Innehållsförteckning för December 2023 från 220 Triathlon

As we come into the off-season, now might be the time to think about how our season went and whether our goals were the right ones (more on this from our resident coach, Ben Bright, on p68). Triathlon has a bit of a reputation for being all about speed and super-fitness, but for many of us it's the fact that we can stay fit(ter), have adventures, and (let's face it, the most important thing) have fun that keeps us training and racing. Having ‘softer’ goals means multisport can be a part of our lives through different stages, too. Whether age, injury or changes in health or lifestyle are a factor, we can still enjoy combining sports… And this month, I tried something new in ‘swimwalk’ (p80) with the Scilly Swim…

OFF-SEASON TRAINING FEATURE Without a doubt the winter, or off-season, is the most important period of training for endurance athletes. It's when the building blocks of peak performance are laid. Show me your training diary in March or April and I [Ben Bright] will be able to tell you what sort of season you have in front of you. Consistent training with plenty of variability will give you a great base for racing as well as keep you interested and motivated when the weather isn't particularly inviting. For off-season training aim to keep things simple and realistic with a good weekly routine that works with your lifestyle. From that basis you can then add variety to ensure you're staying physically and mentally stimulated. The bike and run sessions outlined here (you'll…

KIT ZONE FRONT BIKE LIGHTS Summer might have returned in October this year, but autumn is still sneaking up and we'll soon be in a world of murky morning starts and dark evenings. That means now is the time to test your bike lights set-up and invest in a new set if yours are weak or in need of an update. In order to get the best fit for your needs it helps to be familiar with a few key elements (see the panel on the right) that will help whittle a shortlist from what can seem like a dizzying array of lights available. Lights are getting more powerful each year, with the brightest on test here putting out a mammoth 3,600 lumens –more than you need on just about any…

TRAINING OFF-ROAD MASTERCLASS O ff-road riding isn't for everyone. You're going to get muddy (in the UK, at least), you're going to crash regularly when starting out (at least the landing is generally softer than on the road!) and you're going to need some new kit get the most from your rides. The fits are myriad, though. You can explore the countryside in without having to worry about passes and queues forming behind not only will your leg muscles get a but so will your upper body, as you wrestle your bike over rocks and roots; plus, you'll be stood up out of the saddle more, which will work different muscles. Your skills will improve, too, as you learn to tackle different trail surfaces and features, giving you more confidence when you…

HOW WAS IT FOR YOU? SCILLY SWIM CHALLENGE. HELEN WEBSTER As well as being 220’s editor, Helen is a qualified openwater swim coach and lifeguard. Also one of the world's clumsiest humans, she's much better suited to water than dry land. The sandwiches are good. Slightly mushy from being in my backpack all morning, but none the worse for it. Avocado, olives and salad in some kind of wholegrain bread. I've got crisps too, plus cake. I look at the sea, wiggle my toes in the sand and decide that life is pretty good right now. You wouldn't think I'm slap bang in the middle of the kind of event that would make many triathletes shudder. We often joke in triathlon about people ‘having a picnic’ in transition as a way…

MARTYN BRUNT Martyn is tri's foremost average athlete and is living proof that hours of training and endless new kit are no substitute for ability. Enough is enough, this has to stop now folks, it's getting embarrassing and it's going to end badly for both of us. I'm not referring to my triathlon career, this column, or even my habit of hoiking my bib shorts up and relieving myself on roadsides, but instead to the number of people who have suddenly started asking me for coaching advice. I should stress that it's only one part of triathlon that anyone seeks my zen-like guidance on, and it is of course swimming. This is partly down to results, but also down to the fact that people can actually see me when I'm…

START DIVE INTO THE WORLD OF TRI…

01 PICK THE RIGHT BIKE For gentler trails, a gravel bike is ideal – essentially a beefed-up road bike with more stable geometry and wider, knobblier tyres. Many come with some form of suspension, and with a choice of drop or flat handlebars. For more comfort and control on rougher terrain, mountain bikes (MTBs) have even more confidence-enhancing geometry, bigger – and thus comfier and grippier – rubber and more sophisticated suspension. A hardtail (MTB with no rear suspension) is a good option for those starting out; full suspension improves grip and control, but adds cost and complexity. 02 CHECK THE SPEC Most modern gravel bikes and MTBs will have the basics covered – a reasonably light alloy or carbon fibre frame, a 1 × 11 or 1 × 12 drivetrain and…

TRAINING WESTEND61/GETTY IMAGES »Personal training: pros & cons WOMEN'S TRAINING LAUREN DRINKWATER Lauren is a certified advanced personal trainer and group exercise instructor, specialising in ante- and postnatal fitness. mumfitwonder.com There's no denying that a huge shift has taken place for the fitness industry since lockdown. It transformed the way people started working out and the way that personal trainers (PTs) could operate and teach their clients. More and more individuals were now able to access workouts either for free or for low subscription fees, with people having no other choice than to exercise in their homes or train on their own. This trend has continued and has ultimately signalled an overall decline in the in-person, personal-training side of the fitness industry. The sheer volume of fitness available online has, however, meant…

OUTLAW HALF NOTTINGHAM WEEKEND 18-19 MAY 2024 For 2024, the sprint distance is back at this popular festival of multisport, plus there's a new aquabike option alongside the flagship middle-distance event. FEBRUARY 18ASHRIDGE DUATHLON (various dists) Ashridge House, Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire. atwevents.co.uk MARCH 3CASTLE COOMBE CHILLY SPRINT DUATHLON (5km R/21km B/3km R) Castle Combe race circuit, Wiltshire. dbmax.co.uk 24EAST FORTUNE DUATHLON (5km R/20km B/2.5km R) East Fortune race track, Edinburgh, East Lothian, Scotland. tri-works.co.uk OULTON PARK SPRING DUATHLON (4.3km R/21km B/4.3km R or 8.6km R/38km B/4.3km R) Oulton Park Circuit, Little Budworth, Cheshire. opevents.co.uk APRIL 14HARLECH DUATHLON (5km R/21.5km B/2.2km R) Harlech, Gwynedd, Wales. alwaysaimhighevents.com HARLECH TRIATHLON (400m S/21.5km B/5km R) Harlech, Gwynedd, Wales. alwaysaimhighevents.com 21MALLORY PARK DUATHLON (1.25km R/2.5km B/ 1.25km R) Mallory Park Circuit, Kirkby Mallory, Leicestershire. atwevents.co.uk WILMSLOW…

START TIM HEMING Cutting through the spin of tri to address the issues that matter, Tim is a sports journalist who has written extensively on triathlon for the national press. Ironman is going to have to hold its nerve over the decision to split locations for the men's and women's world championship races. In picking Nice as the venue for the event's debut outside of North America they made a smart choice. This area of southern France has a long history with triathlon – its Promenade des Anglais as used to the patter of ever-chunkier cushioned soles as its myriad restaurants are to enticing hungry tourists off the street. STATE OF PLAY Feedback was positive, but is self-selecting. The men that turned up wanted to be here, and those that…

STAR LETTER Got an opinion to share? Then email us at fao220@220triathlon.com LISTEN TO YOUR BODY I read the article from one of your readers about their diagnosis of osteoarthritis [Coaching Q&A, issue 421] and empathise. I decided to tackle my first triathlon seven years ago at the age of 51, after watching my daughter compete at Hever. I had to learn to swim, get back on a bike for the first time since I was nine and run further than 100m, which was what I ran at school. I have mild spina bifida and spondylolisthesis and had a spinal fusion 37 years ago. As a family we undertook a year of fundraising events for Spinal Research competing in triathlons, 10km runs and half marathons. I loved every minute! Unfortunately,…

FEATURE JAN FRODENO INTERVIEW As Jan Frodeno mustered mind and body at altitude in Andorra, the former Olympic and three-time Ironman world champion understood both the weight of expectation and size of the challenge ahead. “We've never seen a world-class field come together on a course like this,” he said. “That will change the dynamics and there are certain athletes who are going to be very aggressive.” If The Last Dance was the refrain in the build-up to his attempt to regain a treasured title last won in imperious style in Hawaii in 2019, by the time he landed in the south of France – with the artwork on his Canyon Speedmax inspired by the Saturn 5 rocket – it had been rebranded Mission Moonshot. With hindsight there was merit…

KIT ZONE £144.95 Want a race shoe that doesn't use carbon? Introducing the Streakfly… Carbon-plated running shoes are currently attracting a lot of attention, but does Nike's lightest race shoe, the non-carbon Streakfly, give them a run for the money? We'll get to that in a minute, but first, how do they feel? Well, fit is true to size, with no rubbing or heel lift (even when running sockless), but we did note some scrunching in the upper. This didn't cause us any issues but it is something to consider for others. The real magic of this shoe lies in the full ZoomX midsole. If you're a ZoomX fan (and who isn't?) you'll not be disappointed by the silky-smooth ride, soft landing and pop that comes from this midsole. There's also…

HOW WAS IT FOR YOU? MUMBLES TRIATHLON MATT BAIRD Matt is 220’s former features editor and is now the editor of Cycling Plus magazine in Bristol. A physiological study in 2011 classified him as more peanut butter than man. The sun is rising behind us, illuminating the high-rise windows of Swansea across the bay, while the Port Talbot industries beyond that are already puffing away into the Saturday morning sky. Both sprint- and middle-distance athletes depart together, creating a genuinely epic feel as 400 triathletes descend en mass down the slipway into the warm-ish late September waters of Swansea Bay for 2023’s Mumbles Triathlon. Us green-hatted 113km racers are clearly outnumbered by the mix of speedsters and beginners populating the sprint race, many of whom are from the local Porthcawl and…