Oct 19 2025 2025-10-19 2025-10-19 by Ross

This Week in Training – Week 4: My Back is Crying…

Posted in Running, Swimming, Training, Triathlon

IMWI 2026: The Long Crawl to the Base Phase
(Pre-pre-base prep… to get ready for pre-base… to someday start base. It’s a process.)

(Yes, I forgot to post Week 3. Let’s assume it was brilliant, productive, and pain-free. It wasn’t — but let’s pretend.)

Swim 🏊

  • Workouts: 3
  • Total Distance: 5,650 yards
  • Total Time: 1 hour 57 minutes
  • Notes: The swims actually felt solid this week. I’m starting to get a bit of rhythm back, even if my shoulders are whispering “why?” after every set.

Bike 🚴

  • Workouts: 0
  • Total Distance: 0
  • Notes: Still nothing. Still my shame. The bike sits quietly in the corner, collecting dust and judging me.

Run 🏃

  • Workouts: 3
  • Total Distance: 11.66 miles
  • Total Time: 1 hour 53 minutes
  • Notes: Stronger runs this week — paces improving, form better, confidence up. The morning-after stiffness? Also up.

Strength/Other 💪

  • Workouts: Some
  • Notes: Added push-ups and sit-ups, which technically makes me a strength athlete now. Everything hurts, so I guess it worked.

Relative Effort 📈

  • Total Weekly Effort: 584 (up from 365 last week)
  • Notes: That explains why I currently groan every time I bend, reach, or breathe.

Reflections ✍️

My body aches. Rolling out of bed feels like a warm-up set. Standing upright qualifies as a workout. I know I ramped up too fast. Will I take a rest week? No. Will I keep training like this and complain about it? Absolutely.

Goals for Next Week 🎯

  • Maybe (finally) get on the bike.
  • Keep the swim momentum going.
  • Continue token strength work — push-ups, sit-ups, and maybe some stretching if I’m feeling wild.
  • Remember: this is still pre-pre-base to the pre-base phase. It’s a process.