220 Triathlon June 2022

Your first open-water race is something you never forget. I can still remember one of mine. Standing terrified on a beach in Portugal staring at (what looked like) huge waves, heart hammering, beads of nervous sweat running down the inside of my brand-new wetsuit... Then suddenly the klaxon went and I started running towards the sea with the other athletes, as if my body had clicked into autopilot. That was 2014 and I wouldn’t say it was a great (or even good) performance, but it ignited a love of open-water swimming in me that has led to me swimming all over the world and taking my qualifications to coach others. The takeaway? Yes, it can be scary. But it can also be exhilerating and you might just fall in love…

The triathlon world watched on with interest when athletes lined up for Ironman 70.3 Oceanside on 1 April, as Alistair Brownlee took to the starting line just over a month before the Ironman World Championship in Utah. Brownlee looked in control for much of the race, only to drop to fourth on the run. Jackson Laundry eventually took the tape in 3:45:00 with fellow Canadian Lionel Sanders finishing just 33 seconds behind. In the women’s race, USA’s Taylor Knibb continued her meteoric rise to the top of the sport with a convincing win in 4:06:32.…

As endurance athletes, we recognise the benefits of fuelling by a variety of energy products, be it drinks, blocks, gels or bars. This is great for delivering high-intensity efforts. But, says a recent study involving German athletes, it’s not so great for dental health. Eighty-eight competitive and 57 amateur athletes were recruited for oral analysis with both groups showing signs of gingival inflammation. This is the part of the gum around the base of the tooth and stems from plaque and tartar remaining on the teeth. Overall, though, the competitive group’s state of oral play was worse than the amateur athletes. It’s impossible to pinpoint why but, understandably, fingers were pointed at the high-sugar products athletes consume by the bucketload. Sugary supplements are essential for many endurance athletes, but dental…

For many age-groupers, saving a few hundred grams is perhaps best achieved by cutting down on some of life’s luxuries or staying away from the snack drawer in between mealtimes. But for those at the pointy end of the field, who are already pretty lean, mean fighting machines, every gram counts. And it’s to this endurance athlete that Fizik’s new Vento Argo 00 saddle will most appeal. Yes, this carbon saddle has an eye-watering recommended retail price of £259.99, but it also weighs just 136g for the 140mm size and 139g for the 150mm width. That makes it the brand’s lightest-ever short-nosed saddle. It’s been designed to provide maximum stiffness, minimal weight and improved stability while riding in aggressive, aero positions. Fizik says the latter is partly down to the…

RDX KETTLEBELL FROM £17.99 These colourful sand-filled kettlebells are designed for a variety of strength-based activities and functional movements, including swings, squats and deadlifts. They’re available in five different weights, ranging from 2-10kg. rdxsports.co.uk FINIS DRYLAND CORD £34.99 These swim cords from Californian swim brand Finis attach to an anchor point of your choice so you can practise your swimming techniques from the comfort of your home to improve strength and range of motion. ›nisswim.com THRUDARK WEIGHTED VEST £160 If you do your S&C workouts at home, this 10kg weighted vest is a handy addition to your home gym. Padded straps aid comfort. thrudark.com…

One of the overriding concerns of the novice triathlete is properly navigating the amount of faff required before their first race. Kit laid out meticulously the night before with a ‘I’m sure I must have missed something’ vibe will feel familiar. So too the ‘What the hell do I do now?’ emotions of arriving slightly stressed at Ironman registration to be handed different coloured plastic bags and a sheet of stickers. “Given the pros race for their livelihood, they should pay a bit more attention to detail” But you shouldn’t give yourself such a hard time. I’d wager that it’s precisely because newbies believe they’re so prone to mistakes that their diligence results in comparatively few. Of course, there’ll be learnings through the event, a chance to do this or…