Innehållsförteckning för August 2025 från 220 Triathlon

Sometimes the stars align and a theme starts to come through for an issue of this magazine. This month, we came up with ‘push your limits’ as a topic. That’s certainly true for the athlete in our lead feature – former marine Mitch Hutchcraft – who has just completed the world’s longest triathlon. Over 240 days he completed a swim of the Channel, before cycling 12,000km to India, then finally running to a finish on the summit of Everest. While that’s definitely impressive, we all have different limits. This is something explored in ‘the science of suffering’ on p30. What’s key is knowing what your limiting factor is and often, it’s your mind not your body! This is definitely something I experienced this month in a 33.3km ultraswim (p84)! Enjoy…

Looking for a first wetsuit or a triathlon wetsuit that won’t break the bank? Well, good news as entry-level wetsuits are getting better and better every year, thanks to improvements in technology and fabrics. Over the next few pages I’ve tried out eight new wetsuits which range in price from £139.99 to £419, with everything in between. Obviously you will see a variation in tech across the price range, but think about the type of swimming you are going to be doing and also the kind of triathlon you will be entering (long or short, PB or plod?). Some of the things I look for are comfort, fit and flexibility. However much you are spending, your wetsuit needs to keep you warm (so not be too big and allow water…

To put it simply, strength and conditioning (aka S&C) has the potential to elevate your swim, bike and run performance as well as reducing injury along the way. For our Olympic and Paralympic athletes, for example, S&C plays a vital role in keeping the musculoskeletal system healthy, which allows them to train at the required volumes and intensities. This could be anything from keeping grumpy Achillies tendons under control or ensuring lower backs are strong enough to cope with bike positioning. Whatever it is, S&C plays a particular role in tackling certain performance problems. For example, specific programming can be used to improve pull strength to give you a head-start in the swim, or lower limb focus to enhance power on the bike, or reactivity off the floor to improve…

‘A’-Race The most important race of your season Age-grouper Non-pro triathlete Aerobic Aerobic exercise involves 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 three 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 and run Cadence Pedal rate on bike, in revolutions per minute (rpm) Carb-loading Eating a carbheavy 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 support of strength DNS/DNF Did…

With medals in three successive Olympic Games, Jonny Brownlee’s triathlon career stands alongside the best who have ever graced the sport. Yet the incident for which he’ll be more widely remembered – being helped across the line in the furnace of Cozumel by brother Alistair – was also a watershed moment. Up to and including that 2016 season finale, Jonny had stood on a World Series podium 27 times in seven seasons. Following the collapse in Cozumel, the now 35-year-old placed top three just four times, all in cooler locations: Leeds, Stockholm, Edmonton and Sardinia in October. The natural arc of an elite career? Maybe. But Brownlee was only 26 in Cozumel – and he believes it left a legacy. “I’m doing a lot of investigation, but I think my…

We’ve already covered off what’s new in entry-level tri-suits (issue 443 group test), so this month it’s the turn of the more premium men’s offerings to be put through their swim, bike and run paces, with options for women coming up in next month’s mag. Aside from the larger spend though, what should you be looking for in a top-end tri-suit? Well, this is where brands start to couple comfort and performance with real technical edge to give you those marginal gains come race day. Fit is key as always, but you will likely find more premium fabrics offering comfort and breathability with sweat wicking and aerodynamics a consideration. Don’t be surprised to see patterning on the fabric either, especially on the shoulders, designed to help the air move around…

01 Use small bits of time You may be strapped for time to get in your training as it is, so the thought of adding S&C into the mix is overwhelming. S&C doesn’t have to be multiple hour-long sessions every week. Using smaller pockets of time post SBR may not be completely optimal, but provides you with a realistic way of achieving some regular resistance training. 02 Do pogos Pogos are a great, equipment-free introduction to something called plyometrics. Plyometrics are group of exercises that focus on fast ground-contacts. Think rapid movements where you spend as little time on the ground as possible. These help you improve absorption and transfer of force at your ankles. To pogo: jump into the air, land, then bounce back into the air as quickly…

Keeping the gut healthy is key for the active triathlete, and it’s easier than we think thanks to this month’s four recipes… Think bacteria are bad? Think again! Bacteria in our gut can play an essential role in digestive health, immune function and even our mental wellbeing. The gut contains trillions of bacteria, yeast and viruses, commonly called the ‘gut flora’ or the ‘microbiome’. Some of these bacteria are good, and some bad, and we need a healthy balance of the two. That’s where pro- and prebiotics come in. Probiotics are the live microorganisms found in fermented foods, such as yoghurt, kefir, kimchi, sauerkraut and pickles. Prebiotics, essentially soluble fibres found in foods such as leeks, onions, flax and chia seeds, radishes, carrots, garlic and cabbage, feed the good bacteria.…

Canyon’s carved out a reputation for high-performance bikes at a good price, driven by both German precision and know-how and a direct-to-consumer (DTC) retail model that cuts out the middleman to keep costs down. Canyon’s popular in both triathlon and cycling thanks in part to its high-profile users Lionel Saunders, Jan Frodeno, Mathieu van der Poel and Katarzyna Niewiadoma. On paper, the Aeroad CF SLX 7 is a bike that’ll appeal to both triathletes and cyclists thanks to the PACE. But what about on the road? ACE OF PACE The Aeroad is the fastest collection in Canyon’s road range, its aero credentials ticked off by slick tubing, while it possesses a more aggressive geometry compared to their Endurance range. “You have a relatively low front end and a longer wheelbase,…

Eight-six, 85, 84… log onto the website of any Ironman event and you’ll see a count day to race day. Even with nearly one hundred days to go until the 2025 edition of Ironman Wales, it’s a reminder that time is ticking and – with three disciplines to train for – every day counts when you’re preparing to face the world’s toughest endurance sport. Not forgetting the strength and conditioning sessions, transition practise and time spent looking at shiny bike upgrades online… This month we’ve tapped up the 2023 Ironman Wales winner, Nikki Bartlett, and a host of top coaches and age-groupers for their proven tips on making swim training fun, how to prep for the open water and what to do come race-day, whether that’s Ironman Wales, the Outlaw…

Water is leaking into my goggles. I blink a couple of times and try to figure out which lens is the culprit. Both? It’s strange, as these goggles have done many miles in training and never leaked before. I give them a prod. Hang on… Oh. Ok. It takes me a second to realise the salt water is tears. Actual tears. Yep. Day three of UltraSwim 33.3 and I’m having a moment… Luckily I’m arriving at the 3.8km feed station – a boat moored in the stunning blue bay ahead. Before I can completely give in to the demons telling me to stop I see pro swimmer and event ambassador Andy Donaldson and the crew from Precision Hydration dishing out gels and carbohydrate drinks. “Helen! Looking good! Still smiling!” they…

What do you get when you cross a jaded old triathlete who thinks he’s seen it all, with a group of 50 enthusiastic children with a range of abilities all doing one of their first ever races? The answer is, the most inspiring day I’ve ever spent in more than 25 years in the sport. Long-suffering readers of my column will know that last year Richard Mostyn-Jones, Chair of the Yorkshire region of Triathlon England, drew the short straw on a bus journey to the start of a swimming race at Ullswater and ended up sitting next to me. Having fallen into conversation to try and distract ourselves from our impending watery doom, Richard mentioned something he was involved in called the ‘Yorkshire Ability Triathlon’, an event for children with…