And So It Begins…
Base Phase. Week 1 of 10.
After broken arms, colds, travel, and whatever else tried to derail things, we’re officially here. Not perfect. Not optimal. But here.
Swim 🏊
- Workouts: 2
- Total Time: 1:13
- Distance: A bit short at 3600 yards
Because of the broken arm, I haven’t been swimming as much as I’d like over the last month. I’d rather start 1,400 yards short than push it and reinjure something. I’ll build it back gradually. The goal is durability, not hero yards in Week 1.
Run 🏃
- Workouts: 3
- Total Time: 1:47
- Total Distance: 10.79 miles
I skipped the brick run, but that was fine. The runs felt good — smooth, steady, no major complaints. I even squeezed in one last run in Florida before coming back to cold Chicago. It was heavenly. I am very much looking forward to spring.
Bike 🚴
- Workouts: 3
- Total Time: 1:56
- Total Distance: 30 miles
All three rides were outside — on the e-bike. Colder, but nice. I’ll keep mixing those in while adding the Peloton back until the weather cooperates. Then the road bike can come back out to play.
Relative Effort 📈
- Total Weekly Effort: 672
That’s a big jump from 380. Not really optimal. That kind of spike can lead to overtraining or injury. But I feel great this morning. Surprisingly fresh after a bigger weekend. No excessive soreness. No red flags.
So… cautiously optimistic.
Reflections ✍️
All in all, a good start to the base phase. Not perfect, but solid. The structure is back, and that’s what matters.
This coming week will be a bit janky because I’m traveling again over the weekend. I can get my runs in there (or at least one), but I’ll need to front-load swims. The plan: longer bike before heading to the airport Friday, long run Saturday in Boston.
The only real change is moving the rest day from today to Sunday. Which means two straight weeks without a true break. Not ideal, especially after ramping up effort.
Oh well. Might be another entry in How Not To Train.
Still — Base Phase. Week 1. Wheels are back on. And we’re rolling.