Long Brick....CHECK

(Author's Note: In the sport of TRIATHLON, a transition workout that involves two of the three sports - SWIM/BIKE or BIKE/RUN is commonly referred to as a BRICK workout. Most triathletes will tell you that this is because your legs commonly feel as heavy as "bricks" when you transition from the Bike to the Run. Another RANDOM TRI fact for you!)

After recovering from last weekend's AquaVelo with one rest day, I got back to the workouts as scheduled this week for Beach2Battleship and was a little worried that after two weeks without any significant bike/run bricks that this weekends "4-hour Bike/2-hour Run" would just suck.

I am so happy to say that I was so wrong!

I slept in a little Sunday morning and rolled out of the house at about 8AM to drive down to the local park to start my BRICK from a place where there was less temptation to stay in the house once my bike was finished. I rolled out of the park at 8:30AM. The plan was two hours out on the flat to rolling multi-use bike trails (very little use early on Sunday mornings) and then turn around and head back to the car.

There was lots of headwind on the ride out to Reston, VA. So much headwind that I ended up negative splitting the second half of the ride by 20 minutes and was forced to pass my car and head out in the neighborhood for another 6 miles. 4 hours - 56 miles done.

I got back to the car, hit the Garmin's lap button, put the bike back in the car and jogged over to the restroom to change (Simulated T2 Tent) then back to the car to leave the bike clothes and grab my fuel belt. Out of T2 in 10:00...

The RUN is what I was dreading. Two hours that I honestly thought was going to be a "slog" based on how my legs felt on Saturday morning after an easy 5K with my Cancer to 5K group and following my mid-day 5K on Friday. So I just started out nice and easy, keeping my feet under my shoulders, quick turn-over, classic "triathlon shuffle" that always seems to let me ease into my pace at TRI races. I stuck to 5/1 run/walk intervals and the minutes and miles just flew by. I chose to run only with water and had 4 endurolytes and a GU at the 1-hour point. Turned around at Mile Marker 3 (3 miles from Mount Vernon) and headed back in the direction of the car. (almost Mile Marker 8)

9.75 miles in 2:00 hours - 12:30ish pace. NOT BAD AT ALL!

I was honestly stunned at the RUN pace I was able to maintain after a 56 mile Bike. I didn't see that coming - especially not in Zone 2.

How was my nutrition on the bike? I went with the same "formula" of 2 bottles of Infinate, 1 bottle of Water and small snacks at the top of each hour (which worked well at AquaVelo) and it worked perfectly in getting me onto the run with no issues. I then transitioned to Water to sip and a GU and 4 Enduralytes at the One-Hour point to kept everything "status quo."

I feel like I am finding what works for me, in terms of nutrition, that is a great relief.

Long BRICK in the bank. One more long weekend ahead with a 16-18 mile Run and 120 mile Bike and then Taper #2 for me this year...

Life is Good! LiveSTRONG!