Indholdsfortegnelse for October 2025 i 220 Triathlon

There's no disputing the fact that professional triathletes are in a class of their own. It can be easy to forget sometimes though – and bear with me on this – that they're just the same as the rest of us. Case in point is this month's cover star Sam Long. Despite being an undoubted racing machine, in our interview this month (page 22) he's upfront about the desire to improve his swimming, the emotional toll of the shorter-distance T100 events and his quest to get to Kona – not to mention all while supporting a young family. What I love about Long though is the pure energy that shines through his racing. From shouts of “Yo! Yo! Yo!” to adrenaline-fuelled fist pumps, he makes the hardest sport in the…

You can't really give a bike a name like the ‘SLiCK’ and not have it look the part. Luckily from the images landing across 220's desk of Factor's return to the triathlon bike arena, it looks very slick indeed. Factor tell us that the key to the design is the effort the engineers have invested to make this a practical bike that works specifically for triathletes, while also maximising the knowledge the brand has gained from its super bikes like the Ostro Vam and Hanzo Track. That practicality comes in the shape of a full-length storage box combining a bento box and hydration on the top tube with a down tube water bottle ensuring you should have everything you need for your race. Another stowage area is designed for tools…

I've tested four new sets of shorts over the page and they've all accompanied me on long runs as I train for an upcoming half-iron distance triathlon. There is one pair that is more of a cycling-short design (obviously without the pad!), two pairs with an inner short and one pair with an inner brief. Things to consider when choosing your shorts are which length you prefer (women's tend to come in anything from 3 inch to 6 inch, so think about how skimpy you like them), as well as whether you want a dual-construction with an inner, more close-fitting short. Light fabric that wicks away sweat is a good choice for the summer months. As for fit, make sure they aren't going to pinch your stomach (a sure way…

Most of us have bonked on the bike at some point in our lives – and despite the humorous name, it is actually a serious matter! ‘Bonking’ occurs when your energy (glycogen) stores become exhausted and your blood sugar levels are dangerously low. It's not pretty! Symptoms include disorientation, shaking, dizziness and total exhaustion. The trick to avoiding this is to keep wellfuelled on the bike. While gels have their place in an emergency, many riders find these hard to stomach if taken on a regular basis. For long rides, try carrying food you actually enjoy eating. And time your watch to make sure you keep topped up regularly. I hope you enjoy these four tasty bites, each containing a good balance of carbohydrate, protein and healthy fats to help…

TIM HEMING Cutting through the spin of tri to address the issues that matter, Tim is a sports journalist who has written extensively on triathlon for the national press. A pre-race email for the London T100 race got me thinking: is it time to mark a clear difference between people signing up for an enjoyable challenge and competitive amateur triathletes? The trigger was T100's note that should the temperature exceed 24.9 degrees Celsius (scarcely fathomable that we should even be contemplating this - welcome to 2025!), then wetsuits would be replaced with tow floats for the swim. Tow floats are small inflatables tethered to the swimmer's waist by a short cord. London is one of the biggest first-timer triathlons in the world, and mitigating the risk of putting thousands of…

“The Ironman swim is scary, the bike long… But it's the run where the suffering gets turned up to 11” The swim might be the scariest, the bike leg the longest. But it's during the 42.2km marathon run where the suffering can be turned up to 11 and finish-line dreams are made or broken. The bad news is the fact you've swum 3.8km and cycled 180km before you even get to the marathon run, something that makes jaws drop whenever you try to explain just what craziness you've signed yourself up for. The more welcome news is that, due to the combined swim and bike cut-off being 10:30hrs, you have some six and a half hours to complete the Ironman run course at Ironman Wales in Tenby – and even…

MICHELLE FARROW Michelle Farrow is an endurance athlete balancing training with a demanding career in veterinary. Ironman Leeds was Michelle's first full-distance triathlon and she is passionate about sharing the raw, real moments that define the Ironman journey and hopes to inspire others (women!) to chase big goals, no matter how chaotic life gets. Black Hill Road. Lap three. A biting headwind. My neck screaming. I glance up and see the same slope that's already broken countless riders today. And as the lads around me clip out and walk, I dig in. I stay on the bike. I'm not getting off. Not now. Not after everything. I also couldn't let the Sheep House Lane Wrestlers down… could I? Getting to this point was nothing short of a miracle. Training for…

MATT BAIRD Matt Baird is the managing editor of BBC Countryfile Magazine and the former editor of Cycling Plus. He was the features editor of 220 Triathlon from 2008 until 2021 and is also the author of the book Triathlon! “Reckon we're actually going out in that?” The pre-race chat in the car park above Putsborough beach in North Devon has almost exclusively focussed on the behaviour of the Atlantic Ocean's swell and surf. After weeks of tepid conditions, the sea is restless this weekend. It's had enough of the heatwave and wants to blow away some cobwebs. Or at least some triathletes. The murmur of pre-swim concern filters down into the Croyde Ocean Triathlon's expo area – the lofty position over Putsborough beach and proximity to the South West…

MARTYN BRUNT Martyn is tri's foremost average athlete and is living proof that hours of training and endless new kit are no substitute for ability. At risk of sounding like your teacher when they told you off for not listening at school because you were daydreaming about your new bike – what was the last thing I just said to you? If you can't remember, well last month I ended my column with these words: “It's not how many times you fall, it's how many times you get up without learning anything from the experience.” And boy did this turn into a prophesy this month - although alas the fall in question was a physical one rather than metaphorical. Yes, I have taken a tumble since we last spoke -…

I'll admit it: the thought of Morzine in the summer conjured up more images of melting cheese and mountain air than threshold sessions and brick runs. But that's exactly what brought me here - six days in the French Alps with Treacle Velo, a triathlon training camp I've grown to trust for support, and no-BS training. With Ironman Leeds looming, this wasn't a holiday. It was a calculated assault on complacency. Morzine doesn't ease you in. On arrival, you're greeted by winding cols, cold rivers, and gradients that don't care how fit you were last season. But that's the beauty of it. It strips things back. No hiding behind familiar routes or training ‘when it suits’. You get up, you train, you eat, you sleep… and you do it again…

The eyewear we've tested this issue is all suitable for running, but with plenty of crossover for cycling we've considered the overall appeal to triathletes who are looking for a pair of do-it-all glasses – after all, you wouldn't usually have two sets with you on race day. So, what am I looking for? Well, for a start, performance eyewear needs to be comfortable and fit well. If glasses are too heavy or pinch at the temples you aren't going to want to wear them for very long. I'm also looking for a fantastic field of vision that isn't impeded by the frame or edge of the lens. It also needs to act as a barrier between your eyes and wind, bugs and dust. On the bike, sunnies need to…

Those of you who've raced the Alpe d'Huez Triathlon will know the importance of climbing. At 13.8km long and an average 8% gradient, plus those infamous 21 hairpins, it's not for the fainthearted. In fact, it's those who can manage the beating of their strong hearts that excel, finding the sweetspot between effort, intensity and speed. The bike leg finishes atop this Alpine monster, but the skill of descending's required, too, when facing the rapid ride through the Oisans Valley. On a domestic level, if you can't ascend and descend, you'd better think again when it comes to the Brutal, Helvellyn and more. Of course, that's solely in the racing amphitheatre. For all of us, whether we're competing at a pimply Perranporth Triathlon or a pancake-flat Dorney, many of our…