Summary
Threshold brick sessions combine cycling and running within one workout, giving you opportunities to practise changing disciplines while managing harder efforts. These ten sessions offer different ways to structure that combination during your sprint triathlon preparation, with options you can adapt to your current training.
Introducing Threshold Bricks Into Your Sprint Training
Moving from the bike into a run gives a session a different feel from heading out on fresh legs. Your opening running pace may take a little time to settle, particularly after a harder cycling effort. A structured brick gives you space to practise that change with a clear purpose for each part of the workout. Knowing where the threshold work belongs helps you manage the session from the start and arrive at the run prepared for what it asks of you.
The ten sessions below provide different ways to combine the two disciplines within your sprint triathlon training. Choose a workout with bike and run demands you already feel comfortable approaching separately, then consider how manageable they will be together. You can reduce the number of repetitions or shorten a section as you become familiar with the combination. Give yourself room to learn how you respond before adding more work to the session.
Our How to Apply Training Zones in Sprint Triathlon Training guide explains how to use the different intensities across your preparation. Our Bike Calculators and Running Calculators can help you establish the discipline-specific ranges to guide each part of these sessions.
10 Threshold Brick Sessions for Sprint Triathlon Training
1. Short Threshold Brick
Purpose: Accumulates threshold work in both disciplines through shorter repetitions, using recovery to help maintain the quality of the bike and run efforts.
Bike Warm-Up: 10 min easy spin
Bike Main Set: 3 × 5 min @ Zone 4 (3 min easy spin between)
Transition Jog: 5 min easy jog
Run Main Set: 3 × 4 min @ Zone 4 (2 min easy jog between)
Cool-Down: 10 min jog
2. Fast-Finish Brick
Purpose: Develops your ability to increase the effort towards the end of each discipline, moving from sustained tempo work into controlled threshold efforts.
Bike Warm-Up: 10 min easy spin
Bike Main Set: 20 min @ Zone 3 → 5 min @ Zone 4
Transition Jog: 5 min easy jog
Run Main Set: 10 min @ Zone 3 → 5 min @ Zone 4
Cool-Down: 10 min jog
3. Alternating Tempo and Threshold Brick
Purpose: Gives you practice adjusting between tempo and threshold in both disciplines, maintaining control as the intensity changes within each block.
Bike Warm-Up: 12 min easy spin
Bike Main Set: 4 × (3 min @ Zone 3 → 2 min @ Zone 4) (2 min easy spin between sets)
Transition Jog: 5 min easy jog
Run Main Set: 3 × (3 min @ Zone 3 → 2 min @ Zone 4) (2 min easy jog between sets)
Cool-Down: 10 min jog
4. Six-Minute Threshold Brick
Purpose: Uses equal-length threshold repetitions on the bike and run, giving you practice managing a sustained hard effort across the change of discipline.
Bike Warm-Up: 10 min easy spin
Bike Main Set: 2 × 6 min @ Zone 4 (3 min easy spin between)
Transition Jog: 5 min easy jog
Run Main Set: 2 × 6 min @ Zone 4 (2 min easy jog between)
Cool-Down: 10 min jog
5. Progressive Brick Builder
Purpose: Introduces threshold work after a short tempo lead-in in each discipline, giving you practice building the effort within a relatively compact brick session.
Bike Warm-Up: 12 min easy spin
Bike Main Set: 8 min @ Zone 3 → 6 min @ Zone 4
Transition Jog: 5 min easy jog
Run Main Set: 4 min @ Zone 3 → 5 min @ Zone 4
Cool-Down: 10 min jog
6. Low-Cadence Threshold Brick
Purpose: Gives you practice maintaining threshold cycling at a lower cadence before changing to controlled threshold running.
Bike Warm-Up: 12 min easy spin
Bike Main Set: 3 × 3 min @ Zone 4 using a comfortable lower cadence (3 min easy spin between)
Transition Jog: 5 min easy jog
Run Main Set: 2 × 4 min @ Zone 4 (2 min easy jog between)
Cool-Down: 10 min jog
7. Five-Minute Threshold Brick
Purpose: Provides threshold efforts in both disciplines with generous recoveries, allowing you to focus on the quality of each repetition.
Bike Warm-Up: 10 min easy spin
Bike Main Set: 2 × 5 min @ Zone 4 (5 min easy spin between)
Transition Jog: 5 min easy jog
Run Main Set: 2 × 5 min @ Zone 4 (3 min easy jog between)
Cool-Down: 10 min jog
8. Split Threshold Brick
Purpose: Divides the harder cycling and running into two blocks each, giving you time to recover before returning to threshold in both disciplines.
Bike Warm-Up: 10 min easy spin
Bike Main Set: 6 min @ Zone 4 → 5 min easy spin → 6 min @ Zone 4
Transition Jog: 5 min easy jog
Run Main Set: 5 min @ Zone 4 → 3 min easy jog → 5 min @ Zone 4
Cool-Down: 10 min jog
9. Endurance Into Threshold Brick
Purpose: Places a short threshold cycling effort after easier endurance work, followed by a run that builds from tempo into threshold.
Bike Warm-Up: 12 min easy spin
Bike Main Set: 20 min @ Zone 2 → 6 min @ Zone 4
Transition Jog: 5 min easy jog
Run Main Set: 10 min @ Zone 3 → 5 min @ Zone 4
Cool-Down: 10 min jog
10. Sustained Threshold Brick
Purpose: Develops your ability to manage uninterrupted threshold efforts in both disciplines, with the bike workload influencing the run that follows.
Bike Warm-Up: 10 min easy spin
Bike Main Set: 15 min @ Zone 4
Transition Jog: 5 min easy jog
Run Main Set: 10 min @ Zone 4
Cool-Down: 10 min jog
Managing the Effort Across Your Brick Session
How you approach the bike affects the run that follows, so it helps to read the whole workout before beginning. Keep the cycling within its intended intensity, even when you feel capable of doing more. That gives the running portion a fair place within the session and helps you understand how the planned combination feels. If you consistently struggle to complete the run as intended, consider whether the bike effort or the overall amount of work needs adjusting.
The change between disciplines deserves attention too. Have your running kit ready so you can move from cycling to running without an unnecessarily long interruption, while following any recovery specified in the workout. Once you start running, allow yourself to establish the intended effort rather than forcing the opening pace. The aim is to make the transition part of a well-managed session, with enough control to carry out the work that remains.
Our How Can Threshold Work Improve Sprint Triathlon Performance? guide takes a closer look at threshold training and how it can support your preparation across the disciplines.
Final Thoughts
Combining the bike and run can make for an engaging session, with the change of discipline bringing a fresh focus to the workout. There is satisfaction in completing both parts well and finding your running rhythm after time on the bike. Threshold bricks give you an opportunity to explore that challenge as you become more familiar with training for a sprint triathlon.
These ten sessions offer different combinations to try, so you can find workouts that suit you and keep your preparation interesting. Some may become familiar favourites, while others give you a change when you want to approach your training differently. Enjoy the experience of putting the two disciplines together and building confidence in a part of triathlon that can take practice.
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.
