The Importance of BRICK sessions
Here at LB Physiotherapy on Chorley New Road, Bolton, I’ve been seeing patients training for the UK Ironman taking place here in Bolton on Sunday 14th July.
Triathlons are an ever-increasing sport in England and worldwide for that matter. Over the previous 5 years I have seen a huge increase in triathletes in clinic. It is great to work with triathletes helping them improve their performance and stay injury free.
In today’s blog I wanted to share with you some information around brick sessions and our experience on why they are so important.
Every triathlete has a love-hate relationship with their brick workouts, but what are they and why do triathletes incorporate them into their training programmes?
What is a BRICK session?
A brick session is when you train on two or more disciplines one after the other, with little or no rest in between. A brick session usually involves two out of the three disciplines in triathlons. Training sessions often start with a swim and carry on with a bike ride or start with a ride and finish with a run.
The benefits of BRICK sessions
There are a number of benefits to including brick sessions into your training programme. Every triathlete has a love-hate relationship with their brick sessions as they are often the toughest session of the week, helping to improve physical fitness, and mental toughness.
Brick sessions give you a “mental map” of what to expect on race day, how your legs, body and head will feel as you transition from swim to bike and bike to run. Brick sessions are a great way to prepare for what is to come.
Brick’s also give you the opportunity to test the durability of your fuel plan. Nutrition is key during the longer distance triathlon events. Bricks can be used to try different variations of foods to help with energy levels on race day.
Transition practice is another great benefit of a BRICK session. Efficient and quick transitions are important on race day, they help you to stay focused, warm and moving ensuring your body is in its best possible state to bike or run.
Why should BRICK sessions be included in your training schedules
Neuromuscular adaptation, mental preparation and fluidity are results of a triathlete’s implementation of the bike-run brick session. Without preparing the mind and body for the demands of running immediately after a bike ride at race pace, let alone at a leisurely pace, one is sure to find themselves cramping on the side of the road wondering if someone played a sick prank and actually put bricks in their shoes. For the time-crunched triathlete, brick sessions provide some of the best returns on investment. Their sessions that offer endurance and strength all in one intense and slightly masochistic package.
Recovery following a BRICK session
Brick workouts are considerably taxing and require a commitment to recovery time, which is often not an easy thing for triathletes. Running immediately after a bike session does create fatigue. Running with fatigue can positively improve strength and endurance but it can also cause running form and gait to break down, increasing an athlete's risk for injury and longer recovery times. With that in mind it is hugely important time is taken to recover. Now recovery time does vary from person to person, but below are a number of tips that help to speed up that recovery time:
1. Epsom (magnesium) salt baths
2. Ice and heat therapy
3. Foam Rolling
4. Active recoveries/cool downs
5. Stretching.
I hope you found our experience and advice on BRICK sessions beneficial. If you would like any more information please do not hesitate to contact us. Anyone reading this taking part in the UK Ironman in Bolton we wish you all the best and we will be out there on the day cheering you on.
LB Physiotherapy is located at 13 Chorley New Road, Bolton and was founded by friends, David and Stephen. We are a Greater Manchester physio clinic that specialises in injury prevention for athletes, sports injuries and of course any aches and pains related to running. Of course, we hope that your race will be injury free but should you need any physio advice or treatment, please do not hesitate to contact us on 01204 800727.