Innehållsförteckning för June 2018 från 220 Triathlon

“Chrissie Wellington, now that’s a woman I want to be like” I started swimming lessons six months before my first sprint triathlon in 2010 and I was terrified. I was one of the first waves to set off and I was eventually last overall, 20mins behind the last runner and the person collecting the arrows walked in with me. I hadn’t trained for running; I thought I could run and I was wrong! But it didn’t put me off – the elation of finishing was the main part, and having the support of my family and tri club. Since then I’ve raced all distances up to Ironman. Chrissie Wellington is my inspiration. After listening to a parkrun talk, I thought – that’s a woman I want to be like. I…

“My advice to others? 1. Listen to your body; 2. Give focus to S&C; 3. Find a coach; 4. Be resilient!” LISTEN TO YOUR BODY I’ve decided to make 2018 the year I really go for it, booking some of the events on my hit list. In hindsight, I may have got a little carried away, having signed up for Ironman UK, various duathlons, triathlons, the Great South marathon and a 70.3! But training has been going okay… until I realised I wasn’t on schedule nor clear on my race goals. So having signed up with a coach, and once ‘the beast from the east’ passed, I rushed out the door early for a scheduled 16-miler. Mistake… At mile-5, I started to feel a slight niggle in my left knee…

PANELS The wetsuits here are constructed with various panels to aid upper-body flexibility and buoyancy. ZIPPER The zipper should be low enough to avoid neck chafing but also tight enough to prevent water ingress. SPEED CUFFS Some of the suits here have speed cuffs on the legs and wrists for quicker removal. NEOPRENE THICKNESS The thickness of the suits here varies from 1.5mm on the arms to the max 5mm on the legs. Put simply, the tri wetsuit is one of the most crucial buys you’ll ever make in tri. While they’ve experienced a host of technical innovations since the mid-1980s, their aim largely remains the same: to get you through the open-water swim as swiftly, as comfortable and as fresh as possible. Although most events will see you in…

SLEEVES More tri-suits are opting for short sleeves to increase aerodynamics and comfort, especially at longer races. ZIPPER The suits here all have front zips for practicality. Look for a zipper guard to prevent rubbing. LEG GRIPPERS Included to stop the legs riding up. CHAMOIS The pad should provide support on the bike, but be unobtrusive on the run. This is the second year we’ve seen a wide selection of women’s sleeved tri-suits on the market and with that time, comes a marked increase in innovation. There are no bad suits in this test – and with prices ranging from just £76 through to £205, that’s good news for all female triathletes. So why go sleeved? There a few reasons. Firstly you avoid awkward underarm seams which makes the suit…

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.…

RUN THRESHOLD SESSION DURATION 60MINS COACH SCOTT FINDLAY “The aims of this session are to increase your ability to work at a challenging intensity and increase the pace you can manage at this intensity” FORM Practise holding good form as you begin to fatigue at the end of each repetition. PACE Complete the session on a track to get an idea of how well you’re pacing the efforts. FOCUS Pre-plan a focus point for when it gets tough, e.g. count 5 right foot strikes/5 left. By this time in the season, you should have developed a reasonable aerobic base so your body can withstand some slightly harder running. As such, the aims of this session are to increase your ability to work at a challenging intensity, as well as to…

NIK COOK TT bike vs road bike Freelance bike writer Nik is an experienced competitive multisporter and has competed for Team GB in duathlon. HELEN BARKLAM Hayfever advice Helen is a nutritional therapist, who’s consulted for GB triathletes, cyclists, runners, Premiership football clubs and Paralympians. JOHN WOOD S-stroke and I-stroke John is an award-winning tri coach of 10 years, a former international swimmer and has raced all distances up to Ironman. DERMOTT HAYES Base fitness Dermott is head coach at Be Endurance (beendurance.com), and the organiser of the Storm the Castle duathlon.…

“The biggest thing will be getting you horizontal in the water” Mia: So to start, how often should I swim to get faster? John: This applies to everyone – the regularity of your swims, and any other training, is basically what you can do on a regular basis. If you can only do one swim a week, then that has to be enough to work with – you then have to be smart with your time. More regular swims will help to a certain extent, especially with repeating improved form and technique. But quality is far more important than quantity. How often should I strength train to speed up my swimming? What are some good exercises? I teach yoga and pilates, and I’m also partial to kettle bells and TRX.…

MAY 19-20 SLATEMAN TRIATHLON (various dists). Llanberis Community Centre, Gwynedd. alwaysaimhighevents.com MARSHMAN (various dists). Action Watersports, Lydd, Kent. velocity-events.co.uk STRADBROKE TRIATHLON (160m S/17km B/3km R). Stradbroke, Suffolk. stradbroketriathlon.co.uk 19 ETON SUPER SPRINT SATURDAY (various dists). Dorney Lake, Eton, Berkshire. humanrace.co.uk NOTTINGHAM TRIATHLON (750m S/20km B/5km R). National Watersports Centre, Nottingham. osbevents.com THE TOTAL MOTION AQUATHLON (810m S/7.3km R). Tooting Bec Lido, London. totalmotionevents.co.uk 20 SWASHBUCKLER MD TRIATHLON (1.9km S/90km B/ 22km R). Bucklers Hard, Hampshire. racenewforest.co.uk ETON SUPER SPRINT SUNDAY (various dists). Dorney Lake, Berkshire. humanrace.co.uk OUTLAW HALF NOTTINGHAM (1.2-mile S/56-mile B/ 13.1-mile R). National Watersports Centre, Nottingham. osbevents.com SOUTHPORT TRIATHLON (various dists). Waterside Lodge, Merseyside. epicevents.co.uk GRAFMAN MIDDLE DISTANCE TRIATHLON (1.2mile S/54.9mile B/ 13.1mile R). Grafham Water, Cambridgeshire. nicetrievents.com SWANSEA TRIATHLON (750m S/20km B/5km R). Swansea, Wales. swanseatriathlon.com CHESHIRE…

Once you’ve mastered open-water swimming there are many rewards – including the chance to take on one of triathlon’s most iconic swims. Here are our top five... from chilly Norwegian seas to warm sea swimming in Hawaii. #01 ESCAPEFROMALCATRAZ An absolute must for adventurous swimmers anywhere – Alcatraz is a now abandoned prison on an island 2km from the San Francisco coast that, it’s believed, that no inmate ever escaped from! The start comes with a jump off the boat and you’re straight into your swim. With this you have the option of swim only or the full triathlon in May each year, the latter having a ballot because it’s so popular. #02 NORSEMAN/AX TRI Another cold swim, this time in the fjords of Norway. The Norseman has a reputation…

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 220dep ed Rob has been riding and racing bikes on and off-road for over 20 years. Favourite pro triathlete? Sian Welch and Wendy Ingraham for their display of finish-line determination at the Ironman Worlds in 1997. JACK SEXTY A serious triathlete since blowing his student loan on a bike, sub-2hr Olympic athlete Jack moved to Ironman last year in…

If Bollé’s new lid looks a little familiar it’s because you’ve probably seen it before. The One Base is essentially the ‘undressed’ version of Bollé’s The One Premium, which is to say the Base doesn’t come with the Premium’s aero shells. It still has the same 31 vents as the Premium, the same sunglasses garage and the same ‘click-to-fit’ dial-operated retention cradle. All it lacks is the clip-on, drag-reducing covers used to give the Premium a sleeker profile for reaching – and maintaining – higher speeds when training and racing. It may not have all the high-speed capability of its counterpart but the Base will accept the same rear LED for early morning and post-sunset riding and visor for mountain biking that Bollé has made for the Premium. It also…

With more and more technical features finding their way into triathlon wetsuits each year athletes are spoilt for choice. Whether you’re on a budget of £200 or £800+, whether you want buoyancy, flexibility or support, there’ll be a wetsuit intended for you. Some suits seem to stand the test of time, however, and the Blueseventy Helix, now in its sixth incarnation for 2018, is just such a suit. Rather than simply getting new graphics though, the latest edition of the Helix benefits from some tech upgrades. Chief among them is the new ‘5-5-4 Lift Technology’ buoyancy profile, designed to help you keep your legs and torso higher in the water for a more natural rotation and balanced body position. Panel positioning is also gender-specific in order to give male and…

The Lakesman. Ironman UK. The Outlaw. Roth, Tenby, Nice, Barcelona… whatever your Iron-distance race may be, you’re going to have a haze of logistical concerns and race-day doubts surrounding the event, even if it’s not your first one. “There’s no denying that an Ironman is unlike like any other triathlon or endurance challenge,” says Andy Blow, a man with top-10 Ironman finishes to his name. “It’s a huge undertaking and the sheer length of the event will place massive demands on your mind and body during the 226km duration. It doesn’t matter how fit you are when you get to the start line, if you don’t prepare, pace, eat and drink right, you’re likely to be heading for a nasty experience in the latter stages.” The one thing that connects…

Consuming more calories to fuel a new PB isn’t solely focused on manipulating nutrition – it’s about manipulating your physiology, too. While Jeukendrup and the likes of Maurten highlight the optimum carb intake each hour, the majority of us will nestle below that 90g mark. Thankfully, like your muscles and heart, your digestive system can be trained to cope with overload. This sounds logical but there’s little evidence to demonstrate you can, which is why a recent study in the Scandinavian Journal of Science and Medicine in Sports from a group at Monash University in Australia is so important. The subjects undertook a fortnight of what’s called ‘repetitive gut challenge’ to train the gut and, as the researchers predicted, the results showed improved absorption of carbs and better running performance.…

The wetsuits here are all a decent standard and designers have discounted superfluous features (such as, catch panels) that were being experimented with at the start of the decade. Due to nothing new from Lomo and Dhb featuring overleaf, there’s nothing under £150 in the men’s test but we’d suggest spending at least this amount to find a suit that delivers the best possible fit, comfort and flexibility for your budget. The Dare2Tri and Mako share similar underarm construction, but the Mako edges it for sheer fun and bundles of upper-body flexibility. With its limited buoyancy and breakaway zipper, the Aropec will suit the more advanced swimmers out there but it lacks the broadest appeal for these reasons. Of the major brands here, the Huub felt too restrictive, and the…

SWIM DRILL SESSIONS DURATION 60MINS COACH RICHARD SMITH “Despite the time of year and increasing temperatures, open-water development can still be accelerated in the pool” TECHNIQUE Learning to sight well not only helps you swim straight, but it also vastly improves your efficiency and performance. METHOD Breathe in to the side; breathe out into the water; as your head returns to the mid line sight with ‘croc eyes’; turn to breathe in. FREQUENCY Aim to sight every 6-8 strokes. Increase frequency when approaching a turn, swim exit or when in a group/drafting. Open-water venues may be opening all over the UK but, you’ll be thrilled to know, development can still be accelerated in the pool. (While there, wear your wetsuit and goggles to see if you need to make any…

TRAINING PLAN COACH DERMOTT HAYES As triathlon has grown as a sport in the UK, it’s become clear that a large proportion of triathletes, having worked their way through the shorter-distance races, soon wish to take that next step on the distance ladder and tackle a middle-distance event. Also known as a 70.3 or a half-Ironman, the race involves a 1.9km swim, a 90km bike and a 21.1.km run. Due to time constraints, this may be as far as you go in distance terms, while some will graduate to racing the full Ironman. Either way, the 70.3 distance is a great test of your physical fitness and is certainly a different style of racing to sprint and Olympic. So in this eight-week plan, we will get you race ready for…

GOOD CAULIFLOWER CHEESE What better way to get one of your 5-a-day than slathering it with cheese! This stuff makes for a great side dish and is easy to make. Simply make a white sauce (flour, butter and milk) then add your desired cheese and spread over cooked cauli. For a main, add wholegrain breadcrumbs and grill. BETTER CAULIFLOWER STEAK This steak’s packed with vitamin C to help keep those colds at bay. Slice off the stem so that the cauli lays flat on the chopping board, then slice into 2cm thick chunks. Rub it with oil, lemon juice and seasoning then griddle on the hob for around 5mins per side, or until it’s soft and charred. BEST ALOO GOBI Who doesn’t love a curry? This one’s flavoursome and packed…

What’s the difference between shin splints and stress fractures? And how do you tell which one you’re suffering from? A shin splint is an inflammation of the tissue running along the shin bone. A stress fracture is a very small crack or group of cracks that form in the bone itself. With a shin splint, if you run your fingers over the shin, it’ll usually hurt all along the bone. With a stress fracture, there’s usually one specific ‘spot’ or multiple spots that hurt really badly. If you have a stress fracture, you’ll also experience pain when walking and sitting. How much difference do clip-in pedals make? Lots! With clip-ins, all of your energy is dedicated to propelling you and your bike forward. So there’s no energy wasted in foot…

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…

1 WETSUIT The biggest spend, this is also the item it’s most important to get right. Triathlon wetsuits range in price from around £100 to over £1,000 but it’s possible to get some great suits featuring trickle-down technology at lower price points. Our advice is to consider what type of swimmer you are first. Do your legs sink? In which case, thicker neoprene (up to race-legal 5mm) will help keep them afloat. Do you want to feel free in your shoulders? In which case, look for a suit with plenty of flexibility around the shoulders and thinner neoprene on the arms. It’s also worth thinking about marginal gains if you’re at the top end of the sport. Various styles of zips are available (including HUUB’s famous breakaway zipper) that can…

A recent paper in Sports Medicine reviewed the evidence behind a number of supplements on sporting performance. These included the old and proven favourites, caffeine and glucose, and… onions! Onions, especially red ones, contain high levels of flavonoid substance quercetin that’s historically known for its anti-inflammatory benefits. However, the review suggested that quercetin also increases muscle and brain mitochondrial biogenesis. So what does this mean for tri? Well, mitochondrial biogenesis is the process by which cells increase their individual mitochondrial mass and number to elevate the production of ATP (adenosine triphosphate) as a response to greater energy expenditure. So a greater number means, in theory, you can train longer and harder. There are questions over whether positive results on rodents are enjoyed to the same level by…

UNDER £50 AVANCAD1 £49.95 Connect these wireless headphones to a smartphone, MP3 or other Bluetooth device and listen to music or audio coaching during your workouts. The stylish buds are designed to ensure they never fall out and to maximize sound output. And removable covers protect the buds from dust and rain. amazon.co.uk UNDER £100 AFTERSHOKZ TREKZ TITANIUM £99.99 Bone-conduction tech means you can listen to audio with Trekz Titanium wireless headphones and still hear ambient noise. Rather than relying on speakers on or in your ears, they transmit whatever your listening to through your skull. aftershokz.co.uk UNDER £200 JAYBIRD RUN £169.99 Jaybird’s wireless in-ear speakers stay plugged into your lugholes while you workout thanks to their built-in tips and fins. They’re sweat proof, water resistant, will pump out tunes…

Once you move up in price point, some serious tech starts appearing in any prospective wetsuit purchase. Some of features you might see are… CATCH PANELS The fabric on your suit’s forearm will often have a texture designed to help you ‘catch’ the water and get more speed per stroke. Besides helping you ‘feel’ the water, thinner materials on the sleeves also make them more flexible and easier to remove. CHEST PANEL Many top-end suits, including the new Helix, have a panel of thinner, more flexible neoprene in the chest. This panel enables the suit to stretch more easily helping you reach further with every stroke and allowing you to get as much air as possible into your lungs. SHOULDERS Freedom of movement around the shoulders is vital in a…

1 The Huub Varme Thermal Balaclava (£34.99) is ideal for swimming in cold water. It sits under a wetsuit to offer full head and neck coverage, while preventing any chilly water leaking in under your collar. 2 Blueseventy’s Thermal Reaction (£495) is pitched for use in a minimum of 8.5°C, but we’ve used it in 6.5°C and it still performed well. The 5/5/4mm neoprene panel arrangement is only marginally different to the 4/5/4mm of the conventional Reaction (the extra millimetre is on the chest) and produces a buoyant suit that doesn’t inhibit upper body flexibility. 3 The Orca Swimming Gloves (£29) ooze quality. An extra panel on the thumb provides added dexterity and an extended cuff helps prevent water escaping up your sleeves. 4 Zone3’s Neoprene Warmth Vest (£45) is…

Carb-loading has long been a popular practice among triathletes in the lead-up to their goal event for years. It’s where you increase the proportion of calories from carbohydrates to pack your muscles and livers with glycogen. It ties in with tapering where you reduce training duration but maintain intensity, both the feeding and easing off of volume designed to have you at your optimum come race day. While sprint-distance triathletes can get away with maintaining a healthy diet, upwards of this and you’re looking to increase carbohydrate content for at least two days prior to your race. “For events over 90mins, carb-loading is relevant,” explains noted exercise physiologist John Hawley. “You do put on a bit of weight when you carb-load because, when you store carbohydrate in the form of…

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. “As per the industry standard with high-end tri apparel in 2018, the Elite Aero MK2 has done plenty of wind-tunnel time to refine aerodynamics” MOST WANTED ROKA GEN 2 ELITE AERO £192.60 Does Roka’s top-end vested tri-suit cut it for racing?…

In our personal experience, the tighter a wetsuit feels on land, the smoother it performs in the water. The Roka did just that. On the beach it felt tight on every limb but, once in the water, the pressure was removed and the tech revealed itself. This is a seriously fast suit... if it fits your body shape. The £287 price here is buying the suit direct from Roka in the US, which is oddly £70 cheaper (including postage) than buying in the UK. The Aqua Sphere warrants serious consideration when picking your next suit, and would’ve scored even higher if it produced an easier T1. The Orca, meanwhile, has a healthy claim to be the best performing suit on test. The material holds the spotlight and it’s the thinnest…

BIKE THRESHOLD SESSION DURATION 75MINS COACH MATT BOTTRILL “If you’re really looking to fine-tune that top-end power and see some big performance gains then you need to add plenty of variation in pacing” PREP Mentally you need to be fresh for this so make sure you prep well leading into the session. CADENCE Try and keep the cadence around 80-90rpm for the efforts, so you don’t overtrain. FOCUS Don’t focus on the pain! Just think of the reward you’re going to get from all the (temporary) suffering! The 2018 season is now finally here! And if you’re really looking to fine-tune that top-end power and see some gains in your overall performance then the key is to add plenty of variation in pacing and really push that top-end fitness. This…

TT BIKE VS ROAD BIKE Q What’s the best triathlon bike for descending? Katie Reegan A To try and answer this question, you have to factor in a number of variables. The first is the technicality of the descent. If it consists of a sinuous series of switchbacks, such as Alpe d’Huez, or is steep and poorly surfaced, such as you’d encounter in the Lake District, a road bike will undoubtedly have the edge. The handling will be more responsive and, as there will be limited opportunity to use the extensions on the TT bike, its aero edge will be removed. However, if it’s non-technical, not very steep and you’ve got the cojones to stay down on your extensions, you’ll fly on your TT bike. It doesn’t take much time…

DHB BLOK £76 A bargain suit that’s comfy and swift for short-course racing. Highlights include quality silicon leg grippers, a quick-dry chammy, decent ventilation and 50+ UPF Lycra. wiggle.co.uk PEARL IZUMI ELITE PURSUIT £99.99 A solid and functional suit for short- course racing, with good leg grippers and breathable, slick fabric. pearlizumi.co.uk HEART SPORTS TRI-SUIT £115 A well-crafted, well thought-out and affordable suit that excels in longer races. heartsports.co.uk…

DRYROBE Inspiring stories, awesome people doing more of what matters. Get changed, stay warm with the World’s best change robe. Enhancing experience and performance at the highest level. #dryrobeterritory #dryrobe dryrobe @dryrobe dryrobe.com 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 SWIM SECURE Our mission is simple, we want to equip open water swimmers of all ages and abilities to swim safely. We provide the equipment you need to feel supported in the water and #Be Safer Be Seen. SwimSecureUK swimsecure swimsecure.co.uk SELKIE SWIM Selkie is passionate about empowering open water swimmers of all abilities to push their personal boundaries. We want…