A brick session is a great way to develop your body for the rigors of transitioning from one discipline to the next. This session comes from Sue Latshaw, a pro triathlete in the mid-90, and is great for Sprint and Olympic distance triathletes.
Each week I will post Monday’s Brick session that you can do to enhance your triathlon performance. For a complete understanding of my Level’s intensity system, please read my previous articles about intensity for cycling and running.
This workout came from Sue Latshaw’s sidebar in the May 1996 edition of Triathlete Magazine. Sue is known for her gutsy racing, including a 1st place at Ironman Germany, a sixth place at Hawaii Ironman, and wins in iconic events such as the Boulder Peak Triathlon. When Sue went 8:59 at Ironman Germany in 1997, this was only the ninth time a female had gone under that magical mark.
Sue Latshaw’s Preseason Quick Brick #2
- 10min Bike WU Level II;
- 4x
- Bike 10min Level III+;
- Run 1,200m Level IV;
- Bike 2min Level II RI;
- 10min Run CD Level II;
- 10min Stretching
Do this session on a wind or smart trainer set up at the athletic track if possible or from home with a 1,200m loop marked out (even if it is 600m out to a turnaround).
Start on the bike with a Warm Up (WU) for ten minutes at Level II. Keep the cadence above 90 rpm.
The main set of the workout itself is made up of four reps. Each rep starts with ten minutes of riding at Level III+ and a cadence above 90 rpm. Then a quick transition to a 1,200m run at Level IV.
After the run, get back on the bike for two minutes at Level II, keeping a cadence above 90 rpm, then into the next rep.
After the last run, continue into the Cool Down (CD) by jogging at Level II for ten minutes.
Finish with 10 minutes of stretching to assist with the recovery.
Read more about the benefits of brick sessions here:
I am the Head Coach & Director of Qwik Kiwi – Endurance Sports Consultant.
I specialise in assisting first-timers and recreational athletes in achieving their sporting goals. I can be contacted at coachray@coachray.nz and 021 348 729.
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Download the Garmin (.FIT) and Zwift (.ZWO) files for this workout for FREE
This is because this Brick session involves multiple transitions (not just one). The order for the Garmin and Zwift files is:
- Bike 1
- Run 1
- Bike 2
- Run 1
- Bike 2
- Run 1
- Bike 2
- Run 2
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