Innehållsförteckning för January 2018 från 220 Triathlon

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is one of the classic books and films of the 20th century. In it, R.P. McMurphy fakes insanity to escape hard labour, ends up in an asylum and is subjected to electroconvulsive therapy. It scarred psychiatry for years but a similar technique called transcranial direct current stimulation is experiencing a surge in interest, notably when University of Kent researchers, led by Dr. Lex Mauger, discovered that stimulating the brain by passing a mild electrical current over the scalp increased time to exhaustion of 12 cyclists. Mauger says increased brain activity in the area associated with muscle contraction not only extended endurance but also saw a lower perception of effort. The work follows Red Bull’s ‘Project Endurance’ a few years back, which involved…

Hummel are best known to many for producing some of the greatest football shirts in history, including the 1986 World Cup classic of their native Denmark (current eBay value £250) and the Gazza/ Lineker-era Spurs kit. Following the launch of their vast 2018 sporting and athleisure collection, Hummel have now made their first-ever appearance on 220 Triathlon’s pages with their Billy Zip run jacket. And a stylish number it is, too, with Hummel’s distinctive arrows on the arms and a navy, red and ‘thyme’ colour scheme. But there are plenty of performance additions here as well, with the hood boasting an engineered design for maximum comfort and protection in the wind and rain. There are reflective elements on the back and on the zippers for visibility in low-light conditions, a…

Kitting-out multiple triathlon and road cycling superstars, including Gwen Jorgensen, Javier Gomez, Tim Don, Philippe Gilbert and Marcel Kittel, Specialized have long performed at the pointy end of two-wheel racing. And their new S-Works 6 road bike shoes are targeted at delivering both explosive speed and superior comfort for endurance riding. The American heavyweights are aiming to achieve this with their ‘stiffest and lightest’ (and currently patent-pending) carbon outsole yet for maximising power transfer. There’s also a new PadLock moulded heel, what Specialized are calling a ‘revolutionary’ improvement in the strength of the upper (for achieving a superior fit) and the proven Dual-Boa wiring closure system. The weight per shoe comes in at a lean 224g and there’s an ergonomically-designed footbed for added comfort. We’ll be testing the S-Works 6…

1 We’ve long been fans of hip US tri tee brand Endurance Conspiracy, who offer a range of casual multisport and cycling wear like this tee (£22) from their home in Boulder. 2 Everyone needs a new pair of socks for Christmas, so why not go for the CEP Nighttech compression socks, (£39.99)? These offer reflective dots, targeted medi compression and close-fitting foot sections aimed at blister-free running. 3 Still storing your multisport medals in a biscuit tin? Enter The Runner’s Wall with their Multi Tier (£34) and stainless steel medal display hanger. 4 Written in collaboration with 220 , Chrissie Wellington’s latest book, To the Finish Line, £18.99, is filled with training and nutrition tips, easily-applicable advice and inside triathlon info from the four-time and undefeated Ironman world champion.…

“Ironman 70.3 Staffs was expensive, but I felt it represented good value for money” STAR LETTER COUNTER VIEW I read with interest the letter from Matt Grantham about being priced out of the sport (FAO 220, issue 344). I wanted to offer a counter view. I’m new to triathlon, coming from a running background where I could enter races for 20 or 30 quid, so suddenly paying £200 for a branded event seemed incredible. But once you take part in one, you get to appreciate the organisation that goes into laying them on. I did IM 70.3 Staffs this year. That split transition alone must be a logistical headache to set up and staff over the weekend! Then you have all the water safety, the road marshals, car parking on…

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! “Wattbike Hub lacks the entertainment of Zwift and the detail of Trainer Road, but there’s still a tonne of data to analyse” MOST WANTED WATTBIKE ATOM £1,499 We rate Wattbike’s move into the home-training market The original Wattbike is approaching…

“Hitting the sweetspot allows you to make the biggest gains in overall power and push your threshold higher” BIKE SWEETSPOT SESSION DURATION 1:30HR COACH MATT BOTTRILL With the winter nights drawing in, we’re running out of daylight hours. But this is manageable with the right training. And the best way to build form and fitness at this time of year is to hit the ‘sweetspot’ (87%-93% of your functional threshold power or ‘vigorous’). Here, you can make the biggest gains in overall power and push your threshold higher. Starting with 2 x 15mins within your weekly training, once or twice a week, you’ll soon start to see fitness gains. I say to my athletes, once you hit the 60-70min sweetspot you’ll be bulletproof. The idea with this session is…

While we’re waiting for the UK water to warm up – a long wait, granted – consider doing a duathlon, to help fine-tune your transitions and bike-to-run pace. This eight-week plan for a standard-distance duathlon (10km run/40km bike/5km run) will provide you with all of the strength, speed and race-pace sessions that’ll get you ready for the world of run-bike-run. If you’re targeting a sprint-distance du then use the plan but consider reducing the overall volume by 20-30%, especially on the longer endurance sessions. Duathlon is a run-heavy sport so the plan overleaf reflects this. If running is a weakness at this stage, the eight-week plan will improve your performance and can be carried through to the tri season. Due to the heavy amount of running, make sure you do…

GOOD AVOID FRYING & GRILLING Delicious as fried or grilled bacon and sausages might be, it would be better to bake them slowly at a low temperature in the oven. Higher cooking temperatures can create chemical reactions that may produce compounds that potentially damage your DNA, raising cancer risk. BETTER ADD HEALTHY FATS Get extra nutrition from your breakfast by including healthy fats. Try smoked salmon instead of bacon or sausage for some omega-3 fat to support immunity, heart health and your nervous system. Add an avocado for anti-inflammatory monounsaturated fat – it’s delicious on toast. BEST GO VEGGIE For an optimal cooked breakfast, give processed meats like bacon, sausage and ham a miss altogether, as eating these foods too often is linked to an increased risk of bowel cancer.…

What are my drinking options on a tri bike? There are several: normal bottle behind the saddle; aero bottle on down tube; normal bottle between aerobars; aero bottle with straw; and normal bottle on the down tube. Each have their own benefits and drag considerations. Personally, we’d opt for a regular drinks bottle zip-tied between the aerobars – aerodynamic and convenient. You just need to be comfortable, so always practise with your preferred set-up. How do you find your fat-burning zone? There are three ways: 1. Figure out your max heart rate (220 minus your age). Your fat-burning zone is 60-70% of your max heart rate; 2. Use a fitness app, like Wahoo Fitness, to calculate your five heart-rate zones; 3. Do a Field Test or Home Test with the…

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 HEART SPORTS Short Sleeve £115 Remarkably good, remarkably versatile… and remarkably cheap. Issue 344 heartsports.co.uk 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…

KONA SPEED SECRETS British athletes pulled a blinder at Kona this year, with podiums galore... So we asked them how they did it. Find out their training tips on p44. TURBOS ON TEST Yeah, yeah... It’s blowing a gale, dark and cold and you don’t want to get on your bike. What you need is a turbo trainer. Find the best on page p63. HEALTHY FESTIVE FEASTS Turkey lunch, sprouts with bacon and chocolate log... There’s no reason you should miss out with our recipe makeovers on p89. Yummee!…

“Saying that tri is an answer is over-simplistic, but it does spark optimism” 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. “What we do is hidden away behind big high walls. It would be nice to be seen for some other reason than a hard-hitting TV documentary. Perhaps as a group of sportspeople.” Tim Fowler is a guard from HMP Bullingdon, a men’s prison in Oxfordshire, but also the chair of Her Majesty’s Prison Service triathlon association where he proudly promotes the benefits of multisport. I contacted the 51-year-old because almost every day more troubling reports arise of the prison service’s inability to cope with rising numbers of prisoners…

 I can see how from the outside the decision to quit pro cycling seemed abrupt, but it was actually something I’ve been working on quietly for a while now. I didn’t necessarily know I would be going into pro Ironman, but my priorities in life were shifting. I was questioning whether cycling is 100% what I wanted to be doing. “Kona 2020 is where we’re going to see what I can do” It’s such a demanding sport from the risks, the race days and travel, setting up your life in Europe for half of the year. When my son Bodie was five months old, I’d been gone for three months. I want to be the best athlete I can be, but I know that I’m a better athlete when I’m…

01 DHB BLOK SHORT SLEEVE £76 Dhb shed their ‘decent enough’ tri image with the launch of their Blok range. This major statement of intent from the brand was fast, well-crafted and easy on the wallet. And just wait until you see their 2018 Aeron collection. wiggle.co.uk 02 ASICS DS RACER 11 £95 Offering speed and breathability, the latest DS Racers are now better than ever. Much of this is due to the Duomax Support System, which offers an improved tread for stability and grip. For short-course races, they tick all the boxes. asics.co.uk 03 ENVE 7.8 £3,100 The 7.8s were the big winner in our race wheels test, with our tester labelling them as “a new benchmark for carbon rims.” Aside from the speed and stability, what really astonished…

If you’re beginning to get competitive in tri and are looking to make some speed savings, choosing a helmet with aero credentials is a decent place to start. While a full-blown TT lid with little to no frontal air vents and an extended tail will be the out-and-out fastest option, what if you’re racing in the middle of summer, with 21km or 42km of running to contend with after your ride? There’s also the increasing number of age-group athletes trying their hand at draft-legal racing, where the rules state your helmet can’t cover your ears like it does on a TT lid. Both of the above scenarios are ideal for aero road helmet use; even Germany’s former Ironman and 70.3 world champ Sebastian Kienle has been known to opt for…

“Incorporating some of the best pool tools available into your drills and conditioning work can really help you swim faster” SWIM POOL TOOLS SET DURATION 60MINS COACH RICHARD SMITH Triathletes love the latest go-faster gadget and many rely on pool tools to ‘cheat’ swim training rather than improving technique… only to come unstuck in racing. But incorporating some of the great pool tools available into drills/ conditioning work can really help you swim faster. Swim fins, for example, enhance a wide range of kick and arm drills. Novice swimmers will benefit from additional propulsion and an enhanced body position, while more able swimmers may benefit from using them to develop leg strength and support more advanced drill work. Pull buoys, floats, snorkels, buoyancy and drag shorts again can enhance…

PROTECT YOUR BEHIND With the amount of time spent in the saddle and trying to hold a time-trial position, you really want to be comfortable, so using a chamois cream will help a lot in this department. FUEL THROUGHOUT You’re going to burn lots of glycogen when sweetspot training. Start hitting sessions of 1hr+ and you’ll be burning 900 calories/hr, so make sure you refuel with energy drinks/gels/actual food. CHECK YOUR TYRES With the winter months in full swing, check your tyres for nicks and cuts. If you’re on the turbo then look at running a turbo tyre, or if out on the road Continental Grand Prix Four Seasons are brilliant.…

with your A-race scheduled for August, let’s enhance your calendar by adding other events in February, March, April and May. Doing so will allow you to acclimatise to building up for races. Does that sound intense? It shouldn’t. Here are a few pointers to help make these races as productive and enjoyable as possible. • Mix it up. These ‘races’ don’t have to be triathlons. Feel free to select a 5k or a 10k run, or an early-season duathlon. • Practise your race-pace plan. I like my athletes to have a pacing plan for these minor races. Usually I want them to negative split, and I want you to do so, too. In other words, you’re going to try and race the event’s second half faster than the first half.…

RETURN TO RUN POST-INJURY QI broke my ankle at the beginning of May, and have undergone rehab since my cast came off in the middle of June. But how should I now best start running again? I race Olympic-distance events in-season and would usually race a couple of duathlons in the off-season. Jack Hopkins A Caution is always the watchword to live by when you’re coming back from a serious injury like this. Of course, as triathletes we’re lucky in that we can spend a bit more time in the pool or on the bike, but you can’t ignore running for ever! For a month or so you need to forget how easy and fit you were and reduce any running to something you’d regard as ridiculously easy. On a…

“I estimate hamstring cramp to be 11 times more painful than childbirth” 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. As great as tri clearly is, there are, very occasionally, some extremely minor things about tri that can be a tiny bit irritating. So as this is my 101st column for 220, I thought it was high time I put my various personal pet-peeves into my very own Tri Room 101 in a not-at-all contrived fashion. Strap yourselves in, this could be a bumpy ride… • Jamming my finger on swimming lane ropes. • When my bike computer won’t pick up a signal even when the magnet is clipping the bloody sensor with…

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. 2018 goals To escape the turbo and get ready for a summer of MTB marathon relay events. 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. 2018…

UNDER £475 EVOC BIKE TRAVEL PRO £469 The Bike Travel Bag Pro from Evoc is our recommended softshell bike box, weighing 8kg and packing down to a manageable size. There’s a Velcro pad that wraps around the frame and also a pair of protective discs to look after the wheels. silverfish-uk.com UNDER £500 THULE ROUNDTRIP £499 The 17kg Roundtrip from Swedish transportation heavyweights Thule has room for a TT bike or an MTB. As has come to be expected with Thule, it’s easy-to-use, there are wheelbags included and also an internal rack that doubles as a workstand. thule.com UNDER £550 BIKEBOXALAN GPRS RACE £530 BikeBoxAlan have long led the way in bike boxes, with the remarkably light 11kg GPRS staying solid thanks to the carbon anti-crush pool. There’s also a…

RATCHET Where tri-specific bike shoes will generally have a single large strap to secure your foot, road bike shoes will rely on smaller straps combined with the ratchet/dialling and wiring system to achieve the optimum closure and lock your feet into the riding position. HEEL TAB Many of us will still use our road bike shoes for race day, and it’s here that a heel tab will offer protection on the run to and from the bike transition. Carbon outsoles are both lightweight yet stiff, with cheaper shoes having a plastic sole or a composite mixture of the two. CLEAT POSITION Once you’ve got your cleats attached to the common three-bolt system, you need to set them up correctly to achieve maximum pedalling efficiency and to limit the risk of…

S-WORKS TARMAC SL6 £8,500 The women’s S-Works Tarmac from Specialized is designed to tackle every racing scenario; from confident climbing to pushing it hard on the flats. The FACT 12r frameset is Specialized’s highest-quality carbon frame, while the full carbon forks are targeted at front-end stiffness and pin-sharp handling. The spec includes Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 shifting and stopping power, Roval CLX 50 wheels, an Oura Pro saddle and CeramicSpeed bearings in the bottom bracket. Head to p66 for our ‘super bike’ test. specialized.com…

FINGER/SCULLING PADDLES Progress the use of finger paddles by using just the front strap. This’ll focus the sculling drill hand position, build propulsion and improve feel for the water. FREESTYLER HAND PADDLES The feedback from these paddles make them a top tool. Get a good feel for full-stroke swimming by using both hands, and use one to isolate specific stroke elements. METRONOME YOUR PACING Tempo trainers are great to develop pacing, which is essential in tri. But practise with them to start and then switch to using a pace clock, as you need to race by feel.…

“This challenge will help you build robustness for when you return to your normal training pattern” RELAX Get into the festive spirit (wear a Santa hat?!), relax, control your breathing and enjoy running with no pressure. RECOVERY If you’re running more than usual, good recovery is key. Wear compression tights and use a foam roller once home. KIT Choose the right footwear for the conditions outside and keep strides shorter if the roads are icy. Well, it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, hopefully… swimming pools are shut and the bike won’t fit in the car without getting wrapping paper and tinsel in the mech. So why not avoid all the fuss, use this time to build what I like to call ‘run robustness’ and keep training simple? Well…

PAUL LARKINS Return to run post-injury Paul is the former editor of Athletics Weekly and a competitive middle-distance runner with a mile PB of 3:56mins. JO SCOTT-DALGLEISH Fuelling for duathlon Jo is a registered nutritional therapist, who specialises in working with endurance athletes to boost performance and health. NIK COOK Downhill pedalling Freelance bike writer Nik is an experienced competitive multisporter and has competed for Team GB in duathlon. DERMOTT HAYES Ironman finish time Dermott is head coach at Be Endurance (beendurance.com), and the organiser of the Storm the Castle duathlon.…

“The benefits of reducing the drop include improved technique” ALEX DUNCAN Alex is a qualified sports rehabilitator. As a BASRaT accredited therapist, Alex’s training has been in sports and exercise medicine with an emphasis on the implementation of exercise and rehab programmes. Cliff: My next running event will likely be the Cambridge Half Marathon in March 2018. What could a typical transition to minimalist running look like? Alex: Transferring to a minimalist run shoe can vary in how minimal you go and how much it affects your running style. Reducing the amount of cushioning you have as well as reducing the differential between the back and front of the trainers is a good idea to enable better contact with the ground. This ‘can’ improve your technique but usually this has…

‘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 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 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 DNS/DNF/DQ Did not start, did not finish, disqualified – abbreviations in race results DOMS Delayed onset muscle soreness (after racing or training) DRAFTING Hitching a ride on someone else’s slipstream in…