Understanding the 2012 "Bricks" In Your OS Plans....

Coach Patrick

I have heard from my Left Coast contant that there is some confusion surrounding the "no longer brick!" runs in the OS plans. 

Basically I took all the brick runs and separated them out, created a "Run_Second" category (or code) that you will see. This explains how to do the workout as a standalone run. 

IF you need to brick it b/c of your schedule, there is also guidance _within_ each "Run_Second" workout for how to convert that to a brick. Please note this is in the detailed Main Set description.

For example: 

40' Run

MS: Steady run as MP/Z2/Steady out, HMP/Z3/Mod-Hard back. If bricking, do 20' only.

Per this guidance, you can do the standalone run as z2 out / z3 back for 40' OR do the same workout for just 20' if you have to brick it. 

If you need to warm up (even after being on the bike) then minus that time from the main set and still split it as 50/50 on the effort. So if it takes you 7 minutes to feel better on your 20' brick run, then you have 13' left and that should be 6.5 mins out in z2 and 6.5 mins back in z3, etc. 

Hope this helps!!!

Patrick

Bruce Thompson

@ Coach P - I followed the new guidance (if bricking, do 20' only) this am, and it worked great.  My legs got over that "heavy" feeling after about 3' @ Z1, then I went to Z2 for 7'.  Then went Z3 for 10'.  Then 1' CD.  Total time 21'  and ran 2.75 miles.  Felt like I got a solid, brisk run in without trashing my legs.  Very time efficient too so I can get on with my day. 

trigirl1203

Coach P- Would you recommend ever moving that additional Saturday run to a Friday (regularly scheduled off day) and just do the bike on Saturday? Or would you recommend if time did not allow 2 seperate workouts on a Saturday to always go with the brick option?

Coach Patrick

@Lauren - I value those days off too much to drop in a run!!! I remember what the weeks feel like towards the end of the OS.

afrost

As a pretty much always time-crunched person, I will always take the brick option over the 2nd workout of the day option. Is this bad? Should I try to at least sometimes do the run separately? If so, how often should I try to do the run as a second workout? Once a week? Once a month? Or does it really not matter too, too much?

Thanks!

---Ann.

Coach Rich

Ann,
That's fine and it's not "bad." We've reworked the brick article to say that the value of the brick run decreases as the length of your goal race increases...which is irrelvant to us in the OS since our goal races are months and months away.

The primary purpose of the bricks in the OS are to create frequency so you can then roll that frequency into a your A-race training plans. So by having you do a run as a brick or in the PM of a bike day, etc, we create 2 x full days off. So that's the real purpose of the bricks in the OS:

1. Build frequency (and a tolerance for the same)
2. Give you two days off per week.

afrost

Thanks, Rich. Appreciate the clarity on it. And I really value those two days off a week!!

---Ann.

jhbinsc

Thx RnP for the clarification. Also, weren't the OS 2012 plans supposed to come with a "personal" TSS or IF marker or did I miss something? I'm assuming the bricks  are acceptable on Thursdays if one is trying to add run frequency 5x/wk? Maybe 20'?

GSmith821

@JB, also, I seem to remember hearing that our workouts would include pace or watts from the Data Tool. I am assuming that part is not ready but maybe RnP will clarify.

Daniela

@Jeff and George - Clarification is in this post...
http://members.endurancenation.us/Training/TrainingForums/tabid/101/aft/7394/Default.aspx

estimate is mid-february for "personalized" workouts.

jhbinsc

Thx D! Figured I missed something.

Daniela

@Jeff - I've become way too addicted to checking the forums and dashboard lately. There is so much going on, I don't know how people keep up with it all!

Coach Patrick

Ha! No worries guys...it's on our list, it just takes time!