220 Triathlon Januay 2022

Now we’re firmly in the off-season, with the colder temperatures and darker evenings come new challenges. How will you adapt and find new ways of training? If swimming is your thing (as it is mine!), or you just need to improve for 2022, we’ve got a couple of options for you this month. Our training masterclass guides you through taking your tri swimming training into the pool (p72), so come race season you’ve got the core skills nailed ready for open water. On the flip side, this issue we also have endurance swimmer Ross Edgley exploring the need to ‘get wintered’ in your training and the benefits of cold-water swimming (p28)! I’ll be doing a mix of both, plus some muddy trail-running races, which for me are the closest thing…

Taking on the stunning off-road mountain bike trails in Majjistral Nature Reserve and crystal blue waters of Golden Bay, a hardy 110 triathletes took on Xterra Malta on 23 October. Winners of the main event, Jens Emil Nielsen from Norway (2:25:26) and France’s Morgane Riou (2:52:04), led the way along the 1.5km sea swim and 30km mountain bike amble over cliff top ridges and clay paths towards the famous Popeye Village movie set, culminating in a final 10km trail run. Sweltering temperatures accompanied 105 of the world’s top triathletes racing at WTCS Abu Dhabi on 5 November. The short sprint course was a pressure-filled affair, setting off with a swift non-wetsuit 750m, before a technical and winding 20km bike and a fast two-lap 5km dash to the finish. Jelle Geens…

More than 47,500 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer every year in the UK and around 11,500 men die. It’s statistics like these that prompted a team from Edith Cowan University in Australia to investigate potential treatments – and discovered that exercise can not only suppress tumour growth but fight cancerous cells, too. A clinical trial saw patients undergo regular training over a 12-week period, giving blood samples before and after the exercise programme. Researchers then took the samples and applied them directly onto living prostate cancer cells. “We saw a significant suppression of the growth of these cells from the post-training blood,” commented study supervisor Professor Robert Newton. Why’s down to the protein myokine, says Newton, as these are secreted by muscles during exercise. They potentially signal for cancer…

UNDER £13 ZONE 3 ERGO HAND PADDLES £12.50 Designed to help improve swim catch and pull strength through the water, these medium-sized, contoured hand paddles have both full hand straps and a single finger loop, making them suitable for varying levels. zone3.com UNDER £16 ORCA PRO PADDLE £15 Similar in design to the Head paddles, the Orca Pros have a large surface area and aim to improve a swimmer’s strength in the water. Two silicone straps attach round the wrists and middle finger for a secure grip. orca.com UNDER £20 HEAD FLAT PADDLE £18 These large, flat hand paddles from Head can be used for both strength pull training in the pool and swimrun racing. Straps are easy to adjust and quickly slip on in the water. head.com…

Yikes, what a mouthful! It’s hardly the most imaginative name, either. But luckily we’re not here to judge the semantics. Zone3 is aiming this product at anyone engaging in open-water activities, whether surfing, coasteering, swimming or paddle boarding. It features a claimed wind and water-resistant ‘Water Block’ outer shell and the brand’s ‘renowned’ Heat-Tech and Polar Fleece fabrics on the inside. The latter is said to control temperature through its heat-regulatory properties, plus absorb and wick sweat away while keeping you warm. Compared to previous changing robes in the Zone3 range, this latest edition is designed to be oversized, with a longer length, more generous sizing and longer arms. The brand hopes this’ll make changing easier, while still offering genuine protection from the elements. Additional features include a myriad of…

“I’d go for my infusions and then get on a plane and go to Lanzarote with my bike” When I was 40 I gave up smoking and adopted a healthier lifestyle. I joined Triathlon Inverness in 2012. By 2014 I was racing Ironmandistance including Outlaw and the Celtman. I do it for the social side and to keep fit. I was diagnosed with mesothelioma [a rare form of cancer that’s usually linked to exposure to asbestos] in 2016 and my health deteriorated. I had stage-three lung cancer but was still able to cycle 100 miles. Before diagnosis, I knew something wasn’t right. I did Ironman Wales and then a swimrun event, which didn’t go that well at all. I had to retire and it was my first-ever DNF. I just…