31 May Benefits of a Brick Workout

It’s customary to see cyclists at T Train finish a ride, do a quick change, and head out into the trails of Crothers Woods or the roads for a run. Brick workouts are critical for the sport of triathlon, but they can also give single-sport cyclists a fitness boost. A run off the bike doesn’t feel like a stand-alone run. Often your legs feel heavy, clumsy, and tired! But, practising your transition to running off the bike even for short distances will allow for adaptation that will both make feel progressively better and become faster! Whether you’re racing a triathlon or just want to mix up your workouts, adding a run stimulus to your ride is an excellent workout.

 

Below is a short brick session to test out. Be sure to lay out your run gear before getting on the bike so you don’t have too much time to recover between the two activities—you can do that after the run!

 

WU:  10min ez build to 80% FTP, 2min ez spin

MS:  4 x 4mins at RACE EFFORT, 1min ez spin between

CD:  Get off the bike and practice transition to the run quickly:

RUN:  10-30mins with first half at RACE EFFORT, rest is ez running to finish and cool down.