Big Training Day - I don't know what to make of all this...
Big Training Day today as part of HIM plan (week 11).
Swim: Got it done, but I could barely hold onto t-pace for the intervals, and didn't even get close to t minus 2 secs on the second half of the intervals. Finished my 1 hour, but am getting increasingly frustrated with my swimming. Not only am I not getting faster, I seem to be getting slower. Possibly overthinking my stroke. Also feel like I don't have time to work on my stroke since the swim workouts leave no time for drills.
Bike: Training has been very going well, I expect a FTP bump next week. That being said, today was first ride outside in about 6+ months. I just went by RPE and let the numbers fall where they did. I did sneak a peak at my garmin throughout and was pretty shocked by the wide variances I'd see within a few seconds (I mean from 83 - 190!). Average for the 3 hour ride was below my indoor z1, so I definitely want to test outside, but I also have no idea how I'm supposed to manage an entire HIM or IM ride by power. Today's course was admittedly very twisty and turny and plenty of minor rollers, so not exactly conducive for steady riding but wow, that's a bit scary...
Run: Direction was to go z2 plus 30 seconds for first three miles. Ummm, it was more like z2+90 seconds for the first 2, by miles 3 and 4, I was able to drop another 30 secs per mile, but still never got down to z2. I've been struggling w/ the run since transitioning from OS to HIM. Moving the long run from Sunday to THursday has definitely hurt me, b/c I do it on the tm before work due to darkness and cold and struggle to last more than 90 minutes (hopefully I can start moving outside as of next week). I also have to do the Monday and Tuesday runs on TM to get them done after swim and before work. So the only outdoor runs have been the Wednesday t-run and the Saturday run. I hit all the paces during all those runs, but somehow I just don't feel like I'm running well enough, and today seemed to validate that.
I did make the mistake of not fueling well enough on the bike, which may have caught up w/ me on the end of the ride and during the run, but that's an easy fix (forgot second fuel bottle).
So there you have it. I'm a bit confused and disappointed. I certainly hoped to begin seeing some improvement in swim, not sure what to make of the bike. The overall time for that ride was the same as it was before I started w/ EN, and I'm concerned about dropping off on the run. Next week is test week. From another thread, I gather to not expect much improvement, but at this point I'm not sure what another ftp/vo2/vdot bump would do for me anyway. Today, I didn't feel that the training work from the past few months showed up anywhere during the workouts 
Ok, I shall now go lick my wounds and feel sorry for myself for a few hours....
Comments
1. Swim- From my memory of the OS, you really like following the plan exactly as written with zero variance. However, realize that the plans are a point of departure and at some point, you have to be your own best coach/adviser. If you feel like you need to get some drills in your wkos, then get some drills in your wkos. RnP are not going to kick you out of the Haus for modifying the plan(s) as it best suits you.
2. Bike- Is this the first time you've ridden outdoors with a Power Meter? If so, there is a huge learning curve that you must master. It's totally different than riding indoors where there is zero change in elevation, road quality, wind, etc. Too many variables to get it correct the first/second, third.... twentieth time. It will come with time as well as an understanding of where your outdoor FTP/RPE is. (if it makes you feel any better, today was my first outdoor ride of the year and I was vastly underwhelmed by the outcome as well. It is what it is
3. Run- Your bike most likely had a very high VI, which may have impacted your run. If you are doing the work in your weekly workout, the fitness is there.
Overall, don't discount the cumulative effects of fatigue. You've been hitting it hard with the OS and now HIM stuff. You are not fresh and race ready for these days. That's by design!
Good luck, don't sweat it, and keep the Boom Booming!
Kate your ok! This is why you have this kind of a test. It shows you where you are really at. Quite reveling as was mine the first time out however I was outdoors because my IM was late season but in my " Rock star mind" I figured I'd nail it. And not so much.
First off this is the first time you have been outside all season and of course your numbers don't equate with inside it just don't happen that way. Further more looking ahead we need to have you test outside for the adjustment FTP. You will use your new numbers for training outside as much as the weather allows. When training inside, you have those numbers so if your stuck inside use them numbers. Always nice to have 2 set of numbers as we all do. Some will quote a percentage and others will quote their experience.... whatever... go find your own.
The swim is well what it is.... At the swim clinic last month you now have what you need to get better at swimming. We all have the information but you have a race coming up and your a working girl with limited time, pick 1 thing to work on and drill that for your warm up then hit your workout and add volume as the plan suggests. You will be ok.
The run should feel as weird as the bike because you have been on a trainer all winter now with your first outside bike and extended ... Brick ... you will get use to it. You should have another RR before your race and my guess is heat will come into play so stand by it only gets more interesting with heat and east coast humidity so you will have to learn how to adjust your pace for that as well.
Much to learn stay in the forums we got you.
Big Training Day and Race Rehearsals are more about.
1. Executing race paces , or determining where your race paces are. Not too fast , Not too slow. Just going thru the motion of reading and pacing your PM! Seeing how you feel thru each sport at each distance.
2. Wrapping your head around moving for that length of time , building your confidence.
3. Practicing Race Nutrition pre and during.
4. Learning from all the above, and improving for the next one.
You got thru it . Congrats. My guess is you learned quite a bit. There will be big improvements for the next one.
My one suggestion would be to break your bike down to 30 minute intervals. Hit your lap button every 30 minutes , have your lap NP and/or lap IF displayed on your computer. This breaks down the ride into manageable sections and lets you track it much better real time (sticking to your targets) and review the data later. Your FTP is one thing , the suggested HIM pace is .8-.85 and the IM pace suggested is .7-.75. However these are only suggestions as a place to start. After a few rehearsals you should find the number you want , it maybe higher or lower than recommended.
Kate - You were not rested for this workout by design, so it is your body and mind's first take on putting it all together after an OS. The purpose of the workout is to learn how you react when tired; it is not to set a PR for this distance. Actually sounds like you had a very informative Big Day. You learned: 1) you need to work on swim drills, 2) you need to practice riding with power outside and dealing with all the variables that aren't there riding on a trainer, 3) the wisdom of proper pacing during the first 3 miles of a HIM.
Don't sweat the time. You are getting stronger and smarter. Remember...on race day it is all about execution (racing smart). And you just learn a lot that will pay off on race day b/c you know what to work on and what to expect. Plus you now have the confidence that you can virtually cover the HIM distance since you did it on your Big Day. So get some rest, go see a movie, have a laugh with your friends...don't worry about your HIM. You had a successful Big Day!!
Thank you for the feedback, perspective and advice guys. That's good stuff!
Like the boiling frog not noticing the rising temp of the water he's swimming in, your steady progression is not apparent day to day. As Bruce and others point out, the point is to get ready for the HIM race (and IM Lou later), not to feel good about one particular day of training. If the training is hard, the racing will be easy, and vice versa.
The one thing that's not said here is that this is why you have a couple of big days/race rehearsal days.... so you can find out stuff like this and work it out BEFORE race day!