Innholdsfortegnelse for June 2016 i Triathlon Plus

WHAT WINDSOR DUATHLON WHEN 3 APRIL WHERE WINDSOR GREAT PARK, BERKSHIRE Unstoppable Emma Pallant scored a hat-trick at the National Duathlon Championships seizing the podium top spot for a third successive year. And no-one was more pleased for her than former Olympian and previous world duathlon champion, Michelle Dillon, who was beaten into second place by more than a minute. Dillon, who came out of retirement to race on home soil, is none other than Pallant’s coach. The following morning she tweeted: “I can’t walk this morning but it was worth it, 2nd to @EmmaPallant at Elite National Duathlon Champs whoo hoo! :-).” Fresh from her three-in-a-row victory Pallant revealed that she has an exciting year ahead of her. “It was a great experience to be racing with my coach,…

EYES Whether you swim in a pool or lake, well-fitting goggles are a must, says David Cartwright chairman of the Eyecare Trust (eyecaretrust.org.uk) “Water – both in swimming pools or outdoors – harbours millions of microbial organisms that can cause sight-threatening eye infections or irritation. It’s also an ideal environment to transmit these infections so goggles help prevent cross-contamination from fellow swimmers. “Infections include conjunctivitis – which causes the eyes to become red and discharge fluid – while the rarer Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK) can cause a serious eye disease if it infects the cornea, the transparent outer covering of the eye. “Symptoms include eye pain, redness, blurred vision, watery eyes and sensitivity to light, and without treatment it can result in permanent sight loss. Although the infection is rare, swimmers…

Meet the crossover. Perhaps the most common and destructive swim technique error there is. A crossover in front crawl is where one or both of your hands crosses the centre line of your body as it enters the water. The best way to identify this is to view it directly from above, so you’ll need someone to observe or video you. It’s an extremely common swim technique problem and it can knock several seconds per length off your swim times. Swim Smooth (swimsmooth.com) estimate 70 per cent of their swim video clinic attendees make this mistake. When your hand enters the water during front crawl it should be perfectly in line with your shoulder. Your middle finger should be pointing towards the wall at the far end of the pool.…

What is coaching? What makes a good coach? Are there any secrets? What does a coach actually do? What is a good coach? One who has worked with a world champion? Or one who has brought an overweight, middle-aged jogger to a sense of fulfi lment by losing the excess weight and fi nishing an Olympic distance triathlon? One who takes over an already good athlete and makes her excellent? A coach who brings a good junior through that diffi cult transition to senior level? Or somebody who starts at grass roots level and brings the athlete to respectability? Every athlete sees the job of the coach from their own needs. If your coach gets you under the minute for 100 metres freestyle when you started at 75 seconds then…

Buying a wetsuit WHAT TO LOOK FOR Comfort and fit A suit needs to be snug to your body but flexible enough in the shoulders, legs and crotch to offer you free movement for swimming. Any restriction or chafing will hinder your swim. Sizes vary between brands. Thickness/thinness This can vary enormously. Many companies now use 4-5mm for the body, but thinner neoprene for the arms. Think about the conditions you’ll be swimming in and your buoyancy needs. Buoyancy Many now offer extra buoyancy in the legs – great for sinkers but a hindrance to those who don’t need it. Wetsuit manufacturers will have their own guides so read up before you buy. Sealants Wetsuits should let some water in to form a layer between your body and the suit…

£5,000 specialized.com “Even freewheeling away from the workshop the wheels, frame and particularly the tyres are obviously very quick” THE PRO RACE proves it’s still a blisteringly quick and efficient flat course machine with several hidden tricks up its wizard’s sleeve. FRAME AND FORKS While the Shiv model has been around for a while it’s been through a lot of design changes over its history. The current Pro Race with standard fork and stem junction is relatively conventional compared to some previous Shivs where the stem extended downwards forming an aerodynamic fairing. It doesn’t get the flush fit stem of the S-Works frame module either, but the adjustable “control tower” provides cable and airflow management block behind the stem. It’s built from FACT 10R rather than FACT 11R carbon too,…

LUCY CHARLES Age 22 Home Hoddesdon, Herts Day job Personal trainer (pulsefitnesstriathlon.com) Career highlights Second age-grouper in Ironman UK 2014; age-group winner at Ironman UK 2015; double world champion age-grouper for IM world championships and 70.3; finalist at the Olympic swim trials in 2012 AFTER 10 years of competitive swimming I retired with a shoulder injury in 2013. All the years of ploughing up and down a pool for 22 hours a week had taken their toll, both physically and emotionally so it was a relief to do something different. I’d always wanted to do an Ironman so when my fiancé Reece Barclay entered IM UK in 2014 I joined him. I’d done cross country and athletics at school but could barely ride a bike. After joining Hoddesdon Tri Club,…

Bikes on test QUINTANA ROO PRFIVE ULTEGRA DI2 £5,800 SPECIALIZED SHIV PRO RACE £5,000 CANNONDALE SLICE HI MOD DURA ACE £4,599.99 Tech talk Asymmetric Frame that’s shaped or constructed differently on the driveside compared to the offside. Bento box Food storage box/bag on the top tube behind the stem. Di2 Shimano’s electrically triggered shifting system that requires its own battery mounts and wiring holes. Flush fit Seat clamps or other features that are flush with the skin of the frame to minimise aerodynamic drag. Integrated Components that blend into the structure of the fork and frame for a smoother aerodynamic performance. Modulus Measurement of carbon fibre quality/strength based on the tensile strength per square inch of cross sectional area ranging from low (35,000,000 psi) to ultra high (145,000,000 psi) Press…

£4,599.99 cannondale.com “It attacks climbs and charges out of corners with remarkable responsiveness for an aero bike” CANNONDALE TOOK a radical step with their latest aero chassis and if you want beautifully smooth, effortlessly lightweight performance with calm all-weather handling then the Slice is in a class of it’s own. FRAME AND FORKS Cannondale’s ultra light Hi-Mod chassis are among the lightest around and even with the heaviest wheels on test it’s the lightest bike here by a clean kilo. Narrow gauge wheel hugging seat-tube, vertical seatpost, ultra thin seatstays and carefully flattened chainstay profiles aren’t just about weight watching either. Minimising side profile means the Slice gets shoved around by gusty winds much less than a big slab sided bike. Comfort levels are also outstanding even on the roughest…

You’ve spent all those hours training for a triathlon event, you’re on the start line ready to go but how will your race pan out? Not sure? This could be because you don’t have a race plan or strategy. PLAN AHEAD A good 10-12 weeks ahead of your race you should develop a race strategy consisting of how fast you need to be to hit your targets on race day. Your training leading up to the event should form regular sessions at this target pace and intensity, replicating what you’ll do on race day. If you can replicate these sessions on the race course itself then that’s even better. REVIEW YOUR TRAINING Another important point is to review your training about a week out from the event itself. Races don’t…

WHY DO WE NEED TO SCULL? Sculling with your hands is the best way to teach a swimmer to feel the water. This term – feeling the water – means being able to perceive what is happening to the water as a result of your movements, and being able to manipulate this to produce the maximum amount of force on the water. A good feel of the water means swimmers should be able to feel the pressure on the water through the catch and pull phase of their stroke and conversely feel when that pressure is lost. The act of sculling therefore maximises propulsion by establishing a proper hand position in the water, developing the catch of the water and your effectiveness on the water. Here are three drills to…

WHAT ITU WORLD PARATRIATHLON (WPE) WHEN 20 MARCH WHERE BUFFALO CITY, SOUTH AFRICA LAUREN STEADMAN and Alison Patrick have virtually rubber-stamped their way to Rio after storming to victory at the ITU World Paratriathlon Event in South Africa. Their decisive wins in the first race of the season mean they have now met the British Triathlon automatic qualification criteria for Rio where Paratriathlon will make its Olympic debut. In a top day of racing, Team GB scooped three gold, two silver and one bronze. Steadman, 23, (racing with a new right arm) won the PT4 category in 1.13 and has now qualified for her third Paralympic Games but her first as a paratriathlete (having competed twice before as a swimmer). She said: “The top women weren’t here today so I…

TRI TRICK SIGN UP There’s never been a better time to join your home nation. Whether you choose from Triathlon England, Wales or Scotland, you’ll benefit from cheaper race entry, the security of insurance while training and racing, discounts on kit and the lovely warm glow that comes with helping our glorious sport to grow. Benefits are constantly being added so it’s always worth logging on to see the latest offers. Currently Triathlon England benefits include 20% discount on Garmin, 10% off Bike Box and 30% off SwimSmooth. Plus, there’s the opportunity to fly the Union Jack and represent your country as an age-grouper or become a national champion. For details log on to britishtriathlon.org DETAILS What The Woburner Where: Woburn Abbey, Bedfordshire When 10-11 September 2016 YOU MIGHT have…

THE LARGEST ingredient in this recipe is the lamb mince. Make sure you buy the leanest mince possible. Even with a relatively lean mince the dish gains 48 per cent of its calories from fat, which is about 1,062 calories. Around half of lamb’s fat content is from saturated fat, with about 50 per cent from mono and poly unsaturated fats. In a typical 100g there is approximately 7g of saturated fat, 7g of monounsaturated fat, 1g of polyunsaturated fat, 1.5g from omega 3 and 6. While monounsaturated fat is a relatively good fat as it helps maintain healthy heart and blood vessels, it is not one of the essential fats. Lamb mince also has a higher cholesterol level, so for those watching their levels, be careful as depending on…

J. LAVERACK J. ACK1 1 FIRST RIDE Titanium is famed for its magical ride quality, and the forgiving nature of the J. ACK’s frameset and components certainly back this up within minutes. The biggest surprise is that it is a willing partner if you want to get the hammer down. From the brushed titanium frame to the Brooks Cambium saddle, discequipped Hunt wheels and Whisky carbon forks, this bike oozes style 2 FAST RIDE The willingness with which the J. ACK responds on flat and rolling roads is one of its stand-out features. The bike has a direct feel to it. While a short head-tube, compact drop handlebars and aggressive head angle combine to make full-on, attack mode riding easy, almost addictive. Running 85psi in the 28c tyres helps comfort…

£5,800 wiggle.co.uk Can the Quintana Roo live up to its tri-specific legacy? “The forward weighted feel is heightened by the steepest steering angle here too, giving the Roo an initially twitchy feel.” AFTER DEVELOPING the first tri-specific wetsuit, Quintana Roo was also the first company to roll out a tri-specific bike. The new PRSix and PRFive are direct descendants of the original Superform and still as radical. FRAME AND FORKS The major difference between the PRFive and PRSix is the latter gets a bayonet style leading edge fork, a lighter carbon fibre mix and a removable QBox storage fin on the seat-tube. The PRFive still gets QRs distinctive Shift + aerodynamic treatment where airflow is deliberately directed around the cleaner offside of the rear frame which also uses a massive…

Unless you come from a coached track or road running background, in our experience we find that running is the most technically neglected of the three triathlon disciplines. Running is the hardest of the three disciplines on our body, and causes the most injuries. Few triathletes have been taught how to run. This is at odds with how we should approach running, so here we focus on posture to help reduce the wear and tear on our bodies, and avoid injuries. IDENTIFYING POOR POSTURE Look out for these key indicators, and check yourself regularly: • Are you slouched? • Are your shoulders hunched? • Is your neck bent over? • When you walk do you lean over from the waist, eyes focused on the ground just in front of you,…

Triathletes are typically a dedicated bunch of athletes. Throw in work, family and social lives alongside training and it’s not hard to see the need for good recovery strategies that help you stay alert for work, awake for your family and strong for your next training session. Maximising your sleep strategies, time and improving your nutrition are by far and away the most powerful. Here are our tips for a smart recovery. SORT YOUR SLEEP It is believed our body clock, or circadian rhythm, is at its lowest between about 10pm and 5am and sleeping at this time provides a more efficient sleep pattern. Those earliest hours of your circadian rhythm there is an increased production of natural human growth hormone, which plays a key role in the repair of…