Saturday, April 21, 2007

Brick Question?

I am currently planning out the next 28 days till the Silverlake Sprint Tri.
Question: Do you feel 2 Bricks (bike/run) per week is good or should I only do 1 per week?
rockon`
Distance: 400 meter/10 mile/3 mile

7 comments:

Joy | Love | Chaos said...

I think the benefits of bricks are really based on your progress. I would say go by how they feel. Are your legs having a hard time transitioning from the bike to run? Are you feeling tight, is your gait off, are you unusually slow/fast during your bricks?

My understanding ("i'm not a coach" disclaimer and all) is that bricks exist to help the body get used to going from a quad intensive bike to a hamstring intensive run. If you're finding this is difficult, perhaps do two a week. If this is coming naturally, then one may be fine. The plan I'm on (albeit with a different trajectory -- 20 weeks out now) has only two bricks a month. I've upped it to one/week as I approach the HIM, but you get my meaning.

You're a great judge of your own progress and can tell where you are getting the most out of your training. Enjoy it and I can't wait to hear all about the sprint! Yeah!!

Dances with Corgis said...

I do one brick a week.

It's what my coach has me do :) I don't have any scientific basis for it, sorry Johnny. Although, I do my long run days "bike" one day and "run" the next to keep them in order.

Okay I was officially no help. Sorry!

Tammy said...

I would not recommend more than one. And I would also not recommend one every week. You're taking a rest week every 2-3 weeks, right? No brick on rest weeks.

The Stretch Doc said...

Coach Tammy,
Currently have been on a lot of rest so basically setting the stage for the next 27 days till race day.

I do have the 4 previous days before the race to totally slow down, take it easy and relax being as the next 3 weeks will be focused training.

Thanks for the insight IM ABLE and SkiRough, as I like the advice and will probably go with 1/week and see how the legs feel.

rockon`

Allez said...

Good question! I'll stick with one per week also :-)

momo said...

my coach only has me ever do one per week, and never on a rest week. its only to get your legs used to the run off the bike, so even a quick 15 minutes off the bike is good.

Bigun said...

Ha! now I know I'm no coach - I brick when the mood strikes me - I almost always try to get a short run in after a bike - like a little 2 mile jog or something like that - unless it's a 'dedicated' brick day, then I'll try for at least an hour off the bike - those are once a week in a "peak" phase. When I was in "base", I rarely did any bricks - like I said, can't even pretend to be a coach! Like your open water site -