Brick By Brick

Good morning.

How do you build a really solid house? One brick at a time. In between each brick is morter that adheres to the bricks providing added solidarity to the home.

This is the same type of approach to triathlon training. You build your triathlon home with solid training of swimming, biking and running. Combining two workouts back to back is called a, "BRICK."

Brick workouts can be fun. They can also be very tough, both mentally and physically. But, these are the worlouts that prepare you for triathlon day. Afterall, an actual triathlon is basically a two brick adventure. Swimming to biking and biking to running. You must be prepared.

Yesterday, I was not able to swim. I had some scheduling conflicts. That's ok. I just focused on a bike to run brick in the late afternoon.

I got on the bike on the trainer and pedaled my butt off with high cadence spinning. I went 20 miles. This took about 1:15:00 and then I immediately changed into my running shoes and headed out the door for a 6 mile run.

Legs....heavy as usual after biking. This goes away, for the most part after the first mile. The thought did cross my mind that I have to run 6 miles as I went. This was my "mental" exercise. "Yes, you do have to run 6 miles and you will do it well. You can do this."

So, I kept my focus and just took what my body wanted to give me. It's interesting, my legs, heart and body seems to like the 7:30-7:40 mile pace. Even when I think I slow down, I do not slow down much. Even if my legs feel heavy, they do not seem to slow down much. That's a good thing.

So, I chugged along and when the run was over I was, well, I felt like I just had one hell of a workout. I breathed hard and deep. Whew!!

My tri-house is coming together, one brick at a time.

Split Time Moving Time Distance Elevation Gain Elevation Loss Avg Pace Avg Moving Pace Best Pace Avg HR Max HR Steps Calories
1 0:09:06 0:08:54 1 0 7 9:06 8:54 7:32 124 137 0 95
2 0:08:11 0:08:01 1 14 0 8:11 8:01 6:09 136 146 0 92
3 0:07:43 0:07:43 1 0 0 7:43 7:43 6:27 146 150 0 96
4 0:07:35 0:07:35 1 0 0 7:35 7:35 6:21 151 154 0 96
5 0:07:47 0:07:47 1 0 5 7:47 7:47 6:07 152 156 0 100
6 0:07:36 0:07:35 1 0 7 7:36 7:35 6:39 155 161 0 98
7 0:00:02 0:00:02 0.01 0 0 6:15 5:56 6:59 160 160 0 0
Summary 0:48:02 0:47:37 6.01 14 19 7:59 7:55 6:07 143 161 0 577



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" Beyond the very extreme of fatigue and distress, we may find amounts of ease and power we never dreamed ourselves to own, sources of strength never taxed at all because we never push through the obstruction."

* It takes courage to push yourself to places that you have never been before... to test your limits... to break through barriers. And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” - Anais Nin