Innholdsfortegnelse for September 2016 i Triathlon Plus

DETAILS What Rat Race City to Summit When 2 July 2017 Where Edinburgh to Fort William, Scotland FOR TWO YEARS it reigned supreme as one of the world’s toughest triathlons. Intrepid racers embarked on a chilly swim in the Firth of Forth, followed by a 180km lung-busting bike ride and an off-road marathon taking in Ben Nevis, Britain’s highest peak. But a bracing nine degree swim had both organisers and competitors questioning the wisdom of such a gruelling start to a race that already pushed the boundaries. After an absence of three years, the event has relaunched without the swim. However as a duathlon City to Summit won’t be any easier. “We’ve swapped the swim for a half marathon,” says Alex Reily of Rat Race. While the final marathon leg…

As a triathlete it can be easy to fall into the trap of assuming you're always improving. You train regularly and lead a healthy lifestyle, so you'll continually get faster right? Well, not necessarily. Improvements in fitness come thick and fast when you’re new to triathlon, but they can easily plateau after a year or so. From that point onwards you need to train smart, and one way is to regularly test your own fitness levels and update your training zones. There are various swim, bike and run tests that can help you do this. They give you up-to-date information about your strengths and weaknesses, your training intensity zones and how to pace yourself in a race. Regularly performing these tests puts you in a better position to make tweaks…

Notes and key The Race List AT THE TIME of going to press, some race details were yet to be confirmed. Before entering a race, or if you can’t find your favourite event here, please contact the organisers for the most up-to-date information. Distances given are: for triathlons, swim/bike/run; for duathlons, run/bike/run; and for aquathlons, swim/run. Swim distances are in metres up to 999, then kilometres. Bike and run distances are in kilometres unless otherwise stated, with ‘M’ denoting distances are in miles. AUGUST SUNDAY 21 AUGUST COTSWOLD CLASSIC MIDDLE DISTANCE TRIATHLON Distance: 1.9k, 56mi, 13mi Cotswold Water Park, Lake 32, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, GL7 6DF 113events.com HARWICH OLYMPIC TRIATHLON Distance: standard Oval Shelter, Dovercourt, Essex, CO12 3TA harwichrunners.co.uk WEYMOUTH CLASSIC & SPRINT TRIATHLON Distance: various Beachside Leisure Complex, Weymouth, Dorset,…

AERODYNAMIC EFFICIENCY is great for flat, solo speed, but on the climbs, minimising weight is what really matters. When it comes to a passion for turning lost grams into glory, nobody gets more excited than the German bike industry and their annual Eurobike show is a festival of featherweights dangling from scales to prove how light they are. But what are the practical limits of shaving weight when it comes to preserving power delivery and predictable handling? How light can you realistically go with off-the-peg components rather than crazy hand made composite pieces? We wanted to answer these questions in the most emphatic way possible by taking three off-the-peg bikes to the French Maritime Alps and see how they performed on the high climbs that the world’s best pros use…

£5,499 focus-bikes.com Can electronic shifting set the Focus Izalco apart in this competitive test FOCUS’S IZALCO Max is a stunning mix of gear shrinking power delivery, surefooted confidence and fatigue delaying smoothness that’s an absolute joy wherever and whatever the ride or race you’ve got planned. FRAME AND FORKS Compared with a lot of frames the Izalco main tubes are relatively slim and conventional with no elaborate main tube tapers or twists. The chainstays taper dramatically below skinny seatstays and the full carbon fork is a razor sharp stiletto of a structure. The level of detail invested in the Izalco is illustrated by the fact there are dedicated conventional and Di2 shift versions rather than a switchable one frame fits all design. Not content with making an impressively extensive seven…

Run training for a triathlon is different to training for just running on its own. In triathlon you have already swum and cycled so you will start the run fatigued. That tiredness can lead to poor control and posture, which can lead to injuries. One of the best ways to avoid this is to replicate the fatigue by incorporating brick sessions into your training. Bricks refer to training on two disciplines during the same workout, which for triathlon is usually a bike/run workout. Brick workouts are useful because they help cut the time our legs take to start feeling more normal, allowing you to run better and faster. A good brick training session will incorporate a sequence of short-to-medium duration rides alternated with a series of short runs. This will…

Transition is often referred to as the fourth discipline in triathlon and with good reason. Not only can valuable seconds be lost by a poor transition, but for the inexperienced triathlete, getting transition wrong can upset the rest of your race and possibly get you disqualified. So here are some transition tips: BE ORGANISED Those new to the sport may want to make a checklist of everything needed to ensure nothing is forgotten. When setting up transition, only take the essentials in with you – it’s more often than not that the ‘just in case’ items are never used. This will help you get in and out of transition quicker with minimal fuss and distraction. KNOW YOUR WAY AROUND TRANSITION Transition can often be very busy so make sure you…

SECRETS OF SUCCESS ON A ROLL NIKKI BARTLETT Age 29 Day job Professional triathlete Home town Cheltenham Career highlights European Middle Distance overall AG Champion in 2014; 2nd female (age-grouper) at IM Wimbleball 2014; 2nd female at Challenge Weymouth 2014; 2nd female Castle Howard 2015; 3rd woman IM Staffordshire 70.3 2016 I LOVED ATHLETICS and hockey at school but like many teenagers I gave it up to party. At university in Birmingham I took up rowing, and raced competitively. After winning multiple medals at the European University Championships I decided to take it more seriously. I attended the Girls 4 Gold initiative in 2008, which tested potential Olympians in various sports and gained selection onto the GB rowing World Class Start system. However, I suffered repeated rib stress fractures in…

DETAILS What 2016 Peak District Triathlon at Chatsworth When 3 July 2016 Where Chatsworth House, Derbyshire THE RACE AT A GLANCE Organised by: Xtra Mile Events. Starters: Sprint 619; Standard 216 Finishers: Sprint 600; Standard 209 Weather: Mix of cloud and sunny intervals, with no wind. Temperatures in high teens Water conditions: River Derwent temperature 12 degrees. Sprint Distance: 750m swim, 20km cycle, 5km run Standard Distance: 1,000m swim, 39km cycle, 10km run Goodies: Medal, goody bag, free photo to download and Erdinger alcohol free beer Distinguishing Features: ETU European Sprint Distance Championship Qualifier with discounted entry to Chatsworth House and grounds for competitors WINNERS Sprint: Benjamin Goodall 1:05:08 Rhian Roxburgh 1:14:33 Standard: Seb Garry 2:07:45 Hannah Bridger 2:32:54 Fancy it? See xtramileevents.com for date and details for next year’s…

1 EARTHQUAKE Great for: Training your lower back and abdominal muscles (your core), helping you to keep good form and prevent injuries. How to: Keep core muscles engaged and your back straight. Open your chest and keep a long neck. Lean your back as low as you can and hold the position at your lowest shaking point. You can hold this or challenge yourself by lifting up your opposite arm and leg, changing them. Hold the position for at least 30 seconds. Concentrate on your breathing while performing the exercise. 2 MODIFIED HUNDREDS Great for: This basic Pilates exercise works for core stability. The modified version will work core stability as well as engaging the legs. How to: Lie down on your back. Engage your core by squeezing your stomach…

THIS DELICIOUS salad is ideal to enjoy as a light meal to help repair damaged tissue after intense training. It is a great alternative and much lighter on the stomach than a typical high carbohydrate dinner consisting of pasta, rice or potatoes. Your body still needs carbohydrates to fuel your training, but if you’re eating late in the day or if it’s a rest day, choose this high protein salad. Chicken is a high quality and lean source of protein providing 30g in an average breast, and the Greek yoghurt for the tzatziki will maximise protein synthesis. The most effective method to feed your body all the nutrients it needs to perform and recover is to eat a rainbow every day Spinach contains an abundance of nutrients particularly vitamin A,…

1 FIRST RIDE It’s been a long time since we’ve tested such a conversation starter. The contrasting orange and bright pink rim and frame decals on the matt black base is both vibrant and visible. Fit is excellent with everything positioned just where we wanted it with minimal adjustment. A full set of Shimano 105 stop and go gear puts precise, ultra reliable control and shifting at your fingertips too. 2 FAST RIDE With comfortable geometry, relatively high weight and 28mm wheels we weren’t expecting the Axial to be quick. It lacks a bit of acceleration and there’s no specific aero profiling of the frame. Once rolling, the Fulcrum wheels and Continental tyres sustain speed beautifully and it always felt eager to top up speed when pushing hard. It compares…

£5,499 cube.eu A pro spec machine with cruise control settings for all-day riding performance CUBE’S FLAGSHIP carbon fibre bike is a proper professional spec complete with Campagnolo groupset and glue-on tyres, but it’s much more of a cruiser than we expected. FRAME AND FORKS The C:68 frame is built using two moulded halves which allows particularly accurate, consistent placement of each crucial carbon fibre sheet. Cube has used it to create high volume, ultra thin wall tubes including a big head-tube, massive boxy down-tube and bottom bracket area leading into deep rectangular stays. Despite visual bulk it’s still relatively light at 850g and it comes in no less than seven different sizes. THE KIT The Super Record groupset set-up is a light and high tech group with distinctively carbon fibre…

THE VERDICT GIVEN WE NORMALLY devote our top end tests to bikes with an aero advantage, it's been eye-opening to explore lightweight options. What really surprised us was that all three of these bikes were comfortable enough to feel friendly all day, while the fact their minimal weight makes the absolute most of whatever fitness you have. We were surprised by the differences between the bikes. The Cube looked seriously muscular but was actually distinctive because of its smoothness and didn’t actually respond that well to raw power or hard riding. The power flex and occasionally limp handling of the Rose wasn’t so surprising as it’s spectacularly light for its direct sell price, and skinny seatstays are designed for smooth riders, not gear grunters. That makes the flawless lack of…

ABOUT THE CLUB Celtic Tri was born back in 2005 when a number of like-minded triathletes from the Swansea and Neath Port Talbot area wanted to share their knowledge and experiences and create a social belonging, in what can all to often be an isolating sport. Now with over 200 members as far away as Pembrokeshire, West Wales, to Cardiff in the East, the club has grown beyond expectations. The membership is made up of a real mixture, from GB age-groupers to weekend warriors and juniors. The club’s top performers include Tim Williams, who has just qualified for the Ironman 70.3 World Championships in Australia and Deri Stewart, a GBR under-23 age-group qualifier who recently came second at the Swansea City triathlon. The junior section also has a number of…

THE MEN Mario Mola, Spain Age 26 Coach: Joel Filliol The season so far: Mola has had a breathtaking series with no fewer than five wins in the World Series. He currently tops the leader board. Glory days 2013 Bronze medallist at ITU World Series, overcoming a poor swim and time penalty to win ITU World Series Abu Dhabi 2016, Gold at the ITU grand final last September, Winning the ITU World Junior Championships in 2009 and the ITU European Cup in 2010 Fernando Alarza, Spain Age 25 Coach: Omar González Sampedro The season so far: In the shadow of iconic teammates Gomez and Mola, Alarza has so far flown under the radar. But racing experts say he’s definitely one to watch. He’s had an excellent 2016 season taking first,…

THE SWIM A 1,500m out and back lap with a beach run-in. A sandy dash to the sea from Fort Copacabana (at one end of Copacobana beach) adds to the race excitement for spectators and prevents stronger swimmers making a clean getaway. The sheltered warm Atlantic waters are normally calm, however it’s a popular surfing spot and could become choppy. Helen Jenkins will be keen to avoid a repeat of the Rio test event which saw her withdraw after a kick to the head. Olympic officials have assured athletes the sea is safe to swim in (after concerns were raised last summer over water quality) and there have been no reported cases of sickness after the test event. THE BIKE An eight lap hilly and technical 40km course Two steep…

It was an amazing day in Leeds for the World Triathlon Series in June, compounded by breakaways in both the women’s and men’s races. Flora Duffy (for the third time this season) broke away, accompanied by two British athletes Jessica Learmonth and Lucy Hall, both uber swimmers and bikers. And the men’s race? Both Brownlees along with Aaron Royle (AUS) and Aurelien Raphael (FRA). In the women’s race, the time gap from the chasing group (including world champion Gwen Jorgensen USA, and Vicky Holland and Jodie Stimpson both GBR) was 1min 37secs as they entered the city, and then on the remaining seven short laps stayed pretty much the same. With Alistair and Jonny Brownlee pulling hard from the front, the one minute gap at the start of the twists…

£4,100 rosebikes.co.uk Can this ‘barely there’ bike make its presence felt with our testers? GERMAN UBER shop Rose is becoming a go-to source for outstanding value bikes thanks to the combination of a dedicated UK service centre and aggressive internet direct pricing. Obviously their own brand bikes have played a big part in their growing reputation too, and the X-Lite Team-7000 makes it easy to see why. FRAME AND FORKS While the main tubes start out relatively chunky it doesn’t take long for them to taper down to a slim 27.2mm seat-tube. The ultra thin seatstays slope back from just ahead of the seatpost with a distinctive triangular clamping block taking up the top corner. This gives a claimed 795g weight for the frame while the matching fork weighs in…

All sport, however we started out, can become a chore and unenjoyable, yet we all have times when we fall into the same old routine or just keep things ticking over. We canvassed Celtic Tri club members for their top tips for maintaining your enjoyment of training and racing, so that you can keep up your love affair with the sport. TRAINING 1. ENJOY YOUR TRAINING If you’re not enjoying the journey, you can forget about the destination! Triathlon, like any sport, should primarily be about fulfilment, in whatever shape it may come in for you, be it steady improvement or weight loss. If you enjoy your sport, you’ll keep on doing it. 2. CHALLENGE YOURSELF DAILY Satisfaction comes through success and without a challenge, where’s the success going to…

After a streamlined body position and an effective kick having the correct arm technique, in particular the catch phase, is really important for efficient swimming. It’s where the propulsive phase of the stroke originates – without it you risk ‘slipping’ the water as your arms cut through it. Instead, a good catch should perform the function of getting a grip on the water, so you can push through against it with more force. THE MISTAKE One of the main errors made by swimmers and triathletes alike is to press the water down at the front of the stroke rather than pushing back. Pressing water down creates a lot of pressure on the palm because you are changing the direction of the water flow, from towards you as you move through…