Tempo Brick Run: 30 Minutes at Race Effort

Session Overview

Unlike easy brick runs that focus purely on transitioning from the bike to the run, this session demands a hard running effort after a solid bike block. You’ll ride for 40 minutes at tempo effort then run for 30 minutes at or close to race pace, training your body to maintain speed when your legs are already fatigued — exactly what race day demands.

What You’ll Need

• Road bike or turbo trainer for the bike leg
• Running shoes and race kit ready for a fast transition
• GPS watch for pacing
• Nutrition: water or electrolyte drink on the bike

Warm-Up (10 minutes)

Start with 10 minutes of easy cycling at Zone 2 — this serves as your warm-up before the bike block begins. Include 3 x 30-second openers at 105% FTP during the final 3 minutes to prime your legs. There is no separate run warm-up — the transition itself and the first kilometre of running are part of the adaptation process.

Main Set

Ride 40 minutes at tempo effort (Zone 3–4, approximately 85–90% FTP). Keep your cadence above 88 rpm and stay in a controlled aero position throughout. Immediately on dismounting, rack your bike, swap footwear, and begin the 30-minute run.

• Bike leg: 40 minutes at 85–90% FTP (Zone 3–4) — aim for negative split: stronger in second 20 minutes
• Transition (T2): Aim to be running within 60–90 seconds of dismounting
• Run leg: 30 minutes at race-pace effort (sprint/Olympic target pace)
• Run structure: First 5 min: settle into pace — don’t panic about heavy legs. Min 5–25: hold race pace. Final 5 min: push harder if you have more to give

Cool-Down (5 minutes)

Walk for 1 minute then jog for 4 minutes at easy effort. Your heart rate should be well below 140 bpm before you stop completely. Stretch your hip flexors, glutes, and calves — these take the most punishment in a bike-to-run transition.

Coaching Notes

• Heavy legs in the first 5 minutes of the run are completely normal — don’t back off pace; let the body adapt
• Pre-lay your run gear at the transition point to make the T2 swap as fast as possible
• Scale easier: ride at Zone 2–3 and run at comfortable marathon pace rather than race pace
• Scale harder: extend the bike leg to 50 minutes and run 35 minutes, or complete two 15-minute run intervals off the bike with 2 minutes walking between
• This session should feel hard — RPE 7–8/10 on the bike, 8/10 on the run