One-Hour Workout: Independence Day Freedom Build

This patriotic build run will raise you from the oppression of dead legs and bad run splits.

If you’re in the U.S., then the fourth day in July has a special meaning: independence from British rule, the forming of a new nation, and (nowadays) lobbing explosives into the sky while smoke from sizzling meat makes your eyes tear up with patriotic pride. If you’re not in the U.S., then it’s another Wednesday at work. Either way, this week’s workout is going to help draft the framework of solidly independent run legs that will usurp you from beneath the thumb of fatigue.

Why are build runs important? To paraphrase The Declaration of Independence:

“When, in the course of your season, it becomes necessary for a triathlete to increase one’s threshold, which has been holding them back from a PR, and to assume that coming off the bike will be easy, the separation of swim, bike, and run, and a decent respect to the incremental fatigue of each, requires that they should build strength to run off of tired legs.”

You have the unalienable right to perform this build run after a few weeks of base-building, all the way up until a few weeks before a key race. Be sure to take the liberty of adequate bike/run rest the day after, but it’s ok to enter the workout self-evidently tired from a bike ride in the previous sessions—in fact, it’ll better simulate that revolutionary feeling of coming off a strong ride during a race. Also, bear in mind that this run will get exponentially more tyrannical as you go, so be slightly conservative during the workout’s preamble, more liberal with your effort near the conclusion, and really sign your name on the end.

Warm-up:
7 minutes easy
4 minutes build to 5/10
Stretch

Main Set:
17 minutes at 5/10
7 minutes at 6/10
6 minutes at 7/10
56 seconds 8/10

Cool-down:
13 minutes easy
Stretch
Declare your independence from this workout!

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