Triathlon Perhaps? My First “Brick” Workout & Tips
By admin
It’s long and in the far future, but regardless, I am pretty confident a triathlon is in my future.
Yesterday, I did my very first brick workout.
What’s a brick workout?
It’s two workouts done back to back, like bricks being stacked upon one another.
And I survived.
I was recently approached by Blake, the owner of a new cycling studio, Velocity Cycling, here in Charleston (they also have a studio in Miami). We are talking of opportunities to partner with a few projects, but before that could happen, he invited me into try a class.
Okay, why not? It’s only been 7 years since I’ve been on a spin bike and I am always willing to try something new.
There was only one thing stopping me…
Saturday mornings are my long run days and after last weekend, there was no way in hell I was going to miss this one.
So lucky for me, it just meant an extra early (4:55 am) wake up call. And wonderful views of a storm off in the distance.
It actually turned out to be a blessing because about an hour after my 9 mile run (while I was cycling), the Charleston skies opened and that “distant” storm was right over us.
Velocity Cycling was a great experience, and an awesome way to cap off a great run!
It was even better since I convinced Amanda to wake up early on her Saturday to join me. Working out with friends is the best.
The class was intimidate (only 7 of us) and Blake lead us on a ride that had us in and out of the saddle the whole time. We were climbing mountains, dealing with wind gusts, and of course enjoying some flat roads from start to finish.
Before class began I was a bit worried that I would be bored… 60 minutes on a stationary bike? Spells F.U.N.
But with the ever changing format and Blake’s great motivation, time flew by and it was actually fun! Before I knew it I was drenched in sweat and upset that I had sipped my last sip of water from the bottle.
Owner Blake and I post workout… he used to weigh almost 300 pounds! INSPIRATION!
And you know what else?
I realized that I kind of like this whole biking thing! Doing the class really upped my drive to get my triathalon goals in order. 2014, here we go!
Of course, I was spent after class and wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed for a power nap… instead I settled for an early movie date with Dan to see Elysium.
If you haven’t seen it yet… don’t waist your money. It was good, but would have been better if we had paid $ 3.99 to rent it on iTunes.
How To A Brick Workout
I am certainly not an expert at bricks, this was my first one (and technically, I rested a little between workouts).
However, I did actually plan this exercise routine out so that I wouldn’t have to worry about bonking or getting nauseous from 3 hours of continuous fitness… I am no marathoner!
I knew that if I neglected to hydrate and fuel my body that I wouldn’t make it through the entire class. And that would be embarrassing for me, especially since I was “the trainer” in the room as Blake kept calling me out! Wouldn’t look good to have “the trainer” pass out over the handle bars.
Here’s what I did:
- 45 minutes before my run: 1 glass of water & a whole wheat wrap with peanut butter and jam
- 6 miles into run: Salted Caramel GU (flavor new to me, but now my favorite) + 8 oz of water
- At the end of run: 8 oz of water + 1/2 Smores Pro Bar (love this vegan line of bars).
- Cycling: 24 oz of water throughout the class. Not because I was “thirsty” but because I could feel the sweat dripping off and knew I needed it.
- Directly Post workout: Had planned to eat the rest of my bar, but dropped it on the ground. The 5 second rule doesn’t apply for the Charleston downtown sidewalks.
- Continued to drink water until happy hour, then I poured a glass of Prosecco instead.
Podcast Love:
It’s been a while since I shared a podcast that included both Dan and I. This one we did just last weekend and we had a blast talking about our paddleboard adventure (have I mentioned he’s doing his 2nd race on Tuesday?) and our favorite oils…
Listen in, I think you’ll like it!
Have you ever done two workouts back to back?
Done a triathalon? Or want to?
*I was not compensated or even asked to write this post. I simply wanted to share my experience.