednesday, July 09, 2025
OURA SLEEP SCORE- 69
6 hour and 3 minutes
GARMIN SLEEP SCORE - 61
5 hours and 14 minutes
OURA AI ADVISOR:
Looking at your recent data, your sleep scores have fluctuated, and stress has been high, yet you’ve maintained a strong activity routine. This balance is impressive, but a hectic lifestyle can make even a good Readiness Score feel less certain. If you feel a dip in energy today, a mindful pause or even simply a few moments away from screens can help reset your focus.
Since you value being productive and energetic, prioritizing gentle movement or stepping outside briefly—rather than pushing through fatigue—can actually support your longer-term goals. If it’s hard to take breaks due to a busy schedule, consider pairing tasks with something restorative, like standing while taking phone calls or stretching during short pauses.
Everyone’s energy ebbs and flows. Listening to those signals and allowing small recovery moments can make a noticeable difference, especially after a night when sleep wasn’t ideal. If you’re not sure what feels right, you might check in with your body after each break to see what has the most positive effect.
JULY 9th
WEDNESDAY
THE WET DECK:
MASTERS SWIM PRACTICE - THEME DRILLS
WARM UP: (500)
300 (100 Free / 200 Back)
200 Kicks w/Board Fins (100 Free / 100 Back)
SET ONE: (2000/2500)
2 Rounds of –
4 x 50’s Free Catch Up Drill w/ 15 secs rest (200)
3 x 100’s Free “Front Quad” on 1:50 (300/500)
4 x 50’s Free Fist Drill w/ 15 secs rest (200/700)
3 x 100’s Free Pull w/ Paddles and Buoy on 1:45 (300/1000)
SET TWO: (500/3000)
2 x 100’s Breast Drill 2 Kick / 1 Pull and Swim w/ 15 secs rest (200)
2 x 100’s Fly Drill Second Kick and 2-2-2 Drill w/ 15 secs rest (200/400)
100 Cool Down (100/500)
Total 3,000 LCM
My Take: First of all I was on fire. I got 6 hours sleep and felt good. Hey, it’s Long Course and Free! The Front Quad Drill I worked on High Elbow on my Left Side as normally when I swim I breath to my right and my left arm just swings along for the ride. The second round I was coming in a 1:26. My Garmin Instinct does not give me splits. Maybe I’m just using the watch wrong. My old Apple Watch would detect most of my splits, but the Garmin does not. I guess it’s more for triathlete swimming then masters swimming. At least I can see the clock and try to remember what I did. Overall, I was on FIRE! Felt great!
According To Garmin:
4 min 26 secs in Zone 5 Maximum
15 min 01 secs in Zone 4 Threshold
24 min 55 secs in Zone 3 Aerobic
21 min 14 secs in Zone 2 Easy
11 min 26 secs in Zone 1 Warm Up
Intensity Minutes:
Moderate 22 min
Vigorous 53 min
On Friday, the other two Masters Swimmers I train with won’t be in practice so I told the Coach I could do the Triathletes workout. He made a comment that Mr X may not like that. See there is on Triathlete who I guess before me was the fastest and I guess now that I’ve swum with him twice, I humbled him a bit. I like swimming with him because it pushes me. I need that push otherwise I just only go as fast as I need to go.
2025 SWIM DISTANCE TOTALS:
SCY- 35,950
SCM - 75,450
LCM - 33,400
- 24th Annual Gainesville Senior Games
Sept 14th
- 2025 ROB CURRY PANCAKE PENTATHLON
Sept 21st
- Rowdy Gaines Masters Classic 17 January 30, 2026-February 1, 2026.
THE LIFT AHEAD:
THU - BACK & BICEPS + TEACH 30 min Indoor Cycle
FRI - SWIM w/ Team
SAT - CHEST + Peloton WALK+RUN
SUN - BACK & BICEPS + TEACH BODYPUMP
MON - SWIM w/ Team
TUE - CHEST + TEACH 30 min Indoor Cycle
runDISNEY:
Wine & Dine 10K - OCT 25th
WDW 5K - JAN 8th
PRINCESS HALF - MARCH 1st
Springtime Surprise - APRIL 17-19th
GEMINI AI RATE MY WORKOUT:
Here's an analysis of your workout and plan, taking into account your sleep and Oura AI Advisor's insights:
Gemini AI Rate My Workout: July 9th - Masters Swim Practice
Sleep Analysis:
Your sleep on July 9th was 6 hours and 3 minutes according to Oura (score 69) and 5 hours and 14 minutes according to Garmin (score 61). While not ideal, it seems you felt "on fire" and good, which is a testament to your resilience and perhaps the quality of the sleep you did get. The Oura AI Advisor's comments about fluctuating sleep and high stress are important to keep in mind, even if you felt good today. Your ability to perform well despite these factors is impressive but highlights the need for mindful recovery.
Swim Workout Breakdown:
Masters Swim Practice - Theme Drills (3,000 LCM)
* Warm-up (500): A solid warm-up to get the muscles ready.
* Set One (2000): This set focused heavily on freestyle drills and pulling, which is excellent for refining technique and building strength.
* Catch-Up Drill: Great for developing a long, efficient stroke.
* "Front Quad" Drill: Your focus on the "High Elbow on my Left Side" is fantastic. This is a critical element for efficient freestyle, especially if your left arm tends to "swing along for the ride." Your improvement to 1:26 on the second round is a clear sign of progress and strong effort.
* Fist Drill: Excellent for increasing feel for the water.
* Pull w/ Paddles and Buoy: Builds upper body strength and helps isolate the pull phase.
* Set Two (500): Incorporating breaststroke and butterfly drills is valuable for overall stroke development and challenging different muscle groups.
* Breast Drill 2 Kick / 1 Pull and Swim: Good for emphasizing the kick and its coordination with the pull.
* Fly Drill Second Kick and 2-2-2 Drill: Focuses on the timing of the second kick and segmenting the stroke for better understanding and execution.
* Cool Down (100): Essential for flushing out lactic acid and beginning the recovery process.
Overall Workout Impression:
Excellent! You tackled a substantial 3,000 LCM workout with a strong focus on technique (drills) and sustained effort. Your self-assessment of being "on fire" is supported by the volume and intensity. The specific attention you paid to your left arm during the "Front Quad" drill shows a great understanding of your own mechanics and a commitment to improvement.
Garmin Data Analysis:
* Time in Heart Rate Zones:
* Zone 5 Maximum (4 min 26 secs): Indicates periods of very high intensity, pushing your limits.
* Zone 4 Threshold (15 min 01 secs): Significant time spent at a challenging intensity, building anaerobic capacity.
* Zone 3 Aerobic (24 min 55 secs): Good amount of time in the aerobic zone, building endurance.
* Zone 2 Easy (21 min 14 secs) & Zone 1 Warm Up (11 min 26 secs): Adequate time for warm-up and active recovery within the workout.
* Intensity Minutes:
* Moderate 22 min
* Vigorous 53 min
These numbers are fantastic, demonstrating a highly effective and challenging workout. The high vigorous minutes align perfectly with your feeling of being "on fire" and pushing yourself.
Your Takeaways & Observations:
* "I was on fire. I got 6 hours sleep and felt good." This is crucial. While ideal sleep is more, your body clearly adapted and performed. This also underscores the Oura AI's point about listening to your body, as you clearly felt ready for a high-intensity session.
* Long Course and Free Focus: This is your sweet spot, and you capitalized on it.
* "Front Quad Drill I worked on High Elbow on my Left Side..." Again, excellent self-correction and focused effort on a specific weakness.
* Garmin vs. Apple Watch for Splits: It's a common complaint that some Garmin models don't automatically detect splits as seamlessly as Apple Watch for pool swimming. For Masters, relying on the pace clock and your own internal clock is a good strategy, as you're doing. For triathletes, the open water and continuous nature of their swims might make auto-splits less critical, but in the pool, it's definitely a convenience.
* "Overall, I was on FIRE! Felt great!" The most important metric is how you feel and your perceived effort. This confirms a highly successful session.
* "The other two Masters Swimmers I train with won’t be in practice so I told the Coach I could do the Triathletes workout... I like swimming with him because it pushes me." This is a fantastic attitude! Seeking out challenges and pushing your boundaries with faster swimmers is one of the best ways to improve. Your coach's comment about "Mr. X" highlights a healthy competitive dynamic that clearly motivates you.
Future Training Considerations:
* Sleep and Recovery: The Oura AI Advisor's points about stress and recovery remain highly relevant. While you felt great today, consistently pushing without adequate sleep can eventually lead to burnout or injury. Continue to be mindful of those "small recovery moments" the Oura AI suggests. Even if you feel good, incorporating some of those gentle movements or brief screen breaks could proactively support your energy levels.
* Garmin Splits: If automatic splits are important to you in the future, you might research specific Garmin models known for better pool swim auto-detection or explore third-party apps that might integrate. However, for now, your method of using the pace clock is effective.
* "Mr. X" Challenge: Continue to embrace the challenge of swimming with faster athletes. It will undoubtedly make you stronger and faster.
Upcoming Schedule & Goals:
* Swim Distance Totals: Your cumulative totals are impressive! You're consistently putting in the yardage.
* Race Schedule: The Senior Games, Pancake Pentathlon, and Rowdy Gaines Masters Classic are excellent targets. Your current training volume and intensity are setting you up well for these.
* The Lift Ahead & runDISNEY: Your holistic approach to fitness, combining swimming, lifting, cycling, and running, is commendable. It's clear you have a very active lifestyle. Managing this with your sleep and stress levels will be key to peak performance across all disciplines.
GEMINI AI RATING: 5/5 Stars - Exceptional!
This was a highly effective and well-executed swim workout. Your focus on technique, high intensity, and positive mindset despite limited sleep are all indicators of a strong athlete. Keep up the excellent work!
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