Brick

Our virtual brick workouts are written by our Thursday Morning Brick Coach, Coach John Stewart! Learn more about Coach John here.

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BTC Brick Workout – Week 6 – May 14, 2020

BTC Brick Workout

Week 6

5/14/20

Hi Everyone,

The goals of this week’s brick are:

1) Complete a distance brick in a Run-Bike-Run format.
2) See if there is any fall off in pace toward the end of the bike, for the same or increased heart rate. There shouldn’t be, if your distance fitness is solid for your chosen timeframe.
3) Work on running form off the bike as you try to duplicate the first run. Are pace and heart rate the same as before?
4) If you determine you would like something less strenuous (or if you just have less time), lessen the runs to 10 min each, and the bike to 40 min. Maintain effort in Zone 2 throughout, with a similar run form focus off the bike.

The Brick Workout:

WARM-UP (10 min)
5 min walk, or some active stretching as demonstrated by John Hirsch
5 min easy jog

RUN – Main Set (20 min)
10 min steady but relatively easy run, noting pace
10 min build gradually to the top of Zone 3, noting pace

BIKE – Main Set (60-120 min)
For the first ¾ of the bike, for whatever duration you choose, hold effort steady in high Zone 2
For the last ¼, hold low- to mid-Zone 3

TRANSITION
Fastest Possible! Do not rest or catch your breath or eat or drink!

RUN – Main Set (20 min)
Focus on running form, especially running tall and with a full-length stride in the first 5 min off the bike (see additional form ideas below, and change it up every 2-3 min)
10 min steady but relatively easy run
10 min build gradually to the top of Zone 3

COOL DOWN (10 min)
5 min easy jog
5 min walk

Vision: See how steady you can hold your gaze, limiting bounce, even over rough terrain.
Posture: You hear ‘run tall’ a lot, so bring your shoulders back a little, straighten up, and feel lighter on your feet.
Arm swing: Arms crossing the centerline in front? Bring them more in line with where you’re going. Hands really low? Move to a 90deg bend at the elbow. Fists clenched or forearms pulled up tight to your shoulders? Open your fingers and shake them out. Choose one and run.
Core Engagement: Pull your abs in, belly button toward your spine.
Legs: A sequence I’ve always found helpful, from coach Ken Mierke: Drive knees forward each stride. Kick heels up each stride. ‘Paw’ back just before footstrike. Choose one, or as I like to do, cycle through all three for two minutes each.
Stride length: Some may say if you extend your stride you’ll heel-strike, or over-stride, but we’re not looking for triple-jump distances. Just a few inches. Others may say if you shorten up you’ll slow down. Just shift a little one way or the other to see how it feels and what your pace and perceived exertion are.
Turnover: Count strides per minute for one foot, then consciously choose to speed that up or slow it down.

BTC Brick Workout – Week 5 – May 7, 2020

BTC Brick Workout
Week 5
5/7/20

Can you take 9 minutes and be inspired? Yes!

Video Link:
https://youtu.be/Swadl1xEUbU
Sometimes, you just need to get amped before a session, or for a day in the life in general. I start on this list and then start looking around. There are so many! A test day is one where you need all your emotion brought to bear on an effort that goes beyond what you’ve done before. As coach Mike Bottom (Michigan) teaches: motivation activates emotion. So let’s take a look back at some inspiring performances, and get hyped! Here are the links.

Hi Everyone,

The goals of this week’s brick are:

1) Complete a brick that includes a 30 min run test.
2) Set up heart rate and/or pacing zones.
3) If you determine you would like something less strenuous, choose a lower effort level for the 30-min test.

The Brick Workout:

BIKE – Warm-up (25 min)
A bike with some pickups to raise heart rate is a great way to get ready for a fast run, and to perhaps see if you can set a run PR off the bike.
14 min easy to moderate spin
3x (1 min fast pedaling @ 100 rpm / 1 min easy spin)
5 min easy riding

TRANSITION
Fastest Possible! Do not rest or catch your breath or eat or drink or text arrrrgh! Okay, if you text that to ME, I will be happy, knowing you’re doing this workout.

RUN – Main Set (40 min, one test!)
30 min Best Effort: Record distance traveled, average pace, heart rate, and rate of perceived exertion. If you hit your split timer at the 10min mark and at the finish, you’ll capture what’s likely your best 20 min average HR.
5 min easy cool down jog
5 min walk

RESULTS
Take your best 20 min average Heart Rate of the entire 30min effort
Use average pace for the entire 30 min effort

Run time: 30 min
Distance: 3.44 miles
20 min HR: 172 bpm

20min average Heart Rate = 172 bpm
Lactate Threshold Heart Rate (LTHR) = 172 bpm

30min average Running Pace = 8:42/mile
Lactate Threshold Pace = 8:42/mile

Plugging these into our club’s calculator (pacing courtesy of Training Peaks), we get the following graphic:

BTC Brick Workout – Week 4 – April 30, 2020

BTC Brick Workout
Week 4
4/30/20

Video Link:
No video this week. Sticking with the written word.

The goals of this week’s brick are:
1) Steady-state Zone 2 ride with shoe exit/entry practice. See the video from Brick #1 to review shoe skills.
2) Learn about and improve your running with a form-focused, Fartlek-style session in the park.

Note: If you haven’t tried a bike test yet, and you’re rested and game, go back to last week’s brick and take it on. No time like the present!

You’ll run faster off a steady bike effort than one with the same average power but that’s highly variable. The ride this week is to be as steady as you can make it, regardless of terrain. Choose a heart rate or power output in your Zone 2 and stay within a couple beats or watts of it.

Running form is altered negatively off the bike, but you have a measure of control as to the degree. These changes are less pronounced for experienced and elite athletes, but they are still impacted. Studies on running off the bike have shown varied results due to specific purpose and cohorts chosen (elite, youth, beginner, etc.), although new work is completed every month. But it has been suggested that for many athletes, stride length shortens (with a pace decrease) and the upper body leans forward beyond optimal. And regardless of ability and experience, the general theme is that you need to make an effort to improve technique in training so your body will remember more economical movements under race stresses. Today we’ll work on running form off the bike.

What feels good? What’s obviously wrong for you? What feels fast? What feels like it could be a step in the right direction?

The Brick Workout:
BIKE – Warm-up (10 min, using coach Peter’s recommendations)
5 min, easy spin, building to 90 rpm
5 min, every 30 sec switch the focus to one leg/one focus area
– light in your shoes
– drive the knee to the handlebar
– slight toe point down

BIKE – Main Set (30 min)
30 min Steady-state Zone 2 @ 70% FTP, 80% LTHR, or a moderate conversational pace.
Get in and out of your shoes on the bike every 10min, for three total attempts.

TRANSITION
Fastest Possible! Do not rest or catch your breath or eat or drink or text, IMHO.

RUN – Main Set (20 min)
Fartlek-style run, executing a new technique focus every 2 min. This may be done on or off-road. Varied terrain can be a plus when you’re in the zone. Run speed may change depending on your focus. Let it happen naturally. For 2 min at a time, focus on/change one thing.
Ideas for Change/Focus:
One suggestion that’s implemented here is to move down the body, creating an orderly routine.
Print an abbreviated list and carry it in your pocket. Or if you’re like my swimmers at a meet, write them on your arm in Sharpie!
Vision: See how steady you can hold your gaze, limiting bounce, even over rough terrain.
Posture: You hear ‘run tall’ a lot, so bring your shoulders back a little, straighten up, and feel lighter on your feet.
Arm swing: Arms crossing the centerline in front? Bring them more in line with where you’re going. Hands really low? Move to a 90deg bend at the elbow. Fists clenched or forearms pulled up tight to your shoulders? Open your fingers and shake them out. Choose one and run.
Core Engagement: Pull your abs in, belly button toward your spine.
Legs: A sequence I’ve always found helpful, from coach Ken Mierke: Drive knees forward each stride. Kick heels up each stride. ‘Paw’ back just before footstrike. Choose one, or as I like to do, cycle through all three for two minutes each.
Stride length: Some may say if you extend your stride you’ll heel-strike, or over-stride, but we’re not looking for triple-jump distances. Just a few inches. Others may say if you shorten up you’ll slow down. Just shift a little one way or the other to see how it feels and what your pace and perceived exertion are.
Turnover: Count strides per minute for one foot, then consciously choose to speed that up or slow it down.

10 min easy cool down jog or walk

BTC Brick Workout – Week 3 – April 23, 2020

BTC Brick Workout

Week 3

4/23/20

Hi Everyone,

The goals of this week’s brick are:
1) Complete a brick that includes 5min and 20min tests on the bike.
2) Set up cycling heart rate or power zones. (These will be different from your running heart rate zones.)
3) If you determine you would like something less strenuous, choose a lower effort level for the 5- and 20-min tests.

The Brick Workout:
BIKE – Warm-up (25 min)
14 min easy to moderate spin
3x (1 min fast pedaling @ 100rpm / 1 min easy spin)
5 min easy riding
BIKE – Main Set (35min, two tests!)
Start each test from the south entrance, at a point of your choosing, that you will use for all subsequent tests.
5 min Best Effort: record power, heart rate, rate of perceived exertion, and pace/distance if riding in the park
10 min EZ riding
20 min Best Effort: record power, heart rate, and rate of perceived exertion, and 2-loop time if riding in the park (This will be more or less than 20min. If less, continue the test to the 20min mark. If more, continue the test and get a 2-loop best time.)
TRANSITION
Fastest Possible! Do not rest or catch your breath or eat or drink or text OMG!.
RUN – Main Set
10 min moderate run: run tall, try to open up your gait a little if it feels stilted, breathe steadily
10 min easy cool down jog or walk

Here are how the results will look:
Note: you are doing a 5min Time Trial, not the 3min that the athlete in this example completed.

BTC Brick Workout – Week 2 – April 16, 2020

Hi Everyone,

The goals of this week’s brick are:

1) Multi-brick with negative splits

2) Track or plan your workout using your Sports Watch, Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE), Heart Rate Monitor (HRM), or Power Meter

3) Review Training Zones and their respective Adaptations

The Brick Workout:
BIKE:
Distance: Ride for 10-15min or one loop of the park
Effort: Easy for the first ride, RPE 1, keeping an eye on HR or power as you go. (If experienced with your electronics/zones, start at the bottom of Zone 2 Heart Rate or Power.)
Transition Practice: Get in and out of your bike shoes while riding if you can do that safely, keeping your eyes on the road in front of you.
Data/Learning: Use your split timer to record your time, or GPS watch to record pace, or your HRM and/or Power Meter to record heart rate or power. Note RPE if using that metric.

TRANSITION: As fast as possible
Get out of your shoes on the bike if possible, keeping it safe.

RUN:
Distance: Run for 8-10min or 1 mile
Effort: Easy for the first, RPE 1, keeping an eye on your pace as you go, or noting turnaround points (If experienced with your electronics/zones, start at the bottom of Zone 2 Heart Rate or Pace)
Data/Learning: Use your split timer to record your total time or time to your turnaround, and/or GPS watch to record pace, or your HRM to record heart rate. Note RPE if using that metric.

REPEAT:
2nd set is easy to moderate: RPE 2, 10-20sec faster per mile running, 5 beats per minute higher HR on bike and run, or 5-10 watts higher power on the bike.
3rd set is moderate: RPE 3, 10-20sec faster per mile running, 5 beats per minute higher HR on bike and run, or 5-10 watts higher power on the bike.

These are Recovery and conversational Endurance effort levels.

Preparation:
– Set up your bike pedals using rubber bands (as if you were going to run it out of transition and do a step on or flying mount). You’ll do this to start your first bike if you’re using a trainer, and if you are comfortable, on the road. You can do a normal stepover mount, but it’s good to practice setting up your pedals. You could do it each time you start a new bike leg, but it’s not required.
– Get your electronics set up and on your body and bike: sports watch, Heart Rate Monitor (HRM), Power Meter, etc.
– Before the workout, try to get them connected online and get somewhat comfortable with the screens and data you’re seeing. You’ll upload data afterward, or your device may do this for you automatically.
– If you’ve never done it, this may take some time. But once you’re familiar with this type of data recovery (whether you’re a data person or not) it will become incredibly helpful.
– Note: if using Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) paired with a sports watch, see ideas within the workout.

Training Zones:
Here’s a review of our Training Zones, including the Borg Scale for Rate of Perceived Exertion. We want to be thinking in these terms within most of our workouts, including today’s, which will be in the Easy to Conversational range.

Blank Worksheet:
Many of you will be logging your sessions online, and will be able to see the graphs all together, but if you want to see the numbers on paper (they still use it), and how the workout flowed, this is an easy way to do it.

And here’s how it might look in the end: