RECAP BASE Phase - So liefen Sebastians erste 12 Trainingswochen

Training-Phase Recap

Sebastian’s first 12 weeks of base training were repeatedly interrupted by a calf problem, waves of illness, and the need to rebuild gradually. Rather than a smooth progression, the phase became a test of patience.

Training Timeline

• Around December 7: Tightness developed in Sebastian’s right calf, below the fibular head. He initially continued testing it, and 15 hill repeats went well, but the discomfort returned later that week. He skipped the weekend run and reduced a planned 10 × 3-minute effort to 6 × 3 minutes before deciding the calf needed more than a few days’ rest. He suspected that overall training load, cold weather, and insufficient warm-ups may have contributed.
• From around December 14: Sebastian felt unusually exhausted, with symptoms that came and went, so he took several days off. On December 19, he rode the indoor trainer easily for an hour at about 150 watts. A run the next day brought the calf discomfort back after about 15 minutes, so he walked home and stuck to easy trainer rides for the rest of the week. He avoided swimming while he felt close to becoming properly ill.
• Christmas and the holidays: He managed a Christmas Eve ride and a long, rainy ride with Chris, which he described as unpleasant but enjoyable. Family time took priority over fitting in more workouts. After a three-hour drive home from his in-laws, he felt unwell again. He then went skiing from December 30 to January 7, with little structured training. The calf remained noticeable, and swimming was not an option.
• Return to running: After feeling rough again following the ski trip, Sebastian eased back into training. On a Sunday long run with Cologne running club Millilers Colonia, he ran for about an hour with a group moving at around 5 minutes per kilometre. His average heart rate was 142 bpm. It rose around halfway through, which he thought might have been because he had run on an empty stomach, but he felt comfortable after the long break.
• Final week, January 17: A recent trainer ride had not felt right, but Monday’s 3 km swim was a notable breakthrough: for the first time, his shoulder was completely pain-free. He noticed that while concentrating on his right shoulder, his left arm became less coordinated. He planned to continue with easy-to-moderate swimming, running, and cycling, but decided to skip the Porzer Winter Running Series rather than risk racing in spikes before doing more intense running.

Reflection

Sebastian judged the base phase “far from optimal,” estimating that he had trained very little for almost four weeks, including during the ski holiday. Still, he was pleased that the calf was settling and viewed the pain-free swim as an important first step.

His main takeaways were to be patient, warm up properly, manage time better, and avoid forcing intensity while returning from illness or injury. He also mentioned ongoing Achilles tendon issues and treatments he had tried, saying hyaluronic-acid injections had been especially helpful in calming the tissue.

Presenter/source: Sebastian; Triathlon Crew.