mini-brick

(Note: I'm going to try to keep the duathlon training posts from dominating the entire site, but I expect that there'll be at least a few more. Since I'm scared to death that I'll crash and burn on this event, it's always on my mind.)

Tonight, while procrastinating on cleaning out my car, I decided to do a run-bike brick. I wanted to get some idea of the kind of bike speeds I could sustain after running, so that I know how much time I can make up on the bike and how fast I'll really need to run in the duathlon overall. I also wanted to see how my legs reacted to running on pavement, since I've been doing all my run training on a dirt track or the treadmill. The street behind my house is asphalt, which is a little easier on the bones than concrete. It's also newly repaved, which makes it a bit softer. I figured it was as good a place as any. I decided on a 1-mile run, 6-mile bike, since it cuts both du distances by half.

It went better than I expected.

Since I'm not yet ready to run a mile straight through (especially when it's 90+ degrees out there), I did one-song run, 1-minute walk intevals, and my average speed for the mile was 4.4 mph.* Running in bike shorts was surprisingly comfortable...though I WAS wearing my RS Flexes, which are the most comfortable bike shorts in the universe. They also have a relatively thin chamois, which helps where running is concerned. Definitely my race day shorts (and a great gift idea, since I only have the one pair and would love to have a closetful. Just a note, for any readers who might be married to me. *grin*)

It took me about a minute to change shoes, slap on my helmet, and get on the bike, and I was off. My top speed wasn't all that much different after running than it is on any other hard ride--I averaged 17 mph for right around 6 miles. I thought for sure I would be slower than that, so this sets my mind at ease a bit. (And, yes, Rob, you were totally right.)

Funny story...at about mile 5, I was riding in an unfinished section of a subdivision, and the only traffic was a couple ladies out walking. I was on the home stretch, so I decided to push the pace. As I passed one of the walkers at about 22 mph(on the other side of the street, giving her as much clearance as I possibly could), I heard her say "Whoa." I don't get very many of those. :)

So anyway, I completed the entire thing in about 34 minutes. If you figure on 3 more 11-minute miles + let's say, 3 minutes for the dragging-ass factor in the 2nd run, that's 36 more minutes of running for 1:10. Add a 1-minute transition and 30 more minutes of biking, and I'm looking at a 1:40 total time. I can accept that. And if I keep working on the running between now and then, and work in a bike-run brick or two, it might just improve to the 1:30 I really want.

*Per the Edge, which I've discovered works just as well for running as it does on the bike. Woo! I hit the lap button after the transition and slapped it into the bike holster, so that I could track the speeds separately...worked like a champ.