Feelings are useful, but they don't actually tell you much. These are the three tests that gave me real, usable data this year.
Swim CSS Test
First was a Swim CSS test, working out my actual Critical Swim Speed, my genuinely sustainable pace. That number set my swim pacing zones properly, so threshold sets stopped being a guess at effort and started being training against a real number.
Bike Critical Power Test
Second was a Critical Power test on the bike, two max efforts at different durations. It gave me a real power ceiling, 220 watts, and that number's now shaping the actual pacing strategy for Japan.
Run Lactate Test
Third was lactate testing on the run. That set my LT1 and LT2 zones, and it's shaped this whole training block, keeping the run efficient without it getting sacrificed to fatigue from the other two disciplines.
None of these came from how a session felt. They came from actually testing it, and that's the difference.
