Heavy Legs & New Challenges - My First Brick Session

The first nine weeks of training for Cycle for Sanctuary were just the warm-up.

Now, things are getting serious.

More miles on the bike, more time on my feet, and a whole new level of fatigue.

And today? I got a taster of what’s to come.

I tackled my first brick session—a workout where you cycle and then immediately run.

The name comes from how your legs feel when you start running: like you’ve strapped a pair of bricks to your feet.

Not Quite Elite Fuelling Standards 🍰

Now, ideally, I would have fuelled up with precision, loading up on carbs and electrolytes.

Instead, I spent the morning at a 5-year-old’s birthday party, listening to Elsa and Anna belt out Let It Go while I tucked into cheese and ham sandwiches…

followed by chocolate cake.

Not quite peak athlete behaviour...

By the time I set out at 4:30 PM, it was already dark, and the rain was coming down.

But 'the cold never bothered me anyway'

👀👀👀

Riding With The Wind 🚴‍♂️

With no planned route, I let the wind take the lead.

25 miles later, soaked and cold, I rolled back home, ready for part two.

I swapped my bike for running shoes, shook out my legs, and set off.

The first few strides were exactly as I expected—awkward, sluggish, and my frozen feet really gave that brick feeling.

But after a few minutes, I settled into the rhythm.

Five miles (ish), Forty-five minutes,

Done.

A New Kind of Challenge 🔥

Despite carrying fatigue from the past few weeks—both from training and life—I felt energised in a way I hadn’t in a long time.

There’s something about trying something completely new that reignites motivation.

Endurance training is weird like that.

Whether it’s your first brick session, first 10km, or first 100-mile ride, that mental battle is always there.

It’s different for everyone, but the feeling is the same—the struggle to keep pushing when everything in you is saying stop.

This session reminded me why I do this.

The challenge, the growth, the unknown.

And after years of endurance training, I think I see what’s next on the horizon…

An Ironman?

Maybe.

For now, it’s back to training. More miles, more brick sessions, and plenty more moments questioning my sanity.

🚴‍♂️🏃‍♂️ Want to support my challenge? Help me raise funds for Leicester City of Sanctuary, providing vital support to asylum seekers in need.

👉 Donate here: https://www.givey.com/robscycleforsanctuary

What’s the hardest training session you’ve ever done?