Is compromised running the same as brick training?
They overlap. Brick training is a triathlon term for bike-then-run; compromised running covers fatigue from any source.
What Is Compromised Running?
Running with legs and lungs already fatigued from strength or station work.
Compromised running is running performed while the legs and cardiovascular system are already fatigued from something else — a heavy carry, a sled, a set of lunges, or simply an earlier run.
The term matters because a person's fresh running pace and their compromised running pace can be wildly different. Someone who runs a comfortable 5 km can find the same pace impossible 40 minutes into a mixed event.
It is a description of a condition, not a workout. Any running done after significant muscular fatigue qualifies, which is why it appears constantly in hybrid fitness and obstacle-race vocabulary.
What it measures
- How much running speed you retain once the legs are pre-fatigued
- Aerobic capacity under load rather than in isolation
- Ability to hold running form when tired
Why people track it
- In mixed events, the running portion is often the largest single share of total time.
- Fresh 5 km pace is a poor predictor of finish time; compromised pace is a much closer one.
- The gap between the two is highly individual, which is why it is measured rather than assumed.
Common questions
How do I find out my compromised running pace?
It has to be measured under real fatigue. A coached race simulation is the usual way people get the number.
Related terms
SkiErg
A standing machine with two handles pulled down together, mimicking double-poling on cross-country skis.
Rowing machine (ergometer)
A seated air-resistance machine measuring distance in metres, driven mostly by the legs.
Burpee broad jump
A burpee that finishes with a two-footed jump forward instead of a jump on the spot.
Want to do it properly, in person?
Knowing the definition is one thing. Pacing it, transitioning between stations and holding form when you're cooked is what our coaches teach in our workshops and race simulations at Fit 4 Life Club, Port Coquitlam.