Innehållsförteckning för May 2018 från 220 Triathlon

We all know alcohol and peak sporting performance don’t mix, but why? Well it’s something a team in New Zealand recently looked at, but be warned – it’s not easy reading! ‘Highlights’ from the meta-analysis include impaired muscle repair and growth due to alcohol inhibiting protein synthesis, with fast-twitch fibres (associated with power) particularly susceptible. The team also showed that alcohol detrimentally impacts hormonal balance so that a range of factors, including sleep quality, mood, metabolism and cardiovascular function, are all affected. As if that wasn’t enough, it also impacts the immune system by interrupting what the team terms ‘a complex inflammatory response, typically characterised by alterations in hormone levels’. So, all bad? Not necessarily, as a low dose of alcohol (under 0.5g/kg bodyweight) ‘is unlikely to be detrimental’. One…

The previous incarnation of Zone3’s Vision is one of the most celebrated suits at the competitive entry-level price point. The 2018 version promises to be even more effective than its predecessor, with the tech trickling down from Zone3’s flagship Vanquish suit, including the new high stretch 2mm Free Flex shoulder panel and lining. For an entry-level suit, there’s the rarity of a Full Speed-FloTM coating to minimise drag resistance and increase speed through the water. There’s also a one-piece panel design that extends across the top of the chest, over the shoulders and down the chest and aims to increase expansion, rotation and reach. The suit is also built with ‘Eco Friendly Neoprene’, which utilises earth-mined limestone and scrap rubber tyres to reduce CO2 emissions during the suit’s construction. See…

“It’s great to see more gender balance on the cover, it really helps inspire more women into the sport” GENDER BALANCE WELCOMED I just wanted to say how great it is to see women on the front cover of your last two issues [Lucy Charles and Emma Pallant, respectively]. I’d been saying how seemingly male-oriented the magazine was, and the constant male covers didn’t help! So it’s great to see more balance, and really helps to inspire the growing band of female age-groupers like me. Thank you! Liz Cass 220 replies: While we have a larger male audience, we’re always striving to provide the right balance of content for our female readers, so it’s great to hear your feedback, Liz. PITCHED TOO HIGH I feel your swim article ‘Triathlon Swimming…

JARGON BUSTER HYDRODYNAMIC The aquatic equivalent of aerodynamics, meaning how well the suit fares in the water. SHORT-COURSE RACING Any races from super sprint to Olympic, with bike legs up to 40km and runs up to 10km. UPF RATING Look for this in the product description to find out how much UV protection your suit will provide in the sun. You might not have seen them during the elite triathlons at the Commonwealth Games, but sleeved tri-suits are witnessing huge growth across the age-group board, especially for athletes going long. In 2015, our tri-suits test saw only two sleeved trisuits but now they warrant a test of their own (and we have a women’s test next issue as well), with the 10 here – ranging from £76 to over £300…

BIKE AERO SESSION DURATION 9›MINS COACH MATT BOTTRILL “The key to this session is selecting your race cadence, finding the perfect body position and completing the effort without fighting the bike” POSITION Really try to stay in your race position as this is the key element to going faster. TECHNIQUE Look ahead and up the road and think about how you’re going to brake and change gear. POWER Power transfer is key, so really focus on how you push the power through the pedals. Holding a consistent pace is crucial to learning how to ride your bike split faster. While you need variation in pacing, you also need to be able to maintain consistency. The place to hit this is at 85-90% of your FTP pace to get the best…

NIK COOK Tubs vs clinchers Freelance bike writer Nik is an experienced competitive multisporter and has competed for Team GB in duathlon. JOEL ENOCH Tri effect on lungs Joel is coach to the Hartree JETS, a qualified sports scientist and a GB age-group athlete at world and Euro champs level. MARK KLEANTHOUS Kit for Ironman Mark’s an athlete and coach who has completed more than 460 triathlons, including 38 Ironman events. MICHELLE DILLON Effects of menstruation on tri Michelle represented GB in tri at the 2004 Summer Olympics, finishing in sixth place, and now runs Team Dillon Coaching.…

John: I’m having surgery (a radical prostatectomy) in six weeks. My doctor’s told me to do no exercise other than ‘light walking’ for six weeks after the procedure and no biking for three months. During weeks 7-8, I can resume light exercise and, if no complications arise, I can go back full throttle. What can I do beforehand to put myself in the best position to resume training after being medically cleared? Dermott: The fitter and stronger you are pre-op, the more it’ll boost your recovery rate, so focus on your core – exercises like squats, lunges and glute bridges are ideal. Also, spend time trying to increase your amount of cycling hours now, as you’ll notice a marked reduction in bike fitness. Please be conscious of any pain that…

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. May goals Testing seven sets of performance eyewear for next month’s test. JACK SEXTY A serious triathlete since blowing his student loan a bike, sub-2hr Olympic athlete Jack moved to Ironman last year in Lanza. May goals To hit my goal race weight…

COMFORT Comfort and fit are imperative when picking your wetsuit, whether you’re a beginner or top-end athlete. Trying before you buy is essential advice, or ensure that there’s a decent returns policy if you buy online. Look for a close but unrestrictive fit throughout. EASE OF REMOVAL There are few more frustrating triathlon race-day experiences than struggling to remove your wetsuit while T1 is emptying of athletes. The Zone3 Vision features the brand’s Pro Speed Cuffs on the arms and legs to aid and speed up wetsuit removal. ZIPPER We’d recommend the traditional downwards zipper over a reverse zipper for beginner athletes due to the ease of getting it on. Ensure that the neckline offers a secure yet unrestrictive fit and that the zipper is securely fastened when you’re in…

6 DON’T RACE INJURED If you’re going to perform at your best, your body needs to be on top form. Avoid going into a race with a treatable niggle - a tightness or strain can turn into something more serious when maxed-out, so see a physiotherapist for a pre-race MOT or to get that ongoing injury sorted out. 7 KEEP THINGS CONSISTENT Don’t be tempted to add in that extra run or hill session on the bike just because you’re feeling good or nervous about the race. New equipment’s a no-no – leave those new trainers, insoles, cleats or changes in bike position until after the race, when you can build the training volume back in. 8 DON’T NEGLECT THE WARM-UP A warm-up for the GB team ranges from a…

20 EMBRACE YOUR PRE-RACE DOUBTS Pre-race doubts are totally normal because the race is important to you, so embrace them! Write down your fears on one side of a piece of paper and on the opposite side, a quick solution, word and focus to help reduce any pre-race doubts. Breathe in a feeling of confidence and out any uncertainties; this will help focus and calm the mind. 21 TURN A DNS INTO A PLUS It’s not uncommon, even with elites, to have a DNS and it’s normal to feel disappointed to start with. Let this happen, then create a positive action plan, working out what ‘went wrong’ in terms of nutrition, recovery, too much pressure, overload of commitments or simply an uncontrollable life event. Give yourself some breathing space, sign…

Heart Sport’s belief in short-sleeve suits is based on feeling and practicality, rather than raw aero data. The comfort of sleeves can’t be matched by a vested suit – with no sleeves, the distribution area for the material is massively reduced, causing hot spots and digging in. With sleeves, there’s also sun-protection and wicking benefits. Much of the design process is computer-based. Our manufacturing partner has a range of materials, which change as new tech is developed. There are obvious choices, e.g. the crotch panels shouldn’t be see-through when wet! Each new suit is an iteration on the last, making improvements based on material developments and athlete feedback. And the tri-suit of 2025? There are always compromises that need to be made with today’s technology. If a material is breathable…

RUN RACE-PACE SESSION DURATION 6›MINS COACH SCOTT FINDLAY “If you can improve your muscular endurance, you can run faster for longer without reaching fatigue” PSYCHOLOGY As you complete the set, imagine passing someone during a race and feeling strong. POSITION Hold your head high and look straight forward to avoid poor posture. TREAD Try to run as quietly as you can, with your feet landing lightly on the ground. After working on some race-pace running in last month’s issue, the time has come to up the ante and learn how to maintain that pace for a longer duration. Having great muscular endurance is essential in order to achieve this. Muscular endurance is defined as ‘the ability of a muscle to avoid fatigue’, meaning that if you can improve your muscular…

GOOD HOME›MADE GUACAMOLE Guacamole is a great way to eat healthy fats, minerals and vitamins to boost energy and the immune system. Mash 2-3 ripe avocados, 1 medium tomato, 1/2 chopped red onion, 1 seeded and finely diced green chilli, and a small handful of coriander leaves with plenty of lime juice and seasoning. BETTER AVOCADO PASTA To boost your post-workout recovery and strengthen the immune system, toss a mashed avocado with garlic, lime juice, some halved cherry tomatoes and seasoning with cooked spaghetti. Scatter over feta cheese, basil leaves and a pinch of dried chilli. BEST BAKE A CAKE! Swap butter for avocado in a chocolate cake! Rich and fudgy with a moist, almost brownie-like consistency, you’d never know that it’s a healthy option. Packed with heart-healthy monounsaturated fats,…

Does an endurance athlete’s hydration needs change as they age? Yes! This is because: 1 Your muscle cells contain a large amount of your body’s total water volume. As we age and lose lean muscle tissue, your total body water content declines. 2 Kidney function tends to deteriorate as we age, which means less concentrated urine can be produced and more water is lost. 3 Your sensation of thirst is diminished. A 2001 study found that when older athletes’ hydration levels were challenged by periods of sweating, their tendency to rehydrate effectively was compromised when compared to younger people. Our advice? Take in some additional sodium with your fluids when you’re sweating to hold onto more water in your bloodstream, and reduce cardiovascular strain. It’s very important for older athletes…

RACE WHEELS The faster you need to be on the bike the more important a wheel’s aerodynamics become. But speed needs to be balanceed against handling and braking. KRU CYCLING C-88 £1,200 Very fast and affordable wheels from new Italian brand, with an impressive hub. Issue 350 krucycling.com MAVIC Comete Carbon Pro SL £1,579 A massive step-up from Mavic in terms of braking, handling and aerodynamics. Issue 349 mavic.com ROVAL Rapide CLX64 £1,870 Bearings and profile create a comfortable glide, and there’s excellent braking. Issue 349 rovalcomponents.com DT SWISS Arc 1100 Di-Cut 80 £2,069 A lightweight and boundary-pushing wheelset that’s fast and light yet a touch firm. Issue 349 dtswiss.com ENVE SES 4.5 CK £3,100 Lean and speedy with impressive acceleration and…

‘A’-RACE The most important race of your season AEROBARS Also known as tri-bars: the special aerodynamic handlebars used in racing 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 BASE TRAINING Low-intensity training that stimulates your aerobic system and helps develop endurance 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…

Much like today, ‘Fit kit’ was the big sell for us back in the year 2000, although 18 years ago there was a touch more flesh on show thanks to a fetching three-page spread of the very latest trisuits and two-pieces (head to p61 for our 2018 sleeved recommendations). The issue also celebrated the 16th edition of Ironman New Zealand, a race that’s still going strong to this day (see p104 to get the lowdown on this epic race by the 2018 women’s winner Laura Siddall, the first-ever British victor over the Kiwi course). In 2000, Germany’s Thomas ‘Hell on wheels’ Hellriegel broke the course record in 8:22:46, which was bested in 2018 by New Zealander Terenzo Bozzone, who won the event at his sixth time of asking in 7:59:56.…

Following hot on the heels of 2017’s Abus Gamechanger helmet is the new Aventor aero road lid from the German brand. The Aventor tips the scales at an impressively lean 240g (size medium) and features the brand’s Forced Air Cooling ventilation system that comprises of 25 interconnected vents to assist the channelling of airflow around your head. And the system, Abus believe, is effective whatever the angle of your head. Fit adjustment comes via the Zoom Ace adjustment ratchet dial on the rear, and there’s an eyewear dock and even (similar to the Specialized Aspire and Lazer Monroe) a ponytail compatibility if you have long hair. The Aventor comes in a trio of sizes and six different colour options, with the Neon Yellow our pick of the bunch in terms…

“There’s something about the craziness of a tri that appeals” Triathlon is the answer to all my stresses and worries. I took it up in 2012 and after whatever kind of day I’ve had, going out for a swim a bike or a run puts everything in a different perspective. In 2012, we did a challenge on BBC Breakfast inspired by the Olympics. My producer had us race at the velodrome, it was my first time there on a racing bike and I beat Bill [Turnbull]! I hadn’t done competitive sport since school and it was at that moment I decided to buy myself a racing bike and get back into competitive sport. A friend suggested triathlon. I didn’t know which order it was in, how far it was, or…

MEET THE TEST TEAM 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! 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 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. “Oakley have utilised a clay-modelling process, 3-D scanning and Computational Fluid Dynamics to refine aerodynamics” MOST WANTED OAKLEY ARO5 £199 Does Oakley’s helmet debut compare to its aero road rivals? Having been the most prestigious eyewear brand in sport for decades,…

JARGON BUSTER ANTI-FOG A special lens coating that prevents goggles from steaming up. POLARISED Type of lens that’s designed to reduce glare and block harmful UVA/UVB light. PHOTOCHROMATIC Technology that darkens lenses when exposed to bright sunlight. With so many different goggle options out there, choosing the right pair for you can sometimes feel overwhelming. And the inconvenient truth is that we all have different face shapes, eyesight and fit preferences. So, as with most tri kit, it’s simply a case of trying out as many as you can until you come across that hallowed pair that you can stick on and forget about! While goggles aren’t your biggest financial outlay when competing in triathlon, the wrong choice can prove very costly if they don’t do their job properly in…

SWIM DRILL SESSIONS DURATION 60MINS COACH RICHARD SMITH “Performing high-intensity swim intervals forces you to tolerate and process higher levels of blood lactate accumulation” RACE PRACTICE Lactate-tolerance sets help develop the capacity to accelerate and start fast, before recovering at race-pace effort. ENDURANCE Doing a max effort with a long rest increases the build-up of lactate in the muscle, which will help increase oxygen uptake. FORM As well as trying to hold speed, you should also try and hold technique as the physical fatigue builds. Performing high-intensity/lactate swim intervals, with extended passive rest, forces you to tolerate and process higher levels of blood lactate accumulation. This enhances your capacity to maintain speed and hold technique while fatigued; increases swim-specific oxygen uptake capacity; helps you to start fast, then recover while…

TRAINING PLAN COACH DERMOTT HAYES Scan the transition areas at any triathlon event and you’ll see some of the most amazing bikes on the market. But while some age-groupers spare no expense, the majority of a triathlete’s expenditure will still be on our two-wheeled pride and joy, regardless of price. And there’s good reason for this, as the bike section of any triathlon will make up the majority of the race distance and race time. The 40km bike leg of an Olympic-distance race, for example, makes up 77% of the total distance – if you do a 3hr finish, the bike will likely have taken up half of that. And so it makes complete sense to spend a larger portion of training time on improving your bike prowess. This eight-week…

TUBS VS CLINCHERS Q Tubs vs clinchers: which is fastest? Nick Bolton A If you’d asked this question not so long ago, the resounding answer would have been tubulars. However, today’s clincher set-ups are arguably the faster option. If you first consider rolling resistance, the rubber compounds used for clinchers are no longer inferior and, if you use a lightweight latex inner, that’s what you’ll find sewn into a tubular so, no difference there. Also, tests have shown that using tape or poorly applied glue can significantly add to a tubular’s rolling resistance. From an aero point of view, with modern wide rims and correctly chosen tyres, the aero profile of a clincher is far superior to a tubular. However, pick the wrong tyre and you can easily negate those…

RACESKIN We share the best of what we do through our social media channels, so follow us to stay up-to-date with all the latest happenings. Great tri-related pictures, videos, and inspiration await you. RaceskinSportswear @_RaceSkin raceskin.co.uk Forth Edge Pros have been doing it for years and now you can too. Forth Edge is a biomarker tracking platform which gives you direct access to blood profiling through simple at home kits. forth_edge @forth_edge forthedge.co.uk WhittleFit South Wales based endurance coaching team specialising in triathlon, swimming, cycling, running and ultra endurance sport. Working hard to make YOU a better endurance athlete! WhittleFit @WhittleFit whittlefit.com Kapz ANYTHING you can imagine . . . on a custom bicycle headset cap! Any design, any colours, any images you like – we can make it, just…