My first BRICK session

Wow – not what I expected.

I have read countless blogs and articles on the “odd” feelings in your legs after a ride and at the start of a run but all that reading doesn’t really compare to the first-hand experience (as is the case with so much in life!). I was wondering who switched out my trainers for concrete boots!

Overall – it was fun! There are however several learning’s that I have taken away for the session.

Times (as a benchmark that will be forever etched in cyberspace and to be improved upon)

BIKE:      20.75kms             -              0:48:47 (25.53km/hr)

T2:                                        -              0:05:00 (ish)
Run:       5.78kms               -              0:31:14 (5:24/km)
TOTAL Session                                   1:25:01

Learnings…

1)      I really need to consider better fuelling for these sessions – it is VERY different to the half and full marathon training that I have done to date. Have breakfast before ride (to try porridge and berocca).

2)      I need to get quicker at my T2 times. (Note: this included hanging my bike back on the wall, a text to my dad, a banana and water, sitting on the curb to get the trainers on and getting a GPS signal for my watch). No text, bike hanging until after the session. Elastic laces?

3)      I need to pull the concrete out of my trainers before I start the run….holy smokes they felt heavy! All jokes aside I probably need to be more conscious of my pace straight off the bike as I just need to be careful not to bust out of the traps too quickly. More conscious about pace off the bike, aim for negative splits.

4)      Consider the efforts put in during a BRICK in the long run session of a Sunday – I am not yet fit enough to smash out a BRICK on Saturday and then a 15k run on a Sunday – trying really hurt this weekend! Pre run fuelling required AND more conscious effort regarding pace setting and need to carry water on the run too.

This was a fun session and one that I am looking forward to recreating this weekend coming. I am thinking that for every 1km I add on the bike I will add 400mtrs on the run to try to keep it relative.

Fuelling will be a vital part of my schedule going forward and I need to really give this some focus.

In the meantime there is a debate raging in the household.

1)      Sign up for both the Mandurah Half (Nov ’14) and the Busselton Full (Dec ’14) or

2)      Focus on the entry to Tris through 2014 and partake in the Mandurah Half (Nov ’14) and then the Busselton Full (Dec ’15).

I don’t know. I really want to and WILL do a Full but I also want to do it justice and pay it the respect it deserves…I am not sure I can do that all in 12 months (with the added joy of just joining tris). The dearest wife is telling me that 2 is the option to go for and the stubborn fool in me is sticking to option 1.

I don’t know – as I said, the debate rages on…at least I still have a little time before registration opens for Mandurah (Race November 10^th – expected registration to open soon afterwards).

Thanks for reading.