Innehållsförteckning för August 2020 från 220 Triathlon

Few will argue that an Ironman takes its toll on your body, but even a 2.4mile swim, 112mile cycle and 26.2mile run cannot compete with the attritional demands of ploughing through pages of constantly evolving literature as to how we’ll get this multisport show back on the road. For most of this past month, race organisers and administrators have been devoting their sole focus to how mass participation events can safely return to the UK. It will likely continue for some time. After all, when you’re pegging your proposed processes on our government’s missives, there tends to be a certain amount of fluidity. Take info on schools reopening. It was updated 41 times. In one week. “I sense that tri can cope and may even prosper. Triathletes adapt, usually with…

“MAKING PLANS TO TRAIN WITH OTHERS LOOKED AFTER ACCOUNTABILITY, WHILE BUILD-UP EVENTS AIDED MOTIVATION” 01 How long before the race did you sign up to Ironman UK? I signed up for Bolton, my first Ironman, a year before the event. I’m not one for poring over race profiles, so I decided to prepare for the 1,700m of elevation gain by throwing myself into hilly training – which included a 2,400m of climbing day out in Wales. I headed up to recce the Bolton bike course six weeks ahead of the race, which formed part of a 14.5hr peak week. Despite battling the wind that day, having first-hand knowledge of the route and elevation was a definite advantage. 02 What were your longest rides? And how did you fit these in…

BE PRACTICAL When I’m racing, there have been a few times when my mind has wandered and my head comes out of the game. It then becomes tougher to get the legs going hard again. When it comes to mind over matter, which is very much the case in this instance, I deal with it by being extremely practical. That means breaking the bike into small segments and trying to focus on the here and now. STAY IN THE MOMENT “HAVE A COACH OR FRIENDS WHO’VE RACED IRONMAN? THEN TALK TO THEM. AS MUCH AS WE LEARN FROM OUR OWN MISTAKES, WE CAN ALSO LEARN FROM OTHERS” At the start of the bike, I try to stay in the moment and go over the practicality of the first 10-20km –…

THE NAME GAME “For every letter of the alphabet there’s a different exercise. I’d complete workouts by spelling out my name, or a certain word of the day. e.g. NON might be 10 burpees, 20 sit-ups, 10 burpees. It mixed up sessions and kept me entertained!” RUN DRILLS “To keep all my motor and neural pathways firing I used the longest stretch of the room for running drills such as straight leg bounds or ‘imaginary’ ladder work. The session took around 30mins and helped keep my lower limbs conditioned.” BIKE SESSION “One of my favourite turbo sessions is 2 x [5mins; 4mins; 3mins; 2mins; 1min] all with 2mins recovery. The aim is to start the 5mins around threshold pace and increase the effort each rep, so the 1min is almost…

90+ % BUY NOW A GENUINE CLASS LEADER 80-89 % IMPRESSIVE ONE OF THE BEST YOU CAN BUY 70-79 % GOOD A DECENT PERFORMER 50-69 % AVERAGE IT’LL DO THE JOB WELL ENOUGH 0-49 % 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. JAMES WITTS He’s a published author writing about sports science.…

RIBBLE ULTRA TRI £3,199 This previous 220bike test winner from the Brit brand is available with rim brakes, Shimano Ultegra Di2 and a Mavic Aksium clincher wheelset, or a customisable range of components. ribblecycles.co.uk CANYON SPEEDMAX CF ›,0 £2,999 A Canyon Speedmax CF 8.0 with mechanical Ultegra is currently a penny shy of £3K, although this comes with rim brakes and is an older model than the Cervélo P-Series. canyon.com QUINTANA ROO PRFOUR DISC From £2,300 The PRFour disc-braked equipped bike from the triathlon pioneers offers a comfortable and controllable ride, with full builds from under £4K. The frame-only price is £2,299.95. windwave.co.uk…

Even on the flattest, straightest and wind-free bike course, you need to accept that you’ll never ride a 100%, even-paced effort. Unless you’re willing to sit in-line and ride at the pace of the racers in front of you, you’ll need to be able to accelerate, move through the rider ahead’s draft zone and settle back into your race pace. In big races, you’ll also have to pass multiple riders, which means a sustained, hard effort. Away from drag-strip courses and back to the reality of most UK triathlons, along with overtakes you’ll have to deal with sustained climbs, short ramps and wind. The speed solution? Well, the fastest way to pace is not to ride at an even effort. You should go harder when it’s tough and you’re going…

STRETCH IT OUT Set aside time post-training to stretch out in order to promote recovery for your next session. PERFECT PREP Be well prepared for the brick set with all of your training gear and nutrition ready to go. REVERSE THE BRICK Make sure to include the run-bike set, so you’re strong at the start of the race, which is key to du success . DON’T NEGLECT TRANSITIONS Fast transitions = fast racing, so practise these during bricks, even if you’re an old-timer.…

JOHN WOOD Mending a wetsuit tear An award-winning multisport coach of 10 years, John is also a former international swimmer. JAMES WITTS Aerobic vs muscular endurance Freelance writer and former 220 editor James specialises in sports science and endurance. BRAD BEER High injury risk in women Brad is the founder of POGO Physio, author of You Can Run Pain Free! and the physio for Super League Triathlon. STEPHEN SMITH Best vitamins for immunity Stephen is a sports nutritionist, sports science researcher, and is completing a PhD in GI health and exercise.…

This is a race-specific session and can be a great confidence-booster ahead of your tri race day. A brick is a training session that involves at least two or the three disciplines (bike-to-run is most common), and these are very important for pre-race training as they enable you to adjust to the disruption caused by transferring from the swim to bike and again from the bike to run. Plan this session in once or twice in the build-up to your event. Estimate your race pace from any previous run times you have and what you think you’ll be capable of running after the swim and bike legs. BIKE Steady 60mins on the bike RUN 2 x 1km above your race pace, with 500m easy jog recovery between each interval COOL-DOWN…

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. Thing you miss most about racing? “The excitement when your transition area is sorted and you just have to get to the start line.” HELEN WEBSTER 220’s editor made the move from marathons to tri seven years ago. Happiest…

Brain health’s often associated with physical health thanks to myriad reasons, including increased cerebral bloodflow. But recent research by health researcher Matthieu Boisgontier suggests a potential role reversal as we age – that cognitive health sustains physical health. Boisgontier analysed data from over 100,000 adults from 21 countries aged between 51 and 90, each of whom had completed cognitive assessments and fed back their activity levels five times over a 12-year period. Perhaps not surprisingly, those who exercised least scored the lowest cognitive scores. But interestingly, the inexorable cognitive decline across the board generally preceded a decline in exercise, suggesting the former led to the latter. So, learning a new skill’s always a good one to decelerate cognitive – ergo, physical – decline. The top line? Guitar playing equals a…

YOUTHFUL INSPIRATION As a reward for keeping on top of my school work, my mum arranged a one-year subscription to 220 – which I love. I’m 10 years old and have swum since I was three. Before lockdown I used to train six times a week. Although we work hard in training sessions, the pool is my happy place. For keeping fit, I have been doing a garden triathlon inspired by Matt Baird’s garden Half Ironman [featured in issue 378]: a 700m swim, four-mile bike and two-mile run. I’ve also been writing my own swimming sets, as well as using the ones that are provided in the magazine, plus the running and cycling sets. As you can see from the picture [above], I’ve been lucky enough to try tethered swimming.…

DO THE DISTANCE If you train by distance, then I’d advise that you need to be able to comfortably complete 85 miles (136km) at least three times before race day. Or if you train by time, then do 75% of your expected race time. E.g. if your target is 7:30hrs, then complete at least three rides of 5:40hrs. REPLICATE YOUR RACE Make the workout specific to your event. Ironman Wales’ bike course has a total elevation of 2,400m. To replicate this you need to experience 214m of climbing every 10 miles during key bike workouts. ADD TT AND BRICKS “IRONMAN WALES’ BIKE COURSE HAS A TOTAL ELEVATION OF 2,400M. TO REPLICATE THIS, YOU NEED TO EXPERIENCE 214M OF CLIMBING EVERY 10 MILES IN TRAINING” If you’re time-poor, complete a weekly…

BIG GEAR, LOW CADENCE Improving your strength on the bike is key to a fast Ironman cycle leg, and this is where many competitors can struggle. I do a lot of my training pushing a bigger gear at a lower cadence. I typically race at a cadence of around 90rpm (rotations per minute), so an example session would be an interval set of 4 x 10min at Ironman 70.3 race pace with a cadence that nestles between 60 and 70rpm. The rest period between efforts is 5mins so I’m relatively fresh to go again. I elevate cadence to 100rpm in an effort to clear out the toxins. TRAIN FOR TRI-BARS This is a simple but hugely effective one: train more in the aero position. It’s great to see age-groupers out…

Your body drives you to the line, but your mind makes you cross it.” The words of 2014 Ironman World Champ Sebastian Kienle. “Some sessions are stars and some sessions are stones, but in the end they’re all rocks and we build upon them.” Undefeated Ironwoman Chrissie Wellington. Triathlon is ripe for motivational mindset quotations. Some are inspiring, some might seem trite. But whatever multisport poet lies behind the words, there’s an irrefutable truth – that your mind holds the key to unlocking your triathlon potential. Think about it. When your pace drops and you feel you can’t go on, the finish line hones into view and you miraculously unleash a Brownlee-esque sprint. Thirty seconds previous, you could hardly breathe. Now you’re running faster than at any time in your…

WTS HAMBURG, JULY 2019 “Winning a World Series race after two turbulent years – an emotional, psychological and physical rollercoaster – was incredibly satisfying. I overcame a lot to get to this point. It was much tougher, and so ultimately more rewarding than some of the other wins that came relatively easily.” WTS GRAND FINAL LONDON, SEPTEMBER 2013 “Winning a world title on home soil aside, I’ll always be proud of how I performed that day in London. I overcame the pressure, expectation and very British conditions to hold it together during an eventful race that included serving a penalty on the run. I’m not sure I’ve ever felt so effortless on a run either. It was a special day.” WTS MADRID, JUNE 2013 “My first ever WTS win, second…

POLAR GRIT X £379 Polar’s return to form continues with this superb watch aimed at rugged outdoor adventurers. It’s similar to the Polar Vantage V, losing a couple of features but gaining some impressive ones. Let’s start with the Run Hill Splitter option that automatically detects when you’re ascending and descending, showing you how long you’ve been ticking off both and for how long. It relays this info on the fly but is maximised later in the impressive Polar Flow app. We’re big fans of hill reps to boost speed and this proved useful to see how we were firing, or flagging, up different parts of the hill. This’d also prove beneficial to plan specific sets based on a hilly tri. Then there’s the FuelWise feature that tells you when…

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.…

You’ve ticked off endurance runs, done tempo and race-pace work, performed drills, run up hills and lifted weights, and you’ve completed sprint intervals for higher speed. But you’ve yet to train the ability to really ramp it up in the final few hundred meters when fatigue is at its max and the lactate is really flooding in. Sure, the ability to up your pace has a lot to do with pacing and staying relaxed but, assuming you’ve got that right, from a physiological point of view your ability to simply handle lactate in the muscle can’t be overstated. The main part of this session is short but it’s aimed at enhancing your ability in this area of fitness by utilising what is sometimes known as a ‘pull from the top’…

How can you treat prickly heat? According to the NHS, the main thing to do is keep your skin cool so you don’t sweat and irritate the rash. To keep your skin cool: wear loose cotton clothing; use lightweight bedding; take cool baths or showers; drink plenty of fluid to avoid dehydration. To calm the itching or prickly rash, apply something cold, such as a damp cloth or ice pack (wrapped in a tea towel) for no more than 20mins; tap or pat the rash instead of scratching it; and don’t use perfumed shower gels or creams. What are clipless pedals? The term comes from the eradication of the archaic toe clip; instead, your bike shoe, via a cleat, clamps to your pedal via a spring-loaded mechanism. A swift ankle…

SHORT-SLEEVED TRI-SUITS Comfort is key for all levels, so consider pads, grippers and material quality. Full-length zippers are also handy for mid-race toilet stops. 2XU Perform Full £130 Performs very well on both the bike and run thanks to top-quality fabrics. Issue 378 2xu.com RACESKIN Funky Skull £135 Great visuals and zip guard, and best suited to shorter distances. Issue 378 raceskin.co.uk ZO0T Ltd Tri Aero Tokyo £170 Great style for a good all-round tri-suit that should suit all distances. Issue 378 zootsports.co.uk TRI-FIT Evo £179 Comfort, aerodynamics and features… a standout suit for all distances. Issue 378 tri-fitathletic.com ZONE3 Lava Short Sleeve £190 Very comfortable woven fabrics and excellent temperature control. Issue 378 zone3.co.uk ENERGY GELS Carb and caffeine content, added extras (such as electrolytes and salts), digestability, and,…

PRE-RACE Try to eat a large meal that’s low in fibre and fat but rich in high GI carbohydrates, such as rice or potatoes, 12 to 16 hours before the start of your event. Low to moderate protein content can also aid gastric function, but this varies between individual athletes. It’s not always easy, but aim to eat breakfast 2-4hrs before the event, once again focusing on carbs such as porridge to maximise your energy. DURING The oft-used guide is 60g to 90g of quick-release carbohydrate per hour of exercise. Look for mixed sources of carbohydrates such as glucose and fructose. Now, consuming 90g of carbohydrate in an hour is no mean feat! Aim for somewhere around 50g to 60g at first, using a mixture of drinks, bars and gels.…

The Deca Iron was something I’ve wanted to do for a very long time. Like a lot of people, I’ve been trying to get fit for this season but that fell by the wayside with the lockdown. My wife and I got talking about raising money for NHS Charities and I thought I might as well try a Deca… indoors, replacing the swim with an hour’s row, or 12km. It was just about looking to support in any way I could. I’d built up all this fitness, got ready to race and couldn’t, so rather than sit around I thought ‘Let’s put it to good use.’ I started at 6:45am and finished between 4-5pm every day for 10 days. I did a group ride on Zwift, on the turbo trainer…

01 @triathlon_and_sparkle This is my happy face. Since I started cycling I’ve been aiming to do a really formidable loop. I never thought I’d make it. Today I pulled up my big girl pants and I went for it!!! 40miles with almost 2500 feet elevation. I’ve ridden over 100 miles this week. Can I call myself an athlete yet? 02 @trigirlc Be a little sass & a lot of badass this week! 03 @pete_the_triathlete Nice group ride with friends this morning. Even managed a cheeky café stop. It’d been far too long! 04 @issy_racing Swim training today! Hopefully the water will warm up a bit for next time! 05 @diamondsmudger Balancing training and family life, spending time with my #1 girl! Spending a few days with her while the little…

Nutrition is the fourth discipline of Ironman racing. The key lies in preparation and knowing that everything in moderation is alright, says top pro racer and oncologist Lucy Gossage You balance your job as a doctor with elite-level racing. How do you avoid living on cafeteria chips and the vending machine? When I’m training hard around my job as an oncologist, it’s essential that I take the time to prepare healthy and energising food, particularly on work days. Otherwise my lunch would be a panini and a packet of crisps, and that definitely isn’t the food of champions! What do your daily meals look like when training? Breakfast-wise, I’ll always have toast and peanut butter before I train. Then on work days, I’ll often take overnight oats (oats, chia seeds,…

ROKA MAVERICK X II £975 Will this long-awaited sequel improve on the celebrated original? When we reviewed Roka’s original Maverick X back in 2016, we declared it the best wetsuit we’d ever tested. While our own thoughts haven’t changed after trying the updated version, it now costs £255 more than a suit that we already thought was astronomically expensive. We can’t deny there are plenty of fine options out there costing under £500, and the majority of triathletes wouldn’t even consider spending close to a grand on a wetsuit. With that disclaimer out of the way, though, read on if you’re willing to pay serious cash to save every last second in the water... The new Maverick X II has been fine-tuned rather than massively overhauled by the Texan outfit,…

While you can spend vast amounts of cash upgrading your tri bike, a poor saddle choice negates the aero gains of wheels and bars if discomfort accompanies every pedal stroke. That’s why you must find a saddle that works for you. Pain or numbness can, at best, leave you shuffling around on your saddle; at worst, you’ll require recuperative time off the bike. So it’s vital for both health and performance that you find one that’ll allow you to hold a fixed position for long periods, especially if you’re an iron racer. Tri-specific saddles are different to road versions, as they’re optimised to provide support for your sit bones while perched further forward on your aerobars. This means a wider flat section at the nose. Another common feature is cut-out…

At time of press, restrictions continued to deny us pool time and races, leaving many pondering the point of race-day training. Stop pondering as now’s the perfect time to refresh, or learn, the skills you’ll need for your events once they resume. And, as long as we adhere to British Triathlon guidelines on swimming outdoors, there’s plenty we can work on. Many think that swimming in open water requires a different technique to swimming in the pool, but I’d suggest you keep things as simple as possible and swim as you usually would. There are three things you need to consider when you tackle open water, though: the lack of a push-off, sighting and drafting. Of course, you can modify your form if you want to, but that’s just another…

THE NEOPRENE REPAIR SHOP Q How do you mend a wetsuit tear? Lisa McCarthy A The first step is knowing how to avoid things that can damage it. When putting on your wetsuit, avoid standing on hard or rough surfaces as they can damage the neoprene. Instead, place down a towel or board bag. While putting on or taking off your wetsuit, be careful with rings, fingernails and watches as they can easily damage the neoprene. Some wetsuits come with gloves, which are ideal. Inspect your wetsuit for tears after each use, as they’re easier to fix when small. Small tears (up to a couple of cms) can be repaired at home (see below); tears bigger than a few inches may require professional repair services. Right, onto the fix… Clean…