Innehållsförteckning för April 2017 från 220 Triathlon

Triathlon really is like no other sport. Sounds like an obvious statement to make, but just think about what’s involved for a second. First up, you have to train in three different disciplines, which also means finding your way to a swimming pool, a lake, a gym or decent roads for running and cycling. Not only that, but you also need to slot in some tri-specific skills such as brick sessions and transition practice, plus (if you’re anything like most triathletes I know) washing all your kit each week can sometimes seem like the fourth discipline! With this in mind, it’s no wonder then that the most common question we hear from readers here at 220 Triathlon is ‘How do I find the time to train?!’. After all, we’re not…

The 2017 British Triathlon rulebook amendments have become one of the most talked about in recent memory, with two key changes lighting up the multisport forums and social media. The new ‘Competitors can’t be accompanied by any non-competing person in the finish chute’ ruling attracted the most ire, with the Outlaw organisers the first to criticise the new rule on the race’s Facebook page. ‘Really... we’re a big supporter of BTF but not sure about this. Outlaws will be Outlaws!’ said a post that attracted 70 comments. ‘Come on BTF, let’s promote participation,’ said one post. ‘It’s the highlight of our littlest one’s year running down that red carpet. They’re the triathletes of tomorrow.’ Ironman brought in the finish rule in 2009 and reaction was mixed, with some lamenting not…

“I enjoy motor-pacing sessions the most. You’re able to get a really good drag from the scooter and focus on your pedalling and position at high speeds” Looking back on Rio now, what sticks out most in your mind? JAKE RICHARDS, VIA EMAIL For me, Rio was an amazing stepping stone and a life goal of becoming an Olympian is now completed. But I came back with a burning desire to return and do so much more. While I hated how the race turned out for me [he DNF’d after a bike crash], it was amazing to be part of Team GB, who really delivered. Do you think there’s still a place for a pilot athlete in the GB men’s team at top-level competition? KATIE BEECHES, VIA EMAIL I think…

NAME EUGENE GRANT AGE 47 PROFESSION Optometrist director FAMILY Married to Joanne (a busy GP), with three children (Oliver, 17, Elsbeth, 14, and Henry, 11) LIVES Ashover, Derbyshire TOP RESULTS 4 x top-10 Outlaw finishes and overall champion 2013 EUGENE’S KEY SESSIONS I try and see my swim, bike and run sessions as exercising rather than training. With this mindset I don’t get too upset if I’m not able to complete a particular session due to unforeseen factors. Keeping a sense of perspective is essential and not getting frustrated if training has to be skipped is really important for household harmony. After all, triathlon and training aren’t the most important things in the world… but aren’t far off! THE SWIM Time-crunched sessions should be uncomplicated and flexible. My swim session…

With 226 kilometres to complete, an iron-distance race is never an effortless day out. But some courses are more suited to newcomers than others. Multiple laps and calm swims, gently rolling bike courses, flat marathon runs, bumper crowds and calm winds will all provide more beginner-friendliness than the epic Norsemans, Brutals and Lanzas on the iron-distance circuit. So which is the most beginner-friendly iron-distance course in Europe? Following on from our Toughest Irons feature in 2016 (head to 220tri.com to see the results), over the next nine pages we pick our top 10 events that soften the entry into the world of Iron racing. In terms of housekeeping, races are given extra points for crowd size, the ideal water and air temp is set at 21ºC, and extra points are…

British bike brand Ribble are now 120 years old, and have never been short of fresh ideas. They claim to have been the first bike shop to introduce a mail order system in the late 1980s, and were pioneers of the online build-your-own bike concept. Their latest innovation isn’t entirely unique, but may be in terms of value and mass appeal. Standing for ‘Cross, Gravel, Road’, the CGR is touted as a true do-it-all for cyclists who demand versatility. Clearance for tyres up to 35mm, mud guards, full hydraulic disc brakes and a lightweight aluminium frame form the base of the CGR. Our version came specced with a Shimano Tiagra 10-speed groupset, Shimano RX010 wheels and a Deda headset, which brought it in under the £1k mark. One thing that…

CONTINENTAL GRAND PRIX 4000 S2 £49.95 www.conti-tyres.co.uk No other tyre here enjoys such a glowing reputation as the 217g GP4000 S2. Not only is it loved by road racers and triathletes for its speed (rolling resistance is 32.0 watts), grip and confident cornering, it’s also cherished by aero wheel engineers because, uniquely, it inflates into an egg shape rather than round, making a more effective combined airfoil with a wheel. This is worth a couple of watts, depending on your wheels, which potentially makes this the fastest overall tyre, especially for your front wheel. Its egg shape benefits cornering grip but slightly alters your bike’s handling, so confident descenders stand to gain the most. It’s 330TPI (threads per inch), the highest here, but its suppleness is only middling.…

220’s resident run coach and multiple ITU world championship winning tri legend Spencer Smith is here with some tips for choosing your perfect race shoes… SOME RUNNERS WILL use the same pair of shoes for training and racing, and in theory that’s fine if you feel very comfortable in your training shoes. WHAT I’D SUGGEST is having two of the same training pairs of shoes on rotation so they don’t become too tired or worn. If you do prefer a lighter racing shoe, again buy a training pair at the same time to prolong the life of both. HOW LONG YOUR shoes should last is always a moot point, because some runners are much harder on their shoes than others. I always make some notes when my shoes are changed,…

FAST TURNOVER Cadence can be a divisive issue among coaches as to how it can improve your swim speed and what works best for your stroke. Some coaches are adamant that your arms should turn over really quickly to generate power. But this can increase the risk of shoulder injury and use up precious oxygen. SLOW TURNOVER On the flip side, a very slow cadence can cause your swim speed to drop, forcing you to overwork and push through your stroke. But there are positives – a slow stroke rate means you can work on a strong body position and it keeps your body moving ‘over’ the water. BALANCE Personally, I’d recommend athletes find their own position somewhere on the spectrum. As you look to speed up, force your hand…

NAME Lisa Melvin AGE 40 HEIGHT 5ft 6in WEIGHT 62kg PROFESSION Company director TRIATHLON GOALS I entered the world of triathlon in 2010. Races include Escape from Alcatraz, the Alpe d’Huez Long and Outlaw Half. My 2017 race goals are Ironman Frankfurt, the Alpe d’Huez Short and the Henley Marathon Swim. NUTRITION CONCERNS/GOALS My diet is more or less free from added sugar. I avoid processed foods, but I’m still experimenting on fuelling for long-distance events using water, nuts and dried fruit I do have bouts of tiredness during the day and I’ve no idea if I’m taking in enough calories, protein, good fats, etc. to fuel optimally. My body struggles to process food types that it’s not used to, especially if I have a larger portion size. The only…

MISSED AN ISSUE? ISSUE 335 How to smash Ironman with Daniela Ryf; Get race ready in 12 weeks; On test: MTBs, race wheels, trail shoes… ISSUE 334 How to master a half-IM; First-race fears allayed; Race-shape sessions; On test: run jackets, £8k road bike… ISSUE 333 The ultimate guide to pool swimming!; Discover the 21 must-do UK races; On test: aero road helmets, turbos… ISSUE 332 20 performance lessons from Kona 2016; Essential winter technique sessions; On test: bike jackets, base layers… ISSUE 331 Conquer Ironman like a pro!; Must-do strength sessions; On test: £3k tri bike, helmets, goggles… ISSUE 330 How to build an Ironman body; 30 key off-season tips; On test: run shoes, bike lights, pool tools & more Why not complete your 220 Triathlon collection by ordering…

“We’ll be taking sports fans deeper into the inner sanctum than ever before” The Brownlee brothers, Spain’s Javier Gomez and reigning ITU world champion Mario Mola head a stellar cast for a new quickfire race series the organisers are heralding as the ‘future of triathlon’. Super League Triathlon, the brainchild of two-time Ironman world champion Chris McCormack and Russian billionaire businessman Leonid Boguslavsky, is a multi-format series where triathletes will compete for up to $1.5million in prize money. The first event takes place on Hamilton Island close to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef from 17-19 March and will showcase three of five formats – the Triple Mix (17 March), Equalizer (18th) and Eliminator (19th). Triple Mix will see triathletes swim, bike, run, with a 10min break from the time of the…

ELITE BABY BOOM Gwen Jorgensen, Nicola Spirig and Helen Jenkins all pregnant! NOWCASWIM New free, weekly open-water swim events created for 2017 IRONMAN AND ITU Tri giants announce historic collaboration on doping procedures CHAPEL TRIATHLON CLUB First UK club to make all athletes British Triathlon members OUTLAW HALF HOLKHAM New bike route and elite wave for Norfolk event CHALLENGE SAMORIN 20m drafting rule on the bike leg introduced at May’s Championship event LANCE ARMSTRONG Lukewarm reception to Texan’s talk at the Triathlon Business Industry Convention SPORT MAGAZINE Free Sport magazine to close after a decade of distribution OLDER CYCLISTS Warned to avoid compression clothing by University of Navarra research BETH GERDES Ironman winner given two-year suspension for unintentional ingestion of banned substance…

NAME Alison Rowatt AGE 35 PROFESSION Lawyer (35hrs per week) LIVES Edinburgh TOP RESULTS Overall Age Group winner, Ironman 70.3 World Champs, 2010 2nd, F30-34, Ironman World Championships, 2013 & 2015 2nd, F35-39, Ironman World Championships, 2016 ALISON’S KEY SESSIONS THE SWIM I’m a bit of a groundhog when it comes to swim sets, but if I’m short on time and want to do a quick blast a good 2km total set is: • 400m easy warm-up • 4 x 100m hard • 300m pull • 3 x 100m hard • 200m easy swim • 2 x 100m hard • 100m pull • 100m max THE BIKE I do this great summer bike hill reps session on Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh. It’s a winding hill just over 1km long with…

NAME Rachel Hallam AGE 32 PROFESSION Sheep farmer LIVES Tetsworth, Oxfordshire TOP 3 RESULTS 1st, F30-34, Ironman Arizona, 2016 1st, F30-34, Ironman Lanzarote, 2016 1st, F30-34, Ironman UK, 2015 There are many assumptions about farmers but one that’s safe to repeat is that they work long and often very anti-social hours at specific points during the year. For sheep farmers this is shearing and lambing and, in spring 2016, just weeks before Ironman Lanzarote, Rachel Hallam, 32, was in the thick of it. “It’s incredibly difficult to train in March because we’re lambing and it’s so time-consuming,” says Rachel. “My dad and I do shifts and I usually take nights. I fit in training where I can but the animals are the absolute priority and I won’t get more than…

Triathlon Vitoria-Gasteiz celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2016 and regularly draws thousands of European triathletes to northern Spain for its full- and half-iron races. And what a beauty it is, with picture postcard rolling hills, a medieval city centre marathon and some of the greatest food and (post-race, of course!) wine in the nation. “The Vitoria-Gasteiz Triathlon is ideal for your first long-distance race,” says the hugely-experienced British iron athlete Yvette Grice. “The swim takes place in the clean and beautiful Ullibarri-Gamboa lake outside the town; the bike is rolling with a good road surface and with wonderful views of the Alava Plains; while the run is where the race really comes to life, with three laps starting and finishing in the medieval quarter of Vitoria-Gasteiz. “It can get pretty…

Fresh from being named our most beginner-friendly iron triathlon in Europe (see p70 ›, we’ve teamed-up with the organisers of the Outlaw triathlons, OSB Events, and leading triathlon brand Blueseventy to offer one charmed reader the ultimate race package. The winning entrant will be able to pick a spot at either the Outlaw Half Holkham on 2 July in Norfolk or the full Outlaw at Holme Pierrepont in Nottingham on 23 July. You can take on the races singlehandedly or find two friends and compete as a relay team. The Outlaw Half Holkham began life in July 2016 as a roaring success. The debut race welcomed nearly 1,000 athletes to northern Norfolk to take on the 1.9km swim, 90km bike and 21.1km run disciplines in the stunning surroundings of…

This Cento is the seventh generation, and in the grand scheme of Wilier’s existence it’s very much of the modern age: the brand started in 1906 in the Italian town of Bassano Del Grappa. When this bike was launched last year, it marked Wilier’s 110th birthday, hence the name. There’s nothing remotely retro about this bike, though. But if it doesn’t look all that aero, it’s because Wilier have switched to Kamm-tail tube shapes, using aero profiles derived from work by NACA, the US National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, the godfathers of aerodynamics in the post-war jet era. A Kamm-tailed profile is like a traditional airfoil but with the pointy end cut down, so from some angles they can look chunky. With more frontal area there’s a sacrifice in drag…

Wrequires e want to two know separate how the methods tyres ride . The and first how is simple fast they – we are rode , but this them hard for hundreds of miles in all weathers. But tyre speed is about rolling resistance and it isn’t possible to test this with sufficient accuracy on the road, even with a power meter. So, in partnership with Ben Delaney at Bikeradar.com, we sent the tyres to Wheel Energy in Finland, where each tyre was mounted to a wheel, inflated to 8bar (116psi) with an identical butyl tube, and run at 40km/h with a 50kg load on a drum that simulates a real road surface. The machine accurately measures the power required to keep the tyre spinning at a constant speed. ZIPP…

THE SHOES ON test here represent a wide spectrum of options for tri race day, ranging from the light racing flat that is the Brooks Hyperion to the plush cushioning of the Adidas Supernova. There are some shoes we scored highly that could be totally unsuitable for a heavy heel striker who’s averaging 8min/mile or more in a race, so read between the lines and consult with an expert in your local running shop to decide if our recommendations are right for you. OF THE LIGHTER SHOES on test, we were most impressed with Asics and Saucony. Both are the same weight and, at just 10g more than Brooks’ Hyperion, offer more support. For good value and all-round performance, New Balance take the prize, and our other honourable mention goes…

“Now the weather’s starting to improve, you can ditch your heavy winter clothes and start to feel more racy” If you’ve followed my bike workouts diligently through the winter, getting out for your long ride and nailing the turbo once or twice each week, then congratulations! You should’ve noticed a significant improvement in your cycling fitness, and have hopefully enjoyed the variety and progression more than just grinding out typical winter miles. If you haven’t already done so, it’d be a good idea to schedule in a threshold test to check that your measurements, and the resulting training zones from them, are accurate. This is crucial, not only for this month’s indoor session, but for precise race pacing. Now the weather’s starting to improve, you can ditch your heavy winter…

BASE Before you start this session, be sure to have a solid aerobic base. Don’t expect the body to perform without having the fundamentals in place. FINISH Think long term. Start the session a little under paced and increase the intensity as your body adapts. Start strong, but finish best. REST This is a key session, so give it the respect it deserves before and after the session by being well rested. KIT CHECKLIST LIGHTER TRAINING /RACING SHOES RUN SHORTS OR TIGHTS BASE LAYER IF NEEDED WARM-UP 5mins easy @ PE 2-4* 5-10mins @ PE 5-6 2 x [30secs building from PE 4-7 by the end of the 30secs; 1min jog] Recovery shuffle (slower than a jog). Let heart rate (HR) drop before commencing main set MAIN SET If you’re…

“It’s not about increasing the volume of calories or food, but rather changing the composition of food” We all know that longer endurance sessions are about helping your heart adapt at a cellular level, as well ensuring that you’re able to maintain technique over a long duration, when the body will naturally start to become fatigued. So it’s not about covering a certain distance in a given time frame, but more: ‘Today I’m going to go out on my bike for three hours!’ This helps the body to adapt. For example, it helps cyclists endure sitting in the saddle for long periods, providing both physical and psychological preparation. Nutritionally, these are very interesting sessions to fuel. On the one hand, they’re at a low-to-moderate intensity so we know physiologically that…

CARB SNACKS Athletes benefit from carb-based snacks prior to training, such as: oatcakes & pb, cereal bars, dried fruit & nuts, & yoghurt smoothies. GO GLUCOSE Studies have shown that easily absorbable carbs, such as glucose and fructose, are best for optimal performance. DAIRY Aim for 3-4 daily servings of dairy to aid recovery and provide calcium for optimal bone health. E.g. Greek yoghurt with fruit & honey after meals. RECOVERY After high-intensity training, your muscles need easily absorbable carbs such as milk sugar to replenish glycogen stores.…

One-piece or two-piece tri-suit? I just can’t decide! EMMA HENRY, TWITTER Put simply, a one-piece provides better coverage and a two-piece makes toilet stops (and getting in and out of your kit) easier. Reported aero gains in one-piece suits may appeal more to speedsters, but the difference is negligible if you spend more time removing it in a Portaloo should nature call. Consider how long you’ll be racing and what distances you’re targeting first. And try both before you buy: one-piece suits can feel restrictive, while two-piece tops can ride up. Should my arms be moving much while I run? GRACE NEIL, FACEBOOK Although it’s true some notable runners display little arm movement, swinging them will give you more momentum and uses less energy. Keep your hands relaxed, arms slightly…

MACCLESFIELD OFF ROAD DU Macclesfield, Cheshire 4 Feb ’17 Some races are tough, others are brutal… this one was definitely the latter! The setting was the magnificent Macclesfield Forest, possibly my favourite training area in the North West due to the fabulous trails and epic views across Manchester and beyond. Race director Anthony had devised a course to really test both the fell runner and mountain biker. As a duathlon age-grouper preparing for the European Championships in spring, I saw this as ideal prep. I set off eagerly from the gun, only to be faced with an extremely challenging 300m climb from the visitor centre to the summit of Shuttlingsloe, infamously known as ‘The Matterhorn of Cheshire’! After this lung-busting ascent through the forest, the run route heads out onto…

A quiet month on the UK calendar saw numerous Brits heading overseas to race in warmer climes, and nowhere was the standard higher than Ironman 70.3 Dubai on 27 January. While the pro race saw a triumphant return for five-time ITU world champion Javier Gomez and yet another comfortable win for Kona course record holder Daniela Ryf, Brits dominated the age-group ranks with nine winners across all AG categories. Of special mention is Brian Fogarty, who outsplit Gomez on the bike with a blistering 2:02:45 for the 90km on his way to winning the 30-34 category in 4:04:01; and Aimee Wright, who finished a huge 9mins clear of second place in her 25-29 category in 5:15:12. Back in Blighty, the sprint-distance Westhill Duathlon on 22 January was won overall by…

Now in its fifth year, the family-run Grafman started life as a double-race event alongside a standard distance (which is now run separately and this year takes place on 6 August). As a single event, the Grafman made its mark on the UK calendar in 2016 when it was chosen to host the British National Middle Distance Champs. The race has also won multiple awards from English Triathlon, including best commercial event in 2014 and 2016, which is understandable given the accessible entry fee of just £100. Key people to have raced the Grafham Water course include the fastest woman out of the water in Kona 2015, Lucy Charles, who regularly takes part, and her top-end triathlete partner, Reece Barclay. And here to provide course-busting tips for all future competitors…

EUROPEAN CHAMPS QUALIFIER WORLD CHAMPS QUALIFIER BRITISH AGE-GROUP CHAMPS RACE TRIATHLON ENGLAND NATIONAL CHAMPS RACE COTSWOLD SUPER SPRINT TRIATHLON When 7 May 2017 Where Cirencester, Gloucestershire Distances 400m swim, 20km bike, 5km run Course Lake swim, flat bike and run courses Race highlights Perfect for beginners; a free open-water swim seminar is held the day before the race Contact www.triferris.com GUILDFORD TRIATHL ON When 11 June 2017 Where Guildford, Surrey Distances 500m swim, 22km bike, 5km run Course Pool swim, undulating bike and run Race highlights This beginner-friendly sprint-distance event is hosted at Surrey Sports Park with state-of-the-art facilities Contact www.aat-events.com MACMILLAN LEEDS TRIATHLON When 3 September 2017 Where Leeds, Yorkshire Distances Various distances Course Lake swim, undulating bike and run Race highlights Hosted at Roundhay Park, the…

“A heavy month of testing means running with two watches, various accessories and new shoes every day is now the norm!” “Pounding the hills of the West Country in training for a trek through the Grand Canyon in March. They’re similar, right?” Editor Helen Webster helen.webster@immediate.co.uk Deputy Editor Liz Barrett elizabeth.barrett@immediate.co.uk Art Editor Neil Donnelly neil.donnelly@immediate.co.uk Features Editor Matt Baird matthew.baird@immediate.co.uk Staff Writer Jack Sexty jack.sexty@immediate.co.uk Deputy Art Editor Nathaniel Brain nathaniel.brain@immediate.co.uk Digital Editor Debbie Graham debbie.graham@immediate.co.uk…

1 PROarm Panel PROarm proprioception panels allow for stroke feedback, promoting flawless technique and maximum power transfer. 2 FLEXlift AEROdome 6 strategically placed panels for exceptionally balanced buoyancy. 3 . FLEXskin 0.5mm of super flexible neoprene is fully coated with Super Composite Skin Nano coating for the ultimate combination of flexibility and speed. 4 Optimal Kick Design Zoot’s proprietary leg patterning works with the anatomy of the swimmers legs to increase kick velocity, frequency, and efficiency.…

2018 EUROS NEWS The organisers of the new Glasgow 2018 Euro Champs have confirmed that age-group tri will feature. Triathlon will be the only sport to host amateur racing at the elite-dominated, four-yearly multisport concept. Berlin (athletics) and Glasgow (tri, cycling, rowing, gymnastics, aquatics and golf) are the co-hosts for the 1-12 August 2018 showcase, with age-group tri qualification currently TBC. NEW CHRISSIE BOOK Four-time Ironman world champ Chrissie Wellington has announced her latest book: To the Finish Line: A World Champion Triathlete’s Guide to Your Perfect Race. Available from 27 April, the book, produced with 220, offers advice on everything from planning your races and training, to exercising during pregnancy and how to tri on a budget. KIDS TRI KIT Top children’s tri brand Dolphin Kick has launched a…

“It will seem anathema that of all the 2017 events worth signing up to, I’d recommend that you choose Leeds” The 2016 World Triathlon Series (WTS) event in Leeds was a highlight of the triathlon calendar. It was also a shambles. Even the sight of Alistair Brownlee running to victory on home turf to show his Olympic credentials wasn’t enough to lift the mood of shivering amateurs desperately trying to relocate lost transition bags. The television coverage was captivating: the always-compelling Brownlees pulling a move on the bike to distance Javier Gomez and steal the race. But the angry hordes on social media told a different tale of an age-group experience that left much to be desired. But inaugural races often have teething problems, so why dredge up the past?…

NAME CAROLINE LIVESEY AGE 37 PROFESSION Civil engineer and pro athlete LIVES Harrogate, Yorkshire TOP 3 RESULTS 2nd, Ironman UK, 2015 3rd, Ironman Lanzarote, 2015 5th, Ironman Lanzarote, 2016 CAROLINE’S KEY SESSIONS THE SWIM If the pool’s busy, try fartlek with mixed-pace efforts. WARM-UP AND BUILD 200m individual medley 200m kick, 200m pull, 200m swim 8 x 25m as: 25m hard FC, 25m easy backstroke MAIN SESSION 4 x 200m hard, rest interval (RI) 30secs 100m easy 4 x 100m hard, 20secs RI 100m easy 8 x 50m hard, 10secs RI 100m easy 4 x 100m odd pull, evens hard, 20secs RI 3 x 100m max DPS (distance per stroke) COOL-DOWN 200m easy THE BIKE Here’s a short turbo session that’ll test you. WARM-UP 10mins steady 10mins as 1min on/1min…

Held since 2011, the Hardman has been a pioneer of long-course racing in Ireland and will once again host the Irish Long Distance National Championships this year. And much of those racing are iron first-timers, like Declan Kenny was in 2016… “When you’re tackling your first Ironman distance, you need all the help you can get. With Hardman, you get this in spades,” says Kenny (unironedman.com), who finished 51st in 2016. “From registration to race start, and throughout the day, right through to the breakfast next morning, you’re not so much a number as part of the family. “The lake was lovely to swim because it’s a looped three-lap course so you never feel far from shore. The water temperature is pleasant, too. The bike is more a challenge with…

Much-loved since its inception in 2010, this regular winner of the 220 Triathlon Award for Race of the Year offers quite possibly the friendliest atmosphere of all UK Irons and showcases all of event organiser One Step Beyond’s exhaustive race-day knowhow. “I chose The Outlaw because I’d heard it’s known for being considerably flatter than Ironman UK,” says Jason Stott, who finished in 302nd place in 2015. “Registration is a breeze the day before, and you can get set up quickly with no hassle. After the lake swim, the bike course is a flat-ish 180km of rolling tarmac. The course is three laps (one and three are the same), making it easy to mentally divide up. The bike feed stations are long and the support is excellent, before the run…

RESEARCH 220’s former editor James Witts is now a freelance writer for a plethora of cycling titles. His first book, The Science of the Tour de France, is on sale now. SWIM John Wood is an award-winning tri coach of 10 years, and a former international swimmer. He’s also competed in triathlon in all distances up to Ironman. BIKE Freelance writer Nik Cook is an experienced multisporter who has run the Marathon des Sables, won the 2010 6633 Arctic Ultra and competed for Team GB in duathlon. RUN Spencer Smith is a three-time world triathlon champion who won half of all the races in which he competed. He now heads up S2 Coaching in Tampa, Florida. PLAN Dermott Hayes is the head coach of the London-based multisport-specialist coaching outfit RG…

POSITION Perform as much of the ride as possible in race position. STILLNESS During the efforts especially, keep your upper body still and relaxed. BUILD If using HR, build into the efforts as it’s easy to go too hard. KIT CHECKLIST A FLAT OR UNDULATING ROUTE WITH A GRADUAL HILL RACE BIKE HEART RATE MONITOR AND/OR POWER METER ARM WARMERS, KNEE WARMERS AND GILET IF NEEDED WARM-UP Spend the first 15-20mins of the ride building progressively through Zone 1 (Z1, 74-84% of maxHR), then aim to hold at a consistent Z2 (85-88%). MAIN SET 5mins: Z4 (95-100%), 90-100rpm5mins: Z1 (74-84%), easy spinning3mins: Z5 (100%+), 90-100rpm3mins: Z1 (74-84%), easy spinning Repeat for a total of six reps 10mins: Z1 (74-84%), easy spinning2mins: Z5 (100%+) 90-100rpm4mins: Z1 (74-84%), easy spinning Repeat for…

INCREASE CARBS Up to 48hrs prior, aim to increase the carb composition of your diet. E.g. Add banana to your porridge or swap houmous with veg for two slices of malt loaf. 2HR+ RIDES During any ride over 2hrs, aim for 30-60g of carbs every 30-45mins in the form of real food (bananas) or sports-specific food (energy gel or 500ml energy drink). RECOVERY Aim to take on fuel within 30mins of finishing – 500ml of milk or flavoured milk makes an ideal choice. This can then be followed with a balanced meal within 2hrs.…

MEET OUR EXPERTS HERE TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS SWIM JOHN WOOD is an award-winning triathlon coach of 10 years and a former international swimmer. As well as coaching, he’s also competed in triathlon in all distances up to Ironman. BIKE GREG WHYTE OBE is a pre-eminent authority on exercise physiology and sports and exercise performance in the UK. He has extensive experience assessing, treating and improving the performance of athletes. NUTRITION JO SCOTT-DALGLEISH is a registered nutritional therapist who specialises in working with endurance athletes to improve both performance and health. She’s also a recreational triathlete. SPORTS SCIENCE ANDY BLOW is a top-10 Ironman finisher, triathlon coach and founder of Precision Hydration, a company specialising in sweat analysis and tailored sports hydration for athletes in all sorts of sports. SEND…