Re-tests and race week

Its Oceanside 70.3 on Saturday and a big shout out to all those I know who are racing! Chris, Charisa, Max and my Coach are the few that I do know who are racing.I'm kinda disappointed that I can't be there to cheer everyone on. Last year I worked at one of the aid stations, handed out food, lost my voice from all the yelling and generally had a great time. This year...I get to organize 30+ volunteers, herd 100s of kids and generally try to explain why science really IS so cool at the San Diego Science Festival instead of being at Oceanside. I'm in charge of volunteers for a booth...so it will be 8AM-6PM of non-stop fun or non-stop chaos...take your pick.

Granted this week did not started smoothly and yesterday I really wanted to hide in my bed until next Monday. I was skimming my last few posts and I realized that I have perpetually been in a bad mood and extremely stressed out for quite awhile...and this week my mood is pretty horrid. I can get to points where I'm so sick of it that I just wish I could get away from me and my bad mood. Something has to change...it can't continue like this.

So as far as training for me...this week is filled with time trials...re-tests of my swim-bike-run. We do this every 4-6 weeks or so. Today was a run TT. Basically 30minutes as hard as can be sustained. Continued improvement from the last one...granted I only accomplished 25mins of a 30minute test because I had a can't-see-straight kind of side stitch that stopped me in my tracks.

First 10 minutes 8:00mpm HR 170bpm
Second 10 minutes 8:00mpm, HR 172bpm
Next 5 minutes 8:13mpm, HR 170

As a comparison from my last TT(2/20/09):
1) First 10 minutes 8:17mpm 168bpm
2)5minutes 8:17mpm 166bpm
3)5 minutes 8:26mpm 168bpm
4)5 minutes 8:26mpm 166bpm
5)5minutes 7:53mpm 172bpm

I had a fantastic tempo type of run last week where I found myself sustaining a 745mpm pace for a mile at one point in the workout. I don't really know where all this speed is coming from, but I'm pretty excited about it.

I read an interesting article yesterday by a local tri-coach who was talking about using tools like HRMs and powermeters and whatnot. He made the comment that I've heard from other people about how some athletes need to cover their info or they sometimes 'freakout' when they see how fast they are going. I'm facinated by this comment as I have heard it before.

I don't really have an idea of how fast or slow I really 'should' be able to swim/bike/run. Is there even a 'should'? I don't know. I find training tools as sources of entertainment: oh look my HR went higher...my pace is XYZ...interesting...i wonder if I could go faster...even just a little bit?Could I hold that pace longer? What might happen if I just go flat out? Will I blow up? What happens if I were to completely blow up?Let's go really fast on this last mile and see what we hit...how much is still in the tank?

Maybe i"m too much of a scientist who is constantly looking for patterns. Patterns in how my body responds...patterns in how my HR responds...patterns in how I feel. I think one aspect of training I do find frustrating is when I wake up...i don't know generally how that workout is going to go until I get into it. And while some things can be tweaked during a workout...not to the degree I'd like it to be able to be tweaked. I realized this bothered me the other day because it is not like playing an instrument.

As a violinist if i'm struggling with a section I know I can just repeat...repeat...repeat...repeat...and generally by the end of it I've got it. But training isn't like that. Some days are GOOD days...some days are OK days and some days are not as great days. I feel so out of control. I realized that bothered me more than I'd like to admit at times. But i'm learning how to stay in the now...and just try to enjoy it...even if it isn't going perfectly.