Long Brick Workout Design: 4-Hour Ride + 1-Hour Run to Prepare for IM 226

Ironman 226 (3.8km swim + 180km bike + 42.2km run) takes 9–14 hours in total, pushing endurance sports to its limits. The long Brick is an indispensable key workout—it trains not only your fitness, but also your fueling, your mind, and your body’s ability to perform after 5 hours.

1. Training Goals of the Long Brick

1. Endurance stacking: Accumulate long-duration aerobic endurance
2. Fueling strategy testing: Find a race-day fueling plan that actually works
3. Heart rate drift management: Learn to hold your target pace even after 4 hours
4. Mental tolerance: Get used to the “tired but keep going” state
5. Gear testing: Discovering problems on race day is too late

2. Standard Long Brick Workout

4-Hour Ride + 1-Hour Run (Core IM-Distance Race Prep Workout)

Total time: 5 hours 8 minutes, matching the IM race segment split.

3. Fueling Strategy (5-Hour Long Brick)

Bike Segment (4 Hours)

Approximately 53g of carbohydrates and 260 kcal per hour—this is the standard IM race-day ration.

Run Segment (1 Hour)

Fuel every 20 minutes during the run segment to avoid excessive stomach pressure.

4. Heart Rate Drift Control

Prolonged exercise causes “cardiac drift”: power output stays the same, but heart rate keeps rising. Causes include dehydration, rising body temperature, and glycogen depletion. Acceptable drift range:

If drift exceeds 5%, check: whether hydration is sufficient (500–700ml per hour), whether carbohydrate intake is on track, and whether body temperature is too high.

5. Run Segment Pacing Strategy

After riding for 4 hours, the 1-hour run is not about “how fast you can run,” but “whether you can hold your race target pace.”

If the Brick run pace is more than 30 sec/km slower than expected, it means the bike intensity was too high or fueling was insufficient.

6. 12-Week Training Cycle

7. Recovery After the Long Brick

• 0–30 minutes: Consume 80g carbohydrates + 25g protein
• 30–120 minutes: Full meal, focusing on electrolytes and glycogen
• 2–6 hours: 30 minutes of easy walking / foam rolling
• 24 hours: Light recovery ride or swim
• 48 hours: Avoid high-intensity training

The long Brick is the most demanding workout in IM race prep, but after completing it 2–3 times, your confidence on race day will be completely different.

Related Reading

• IM 226 Finish Tactics — A Complete Guide to Fueling Rhythm, Negative-Split Pacing, and Body Temperature Management
• Short Brick Workout Design: An Efficient 30-Minute Ride + 10-Minute Run Training Template
• IRONMAN 36-Week Training Plan: Four Phases of Base, Build, Peak, and Taper
• Ironman 226 Full-Distance Triathlon Training: A 30-Week Journey from Zero to Finish