220 Triathlon December 2019

Wow. What a race. 2019’s Ironman World Championships delivered, and then some. While it wasn’t the Brit fest up front that we’d hoped for, the day still delivered one of the finest multisporting spectacles in living memory. But what’s it like to experience that in person? I’ve still yet to find out! As this year it was our features editor Matt Baird, who was lucky enough to fly out to the Pacific and go behind-the-scenes at this legendary event. Read his race-week report on p28 and you’ll almost feel like you were there! So if you’ve now been inspired to take up the long-distance challenge, we have the top 30 tips you need to smash your first Iron on p43, plus a beginner’s training plan on p90. Welcome to the…

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. Bucketlist Ironman event “Kona, if I’m ever good enough to get there, but otherwise Ironman Chattanooga appeals.” HELEN WEBSTER 220’s editor made the move from marathons to tri six years ago. Happiest when in the open water, she also…

The idea of popping a few painkillers before an Ironman is becoming commonplace. One study showed that as many as 60% of triathletes were taking medication such as Ibuprofen before or during races, and Ironman recently announced Aleve – ‘the pain relief brand trusted by millions’ – as a new sponsor for its world champs in Hawaii. The partnership would imply there’s little risk to using artificial assistance to help see you through what is, after all, billed as the hardest one-day event on the planet. If it reduces discomfort and is promoted by the biggest brand in the sport, what could possibly be amiss? Plenty, according to the backlash from both medical professionals and athletes. “Viewing aches and pains as obstacles to be removed isn’t listening to our body”…

Not content with hogging our TV screens in September on Channel 4’s Sink or Swim, Huub kept the exposure coming with the launch of two, key new products at the Ironman Worlds in Hawaii. The Anemoi + tri-suit (reviewed in full next issue) was worn by both David McNamee, while the Agilis seen here was used by Alistair Brownlee for his maiden 3.8km Kona swim leg. The swimskin – for when tri swim legs are too warm for wetsuits – was designed in collaboration with the older Brownlee and tested on Huub’s Measuring Active Drag (MAD) System that aims to quantify swim tech effectiveness. The key design standout of the Agilis are the strips in the legs for aiding buoyancy, while the legs also boast purported compressive properties. The fabric…

OTE ANYTIME £1.30 This tasty bar is vegan, with veg oil providing the base that keeps taste and texture together. It’s a more traditional flapjack thanks to the addition of 30% gluten-free oats. Golden syrup and dried banana elevate carb content to 35.7g. They’re moist, but vegetable oil isn’t perfect due to the omega-6s. otesports.co.uk TORQ EXPLORE £1.65 This vegan carrot cake flapjack is free from artificial colours, sweeteners and preservatives, with its sweetness derived from golden syrup, raisins and dark brown sugar. The sugar hit cranks this bar up to 263cals; the fat count at 73cals. The taste and texture is a little oily, which might be too rich for some. torqfitness.co.uk HUMAN FOOD £3.30 HF’s bars are colour-coded, with green being the nutritionally-dense spirulina, which tops-up an ingredients…

I had been happily married with two young children for 16 years. I was brought up in Blackburn, Lancashire in an environment that was not as modern as it is today. I was repressed. My issues around gender were part of my life for a long time, but they weren’t all-encompassing, so when I was younger I managed to concentrate on doing well at school and in sport. Being in that mindset helped develop my skills on goal-setting and focusing, which has helped me now in triathlon. For me, the situation came to a head in 2003 after 16 years of marriage. As I was getting older, I couldn’t bury the issue any longer and it became all-consuming. I was struggling to deal with what I was and concentrate on…