This Week in Training – Week 12: A Planned Step Back
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.