Innehållsförteckning för October 2017 från 220 Triathlon

UNDER £100 2XU THERMAL COMPRESSION £85 One of the finest base layers we’ve ever tested, with a soft internal thermal layer and a Lycra-infused outer. It’s flexible, warm and wicks well… and has enough compression to provide postural support during mid-run slumps. 2xu.com/uk UNDER £75 ODLO EVO WARM £50 The Evolution Warm mixes low-key style with assured outdoor performance, successfully keeping out the cold all the way down to –10°C. It’s quick-drying, has an antibacterial fabric to banish pongs, plus there’s minimal seams. snowandrock.com UNDER £50 FALKE TIGHT FIT WARM £39 Wallet-friendly with arm and back vents, minimal seams to minimise chafing and a high degree of arm movement due to the ‘flex zones’ on the shoulders and elbows. It’s light (just 130g) but offers plenty of chill-thwarting insulation. falke.com…

LENS Easily the most important thing when buying new goggles. Decide whether you like them to sit in or around your eye socket, then choose a tint that works for you. Blue or clear work well in the pool, but leave the darker tints and polarised lenses for open water. BUCKLE Ajusting your goggles should be easy and faff-free. Often you’ll have a simple buckle adjuster as shown here, although many will have some kind of button mechanism on each side. Make sure the strap will stay secure when adjusted, you need them to stay put! STRAP Snapping straps are a common cause of goggle failure, so check yours have a decent one – and don’t do them up too tight. A split or double strap (as on these) is…

DAVID MCNAMEE Born in Irvine, Ayrshire, 29-year-old McNamee won Ironman UK in 2015, and posted the fastest run time (2:49:52) at Kona the same year to finish 11th overall in 8:32:27. I ride the P5X for two reasons: Cervélo’s belief in me and my belief that they offer an incredible product. I bought a Cervélo when I first started long-course tri, so it was great to be back with them. The superior aerodynamics it offers along with the ease and range of adjustability really appealed to me. It also provides great integrated storage solutions, so you never need to worry about taping a gel to your frame ever again. From my first ride I felt at home, and loved how stable and stiff it felt when I started pushing hard.…

“I’d struggled to find anything to replicate the ‘club’ feel of the military since leaving the army in 2011” CLUB FEEL As an ex-soldier who enjoyed the ‘club’ feel of the military environment, I’ve struggled to find anything to replicate this since leaving the military in 2011. I play golf as well as cycle and hoped to find the missing camaraderie from local clubs, but sadly this wasn’t the case. After this year’s Prudential Ride London I decided to look at Portsmouth Triathletes and enter the world of multi-discipline events. I couldn’t have been happier with not only the friendly welcome and advice but the inclusive attitude from everybody and the fantastic support. I can safely say I’ve found my replacement and would say to anyone who’s considering joining a…

If in doubt, do more – right? Well, not really. There’s no doubt that triathlon is a sport where you have to cover decent amounts of training distance in order to be able to build fitness and be race-ready, but triathletes often fall into the ‘more is better’ trap and it becomes like a badge of honour to have beasted yourself for a couple of hours each week more than your club mates or to have achieved something more each week on Strava. However, if that same athlete is not backing it up with results then they need to think about their approach. Structuring your training and aiming to execute quality targets in every single session is far more beneficial and will produce greater results. There’s also an argument that…

COLLAR A high neckline is desirable in weatherproof clothing to stop the rain and wind from getting in. CUFFS It’s key that these are tight, as you don’t want the sleeves distracting from your handlebar grip. JARGON BUSTER SHOWERPROOF Most packable jackets are sold as being able to withstand showers rather than a full deluge, so are described as showerproof rather than full waterproof. DWR A feature of many waterproof and showerproof jackets, a durable water repellent layer allows water to bead up and roll off the garment. A packable bike jacket is often considered an essential emergency item that’ll see you through a shower, but not weather a storm; but thanks to the latest in lightweight, breathable waterproofing technology, all that is changing. Gore are at the forefront of…

“The position you’re looking to maintain is with your shoulders shrugged in towards your ears and your chin pulled down towards your stem” STRUCTURE Adding variety to your training will keep you focused and prevent you from stagnating. RECOVERY Sessions like this burn a lot of glycogen so make sure you recover with at least 30g of protein. PACE VARIATION This is critical to riding fast and strong. Gear selection is key so keep up the cadence. Working on your speed, power and position is the best way to make key performance gains on the bike. The biggest and easiest gains to be had are aero because your body is responsible for 80% of the drag you generate as you ride. And by reducing your frontal area you can start…

AVOID BIKE CHILLS Yep, the colder months are coming – and with them the need to layer up on the bike. Find out what you need with our handy guide on p32. TRAIN SMARTER Often, tri injuries can be avoided with a little attention to your training. Find out how you can do better on p38 with this month’s main feature. KEEP ON RACING! Every triathlete hates the end of season – so why not keep racing longer? We’ve hand-picked 15 awsome races still to come on p48. Subscriber update: From the 16/08/2017 we will be moving our customer service operations. This will not affect your magazine subscription and you don’t need to take any action. From this date your personal data together with any other data relating to your…

Vitamin D is known as the sunshine vitamin because, uniquely, our bodies create it from direct sunlight on our skin. It’s why vitamin-D deficiency is common in northern Europeans, with an estimated 70% of us not reaching optimum levels. Recent research from Germany, that reviewed numerous studies into the impact of vitamin D on athletic performance, showed just how important this vitamin is to triathletes. The team showed that over 30ng of 25-OH-D3 (the circulating form of vitamin-D) in 1ml of blood was sufficient to accelerate muscle regeneration after injury, while levels above 40ng/ml of blood protected against stress fractures. But, said the researchers, maximal physical performance comes from levels above 50ng/ml of blood. You can have your vitamin D levels tested from £28 (betteryou.com), and we’d advise consuming a…

 Polar’s new M430 heart-rate monitor watch offers chest strap-free 24/7 fitness tracking. It lets you workout without the strap because the 51g unit employs optical sensors to watch your pulse. The sensors use light to monitor the blood flow beneath your skin and, without a chest strap, you can comfortably wear it all day. That 24hr comfort means the M430 is able to track your sleeping in order to gauge how well you’re recovering. Of course, it also keeps an eye on your training thanks to its built-in GPS that tracks your run routes, speeds, distances and paces (it’ll also track your indoor activity but relies on wrist movement to measure your metrics). “ Built-in software allows it to test your fitness and devise personal training plans for 5km, 10km…

You gotta hand it to Michael Phelps. No sooner has he bagged his 23rd (yes, 23rd) Olympic gold and retired from pro swimming, than he’s busy putting his name to his own range of swim kit and racing CGI-generated sharks on the telly. If that’s retirement, then we’re really, really, looking forward to it... The most excitement we’ve had this month though, is the arrival in the office of these new MP Xceed goggles. Now if they look a little bling, that’s because they are. Based on the existing Xceed range (from £25.99) these premium gogs feature mirrored gold lenses as well as a titanium frame for lightweight strength. As well as those special touches, you get anatomical gaskets, MP-designed curved lens technology, a low-profile strap and interchangeable bridge. We’ll…

1 Windproof, waterproof and pre-curved to perfectly fit your riding position, the Madison Apex Softshell (£114.99) will keep even the worst weather at bay. 2 If there’s a chill in the air but not enough of it to justify a long-sleeve jersey, then the Mavic Vision Arm Warmers (£37.50) are the ideal solution. Roll them up when it’s cold and down when it’s not. 3 Mesh panels on your shoes make for cool feet in the summer, but come the winter, the cold air blasting through them turns your toes into icicles. Jump into a pair of Pearl Izumi Pro Barrier shoe covers – in ‘screaming yellow’ or black – (£44.99) to prevent your feet from freezing. 4 Pull on Gore’s Thermo Beany (£21.99) under your lid and it’ll ensure…

Triathlon can be frustrating as hell sometimes. You know the feeling. You’re training hard, you’re making all your club sessions, you’ve bought the latest kit – but still you’re not getting faster. In fact, your times may have fallen and your mates are dropping you on rides that you used to find easy. Plus, that niggle in your right knee? It just won’t go away… So what’s going on? Well, the good news is this is something that happens a lot and we generally don’t need to resort to expensive scientific testing to get to the answer. It’s just a case of looking a bit deeper at what we’re doing in (and out of) training and being honest with ourselves about what could be going wrong. There are several common…

Triathlon is an individual sport, for sure. Come race day, it’s just you against the clock. But when it comes to training, you should adopt a very different approach. We can learn so much from working in groups and there are only positives about training in a squad environment. A great example of this is when triathletes don’t like to cycle in a group, stating that it’s like drafting which isn’t allowed in racing (apart from draft-legal events) and so they go it alone or hang off the back of a group. Instead, they should be watching how others ride and learning from better skilled riders. The natural competitiveness that all triathletes have in them allows them to achieve more from their training sessions when there’s a friendly rivalry with…

We’ll happily admit that Lewis Pugh, the man who swims around Antarctica wearing just Speedos, is a tougher character than us. For as soon as October starts, we demand an open-water swim outfit that will keep us warm and prevent chilly water intrusion. Thankfully, from thermal wetsuits to base layers and balaclavas, there’s now a huge range of accessories to keep swimming as pleasurable as possible into the winter and beyond. Because, frankly, from the sea to reclaimed quarries and mountainside lakes, cold-water swimming provides an exhilarating surge of adrenaline, and much-needed variation to your training once the UK triathlon season has wrapped up. You’ll also emerge a stronger and mentally tougher open-water swimmer by the time the new season starts. As always, safety is a key consideration when it…

MAX EFFORT (RPE 9–10) Redlining. Things are getting very difficult at this level. You can barely breathe and are struggling to speak. At the top end, it feels almost impossible to keep going. VIGOROUS (RPE 7–8) The pain cave. Your activity is starting to become uncomfortable. You’re short of breath, but can speak a sentence. In short, it’s getting tough: but you can carry on. MODERATE (RPE 4–6) Adding some load. Things are starting to become more challenging. You’re having to breathe harder, but not so much you can’t hold a conversation. EASY (RPE 1–3) A ‘go all day’ effort. Light activity, which at the lower end takes hardly any exertion and towards number 3 is still easy enough that you feel like you could maintain it indefinitely.…

“Quality speed development work is rarely incorporated into training plans, but it can bring huge gains” FORM Keep tall, don’t let your hips sink. TECHNIQUE Keep pressure through your forefoot as if you’re running with bare feet. PACE Focus on a good toe-off at the back of your stride. You’ve built base fitness, developed your strength and upped your threshold. Now, before the season finishes, it’s time to put a fine edge on your run performance by adding speed. For many triathletes, especially those newer to the sport, run training tends to consist largely of building up the fitness required to cover the distance you’ll be racing over. Alternatively, you may have focused on increased volume, intensity or frequency. But to run faster, high-quality, short reps of speed development work…

 You’ve completed your first season in tri but don’t want to hang up the tri-suit just yet. Well, you’re not alone. But how best to make the move from three sports to two? And how should you pace yourself on each section? What should you even wear?! Here are our essential tips and tricks to racing duathlon. “Your body will often rebel on the second run so loosen up your hips and back after the bike leg” BUILD THOSE BRICKS The key to duathlon training is a weekly or fortnightly brick session. This can be: run-to-bike, bike-to-run or run/bike/run. The run/bike/ run option is ideal physiological training to simulate the fatigue of biking after a fast first run and then running off a hard bike ride. It also means you…

TRI-SUITS Comfort is key when buying a tri-suit. Ideally it needs to be supportive, lightweight and include pockets. Also check for any irritating seams. Here we’ve included both sleeved and vested options. DHB Blok Short Sleeve £76.00 Comfy, easy on the wallet and eyes. A major statement of intent from the brand. Issue 340 wiggle.co.uk BLUESEVENTY TX2000 £100 A top quality, good value performance suit with plenty of padding and roomy side pockets. Issue 337 blueseventy.co.uk ORCA 226 Race Suit £119.99 A flawless suit in execution and comfort. Stylish, techy and durable – ticks every tri-suit box. Issue 337 orca.com SAILFISH Aerosuit Comp €199 Comfortable, fast and great for warmer climes. A top quality suit from the German brand. Issue 341 sailfish.com LOUIS GARNEAU Course Lgneer £269.00 Excellent suit that’s…

Wondering what ‘bonking’ is, or where to find your M-dot?! Make things easy with our guide to common tri terms… ‘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 BILATERAL BREATHING Breathing every 3 strokes when swimming BONKING Running out of energy mid-race or training session BRICK SESSION When you ‘brick’ two disciplines together, e.g. bike & run CATCH The part of the swim stroke where you pull on the water DNS/DNF/DQ Did not start/Did not finish/ Disqualified DRAFTING Hitching a ride on someone else’s slipstream in the bike or swim HIT High-intensity training HRMAX Your maximum heart rate INTERVALS Intensive training using…

We take gear testing seriously – you need to know that the kit you buy will help you reach your goals in all three disciplines and work as hard as you on race day. Our test team is made up of experienced triathletes, cyclists and runners who test each product that appears in 220 to the max during training and racing, rating it honestly for performance and value. ROB BANINO Former 220 dep ed Rob has been riding and racing bikes on and off-road for over 20 years. October goals Refreshing my batteries ahead of the months of base training to come. JACK SEXTY A serious triathlete since blowing his student loan on a bike, sub-2hr Olympic athlete Jack moved to Ironman last year in Lanza. October goals To increase run…

“Rachel Joyce has had to race three Ironmans in three months to qualify for Kona” TIM HEMING Cutting through the spin of tri to address the issues that matter, Tim is also a sports journalist for The Times, The Sunday Times and The Sun. Serena Williams was eight weeks pregnant when she won the Australian Open in January, and if she makes the decision to return to pro tennis after giving birth, the sport will do all it can to embrace her. Not merely because of the 35-year-old’s commercial appeal, but because of a protected ranking criteria that takes into account her playing status before maternity leave. Williams can take advantage of the dispensation as long as she plays a tournament within 12 months of giving birth. Contrast this with…

“A 2k run’s a big deal for Marnie, so I’m really proud of her” JASON BRADBURY Jason, 48, is a TV presenter, children’s author and tri enthusiast. He’s best known for presenting The Gadget Show for 12 years. He’s now on a round-the-world tour with his wife Claire and their three children, Marnie, 12, Jackson, 10, and Harrison, 7. It was time to leave the Gadget Show, I’d been on it for 12 years. It was really good to me and taught me a lot, but the audience was shifting to YouTube and I wanted a little piece of that myself. It also came at a time when we were thinking of moving out of London but weren’t sure where we wanted to go, so my wife suggested getting a…

Let’s face it, as triathletes most of us like our food (and lots of it), but that doesn’t mean we have healthy diets. At some point most of us will have an inner voice telling us: ‘Well I’ve earned it as I did a really tough training session today’. Okay if you’re looking at a plate of chicken and rice, less good if you’re eyeballing a meatfeast pizza. It’s true to say that as we burn through big amounts of calories we might be able to eat large amounts of calories, but the quality of what we eat and when we eat is crucial to staying in great shape. If you owned a high-performance sports car you wouldn’t put the cheapest low quality fuel into it, and we need to…

There’s heaps of advice out there about how to train, when to train and what to do – but ultimately you are the best judge. As we’re all different, it means that there’s not a ‘one size fits all’ method of how to achieve your triathlon targets. The most common example of where we need to listen to our own bodies and the feedback it gives us is when deciding if we should train through fatigue and possibly injury. Triathletes are a very stubborn bunch! If this sounds like you, then this may be when your body starts to give you signals that you should pull back or stop altogether. But instead you carry on and end up missing days, or maybe a week of training rather than just a…

MEET THE TEST TEAM HELEN WEBSTER 220’s editor is your go-to for women’s multisport kit. MATT BAIRD Has spent years testing tri kit and accessories for 220. JACK SEXTY He’s a strong age-grouper focusing on top-end gains. ROB BANINO Is a journalist who specialises in all-things bike. JAMES WITTS He’s a published author writing about sports science. OUR RATINGS BUY NOW A GENUINE CLASS LEADER IMPRESSIVE ONE OF THE BEST YOU CAN BUY GOOD A DECENT PERFORMER AVERAGE IT’LL DO THE JOB WELL ENOUGH POOR SIMPLY PUT, DON’T BOTHER! “The minimal design looks cool, with a discreet logo and some subtle print on the otherwise stealth-black ensemble” FE 226 AEROFORCE €349 Very top-end tri-suit rated by the new Brit/Danish brand Fe226 is a brand new British and Danish venture,…

HIGH5 PROTEIN RECOVERY £41.99 (1.6kg) High5’s protein recovery drink contains 18g whey protein and 37g carbohydrate (dextrose, maltodextrin and fructose) per 60g serving, which works out at 27 servings per tub for £1.55 per drink. Whey protein’s what you’re looking for in a recovery drink as it’s loaded with muscle-repairing amino acids and digests far quicker than casein protein. This is important to maximise protein synthesis, which is at its highest for two hours after exercise. The chocolate flavour is arguably the nicest on test. High5 suggest you can consume with water or milk, but we’d advise taking with water as the body can struggle to digest milk after intense exercise and it slows down the absorption of the drink’s ‘goodness’. It also keeps costs down. highfive.co.uk VERDICT SIMPLE, TASTY…

“The best way to begin your off-season swim training is by identifying the areas that you need to improve” MAKE MOVIES Video analysis will give you a clear picture of what technique you need to work on. TEST YOUR SWIM Use specific swim tests to assess your swim fitness, stroke efficiency and pacing. BE SPECIFIC Swim at the specific pace you need to. Use a tempo trainer or the pace clock to keep you on target. The best way to begin your off-season swim training is by identifying the areas you need to improve. Performance-improvement goals for swimmers typically break down into three areas: increasing fitness; reducing drag (through better body positioning); and improving propulsion (by increasing stroke efficiency). This critical swim speed (CSS) session will test your current performance,…

The mornings are getting darker, the kids are heading back to school and your non-tri mates are getting ready to have you back for a few nights out… Yes, race season is nearly over and it will soon be time to treat yourself to a few drinks and the odd morning lie-in. This is also the period of the year when training time might be significantly reduced, as you back off a little and let your body have a rest. But before you ditch your training kit and replace it with your PJs and Netflix, let’s take a look at how to transition into the post-season recovery phase. It’s right to think that you should decrease the number of training hours, but you need to be careful not to completely…