Brick Runs
Triathletes engage in three specific movement
patterns while racing: swimming, biking, and running. Physiologically speaking,
the most interesting moments during the race are the transitions between movement
patterns. During these moments, our body shifts from a former repetitive movement
to the latter. Perhaps the more uncomfortable of the two shifts is the transition
from the bike to the run. We often call
this transition the “brick” because of the heavy feeling we feel in our legs as
we move from a hard ride into the first few miles of the run.
What physiological changes occur during
the brick and what can athletes do with this information to optimize
performance? During the biking length of the race, triathletes engage in a
movement pattern and posture requiring sustained hip flexion1. In
other words, our hip flexors tighten and shorten to maintain the decreased hip angle
demanded by the position assumed on the bike. At the same time, the muscles which
do the opposite work of the hip flexors, the hip extenders, relax. The
scientific community defines the simultaneous contraction and relaxation of
antagonistic muscles as reciprocal inhibition1. For those interested
in the specific phenomenon of the relaxation, read up on the inhibitory postsynaptic
potential caused by neurotransmitters which hyperpolarize the alpha-motor
neurons1. For the purposes of most readers, it’s only important to
understand that we contract our hip flexors while relaxing our hip extenders during a bike ride.
Reciprocal inhibition is vital to the
complex movements required to bike and run. If our body allowed both muscles to
contract simultaneously, the stronger muscle wins out and results in a tear of
the other. The staple example of this is the sprinting football player. While putting
in a hard effort, sometimes the player’s body misfires and both his hamstrings
and quads contract. The quads are naturally stronger than the hamstrings and
the situation results in a pulled hamstring. So, reciprocal inhibition is crucial
to optimal performance.
In triathlon reciprocal inhibition becomes
problematic at the moment of transition. While we are bent over our bike for
1-6+ hours, our bodies become accustomed to the sustained hip flexion.
Consequently our hip extenders seem to shut down. In the shift from bike to run,
athletes often find tightness in their lower back and/or hamstrings. Why? As
coach Al Lyman of Coach Al Training Services notes, the primary hip extenders are the glutes. The
glute chain is vital to efficient running. Not only must the glutes be strong,
writes Lyman, “they must also be able to act as the primary extender of the hip.2”
In other words, we need the glutes—which relaxed on the bike—to begin working
at the start of our run. If the glutes do not work as the primary hip
extenders, athletes tend to compensate. They use their hamstrings and lower
back, resulting in the tightness found in these areas. The goal, then, is to get
the glutes firing ASAP after the ride.
How can athletes apply knowledge of reciprocal
inhibition to enhance performance? As both Lyman and Endurance Nation coach
Rich Strauss observe, we can practice brick workouts in training. Executing
bricks in training has many benefits. First, athletes may lean to decrease the period
it takes to engage in normal running form—by “normal,” I mean the running form
that an athlete assumes without biking prior. To do this, take time to build
body awareness during the first minutes of your brick run. Lyman alludes to the
advantages of this awareness, writing: “Make
thoughtful yet subtle adjustments in run posture, especially early on in the
run, and periodically throughout the run. Lead with the hips, not the torso;
shoulders down/elbows back; stand tall and lengthen your spine…” Don’t be
afraid to make adjustments like these if you feel tightness. More specifically,
consider how your glutes and hip flexors work together to allow for a fluid
movement (See my post about strengthening your core to increase running efficiency below). Also, refrain from pushing into any tension/resistance in the lower
back and hamstrings. Instead of pushing through, observe the area of tension. Push
into your hips slightly and back off to a place where you feel less tension. The
goal is to find a form which allows you to feel as comfortable as possible
while still maintaining speed. With that said, be prepared for some discomfort
as you transition. Running off the bike may never feel like running without
biking prior.
In addition, brick training helps athletes
prepare for the mental challenge of the brick during the race. Acknowledging
the mental benefit of executing brick workouts, Strauss writes: “Feel it, taste
it, experience it so that your first experience with running off the bike isn’t
on race day.” In other words, brick training gives an athlete a chance for an
experience similar to the one experienced while racing. Knowing how your body reacts in uncomfortable
situations such as the brick limits the “surprise” factor that jeopardizes motivation
during an event.
At this time, there’s a
big debate surrounding the benefits of brick training for the Ironman distance
event. No matter what, you will be doing a brick during the race. Why not train
for it?
Let me know if you have any questions.
Jon Fecik
USAT Coach
Special thanks to Coach Jeremy Cornman
for leading me to this inquiry by juxtaposing Lyman’s and Strauss’s essay on
the Cornman Multisport Coaching facebook page.
Works Cited:
1 Powers,
Scott, Edward T. Howley. Exercise
Physiology: Theory and Application to Fitness and Performance. New Yourk: McGraw-Hill,
2009. (131-132). Print.
2Lyman,
Al. “Brick Runs In Triathlon Training: Critical To Success or a Wase of Time?” http://www.xtri.com/features/detail/284-itemId.511713637.html
3Strauss,
Rich. “Reathinking the Value of the Brick Run for Long Course Triathlon.” http://www.endurancenation.us/blog/training/rethinking-the-value-of-the-brick-run-for-long-course-triathlon-2/
