Bricking It

Definition:  Bricks are a very important part of triathlon (and duathlon) training and they are sometimes overlooked. Bricks refer to training on two disciplines during the same workout, one after the other with very little interruption in between, just as you would do in a race. (I am sure many of you know this but just in case you didn’t!)

So today I decide to Brick it, and I was indeed bricking it. Without much forethought I decided that doing a sprint triathlon in the Spring that I would just go at it and do the bike/run distance of the event to give me a start point. Off to the gym I headed – not my favourite place to cycle or run but it was raining a lot and needs must!

Straight to the bike, headphones in, random mix of my musical favourites with the volume pumped up I set the distance goal to 16km and was on my way. I had a vague idea that the ride would take me about 45 mins or so, after about 15 minutes I really started to sweat (another downside of indoor cardio training) and I kept going at varying levels of difficulty to better replicate cycling outdoors, the sweat pouring off me at a ridiculous level. I could feel my face had turned beetroot but my reflection in the window confirmed this as I kept going. Imagine my delight when at reaching the final rotations the time came up at 38 mins 28 seconds. A quick wipe of my bike, now slick with sweat #grim and I went to the treadmills.

Not having thought too deeply into this brick session I set the goal as 5km but I was having my doubts about the speed of this. I started at an easy jogging pace, trotting along, still sweating at levels only associated with the criminally unfit! My top had almost changed colour completely to a much darker shade with the sweat content now held within it… I kind of wish I still had a Global Hypercolour T-shirt…. Oh childhood!

The music still pumping I kept going, I took a couple of walking breaks (power walking of course). The time was longer than I had hoped but I am sure that will improve in time and when the adrenaline kicks in on race day.

All in all I was pretty impressed that I didn't flake out and cut the run section short. Perhaps the next brick session should practice shorter bike/run intervals with more transitions?

Any tips welcomed...