Innehållsförteckning för March 2019 från 220 Triathlon

UNDER £150 DHB AERON STORM FIT £150 The debut version of the Aeron Storm Fit was a sell out, and the latest looks to improve on the original with reflective ‘Flashlight Technology’ added to the mix. There’s also 2.5 layer waterproof fabric, fully taped seams and a dropped tail. wiggle.co.uk UNDER £200 METIER BEACON RAIN £200 Brit brand Metier are innovating with graphene and LEDs in their techy yet stylish cycling garments, and the latter form part of the lean 175g Beacon Rain’s appeal. There’s also waterproofing, stretchy nylon and fully-taped seams. metiercycling.com UNDER £250 GORE C5 1985 SHAKEDRY £250 The precipitation protection provided by the C5’s incredibly light (116g), two-layer material is up there with the best. It’s also stretchy, windproof and stows away neatly into the front zip…

It all kicked off a few days after Ironman Wales in 2016. I was still feeling ropey, so I went to the doctors and got whisked off to hospital with pneumonia and sepsis. I wasn’t quite expecting that. I was in there for four days, pumped full of antibiotics, but then they found a residual shadow on my lung so they did some x-rays. After that, they sent me for some scans to try and find out more about this shadow. Lesions were spotted everywhere. It seemed they had been there for the year leading up to the Ironman, but any aches, pains or fatigue I had, I just put down to the training. “Any aches, pains or fatigue I had, I just put down to the training” After blood…

TAKE HEED In the last six months I’ve witnessed two deaths from cardiac arrest at sporting events. One at a triathlon and one at a sportive. On both occasions, the men were over the age of 40 and were not used to the physical demands of the event. As a nation with significant health issues it’s great to see tri becoming a sport for all, but we should be careful not to underestimate the physical demands on the body. An Olympic distance may seem safe to a first-timer, but the stress on the heart of running 10km on a hot day after 2hrs of swimming/cycling is not to be sniffed at. “Would it not be sensible to allow non-competitive participants to ‘ride together’ on a medal-only entry?” There’s often a…

CAFFEINE Caffeine’s arguably the most studied ergogenic around with loads of studies showing it reduces the rate of perceived exertion ; i.e. it makes exercise easier. CARBOHYDRATE Carbs are the primary fuel supply for high-intensity physical activity. However, as your brain burns 100-150g glucose daily, fail to carb up and you’ll find training mentally tougher and less productive. CREATINE Creatine’s associated with instant energy for efforts but there’s also evidence power , that it improves cognitive function. In a tri, that means a better pacing strategy. POLYPHENOLS These potent antioxidants, found in cocoa powder, increase cerebral bloodflow. Like creatine, it’s suggested that this results in improved cognitive function and more reliable decision making. GUARANA Guarana is a rich source of not only caffeine but antioxidants, too. Research has revealed its…

Three sports plus a healthy nutrition plan. Mix in a few brick sessions before sprinkling with work and family. Yes, dishing up peak performances with such energy and time demands is difficult. But, as you’ll see here, not impossible. You see, the advice, strategies and sessions that follow are all about refreshing your triathlon training and lifestyle to eke out some easy wins. The majority are cutting-edge, born from the lab but proven on the elite race circuit. Some really push the boundaries while a few are simple time-savers for beginners. Ultimately, with 2019 kicking in, now’s the perfect time to integrate all, some or even just one of these ideas into your tri training programme… 01 REACH NEW HEIGHTS “Regular exposure to altitude can lift performance by around 2%,”…

Some lofty claims were made about the importance of wearing the right footwear to go fast following Nike’s ‘Breaking2’ marathon project. But a 2016 study from the Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise journal may go some way to supporting the claims. The study saw 18 male sub-20min 5km runners complete treadmill tests and three 3,000m time trials wearing control shoes, then identical shoes with 100g and 300g of covertly added mass. The results showed that even though the runners had no idea they were wearing heavier shoes in the second and third time trials, they ran between 0.65% and 1.36% slower in the shoes that were 100g heavier and between 2.09% and 2.37% slower in the shoes that were 300g heavier. Of course, few triathletes are training to…

While the gravel or adventure bike designation is new, the urge to explore isn’t. Rough-stuff riders have long turned to cyclo-cross and mountain bikes for riding off road, but there’s a limit to an MTB’s versatility and their road performance largely pales in comparison to the sleeker tyred road bike. Which is where the do-it-all adventure/ gravel bike comes in. Massive in America and much more than a passing trend this side of the pond, gravel bikes now make up a major part of most bike brands’ two-wheel ranges. The adventure bike is designed for endurance comfort, usually with disc brakes, a big tyre clearance and a geometry that can handle dirt tracks, towpaths, tarmac and, yes, gravel routes away from motorised traffic and all the safety risks that brings.…

DO A FAST FLUTTER KICK Practise accelerating the body with a fast flutter kick to help develop lower limb speed – useful for swim starts, accelerations and also to increase whole stroke cadence. WORK ON FAST ARMS Doing a fast-arm stroke on the poolside, without any resistance from the water, and before doing sprint sets in the pool, helps to fire up your neuromuscular system. PRACTISE FAST STARTS Doing running-fast starts with a final dive in from the shallow-end (in pool) or from a beach, are great ways to develop race-specific speed and power.…

POSITION Stand upright and look straight ahead, not down at the screen. FORM Keep your arms relaxed but close to your body to maintain good overall form. TECHNIQUE Practise leaning forward from the ankle slightly so your feet are landing underneath your body. Winter can be a difficult time to train, with weather disruptions and streets getting busier by the day. Luckily, treadmills are a thing and they may even give you a better quality run. One of the great benefits of treadmill running is the ability to maintain a very specific pace or effort. If I challenged you to run outside for 5km at an average pace of 5mins/km, even if you came back in exactly 25mins, and although your average pace will be 5mins/km it will have varied…

Whatever your experience, working on your base fitness at this time of year is crucial for a successful 2019 race season. Coach Dermott Hayes has a cunning plan… GET MORE! New to tri? For more first-timer advice, turn to p96 for tri legend Tim Don’s ultimate tips and tricks. It might still seem too far away, but the new season will be fast upon us. So for experienced triathletes, who might already be dusting off their kit in anticipation, and for new triathletes, who are eager to take on a new challenge and see what all the fuss is about, this is the time to start working on your base fitness. Whether you’ve been training and racing for the last 20 years or it’s your first season, you should now…

BEEF MINCE High in the anti-oxidant selenium, B vitamins & protein PORK MINCE Great source of iron, zinc, vitamin B1 & beta alanine Beef is a great source of B vitamins, which help maintain optimal homocysteine levels if these are ; too high, they can contribute towards cardiovascular disease. A 100g serving will provide you with 20g of protein – enough to muscle encourage protein synthesis post-training. Pork is a good source of iron, zinc and vitamin B1. It’s also a good source of beta alanine the , precursor for producing carnosine in the body which helps prevent muscle fatigue. Pork mince tends to absorb flavour more than beef mince, so can be used in a of meals from range meatballs to chilli. VERDICT While both are great sources of…

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. JACK SEXTY A triathlete since blowing his student loan on a bike, sub-2hr Olympic athlete Jack moved to Ironman at Lanzarote in 2016. Bucket-list endurance challenge The Dirty Kanza 200-mile gravel bike race. Ridiculously long mental and physical torture… sounds fun! HELEN WEBSTER 220’s editor made the move from marathons to tri five years ago. Happiest when in the open water, she…

The top-end ARC 1100 wheelset from Biel-based DT Swiss launched to great fanfare in 2017, with our sister title Cycling Plus proclaiming them a fast, predictable, easily controllable set of tubeless racing rims. The two-grand price point was the major stumbling block, however, which is why the newer and slightly more affordable ARC 1400 Dicut 62s seen here are a welcome addition to the Swiss brand’s wide range. The wheels are the result of a collaboration with celebrated aerodynamicists Swiss Side, with the intention being to help you get up to speed and stay there. Key features include a combined and lean weight of 1,633g (778g for the front, 895g the rear), a 25mm rim width, and Disc Center Lock brakes. DT Swiss tout these for flat and gusty courses…

Zoot’s tri heritage runs deep, forming in Hawaii in 1983 and continuing to be at the top end of style, speed and functionality in 2019. Seen here is their brand-spanking new (and snappily-titled) Ultra Tri Aero SS Racesuit, on the shelves from 19 March 2019 but we’ve been granted a sneak peek before release. The major changes from the previous Ultra Tri Aero include the addition of a tight knit ‘Aeromax’ fabric on the sleeves (which have been lengthened for 2019) and upper back, which is dimpled like a golf ball to purportedly produce less drag. The fabric also boasts mesh panels throughout to aid breathability and ventilation. Another key update is the inclusion of a full-length zip for increased portable toilet practicality, while there’s also a UPF sun protection…

Professor Samuele Marcora suggests that monotonous mental tasks results in stronger athletic performance. Why is down to a build-up in the brain of a neurotransmitter called adenosine. This is the stuff that accumulates when you’re deprived of sleep and has been linked to the feeling of mental tiredness. Hence caffeine, which blocks adenosine receptors on neurons, makes us feel awake and is often used by triathletes to boost performance. Marcora thinks that consistently flooding the brain with adenosine by engaging in mundane mental tasks can cause neurons to build up a tolerance, meaning that your perception of effort goes down for the same level of actual effort. According to Marcora, training with mental fatigue is similar to training with extra weight. It’s hard but, once that increased load’s removed, you…

ORCA 226 PERFORM £149 Is the new 226 Perform the ultimate mid-level suit for Ironman? The 226 Perform is Orca’s mid-range offering, available sleeveless or with short-sleeves, and is targeted at competitive triathletes wanting the trickle-down benefits of a top aero suit for all distances, without the premium price tag. (The entry-level Core is £109 and is available is vested and short-sleeved, while the top-end RS1 Dream Kona – as worn by Sebastien Kienle – has done time in the wind tunnel and aims to offer greater freedom of movement for £199.) Our black test suit has a red zipper and detailing on the pockets with some subtle patterns on the sides, which arguably looks stealthier than the previous iteration. The front of the suit is thicker with…

While many beginners or iron-distance triathletes won’t lose sleep over how many seconds they might lose in the bike-to-run transition by lacing their shoes up, if you’re aiming to be competitive then these seconds could prove vital. Triathletes will often run sockless to save time in transition and, in our experience, the best way to prevent blisters is to liberally apply talcum powder insides your shoes, and line the heel section and inside of the tongue with a coating of petroleum jelly. But the most useful time-saving trick for T2 is quick-tie laces. There are numerous designs available, from elasticated laces that just require the pull of a toggle to secure them, to the patented Xtenex design with auto-blocking enlarged knots, securing the shoe with no need for lacing. There…

Until recently, when contemplating buying new wheels the main choices triathletes had to make were: tubular or clincher; alloy or carbon rims; and what rim depth? Yet the introduction of tubeless wheels and now disc brake-equipped bikes hasn’t only provided more options, but also changed the road cycling wheelset and braking landscape forever. Driven by the cycling industry, the use of and support for disc brakes is increasing in triathlon and this upward trend looks set to continue. Currently, similar to the pro-cycling world, in both drafting and non-drafting events the protriathlete field is using a mixture of disc and rim brakes. Yet it’s noteworthy that all of the major steeds launched at Kona 2018 – and ridden to notable success by Ironman athletes such as Daniela Ryf, Lucy Charles,…

Winter training shouldn’t be all long, slow endurance or technique work. If you want to swim faster next season then sometimes you just have to swim fast in training (one session every week or two). Including regular speed sets in your plan can also help keep those winter blues at bay because they’re great fun! Swimming fast speed sets doesn’t mean ditching quality technique, though. Speed sessions should include drills that encourage faster limb speeds; stroke rate and changes of speed with good technique before you complete some all-out efforts where the focus is just on swimming fast. You can also carefully introduce the use of fins, paddles, drafting and towed swims in order to encourage ‘overspeed’ swimming. However, make sure that you’re strong and technically proficient enough not to…

FUEL Stay hydrated and suitably fuelled – you’re going to burn lots of glycogen with these sets. “By doing one or two sessions per week, you’ll really start to see some big performance gains by the start of the 2019 season” POSITION Hold your race position on the bike to optimise your pacing. FORM Keep the cadence and power controlled for these session. With the winter phase of training now well underway, it’s a great time to start building in some moderate tempo blocks into your schedule. I like to refer to this as the ‘sweet spot’ of training, carried out at 87-93% of FTP (functional threshold power – the highest average power you can maintain for 1hr of cycling). This type of training, at this intensity, burns plenty of…

WARM-UP 10mins Building from easy to moderate MAIN SET 3 x • 3:30mins easy • 2:30mins moderate • 30secs easy • 2mins vigorous • 30secs easy • 1min max effort • 2:30mins easy COOL-DOWN 10mins Reducing from moderate to easy ADAPT FOR BEGINNERS Complete the max effort as a build (from easy to max effort). If you’re also a beginner to treadmills, this will allow you longer to get used to running fast on the treadmill without being too tired. ADAPT FOR IRONMAN For a longer (and tougher) session, complete each set as a pyramid. So you’d reach 2:30mins easy before reversing what you just did. Complete this process 3 times for a nearly-90min session.…

BE PATIENT FOR RESULTS This is the base phase and race day is a long way off. Be confident in the knowledge that progress will happen. PREP AND RECOVER RIGHT Warm up and cool down around the main sets. Include stretching and foam roller work in your cool-down. SET OBJECTIVES Set yourself daily, weekly and monthly targets and objectives to help you track your progress and maintain motivation. DON’T SKIP IT No skipping the long stuff. Always remember Tim Don’s favourite refrain – winter miles = summer smiles!…

DIGESTION The use of probiotics – food supplements made up of live bacteria – has been recommended for a number of years now, as they’re beneficial to both the digestive and the immune system. RECOVERY Recent developments are emerging that suggest that gut microbiota can influence mood, stress and sleep quality – all hugely important for recovery, which involves both physical and psychological components. So the fact that probiotics can reduce both physical symptoms of stress, especially post-race when the immune system is most vulnerable, as well as enhance mood and sleep quality, ensures that an athlete can return to training in optimal condition. (Gleeson, M 2016). EFFICIENCY The evidence also points to using a water-based probiotic in preference to a tablet form. This is because a tablet will be…

Why do females have a lower VO2max than males? It’s largely due to physiology. Men are generally physically larger than women, and as such have larger hearts to pump more blood (the amount of blood your heart can pump partially determines VO2 max) and larger lungs to take in more oxygen. How does swimming breaststroke improve my front crawl? Any style of swimming will ultimately help you become a better front-crawl swimmer. But breaststroke uses the most energy and greatly improves lung function. While it uses many of the same muscles as front crawl, breaststroke also works the trapezius muscles in the back, the chest muscles, such as the pectorals, and the adductor and abductor (inner and outer thigh) muscles.…

Its crippling lethargy prematurely curtails the pursuits of countless pro and amateur triathletes. Yet despite 14% year-on-year growth in cases throughout Europe, few are aware of Lyme disease, fewer appreciate how close we may brush to the tick-borne bacteria every day, and fewer still understand how to diagnose and set a path to recovery. It derailed the career of multiple IM champ Mary Beth Ellis and forced Canada’s Commonwealth Games silver medallist, Kirsten Sweetland, into retirement, aged just 28. For Sweetland’s compatriot, Angela Neath, it began last November with flu-like symptoms that progressed to headaches, muscle spasms, anxiety and depression. “It forced Commonwealth silver medallist Kirsten Sweetland to retire, aged 28” As training became increasingly caffeine-fuelled to ward off the weariness, blood tests revealed only slight inflammation. Yet by April,…

1 Pack a jacket if you’re heading into the wilds. The Inov8 Windshell (£90) weighs a tiny 96g, as well as packing up small enough to stash in a pocket. Inov8 also do jackets for wet races, so choose according to conditions. 2 The elements are a big concern in colder races, so the Huub Norseman Tri-Suit (£199.99). is ideal. It features a wind-proof chest and torso panel to reduce post-swim wind chill. 3 The Salomon Agile 2 (£70) has dual soft drinks bottles on the front, plus zippy pockets for a phone and keys. This is perfect for shorter races and very light, but if you’re going long or heading into adverse weather conditions then you should choose a pack with more storage for race essentials such as clothing.…

1 Do at least six cold open-water swims pre-race. Start each with a 200m race effort and settle into a warm-up. Build duration of race efforts over the sessions. 2 Do intervals on long comparable hills to the course. Work hard over the top and recover on the descent. Perfect your pacing with a course recce two weeks before race day. 3 Alternate with big gear efforts at threshold and higher cadence recoveries (main set 5 x 6mins; 3mins rest between reps). 4 Build strength/ endurance with off-road running. Get specific with a hill-rep pyramid session (hard up, relaxed down: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5mins). 5 A treadmill brick off the bike is great prep for Slateman (15mins at moderate effort building gradient as: 3 x 5mins at 3, 5…

LEG GRIPPERS An Ironman is a true test of a tri-suit’s capabilities and any flaws and irritations will become clear come the big race day. The grippers or bands, as seen on the Zoot here, will need to stay in place on your legs without riding up, but not be too restrictive. ZIPPER Many tri-suits targeted at long-distance racing now feature a full-length zipper for added convenience during toilet stops. Also look for a zip garage near the neck to stop rubbing. What’s annoying during a sprint race will multiply many times come an Ironman. STORAGE Consider your pocket choice if you’re opting to carry nutrition in the suit instead of/as well as on your bike. Look for pockets that are sizeable enough to securely hold gels and energy bars…

SMILEY, FAST TRIATHLETES Triathlete Ross Edgley received acclaim not only for becoming the first person to swim around Great Britain, but for the incredibly positive way in which he did it. And, according to research, Edgley’s positivity made things easier, with studies showing smiling while training distances the athlete from their bodily sensations. TRAIN TO THE BEAT The disassociation effect of music can deafen that voice in your head telling you to quit, but ensure you choose the right tunes. Sports psychologist Costas Karageorghis, says that songs up to 150bpm is good for hard efforts but aim for around 90-120bpm during low-intensity sessions. FIND A FRIEND Training with friends not only increases chances of sticking with a training plan, it also helps you to dig deeper. The competitive element of…

This is a really speedy selection, so we found it tough to pick our out-and-out favourites. In our test winner we were looking for a shoe that would suit a wider range of runners, and that struck a good balance between speed, comfort and a low weight. At the lower end, we didn’t quite fall in love with the Kalenji Kiprun, finding them a little harsh with a lack of energy return when toeing-off. Saucony’s Type A8 were just too minimal, but if you’re purely a 5k racer that wants a pair for the track then they might work. We didn’t get on with the Topos because of the very wide toe box, but they might suit wider-footed runners. We’ve long being fans of the Brooks Hyperion, and we still…

PARCOURS CHRONO £889 At 1,884g, the 86mm Chronos are a fair weight and, while their mass is tangible, it’s offset to an extent by the impressive lateral stiffness. Braking is good in the dry and adequate in the wet, with the usual carbon delay. Parcours use Toray carbon fibre and resin, and give a two-year warranty for peace of mind. They’re fast and stable, too, with a little more side pressure than the (slightly less deep) 7.8s but no more wind steer. parcours.cc REVOLVER KRONOSTOK £1,280 The Kronostok 7/8s are better at handling at lower speeds, with the fast-reacting freehub and okay 1,790g weight meaning they also pick up speed swiftly, by deep-rim standards at least. There’s barely a trace of springiness in the rear wheel under power either. The…

WARM-UP + 20secs after each set 2 x 100m build swim 4 x 50m as: 25m running fast start/25m easy 4 x 50m as: 25m fast wall start/25m easy 4 x 50m as: 25m fast, deep-water start/25m easy SPEED  DRILLS + 20secs after each set 4 x 25m fast leg kick 4 x 25m fast arms 4 x 25m overspeed stroke-rate swim MAIN SPEED SET 4 x 50m Build speed 1-4 30secs rest 4 x 25m sprint 40secs rest 100m super easy 4 x 50m max effort 60secs rest 200m super easy with pull buoy 4 x 25m sprint 40secs rest 100m super easy 100m vigorous COOL-DOWN 200-400m mixed drill/swim ADAPT FOR BEGINNERS Focus on the 25m sprints, or even drop the 100m sprint and do 15m sprint; 10m easy…

GET YOUR POSITION RIGHT Optimising your bike position will not only help you biomechanically but will also help you aerodynamically. Your body is 80% of your drag, so making changes over winter is ideal. BALANCE YOUR NUTRITION Getting the right balance of carbs and protein will improve your training and recovery time. I’m also a big believer in eating little and often so you don’t get any insulin spikes throughout the day. TRACK YOUR FITNESS Training platforms allow you to track your overall fitness, form and freshness. If you monitor trends in data you’ll soon start seeing how to optimise a winning formula for training.…

START AT 1% The ground outside is rarely completely flat, which is why in sport science studies, treadmills tend to be set to 1%. This helps to mimic outdoor conditions. STAY HYDRATED Without the airflow that you get outside, you’ll likely sweat more. So it’s important to stay hydrated – always take a filled water bottle with you and sip it regularly. ENTERTAIN YOURSELF Although a session like this keeps things interesting, listening to music or a podcast can actually make you look forward to your indoor sessions. No, really!…

When attempting the running-dive, open-water entry, how do you avoid dislodging goggles? Make sure they’re securely fitted but comfortable within the eye socket, and that there’s no hair caught under the seal. Then put your goggles on first before adding your swim cap. If in doubt, and also useful if it’s a cold swim, wear two caps. What are the benefits of using a pull buoy? Pull buoys reduce the kick action, improve your body positioning in the water and encourage faster development of upper-body strength. They also help you to focus on your arm motion and breathing.…

1 The eighth edition of Celtman is set for Wester Ross in Scotland on 15 June 2019. Again, it’ll involve jellyfish and bracing water on the 3.4km swim, a windy 202km bike and a marathon run over two Munros. 2 Spain’s Castellon region will host the second edition of Hispaman Xtreme Triathlon on 28 September 2019 with a sea swim preceding a 180km bike and mountain marathon. 3 New for 2019 is the Manx Xtreme (29 September 2019) on the Isle of Man, which includes a jump from a ferry into the Irish Sea and a 50km run that ascends Snaefell. 4 The Blacklake Xtri arrives in Montenegro on 5 October 2019 and involves a swim in the titular Black Lake before a single-loop 187km bike and a marathon run…

MEN’S WETSUITS Build quality, comfort, flexibility and insulation – the four key factors when choosing your neoprene. Spend more and the quality for each factor tends to increase. MAKO Genesis £180 A fine and affordable pick for short-course racers, plus easy to remove. Issue 352  mako-shop.com 2XU P:1 Propel £215 Top features and materials make this a race-day winner. Does everything well. Issue 352 2xu.com/uk ZONE3 Vision £240 Flexible, fast and very, very hard to fault. Impressive for the price point. Issue 352  zone3.com ZONE3 Vanquish £495 A top-draw suit that just keeps getting better thanks to even more flex. Issue 353  zone3.com SAILFISH Ultimate IPS €875 A competitive high-end wetsuit that’s refreshingly robust and very quick. Issue 354  sailfish.com TRAIL RUN SHOES Where possible, go to a run shop…

‘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 AQUABIKE Race with just swim and bike elements, no run 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 energy CATCH The part of the swim stroke where you pull on the water CORE STRENGTH Development of the stomach and lower back area in…