Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2021 i 220 Triathlon

UNDER £13 2XU VECTR LIGHTCUSHION NO SHOW SOCKS £12 The Vectr socks utilise 2XU’s X-Lock technology to help protect against injury and offer ankle and arch stability. 2xu.com UNDER £15 1000 MILE REPREVE £12.99 The socks in this twin pack are primarily produced using discarded plastic bottles. Other selling points: heel, toe and Achilles padding, and ventilation on top and at the arch. 1000mile.co.uk UNDER £20 SMARTWOOL PHD RUN LIGHT ELITE £17.99 Made from merino wool, nylon and elastane, these socks also use targeted cushioning on the ball and heel, mesh ventilation zones and a ‘Virtually Seamless’ toe to ensure maximum comfort. smartwool.co.uk…

It was my last year playing rugby in Japan in 2015 and I wanted a challenge. The London Marathon was on my bucket list and I managed to crawl around. The atmosphere, crowd and having to dig deep made me think it’s something I can get into. A friend of mine sponsored Ironman Wales and said he’d give me a place if I’d do it for charity. I said ‘yes’, then did my research. I’d never heard of Ironman. People asked whether I could bike and swim. I’d just bought a road bike and couldn’t swim four lengths of my local baths. They replied: ‘Look Shane, you better start training!’ It was my first triathlon. Not advisable. It’s relentless. I tore my ankle ligaments two months before and physically and…

WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS 1 @alex_clare_h Swimming my way around Scotland. The clearest & quietest swimming spots 2 @tri.faster.harder When you’ve booked annual leave for a course that gets cancelled two hours before you have to travel, so you and BFF go spontaneously camping and gravel riding! 3 @fitbelvoir After spending 10 days in self isolation, today I celebrated freedom with an early start and a PB at The London Triathlon! The highlight was biking along closed roads all the way to Westminster and passing so many iconic London landmarks. 4 @helenwebster_ swimcoaching In the studio for 220! 5 @trigirlc After my IM got cancelled at minute 99 I’ve taken a couple of days to reset. Went out for a fun bike ride, no stats just an easy ride. 6…

Traditionally the choices for triathletes looking to improve in the sport have been to get a coach, join a club or go it alone. Now, there’s a fourth option to consider – using tech to set your training, assess your progress, correct any issues and adapt your programme to suit your needs. Sounds neat, right? Or, perhaps, a bit pseudo-science? Whatever your view, there’s no doubt that trying to utilise tech for performance is an emerging area that looks set to ramp up in the coming years. Here, we take a look at some of the big players already coming to market. INCUS ANALYSE YOUR EVERY MOVE If a product holds such potential that Alistair Brownlee invests, it makes the marketing team sing and the potential consumers listen. So it…

HELEN WEBSTER 220’seditor is also a qualified open-water swimming coach. MATT BAIRD Has spent years testing tri kit and accessories for 220 . KATE MILSOM 220’s editorial assistant and a keen endurance athlete. JACK SEXTY A strong age-grouper focusing on top-end gains. JAMES WITTS He’s a published author writing about sports science. DMT KT1 TRI SHOES “This innovative tri shoe takes comfort and breathability to the next level” £229.99 Should DMT’s flagship tri shoe be your go-to on race day? The KT1 is DMT’s flagship triathlon shoe, with the Italian brand claiming it offers premium sockless comfort and breathability thanks to a proprietary knitted upper. The knit is a multi-layer construction that’s said to ‘conform to the individual shape of each rider’s foot’ for a customised, glove-like fit. It’s not…

So, you’ve got the multisport bug and signed yourself up for an iron-distance race… but you don’t have £5k plus for a tri bike with superior aerodynamics, integrated storage and deep wheels. Don’t worry! Sticking with a road bike certainly didn’t hurt Gustav Iden at the 2019 Ironman 70.3 World Championships when he rode his drop-bar rig with clip-on bars for the bike leg, before powering away from Alistair Brownlee on the run to take the title. With plenty of aftermarket options to prepare your bike for long-course tri, there’s no need to get bike envy when you rack your modded machine next to bikes worth five figures. Most tri bike speed savings are found in the bars and deeper wheels; so by adding significant upgrades to your road bike,…

As an endurance athlete you need to get in enough of the right type of calories to fuel your long, tough workouts, reduce the risk of injury and keep your immune system as strong as possible. And your primary source of these calories will come from carbohydrates – starchy vegetables, lentils, pulses and wholegrains like oats, brown rice and quinoa, which will all provide a slower release of energy and all-important micronutrients for immune health. Combining protein with carbohydrate will also slow down the release of energy and keep you going for even longer. It’s important to include plenty of fats in your diet too, not only for energy and anti-inflammatory properties, but also for the transport of the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K, nerve function and hormone…

Q I sometimes get a stitch when running. How can I treat it? A For immediate relief, slow down, take a series of deep breaths, flex the body forward and begin to stretch the affected area. For longer-term solutions, ensure you’re hydrated before you start your run, limit the number of sugary drinks consumed before and during the run, and try not to eat a big meal less than 2hrs before your run. Q What tyre pressure should I be running on race day? A There are two main factors which might affect the tyre pressure you choose to run on race day. The first is the overall quality of the road surface. If it’s consistently rough and bumpy, you’ll probably want to drop your tyre pressure a bit for…

Form’s Smart Swim Goggles have featured on these pages a couple of times over the past year. Essentially, they show you key swim metrics via a basic but reasonably clear display on the lens, including split times, distance, stroke rate, pace per 100m and calories. We praised the goggles for their robust build, premium anti-fog lenses, seven nose-bridge options and adjustable straps. But the brand’s innovation didn’t stop there… Form has just announced a new Workouts feature, which’ll guide swimmers through immersive sessions via the in-goggle display. Hundreds of workouts are available from the Form Swim app and you can download up to five onto the goggles. Once you’re in the water, you can load up your workout and the display will give you instructions on how far to swim,…

1 Tracking progress ‘If you can measure it, you can manage it.’ But there’s always context. Today’s coach needs to have a fine-tuned BS filter when an athlete asks: ‘Should I buy X, Y or Z?’ Tracking progress is vital, but something as simple as a notepad and pencil can be a powerful decision-making tool. 2 Train the brain Training devices can be beneficial for training the ‘supercomputer between the ears’. For the inexperienced, they can help calibrate effort. For the experienced they can help constrain effort, so their goals are more readily achieved. 3 Educates coach and athlete Data gives athletes and coaches the ability to ask better questions. There are times where the intent of a workout may be feel-driven over pace/power, but reviewing the data once the…

Yes, when worn alone they look like a 1980s wrestling outfit, but a pair of bib-shorts are one of the key training investments a triathlete can make. Due to their durability and versatility for turbo training and outdoor bike sets of every type, their cost-per-wear ratio is one of the lowest in the tri wardrobe. While they all look fairly similar, with an array of fabric types, pad options and strap combinations, there are subtle differences to look out for when buying your bibs. Fit, as ever, is key and the overall sizing should be snug yet comfortable in the pedalling position and without any movement of chamois pad, so study the sizing chart. The pad size and thickness of the 12 on test here all vary. Chamois type can…

We think it’s time for the bookies to stop taking bets on ‘pingdemic’ entering the Oxford Dictionary in 2022. It’s July and not one but two of my children have had the isolation ping. Essentially, it’s a ping for me as well, 18 days of being homebound in the middle of the tri season. Farewell Eton’s Castle to Coast Triathlon, hello the paddling pool and the dusty turbo trainer. The problem, aside from my failure to ever commit to turbo training no matter how many Zwift trials I’ve started, is the temperature is nudging 34°C and my breeze-starved patio is closer to Dante’s Inferno than Dorney Lake. Enter the SubZero range from Nopinz. The Devon-based brand has form in ‘why hasn’t this been done before?’ moments when its race number…

1 The Osprey Duro 6 (£100) provides comfort, storage and fuelling, with a vest-style fit, room for the essentials and various hydration options. There’s also a women’s version (the Dyna 6), which we recently scored 92%. ospreyeurope.com 2 Lifesystems’ Light and Dry Micro kit (£16.99) is a well-stocked first-aid kit and weighs just 135g. The brand’s Echo Whistle (£2.49) and Thermal Blanket (£3.99) should also be on your kit list. lifesystems.co.uk 3 Weighing an impressive 97g (size medium), Inov-8’s Ultrashell (£130) would be our waterproof jacket pick for racing in the UK. inov-8.com 4 You’ll need a good pair of trail running shoes to keep you upright. Enter Hoka One One’s Speedgoat 4 (£125), which has won rave reviews in 220. hokaoneone.eu 5 Any kit made from Merino is a…

GO TRY TRI I felt compelled to write after reading this month’s (issue 394) ‘Your Route into Triathlon’ feature, as I wholeheartedly agree – start with GO TRI, no matter age or ability. In January, I started my run journey at the ripe old age of 45. Before I knew it I’d got myself a road bike and started cycling, then thought, why not swim too?! Seven months later I’ve just completed my first GO TRI! It was such a great experience and I’ve met so many wonderful people in a short amount of time. It’s also great to volunteer at these events as you really get to see how things work, and cheering others on is all part of the fun! I’ve just booked my next two tri races…

This year marks 10 years since Chrissie Wellington’s fourth, final and most formidable Kona victory, a battle that saw the unbeaten Brit experience a serious bike crash weeks before the event, arriving in Kona visibly battered and bruised. The race soon became Chrissie’s gritty and glorious masterpiece, holding off Mirinda Carfrae on the run to cross the line just shy of her Kona course record. Here Chrissie, now the global lead for health and wellbeing at parkrun and the author of two new children’s books, reflects on that epic day. “It still feels like yesterday, and I still have the scars on my legs today to remind me of the pain I went through. But it was my perfect race because I finally answered the question that I’d been asking…

SHORT-SLEEVED TRI-SUITS Performance is key for race tri-suits, so consider chamois, grippers and pocket options. Fabric should also be quick-drying and sweat-wicking. HUUB Commit Long Course £119.99 Stylish and good-value suit that feels smooth and lightweight. Issue 393 huubdesign.com DHB Aeron Ltd Edition £125 Striking suit ideal for long-distance, with wide leg grippers and large pockets. Issue 392 wiggle.co.uk SANTINI Viper £159.99 Optimised for a long bike leg, with quality chamois and aero panels. Issue 393 santinicycling.com STOLEN GOAT Sector £160 Designed for speed, with long aero arms and legs, and large rear pockets. Issue 392 stolengoat.com TRI-FIT Evo £179 Standout suit for all distances, aero design and ample pocket options. Issue 392 tri-fitathletic.com TRIATHLON WETSUITS These hit a range of abilities. Newcomers will look for greater buoyancy, especially around…

LONG RUN WITH RACE-PACED LIFTS Coach Fran Bungay (goalspecificcoaching.com) Benefit Endurance-based, but also reminding the muscles of pace without overloading the system. Also good for pace awareness for athletes doing this on feel. Nutrition As ever, a well-balanced breakfast 60-90mins before the session – porridge and fruit is a good choice – followed by protein/carbs post session in the 20min window. Fruit smoothie with protein powder is a good choice. Warm-up 30mins at a nice and easy conversational pace. Main set 30mins as 30secs 10km-pace effort with 90secs easy jog. Cool-down 20-30mins nice and easy. WINTER PACE-SETTER Coach Andy Wadsworth (bwcycling.co.uk) Benefit This session is good for the treadmill and will help you to become familiar with your pacing ahead of race season. Growing familiar with how you feel at…

RUNNING VOLUME Q How much running should you do? Claire Graves A Depending on the source you read, anywhere between 60-80% of runners will have an injury of some description over a 12-month training period. Though some of those injuries are acute, most are overuse injuries due to an increase in training load or doing too much too soon. So the simple answer to this question is: as little as possible! But what is ‘as little as possible’? Well it’ll mean something different to each and every person and is closely linked to your goals. If you’re just starting out then it might be to just get round the distance. Triathletes can get away with less run training since they already have some of the training effects from other sports…

Listen to your body, adapting and conquering along the way, but also being prepared that on days when you need to rest, do just that. Work on your mindset, accepting your body’s limitations; pushing through isn’t necessarily the best approach. Know and really understand your symptoms, triggers, menstrual cycle – each woman is different. Investigate all aspects of your lifestyle to really optimise your health and training – nutrition, hydration, training, sleep, recovery, stress and mindset. Don’t let the endo define you – you can still train/race as a triathlete. Advocate for yourself and do your research. A lot of GPs have limited endo knowledge. If you have very heavy periods and/or crippling pain and/or any symptoms, ask to see a gynaecologist. Print off the latest NICE guidelines to take…

“Leading up to the event I had lots of questions and was nervous about not being able to find my transition bags or accidentally sending my bags to the wrong place. But having all that to worry about meant I didn’t really think about the actual diÿculty of what lay ahead, which in many ways I think was a good thing. “I really enjoyed the event and was pleasantly surprised by how friendly everyone was, particularly on the cycle, where I found a group of people and ended up riding the majority of the distance with them. “For me, the hardest part was the run, as I really hadn’t anticipated how steep the hills would be right from the off, but I quickly learned that I could just walk the…

‘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 BILATERAL BREATHING Breathing every 3 strokes when swimming BONKING Running out of energy mid-race or training session BRICK SESSION When you ‘brick’ two disciplines together, e.g. bike & run 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 DNS/DNF/DQ Did not start/Did not finish/ Disqualified DRAFTING Hitching a ride on someone else’s slipstream in the bike or swim DUATHLON Usually a run/bike/run format ELITE Another word for a ‘pro’ – e.g. the Brownlees HIT High-intensity training HRMAX Your…