Brick Workouts 101: 8 Sessions That Make Race Day Feel Easy
October 13, 2025•9 min чтения•Советы по обучению
Bricks teach your body to switch disciplines smoothly and handle race‑day fatigue. Use these 8 sessions and simple scheduling rules to make race day feel familiar.
What Is a Brick?
A workout combining two disciplines back‑to‑back—most commonly bike → run, but also swim → bike. The goal is to practice the transition, pacing, and neuromuscular feel of racing.
Why Bricks Matter
- Improved bike‑to‑run pacing and perceived effort control.
- Neuromuscular adaptation: legs learn to run well after cycling.
- Nutrition rehearsal: dial carbs and fluids under realistic stress.
- Transition practice (T1/T2): faster, calmer race execution.
8 Brick Sessions
- Starter Brick: 45–60' Z2 bike → 10–15' easy run
- Cadence Change Brick: 40' bike with 3×5' fast‑leg cadence → 15' steady run
- Tempo Brick: 60' bike incl. 2×10' at Z3 → 20' run with final 5' at Z3
- Threshold Brick: 75' bike incl. 3×6' at Z4 (full easy between) → 20' Z2/Z3 run
- Long Endurance Brick: 90' Z2 bike → 25–30' easy run (practice fueling)
- Race‑Pace Brick: 60–75' bike with 2×8–12' at target pace → 20' run at race feel
- Swim → Bike Brick: 800–1,200m steady swim → 45–60' Z2 bike
- Double Brick (advanced): 2×(30' Z2 bike → 10' Z2 run) with 5' easy between
How to Schedule Bricks
- 1/week in build, 2 in peak (lighter volume elsewhere to recover).
- Place bricks away from your hardest interval days; long brick on weekend or when you can recover.
- Start short/easy; extend run time or add controlled intensity. Keep most bricks aerobic.
Common Mistakes
- Turning every brick into a race—cumulative fatigue sabotages progress.
- Skipping fuel on bricks; race day then feels harder than training.
- No transition practice: fumbling with shoes/helmet on race day.
- Stacking bricks next to hard interval days—recovery suffers.
Quick Transition Wins
- Lay out shoes, belt, and helmet in order; rehearse steps.
- Practice mounting/dismount lines and quick lace techniques.
- Keep fueling simple and repeatable across sessions.
Add Smart Bricks to Your Plan
PaceTri places bricks where they deliver the most benefit and adapts durations to your fitness and race distance.