A brick session is a great way to develop your body for the rigours of transitioning from one discipline to the next. This version is designed for Ironman athletes and focuses on both the intensity and duration of the event.
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 an article by Lauren Brandon in the Canadian Triathlon Magazine. You can read the original article here.
Lauren Brandon’s Ironman Brick
- Bike
- 30min WU Level II;
- 2x 5min Level III-Level V Builds, 5min Level II RI;
- 60min Level III;
- 30min Level II;
- 60min Level III;
- 30min Level II;
- 60min Level III;
- 15min Level II;
- Run
- 5km Level II-Level IV Build;
- 1km Level II;
- 2km Level III;
- 2km CD Level II;
- 10min Stretching
Start this session with a five hour bike ride. Commence with a 30 minute Warm Up (WU) at Level II.
Spend five minutes building from through Level III through to Level V. Take a five minute Rest Interval (RI) at Level II and then repeat the five minute build.
Next up are three reps at Level III for an hour each, with 30 minutes of riding at Level II between each rep. After the last hour at Level III, ride for fifteen minutes at Level II before transitioning into the run.
Spend the first five kilometres (three miles) building from Level II up to Level IV.
Jog for a kilometre (0.6 miles) at Level II, then increase your pace for two kilometres (one & a quarter miles) to Level III.
Finish the workout with a Cool Down (CD) for two kilometres (one & a quarter miles) jogging at Level II.
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 and 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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As you prepare yourself for your Ironman event, you’ll build your overall fitness through endurance, strength and speed.
Designed for Intermediate triathletes who are looking to complete an Ironman event faster than previously, the primary goal of this training plan is to prepare you to COMPLETE YOUR event FASTER than before.
Starting 12 weeks before an Iron-distance event, this plan progresses through phases to build you to your peak performance. Each week typically contains 3x swims, 2x bike rides 2x runs, 1x Brick (Bike/Run simulation) and a flexibility session. This programme is designed around using a Power Meter for the bike training and a GPS watch using pace for the run workouts.
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- Run: 90min continuously
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