Hi,
I’m training for my first half-IM in May. Regarding brick workouts: What is the consensus regarding the longest brick one should do in preparing for the race?
Thanks,
Andrew
Hi,
I’m training for my first half-IM in May. Regarding brick workouts: What is the consensus regarding the longest brick one should do in preparing for the race?
Thanks,
Andrew
You can do short bricks to get used to making the transition from bike to run, which is the main function of the brick. Also, doing longer bricks is a good way to make a long training day go by easier by breaking up the time amoungst two disciplines. Go as long as you like, or as short as needed. No NEED to do bricks longer than what you’d do for Oly distance.
I agree with the above post … Do longer bricks to break up a training day but it is more important for a half to do quality long runs (12-15 miles) and quality rides (80-110k) than to put them together. A few short bricks will help with your bike to run transition just fine.
I also agree…the point isn’t to see how much you can beat yourself up in training. Get in a good long ride, a good long run, every once in a while do a transition run of only 15-30 min easy after the long ride, maybe once every 6 weeks, and a mid-week brick with a 30 min run, and you’ll be great.
tommy
This was posted on Training Bible - by Tom Manzi, an Ultrafit Coach. In response to a 40ish year old woman who has been competing in shorter tris for a few years and is doing her second 1/2 in May.
“At about 3 to 4 weeks out from your 1/2 IM race build to a 45 minute non-stop swim at your planned race pace goal, the same week a ride of about 3 hours at a pace that will keep you in mostly 2 zone the entire ride can be completed, be sure to practice race day nutrition on this ride. The longest run could also be done during this week, but try not to do this run the day after the bike, give yourself a 48 to 72 hours in between these two workouts. The run can be 2 to 2:15 hours mainly in 2 zone with the last 30 to 40 minutes bringing the pace to your race goal pace. The bike and run should be done on courses that are similiar to the race course. The swim can be an open water wetsuit swim if possible(use wetsuit only if race will be a wetsuit swim).You can also schedule your longest brick 2 to 3 weeks out from the race, this could be a 2:30 to 3 hour bike followed by a 1 hour to 1:15 hour run. I hope this helps. Good luck with your training.”
AJ, I think it would be tough to get consensus on anything related to Tri : ). Keeping it simple: There’s the mental thing, What would you need to feel confident? Then there’s the physical. Then there’s recovery.
I’d say work towards what you need from the confidence perspective, but do so at a pace that allows for recovery. As a broad gauge, If you can get up to 70% of race distance (40/9), you should be good to go. Move toward this, slowly increasing the length, and gauging your recovery. If you feel whipped, unmotivated the day after, time to reassess. I’d switch up the training, some weeks go longish bike, short run, 30 mins. Other weeks, shorter bike, longish run. I’d try varying the efforts as well. One week I’d work a bit harder on the bike but cruise the run, other weeks I’d reverse it. Goal would be a solid effort on the bike, whatever distance you need, cruise the run, but finish the last 2-3 miles of the run stronger than you started. The latter brick approximates the race, gives the confidence, but does not or should not cause you to go deep into your reserves.