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-90s, and is excellent 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 full 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 Inseason Quick Brick #2
- 10min Bike WU Level II;
- 5x
- Bike 5min Level IV;
- Run 600m Level V;
- Bike 10min 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 600m loop marked out (even if it is 300m 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 five reps. Each rep starts with five minutes of riding at Level IV and a cadence above 90 rpm. Then a quick transition to a 600m run at Level V.
After the run, get back on the bike for ten 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.
Share this post so your friends can benefit as well.
Download the Garmin (.FIT) and Zwift (.ZWO) files for this workout for FREE
Because this Brick session involves multiple transitions (not just one). The order for the Garmin and Zwift files is as follows:
- Bike 1
- Run 1
- Bike 2
- Run 1
- Bike 2
- Run 1
- Bike 2
- Run 1
- Bike 2
- Run 2
Get my 12-week Olympic Triathlon Training Plan for Busy Triathletes with 25% off
When you cross the finish line of your triathlon, you will have swum, biked, and run faster than you have in previous events.
Designed for busy triathletes targeting an Olympic distance race, the primary goal of this training plan is to prepare you to Swim, Bike, and Run faster during YOUR event.
Starting 12 weeks before the YOUR event, this plan progresses through phases to build you to peak performance. Each week contains three swims. You will build up to 2,900 metres of swimming in a single session to complete the sessions quickly. Cycling-wise, you’ll build through to a single 4-hour session on the weekend and a long run mid-week of an hour and a half. I recommend using a swimming monitor (e.g., Garmin Forerunner 735, 920, or 935) to track your sessions in the pool, as well as cycling with power and running utilising pace.
When purchasing, use the discount code “web25” to claim your 25% discount.
Before using this plan, you should be able to:
- Complete a swim of 800 meters or yards continuously, and 2,000 metres or yards total within a workout;
- Ride for 2 hours comfortably; and
- Run 10km or 60 minutes continuously.
Purchase of this plan gives you access to my fortnightly coaching calls, where you can ask me any training or racing-related questions.
When purchasing, use the discount code “web25” to claim your 25% discount.