Brick by Brick: 10 Ironman Workouts You Can’t Skip
Think you’re ready to run strong off the bike?
Ironman brick sessions — bike-to-run workouts — are critical for preparing your body and mind for race day. These workouts help you adapt to the fatigue of running after cycling. Improving endurance, pacing, strength, and confidence.
In this guide, you’ll find 10 essential Ironman brick workouts!
1. Long Brick (Ironman Simulation)
Purpose: Simulates race conditions, fueling, and pacing strategy.
Bike Warm-Up: 15 min easy spin
Bike Main Set: 4–5 hours at 70–80% FTP (Zone 2–3)
Run Warm-Up: 5 min easy jog
Run Main Set: 45–60 min at Ironman pace (Zone 2–3)
Run Cool-Down: 5 min easy jog
2. Race Pace Brick
Purpose: Holding goal race pace off the bike.
Bike Warm-Up: 10 min easy spin
Bike Main Set: 3 hours at Ironman pace (Zone 2–3)
Run Warm-Up: 5 min easy jog
Run Main Set: 30–45 min at Ironman pace
Run Cool-Down: 5 min easy jog
3. Progressive Brick
Purpose: Pacing strategy and endurance.
Bike Warm-Up: 15 min easy spin
Bike Main Set: 3 hours total:
1st hour Zone 2
2nd hour Zone 3
Final hour Ironman pace
Run Warm-Up: 5 min easy jog
Run Main Set: 45 min (start easy, finish at race pace)
Run Cool-Down: 5 min easy jog
4. Over-Under Brick
Purpose: Fatigue resistance and adapting to pace changes.
Bike Warm-Up: 10 min easy spin
Bike Main Set: 2–3 hours with 4 × (10 min at 85% FTP, 5 min at 95% FTP)
Run Warm-Up: 5 min easy jog
Run Main Set: 20–30 min at moderate to hard effort
Run Cool-Down: 5 min easy jog
5. Short & Sharp Brick
Purpose: Improves speed and power.
Bike Warm-Up: 15 min easy spin including 3 × 30 sec high-cadence bursts
Bike Main Set: 90 min including 3 × 20 min at Olympic-distance pace (Zone 3–4)
Run Warm-Up: 5 min easy jog
Run Main Set: 20 min at 10K pace (Zone 3–4)
Run Cool-Down: 5 min easy jog
6. Hill Strength Brick
Purpose: Builds strength for rolling or hilly courses.
Bike Warm-Up: 20 min easy spin on flat terrain
Bike Main Set: 2–3 hours with long hill climbs (low cadence, high torque)
Run Warm-Up: 5 min easy jog
Run Main Set: 30 min hilly run (strong effort on climbs)
Run Cool-Down: 5 min easy jog
7. Back-to-Back Brick (Double Brick)
Purpose: Fatigue resistance, race adaptation and Transition T2 training.
Bike Warm-Up: 15 min easy spin
Bike Main Set 1: 90 min moderate effort
Run Warm-Up: 5 min easy jog
Run Main Set 1: 20 min moderate effort
Bike Main Set 2: 60 min moderate effort
Run Warm-Up: 5 min easy jog
Run Main Set 2: 15 min moderate effort
Run Cool-Down: 5 min easy jog
8. Sprint Off the Bike
Purpose: Neuromuscular adaptation for faster turnover.
Bike Warm-Up: 10 min easy spin including 5 × 10 sec high-cadence bursts
Bike Main Set: 90 min steady Zone 2 effort
Run Warm-Up: 5 min easy jog
Run Main Set: 3 × (5 min hard, 2 min easy jog)
Run Cool-Down: 5 min easy jog
9. Fast Finish Brick
Purpose: Teaches you to finish strong.
Bike Warm-Up: 15 min easy spin
Bike Main Set: 3 hours (last 45 min at race pace)
Run Warm-Up: 5 min easy jog
Run Main Set: 30 min (last 10 min strong effort)
Run Cool-Down: 5 min easy jog
10. Race Nutrition Brick
Purpose: Testing hydration and nutrition under race conditions.
Bike Warm-Up: 10 min easy spin
Bike Main Set: 3–4 hours at Ironman pace practicing race-day fueling
Run Warm-Up: 5 min easy jog
Run Main Set: 45 min at Ironman pace with fueling practice
Run Cool-Down: 5 min easy jog
Final Tip
Incorporating properly structured brick sessions will make a major difference on race day. Focus on nailing your race pace and fueling during these sessions to unlock your best Ironman performance.
Mini FAQ
How often should I do brick sessions for Ironman?
1–2 times per week is ideal, building up in volume and race-specific intensity.
Which brick session is most important for Ironman?
Long race simulation bricks where you practice full nutrition and pacing are the most crucial.
Can beginners benefit from brick training?
Definitely! Even short bricks build essential strength and mental resilience for the bike-to-run transition.
Final Thoughts
Training for an Ironman isn’t just about swimming, biking, and running — it’s about learning how to combine those disciplines under fatigue. Brick sessions are the secret weapon that bridge the gap between a strong bike leg and a successful marathon finish.
By consistently practicing these 10 key brick workouts, you’ll build the endurance, mental toughness, pacing skills, and fueling strategies needed to conquer race day.
Remember: success on the run starts with smart training off the bike.
Which brick session will you master first?
Always consult with a medical professional or certified coach before beginning any new training program. The information provided is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for personalized advice.