Register for the next race!

To Brick or Not to Brick is the Question

An article by Mike Schultz CSCS of Highland Training

Competing in a triathlon requires a steady focus on training and the dedication to learn three different disciplines. Sports specific training for triathlons requires training days that include multiple sports or bricks. Brick workouts usually involve two sports and sometimes three to further help prepare for an event.

To be a tri-athlete means that you need to be as focused on your daily intensities as you possibly can. Performing too much work on your higher end training zones can leave you too fatigued and thus can have a negative effect on your fitness over time. The goal is to have the right amount of training intensity combined with the proper amount of rest. When completing a day that involves two or more workouts, you need to sometimes have a different focus for each sport. This way one workout will compliment the other by working on different energy systems. You can go out on a bike ride and work your upper end training zones, heart rates and energy systems, followed by a run that focuses on building endurance. On another day you can run first to work on race pace intensities followed by an endurance ride on the bike to help build good endurance properties within the muscle for both the bike and the run. The third scenario would be to combine all three sports with shorter durations, working high end zones to simulate race intensities and lower end zones to build endurance.

Every day will not be a brick workout but every day should have a focus on intensity and duration. The most important thing to remember is to listen to your body and the feedback it gives. Using your heart rate, perceived exertion and breath can give you all the feedback you need. When your breath is very labored and your perceived exertion is high, then maybe that day should only include one sport of a lesser duration than is planned. Take notes and keep a calendar to learn why you have certain fatigue on some days compared to another. Learn trends with your fatigue over time because there are no simple answers and many different energy systems being stressed at different intensities.

The following is a good question that I answered on the Training Peaks forums.

Question:

I have been using TP (Training Peaks) and VC (Virtual Coach) for a long time and am well acquainted with the product. As a triathlete, many of the prescribed workouts are bricks; usually a ride/run combo.

I have run into a wall of doubters in my training group and on other forums. I hear things like "post ride runs only teach you to run slow".

Thoughts? I have had pretty good success with Bricks and although I did run slow in my IM, that was kind of the plan, so what gives?

James

Answer:

Hey James!

Well the post ride runs will only be as effective as how your program is designed. If you combine a hard ride with a hard run then you are going to feel fatigued during the run (this also is depending on the duration of each the bike and run, your fitness levels and the amount of rest you bring into the workout). That could be a good thing if you have proper rest and /or proper intensities scheduled after this hard brick day. If you are continually logging intense efforts every day (essentially overtraining) then you will be taking away your ability to go faster and thus may run slower.

So with a good balance of intensities you can program bricks throughout your week. Perform intensities on the bike with a focus on recovery on the run and vice versa. Intense bricks can be thrown in as well to simulate race day but should be use sparingly. Hope this helps.

Mike Schultz CSCS