One-Hour Workout: T1 Swim/Run Heart Rate Crusher Brick

Every Tuesday we’ll feature a different coach’s workout you can complete in 60 mins (or less!).

This week’s workout comes from Los Angeles-based Gareth Thomas, a 20-year coaching veteran who has worked with top endurance athletes including world and national champions in triathlon, duathlon and cycling. Thomas is FFI, NCF, RAW and ITEC certified and is the author of Triathlon: Cutting Edge Training for Athletes of All Abilities.

One of the toughest parts of racing can be the run from the swim exit to bike transition through T1. A high heart rate—combined with the physical change of going from horizontal to vertical—can leave you feeling panicked before the bike even begins. Becoming familiar with this feeling and training your body to adapt to this unusual change will set you up for a better first half of your bike.

This workout can either be done at an outdoor pool with quick access to an entry/exit gate (check in with the lifeguard first so they know what’s happening when you bolt out of the water!), or it can be done at an indoor pool with easy access to a treadmill. Be careful when running on wet pool decks, and be sure to follow you pool’s rules so your workout doesn’t end in gym banishment.

Be prepared for this workout to feel incredibly uncomfortable for the first session or two, but allow your body to adapt, and later you’ll reap huge dividends while everyone else’s eyes are bugging out en route to T1.

Warm-up
10 minutes easy run, building slowly to 70% effort
5 minutes easy freestyle swim
4 x 25 with 15 seconds rest, descending pace per 25
4 x 25 with 15 seconds rest, building the pace from easy to 90% effort within each 25

Main Set
400 swim at 85% effort (Olympic-distance race pace) then jump out, run shoes on, immediately into
1 mile run at 85% effort
1 minute walk, then 50 swim easy recovery

Repeat main set 3x through

Cool-down
5 minutes easy jog/walk

More one-hour workouts