IMWI 2026: The Long Crawl to the Base Phase
(Travel, compromises, and listening to the body… mostly.)

This was a tricky week thanks to Christmas travel. I didn’t have access to a bike or a pool for part of it, which forced some adjustments. I ended up biking less than I should have. I technically still have time today to squeeze something in, but I’m already above last week’s relative effort, and I’m hurting. No sense digging a deeper hole this early.

Swim 🏊

• Workouts: 2
• Total Distance: 4,450 yards
• Total Time: 1 hour 31 minutes
• Notes: Good swims when I could get them in. Solid volume considering travel, and probably the most consistent part of the week.

Bike 🚴

• Workouts: 1
• Total Distance: 9.94 miles
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Notes: Yikes. Just one ride — the bike leg of a bike-run. Not ideal, but that’s travel for you.

Run 🏃

• Workouts: 3 (including one off the bike)
• Total Distance: 13.51 miles
• Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
• Notes: One of the runs was a 60-minute Peloton run where I forgot to turn on GPS. I counted the mileage based on another 60-minute run from the week. Overall, this was a jump in run distance, and it shows.

Strength / Mobility 💪

• Workouts: 2
• Total Time: 15 minutes
• Notes: Finally did some stretching using the Peloton app. It’s not much, but it’s something — and something is better than nothing.

Relative Effort 📈

• Total Weekly Effort: 633
• Notes: Up again, driven mainly through increased run distance. I’m feeling it.

Reflections ✍️

This week was about managing constraints. Travel limited options, and I made the best of what I had. The run volume crept up a bit too much, so I’ll pull back slightly on total distance going forward while adding a third run to maintain frequency rather than load.

I’m off work this coming week, which should help a lot. The plan is to step back slightly for a week or two, but actually hit every planned workout. That feels sustainable — and realistic.

I’m also starting to focus more on weight after some borderline blood numbers at my annual physical. Nothing dramatic, just another reminder that training and health are connected, whether I like it or not.

I feel optimistic, even if my legs, back, and wrists hurt so badly at night that rolling over in bed feels like a competitive sport. That’s part of the process too.

Goals for Next Week 🎯

• Step back slightly, but hit every planned workout.
• Balance run volume with frequency.
• Keep swimming consistently.
• Lean into recovery and mobility.

Still building. Still learning. Still moving forward — carefully.

IMWI 2026: The Long Crawl to the Base Phase
(Progress, motivation, and numbers that are offensively close to round.)

Solid week. Better motivation, better consistency, and a noticeable jump in workload without feeling broken afterward. Relative effort topped out at a quarter high — if not longer — which I’ll take as a sign things are moving in the right direction.

I wrapped the week with a fantastic recovery smoothie: frozen berries, yogurt, milk, Ballerina Farm protein powder, and a banana. Ridiculously good. Possibly the highlight of the week.

Swim 🏊

• Workouts: 2
• Total Distance: 4,000 yards
• Total Time: 1 hour 19 minutes
• Notes: Solid swims. And yes, the OCD part of my brain is screaming that I couldn’t just do one more minute to make it a clean number.

Bike 🚴

• Workouts: 3 (including a brick)
• Total Distance: 43.98 miles
• Total Time: 2 hours 25 minutes
• Notes: A nice jump in volume without injury. Also: 43.98 miles? Come on. I couldn’t tack on another .02? This will haunt me.

Run 🏃

• Workouts: 3 (including one off the bike)
• Total Distance: 11.59 miles
• Total Time: 1 hour 57 minutes
• Notes: Again with the decimals. Had I known I was going to land at 11.59, I would’ve run a half block more just to restore order to the universe. The six-mile run this morning was sloooooooowwww, but it got done.

Strength/Other 💪

• Workouts: None
• Notes: Still pretending this will magically appear in the plan on its own.

Relative Effort 📈

• Total Weekly Effort: 619
• Notes: Quarter high and the highest it’s been in a while — but still manageable and injury-free, which is exactly where I want it.

Reflections ✍️

This felt like a real step forward — more volume, better motivation, and no immediate consequences. I’ll take slow runs and ugly decimals if it means consistent progress.

The following two weeks should be solid, though I’ll need to shuffle workouts around because of travel. That’s fine. I’m learning that flexibility matters more than perfection. Even if the numbers occasionally offend me.

Goals for Next Week 🎯

• Keep the momentum going.
• Make the math cleaner if possible.
• Adjust workouts around travel without skipping them entirely.
• Accept slow runs as part of the process.

All good. Still building. Still moving forward.

IMWI 2026: The Long Crawl to the Base Phase
(Not base. Not even pre-base. More like “setting the maintenance floor.” It’s a process.)

I stepped back a wee bit this week, and that was mostly planned. I’m modifying what will eventually become my first actual base week. It’s still way too early to start base, but I want that starting point to reflect my real maintenance level — something I can actually hold while working, living, and not burning out.

On paper, the plan called for eight workouts. I made five. Not ideal, but also not catastrophic. I’m still building up, and I still have a job. Next week I should be able to hit at least five again, maybe all eight. After that, I’m off work for two weeks, which should make things much easier.

Swim 🏊

• Workouts: 1
• Total Distance: 2,225 yards
• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Notes: This is where I missed a workout, and I felt it. I just couldn’t get to the pool after work on Friday. Today wasn’t easy either – the windchill was negative – but I got up and got it done. Felt good once I was in, and kind of wished I hadn’t skipped the earlier one.

Bike 🚴

• Workouts: 2
• Total Distance: 27.32 miles
• Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
• Notes: Most of this was a one-hour Power Zone Peloton ride. The other was a more leisurely 30-minute ride as part of a brick – first brick workout in probably a decade, which feels both exciting and vaguely irresponsible.

Run 🏃

• Workouts: 3 (including a run off the bike)
• Total Distance: 9.13 miles
• Total Time: 1 hour 32 minutes
• Notes: Slightly shorter than the ~10 miles I’ve been running lately, and that’s fine. It’s also why I don’t mind missing one of the scheduled runs – the overall load is still there.

Strength/Other 💪

• Workouts: None
• Notes: Still theoretical at this point.

Relative Effort 📈

• Total Weekly Effort: 478
• Notes: Down from recent weeks. One more swim probably would’ve pushed it close to two of my last three weeks. All three missed workouts would’ve blown past that – and possibly into overuse or injury territory. So this worked out.

Reflections ✍️

I missed one run, one bike, and one swim. Sigh. But there’s room for growth, and that’s the point right now. This felt like a reasonable, controlled step back – not a derailment. The goal is durability, not hero weeks.

Goals for Next Week 🎯

• Hit at least five workouts, ideally all eight.
• Get both swims in.
• Keep brick work in the mix.
• Build consistency without forcing it.

All told, this was fine. Not perfect, but solid. The floor is getting higher, and that’s what matters.

IMWI 2026: The Long Crawl to the Base Phase
(A reminder that snowstorms and road trips are not part of any structured training plan.)

Oof, Thanksgiving. It did not end well — and not entirely my fault this time.

I started strong with a swim on Monday before we headed out of town. Got in two runs and some island biking while away, but the Midwest snowstorm torpedoed the weekend. Instead of flying back early Saturday and finishing strong, I spent 14 hours sitting in a car doing absolutely nothing. The only endurance event was my patience.  I lost that event.  It’ll be a funny story once my family starts speaking to each other again.

So no, not the week I hoped for. But it was a vacation week, and it is what it is.

Swim 🏊

• Workouts: 1
• Total Distance: 2,025 yards
• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Notes: Got this one done before traveling. Felt good to move, knowing the rest of the week might get messy.

Bike 🚴

• Workouts: 3
• Total Distance: 5.85 miles
• Total Time: 38 minutes
• Notes: Island riding — short, easy, mostly for fun. The scenery was better than the mileage.

Run 🏃

• Workouts: 2
• Total Distance: 10 miles
• Total Time: 1 hour 42 minutes
• Notes: Two solid runs early in the trip before the weather and travel schedule took over.  Plus, running along the ocean is always a nice change for me.

Strength/Other 💪

• Workouts: None
• Notes: Unless car-seat core tension counts.

Relative Effort 📈

• Total Weekly Effort: [Not tracked this week, but probably “Low to Moderate Frustration” on the perceived exertion scale.]

Reflections ✍️

Not a great week, but not a total wash either. I did what I could around travel, weather, and long hours of sitting still. The important part is that I’m itching to get back into it — a good sign heading into the next stretch.

Goals for Next Week 🎯

• Get back on top with consistent training across all three sports.
• Aim for three solid weeks before a planned rest week over Christmas.
• Rebuild rhythm and routine — the real victory after a disrupted week.

IMWI 2026: The Long Crawl to the Base Phase
(Still pre-base, still moving forward, still calling commutes “training.”)

Life got in the way this week, so I ended up one workout short. A few other sessions ran long, though, so it all balances out time-wise. The week wrapped up with a 10K Turkey Trot – not a race effort, as my pace made clear, but longer than my usual runs, so I’ll count it as a win.

Swim 🏊

• Workouts: 1
• Total Distance: 2,000 yards
• Total Time: 39 minutes
• Notes: This was the missing workout. I would’ve liked a second swim, but time didn’t cooperate. Felt fine in the water – need more of it.

Bike 🚴

• Workouts: 3 (sort of)
• Total Distance: 25.46 miles
• Total Time: 1 hour 47 minutes
• Notes: Mostly commuting rides – to work, back, and a round trip to packet pickup. Not “workouts” in the strict sense, but still time in the saddle, and it all adds up.

Run 🏃

• Workouts: 2
• Total Distance: 11.18 miles
• Total Time: 1 hour 51 minutes
• Notes: The week ended with the 10K Turkey Trot. I wasn’t racing, but it was nice to stretch the distance beyond my usual five miles. Felt steady throughout.

Strength/Other 💪

• Workouts: None
• Notes: I keep saying I’ll start yoga. Maybe this coming week will finally be the one.

Relative Effort 📈

• Total Weekly Effort: 552 (up again from 534 last week)
• Notes: Effort trending up even with one fewer session – proof that commuting miles and a 10K trot count for something.

Reflections ✍️

Even with life intruding, I’m happy with the week. I stayed consistent, ran a little longer, and logged solid time on the bike. The trend line is moving in the right direction, and that’s enough.

Next week will be tricky since I’m traveling, but I’ll swim before we leave and should have access to a cruiser bike. We’ll see how it goes. If I have to swap a workout for yoga, so be it — probably overdue anyway.

Goals for Next Week 🎯

• Swim before heading out of town.
• Get in any ride — even a cruiser counts.
• Run when and where I can.
• Substitute yoga if needed (and maybe pretend I planned it that way).

IMWI 2026: The Long Crawl to the Base Phase
(Still pre-pre-base, but at least it’s feeling like forward motion.)

Solid week. Everything clicked pretty well — good runs, good swims, and even some decent time on the bike. Progress.

Swim 🏊

• Workouts: 2
• Total Distance: 4,300 yards
• Total Time: 1 hour 29 minutes
• Notes: The second swim (Sunday) went a bit longer. I had that jittery, undifferentiated anxiety – the kind where it feels like every atom in my body is vibrating too fast. Swimming helps calm that. It’s one of the big reasons I exercise and why I feel better during marathon or Ironman training. I need that release.

Bike 🚴

• Workouts: 2
• Total Distance: 24.82 miles (15.82 outside)
• Total Time: 1 hour 31 minutes
• Notes: One Peloton ride (30 minutes) and one e-bike ride along the lakefront (1:01). The outdoor ride reminded me why I love this sport. The Peloton reminded me that convenience counts too.

Run 🏃

• Workouts: 2
• Total Distance: 10.16 miles
• Total Time: 1 hour 41 minutes
• Notes: Both runs felt strong and smooth – no significant soreness, which is a nice change.

Relative Effort 📈

• Total Weekly Effort: 534 (up from 494 last week, and above my typical weekly range)
• Notes: Despite the higher effort, I’m not feeling beat up. I’ll call that a win.

Reflections ✍️

It was a good week. Balanced, productive, and even therapeutic. I don’t feel achy, just calm — the kind of calm that comes from moving enough to quiet the static. This is the version of training I like: not obsessive, not burnt out, just steady work and a clearer mind at the end of it.

Goals for Next Week 🎯

• Keep the swim consistency going.
• Continue building the bike volume.
• Hold steady on running — solid, not strained.
• Stay in motion, stay sane.
• Strong week before I have to adjust things for Thanksgiving vacation.