Indholdsfortegnelse for July 2022 i 220 Triathlon

PEARL IZUMI ATTACK £84.99 We love that this jersey’s fabric is made with recycled water bottles. Other top features include three rear pockets, a silicone rear grip to hold the jersey in place while riding, plus reflective detailing. pearlizumi.co.uk TRI-FIT SYKL PRO EARTH £99 Alongside the two standard rear pockets, this jersey features two clever side pockets for on-the-go fuelling in the aero position, while different fabrics deliver varying ventilation and wicking properties. tri-›tathletic.co.uk HUUB AVENTUS ONE £129.99 Premium fabrics combine with a zip garage, bonded shoulder seams and laser-cut ventilation holes to deliver a comfortable, high-quality garment for long rides. huubdesign.com…

Eric and Ernie, Ant and Dec, Ali and Jonny. As double acts go, for more than a decade mention ‘triathlon’ to the British public at large and the likely response is: ‘Brownlee Brothers.’ For the early part of their careers, the duo was inseparable on starting pontoons and not much further apart at the finish. Since Rio 2016 their paths have started to diverge, but until this year were always linked by Olympic ambition. Yet after being thwarted from defending his title in Tokyo 2020, Alistair finally made a clean break to long course. For Jonny, it’s the Commonwealths in Birmingham this summer and then head down to Paris 2024. We caught up with both to find out how they’re embracing their respective challenges… 220: Jonny, at 32, what’s the…

MEN’S As the high scores here testify, rumours of the sleeveless tri-suit’s demise have been greatly exaggerated. We’re a short-sleeve convert, but this test has made us fall for the vest all over again. We’d have no qualms in recommending the Aptonia suit for newcomers or anyone on a tight budget, but a £55 higher spend at the time of writing will produce the vastly superior Dhb Aeron 2.0. The Castelli is the king of the sprint-distance pool-swim tri, while the Zone3 is aero, comfy and slick… they just need to sort the zip. That leaves the techy Assos, Dhb and the 2XU vying for the title. And it’s the latter that wins the Best on Test gong for its versatility, comfort and compression, and with a pad that can…

SHORT-SLEEVED TRI-SUITS Performance is key for race tri-suits, so consider chamois, grippers and pocket options. Fabric should also be quick-drying and sweat-wicking. ORCA Athlex Aero Race Suit £149 Speedy yet supportive suit that’s highly breathable for warmer climes. Issue 404 orca.com CASTELLI PR Speed Tri Suit £300 Made to be highly aero, with feather-thin fabric and ample pocket storage. Issue 404 saddleback.co.uk ASSOS Triator SS Speedsuit £380 Oozes quality, with comfy chamois, honeycomb arms, and fast-drying material. Issue 404 assos.com STOLEN GOAT Upstart Tri-suit £160 Striking suit with aero sleeves, a split-front design, and comfy material. Issue 404 stolengoat.com TRI-FIT Evo Next Gen £189 Classy suit with silky-smooth fabrics and well-crafted tri flourishes. Issue 404 tri-fitathletic.com TRIATHLON WETSUITS These hit a range of abilities. Newcomers will look for greater buoyancy,…

CORNERLIKE A PRO Coach Craig Lane Benefit By the end of this session, you’ll understand the key aspects of cornering on a bike and apply them to most corners. Warm-up Ride around a good space for 15min, ideally with a line of other riders. Start in a low gear and increase cadence rather than speed. Change your hand positions and stand, then sit, regularly. Main set Mark out a large oval shape with cones in a safe environment. Ideally use different colours for different elements, like orange for straight, red for apex and yellow for bend. On your own or in a group, ride around the cones (with two bike lengths if riding with others). Pointers include: apply brakes before entering corner; stop pedalling with weight on outside of pedal;…

As summer approaches, it’s not only the race calendar that’s heating up. Yet the rise in temperature and humidity can have a disastrous impact on performance. Luckily, we can control our ability to deal with the heat to help boost performance. “60-90mins of acclimatisation per day for 10 days appears to elicit an effective response” The key to understanding the impact of heat on performance is linked to the balance between heat-gain and heat-loss. What’s important to remember here is that it doesn’t have to be scorching hot to negatively impact performance. The combination of high work rates, humidity, thermal radiation, and low airflow can lead to reduced performance at modest air temperatures, particularly for the non-acclimatised athlete. Heat acclimatisation (termed heat acclimation if completed in a simulated environment i.e.…

Q Can exercise cause varicose veins? A No – in fact, it’s almost the opposite. The more you exercise, the bigger your veins get because they must return blood back to heart, so the more you exercise the healthier the veins are. Without getting too scientific, the faster the blood flows up a vein, the more ‘shear stress’ there is on the wall and the more the cells in the vein wall secrete a substance called nitric oxide. This chemical keeps the vein wall very healthy. Q When should you use a massage gun? A You can use a massage gun as part of a warm-up to increase blood circulation and as part of an ongoing attempt to help improve flexibility. It can also be used in the hours and…

SIMPLE 20-30MIN WORKOUT Do 2-3 sets of 30-40secs with 10secs rest intervals for each exercise PELVIC SQUEEZES/KEGELS Pull in your back and front passage at the same time while lifting the pelvic floor internally – think holding wee/fart! PLANK Place your elbows or wrists directly under your shoulders, hands flat on the floor and core engaged. Keep your body in a straight line from knees to head. Hold, and engage in deep inhalations and exhalations. PELVIC TILTS AND LIFTS/GLUTE BRIDGE On back, knees bent, feet and knees positioned hip-width apart, rock the pelvis forward to tilt, then slowly raise your bottom and hips off the ground, gently lowering back down. DOWNWARD DOG On all fours, stretch out fingers wide. Tuck toes under and push body up and off floor. Press…

Despite the release of the Fenix 7, Instinct 2 and Epix 2 earlier this year, Garmin is already onto its next two launches – the Forerunner 255 and 955. The latter comes with solar charging and a smattering of the brand’s high-end features, plus a high price (from £519.99). But it’s the more affordable Forerunner 255 that we’re interested in here. Unlike its fellow newcomer, the 255 doesn’t come with solar charging, but is still said to manage 14 days of battery life in smartwatch mode and 30 hours in GPS mode. By those metrics, it should have plenty of juice to get you through most race days. Despite the reasonable battery life, the watch has been designed to feel lightweight on the wrist and comes in 41mm and 46mm…

My nutrition has changed massively in the last couple of years and working with Nigel [Mitchell] has really helped. Through nutritional changes, I’m in better shape now than I was at this point last year, and it’s a reason why I want to continue to Paris. “As someone who struggles from sugar highs and lows, I try and avoid sugary food in favour of something with high protein that stops me from reaching for the sweets and chocolates when I come back from a training session, and allows me that time window to cook a good meal. “When I was younger, I could pretty much eat what I want, train how I wanted, and get better. I eat a lot healthier now and I hope these changes mean I can…

KAYAKPRO SWIMFAST PRO £1,895 Can this home-training device revolutionise our swimming? Had the SwimFast been available to this tester during the UK lockdowns, we probably would’ve sold an internal organ to keep it and escape our giant paddling pool (yes, we were one of those lunatics swimming in freezing water tied to a fence). But arriving for review once the pools are open again, what’s the benefit of this machine to the average swimmer? The SwimFast is from KayakPro, which is the brainchild of Grayson Bourne, five-time Olympian and multi-medallist in the canoe sprint. The KayakPro offers a dryland training option similar to a rowing machine for canoeists/kayakers and, put very simply, uses similar technology to allow you to work on your swim technique. First up, it’s not cheap.…

Bone is the framework for your body; it’s a living tissue which renews itself constantly, old bone being replaced by new. Think of it as a bank account with deposits and withdrawals – the teenage years being the best time to ‘invest’ in your bone mass. Bone is deposited during childhood and adolescence as the skeleton grows, although peak bone mass isn’t reached until around the age of 30. Poor bone health can lead to osteoporosis and the increased risk of breakage, but the good news is that although the ‘withdrawal’ phase begins at 30, it’s never too late to work on your bone health. Along with regular weightbearing and resistance exercise, eating the right types of foods also helps. First off, you need sufficient calcium in your diet. If…

SWIM-SPEED RUT Q I don’t seem to be getting any faster in my swim. Help! Peter Yates A At a basic level, the solution to this is simple – breaking out of a rut requires you to practise swimming faster than you normally do. Here are some strategies that effectively accomplish that goal. The number one key to improving your speed is to practise swimming fast. That’s it! When you’re trying to improve speed, all that matters is swimming fast. Optimise your practise sessions for speed and set up your sets so you can swim fast. Keep the repetition number low, keep the distances short, and keep the rest periods high. This will allow you to swim fast. Then, just practise swimming, fast! You don’t have to apply this framework…

‘A’-RACE The most important race of your season AGE-GROUPER Non-pro triathlete (most of us!) AEROBIC Aerobic exercise involves or improves oxygen consumption by the body ANAEROBIC How much energy your body can produce without using oxygen AQUABIKE Race with just swim and bike elements, no run BILATERAL BREATHING Breathing every 3 strokes when swimming BIOMECHANICS The forces applied to your body during exercise BONKING Running out of energy mid-race or training session BRICK SESSION When you ‘brick’ two disciplines together, e.g. bike & run CADENCE Pedal rate on bike, in revolutions per minute (rpm) CARB-LOADING Eating a carb-heavy meal prior to a race to boost energy CATCH The part of the swim stroke where you pull on the water CORE STRENGTH Development of the stomach and lower back area in…

I’m retired but I was a consultant obstetrician. I trained in Liverpool in 1977 and, once finished, I wanted to have children. I was told that if I wanted a career in medicine, I had to be a GP as hospital medicine wasn’t really an option for those with children. Anyway, I had my four children and thought, ‘I do want my hospital career.’ So I went back and retrained, studying and undertaking exams. In 2011, when our youngest went to university, my husband Dave saw a job posted in Bermuda. He was in medicine, too. We had a long chat and off we jetted, though I still commuted back and forwards to the UK, two weeks on, two weeks off. Bermuda was where my triathlon journey started. It’s 22-miles…

1 @apinchof_fennell 2 months today until the triathlon! I’m training as much as I can, although I suspect it’s still not enough. 2 @diamondsmudger After a nearly 3-year break and not 100% where I need to be, tomorrow should be… interesting, but hopefully fun! 3 @celebsuett Great track session tonight and the monsoon finished just in time for a run in the sun! 4 @red_running_man Lovely open-water session today! 5 @ryzabovefitness We think someone wanted to come with us… 6 @paddlepedalpace Another awesome day training in the Brecon Beacons. I just love being in the mountains. 7 @road_between_140.6 Will 3 weeks be enough time to train for @unboundgravel ?! I guess we will find out. 8 @gotommogo23 Saturday brick session done right… absolutely boiling in the pain cave today. 9…

Alistair Brownlee Age: 34 Olympic medals: 2 – Gold, London 2012 & Rio 2016 Commonwealth medals: 3 – Gold, Glasgow 2014 (individual & mixed relay); Silver, Gold Coast 2018 (mixed relay) World Triathlon World Champion: 2 (2009 & 2011) World Series wins: 22 Ironman wins: 2 Ironman 70.3 wins: 5 Ironman 70.3 World Championship: 2 x runner-up Jonny Brownlee Age: 32 Olympic medals: 3 – Bronze, London 2012; Silver, Rio 2016; Gold, Tokyo 2020 (mixed relay) Commonwealth medals: 3 – Gold, Glasgow 2014 (mixed relay); Silver, Glasgow 2014 (individual); Silver, Gold Coast 2018 (mixed relay) World Triathlon World Champion: 1 (2012) World Series wins: 12…

Motor neurone disease (MND), called ALS or Lou Gehrig’s Disease in the USA, is a progressive neuromuscular condition where the motor nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord degenerate. The average survival time from diagnosis is between two and five years, although some people live much longer with the disease. Symptoms may start in the hands, feet, arms or legs, or speech or swallowing may be affected. On receiving the diagnosis, Sam and Emma started the charity, Stand Against MND (or SAM for short) to raise funds for research and local hospice care.…

You will have struggled to find a vested tri-suit in the aero-focussed pro field at the Ironman Worlds in St. George, but rewind to last summer and sleeveless suits were the overwhelming choice for triathletes at the Tokyo Olympic Games. Why? Well, as the 11 suits on the following pages will testify, vested suits offer more flexibility in the swim, they’re lighter, and you won’t experience any soggy post-swim shoulders. Sleeveless tri-suits are also generally cheaper, with the suits overleaf starting from a cost-of-living-crisis-friendly £29, making them the recommended option for athletes starting their multisport journey at pool swim and GO TRI events. What all tri-suits, sleeveless or not, should do is support you on the swim, bike and run. They shouldn’t feel cumbersome and heavy in the water, the…

PREP 10mins (+30mins to marinade) COOK 5mins SERVES 2 INGREDIENTS • 2 large or 4 small mackerel fillets For the spice mix • 1tsp each ground cumin, ground coriander • 1/2tsp each turmeric powder, hot chilli powder, ground ginger, salt • 1tbsp lime juice • 1tbsp olive oil • 1 lime, cut into quarters to serve For the salad • Pack of cherry tomatoes, cut into quarters • cucumber, chopped • 1 red onion, finely chopped • 1 green chilli, sliced • Handful fresh mint leaves, finely chopped • Handful coriander leaves, finely chopped • 1/2tsp cayenne pepper • 1/2tsp ground cumin • Pinch of salt • 1tbsp lemon juice First make the salad by combining all the ingredients together in a bowl and set aside. Add more salt or…

ANDREW SHEAFF Swim-speed rut Andrew is a swim coach at the University of Virginia, the reigning NCAA champions. KATE PERCY Omega-3 benefits Kate is a sports nutrition cook, author and keen amateur athlete. JESSE LAMBERT-HARDEN Iron deficiency Jesse is a nutrition coach, personal trainer and biomechanics trainer, specialising in female health and performance. PAUL LARKINS Big run recovery Paul Larkins is a former 1,500m international athlete. He’s raced the Ironman 70.3 Worlds and has edited Athletics Weekly and Running Fitness magazine.…

1 Get to your nearest pool or lido. When you swim, you build muscle (with pelvic floor muscles typically getting an extra workout), increase endurance and get the blood pumping, all without harm to your joints that can come from other high-impact workouts. Harvard researchers found that male and female swimmers in their 60s had sex lives similar to people 20 years younger. 2 Try a workout date with your partner. Studies show that challenging physical activities can ignite a spark in couples. Coordinate so you’re running at the same pace or working out to the same intensity and it can further strengthen your emotional connection. A small study from the Univerity of Quebec found that sex burns about 4.2 calories per minute for men, and 3.1 calories per minute…