RACE-SPEED BIKE-TO-RUN BRICK SESSIONS
It’s time to start thinking ‘race’ and working towards hitting race intensities. And there’s no better way of achieving that than with some bike-run ‘brick’ sessions…
As the winter comes to a damp end and the days are growing longer, thoughts begin to turn to the racing. Part of your preparation should be stitching the component parts of your race together and working towards hitting race intensities – this is where the brick session comes in.
There are myriad ways of implementing a brick session. It can involve all three sports or just two; it can be done at high or low intensities; it can be long, focussing on endurance or fast and working at or above race velocities etc. The type of session we will look at here is multiple reps bike to run, working at race speeds. This will help you to specifically prepare for the demands of your event, giving you the feeling of having done it and practised it all before you compete.
I’d advise bringing this type of session into your programme around six weeks prior to competing in an important event, going through it two to three times in that period.
The session can be done outside on open roads, stationary (trainer and treadmill) or a mix of the two. If done outdoors, ideally use quiet roads where you can maintain consistent speeds
THE SESSION
Warm-up
15min bike, building from an easy intensity up to race or threshold intensity for the final 3-4mins, followed by 2mins easy, then 3-4 15sec hard (eight out of 10) accelerations with 45secs recovery between.
Transition from the bike to run for a 10min effort, starting from an easy pace and building up to your target race pace for the final 2mins, then 2mins easy.
MAIN SET
Bike for 10mins at your target race speed/intensity/power/heart rate. Aim to hold a good aerodynamic position, whether you’re riding on the trainer or outside – ultimately you’re looking to go fast, not just push hard. Keep your cadence within your racing range, not artificially high or low. Be as consistent as you can with your effort, minimising big spikes and take in a small amount of your intended race nutrition between the 5 and 8min mark of the effort.
At the end of your bike effort, transition as quickly as you can, using the same set-up and process you will when racing, and run for 5mins at your target race pace. Don’t force your pace when running off the bike but try to focus on cues, such as being light on your feet, high cadence and relaxed shoulders, to help you run well and efficiently. Take 5mins recovery, set your transition up again and repeat the same set another 1-3 times, depending on the length of event you’re preparing for – less for sprint, more for Olympic and above. Each effort should feel sustainable. If not, the paces you’re setting are too high and will not be sustainable for your event, so bring things back a little bit.
You might feel rusty the first time you do this but you’ll be amazed how quickly you’ll adapt. Soon, you’ll be ready to hit the ground running when it’s race time.
“Bring this session into your programme around six weeks prior to an important event”