Most of the folks on here "in-the-know" have been saying this for years.

When I first started out in Tri, about 12 years ago, I did find bricks to be a useful way to prepare me for the unfamiliar shock of T2--especially since I was just doing sprints back then and needed to run well pretty quickly.

After 113 triathlons in total and 10-15 each year I now find bricks to be of negligible value. I gear down about a mile from T2 and try to spin a bit and stand up and stretch my calves. When I leave T2 I try to take short quick strides and pump my arms until I settle in, which I find happens within 100 or maybe 200 yards. I guess my body is used to it now.

A lot of my races these days are LC races and if I take a bit longer to settle in on the run its no big deal--I need to hold back in the beginning of a LC run anyways. So much of my training when I'm in LC mode is distance oriented that there is real value for me to run faster than race pace in my runs whenever I can--this is harder to do right after a bike--I like to either run before I bike or separate them by several hours so I can run better--I think this helps me more than a brick would. I get plenty of experience running on tired legs when I'm in IM training so don't feel I need a brick to get that. I also find I tend to be a bit dehydrated after a (long) bike and running in that state means a slow run.

I don't think bricks lead to more injuries (because you tend to run slow) so if you like em go for it. I personally don't like them--I'd rather ride hard. and then latter run hard--so I don't do them.

---

Randy Christofferson(http://www.rcmioga.blogspot.com

Insert Doubt. Erase Hope. Crush Dreams.

i remember the first time i did a brick, it was off the bike in my first tri, an OLY distance. my legs were felt weird for about 2 mins and things turned normal.

for triathletes, bricks are like speed work outs, likely only useful for the very elite of the field in shorter distances.

i don't do bricks for the 'brick' workout. i do them (mostly when i'm stuck indoors) because i can only ride for so long on a trainer.

i do a hard bike workout for an hour, then i hop on the treadmill for my usual mileage. my pace on the treadmill is quite similiar to my pace that i would run without the hard ride. so i'm not entirely sold on the 'of no value' some place on it. but i'm not sold on "bricks" being a needed element in training. i think of it as using my time wisely....... as time is limited.

---

---

Tim

I think combining a trainer ride and a tready workout makes a lot of sense from a time standpoint--especially at night or during the winter. For me, these tend to be shorter workouts so after a minute or two on the treadie my legs are flushed out--even if my trainer ride was intense. I do these because my legs really aren't tired (momentarily fatigued yes) and I'm trying to squeeze another run w/o in that week....

Where bricks seem to be of less value to me is if I do a 4-7 hour bike ride and then right away head out for an hour run, or something of that nature. I think I get more value (and I like it a ton more--and hey, I'm really old now so i try to do things I enjoy more) if I run a few hours latter after I'm rested and rehydrated....

---

Randy Christofferson(http://www.rcmioga.blogspot.com

Insert Doubt. Erase Hope. Crush Dreams.

You certainly don't want the majority of your runs to be brick workouts.

and if you race often you probably don't need to ever do them, or only do a couple just before a race.

But if you race only a couple times a year, you need to do some to figure out what sort of pace you can handle, if your eating and drinking plan is working for you, are you having cramping issues etc etc.

I don't do them regularly but, for instance, before my half iron this summer I would do a short 3 mile run after my long bike ride each week.

this gives you some feedback on if you are fit enough to bike at a given pace and still run afterwards. good stuff to know =)

---

---

Kat Hunter reports on the San Dimas Stage Race from inside the GC winning team
Aeroweenie.com -Compendium of Aero Data and Knowledge
Freelance sports & outdoors writer Kathryn Hunter

I only did two last year: 1 during a local 70.3 and another during IMC. I ran a 7:00min/mile for my 70.3, but about a 9:00min/mile for IMC due to bonking on my bike and some other prep issues (it was my first 140.6). The reason I don't do them is I don't necessarily see a point. As one poster already stated, it only takes a couple minutes, or mile, to have your legs adjust and acclimate to running. I might incorporate some here or there next season, but I won't build my schedule around them.

maybe if you had done some pre IM you would have figured out how to not bonk? =)

---

---

Kat Hunter reports on the San Dimas Stage Race from inside the GC winning team
Aeroweenie.com -Compendium of Aero Data and Knowledge
Freelance sports & outdoors writer Kathryn Hunter

x2.

---

Pink? Maybe. Maybe not. You decide.

At leasat Rich did come out and say that for time crunched athletes there was a sensible application for the brick workout, albeit lacking in training value beyond saving time (in his opinion).

I often program them into athlete's plans for that reason alone (time issues) because many working blokes can't do two-a-days and keep their career and family intact over the long haul. If they get a training benefit out of it that's great, if they get to see their kids grow up and don't piss off their wife and/or their boss then even better!

I don't think this debate will ever be settled once and for all, there will always be a group of folks who think only fools do bricks and others why say only idiots don't.

Can anyone actually link to REAL research that confirms/denies any of what Rich posted?

Dave

---

Dave Stark
dreamcatcher@astound.net
USAC & USAT level 2 certified coach

"But if you race only a couple times a year, you need to do some to figure out what sort of pace you can handle, if your eating and drinking plan is working for you, are you having cramping issues etc etc."

Jack,
Did you read the article? They cover this.

I think the first part of this, IMO, is the only real reason to do bricks. Getting used to that feeling. For some it may last 2 minutes, others it may last 20minutes, others it may last an hour. It all depends on the race, the fitness of the individual (and genetics), and the experience of the individual. For me, it usually lasts about 5-8min, depending on the race distance and time of year

I find very short bricks to be useful early in the season to remind my body that the shock of having to stand up straight and use different muscles after being on the bike Xhrs is OK- it's like a warm-up WAY before the event, so my body isn't totally shocked come race day.

As for fitness? I agree with the article.

---

____________________________________________________
I don't suffer from insanity; I enjoy every minute of it--

Read the article and I suspected that it would draw some discussion:

I agree with it in principal. Back in the early days we did not do a lot of brick workouts, but we raced a ton - like every weekend for long stretches! Do that a lot and you figure out how to run off the bike!

These days however, the frequency of athletes racing seems to be way down and many train all season or year long for one big race. As an aside, I don't understand this approach, but in this situation I would think that some brick workouts would be very helpful and in the article Rich does say that this is the case.

So really nothing new, but I am sure some will have more extreme views.

---

---

Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

I don't think it's anything radically new. For me, bricks have always been about mental preparation, not physical preparation. I'll do some a few weeks out from a race just to get a feel for what my sustainable pace feels like on tired legs so I avoid going out too hard. We have a practice duathlon series in the spring which also helps for this.

Agree...to an extent. I bonked before I got off the bike and it was due to not having enough calories when I was riding, something I would have learned by doing longer rides more frequently. In that particular situation, doing a couple longer bricks would have helped me figure that out prior to the race, yes. That is why I plan on doing a couple next season - for nutritional purposes only, not leg acclimation.

I think it's funny EN equates selling cookie-cutter training plans to coaching. Other than that, unless that article is from 2004, it's not really very innovative.

---

-

The Triathlon Squad

Like us on Facebook!!!

2004, ha! We knew this is 1985. There is really nothing wrong with the occasional brick, probably does not hurt. More like a long workout. But as stated, once you have a bunch of real races under your belt, you pretty much know what to expect, and doing a slower version of it in workout does not help you deal with it. Train fast to race fast, pretty much been around since the beginning of the sport.

Fair enough but there are probably some folks on ST who haven't been in Tri since 2004 and this might be useful information to them. I get asked this question frequently by newer triathletes and I think the discussion about where Bricks might be of value and where they might not be is helpful for many folks. Especially considering that the vast majority of triathletes either can't afford or are not interested (for whatever reason) in paying for a coach or a coaching program.

---

Randy Christofferson(http://www.rcmioga.blogspot.com

Insert Doubt. Erase Hope. Crush Dreams.

interesting you mention this... I raced 5 times in six weeks this year, and the last 2 races of that stretch and the remainder of races of the season I noticed the difference of the heavy leg feeling, it was basically non existing as time went on.... im assuming from the stretch of lots of racing and the adaptation of the 'brick' type workout associated.... one race I didnt even notice the 'heavy leg' feeling... as a norm i dont do brick workouts, maybe once or twice a year. I have let the racing take care of that.

---

_________________________________________________

I was just agreeing

---

---

Kat Hunter reports on the San Dimas Stage Race from inside the GC winning team
Aeroweenie.com -Compendium of Aero Data and Knowledge
Freelance sports & outdoors writer Kathryn Hunter

Probably true. But when I started coaching, and to this day, most triathlon programs were very brick-heavy. It took me a while to figure it out, on account of all the misinformation.

---

-

The Triathlon Squad

Like us on Facebook!!!

Well, I don't think the article is wrong- it's just misleading. I've always thought that the reason to do bricks is not some critical physical development that you get out of it, but that it prepares you 'mentally' to know what it feels like to move from cycling to running.

it is interesting that the article attributes poor run performance to not just "too hard on the bike", but going out too hard early on the bike. What they're saying is- get in a good warm-up early in the leg, before you push it. This, in retrospect, has been my experience as well, and seems like good advice.

interesting you mention this... I raced 5 times in six weeks this year, and the last 2 races of that stretch and the remainder of races of the season I noticed the difference of the heavy leg feeling, it was basically non existing as time went on.... im assuming from the stretch of lots of racing and the adaptation of the 'brick' type workout associated.... one race I didnt even notice the 'heavy leg' feeling... as a norm i dont do brick workouts, maybe once or twice a year. I have let the racing take care of that.

It's simple . . . race more!

I find this current and modern-triathlete aversion to racing odd. Now I know there will be those that will chime in here and say, "Steve it's way to expensive to race a lot" and I guess if your only definition of a "race" is a 70.3 event, then yes, that will get expensive. But there are all kinds of other less expensive race options to look at and do.

---

---

Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

To paraphrase a comment about this article I made on Facebook, I think running well off the bike is more a function of run frequency overall rather than brick workouts per se. If you only run 3-4x a week and one of them is a brick, you might be better off running 5-6 times per week, no bricks. The more often you run during a training week, the more you are used to it feeling differently depending on how (un)recovered you are.

In terms of bricks and time management, I still bike and run back to back, only I run first. Run quality is higher, and bike rarely suffers.