My first brick was one of the most challenging workouts I have ever done. It was a 14 mile bike followed by a 3 mile run. Running after putting in a strong effort on the bike was unlike anything I have ever done. I biked my heart out but my legs were fresh for the run. The best I was capable of for the run was ½ marathon pace. It was tough to finish out the run. I thought about calling it after 2 miles but focused on my form to get past my physical and mental anguish.
My first foray into triathlon training was a great experience. It is a fresh new challenge. I am still trying to wrap my head around all the nuances and will be for some time. I have read the Triathletes Training Bible but it did not prepare me for the awesome experience of actually applying theory in practice.
Turns out good cycling weather can make for lousy running weather. Makes sense given the high velocity of the bike, which brings the effective temperature down. It was a mildly hot and humid evening. I felt the heat loosened me up, elevated my heart rate (in a good way), and made me faster on the bike. The exact opposite effect happened on the run. The heat and humidity were oppressive and my breathing was labored.
I was happy with the results. 44:21 bike averaging 19 – 20 mph on a course which featured traffic signals and some minor hills. The run came in at 20:08 with splits of 6:26, 6:47, and 6:56. My transition time was horrible – 6 minutes and was prolonged by my Garmin 410 Forerunner demanding I clear the lap memory before it would function again.
I am excited to do more bricks and include swimming too. I am going to research sprint triathlons to see what kind of performance is competitive. When I make my plan for the rest of the year this weekend I will have special consideration for scheduling a sprint tri. The idea of competing in a tri makes me nervous unlike pure running. I did not expect my training to take this turn but need to embrace something different since my foot injury.
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