THE NEURO BRICK


By Ryan Ross, USA Triathlon Level II Certified Coach


I


have often said to athletes on the subject of off-the-bike running, “If you can run off the bike 50 times within a 12-week


period, you will be able to seamlessly run off the bike on race day.” This comment of course gets puzzled looks. One of the keys to accomplishing this training goal is to effectively use a workout I have coined the Neuro Brick. The Neuro Brick gets its name from the term Neuromuscular. Running off the bike presents an unadapted athlete with a complicated nerve-muscle (neuromuscular) situation, thus the name Neuro Brick. The structure of the Neuro Brick is


relatively simple. The proper placement within an athlete’s program, and the selection of possible higher intensity use within the Neuro Brick is where the artist’s paint brush comes into play.


There are two Neuro Brick options:


• 3x30 minutes with 20 minutes of cycling + 10 minutes of running


• 4x30 minutes with the same 20 minutes of cycling + 10 minutes of running


There is no standing around or walking


in between each 30-minute segment — it’s back on the bike. The next 20-minute bike segment can start with easy spin to allow for recovery. Timing within an athlete’s program is


crucial to success, and it is different for long- course athletes vs. short-course athletes. Obviously, this workout is not highly specific to the demands of long-course racing. But, the ability to run off the bike and aerobic abilities are vital. The Neuro Brick provides a stimulus to both. Plus, I have found long- course athletes appreciate the variety and break-up of the monotony that the


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Neuro Brick gives their training program. Usage of the Neuro Brick with long-course athletes should be early within their training program — between 12 and 24 weeks out. Another value to the long course athlete is the benefit they receive if they will complete shorter races within their training plan. Short-course athletes can use the Neuro


Brick leading up to a sprint- or Olympic- distance triathlon. Because the demands of short course racing require the ability to get up and go right off the bike, the Neuro Brick can be seen as a race-specific workout. Let’s breakdown how a couple of different


Neuro Brick sessions might look for different types of athletes:


Example 1


• 20 minutes of cycling as warm-up, including 5x1:00 high cadence spin interval, cadence 105 to 115 in very easy gear, with 1:00 easy riding in between.


• 10 minutes of easy running, with the last minute as 4x15-second running strides, full recovery in between. **Notice that the first segment is always the warm-up, and includes technique work.


• 20 minutes of cycling with the first two minutes as easy spin, followed by 3x4:00 climbing repeats — big gear, cadence 75- 85. Easy spin for 2:00 in between.


• 10 minutes of running, with eight minutes at RPE 4/10, and the last two minutes at RPE 7/10.


• Repeat steps 3 and 4 for the final segment as well.


Example 1 is a great for the long-course


athlete in early-season development, as it emphasizes aerobic development and sport- specific strength. It would also work well for


a short-course athlete preparing to race on a hilly or windy bike course.


Example 2


• 20 minutes of cycling as warm-up, including 10x1:00 rotating isolated leg drill, cadence 80-90 in a moderate gear.


• 10 minutes of easy running, including 4x15- seconds skipping — focus on propulsion both up and forward with each skip. **Again — notice that the first segment is always the warm-up and includes technique work.


• 20 minutes of cycling with the first two minutes as easy spin, followed by 2x7:00 intervals — cadence 90-100, RPE 7/10. Easy spin for 2:00 in between.


• 10 minutes of running easy, with 3x1:00 at RPE 9/10, 1:00 easy run at RPE 4/10 in between 1:00 intervals.


• Repeat steps 3 and 4 for the final segment as well.


Example 2 is a great for a sprint athlete.


This could be modified for an Olympic- distance athlete by increasing the run intervals to 2:00 or 3:00 and lowering the RPE to 7/10. The RPEs that are prescribed can of course


be changed to power output, heart rate or pace at the coach’s discretion. As mentioned earlier, the structure of the Neuro Brick is simple, but as you can see the coach (artist) can utilize different sets within the Neuro Brick to address training needs.


Ryan Ross is a USA Triathlon Level II Certified Coach from Olathe, Kan. He is the owner of Perception Multisport, a multisport coaching company with three assistant coaches that provides services to a wide variety of athletes in the Missouri/Kansas area.


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