hyool pol

SMASH YOUR FIRST TRI! 12-WEEK SPRINT-DISTANCE PLAN

P34 LEARN FROM KONA'S GREATEST HOW TO FUEL ON A BUDGET P87 P90 TIM DON'S POOL TOOL TIPS

THE 20 WAYS TO ACHSIEEAVSEON P E R F EC T O F F

MUST DO RACES BEST TURBOS

TI BIKES ON TEST

NEW-SEASON KIT

Five top indoor rigs, inc. Wahoo, Tacx & Elite, go head to head

Three titanium machines for endurance riding reviewed

Limar TT helmet, race-ready wheels, tri saddle & more

I’M...

A L ISTAI R B R OW NL EE 2x OLYMPIC AND WORLD CHAMPION...

I DON’T DO... COMPROMISE I DON’T DO... “COULD BE BETTER” I DON’T DO... “WHAT-IFS”

I LEAVE NOTHING TO CHANCE

THAT’S WHY... I CHOOSE HUUB

contents START P10 TH E BIG P I C P12 H OTTEST N EW G EA R P13 STATE OF P LAY P14 QU ICK SCI EN C E P15 W HY I TRI P16 DREA M B IK E KI T ZON E P42 KIT ZO N E P48 ENERGY G ELS P5 3 TU RBO TR AI N ERS P5 6 BOA LACING P6 2 TITANIUM BIKES T RAI N ING P74 SWIM P7 6 BIKE P7 8 R U N P8 0 TRA IN ING PL A N P8 7 NU TRITIO N P90 ASK T HE D O N KN OWHOW P102 TRI P ERSO NA L IT Y QUI Z P103 KIMBERL EY M OR RI SON P104 KIT G U ID E P106 RAC E CAL EN DA R R EGULA RS P18 FAO 22 0 P40 S UBSCRIB E P94 H OW WAS I T FO R YO U? P114 WEEKEN D WA RR IO R

KIT ZONE TRAINING KNOWHOW TURN OVER FOR MORE i 4/

/ February 2020

20 HOW TO

WINTERPROOF YOUR TRI Smash your off-season goals with these 21 ways to train harder and longer over the cold-weather months

THESECRETSTUDIO NET

ON THE COVER

56 THE BRAND

VISITS: BOA

We’re in Austria to find out how the innovative lacing system can save you time and energy

THE WORLD’S BEST TRIATHLONS

26

26

Diaries at the ready!

Check out this year’s best alternative multi-discipline events

34

In the 2019 Ironman World Champs, Dan Lorang coached both the male and female winners to victory. Discover his secrets

TRI-TANIUM RACERS

62

We test titanium machines for big days out from Sabbath, Reilly and Spa Cycles

GETTY IMAGES

LEARN FROM THE GREATEST KAI OTTO

74

ON THE COVER

34 RUSSELL BURTON

THESECRETSTUDIO NET

PADDLE UP TO DEVELOP POWER

74

Get to grips with hand paddles for better technique and more powerful propulsion in the water REMY WHITING

62 February 2020 /

/5

A ‘SAFE CBD ALTERNATIVE’ FOR ATHLETES

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TURN TO P TO SUBSCRIBE TODAY!

JAKE BAGGALEY/MAVERICK RACE

Helen competing in the Maverick Kent 21K trail run on 21 November, a final blast-out before the cold spell hit.

FROM THE EDITOR...

I don’t know about you, but it’s around this time of year that I start thinking about my ‘to-race’ list for next season. Races that don’t involve layering up, wearing gloves or choosing shoes with the best grip. No, I want my clothing choices to be simple and my destinations to be (hopefully) warm! That’s why I’ve added all 18 events on this month’s race feature, p26, to my bucket list. Well, you have to dream!

For those of us still braving the UK start line for the foreseeable, check out p20 for our guide to winterproofing your tri. And for all those long-course aspirants, don’t miss our exclusive feature with Dan Lorang, coach to both 2019 World Ironman Champs, Jan Frodeno and Anne Haug, as he shares his top training advice for conquering Ironman. Enjoy!

Helen webster, editor

THINGS YOU SHOULDN’T MISS THIS MONTH stay focussed & fast Try this run session with a difference on p78 to help keep your eyes on the PB-setting prize through the dark, cold winter months.

sprint to success Inspired to tri in 2020?

Then you need our 12-week, sprint-distance training plan on p80 to take you from novice to natural!

new race alert!

The Blacklake Xtreme in Montenegro is the latest addition to the XTri World Tour, and it’s a toughy! Read all about it on p94.

February 2020 /

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THE BEST TRIATHLON KIT REVIEWS 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.

2020 racing ambition?

“I’m taking a year off the ITU agegroup champs, so I fancy a bucketlist iron race. The Brutal perhaps?!”

8/

/ February 2020

HELEN WEBSTER

220’s editor made the move from marathons to tri six years ago.

Happiest when in the open water, she also competes in swimrun.

2020 racing ambition?

“To transfer my love of open-water swimming and trail running to an off-road triathlon event.”

MATT BAIRD

With 1 years of testing for 220, features editor Matt knows what works and what doesn’t in tri.

He moved to Ironman in 2018.

2020 racing ambition?

“To finally finish in the top 40% of a triathlon before my 4oth birthday in September!”

JAMES WITTS

With a sports science background, former 220 editor and author James Witts knows his stuff when it comes to product quality.

2020 racing ambition?

“I’m looking to break 65mins for the Olympic-distance 40km bike leg.

A flat bike leg here we come!”

WANT MORE? VISIT

why 220?

We’ve been helping triathletes go faster for 30 years. When the magazine launched in 1989, the way to estimate your

TRIATHLON.COM

NEW YEAR TRAINING TIPS Head to 220tri.com now for even more new-season training and racing advice. From plans to sessions, kit advice to race suggestions, we’ve got you covered for 2020!

DOWNLOAD THE DIGITAL EDITION

maximum heart rate was to subtract your age from 220.

The team behind the mag wanted you to know that they’d help you achieve your athletic potential, so they incorporated ‘220’ into the title to reflect that.

The method for finding your max heart rate may have changed, but our promise remains the same.

ENJOY YOUR FAVOURITE MAGAZINE ON YOUR TABLET Get all the great advice and expert reviews from the print version of your favourite tri magazine on our digital edition.

FROM THE VAULT ISSUE 216 Proving that the 220 team have always been hot on the cultural pulse with film references is this cover from 2008, where the headline nods to Kubrick’s sci-fi from…

1968. The feature, however, shows some things have changed in the UK tri scene, with the Beaver Triathlon, Forestman and Ironman 70.3 Exmoor all exiting stage left, while Blenheim, London and Windsor remain firm fixtures. Turn to p26 to see more races on the 2020 calendar.

ON SALE january 2008

FOLLOW

@220Triathlon

/220Triathlon

@220triathlon

February 2020 /

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/ February 2020

the big pic

ÖtillÖ Malta marked its debut on the global swimrun calendar by playing host to the 2019 world series finals on 23-24 November. Described as ‘a swimrunner’s course with lots of transitions, tricky water entries and exits, big runs, open-water swims and no place to rest’, it featured 30.9km of trail running and 8.7km of swimming.

PIERRE MANGEZ/ÖTILLÖ

February 2020 /

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3 of the best RECOVERY SHAKES

UNDER £20

SUPREME NUTRITION £18 This concentrated shake offers 31g of whey protein per 40g serving, and as whey is faster acting than milk-derived casein, it maximises muscle repair. The salted caramel taste is good, but there’s a £1.29 cost-per-serving. supremenutrition.

UNDER £30

WYLDSSON PROTEIN £29.99 This vegan drink replaces traditional whey with a pumpkin, pea and sunflower protein blend, which gives 20.3g of protein per serving. It mixes well and is tasty enough, although dominated by the pea flavour. wyldsson.com

THESECRETSTUDIO NET

FITSPORTS FIT SUIT £299 This new mid-priced wetsuit from emerging Brit brand Fitsports, is designed with a fast T1 time in mind

UNDER £45

OTE £42.50 Each serving of OTE’s Soya Protein Drink offers 25g of essential proteins and 19g of carbohydrates to aid the recovery process. There are also electrolytes for rehydrating the body and vitamins for an immune system boost. It’s also gluten- and dairy-free. otesports.co.uk

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/ February 2020

Launched by Ben Eldridge, a former BSc sports technology student, FIT is new, but its debut wetsuit is worthy of attention.

A key feature of the FIT (Frequency, Intensity, Time) suit is the inclusion of ‘bio-ceramic infrared reflection’ technology located beneath the neoprene. This is said to return naturally emitted infrared rays back to your muscles as you swim, reportedly improving blood circulation and thermoregulation, allowing muscles to work harder.

There are relatively lean levels of Yamamoto neoprene throughout, with the thickness of the shoulders coming in at 1.5mm, the torso 2mm, the upper legs 3mm (compared to 4-5mm for most wetsuits) and the lower legs 2mm.

FIT claims the suit can reduce T1 speed, thanks to the 1.5mm ‘flexi’ cuffs and shorter 3/4 lengths of both the arms and legs, a design that may cause consternation to those who suffer in the cold. We’ll find out in issue 378 of 220, out in May. frequencyintensitytime.com

hottest new gear

DANIEL SEEX

WEIGHT LOSS OFFERS NO GAINS TIM HEMING

Cutting through the spin of tri to address the issues that matter, Tim is a sports journalist who has written extensively on triathlon for the national press.

Using weight as a measure for performance is at best lazy and misguided, at worst destructive to long-term health, argues Tim Heming Six years ago I stepped into a Bod-Pod, an egg-shaped capsule reminiscent of the late, great Robin Williams’ spacecraft from the opening credits of Mork & Mindy. It was in the GlaxoSmithKline high performance test lab in west London and its objective was to measure my body composition.

On first impressions, it was an impressive piece of hi-tech kit, spitting out all manner of data concerning body fat percentages, and had the gravitational pull of a set of bathroom scales!

Times change and I now recoil at this harmless one-off test because I’ve become militant in seeing weight management for performance as a destructive measure. Its role as a crude proxy might appear to have merit, but it’s reasoning that’s heavily flawed, horribly short-term, and any temporary validation is more than outweighed by the risks.

“I don’t believe in weight measurement because it plants seeds of obsession”

It’s exemplified by the emotive case of Mary Cain, the teenage prodigy whose health suffered at the hands of the Nike Oregon Project under its head coach Alberto Salazar. After five stress fractures during a torrid period in Portland, Cain began self-harming and became a hostage to suicidal thoughts.

The neglect of pastoral care seems beyond refute and Nike’s rebuttal outlining how Cain reapplied to join the group belies a lack of comprehension of the vice-like manipulation of the coach-to-vulnerable athlete relationship. Even at her lowest ebb, Cain felt she was the one in the wrong.

Testimony from athletes who felt subjected to a ‘fat shaming’ culture has followed, with tales of coaches buying small-sized clothing to pressure athletes to lose weight, or the absence of periods celebrated as being in race shape. Triathlon cannot be immune. Hollie Avil, a 2008 Olympian, has been candid over the negative effects of comments about her weight that played a part in her retirement, aged just 22, and others have more privately confessed to enduring toxic coaching relationships.

state of play

There’s an argument, posited by sportswriter Matt Fitzgerald, author of Racing Weight, that turning discussions over weight into a taboo subject forces the issue underground or underestimates the intelligence of athletes to understand the risks.

Fitzgerald is not alone in claiming that there’s nothing intrinsically wrong with actively managing body composition in the pursuit of better performance.

But while acknowledging that entrenched views rarely lead to progress, I’ve yet to hear a cogent argument for focussing on weight, especially when there are a myriad of other measurement tools for endurance sport, from bike power to foot speed, heart-rate to race results, or even just diarising contentment.

Moreover, I don’t believe in weight measurement because it plants seeds of obsession, and fixated upon can become overwhelmingly part of the mental make-up and inordinately difficult to shift. After all, the most important factor for high-end performance is not weight loss, but consistency, and to deliver this, all-round health and wellbeing needs to be priority.

February 2020 /

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DANIEL SEEX

MEASURE FATIGUE TO AVOID BAD DECISIONS Research reveals heavier training leads to more impulsive decision-making 14 /

/ February 2020

Wondering whether your credit card can take a battering for that coveted carbon bike? Research suggests you should lock away your Amex. A team led by Bastien Blain examined the impact of exercise on decisionmaking and found that when we’re fatigued, our ability to make pragmatic choices is hindered. Thirty-seven male triathletes split into two groups followed the same nineweek training programme, apart from a three-week block where the overreaching group undertook a 40% greater training load. The researchers

then gauged behaviour via a series of economic-choice games. The men measured their fatigue levels using a questionnaire and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Unsurprisingly, the heavier training load group reported extreme tiredness, which led to more impulsive decision-making. Why? ‘Diminished activation of the lateral prefrontal cortex, a key region of the cognitive control system’. Fatigue-measuring tools and strategies, therefore, should be part of a triathlete’s armoury.

quick science

why i tri

“I NEEDED A GOAL TO GET BETTER FOR” To raise awareness for a cause very close to her heart, Andrea Mason planned and completed the Sea to Summit challenge Two years ago, when I was 35, I had a full hysterectomy. After the surgery, they diagnosed me with cervical cancer. It was a huge shock. If I hadn’t had other gynaecological conditions, I wouldn’t have known I had cervical cancer until it was serious, because I’d missed my cervical smear tests.

ANDREA MASON

Last September, Andrea Mason became the first person ever to swim the English Channel, cycle from Calais to Chamonix and then climb Mont Blanc, in what she dubbed the ‘Sea to Summit’ challenge, to raise awareness of endometriosis and cervical cancer. The 38-year-old Lancastrian, who’s completed 10 Ironmans, finished after four days and 20 hours.

I came up with the idea for the Sea to Summit challenge when I was recovering in hospital. I really wanted something to focus on – I needed a goal to get better for. I’d done lots of Ironmans and slightly crazy challenges before, so I knew it had to be big. So last September I set off to swim the English Channel, cycle 544 miles to Chamonix and then climb Mont Blanc. My target was five days and I finished in four days, 20 hours.

I did it to promote awareness of endometriosis (a condition affecting a woman’s reproductive system) and to highlight the importance of young women and girls having their cervical smear tests. I’ve done sport throughout my life; I was a swimmer originally but I suffered with endometriosis and felt I never really reached my full potential because of it. It took a long time to

OLLYBOWMANPHOTOGRAPHY

“The highlight was the hot chips in the middle of the night” be diagnosed, alongside another condition called adenomyosis.

My first triathlon was Ironman Wales – I couldn’t have gone in any harder… I absolutely hated it. It was the worst thing I’ve ever done in my life. I put my bike on a bonfire afterwards – it was a second-hand one! I did get some relief from watching it burn. I’ve since done nine more Ironmans!

During my Sea to Summit challenge, the high for me was, of course, finishing. But it was also starting the swim because there’s the constant worry about whether it will actually go ahead. Another for me was riding along in the middle

of the night and someone turning up with hot chips.

One of the worst moments was the third hour into the swim. It was pitch black, I was throwing up, and I was thinking ‘I don’t know how I’m going to do this for another 12 hours’. I panicked but I readjusted my mindset to get to the next feed.

I love the variety of triathlon and the different places it can take you to. I love the mental game of fighting through the struggle.

Triathlon is accessible – it’s three things that anyone can do. I’ve gone from burning my bike after my first Ironman to loving it, and getting reasonably good at it. There’s always still more for me. I’ve achieved everything that I’ve put my mind to – anyone can achieve something if they really want to.

The number of people who have contacted me and said, ‘Thank you, I’ve booked my cervical smear test’ is probably in the thousands.

February 2020 /

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New disc brakes and internal routing of all cables – could this be the carbon machine for those chasing a win in the 2020 season?

IMAGES THESECRETSTUDIO NET

RIDLEY HELIUM SLX DISC

£3,399.99 It’s been a while since Ridley broke ground with its range of tri bikes, but the Helium SLX Disc aero road machine easily deserves its ‘dream bike’ moniker. Spot any cables? Us neither, and that’s due to the Belgian brand’s F-Steerer technology, which sees all cables directly integrated into the frame (and therefore reducing drag around the frame by 14%, according to Ridley’s tunnel tests).

Also in the mix are disc brakes, Ridley’s highmodulus carbon, and a choice of groupsets. ridley-bikes.com

February 2020

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FA0 220

JAMES MITCHELL

Your emails & pictures

FUNDRAISING PLEA

star letter Got an opinion to share? Then email us at fao220 @220triathlon.com

I’m in the process of putting together a new idea to help disadvantaged people access the world of triathlon. It’s called The Squad Foundation, in which five men, five women and four young adults will be primarily recruited from local mental health services or socially deprived areas.

Physical activity has been proven to benefit people with mental health issues, and we would like to introduce our Squad to the incredible sport of triathlon.

Triathlon can be an expensive sport to get involved in, so, we’re trying to take as much of the financial burden away as possible and help form a team of people to take part in a summer of challenges in 2020.

Over the coming months we will be fundraising in different ways.

We have a Go Fund Me page – www.gofundme.com/Supportthe-Squad-Foundation – and we will be asking for second-hand equipment and kit that you no longer want. So, please get in touch! Darren Davies 220 replies: What a great idea, Darren.

All the very best with the Squad.

DNF DISASTER In September 2019 I competed in the Hever Castle Gauntlet race and unfortunately earned my first DNF.

Don’tbeafraidof theopen water!

Followreader AndyBeckham’s leadandtakethe plunge in 2020

“Particular thanks to the competitor who stopped their own race to stay with me. I wish I knew your name!”

With about a mile to go, another competitor pulled out in front without looking, leaving me the choice of either veering into the other lane of oncoming traffic or slamming on both brakes. I ended up over my aerobars… and in A&E with a broken collarbone.

I’d like to thank all the volunteers, marshals and A&E staff who assisted on the day. In particular, to the competitor who saw the incident, stopped their own race, and took the time to stay with me until others arrived – you’re a shining example to us all, I only wish I knew your name! Sam Whitmarsh 220 replies: If you’re the good samaritan, please email fao220@220triathlon.com and we’ll put you in touch with Sam.

WRITE IN AND WIN! 18 /

STAR LETTER WINS

A PAIR OF SWANS VALKYRIES WORTH

/ February 2020

HAPPY HOLIDAYS 220 put the Dubrovnik Triathlon at the top of the must-do list for 2019. After participating in the inaugural event in 2018, the 2019 event, again in October, was possibly even better! The organisers go to great lengths to provide an

unbeatable and memorable event.

The only problem with shouting about how great it is, means that next year my age-group podium place might be harder to earn! The event is followed by the Dubrovnik Good Food Festival, which makes it worth stretching out the long weekend into a proper holiday.

Cecily Lewis

CONQUERING THE SWIM After four years of reading your magazine, I finally completed a sprint triathlon. The main thing holding me back was the swim in open water. Living as a UK expat in Jakarta, I don’t have many hygienic places to practise. When I arrived in Bali for the Herbalife International Triathlon, I was fortunate to share a ride to the hotel with a competitor from the I-Maniacs triathlon group – an experienced Ironman athlete.

He couldn’t have been more helpful and introduced me to other members of the group – they listened to my concerns about the swim and gave me tips. Advice to those thinking about doing a race in open water: do it. I found I was a lot more buoyant, and it actually made the swim easier than in the pool.

Andy Beckham

WAIT UP! As a much older, slower triathlete, may I make a plea to organisers of open-water races? We’re normally put in the last wave, but, often at the end of the race, the marshals, crowds, and even the commentator have begun to pack up. Is it possible for the older triathletes to be in the earlier waves? Hilary Stevenson

YOUR INSTAGRAM TRI PICTURES WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS

01 @sarahashcroft8 Keeping a beady eye out for sharks, even when lake swimming #floridakeys 02 @sonia.kiwi Ooo yeah #bergen #netherlands 03 @dc_ triathlon My daily winter commuter – a simple but

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dependable #Orbea Carpe 04 @gog_triathlon Welsh Cross Duathlon Champions!

05 @tri2count New white @compressport may have been a mistake @wyreforestparkrun 06 @angussweats Always

Tag your pictures #220gram

takes me an hour to set up the turbo #catsloveindoortraining 07 @wernerke33 #tattoo #gloryisforever 08 @team_ ttec We have a winner... @bkr_bex winner of the women’s sprint!

FEATURE

WORDS JAMES WITTS IMAGES STEVE SAYERS

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/ February 2020

ESSENTIAL OFF SEASON ADVICE

THE BITTER COLD FEWER DAYLIGHT HOURS INCREASED CHANCES OF ILLNESS. THE WINTER IS A TAXING TIME FOR TRIATHLETES. THANKFULLY YOU’LL LEARN TO LOVE WINTER WITH OUR STEPS TO THE PERFECT OFF SEASON

01

TAKE VITAMIN D

“Most of the UK are deficient in vitamin D in the winter because our body creates most of its vitamin D from direct sunlight (and the UVB rays) onto the skin,” explains leading sports doctor Dr Will Mangar.

“Vitamin D absorbs calcium from the diet so is essential for bone health. A deficiency in vitamin D has also been linked to upper respiratory tract infection.”

That’s why we should all take a 10-microgramme vitamin-D supplement from October through to March.

02

SQUIRT FOR STRENGTH

03

KNOW YOUR RHYTHM

There’s a reason hand sanitiser is omnipresent throughout UK hospitals – it’s been shown to more than halve the number of MRSA infections.

This was off the back of the Department of Health’s Clean Your Hands campaign of the mid2000’s. It’s why many triathletes slip a small bottle of hand gel into their pockets. And you should, too, in an effort to prevent infection and train consistently this winter.

Choose a sanitiser of at least 60% alcohol to kill germs.

Your chronotype, or biological clock, naturally dictates when you perform at your optimum and is guided by your circadian rhythms, explaining why some of us are morning people and some are evening. By knowing your chronotype, you can plan your triathlon day so you can be at your best when it matters most. If you awake full of the joys, early

morning swims are best; if your eyelids still resemble shutters an hour later, an early evening run might be optimum. Poppycock?

The Seattle Seahawks American football team were so convinced they made changes to training times and flight times off the back of determining their players’ chronotypes. As games reached the end, they knew which players would likely have the most energy to push on for victory. You can determine whether you’re a lark or an owl via an online questionnaire at tinyurl.com/yc7xt2pw.

04

PREVENT OVERTRAINING

Triathletes are motivated. That’s good. But that can lead to insufficient recovery.

That’s bad. Monitoring the fine line between overreaching (good) and overtraining (bad) is tricky.

Unless you use the LSCT Test, designed by professor Robert Lamberts of Cape Town University.

The test is a 17min sub-maximal effort on an indoor trainer that requires either a heart rate (HR) monitor or power meter. Broadly speaking, you cycle for 6mins at 60% of your maximum heart rate (HRmax), 6mins at 80% HRmax and 3mins at 90% HRmax (or 50%, 72% and 96% of functional threshold power if you train by watts). There’s a 30sec buffer between stages, leaving you to finish with 90secs where you stop cycling and sit up, so you can monitor your HR recovery (HRR).

And it’s this final minute that’s the most telling indication of whether you’re fit to train as, if your HR struggles to drop, it’s a sign you’re on the verge of overtraining. Over time, you’ll notice what your average HR is over the first three active stages, becoming your own affordable tri coach. The results are proven to transfer to swim and run, too.

February 2020 /

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FEATURE

05

MEASURE YOUR BIKE EFFICIENCY

Leomo is a GPSenabled device that uses five motion sensors to record your pelvic tilt, plus the angular range of your legs and feet, which sends that information to a barmounted head unit. The benefit to the triathlete? You can measure both the efficiency of your pedal stroke and your aerodynamics. Bike technique, says collaborator Adam Hansen, is a skill that’s given lip service by elite and recreational riders alike. And that’s a mistake as neglecting your angles results in inefficiency that’ll eventually chafe. “Your pelvic and torso angles significantly affect your performance especially on a climb,” explains Hansen. “Some riders push the bigger gear and form goes out the window. They increase their pelvic angle because their core isn’t strong enough.” With Leomo, you can identify that and seek a solution in training, like an improved pedal stroke or strength work.

06

KEEP YOUR HANDS WARM

“Your extremities are a big driver of how uncomfortable you feel,” says Simon Hodder, senior lecturer in ergonomics at Loughborough University who specialises in textiles and extreme environments. “Take your hands. They have such a high surface area to mass ratio that they lose heat quickly if you don’t protect them. This also affects dexterity, which is another big driver of discomfort.” It’s why a quality pair of bike gloves (we like the Kalf Five mitts here) that insulate and breathe are worth paying that bit extra for.

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/ February 2020

ESSENTIAL OFF SEASON ADVICE

09

CLEAN YOUR VALVE

A surefire way to cut infection this off-season?

Clean your valve. “In the winter, farmers nourish their soil with liquidised cowpat,” says performance biochemist Dr Rob Child. “The off-season and its greater rainfall sees this and other detritus leach onto UK roads, which is then flicked up by wheels and onto your water bottle. It’s crude advice but attempt to wipe your bottle valve each time you suck to stay fit and strong.”

10

DAYDREAM MORE

Much is made of physical recovery, less of psychological recovery. Until now.

“We’re working on a paper called the ‘recovery paradox’,” explains psychologist Yannick Balk. “The more tired you are, the harder you find it to detach both physically and emotionally. This physical fatigue keeps reminding you that you’re fatigued, which heightens stress until you’re ill.” So what can you do? “Daydreaming helps,” adds Balk. “It’s why mindfulness is so popular. So unless you really need it, start leaving your phone at home when you’re out.”

11 07

FIND THE RIGHT PERCH

Are you sitting comfortably? Arguably not if you’re a female triathlete, according to bike-fitting expert Lotte Kraus. “We know that there are different loading types on the saddle. Some riders are more front focused; some are more toward the back. Much of our data suggests that women’s pressure points are upfront.”

Many women’s saddles are wider due to women’s wider hips.

But, says Kraus, also look for a saddle that’s padded upfront, potentially making a TT saddle appropriate for road, too.

08

COMPETE AGAINST OTHERS

Zwift is a virtual training platform for running and cycling where you run or ride with other online competitors. And that’s why we’d recommend it for triathletes as competition is a huge motivator. Researchers from Kansas State University found that subjects who exercised with someone they thought was stronger than them increased their workout time and intensity by a huge 200%. Just make sure that the competition isn’t too strong as trailing miles behind can lead to demotivation!

“RESEARCHERS FROM KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY FOUND THAT SUBJECTS WHO EXERCISED WITH SOMEONE THEY THOUGHT WAS STRONGER THAN THEM INCREASED THEIR WORKOUT TIME AND INTENSITY BY A HUGE 200%”

RATE YOUR SWIM

Maximising swim speed comes from hitting the sweetspot between stroke rate and stroke length. Too low a stroke rate signifies slow arm movement, creating time-consuming deadspots. Too high a stroke rate and your stroke technique is inefficiently short and needs lengthening. There are various ways to improve your stroke rate, including: fins to boost leg propulsion and make your arms work harder and faster; the water polo drill where head-up swimming helps you to check hand entry, slightly reducing swim glide; and the Finis Tempo Trainer Pro, a device for sticking to a pre-programmed stroke rate.

12

SUPPLEMENT YOUR PERFORMANCE

“I recommend probiotics and fish oils to athletes,” says Mike Naylor, head of performance at the English Institute of Sport.

“Fish oils are great for reducing inflammation, which can reach

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FEATURE

high levels in athletes, and probiotics boost your immune system.” Oily fish at least twice a week is recommended. Probiotics come in supplement form, too, and also from fermented foods like kefir, sauerkraut and pickles.

13

RAISE YOUR AERODYNAMICS

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CYCLE IN THE DEEP END

“I ENCOURAGE MY ATHLETES TO CONSUME 20 25G OF PROTEIN AFTER TRAINING TO STIMULATE MUSCLE PROTEIN SYNTHESIS AND POTENTIALLY LOWER THE RATE OF MUSCLE BREAKDOWN” TOM BENNETT, TRI COACH

It’s counterintuitive but go high to reduce drag this winter.

“When your aerobars are too low, the athlete often compensates by sitting higher,” says sports scientist Koen Pelgrim. “In contrast, by tilting the bar extensions up a little, the athlete’s head and back drops. This is more aerodynamic, especially as the helmet tail flows more smoothly into the back. It’s a more sustainable and streamlined position.” Pelgrim reveals that a slightly higher position required his riders to generate 407 watts to average 50km/hr compared to 437 watts in the lower position. That’s a 48:11min 40km ride versus 49:23mins, or a 1:12min saving.

Compression socks, protein, massage – it’s time to add deep-water poolwork to your recovery programme.

“Standing tall in the pool’s deep end and cycling your legs increases bloodflow to your lower limbs but without the weight-bearing nature,” says fatigue expert Robin Thorpe. “You also benefit from the compressive nature of water.”

Light sculling and swim cycling is perfect the day after a hard run and before a swim set. Aqua-jogging belts can help you stay afloat.

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BREATHE DEEP, TRAIN HARD

Like your skeletal muscle, breathing muscles grow weaker through age. That’s where the Powerbreathe inspiratory tool comes in. This handheld device clamps to your lips, before you breathe deeply in and out against a set resistance. Just 2mins a day improves performance, supported by the Medic version, which is available on the NHS. You can also strengthen your diaphragm by pursing your lips while training.

It creates a small resistance and potentially has a training effect on inspiratory muscles.

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STIR UP SPEED

“Many people don’t realise that some foods are more nutritious cooked compared to raw,” explains Dr Child. “That’s why you shouldn’t be afraid of stir-frying your vegetables.” The causes of this extra nutrient hit are twofold: heat and fat. “Take a carrot. Crank up the heat and it breaks down the carrot’s structure. If that heat’s applied from oil, it acts as a solvent meaning you’ll absorb more of the beta-carotene you’ve digested than raw.” The oil acts as a carrier from the intestine into the bloodstream, meaning less is lost through urine. And that’s important because betacarotene’s an antioxidant that the body converts to vitamin-A, which gives your immune system a welcome boost.

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GO CERAMIC FOR MAXIMUM DURABILITY

You can buy a bottom bracket from as little as £20.

That’s fine. But if you’re seeking maximum efficiency and durability, it’s time to go ceramic.

The bearings housed in traditional bottom brackets are made from stainless steel, whereas CeramicSpeed’s bearings – mooted as the fastest in the business and used by Lucy Charles-Barclay, Anne Haug and Patrick Lange, among many more elite athletes – are made from grade-3 ceramic silicon nitride, resulting in a surface finish and roundness that’s reportedly 400% smoother than their steel counterparts. This results in a mooted saving of nine watts over steel bearings. And all for the princely sum of £200.

ESSENTIAL OFF SEASON ADVICE

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FUTUREPROOF YOUR BODY

“Strength and conditioning work is vital,” says Tom Goom, head physio at Brighton’s Physio Rooms.

“There’s evidence that it reduces overuse injuries by as much as 50%.” Winter is the perfect time to implement one or two S&C workouts a week. Neither need to be over 30mins and should contain exercises that engage triathlon muscles; in other words, a totalbody workout. One of the core exercises should be squats.

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REPAIR AND REBUILD

“I encourage my athletes to consume 20-25g of protein after training to stimulate muscle protein synthesis and potentially lower the rate of muscle breakdown,” says top tri coach Tom Bennett. “The type of protein’s important, too. Go for high-quality food that provides BCAAs (branched chain amino acids), like lentils or organic chicken. Chicken also provides the amino acid leucine, which helps with muscle building.”

KORUPT VISION

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SQUAT TO BOOST TESTOSTERONE

Testosterone is a key driver of both muscle growth and fat loss. And it’s why you should include squats. While it’s generally accepted that testosterone response is linked with the intensity of the weights session, there’s also evidence that the size of the muscle impacts the level of testosterone release. And as a squat engages the largest skeletal muscle in the body – the glutes (buttocks) – your entire body will benefit from a higher performance-boosting testosterone surge.

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S N O L H T A I T R RV I NTE

28 JUL

ALPE D’HUEZ DUATHLON ALPE D’HUEZ FRANCE . KM RUN | KM BIKE | KM RUN The long edition of the Alpe D’Huez Triathlon is a classic of the calendar, uniformly drawing thousands of athletes to France each July for its unique swim, bike and run challenge. Less well known is the AdH Duathlon, which kicks off the week of racing in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region and still contains the legendary 21 hairpins of Alpe D’Huez on the 15km bike leg (elevation gain is 1,170m, more than many Ironman races manage over 180km). The concluding run, meanwhile, takes in the Col de Sarenne for further high-altitude pain. alpetriathlon.com See also: Duathlon de Douai, Powerman Embrun

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BAIR MATT

E QU YRILL GE C D I MA

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2020 RACE SPECIAL

E V ’ O U Y T A H F !

T O D R A H E

Y IN B N E T ND SE HERE A H T O Z R ES BECAU LTISPORT A R T A N ALC TRIATHLET RADAR MU O T U O T E MISSE?DFEAR YE NSOT UNDER THN AHEAD TE E SEASO A E R G E TH H R T O E F R S A LENGE CHAL

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08 AUG

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ÅRE, SWEDEN 3.8KM SWIM | 202KM BIKE | 41KM RUN While Swedeman lacks the ferry leap of its Nordic neighbour, it’s a darn sight easier to secure a race spot than at Norseman. And you still get that famous mix of Scandi scenery, bracing waters and climbing, plenty of climbing, as both bike and run legs boast 2,000m of elevation gain. There’s also a swim that finishes under Sweden’s biggest waterfall and a finish at the Åreskutan mountain’s peak. swextri.com See also: Canadaman, Slovak Xtreme, Iceland Extreme

/ February 2020

KAI OTTO MELAU

2020 RACE SPECIAL

05 APR

From the organisers of the unparalleled Slateman comes Harlech, a race with appeal for both multisport newcomers and grizzled tri’ers looking for an early-season test of racing fitness. After a 400m pool swim and 21km bike loop, it’s the run that’ll linger in the memory, with a 1.5km beach segment and a finish within the sizeable shadows of Harlech Castle (site of the longest siege in Brit history, Early Renaissance-era fans). alwaysaimhighevents.com See also: Cholmondeley Castle Triathlon, Leeds Castle Triathlon

ALLABOUTDAVE PHOTOGRAPHY

12 JUL

CROYDE OCEAN TRIATHLON CROYDE NORTH DEVON . KM SWIM | KM BIKE | KM RUN Okay, many of you will have heard of this event that sold out its 500 spots in 2019, but it’s simply so much fun that it deserves further recognition. The action starts with a clear Atlantic Ocean swim on Putsborough Beach before a country lane out-and-back ride. But it’s the mixed-terrain run that blew us away in 2019, taking in the South West Coast Path, a Croyde Bay beach run and arguably UK triathlon’s greatest view from the Saunton Down headland over Saunton Sands at the 3km mark. croydeocean.co.uk See also: Perranporth Surf Triathlon, Llandudno Sea Tri, Wales Triathlon

21 JUN

20 SEP

AVIEMORE TRIATHLON GLENMORE FOREST AVIEMORE KM SWIM | KM MTB | KM TRAIL RUN This Durty Events staple will again host the Scottish Cross Champs in 2020 and what a corker it is. There’s a lake swim in what is essentially melted mountain ice (still bracing in a mid-August heatwave in 2019) of Loch Morloch, a technical bike route on forest paths and root-strewn trails, before a trail run route that peaks with views of the mighty Cairngorm National Park. And the post-race beer and bacon combo is pretty good, too. There’s also a shorter route and a non-competitive event. durtyevents.com See also: Xterra Croatia, Keswick Mountain Festival, Starman Night Tri

YORKSHIREMAN TRIATHLON RIPON NORTH YORKSHIRE . KM SWIM | KM BIKE | . KM RUN For a county famed for its grit and athletic prowess, the lack of full iron-distance races on the Yorkshire calendar is an oddity.

Gamely holding the fort is the Yorkshireman from Freebird Events, which returns to Newby Hall and shares some of the Dales roads used in cycling’s Tour of Yorkshire and 2019 world champs. Entry is a wallet-friendly £290 and camping is available onsite, ensuring this ticks plenty of beginner and budget iron boxes. freebirdevents.co.uk See also: UK Ultimate Triathlon, Lakesman, Hardman Ireland

TBC JUL

ANDY UPTON

HARLECH TRIATHLON HARLECH WALES M SWIM | KM BIKE | KM RUN

CHALLENGE PRAGUE PRAGUE CZECH REPUBLIC . KM SWIM | KM BIKE | . KM RUN Dodge the stag parties and Prague is one of Europe’s finest cities, with some of the continent’s finest buildings, bridges and beer. It’s also one of Challenge’s most inviting races, prettier than Roth, more spectators than Samorin, and much closer to home than Wanaka. The big sells are the spectator-lined swim and run routes in the heart of the old city, and a ride away from the crowds into the countryside of Bohemia south of Prague. challenge-family.com See also: Challenge Heilbronn, Chiemsee Tri, Allgau Triathlon

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04 JUL

HALFX WINDERMERE CUMBRIA . KM SWIM | KM BIKE | KM RUN The Helvellyn Triathlon is widely (and rightly) known as one of the hardest challenges in planet tri, a major examination of technical skills, endurance reserves and, yes, the size of one’s cojones.

The fellow Lake District-set race, HalfX, ramps things up by a notch of three, however, with a higher, steeper and longer route where even the place names (Hardknott, Nab Scar, Heron Pike) sound intimidating. At least to this sourdough-eating southerner… triathlonx.co.uk See also: Helvellyn, The Brutal Half, A Day in the Lakes

04 JUL

MAN VS COAST ST. MICHAEL’S MOUNT CORNWALL KM RUNNING | SWIMMING | JUMPING

TBC NOV

Under their Chinese owners, Ironman have the middle-distance market sewn up in China with four 70.3 races across the nation. But it’s Challenge who offer the only full iron-distance event on the mainland, with Challenge Anhui drawing 1,200 athletes and 30,000 spectators to the city of Guangde (220km west of Shanghai) on its debut in October 2019. The aim is to make the event “the Oriental Roth,” says race director Kent Wong, only minus the salted pretzel overload we’re guessing. challenge-family.com See also: Challenge Taiwan, Ironman 70.3 Xi’an

Whether this 37km running event from Rat Race technically counts as multisport we don’t know (let’s agree to call it a swimrun with a heavy emphasis on run), but it sure looks like a bucketload of fun. The course breakdown is essentially an on-foot journey across the Cornish peninsula from St. Michael’s Mount to Land’s End via the Penwith Heritage Coast, broken up by short swims, beach runs, cliff jumps and scrambling on coastal rocks. ratrace.com See also: OtillO Isles of Scilly, Breca Loch Lomond

05 JUL

IMMORTAL HALF EXMOOR WIMBLEBALL SOMERSET . KM SWIM | KM BIKE | . KM RUN The original Ironman 70.3 UK in Exmoor (the world’s first Ironman 70.3) was a classic toughie on the middle-distance circuit. Too tough perhaps, with Ironman cancelling the race due to falling athlete numbers in 2017. Thankfully, Immortal stepped into the Wimbleballshaped hole and have created this firm fixture in Somerset (and a bit of Devon), with a lake swim giving way to hilly, singleloop bike and run legs through Exmoor. immortalexmoor.com See also: Titan Brecon, Cotswold 113, Owler Triathlon

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CHALLENGE ANHUI ANHUI CHINA . KM SWIM | KM BIKE | . KM RUN

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31 OCT

AMAZIGH XTRI OUARZAZATE MOROCCO . KM SWIM | KM BIKE | . KM RUN Ouarzazate, South Morocco? Check. A battle of Saharan heat and intense sunlight? Check. A point-to-point adventure of a lifetime? Yes siree bob! Sharing the same starting point of Ouarzazate as the iconic ultra-run that is Marathon des Sables, the Xtri Series’ African debut looks set to become an absolute classic on the hardcore iron circuit. But Amazigh takes things higher than Sables, into the Atlas Mountains on the bike before a marathon in the Hollywood hot spot of Ksar Ait Ben Haddou (see Gladiator, Game of Thrones). amazighxtri.com See also: Patagonman, Karakoram Xtreme Triathlon, Sahara Tri 226

2020 RACE SPECIAL

GIORGIO GALLI

ELBA ISLAND, ITALY 3.8KM SWIM | 180KM BIKE | 42.2KM RUN The Elbaman has been running since 2005 and for a very long time was the only Italian Irondistance race. When the 2017 race was cancelled due to flooding (and Ironman and Challenge hosting irons on the mainland) Elbaman’s days looked numbered, but it returned as strong as ever in 2018.

And with over 40% of race spots already sold, the 2020 edition looks set to become another classic of golden sands, rolling hills and coastline-running in the Tuscan archipelago. elbaman.it See also: Embrunman, Altriman, Challenge Almere-Amsterdam

27 SEP

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PUERTO DEL CARMEN, LANZAROTE 1.9KM SWIM | 85KM BIKE | 21KM RUN

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Kenneth Gasque is a legend of tri, the Dane who organised the first Ironman Lanza in 1992 and has been the race director ever since. In 2010 he created Ocean Lava Lanzarote, and it’s since developed into a low-key race series alternative to Ironman, specialising in events in nascent tri nations (see races in Montenegro, Romania and Slovenia). The Grand Festival is still held in Lanzarote, with a sea swim off Puerto del Carmen, a 90km bike course that heads north into the Mars-like topography of Los Volcanes National Park and a half marathon run along Puerto del Carmen’s coastline. oceanlava.com See also: Ocean Lava Montenegro, Spirit Tri Series Portocolom JAMES MITCHELL

15 AUG

Everyone remembers their first tri and there are few better places to do it at than the charming Portishead Lido, one of our happy places not far from the M5. After 12 lengths in the 57-year-old outdoor pool, the 25km bike route is a rolling one on the town’s coastal roads before a 5km run flanked by the River Severn and with a finish on the brilliant Battery Point headland.

The cake at the community-owned café comes highly recommended, too. dbmax.co.uk See also: Black Country Tri, Henley Fun Triathlon, GoTri nationwide

13 SEP

Series of middle-distance races has been steadily growing as a grassroots alternative to the Ironman 70.3 series across the Atlantic for the last couple of seasons. The annual championship event is held north of NYC in the Hudson Valley, with all three disciplines taking place in Harriman State Park. There’s 21 also an 1.9km swim/90km bike NOV aquabike. toughmantri.com See also: Grand Rapids Tri, Goose Pond Half, Best in the West

PORTISHEAD SPRINT TRI PORTISHEAD SOMERSET M SWIM | KM BIKE | KM RUN

TOUGHMAN NEW YORK LAKE WELCH NEW YORK STATE . KM SWIM | KM BIKE | . KM RUN With races in the southern states of the USA and Chile, the Toughman

04 OCT

SPIRIT OF 78 PORTO PORTUGAL . KM SWIM | KM BIKE |

. KM RUN

This tribute to the first-ever Ironman race in Hawaii in 1978 will return to lovely Porto in October.

Unlike the behemoth that is Kona today, the Spirit of 78 is free, actively encourages athletes to race in Speedos and has a ban on aero

helmets, tri-bars and all-things carbon. And the ‘Mandatory Moustache’ rule (male only) is the icing on the retro cake. The highlight of the 226km course is the point-to-point swim in the mighty Douro river. spiritof78.com See also: Wildflower, Superfrog

ESCAPE TO AFAN OFF-ROAD DUATHLON NEATH WALES KM RUN | KM MTB | KM RUN We finished our 2019 season in Afan and it left us a crumpled mess, but we’re already wanting to sign up for 2020. That’s because of the relentless bike course on some of South Wales’ best mountain bike tracks, which switches from fire trails to dense sludge, lung-busting climbs and all-too-swift descents.

There are three race options, with the sprint hosting the Welsh Cross Champs in 2019. toughrunneruk.com See also: Bowhill, Hop Farm Du

“THE SPIRIT OF 78 IS FREE, ACTIVELY ENCOURAGES ATHLETES TO RACE IN SPEEDOS AND HAS A BAN ON ALL THINGS AERO AND CARBON. THE MANDATORY MOUSTACHE RULE IS THE ICING ON THE RETRO CAKE”

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FEATURE INTERVIEWS NICK BUSCA IMAGE GETTY IMAGES

LEARN FROMTHE GREATEST

Exclusive

HE COACHED FRODENO AND HAUG TO KONA GLORY BUT WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM DAN LORANG TO POWER OUR OWN IM RACING? OVER TO DAN JAN AND ANNE…

an Frodeno and Anne Haug wrote history when they triumphed at the 2019 Ironman World Championships in Kona. Not only did they become the first German triathletes to win the mother of all triathlons on the same day, but Frodeno also became the first German to win Kona for the third time and Haug the first German woman to ever win on the Big Island. Furthermore, Frodono broke the course record that was set by another German, Patrick Lange, in 2018.

But it’s another first that really stands out from these stats: Frodeno and Haug are trained by the same coach, the Luxembourg born (and German resident) Dan Lorang. And that makes for another record: never before has a coach had his athletes win both the male and female elite Ironman World Championships on the same day.

Lorang has coached Frodeno for seven years and Haug for 15, having met at university before her elite days had begun. He’s also the coach and head of innovation for pro cycling team BORA-hansgrohe and the former trainer of the German Triathlon Federation U23 and elite teams.

“Since the beginning he was the guy to really put me on the straight and narrow, and make me understand what scientific base training is all about,” says Frodeno exclusively to 220. “His biggest ability is to slow me down, something that no one before has ever done. This enabled me to get consistency, and not just amazing training days but actually okay days and good weeks that make very good months and great years.”

So if you have Ironman dreams, from completing your first M-Dot to irons PBs, here you’ll discover how Lorang’s coaching of the sport’s biggest stars can also improve your own Ironman performances…

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On 12 October 2019, Jan Frodeno became the first German to win Kona for the third time

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JAMES MITCHELL

FEATURE

01 KORUPT VISION

CONSISTENCY IS KEY Consistency is imperative in training, but also in the relationship with the athlete. That means working for long-term results, which don’t happen in the same year or the year after, but even three or four years ahead. This gives us time to know each other, develop, and get the best out of it. But, of course, every athlete is different, so the first thing a coach needs to do is to identify their athlete’s physiology (i.e. their metabolic profile) and then what workloads they can handle, and build-up from there.

“For Dan, the wellbeing of his athletes is always his top priority,” says Haug. “His goal is always to have a slow and very healthy progression and then, when you reach the peak, hold it as long as you can. But he’d never go overboard just for a short-term goal.”

LISTEN TO YOUR BODY When you don’t see the athletes every day [Frodeno lives in Spain, Lorang Germany], it’s really important that they listen to their bodies and give good feedback. As a coach you need to manage the workload of each individual athlete. While there is a scientific base when you do performance analysis, to know exactly what kind of workload they can tolerate isn’t scientific, but develops in the long-term when you get to know the athlete more and more.

“Working with Dan is fantastic because I couldn’t report to pool deck every morning at 7am,” says Frodeno, who has two children under the age of four with wife and fellow Olympic gold medallist Emma Snowsill. “I’m not that kind of person.

Sometimes I like to come at 6:30am, sometimes at eight, and this freedom allows me to execute the programme the way I think is the very best for me.

The downside is that maybe technical things like running drills or working on efficiency is quite hard to do when we don’t see each other.”

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MANAGE YOUR STRENGTHS… AND WEAKNESSES We always try to build a complete triathlete. There are times where we focus more on one discipline, but the approach is to create an athlete able to react to any race scenario. Ironman is an energymanagement sport. What you invest in one discipline, you’ll miss out in the others. Jan at Kona 2019 raced in the first group from the start. Anne was able to have a strong swim and be in the first group and that was the key to delivering a good performance, managing the energy on the bike and putting more into the run. If she were behind in the swim it would’ve taken more energy on the bike and that would’ve affected the run.

“I try to see triathlon as one sport, but you always have a preference or you’re stronger in one sport, unless you’re Jan or Alistair Browlee who are strong in every discipline!,” says Haug. “I’m a good runner and in the early days I tried to work on my weaknesses, but then you sacrifice your strengths and I don’t think that’s the right approach. Mentally you always want your strength to be really strong.”

ESTABLISH TRAINING PHASES We have a first phase of technique and VO2max where we increase the aerobic capacity and get them ready for the season, then a phase more focused on strength and endurance, before a third one where we focus on economisation closer to competition with race intervals. We repeat these phases 2-3 times per year and normally after a race we start them all over again, but they’d be shorter.

“When you’re going to Ironman racing you also need to build trust. The biggest challenge was to trust the fact that you can actually get a lot of benefits from intervals and not only training long,” believes Frodeno. “Now I trust him [Lorang] quite blindly to the point that I don’t even look at the phases anymore. I recognise the pattern, but really I just enjoy each phase for what it is.”

1. Jan Frodeno training in Noosa, Australia, 2018; 2. Anne Haug mid-180k bike at the 2019 Ironman Worlds, on her way to a 4:50:17 split; 3. Frodeno enjoying intervals on the turbo

CONQUER IRONMAN IN 2020

“IT TAKES A DECENT AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE BODY TO ADAPT TO LONG DISTANCETRAINING AND RACING. YOU CAN TRY TO DO IT FASTER, BUT THERE’S A BIG RISK OF INJURIES AND FAILING”

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MANAGE THE MOVE TO IRONMAN It is difficult to step up from short-distance races to Ironman, but Jan won Kona two years after moving up and Anne did the same. With Anne the approach was different because of her physiology, but in general the approach was similar. It takes a decent amount of time for the body to adapt to long-distance training and racing. You can try to do it faster, but there’s a big risk of injuries and failing. And the balance between the right load and doing something wrong is a delicate one. It’s important that the athlete gives good feedback and listens to the body and the coach manages the load and doesn’t go over the limit, because that’s always the risk in high performance.

“The hardest thing for me when moving up from ITU races was the bike,” says Haug. “In [draft-legal] ITU you’re on a road bike and ride steady in a pack,

but you also have high peaks when you go around the corners. In 70.3, on the other hand, you have to push it for so long at a strength-endurance pace and that was really new for me. We had to work a lot on that because, shape-wise, I’m not a big athlete and it’s hard to push the high watts.”

BALANCE IN AND OUTDOOR RIDING I plan the bike training following the same periodisation pattern. With the bike you can still do a good amount of volume indoors on the turbo trainer, but with less risk of injuries.

DAN LORANG High performance tri coach and head of innovation for pro cyling team BORA-hansgrohe, coaches Jan Frodeno and Anne Haug.

“Dan doesn’t differentiate between indoor or outdoor riding; he gives me the programme and I decide depending on the weather and if I can do it inside or not,” says Frodeno. “It’s easier to do intervals on the turbo, and also a way to avoid traffic and I enjoy it.

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JAMES MITCHELL

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I sometimes do hill reps indoors for running, just because it allows me to cut the rest, but I almost always run outside. Although I just got myself a treadmill, so I’ll see if I like it or not.”

BUILD RUN STRENGTH OVER SPEED Even for the run training sessions we have a speed/technical phase, followed by a strength and an economisation phase. Hill reps are used to increase the VO2max and long uphill runs performed at low intensity are used for strength (4-5 x 2km). Finally, the long 25km runs are targeted in the economisation phase with intervals of 1km at race pace and 1km easy.

With the run training it’s always important to build-up steadily to avoid injuries.

“Running for Ironman racing is more about strength and endurance than speed,” says Haug. “This year I did a lot of hill reps and long intervals — but I do the speed work mostly for the preparation for 70.3 racing. This year I couldn’t do much of the high-intensity work because my body just wasn’t ready to do that [because of plantar fascia injuries].”

RACE SHARP My athletes never use races as a training session.

When we go to a race, we go there to show

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performance. Racing is also like a performance diagnostic: we prepare the race well and we go to see if the performance is where we want it to be. I never see a race as a preparation.

won] – high fat and that never worked, high carb… I tried everything and found that extremes never really work for me. The more I restrict myself, the worse I go.”

DEVELOP YOUR OWN TRI PSYCHOLOGY “I can’t take races as training sessions because I’d lose sharpness,” says Haug. “If I’m on a start line, I always want to go all-in.”

TEMPER NUTRITIONAL EXTREMES

Both Anne and Jan have worked on racing psychology in the past, but they do it less now. Like with the nutrition, they’ve developed their own expertise. Haug works with a sport psychologist and they speak once a month.

“WHEN WE GO TO A RACE, WE GO THERE TO SHOW PERFORMANCE. WE NEVER SEE A RACE AS A PREPARATION”

Anne and Jan have professionals and experts who give them advice for race nutrition plans. I also speak with them before the race, but the nutrition expert makes the proposal and, when we all agree, we’ll use it in competition. They don’t have a nutritionist for everyday nutrition and fuelling, but mostly because they already have great experience and they’ve already worked with many professionals so they know what their needs are.

Frodeno is pescatarian [for both ethical reasons and to avoid meat contaminations while travelling] and enjoys healthy and fresh food.

“I never believed in extremes, although I tried low fat – it worked before the 2008 Olympics [which Frodeno

1. Frodeno training in Noosa; 2. Haug in the lead at the 2019 IM Worlds; 3. Frodeno training in Kona pre-2019 Worlds; 4. Haug in La Santa, Lanzarote, where she trained pre-Kona; 5. Frodeno enjoys the flexibility of remote training with Dan

“Not really often, but it’s pretty helpful,” she says. “Ahead of big races we speak more often and we normally work on how we approach racing, not letting the pressure be too high on yourself, and when training only trying to concentrate on yourself and not on what everyone else is doing. I did a lot of work on racing psychology, but I also found it really hard, not impossible, to find a really individual solution in terms of mental workout,” says Frodeno. “I picked the best from the people I’ve met and worked with throughout my career and read a lot about the topic. Nowadays I think a lot about race tactics and training situations, and over the years I think I got it right.”

ASICS

JAMES MITCHELL

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70-79 %

GOOD

A DECENT PERFORMER

50-69 %

AVERAGE

IT’LL DO THE JOB WELL ENOUGH

0-49 %

POOR

SIMPLY PUT, DON’T BOTHER!

42 /

/ February 2020

he Limar Air King is the result of extensive research and development with input from the Astana pro cycling team, and the Italian brand are confident they’ve created the fasted TT lid money can buy. It first debuted at the Tour de France way back in the summer of 2018, and since then has been through numerous refinements and tweaks to arrive at the finished product that the public can finally buy for the princely sum of £299.99.

Astana tested the Air King at the Magny Cours F1 facility in France before it underwent further windtunnel analysis. Limar claim the latest results show it outperformed two other renowned TT helmets at a 2.5° yaw angle over 50, 60 and 70km/h, and they’ll be further testing at more yaw angles in the future. Limar also say the Air King was designed to be optimally ventilated as well as fast, with pro Ironman triathlete Caroline Livesey using it at a brutally hot Ironman Latin American Championships in Mexico recently. Three vents at the front are positioned to grab the maximum amount of air, while at the rear a port at the back of the tail allows air to pass through.

Practically, the Air King has a pretty straightforward and simple construction. There’s no fancy adjustment or retention system, just a standard buckle at the chin and an average-sized dial at the rear to tighten and loosen, plus a vertical

adjustment strap. Limar’s Air Fit retention system is designed to be light and minimal, which explains why they’ve foregone anything more complex. This tester appreciated the familiarity compared to standard road helmets, and found it easy to get on with. Inside there’s plenty of comfortable padding (that’s also washable) and, although it’s not exactly light at 421g for a size medium on our scales, the Air King sat nicely on our head and didn’t feel too cumbersome.

A tinted magnetic visor is supplied (a clear version is also available), and we were impressed that it didn’t steam up even on misty, chilly days.

While the temperatures we tested in weren’t warm enough to fully push the cooling features to the max, we couldn’t help but feel the minimal venting left our head too sweaty inside. And this would be our only real criticism, as we’ve tried other high-end TT lids, such as Met’s Codatronca, that have larger ports for air to pass through at the back.

If you can afford it and want one of the fastest helmets there is for tri, then the Air King comes highly recommended. But if you’re prone to overheating, you might be better off with their Air Speed aero road lid with more venting for long-course racing in hot conditions. JS nrg4cycling.co.uk

most wanted

80-89 %

LIMAR AIR KING T

JAMES WITTS He’s a published author writing about sports science.

88 %

VERDICT EXPENSIVE,BUTA FASTANDCOMFORTABLETTLID THAT’S UP THERE WITH THE BEST

KIT ZONE

“The Air King debuted at the Tour de France back in 2018 and it’s since been through numerous refinements to arrive at the finished product”

February 2020 /

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KIT ZONE

AIRSTREEEM CARBON AERO 50 1,699

MAVIC COMETE PRO CARBON SL UST DISC

Do these handbuilt rims justify the outlay?

alzburg-based Airstreeem make handbuilt wheels for tri and road racing, and the Carbon Aero 50 SL is a truly modern disc brake wheelset in a 50mm depth. The latest version has a revised set of aluminium hubs, which Airstreeem say are lighter and stiffer, and, in combination with modifications to the rim, the weight is an impressive 1,460g a pair. You also have the option to fit ceramic bearings for an extra fee if you want added efficiency savings, and they’re tubeless-ready or you can run as standard clinchers with inner tubes.

On the road, the Aero 50s are fast, smooth and offer superior acceleration. Crosswind stability is excellent, and they also feel tough even though the weight is relatively low for wheels with a 50mm rim depth. Integrated spoke nipples make tinkering more difficult, but Airstreeem say this provides a more efficient power transfer (based off our test rides, we wouldn’t disagree). Overall, these aero wheels are showstoppers, available with numerous decal colourways to match your bike, and will make a speedy addition to any tri or road machine for a price that isn’t too steep for what you’re getting. There’s also a five-year warranty and crashreplacement promise. JS airstreeem.com

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£1,800 Trusted by pros, worth it for age-groupers? avic’s top-end wheels aren’t cheap, but they’re trusted by countless pro triathletes to offer rims that are fast and stable with low rolling resistance. The Comete Pro Carbon SL UST Disc from the French brand are tubeless-ready, weigh 1,515g a pair and come supplied with Mavic’s own Yksion Pro UST tyres, tubeless sealant, rim tape and valves (you can also run them as clinchers with tubes).

The hubs are convertible to QR with the use of supplied adapters, useful if you want to swap them between disc and rim brake bikes. Before we hit the road we faced a problem that, after feedback from other athletes, we’re not alone in facing: the tyres are an absolute faff to fit. We soon gave up with Mavic’s own tyres and used some from another brand.

On the road, the wheels rolled reliably and smoothly as we’d expect from Mavic. The 45mm depth had no problems in crosswinds, and the sound from the hub lets cyclists know you’re coming without being too noisy. The fitting issues are the last thing you want to hear if you’re an athlete running tubeless who’s flatted and needs to add a tube in to complete the bike. For that reason, they miss out on the victory in this head-to-head. JS mavic.com

M

race ready wheels

87 %

44 /

/ February 2020

VERDICT FAST ROLLING, WELL CRAFTEDRIMSTHAT ARE IDEAL FOR TRI RACING

76 %

VERDICT LOVELYANDSMOOTH WHEELS,BUTACONSIDERABLE PAIN TO MOUNT TYRES ONTO

KIT ZONE

INSTABEAT

BY INSTABEAT £155 Long-gestating swim tech that clips to your goggles his is an immersive swim device that provides visual feedback of training zones in real-time, via the unit attached to your goggles that detects heart rate.

Instabeat began life on Kickstarter in 2013, with the 2019 product finally arriving as a sleek and polished package with its own carry pouch.

Getting started is simple, with set-up performed via Instabeat’s phone app. When Instabeat is charged (you can also share workouts via Strava after your swim), you attach to your goggles by placing it around the right gasket, then securing with the band and tucking a goggle strap inside.

There’s one button to switch on, and three LED lights that are visible in the corner of your eye – blue is low effort level, green is middling and red is ‘max performance’. Unlike running and cycling where HRMs are often used to dial back efforts, in the

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pool the way to truly become faster is by swimming faster. So aiming for that red light on big sets is useful in keeping you honest and getting the best training effect.

Some may want more specifics but Instabeat tell us swimmers asked for simplicity, and it’s as good a method as any we’ve seen to get data while you’re swimming. Downsides are it lacks the glut of information you get with the recently-launched Form Swim AR goggles (priced at $199), as you only have simple heart-rate data and fitting is quite fiddly. Yet being able to use on your own favourite goggles – and the fact you barely notice the device is there while swimming – will appeal to many triathletes. JS instabeat.com

80 %

VERDICT ASIMPLE,INSIGHTFUL DEVICETHATCOULDBEOFGREAT BENEFIT TO SOME TRIATHLETES

STOLEN GOAT HYPER VELOCITY £149 Female-specific bike top he Hypervelocity is as effective in wind, rain and sub-8°C temps as it is eye-catching. Its fabric serves up a thick, high-quality feel thanks to ‘Tempest Protect’ tech: fleecy on one side, water-repelling on the other – delivering instant cosiness.

On the road this translates into very comfy riding, as the microfiber inner stays bone dry while the outer is busy beading away any water. Tested with just a base layer in 4°C, we stayed warm yet avoided boil-in-the-bag fate on climbs. Night riding is covered too, withtheclever ‘Pixel 100’reflective tech printed across the rear pockets – unseen until a beam transforms them into a shining beacon. The only letdown is an overly-roomy shoulder area. Janine Doggett stolengoat.com

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85 %

VERDICT ATRUEPERFORMER ONTHEROADWITHDAZZLING LOOKS TO MATCH

GORE BASE £74.99 Multi-use base layer or us, Gore produce the best base layers in the business and the Thermo doesn’t deviate from the body-warming, wind-proofing and sweat-wicking trend. The flatlock seams and added elastane create a comfortable fit that doesn’t ride up on the bike or run, while weight is a fairly-lean 200g. It does, however, lack the postural support of our Odlo base layer offerings and the arms are pretty long. MB gorewear.com

F

82 %

VERDICT NOTCHEAP,BUT VERSATILEANDWARMFOR OFF SEASON BIKE AND RUNNING

February 2020 /

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KIT ZONE

Selle Italia Iron Evo Kit £229.99 Tri-specific, split-nosed saddle for long-course racing elle Italia have been hard at work producing a saddle targeted at long-distance triathletes, and, as the name suggests, it’s pitching its latest offering at the half- and full-Ironman distance market. The Treviso-based brand boast that the 240g Carbonio saddle delivers a high level of comfort without compromising performance; on test, it’s clear this is a product that’ll appeal to those comfortable in an aerodynamic position.

The compact size of the saddle produces a small area in which to position yourself, but it has a reasonable width at the front and a cushioned nose to assist in delivering power to the pedals in an aggressive position. A USP is the different materials used across the saddle. It’s double density in a bid to deliver extra comfort, which it does reasonably

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LEZYNE CONNECT £100 Bike light with ‘smart’ tech his set of lights (rear isn’t pictured) can be programmed to work in sync via your phone.

Download Lezyne’s Ally app, click ‘Scan for devices’ and you’re away, able to select four LED modes depending on light conditions.

Combinations are many, with the front featuring eight modes, ranging from 1,000 lumens for 1:30hrs to 87hrs at 15 lumens for daylight flashing; the rear features five modes, from 18hrs at three lumens to 10hrs at 75 lumens. One press of your phone and your desired mix will illuminate your path. In all honesty, it fixes a problem that doesn’t exist as it’s rare you want to change your rear light’s flashing duties and you can change the front by hand. That said, both lights emit an excellent beam and are easily clamped to your bike. JW lezyne.com

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HIPLOK GOLD WEARABLE £84.99

Hardcore bike lock

ranted, it’s worth more than our beloved Vitus MTB, but the Hiplok has soothed our fears over leaving our bike in Bristol thanks to the max Gold Secure security rating.

The adjustable strap and 2.2kg weight mean it’s (just) wearable around the waist, but make sure you remember to connect both chain ends into the padlock when securing. MB hiplok.com

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78 %

46 /

VERDICT COMMUTER FRIENDLY, BIKETHIEF THWARTING,BUT SUBJECT TO HUMAN ERROR

/ February 2020

79 %

VERDICTANIMPRESSIVESETOF LIGHTSDESPITETHEFAIRLY NEEDLESS ‘SMART’ ASPECT

well, while the Fibra-Tek cover provides an almost-sticky surface to prevent movement.

The Superflow centre cut-out also adds to the comfort factor. For those capable of holding an aero position for extended periods, the combo of materials, a short length and flat shape are appealing performance features. Those who need to move around should look for a saddle that offers greater positional flexibility.

Design wise it looks the part, with the red and white highlights reminding us of the Ironman logo.

It even has a fluorescent insert at the back for visibility. Adam Leitch selleitalia.com

86 %

VERDICT AWINNINGSADDLE FORATHLETESALREADYSECURE IN THE AERO TRI POSITION

F R O M

P A P E R

T E S T

W I T H

W H I T E

£ 1 2 8 9 / PA I R

R E S E A R C H

W I N D - T U N N E L

5 2

&

O N L I N E

D A T A

6 2

M S C

A E R O S P A C E

E N G I N E E R I N G

P R O F I L E - B Y - L U I S A - G R A P P O N E

8 2

KIT ZONE

THESECRETSTUDIO NET

BUYER’S GUIDE

ENERGY GELS

They’re highly practical and beneficial for your longer sessions.

But which is best at combining calories, taste and easy digestion in a pocket-sized package? James Witts tests nine energy gels

els have become a staple in the triathlete’s larder, their culinary convenience meaning you can bike and run to your heart’s content loaded.

But when exactly should you use these speed-and-stamina sachets?

It’s a broadly sweeping brush but they’re not really needed unless you’re exercising for over 90mins. That’s based on your glycogen stores being at capacity through a healthy, energising daily nutrition plan, which highlights that supplements like these aren’t maximised unless you’re fuelling proficiently as the norm, not on occasions. That means good-quality carbs, muscle-repairing and rebuilding protein, good fats, and vitamins and minerals.

How many gels should you consume on longer sessions or racing? The ideal is an individualised prescription or, more likely, through trial and error in training. Start with around 50g of carbs an hour (about two gels) and slowly consume more if you can stomach it over time. More calories delays fatigue resulting in a PB. Time for the test…

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48 /

/

ENERGY GELS

CUTTING EDGE

SIS GO ISOTONIC

MAURTEN GEL 100 CAF 100

ONE PRO NUTRITION GEL

£1.40 SiS has cranked up its fuelling portfolio with the acquistion of PhD Nutrition, but at its heart remains the gel range, which accounts for 38% of sales. And we appreciate why as the Go Gel is the original isotonic offering that we’ve fawned over for years.

Its high water content shifted an industry churning out toothpaste-thick gels to far more palatable alternatives, elevating enjoyment and reducing stomach issues.

Like times gone by, the Go Gel continues to deliver 22g of carbs per 60ml serving from maltodextrin. That might seem archaic but many triathletes cope better with single sugar sources than multi-transporters that feature added fructose. It’s all good. Or it would be, but the fruit salad taste is a touch synthetic. Fruit salad is arguably an unnatural composition anyway, so we’d recommend their berry or lemon and mint flavours instead. scienceinsport.com

£3.50 Maurten’s USP is down to hydrogel, made from alginate and pectin. The theory is that hydrogel shields the energy composition from the acidic environment of your stomach, which results in smoother transport of carbs to the intestine where the carbs are absorbed and assimilated into the bloodstream and off to working muscles.

Not only does this reduce gastro distress, say Maurten, but it ups the amount of carbs you can ingest each hour. Hence, an early product they launched comprised a huge 80g of carbs. This is a much smaller sugar hit, coming in at 25g per 40g sachet. We enjoyed its neutral taste but, more uniquely, its jelly-like texture, sitting halfway between an energy block and a traditional energy gel. As for caffeine, 100mg is a strong hit to start stimulating potential ergogenic benefits. But you can’t ignore that heavy price. maurten.com

£2 One Pro Nutrition is the baby of former England cricketer Matt Prior. They entered a congested market that, for us, needs a USP beyond the marketing budget. In the case of this gel, it’s the addition of 400mg of branched-chain amino acids. BCAAs are a key activator of the protein known as mTOR, which stimulates muscle protein synthesis. That intimates its recovery potential yet many nutritionists suggest whey protein is more effective than BCAAs at preventing muscle breakdown. That’s not to say it doesn’t have its benefits, it’s just that like so much in the world of sports fuel, the evidence isn’t proven. The main function of the gel, of course, is to deliver energy with each 50g sachet containing 22g carbs from maltodextrin sources. That’s middling calorie-wise. The passionfruit/ lime taste is one of the sweetest here but, all in all, it’s not bad. onepronutrition.com

83 %

VERDICT ATIMELESSCOMPOSITION BUTTHEREAREMOREPALATABLE SIS FLAVOURS OUT THERE

79 %

VERDICT APOTENTIALLY GROUND BREAKING ENERGYGEL, BUT AT AN EYE OPENING PRICE

76 %

VERDICT ASWEETTASTEBUTWORTHA PUNT.ANDTHEBCAASMIGHTHELP PERFORMANCE AND RECOVERY

February 2020 /

/ 49

KIT ZONE

BEST ON TEST

TOR GEL

POWERBAR POWERGEL

OTE APPLE ENERGY GEL

£1.60 In the past, we’ve praised Torq’s lemon and drizzle gel as one of the tastiest we’ve ever tested. And their rhubarb and custard beautifully sidesteps what could’ve been a sickly-sweet solution. Its texture is perfect – light enough to flow smoothly, but with enough depth so that it contains 28.8g carbs in each 45g sachet. Carbs come from the trusted 2:1 maltodextrin:fructose mix, those dual sugars requiring separate intestinal transporters, meaning, in theory, you could consume three of these each hour for a 342cal hit. Its compact packaging and the fact water is only the second ingredient listed highlights its hypertonic nature, meaning this is more about energy delivery than hydration. That makes its consumable qualities more impressive as this could’ve been claggy. Also features electrolytes sodium, chloride, potassium, magnesium and calcium. torqfitness.co.uk

£1.39 Salty peanut is a refreshing change from the tsunami of sweetness sweeping over this test – and that ‘refreshing’ element isn’t just down to its savoury taste.

This is the most summer-friendly gel here, featuring 206mg of sodium. Heavy sweaters should pay particular attention as sodium is vital to channel water from the bloodstream to working muscles; lack sodium and dehydration beckons. Each 41g gel contains 26.7g of carbs from the dual sources of maltodextrin and fructose. The addition of fructose has been shown to elevate carb-ingestion potential up to 90g per hour from 60g of single-source glucose or sucrose; in fact, PowerBar were the first to commercialise Asker Jeukendrup’s findings years ago. Just note that few athletes, especially age-groupers, can tolerate 90g of carbs per hour so experiment in training. powerbar.eu

£1.50 We’ve consumed a mountain’s worth of OTE gels since their launch seven years ago, but this is their tastiest yet. The natural apple flavouring expresses itself with harvest charm and is really rather pleasant. It energises your palette and also energises your session, yet each 56g gel delivers just 20.5g carbs – the lowest on test – from the popular partnership of maltodextrin and fructose. That leaves a remaining 35.5g, which mostly derives from water, making this one of the least viscous on test. In turn, it flows down smoothly. We’ve criticised sachet size in the past and, while this remains one of the larger here, it’s smaller than previous incarnations. OTE have a reputation for simplifying the confusing world of sports nutrition and this gel is stamped with feeding guidance. Ease of use stretches to two openings – gulp or sip. otesports.co.uk

89 %

50 /

VERDICT ANOTHERIMPRESSIVE ENERGY DELVERINGGELFROMTORQ;AND A GOOD TASTE AND TEXTURE TOO

/ February 2020

86 %

VERDICT ASAVOURYNUTTYDELIGHT, ESPECIALLYFORTHEHEAVY SODIUM SWEATERS OUT THERE

81 %

VERDICT ARELATIVELYLOWCARB CONTENT,BUTATASTYGELTHAT’S SOFT ON THE STOMACH

ENERGY GELS

BEST VALUE

GU LI UID ENERGY

CLIF SHOT MOCHA

HIGH5 A UA CAFFEINE

£1.80 When it comes to gels, size is key. So points deducted for the GU as the joint largest on test here at 60g. Does its contents compensate for this overlarge oversight? Partly, as water is its primary ingredient. Within those waters swim 23g of carbs – nominal for such a large vessel.

They come from fructose and maltodextrin, so you could consume four of these an hour, yet the strawberry and banana flavour might result in nausea. Each sachet also contains leucine, interesting as leucine is generally seen as the most important amino acid post-training by elevating protein synthesis. That’s great for training when you’re looking to recover quickly. But it’s confusing as the nutritional breakdown says no calories come in the form of protein, suggesting it has such a small amount of leucine that its impact is negligible. guenergy.co.uk

£1.29 ‘Chocolate + coffee with a kick of caffeine,’ reads the Clif marketing blurb. ‘A deliciously dynamic duo.’ And we have to agree, especially on cold winter mornings where its astringent taste provides a warming feel. That dynamism would, of course, need more than a 50mg caffeine hit, but a couple of these in a 60min period should do the supplementary trick. This is the smallest sachet on test, coming in at a rear-pocket-appreciated 34g, but still drives 24g carbs into your bloodstream and working muscles. The carbs come from maltodextrin and cane-sugar sources, both of which are in greater quantity than water, which highlights that you’ll definitely need a water-chaser. That’s impractical but we’d argue worth it for the rewarding taste and texture. Also, further marks for the minimal ingredients list – unusually it reads fewer than 10. clifbar.co.uk

£1.70 The off-road Sodbury Slog provided the racing backdrop for these gels – and they stimulated a kick with every slurp thanks to 100mg of caffeine. We’ve complained before about High5’s caffeine offering giving an almost-imperceptible 30g of this most proven of supplements (nowhere near enough to unlock increased power output and better decision making). The extra 70mg here is far more credible, yet it leaves a bitter taste. For some, it’ll grate; coffee slaves will love it. There’ll be further divisions with the flavouring as the tropical tastes artificial. Each 66g gel is swimming with 23g carbs from two single sugar sources: glucose and maltodextrin. That leaves 43g of space, mostly filled from water. We suspect this water hit is more due to diluting the bitterness of caffeine than easing digestion. High5 are known for affordability but £1.70 is high. highfive.co.uk

69 %

VERDICT ASIZEABLEANDCONFUSED FUELLINGPRODUCTTHAT’SMORE DRINK THAN ENERGY GEL

84 %

VERDICT THETEXTUREHARKSOFDAYS GONEBYBUTTHETASTEMORE THAN COMPENSATES FOR IT

78 %

VERDICT ANAPPRECIATEDCAFFEINE HIT;BUTTHETASTELACKSNATURALFEEL AND IT’S RELATIVELY PRICEY FOR HIGH5

February 2020 /

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ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

GE T TO

WORK With Green Commute Initiative you can make your daily commute part of your training programme – with the bonus of saving at least 32%

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f you’re struggling to fit training time into your day, why not make it part of your daily commute to work? And if you do it through the Green Commute Initiative (GCI), you could save some money too.

Unlike many other cycle to work schemes, with GCI you can buy any type of bike at any price. That means road bikes, e-bikes, MTB bikes, cargo bikes and adapted cycles and trikes are all available on the scheme – or the specialist training bike you’ve always wanted. Whatever bike you choose, you’ll get it at a massive discount and effectively on an interest-free loan, plus there are no scheme exit fees.

There are other benefits too. GCI has exclusive partnership deals with bike manufacturers Canyon and SwiftCarbon, and specialist shops like Sigma Sports and Tri UK are registered resellers. With GCI the only limit is your ambition!

HOW GCI WORKS GCI is a true pioneer in the cycle to work industry, and that’s because employees can make massive savings of 32-47% on the scheme (depending on income tax rate). And because GCI is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, the scheme is not restricted to the usual £1,000 limit, meaning you can find the right bike and accessories for you.

But here’s the really clever bit: your employer pays for the C2W voucher on your behalf, and you repay them by accepting a reduced salary to cover the value of the package, spread out over 12-60 months. Accordingly, neither you or your company will pay any tax on the value of the package, making it a win-win for both employers and employees.

FIND OUT MORE AT GREENCOMMUTEINITIATIVE.UK

BUYER’S GUIDE

TURBO TRAINERS

Indoor biking can be the most efficient way to train, and there are now plenty of sophisticated options to choose from. We test five of the best...

WORDS JACK SEXTY IMAGES THESECRETSTUDIO NET

Connection A good cable channel will protect connectors and help avoid any accidental disconnection.

Flywheel Flywheels replicate road feel, where momentum carries you forward. A balanced flywheel means a quieter trainer.

Legs The legs, which create stability, will either be pre-assembled, sometimes fold-away, or you’ll have to bolt them on yourself.

ith the latest generation of smart trainers being so sophisticated - and even fun when connected to a virtual cycling app – increasing numbers of triathletes are turning their backs on the great outdoors altogether during the colder (and sometimes warmer) months, in favour of their home training set-up. You may even be lucky enough to have a whole room dedicated to your suffering – a ‘pain cave’ as we like to call them.

Gone are the days when you’d simply lock your bike into a ‘dead’ turbo trainer and use a dial to create resistance. The more sophisticated smart trainers in 2020 come with power meters, Bluetooth connection and plenty of built-in virtual resistance, so

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you can push yourself to the limit without having to halt because of the cold. All five trainers on test are interactive and compatible with many virtual training apps, which can essentially turn an arduous slog-fest into a cycling computer game.

With the prices of all five smart trainers on test higher than many entry-level bikes, they’re a serious investment, but certainly a worthwhile one if you’re going to use it year-round. To test the trainers, we used the same bike and did numerous sessions on each, connecting them to the Zwift training app. We used power meter pedals we know to be accurate to check consistence in power readings, and took value, specification, ride feel and quietness into consideration to reach our verdicts.

February 2020 /

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KIT ZONE

ELITE SUITO

BEST VALUE

£649 Weighing in at 14.5kg, the Suito is the lightest trainer on test and also has a useful carry handle. An 11-speed Shimano cassette out the box saves time and money, as do the quick release and thru-axle adapters, and the legs simply fold out, so it’s all ready to go. A front wheel block is included, and there’s a cadence sensor, power measurements accurate to 2.5% and inclines up to 15%. It was a tad noisier than the others on test, according to our readings (peaking at 65 decibels), but

it’s still impressively quiet. It connects to our training app of choice instantly, and in ERG mode the resistance shifts smoothly.

Although Elite reported firmware issues when the Suito first launched, we found the power readings to be largely accurate compared to our control pedals. madison.co.uk

90 %

VERDICT ALLTHEFEATURES ATRIATHLETENEEDS,ATABETTER PRICE THAN THE COMPETITION

WAHOO KICKR CORE £699 The Kickr Core essentially works the same as Wahoo’s flagship Kickr, with a smaller flywheel and a lighter feature list. For £300 less you miss out on a built-in cadence sensor and a cassette, while the max power it can withstand is 1,800 watts, as opposed to 2,200 on the Kickr. You have to bolt the legs on yourself – a simple job that takes three minutes – and when you get started it connects to apps via Bluetooth quickly. It’s quiet, with the noise peaking at 62 decibels, and the

TACX NEO 2T

BEST ON TEST

£1,199 Tacx was playing catch-up before its original Neo trainer was updated, but the design has been nailed with the Neo 2T. Proclaiming it as ‘the most powerful, accurate and realistic trainer to date’, there’s even more motor power (with the option to run it wireless), greater stability and, finally, thru-axle compatibility out the box. It looks like a spaceship with the unit lighting up underneath, and the huge wings make the Neo 2T absolutely solid, even though it’s

54 /

/ February 2020

very heavy at 21.5kg. Power accuracy is spot on, and we could really notice the superior quality of the ride feel.

It’s also super quiet, with the lowest reading of the four direct drive trainers in the test. It’s a huge investment but, if you’re after the most capable smart trainer on the market, it’s worth it. zyrofisher.co.uk

92 %

VERDICT VERYPRICEY,BUTA TRULYDELUXETRAINERWITHALL THE BELL AND WHISTLES

power readings appear accurate with Wahoo claiming accuracy of +/2%. The max incline is 16%, and you can also attach Wahoo’s Kickr Climb (available separately) to get the full virtual climbing experience. Sadly, moving it around is a pain, but if it’s for a dedicated pain cave this won’t be an issue. uk.wahoofitness.com

87 %

VERDICT AWKWARDTOMOVE AROUND,BUTAHIGHLYCAPABLE AND QUIET TRAINER

TURBO TRAINERS

SARIS H3 £849 Like the Tacx, the H3 doesn’t have a cassette included, which makes the price even steeper. Yet there’s everything else you’d expect from a top-end smart trainer, with claimed power accuracy of +/-2%, a 2,000 watt max power rating and a built-in cadence sensor. The H3 instantly connected to our app of choice, with noise peaking at 59 decibels at 35km/h. The max climbing grade is 20%, second only to the Tacx at 25%, and Saris has added internal cooling tech to keep

the data accurate. The resistance felt responsive, and if you prefer riding without entertainment there’s also a ‘headless mode’ that simulates resistance without needing an app connection. It’s chunky at 21.3kg, but there’s a carry handle to help you move it, while you get all the adapters you could need. raleigh.co.uk

86 %

VERDICT FEATURE PACKED ANDACCURATE,BUTWITHABIG PRICE TAG AND OVERALL WEIGHT

STAC ZERO HALCYON 799 The resistance on this intriguing trainer is created by magnets that automatically adjust on your rim, meaning you don’t even need a tyre mounted at the rear; the rims have to be alloy as the magnets won’t react with carbon, so a cheap training wheel suffices. The big sell is that it’s virtually silent, with only a slight noise coming from the drivetrain. It’s a full-on smart trainer with a power meter and Erg Mode (which automatically sets the resistance). The rechargeable

OVERALL VERDICT All of the direct drive turbo trainers in this test have comparable riding experiences, with very stable platforms and smooth, natural ride feels that are impressively quiet.

The Stac Zero Halycon is a very different proposition – if it’s silence you want, then look no further. But it’s the trainers from Wahoo, Elite, Saris and Tacx, rather than this one, that tick most, if not all, of the boxes for a modern triathlete.

The Elite Suito comfortably bags our Best Value award, as it’s not only the most affordable but also comes with handy bonus features

compared to the Wahoo Kickr Core, which is £50 more expensive. While the Saris H3 is a very capable trainer and, on paper, looks better value than the Tacx Neo 2T, for us the latter wins and is the benchmark smart trainer at the time of writing.

The ride feel of the Tacx is sublime, and it has genuinely useful extra features, such as pedal analysis and wireless functionality. These go way beyond being gimmicks and they totally justify that huge price tag. Plus, it’s the quietest of the direct drive trainers on test.

battery lasts 10hrs, so it’s totally wireless. The supplied ‘wheel weights’ need to be slotted on your rear wheel and are essential to creating a realistic experience, yet it’s an awkward task and we’d rather a pre-installed wheel with weights.

But if you have neighbour concerns, it’s worth considering. staczero.com

75 %

VERDICT UNIQUECONCEPT ANDQUIET,BUTITSRIVALSARE MORE STRAIGHTFORWARD TO USE

KIT ZONE

They’re the innovative wiring system found on run trainers, bike shoes and helmets. But are there more bene its of Boa for tri than a secure it? Tim Heming ventured to Austria to ind out

T WORDS TIM HEMING IMAGES COURTESEY OF BOA

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/ February 2020

he hills are alive with the sound of trail runners and mountain bikers. As winter draws in, it will become snowboarders and skiers – and this is just the staff of the Boa office on any given lunchtime.

220 has landed in Mondsee, near Salzburg, and the heartland of The Sound of Music, to stay in an imposing converted monastery adjacent to the church where Julie Andrews’ Maria was married in the 1965 Oscar-winning musical (apologies for the plot spoiler). We’re not here to study Von Trapp family history, though, we’ve arrived to learn

about an innovative company that’s hitting all the right notes in endurance sport.

Boa is one of those brands we’ve all seen. Many of us will be familiar with the system in everyday use, but fewer able to pinpoint exactly what and where from the name alone. This, its marketing department hopes, will soon change. In a sentence, it’s an innovative closure system, and it’s far more ubiquitous than we might credit. At its most basic, Boa is lace replacement, but it works with many different types of footwear, from racing spikes to firefighter boots, trail shoes to snowboarding boots.

Then there are its other uses, from tightening bike helmets to securing medical braces.

In fact, by the time our grand tour by gracious host Hilke Badegruber culminates with stepping into the stock room, it’s little surprise to find

THE BRAND VISITS: BOA

Boa’s 2,700ft2 Performance Fit Lab in Denver, Colorado, includes a 950ft2 motion capture space

thousands of unique dials, wires and guides, with each one having its specific function to complement a particular brand or type of closure. As Hilke explain, Boa’s strength lies in its partnerships, the message being: One size does not fit all.

LESSON IN EDUCATION Founded in 2001 by Gary Hammerslag, the company owes its genesis, in part, to Gary seeing his father undergo heart surgery. The pair felt patients shouldn’t have to go through the same invasive and rudimentary techniques, so developed their own catheter solution using prototype wire technology that improved the speed and effectiveness of the angioplasty procedure.

The rest of the inspiration came from the Rocky Mountains. When Hammerslag, an extreme sports

enthusiast moved to Steamboat, Colorado, in the mid-1990s, frustrated by the fit and performance of existing snowboard boot laces and clamps, he adapted the medical tech to provide a dramatically improved closure system.

Now the heavy-duty footwear could finally be comfortable, being incrementally adjusted without even taking your gloves off.

Boa’s main headquarters and newly-launched testing facilities – its Performance Fit Lab – remain in Colorado, in Denver, but it has expanded its reach to premises in China, Japan, South Korea and Hong Kong, along with its European base in Mondsee. It now employs more than 200 staff. The sectors it’s moved into have also broadened from cycling and golf in 2006 to protective equipment and ski touring by 2011, to the present day, where

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KIT ZONE

An Agility and Speed test is conducted on the Saucony Switchback ISO shoes at the Boa Performance Fit Lab

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THE BRAND VISITS: BOA

Boa now works with over 400 different brands, and you’re unlikely to see a golf shoe in Asia without the fitted system.

What does this mean for tri? Not only bike and run shoes, but helmet closures. A sign proclaiming, ‘YOUR HELMET SHOULDN’T FIT LIKE A BRICK’ in bold print delivers the Boa philosophy with the subtlety of a brick as we head towards the kitchen for a gratefully received first coffee of the day.

For run shoes, Boa opts for smaller dials and lightweight wires wrapped in textile, so they don’t cut through increasingly wafer-thin uppers, but there is a challenge breaking into this market.

With such myriad choice and consumers so familiar with traditional laces, the Boa closures, which add an approximate $10 premium, haven’t been widely adopted by brands, and largely isolated to simple lace replacements on already inproduction shoes.

For Boa, this is a wasted opportunity. They’d far rather be working in partnership to develop design and functionality of the product from the outset, the importance of which might seem overplayed until 220 witnesses a pull test experiment, where the machine exerts increasing tension on the lace, guide and attached upper, until the device fails at its weakest point. In this case it’s the stitching of the upper coming apart, and that could prove valuable feedback to the shoe brand that may need to strengthen or rethink its product. This isn’t the only test that takes place to extremis. There are also hammer tests, slurry tests, dirt tests and brick-kick tests – the clue to each being in the title. It’s marine-level resilience training, backed up by a Boa guarantee that means the system will be freely replaced for as long as the shoe lasts.

Hilke also surmises that runners are still somewhat sceptical of the system, pointing out, with some irony, that if high altitude climbers fully trust Boa closures when they’re scaling a rock face, perhaps joggers might be less wary. The lesson is perhaps one of education.

For now, trail is a market where Boa envisage more gains. Working with younger, more agile companies, or those with smaller trail ranges that are seen as a place to experiment, there’s also an easily understandable benefit of providing systems that offer an alternative to unpicking mud-caked laces, or an inability to tie with frozen fingers.

Grippier dials to tighten and then quick release even with gloves on could also come into their own in more gnarly environments than urban runs.

road race champion Peter Sagan. They also sponsor the Canyon-SRAM women’s pro team, where the riders don’t fall in line behind a particular shoe sponsor, but all the brands they do wear are already working with Boa. With no two pairs of feet, or shoe brand, cut the same, it means the Boa closures can be adopted by every rider without the potential compromise of being worn on an ill-fitting shoe of the overall team sponsor.

TRI CONSIDERATIONS More pertinent still is that many professional and age-group triathletes use the technology, particularly for middle and full iron-distance races, where the ease of Velcro straps for a flying mount and quick getaway in shorter races is surpassed by a more secure and comfortable fit over the longer distance.

Through a quick query on Facebook group ‘The Ironman Journey’, one triathlete reported how ‘hot foot’ and ‘sore knees’ were alleviated when moving from Velcro straps to Boa’s ratchet style closure on a pair of Sidi bike shoes with a carbon sole.

Another opted for the Bontrager Velocis Road with a single Boa closure on the heel to help make the shoe snug and stop a tendency to grip with the toes. A third used the Specialized S-Works with a Boa closure and a novel folddown heel for all his races as ‘the fastest to get into and fasten on the bike.’

Other considerations come into play, too. Duncan Shea-Simonds, multiple Kona qualifier who’s been racing triathlon so long his first bike shoes “were a pair of Dunlop Green Flash”, says the Boa system has never malfunctioned for him.

“That’s included a handful of crashes where Boa closures have taken impact and abrasions, but so far at least, never let me down,” he says. “Conversely, lever-ratchet closures have given up the ghost after crashes, Velcro loses its stick, etc…”

Shea-Simonds’ current road bike training shoes use a double Boa system, “primarily selected for comfort and ease of accurate adjustments on long rides,” but while it might be more of a concern for those looking for gains at the pointy end of the field, he does have reservations about aerodynamics.

“I’m aware that bike shoes are an area where precious watts can be saved,” he adds. “To that end, Boa closures, on the side at least, have been ruled out on race shoes for me.

Instead I’ve recently switched to a Giro Empire, with elastic laces as the ultimate aero solution. They’re definitely more stretchy in the upper compared to my road

“IF HIGH ALTITUDE CLIMBERS FULLY TRUST BOA CLOSURES WHEN SCALING A ROCK FACE, PERHAPS JOGGERS MIGHT BE LESS WARY”

THE SHOE OF SAGAN More familiar territory for most triathletes will be the Boa closure on a bike shoe. Often sprinters will be seen reaching down to ratchet up their Boa device for maximum effect before emerging from the peloton for the final sprint in a stage. Boa is listed as suppliers to the men’s road cycling team Bora-Hansgrohe, which includes three-time world

HOW DOES BOA TECH WORK?

The Boa system is designed to provide micro-adjustments for the perfect fit.

Here are the three key parts

01

DIAL

The all-important ratchet to tighten your footwear. But not all dials are the same. Softer trail shoes demand a smaller dial allowing more precision. Other options include different placings for the dials, multiple dials on one shoe and quick-release dials that pop out to loosen more quickly, or on impact to prevent damage.

02

LACES

The steel used for the lacing system comes in different strengths and flexibilities. A typical lace for a cycling shoe might be made up of seven bundles of seven strands of high tensile steel. Laces might also have exposed steel or be wrapped in textile for ease of cleaning or prevent them being abrasive to the soft uppers of a more delicate shoe.

03

GUIDES

These are the lace loops designed to provide an even closure of the shoe when the lace is tightened. They come in many different guises depending on functionality and brand design, but the important aspect is that they’re tested for strength as part of the shoe. The system is only as strong as its weakest link, so the sewing or bonding of the guides on to the shoe’s upper is critical.

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KIT ZONE

“RESULTS HAVE SHOWN THAT THE BOA FIT SYSTEM TRI PANEL CONFIGURATION IMPROVES STRENGTH, SPEED AND POWER TRANSFER OF AN ATHLETE BY UP TO 5% ACROSS FIVE KEY MOVEMENTS” Boa shoes, but the aero gains trump any possible losses due to stretch in the upper, and it’s a comfort compromise I’m happy to make for a race shoe.”

SUCCESS IN SIMPLICITY Shea-Simonds’ views underline the importance to Boa of proving its system’s performance gains, and it’s why it has just launched its 2,700 square foot Performance Fit Lab comprising motion capture space, floor-mounted force plates and even an indoor hiking path. It’s also partnered with the University of Denver to release a first study attempting to show how the ‘Boa Fit System enables faster, more powerful directional changes through a seamless connection between equipment and body’.

The study was conducted with 31 athletes completing five key movements in four different upper configurations, one with laces and three with varying Boa performance fit configurations.

The results showed that the Boa Fit System tri-panel configuration improves strength, speed, and power transfer of the athlete by 1.5-5% across five key movements. Statistically relevant, but still early days in testing, and perhaps less applicable to triathlon as a chiefly straight-line sport.

In addition to studies measuring agility and speed, Boa has named two other performance

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benefit categories it’ll explore – power and precision, and endurance and health, with validation studies due to be conducted in 2020. The first study looks at performance and power in golf and the second efficiency of race, road and trail running.

“Our research group is one of the first to use biomechanical performance variables to examine shoe upper design,” says Daniel Feeney, a biomechanics research engineer at Boa. “We’re leading the industry by using innovative methods and the latest equipment to scientifically prove the meaningful benefit of Boa’s impact on fit.”

With innovation comes imitation, often cheaper and inferior, and Boa has taken out patents to protect its intellectual property, including one on the quick release cartridge-bayonet of the dial.

Equally important is protecting its relationships with brands, where it must continue to show how much value it can add.

Yet for all the tech and testing, like so many inventions, Boa’s brilliance lies in its simplicity.

Using the system is straightforward and there are few problems unless, as Hilke explains, someone has overindulged in the après ski and takes the snippers to the snowboard wires because they don’t realise they’re quick release. In an increasingly complicated world, this isn’t a system that’ll tie you up in knots, but it might just replace a few.

BRUTALEVENTS.CO.UK

ED D

HALF, FULL, DOUBLE & QUIN EXTREME TRIATHLONS SEPTEMBER 12TH 2020

extremetriathlons

LLANBERIS, NORTH WALES

UTAL FOR R A REEASON

BIKETEST

TRI TANIUM

RACERS Fancy getting in some serious miles? Well, carbon isnt the only way to go we test three top titanium machines for endurance riding

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£2 4K TITANIUM BIKES

he future is a funny thing.

Titanium once promised to be the material for a new age: lighter than steel, stronger than aluminium and easier to turn into a bike than carbon fibre.

So, why aren’t we all riding titanium bikes?

Well, since the first titanium bikes appeared in the 1970s, the material hasn’t been able to compete with its competitors in terms of cost. But if you’re thinking about value, durability and longdistance comfort – with a dash of style – titanium still has its place.

Our ti trio are all designed for endurance riding, bikes for big days out and triathlon racing.

Spa’s Elan sportive and audax bike has been modernised with disc brakes and tubeless gravel tyres, while we kept it retro with a triple chainset (you don’t have to) and handbuilt wheels.

Sabbath and Reilly have both produced faster distance machines, each with aggressive geometry and rim-braked Shimano Ultegra.

Sabbath’s new Mondays Child Mark II now has handbuilt wheels while we splashed our virtual cash on carbon Hunt rims and anodising for Reilly’s T325. Time then to see if ti still has a future in tri.

T

WORDS SIMON WITHERS IMAGES RUSSELL BURTON

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BIKETEST

SABBATH MONDAYS CHILD M.II

T

itanium has a reputation for comfort, compliance and ‘springiness’ but you can also transform titanium into a stiff and aggressive machine, which is what Harrogate-hailing brand, Sabbath, has done in its newest Mondays Child. It’s the usual neatly welded 3Al/2.5V titanium, made with custom-drawn seamless metal, but this Mark II model has a PressFit 30 bottom bracket shell and a tapered head tube.

These combine to offer a claimed increase in front-end stiffness of 23% with 19% cent more at the rear, while still losing weight over the earlier version.

But has Sabbath managed to combine the low, fast riding position without compromising on titanium’s legendary ride comfort? We’ll see…

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SABBATHBICYCLES.CO.UK

As with all of Sabbath’s bikes, the Mondays Child is available in numerous build options and we went for the Shimano Ultegra-equipped model. You can also get it with Mavic Ksyriums and Yksion Elites, but we chose handmade wheels with Kinlin rims and Schwalbe Pro One tyres. They come set up as tubeless, which is one of the themes running through this test. It appears that road tubeless is finally gaining some traction. It seems a sensible companion to titanium, as comfort is usually given as one of the prime movers for going ti, and it helps here with the rim’s width ballooning the 25mm Pro Ones out to a healthy 28mm-plus. Schwalbe claims the Pro One is ‘the fastest road tyre in the world’ but, while it’s definitely fast, that’s only part of the equation.

The tyres’ extra volume adds comfort – especially compared with the 23mm that the 2014 Mondays Child

£2 4K TITANIUM BIKES

SPECIFICATION Weight 7.92kg (M) Frame Titanium Fork Carbon Gears Shimano Ultegra 50/34, 11-34 Brakes Ultegra Wheels Kirlin XR22/RT hubs Finishing kit FSA stem, wing bar, USE Ti seatpost, San Marco Aspide Open saddle, 25mm Schwalbe Pro One tubeless HIGHS Fast, efficient frame, quality wheels and fine groupset.

LOWS The stiff frame and 31.6mm post may be too much for some.

89 %

BUY IF You want a stylish, light, swift alternative to carbon.

“The frame shows that carbon isn’t the only way to go in 2020 if you want something aggressive and racy” was running – but you can also run them at a lower pressure, giving a further uplift in plushness. In Sabbath’s case, the tyres help to balance out what’s a noticeably stiff frame – one that shows carbon isn’t the only way to go in 2020 if you want something aggressive and racy.

RIDING REALITY The Sabbath isn’t quite as light as a similarly-priced carbon equivalent, but the performance is on a par and we’d say there’s an added immediacy and directness. Out-of-the-saddle climbs? Tackled with a no-nonsense, flex-and fuss-free forcefulness – the translating of those German tests into riding reality. Throw it into corners and it behaves impeccably, the tapered head tube and oversized bottom bracket shell offering you great control.

The Sabbath is also a very good descender. The frame’s stiffness, taut wheels and excellent high-grip

CHEAPER OPTIONS: SABBATH

The Mondays Child here is the Sabbath for fast and aggressive distance riding.

If that’s not for you, then the less aggressive geometry of Sabbath’s AR1 Ultegra (£2,500) is more of an all-round ride.

The Sabbath September 105 (£2,070) is a versatile rimbraked ti machine for leisure riding and commuting with a Shimano 105 groupset, 25mm tyres, and room for mudguards.

tyres all work together with the Ultegra rim brakes. The seemingly unstoppable takeover of disc brakes makes it easy to forget just how good the newest generation of Shimano’s calliper rim brakes are.

They’re great, offering more than enough stopping power and bringing you to a safe, controlled halt. An unusual feature these days is the 31.6mm seatpost, but the USE-Sabbath titanium post creates a coordinated look and a ride that’s firm and efficient, though it stays the right side of being overly stiff.

The Sabbath’s ride isn’t supersoft, but its comfort is acceptable and the dynamism and directness of its ride is incredibly appealing. If you’re looking for a fast, aggressive machine with enough comfort for big days out, the newest iteration of Sabbath’s Mondays Child is both fair of face and of pace. The frame’s lifetime guarantee means that it’s pretty fair of value, too.

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BIKETEST

REILLY T325

M

ark Reilly cut his teeth – or learned his way around welding torches – at Omega and Enigma bikes before going it alone, latterly setting up as Brightonbased Reilly Cycle Works. His eponymous T325 Road is a thing of beauty, titanium’s shiny silver contrasting with blue detailing on the logo and headset – though the frame anodising did add a hefty £399 to the price.

Talking of price. The T325 is a far from inexpensive at £3,798, but the T325 starts at £2,500 for Shimano 105 and Fulcrum Racing 5s, while the disc-braked 105-equipped T325 starts at £2,999. Both are reasonable given the quality. Reilly says the T325 – the name referring to the usual 3Al/2.5V titanium alloy – is

SPECIFICATION Weight 7.51kg (55cm) Frame 3Al/2.5V ti Fork Carbon Gears Shimano Ultegra Brakes Shimano Ultegra Wheels Hunt 36 Carbon Wide Aero Finishing kit Reilly stem, seatpost and saddle, Deda bar, 25mm Continental 5000 TL tubeless tyres HIGHS Fun, thrills, speed and a direct, superdynamic ride.

LOWS Not quite as light as carbon at this price.

BUY IF You want a fast road bike that guarantees a lifetime of high speed thrills.

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92 %

REILLYCYCLEWORKS.COM

MORE OR LESS: REILLY

The majority of ti bikes are made with 3Al/2.5V alloy. The Reilly T640 (£4,499) is made from the harder-to-work with but stronger 6Al/4V (6% alu, 4% vanadium). It comes with Shimano DuraAce and looks fantastic. Stock T325 models, meanwhile, start at £2,500 with Shimano 105.

equally at home ‘on longer sportives as well as the race track’, and this is the most aggressive and lightest of our test trio, sneaking under Sabbath’s similar, though slightly heavier, Mondays Child.

The tubes are ‘multi-butted’ to reduce frame weight to 1,275g and stress-relieved for strength. The down tube is oversized and comes with the now rarely seen 31.6mm seatpost, in this case a Reillybranded carbon model.

This is the raciest of the bikes on test, favouring fast speeds over comfort and versatility. That’s evident in the shortish racefriendly head tube and that efficiency-emphasising seatpost.

Yes, you can feel the extra stiffness, and in spite of titanium’s reputation for ‘springiness’ and suppleness, Reilly’s T325 is more racing snake

£2 4K TITANIUM BIKES

“This Reilly proved a fast-moving weapon of a road bike, with the light frame and quality wheelset offering pace and poise” than shire horse. Its raciness is emphasized further by the killer wheelset specced by Mark Reilly to show off the T325 to the fullest.

RACING CONTENDER The low 1,417g weight of the Hunt 36 Carbon Wide Aero wheels helps to keep the T325 down to 7.51kg, while the 36mm-deep, 27mm-wide rims make the Reilly come alive. They’re designed for criteriums, climbing and undulating terrain, and are good enough for the UCI Canyon Dhb pro team.

Braking with the supplied pads is controlled and, while not quite silent, braking noise is rarely noticeable.

The tyres are of a similar quality, measuring a shade over 26mm on the Hunt rims and, running them tubeless, they prove fast, comfy and grippy. We’d normally go for the plumper 28mm tyres, but the increased comfort of

running these tubeless meant the extra 3mm isn’t missed. The Reilly stem and Deda’s Superzero carbon bar also lean towards the racier end of the spectrum, with the stiff, light bar featuring teardrop-shaped tops for an aero advantage.

When you’re pedalling, the T325 is a stealth fighter. By contrast, when freewheeling you’re accompanied by the sound of a buzzsaw – we loved it. And this Reilly proved a fast-moving weapon of a road bike, with the light (for titanium) frame and quality wheelset offering pace, poise and spot-on handling.

The T325 flies, it purrs, it sings! And unlike most carbon frames, it comes with a lifetime guarantee for the original owner. We blew our budget kitting this out, but we reckon Reilly’s stock T325 with Shimano 105 will offer you 90% of the ride and 95% of the fun for about 60% of the price – the life of Reilly!

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BIKETEST

SPA CYCLES ELAN

F

ormed over 40 years ago, Harrogate-based Spa have been a long-time believer in titanium. The Spa Elan here mixes the modern with the traditional for what Spa calls its ‘new, do-anything bike’. So, there’s an old-school reinforcing gusset under the top tube, a threaded bottom bracket shell and only 10-speed Shimano 105. Oh, and handbuilt wheels too. All that contrasts with the TRP disc brakes and the wide, tubeless, gravel-friendly tyres.

The triple-chainring set-up won’t appeal to everyone, but it shows that in this era of 1x some people still think three’s best. The advantage to the system is that it allows you to keep a consistent cadence – ideal for long triathlon training days – over just about any topography.

The 50/39/30 rings and 11-32 cassette offer a high top

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/ February 2020

SPACYCLES.CO.UK gear and a very low 30 x 32 bottom. The downside is that there’ll be a fair number of potentially redundant gears.

Triple too retro? Shimano’s newest groupsets don’t have triple chainsets but 11-speed 105 and Ultegra compacts are options, as is Spa’s own ‘super compact’ that goes down to a tiny 40/24.

The brakes are TRP’s HY/RD discs, which pair cable actuation at the levers with hydraulic reservoirs – a hybrid design that works very well. Not quite as light to operate as full hydraulics, but they offer excellent power, very good control and modulation. If you want to go fully hydraulic, the Spa Elan is also available with a Shimano 105 5800 compact double and R7020 hydraulic brakes, presently costing £1,990.

The wheels are a treat, combining Kinlin 26 TS rims and Sapim Race spokes. Handmade by Spa’s own spoke

£2 4K TITANIUM BIKES

key fettler Bobby Stevens, these come tubeless out of the box rather than just tubeless-ready. The Kinlin rims make the most of the tyres’ 35mm width too, expanding them to a voluminous 38mm when inflated.

The Schwalbe G-One tyres are easy to fit, and their micro knobs run fast and smoothly over tarmac and bomb along well on gravel, though the knobs’ uniform height means you might lose traction if cornering quickly on looser surfaces. But they’re a good choice for hardpacked gravel, grit and road riding, smoothing out even the most pitted and pock-marked roads superbly.

STYLE, SPIRIT AND FLAIR As befits a do-anything bike, we tried this over numerous surfaces.

The frame is designed to make the most of titanium’s stiffness and we found it niftily quick on our 25km commute. The Elan, with its tallish front end, has slightly upright

CHEAPER OPTIONS: SPA

Our Elan’s gearing is as retro as you can get without going to down tube shifters. But it’s also available on the Elan Apex (£1,980) with SRAM 1x Apex, pairing a 42T chainset with an 11-42 cassette.

Spa Cycles’ entrylevel audax machine, the Audax (£1,550), comes with Shimano 105 and RS010 wheels, but you can upgrade the wheels, stem and seatpost.

geometry compared with the Sabbath and Reilly bikes on test, but it’s not so extreme that you can’t get in the drops and put the hammer down.

The saddle itself is a Brooks Cambium. We’re not generally a big fan of Brooks’ leather saddles, but even with the basic FSA aluminium seatpost and titanium frame we found it a very comfy combination.

The gentle sweep and slight flattening of the FSA’s Wing Compact bar proved excellent for our hands, too, ideal for long days when you just turn the pedals for the sheer pleasure of it.

If you were buying a carbon endurance bike at this price it might be lighter than 10kg, but the Spa more than lives up to its Elan name, delivering style, spirit and flair with an enviable balance of comfort and performance. A lifetime frame guarantee, quality handbuilt wheels and a high degree of customisation round out an impressive product.

“The Spa lives up to its Elan name, delivering spirit and flair with an enviable balance of comfort and performance”

84 %

SPECIFICATION Weight 10.1kg (54cm) Frame 3Al/2.5V ti Fork Spa carbon/ alloy Gears Shimano 105, 11-32 Brakes TRP HY-RD Wheels Kinlin 26TS Finishing kit FSA bar, seatpost, Brooks Cambium saddle, 35mm Schwalbe G-One tyres HIGHS Comfort, wellchosen kit and a fine hand-built wheelset.

LOWS At over 10kg it’s the weightiest on test.

BUY IF You want an understated endurance bike that’ll last a lifetime.

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BIKETEST

BEST ON TEST

OVERALL VERDICT Choosing the winner is often a breeze, with one bike lording it over all comers. Not with our titanium cruisers… all three have far more positives than negatives. In fact, the negatives here are few and far between.

Not everyone will approve of the PressFit bottom brackets of the Sabbath, but it aided efficient riding. And the Spa Elan’s triple chainset raised more than a few eyebrows – but means a perfect cadence at all times. Both the Sabbath Mondays Child MkII and Reilly’s T325 combine enough long-distance comfort with racy geometry and stiff frames that allow you to unleash your inner

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Brownlee, and the Sabbath does it for a ‘bargain’ £2,500 compared with the Reilly’s £3,798. That said, Reilly’s entry-level T325 is also £2,500, though with 105 rather than the Sabbath’s Ultegra.

For big days out, Spa’s great value Elan delivers in spades. It’s comfortable, looks great and makes the most of titanium’s comfort with the wider multi-surface tyres. But our winner, in spite of its price compared with the similar-ish Sabbath, is Reilly’s T325. It’s an absolute blast, a two-wheeled treat that never stops delivering the thrills. It’s fast, sufficiently comfy rather than sofasoft, and its directness has an appeal that never stops giving.

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CUTTING EDGE

Roka Maverick Pro Thermal

Hit the treadmill Enjoy your time in the gym this winter and Ăˆ Âż °§ âÊÞ° â ÂŚĂ?Þú Ăž °É Ä€Ă?ĂŽĂž Ä?ÊÉ ââ

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A sub-60min indoor run set for more speed

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Stand upright p g and ook straight g ahead not down at the screen.

The Session

COACH S T PS Optimise your run

Adapt for beg nners Complete he max e fo t as a bui d (f om ea y to max e fo t) If you’re also a beginner to tre dm ls this w l a l w you longer to et used to unning fast on he tre dm l wi hout being too tired

Practise leanin forward from the ankle so our feet are landing g underneath y

Adapt for Ironman

01 Start a The grou d o ts d completely lat w in spo t science treadm lls tend to 1% his helps t outdoor cond

88% VERD CT A sky high pr ce but th s is one impress ve thermal wetsuit

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W NTER TR IN NG HANDBOOK

W NTER TRA N NG HANDBOOK

The best winter swim gear on the market plus pool workouts

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WIN ER TRA NI G H NDBOOK

WINTER TRAINING HANDBOOK

Crank up bike fitness with exclusive indoor and outdoor sessions

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70

For a longer (and toughe ) ses ion compl te each set as a py amid So y u’d each 2 0mins easy before reve sing wh t you j st did Complete this pr cess 3 times for a nearly 90min session.

W NTER RAIN NG HA

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W NTER T AIN NG HANDBO K

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unning to another level on the road, trails and treadmill

ll ca or g in in ra rt te in /w m co s. on ti ip Order online www.buysubscr 1’ t in Pr ok bo nd Ha ng ni ai Tr r te in ‘W e ot qu d an 03330 162 138 †UK calls will cost the same as other standard fixed line numbers (starting 01 or 02) and are included as part of any inclusive or free minutes allowances (if offered by your phone tariff). Outside of free call packages call charges from mobile phones will cost between 3p and 55p per minute. *Subscribers to 220 Triathlon magazine receive FREE UK postage on this special edition. *Prices including postage are: ÂŁ9.99 for subscribers, ÂŁ11.49 for all other UK residents, ÂŁ12.99 for Europe and ÂŁ13.49 for the Rest of the World. All orders are subject to availability. Please allow 28 days for delivery.

TRAINING BOOST YOUR PERFORMANCE - TODAY! IN ASSOCATION WITH

PADDLE UP TO DEVELOP POWER P74 RICHARD SMITH is TRIbal Triathlon’s high performance coach.

P78 HOW TO STAY FAST IN JANUARY

P76 BOOST BIKE STAMINA IN 20MINS

SCOTT FINDLAY

MATT BOTTRILL

is a sport scientist and a tri coach with the Hartree JETS.

TRAINING LEVELS GUIDE In all 220’s coaching advice, our experts refer to four levels of effort to tell you how hard you should be working. Based on the standard ‘rate of perceived exertion’ scale (RPE) the levels are as follows…

is a multi-national cycling champion-turned-tri coach.

MAX EFFORT (RPE 9–10)

Redlining. Things are getting very difficult at this level. You can barely breathe and are struggling to speak. At the top end, it feels almost impossible to keep going.

VIGOROUS (RPE 7–8)

The pain cave. Your activity is starting to become uncomfortable. You’re short of breath, but can speak a sentence. In short, it’s getting tough: but you can carry on.

MODERATE (RPE 4–6)

Adding some load. Things are starting to become more challenging. You’re having to breathe harder, but not so much you can’t hold a conversation.

EASY (RPE 1–3)

A ‘go all day’ effort. Light activity, which at the lower end takes hardly any exertion and towards number 3 is still easy enough that you feel like you could maintain it indefinitely.

P80 SMASH YOUR FIRST SPRINT TRIATHLON New Year, new you? Then you need this 12-week plan!

P87 SMALL BUDGET, BIG BENEFITS Four cheap and nutritious recipes, ideal for the post-Christmas, pre-season stretch

ASK THE DON & Q&A P90

Tim Don on how to use swim aids. Plus, expert advice on the cost of Kona; sodium bicarbonate; hypothermia signs; IM training if trying to conceive

February 2020 /

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TRAINING

SWIM TECHNIQUE BASICS DURATION

MINS COACH RICHARD SMITH

PADDLE UP TO DEVELOP POWER How to use hand paddles correctly to give your stroke an early-season power boost riathletes love gear!

And when it comes to swim paddles many think bigger is better and more powerful. But, if you don’t have sound technique, is just the quickest route to shoulder injuries, and not faster swimming.

While developing your stroke and specific shoulder strength, invest in technique paddles that will enhance biofeedback (feel of the water) when performing technique drills. Attach paddles to your hands loosely and don’t grip them. If they move rather

T

than catch water in certain phases of your stroke, you’ll feel this and can then focus your attention on fixing this part of your stroke to generate more powerful propulsion.

Once you’ve honed your technique you can then start to introduce paddles in conditioning sets in order to develop strength and more power through your stroke. You can also use power sets such as this session that contrast paddle swims with non-paddle swims, which again focus on improving power through key phases of your stroke.

COACH’S TIPS KNOW YOUR PADDLES

WITH THANKS TO SANDS BEACH LANZAROTE

THE SESSION WARM-UP All +15secs rest after each set Do poolside dynamic shoulder mobility & band work pre-session • 4 x 100m easy build swim, 1-4 progressive • 4 x 25m front sculling* • 4 x 25m transition sculling front to back* • (* option to wear finger paddles) MAIN SET All +15secs rest, wearing freestyle paddles • In both these drills, focus on clean smooth entry and a high elbow catch • 4 x 50m as: 25m single-arm drill, focus on catch; 25m swim • 4 x 50m as: 25m ‘broken arrow’ drill; 25m swim CONTRAST CONDITIONING SET +20secs rest • 3x 100m swim with paddles • 100m swim as: 8 strokes fists only; 8 strokes open hand • 100m swim with paddles building effort up to threshold • 100m swim at threshold • 100m easy recovery COOL-DOWN 4 x 50m as: 25m front crawl into tumble turn; 25m backstroke from turn

Adapt for beginners

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/ February 2020

Try power paddles Once you’ve mastered good front crawl technique, you may consider using larger hand paddles in power/ speed sets. Expect greater fatigue and stop if you feel shoulder pain.

Add resistance For progressive power/ strength sets, use hand paddles with a resistance parachute, drag shorts or a bungy. But only progress to these once you’ve mastered sound stroke technique.

Adapt for Ironman Progress to bigger paddles when your stroke technique and shoulder strength have developed to encourage greater contrast and develop more power.

REMY WHITING

Pick the right paddles Take qualified advice before buying paddles. Specific technique paddles are more useful and have a lower risk of injury for age-groupers.

Use smaller paddles for the main set until you have sound stroke technique.

Reduce the reps in the main conditioning set.

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

SWIM

FORM Don’t jump into big paddle power sessions. Develop good technique and then gradually build your paddle work.

KIT Use technique paddles to hone and develop more effective propulsion throughout your stroke.

POSITION Don’t grip your paddles, feel the paddle fix naturally on the water; if it moves, you’re slipping water so make changes.

TheZone3PowerStrokehand paddles(£12.50)aredesigned foralllevelstohelpincrease resistancewitheachpull.The orangepanelsfocusonimproving swimtechniqueandyourhandentry intothewater.Zone3.com

“Once you’ve honed technique, you can then start to introduce paddles in conditioning sets in order to develop more stroke strength” February 2020 /

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TRAINING

BIKE STAMINA SESSION DURATION :

HRS COACH MATT BOTTRILL

BOOST YOUR BIKE STAMINA IN JUST 20MINS Maximise your training time this winter and work on that all-important race strength for 2020 ith the winter now in full swing – heck, we’ve already had snow – it’s a great time to make improvements to our performance, and for this month’s article we’re doing 3 x 20mins at a moderate pace and with a range of cadences.

Working at 80-90% of your functional capacity is a great way to maximise your training time and work on your strength. I’d do a six-week block leading into the season. And if you’re riding with a power meter it’s a great way to

W

monitor your power-to-heart rate ratio to gauge your fitness. I like to use these type of workouts a lot in my athletes’ workouts and believe they’re the back bone of any structured training programme.

With all training we’re not just looking at one awesome session that will bring those A-race performances, rather it’s about adding consistency and structure into your schedule.

Perform this session outside ideally, but the turbo is fine.

And hold a position that provides the best power transfer.

THE SESSION WARM-UP 10mins easy Cadence to suit MAIN SET 3 x 20mins moderate as: 0-5mins @80-90rpm 5-10mins @70-80rpm 10-15mins @60-70rpm 15-20mins @90-100rpm 5mins easy recovery between each

COACH’S TIPS OPTIMISE YOUR 0FF SEASON

COOL-DOWN 10mins high cadence Adapt for beginners

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/ February 2020

stay pumped Regularly check your tyres for any nicks or cuts throughout the winter months, so you reduce the risk of puncturing on a cold, dark night miles from home!

fill up your glycogen stores For this type of session you really need to adequately fuel and hydrate, not only so you get the most out of it but also so you can recover for the next one.

Adapt for Ironman Each week, reduce the recovery time by 1min on each 5min recovery until you bring the full 20mins up to 1hr.

REMY WHITING

Keep your gut healthy Good gut health is a key factor in keeping well through the winter months. Take a daily probiotic or make up a yoghurt-based, fruit-filled smoothie for breakfast.

Break the 20mins into 10min sections to start with and keep the 5mins recovery.

Then over the coming weeks, add 2-3mins onto each block until you’re able to sustain the full 20mins.

BIKE

“Working at 80-90% of your functional capacity is a great way to work on your strength”

Pace Keep control of your cadence.

Fuel Keep your mind focused on each block and stay well-hydrated.

Focus Focus on the force going through the pedals.

February 2020 /

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RUN NY CHALLENGE DURATION

MINS COACH SCOTT FINDLAY

HOW TO STAY FOCUSSED AND FAST IN JANUARY

WITH THANKS TO CLUB LA SANTA

TRAINING

Complete this New Year run challenge to help keep you focussed and fast through winter and beyond oal setting is really important in a sport where you spend so much time training and a lot less time racing. Now obviously, because you’re all good athletes, you’ll have already set your goals for next season, but what about something more short-term to help you get there? Little challenges like the one in this issue are great for keeping you focused through the dark, cold mornings and evenings.

The New Year Challenge asks you to run X kilometres across the

G

month of January (or whichever month you just need a bit of a boost before the season starts). It’s X because the distance is really up to you, something that will push but not injure you and keep you focused across the month.

Plan around how often you can actually run and what you think is a reasonable target. The session in this issue is an example run you could do each time you go out.

The focus is on easy/consistent mileage, starting with shorter runs to build consistency and then add time on as you go.

THE SESSION WARM-UP 10mins/1-2km building from easy to moderate MAIN SET 10mins/1-2km easy 5mins/0.5-1km moderate 15mins/1-2km easy 5mins/0.5-1km moderate COOL-DOWN 5mins/0.5-1km easy

COACH’S TIPS OPTIMISE YOUR OFF SEASON Adapt for beginners Aiming for a lower number will allow you to be more free about how often/far you run. It depends a lot on your level, but 30km for the month is 7.5km a week, 40km is 10km etc. That might help figure out how much to take on!

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/ February 2020

Go easy If you choose to complete the distance by running every day just make sure you’re being mindful of any potential injury risks.

And always include a warm-up and cool-down.

do your best It’s perfectly okay to set a difficult challenge and not reach it. Just set your goal and aim to get as close to it as possible.

This isn’t a race, just a fun, pre-season challenge.

Adapt for Ironman This challenge is a perfect opportunity for you to build up some mileage in your legs. At this time of the season, you don’t need to be running super long so aim for frequency over duration to complete the challenge.

REMY WHITING

Set an easier challenge If running isn’t your focus for this block, or you’re just starting out, set yourself an easier challenge. This could be as simple as running a certain amount of days per week.

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

RUN

ClubLaSantainLanzaroteisthe world’snumber-onesports destinationforallyourtriathlon training.Formoreinformation, visit:clublasanta.co.uk

FORM Holding good form with this much running is really important. Stand up tall and keep your footsteps light.

CADENCE Check in with your cadence every now and again to make sure your technique isn’t slipping. Aim for around 180spm.

SURFACE Hard concrete can cause a lot of impact on your legs. Try sticking to grass or a soft surface.

“The distance is really up to you, something that will push but not injure you and keep you focussed for the month” February 2020 /

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TRAINING

SMASH YOUR FIRST SPRINT TRIATHLON! New year, new you? Then why not start the transformation by doing your first tri? And you can start right here with our 12-week training plan to complete your first sprint…

80 /

/ February 2020

12 WEEK SPRINT PLAN

TRAINING PLAN COACH DERMOTT HAYES

bucket list Inspired to sign up to your first sprint triathlon? Then head to p26 for our 2020 race guide!

t’s a new year and you’ve decided triathlon will be your next adventure. Welcome to the world of multisport. No doubt you’re targeting a sprint-distance tri to start. A sensible choice. It’s a great introduction to triathlon and will help take you forwards within the sport. The sprint-tri distances appear achievable when taken on their own, and many people will have completed these distances and more at some point. But the key is training for all three disciplines and finally putting them together for an event.

This plan will guide the novice triathlete through 12 weeks of training all the way to race day when you tackle the 750m swim, 20km bike and 5km run. It’s designed to be manageable for those who are tight on time, so none of the sessions are exhaustive or unnecessarily long.

We begin with five days of sessions per week for the first six weeks, and then when you’re ready to increase the training volume, it steps up to five or six days per week. Essential to the execution of your race is having

I

the confidence you can complete the race distances, therefore the plan gradually builds so that you eventually complete them. To measure performance, we’ve included some time-trial sessions where you race against the clock to see how fast you can do the swim, bike and run. These tests will help you gauge the effort you can use on race day and give you an idea of how long the race should take.

The plan also includes regular bike/run sessions, known as brick sessions, to familiarise you (and your legs) with that feeling of running immediately after cycling. I can’t emphasise enough how much these workouts can help you prepare for a race, and how you can fine-tune your effort on race day based on them.

You may need to include some open-water swimming practice, so this plan has fitness sessions to prepare you for the 750m swim.

If your race is in open water, you must practise in a wetsuit in lakes, rivers or the sea.

Finally, if you’re transitioning to triathlon from one of the single endurance sports you may choose to spend more time working on your new disciplines to bring them up to your existing level. Enjoy the new world of triathlon!

COACH’S TIPS ORGANISATION IS KEY

REMY WHITING

Don’t skip the break No really, don’t! Practise the feeling of switching from bike to run for race day.

Test your kit Make sure all of your race equipment works by using it in your outdoor training sessions.

Get planning Be well-organised and schedule your training sessions into your daily routine. Make it happen.

Ask others Speak to other triathletes and ask for advice. They will help calm your nerves on race day.

February 2020 /

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TRAINING

TRAINING PLAN - WEEKS 1 TO 4 MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

RUN END.

BIKE END.

3km steady • Can be a mixture of run and walk

10km steady • Keep the route flat

WEEK 1 – OUR WEEKLY PLAN BEGINS ON A MONDAY, BUT YOU CAN START ON ANY DAY OF THE WEEK RUN TEMPO

REST DAY

3 x [500m hard run; • 200m walk; 300m jog]

SWIM END.

BIKE INT.

6 x 100m steady • 30secs RI

5 x [1min moderate; 2mins hard; 1min very easy]

REST DAY

WEEK 2 – DON’T FORGET, RI = REST INTERVAL; PD = PADDLES; PB = PULL BUOY; RPM = REVS PER MIN SWIM TEMPO

REST DAY

3 x 150m, increase pace every 50m; 30secs RI • 4 x 50m hard; 30secs RI

RUN INT.

SWIM END.

6 x 500m hard; 1min RI

5 x 125m steady; 30secs RI

REST DAY

RUN END.

BIKE END.

3.5km steady • Can be a mixture of run and walk

12km steady • Keep the route flat

WEEK 3 – ALWAYS INCLUDE A WARM-UP: 5-8MINS OF GRADUALLY BUILDING INTENSITY FROM EASY TO VIGOROUS RUN TEMPO

REST DAY

3 x [500m hard run; 200m walk; 300m jog]

SWIM END.

BIKE INT.

6 x 100m steady • 30secs RI

5 x [1min moderate; 2mins hard; 1min very easy]

REST DAY

RUN END.

BIKE END.

3km steady • Can be a mixture of run and walk

15km steady • Keep the route flat

RUN END.

BIKE END.

4km steady • Can be a mixture of run and walk

10km steady • Keep the route flat

WEEK 4 – ALWAYS INCLUDE A COOL-DOWN: 3-5MINS OF EASY CARDIO FOLLOWED BY STRETCHES SWIM TEMPO 3 x 150m, increase pace every 50m; 30secs RI • 4 x 50m hard; 30secs RI

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/ February 2020

REST DAY

RUN INT.

SWIM END.

6 x 500m hard; 1min RI

5 x 125m steady; 30secs RI

REST DAY

12 WEEK SPRINT PLAN

TRAINING PLAN - WEEKS 5 TO 8 MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

WEEK 5 – THIS WEEK INCLUDES TIME TRIALS FOR SWIM AND BIKE SO YOU CAN TEST YOURSELF OVER THE RACE DISTANCE RUN TEMPO

REST DAY

3 x [800m hard run; 200m walk; 200m jog]

SWIM TT.

BIKE TEMPO

750m • Test yourself over the race distance

3 x [6mins moderate; 2mins hard; 2mins easy]

REST DAY

RUN END.

BIKE TT.

3.5km steady

20km • Test yourself over the race distance

SWIM END. 4 x 150m steady; 20secs RI

WEEK 6 – HALFWAY THROUGH THE PLAN, WE INTRODUCE A BRICK SESSION TO HELP YOU MASTER THE BIKE/RUN TRANSITION SWIM TEMPO

REST DAY

3 x 200m, increase pace every 50m; 30secs RI • 8 x 25m hard; 15secs RI

BRICK

SWIM END.

12km bike • 3km run • Focus on feeling in control

4 x 150m steady; 30secs RI

REST DAY

RUN TT.

BIKE END.

5km • Test yourself over the race distance

15-20km steady • Choose an undulating route

WEEK 7 – WHEN YOU FEEL READY TO INCREASE THE TRAINING VOLUME, STEP IT UP TO SIX SESSIONS A WEEK RUN TEMPO

BIKE INT.

SWIM INT.

BIKE INT.

3 x [800m hard run; 200m walk; 200m jog]

6-8 x [3mins hard; 1min very easy]

8 x 100m hard; 30secs RI

8 x 500m hard; 1min RI

REST DAY

RUN END.

BIKE END.

4km steady

15-20km steady • Choose an undulating route

SWIM END. 4 x 150m steady; 20secs RI

WEEK 8 – REMEMBER, IF YOUR RACE IS IN OPEN WATER, YOU MUST FIND TIME TO PRACTISE SWIMMING OUTDOORS SWIM TEMPO 3 x 200m, increase pace every 50m; 30secs RI • 8 x 25m hard; 15secs RI

REST DAY

RUN INT.

BIKE TEMPO

6 x 800m hard; 1min RI

3 x [6mins moderate; 2mins hard; 2mins easy]

REST DAY

RUN END.

BRICK

4km steady

15km bike • 2km run • Practise bike to run transition

SWIM END. 5 x 150m steady; 20secs RI

February 2020 /

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TRAINING

TRAINING PLAN - WEEKS 9 TO 12 MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

REST DAY

RUN END.

BIKE END.

5.5km steady

25km steady • Choose an undulating route

WEEK 9 – DON’T FORGET, INT = INTERVAL; END = ENDURANCE; TT = TIME TRIAL SWIM TEMPO

BIKE INT.

RUN TEMPO

SWIM INT.

3 x [50m easy; 200m steady; 50m hard] • 1min RI between sets

6-8 x [3mins hard; 1min very easy]

3 x [1km hard run; 400m jog]

8 x 100m hard; 30secs RI

WEEK 10 – YOU SHOULD BE STARTING TO FEEL CONFIDENT NOW, SO YOU CAN COMPLETE THE RACE DISTANCES SWIM TEMPO

REST DAY

3 x [50m easy; 200m steady; 50m hard] • 1min RI between sets

SWIM TT.

BRICK

750m • Test yourself over the race distance

2 x [8km bike; 2km run] • Focus on feeling in control

REST DAY

RUN END.

BIKE TT.

4.5km steady

20km • Test yourself over the race distance

SWIM END. 4 x 200m steady; 20secs RI

WEEK 11 – AFTER COMPLETING THE PLAN, SCHEDULE IN A REST PERIOD AND ALLOW YOUR BODY TO REAP THE REWARDS RUN INT.

SWIM INT.

BIKE TEMPO

RUN TT.

6 x 800m hard; 40secs RI

8 x 100m hard; 30secs RI

3 x [6mins moderate; 2mins hard; 2mins easy]

5km • Test yourself over the race distance

REST DAY

RUN TEMPO

BRICK

3 x [1km hard run; 400m jog]

15km bike • 3km run • Practise bike to run transition

SWIM END. 5 x 150m steady; 20secs RI

WEEK 12 – YOU’VE COMPLETED THE 3-MONTH PLAN AND GIVEN YOURSELF THE VERY BEST START TO YOUR FIRST SPRINT-TRI! REST DAY

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/ February 2020

RUN INT.

SWIM INT.

4 x 800m hard; 40secs RI

5 x 100m hard; 30secs RI

REST DAY

BIKE INT.

RUN: PRE-RACE

SPRINT TRI

4-5 x [3mins hard; 2mins easy]

5-8mins easy run, just stretching legs

750m swim • 20km bike • 5km run

BE YOUR PERSONAL BEST.

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TRAINING

NUTRITION

SPEND SMALL, FUEL BIG Feeling the post-Christmas pinch? Then load up with some of the cheapest, yet most nutritious, ingredients for four delicious post-training meals s we’re all too aware, as triathletes, there are many demands on our money, so anything that makes it stretch a little further must be a good thing, right? With that in mind, this month I’ve devised four recipes to really give you bang for your buck.

First up, Tagliatelle with roasted onions and tomatoes, harissa and crispy

PHIL SOWELS

A

bacon. Onions cost next to nothing.

Slow-roast them and they morph into caramelised delectableness. The same goes when you roast cheap, normally tasteless tomatoes. Pop them in the oven before a training ride, then once you’re back simply toss them and all their juices into your pasta, add harissa for even more depth of flavour and top with crispy bacon for a nicely balanced, highly nutritious

February 2020 /

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TRAINING

and sustaining meal for four for around £1 a portion.

Next, this simple and speedy Omelette with peas, potato, mushrooms and feta is a regular midweek feature in our house. Packed with great quality protein to help muscle recovery, we love it when we get home from the gym, often late evening. Keep a family-pack of peas in the freezer; they’re a great source of vitamin C, fibre and minerals such as potassium, magnesium and calcium. And cheap too!

You need to work a bit for this Sweet potato gnocchi with tomato sauce, but this is a delicious and very satisfying way to make one large sweet potato stretch to a meal for four. Toss with a flavoursome tomato sauce and fresh rosemary for an immune-boosting training supper, packed with slow-releasing carbohydrate to keep your energy levels sustained.

Lastly, I couldn’t write a piece on budget meals without mentioning lentils. Love them or hate them, they’re highly nutritious and incredibly good value. Spruced up with lots of anti-inflammatory garlic, ginger and spices in this comforting Red lentil dhal with chicken and cauliflower, they’re high fibre and low GI, keeping you fuller for longer and helping maintain stable blood glucose levels. Make this dish even better by serving with basmati rice, a chapati and a dollop of mango chutney.

Nutritionist and keen amateur athlete Kate Percy set up the #GoFaster campaign in 2009, and now has a website (gofasterfood.com), several books and a new range of Go Bites - allnatural energy balls.

88 /

/ February 2020

SWEET POTATO GNOCCHI WITH ROSEMARY Prep 15mins Cook 30mins Serves 4

INGREDIENTS • 1 large sweet potato • 1 tsp salt • 1 egg yolk • 100-150g spelt flour, sifted • ¼ tsp grated nutmeg For the tomato sauce • 400g tin chopped tomatoes • 1 clove garlic, crushed • Pinch of sugar • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil • 1 tsp balsamic vinegar • 2 sprigs rosemary, chopped

METHOD Preheat oven to 200°C/gas mark 6.

Bake potato until soft, about 45mins.

Make tomato sauce. Heat oil in a frying pan, add garlic and salt, gently cook for 1min. Add rest of the ingredients and cook for 5mins. Season.

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Once cool, peel potato, mash with a fork and transfer to a bowl. Add seasoning, egg yolk and half the flour.

Combine with a fork, adding more flour gradually until the mixture becomes a soft dough; just firm enough to handle and no longer sticky. Note: the more flour you add, the firmer the gnocchi.

Divide dough into four. On a lightly floured surface, roll each section into a sausage shape. Using a sharp knife, cut into 2cm pieces. Transfer to a floured plate. Boil a large saucepan of salted water. Cook the gnocchi for 2mins or until they float to the top.

Drain and serve with the tomato sauce and plenty of parmesan cheese.

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NUTRITION

RED LENTIL DAHL Prep 5mins Cook 30mins Serves 4-6

INGREDIENTS • 400g red lentils, rinsed • 1 onion, sliced • 2 tsps turmeric • 2cm fresh ginger • 1 cinnamon stick • 1 small cauliflower, into florets • 4 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cubed • 2 tsps garam masala • 1 dried chilli • 200g tin chopped tomatoes • 1 tsp salt • 1 tbsp oil • 2 tsps cumin seeds • ½ tsp black mustard seeds • 2 bay leaves • 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced • 2 green chillies, finely sliced • 25g fresh coriander

METHOD Put lentils and cauliflower in a saucepan and cover with water by approx. 6cm.

Bring to boil, remove any scum with a spoon, simmer. Add onion, 1 tsp turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, 1 tsp garam masala, dried chilli and tomatoes. Cover, simmer for 30mins then remove ginger. Meanwhile toss chicken in remaining turmeric and garam masala. Heat oil in a pan, fry for 15mins, add to the dahl, stir in salt.

Fry cumin, mustard seeds and bay leaves in a little oil. Once sizzling, reduce heat, add garlic, fry briefly, stir into dhal. Serve with coriander and fresh chillis.

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TAGLIATELLE WITH CARAMELISED ONION, TOMATOES & BACON Prep 5mins Cook 2:10hrs Serves 4

INGREDIENTS • 2 onions • 4 tomatoes • 1 clove garlic, crushed • 1 tsp sugar • 1 tsp mixed herbs • 1 tbsp olive oil • 1 tsp balsamic vinegar • 400g whole wheat tagliatelle • 8 slices streaky bacon • 2 tbsps harissa • 1 tbsp capers, rinsed • 1 tbsp pitted black olives, chopped

METHOD Preheat the oven to 130°C/gas mark 2.

Keeping the skins on, trim the top and bottom of the onions and slice in half.

Halve the tomatoes. Lay both on a roasting tray cut side up. Drizzle with oil and vinegar and top with garlic, sugar, herbs, and season. Bake for 2hrs.

Boil a large saucepan of salted water, cook pasta, drain. Meanwhile grill bacon until crispy. Stir in harissa, capers and olives to pasta.

Remove onions from skins. Add them and tomatoes, inc. all juices, to pasta and combine. Serve with the bacon.

OMELETTE WITH PEA, MUSHROOMS & FETA

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Prep 3mins Cook 5mins Serves 1

INGREDIENTS • 1 potato, sliced • 3 large free range eggs • Pinch of mixed herbs • 2 x small knob butter • 1 tbsp olive oil • 4 mushrooms, sliced • Handful of frozen peas, defrosted • 20g feta cheese, sliced

METHOD

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Boil a small pan of water and cook potato until soft. Drain, set aside.

Melt 1 knob of butter with tbsp oil in a pan and sauté the potato and mushrooms for a few mins. Stir in the peas for 4mins. Transfer to a plate.

In a small bowl, beat the eggs well.

Season and add herbs. Heat butter and oil in pan. Once bubbling, add eggs and cover the pan bottom.

Scatter potato, mushrooms, peas and feta over the eggs and, using a spatula, gently fold in half.

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TRAINING KORUPT VISION

HOW TO USE SWIM AIDS IN TRAINING Do you use any swim aids? Pull buoys, paddles, etc?

If so, which ones, why those ones and how do you use them in training sessions? Fiona Groom

TIM DON

is a multiple ITU world champion and a 3 x Olympian. Now one of the fastest Ironmans in the world, he’s here to answer all your racing questions and concerns.

h man, I’m a triathlete, and boy do we love our toys in the pool, or even open water for that matter. Also, as a coach, I find them even more beneficial when using them with my athletes. But saying that, some toys tend to be used when we are, let’s say, a little bit lazy in the water! Or we want to go just that little bit faster to keep up with the person in front of us.

O

THE SNORKEL There’s a time and a place to use most toys in the pool, especially as a triathlete when maybe swimming is not our strongest discipline. Wall work isn’t important, nor are tumble turns, glides, etc, but stroke rate and some specific open-water drills, like head-up freestyle/water polo, are.

When I was coming back from my broken neck and could finally get in the pool the snorkel was my best friend. Well, I couldn’t turn my head to breathe, so it was

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my only friend! I find even now with fins on that it’s a great tool for working on rotation and developing a smooth stroke.

THE PULL BUOY The biggest tool, and the one I use the most, is my pull buoy. It can be used in so many different ways, but mostly between your legs. For me, it really helps promote my open-water rhythm, with or without a wetsuit, as I have a two-beat crossover kick and hardly use my legs so it helps keep my hips up. I sometimes use it for warm-ups and cool-downs as well, or even in the main set if I’m doing a big run or bike block. It gives my legs a big rest, but keeps the arms ticking over and ups my stroke rate.

THE BAND I’m also a big believer in band work. I have an old inner tube tied up to make a nice band. Again, with and without a pull buoy, it really helps me focus on my core and

COACHING Q&A

THIS MONTH’S COACHING PANEL MATT BAIRD

Cost of Kona 220 features editor Matt experienced his first Kona in 2019, doing a DIY race with a 3.8km swim, 120km bike and 11km run.

JAMES WITTS

Sodium bicarbonate in training Freelance writer and former 220 editor James specialises in sports science and endurance.

body position, as well as stroke rate, which for me is key (20 strokes per 25m). I’d be careful adding this into you workouts, though, as it can put extra stress on your shoulders and the last thing you want is a sore shoulder. I’d recommend adding it in slowly and do the strength set before the main set so you’re a bit fresher.

And maybe only do up to a set of 50m-75m so you get that little bit of wall time and recovery.

DRAG SHORTS Another great tool which is similar to a pull buoy are drag shorts, they do the same thing but allow you to kick a bit more. They’re great for open-water practice and working on body position.

PADDLES Along with all of the above, I use paddles for strength but also some overspeed when doing 25m sprints. I have a small pair of paddles as they really encourage me to work on my catch and high elbow, and not to get lazy with them. It’s so easy to whack a big pair of dustbin lids on and just power through the water, but trust me this will just fatigue your arms earlier and also teach you lazy habits with your stroke. I’ve also messed around with finger paddles and Hungarian paddles, but, for me, I didn’t find any big gains.

THE PACE BEEPER I’ve just been in Singapore and swam with a great Swim Smooth squad out there. I found the beeper (Finis Tempo Trainer) for pace work to be so good.

It took a while to dial it in, but I can highly recommend it for helping pace your reps better, especially on the longer reps. I can imagine it’d really help you to not go out too hard and blow up big time while racing.

THE PARACHUTE While swimming in Loughborough with the crazy fast ITU athletes, I discovered they use a sponge a lot. A sponge tied to about 2m of string that ties around your waist, like a parachute. Man it’s tough. You push off the wall then the resistance hits you. Again, turnover and fast kicking come into play here. It’s a great tool, but only for short blocks of strength work. As with all the above, consistency is key, as is planning in the different components of each toy into your training.

Some people, especially the swimmers in my lane, say I use the pull buoy too much but when I beat them out the water they can’t really say I’m doing it wrong!

Ha! It’s what works for you and how you get the best out of a session with all the tools or toys available to you. Remember, there are no medals in training!

Need some advice from The Don? Send an email to askthedon@220triathlon.com

JOHN WOOD

Hypothermia signs An award-winning multisport coach of 10 years, John is also a former international swimmer.

QUICK-FIRE Small gains still mean seconds off your PB...

What is surfer’s ear?

Surfer’s ear refers to a condition where extra bone forms as lumps in the ear canal. It’s caused by exposure to cold water and wind. The extra bone growth, also called exostosis, is believed to be the body’s defence mechanism to protect the ear drum. But unfortunately, it will just continue to grow. To prevent it, wear earplugs.

But if the exostosis becomes severe, the only way to remove it is with surgery.

How much difference do tri-bars make to performance?

In short, a fair amount if used properly. Although, they’re most suitable for those confident with their bikehandling skills. Tribars decrease wind resistance and drag by reducing your frontal surface area while on the bike.

You can also push more power through the pedals in this position.

KIRSTY HILLIER

IM training if trying to conceive Long-distance triathlete Kirsty is a level-3 tri coach. She had her first child in July 2019 and continued to exercise up until 37 weeks.

ASK 220 COST OF KONA

Q A

How much does it cost to race Kona?

Michelle Briers

Entry for 2020’s race is $975 USD (about £778), with the online registration fees taking it over the $1,000 mark.

We tracked the London to Kona flight route throughout 2019 and the cheapest flight prices were largely consistent (tracking at about £900 for the cheapest return), with a couple of fluctuations. The lowest fare was £705 some 191 days before the race, with the highest price coming 235 days before (£1,175). The cheapest prices, however, were often flights with more than one stop and long connection times. We settled on an American/BA combo at £1,150 return (including seating fees and taxes but with no hold luggage) with a night in Los Angeles, which helped with the jetlag, and a return via Phoenix.

Accommodation is the other fiscal biggie, with the majority of places around Kona town booked up. Expect to pay around £250 per night for a double hotel room, but significantly less if you want to stay in Kalaoa near the airport. Meals at Huggo’s on the Rocks, our favourite spot in Kona, were about $20 for a main, with that post-race pint of Long Board Ale coming in at $7! Matt Baird

SODIUM BICARBONATE IN TRAINING I’m thinking about trying sodium bicarbonate for training and racing.

Were do I start? Mackenzie Lewin

Q

Sodium bicarbonate, or baking powder, is a supplement that’s been used for years, specifically for higher-intensity workouts like interval or hill sessions. Why is down to this fundamental physiology…

As training or race intensity rises, you generate increasing amounts of lactic acid – a byproduct of metabolising carbs.

A

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TRAINING

Your cells recycle this until they reach saturation point and the lactic acid tips over into the bloodstream, lowering your blood’s pH and your power output drops.

That’s where sodium bicarbonate comes in. Because it’s an alkaline, it neutralises the acidic threat from intense exercise, allowing you to produce more lactate during exercise and do more intense bouts.

Studies show that the optimal dose is about 0.3g per kg bodyweight so, for an 80kg athlete, you’re looking at 24g. You can weigh out the sodium bicarb before, mixing with water, or consume capsules. The problem with the former is that there’s a chance of a poorly tummy; with the latter, a capsule like Sodibic, you’re looking at 28 capsules as each contains just 840mg!

As for timing, traditionally it was advised to take the bicarb 2-3hrs before your race or session. However, a recent study out of Edge Hill Uni showed that peaking time for some individuals comes after just 75mins.

So see what works for you. James Witts

HYPOTHERMIA SIGNS What should you do if someone you’re swimming with starts to get hypothermia? Robyn Townsend

Q

Hypothermia can be an issue for swimming in lower temperatures, but if properly aware of yours/your companion’s body signals serious issues can be avoided.

Here are a few ways to spot the signs: Mild hypothermia: uncontrollable shivering and numbness, loss of simple coordination.

Moderate hypothermia: confusion and strange inebriated-like behaviour, slurred speech. Severe hypothermia: blue-grey skin, slow or halted breathing, loss of consciousness.

Increasing your activity level won’t warm up your core body temperature, so it’s unlikely to delay the onset of hypothermia.

You’re more likely to burn more energy quickly so will hit any issues sooner.

If you begin to feel mild hypothermia, or suspect that there may be an issue, one trick is to count up to 10 and back to one repeatedly. Issues with losing count or your thoughts are indications that you should get out of the water. Once you exit, immediately dry off and wrap up in plenty of towels, warm clothing and hats.

If you or your friends get to the state of severe hypothermia, ensure that the victim stays conscious and communicative and that medical attention is on its way quickly.

What I’ve listed here can sound scary, but the onset occurs far slower than you might think. John Wood

A

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QUICK-FIRE (CONT)

What is compart syndrome?

Compartment syndrome is defined as increased pressure in the four compartments of the leg – anterior, lateral, superficial posterior and deep posterior – leading to compromised blood flow and tissue perfusion, which leads to ischaemic pain (pain caused by a lack of circulation to the area). If untreated, it may lead to permanent damage of the tissues in the compartment via nerve and blood vessel compression.

This syndrome is common among runners, athletes, military personal and triathletes. See bit.ly/ compartment syndrome for more info.

Why do men need more calories than women?

Men usually have less body fat and more muscle than women do of the same age and weight, which means men burn more calories.

RED BULL

IRONMAN TRAINING IF TRYING TO CONCEIVE Should I train for an Ironman if I’m trying to get pregnant? Marie Millward

Q A

Firstly, I think you need to ask yourself, ‘If I got pregnant, would I still race the Ironman?’. If the answer is no, then do you need to put your body through the strains of training for long-distance races?

But there’s no right or wrong answer to the question. Pregnancy and exercise is very individual and making that decision can be quite challenging. There’s also limited research that can give you a definitive answer, so women often rely on other people’s experiences.

The sheer volume of training for iron-distance could affect the chances of conceiving, as there’s such stress on the system if metabolic needs are not met. So you’ll need to ensure you’re providing your body with all the nutrients it needs. It’s also important to note that, sometimes, training for long-distance events can affect your menstrual cycle, so it’s key that both these two factors are considered.

I’ve completed iron-distance events as well as the Alpe d’Huez Triathlon, but I decided not to train long when trying for a baby. This was to ensure my menstrual cycle was consistent, but also to reduce the race pressure, as I wasn’t comfortable racing this distance if I got pregnant.

Personally, I’d do what you feel most comfortable doing and ensure you consider those demands. If you’re struggling then easing back on the training could help.

Kirsty Hillier

If you begin to feel mild hypothermia, or suspect someone else you’re swimming with is, count up to 10 and back to one repeatedly.

Issues with losing count are indications that you should get out of the water.

READER RESCUE

JAMES WITTS

Freelance writer and former 220 editor James specialises in sports science and endurance.

Reader Jacky Astbury wants to know how carbo-loading might differ for women I’ve heard that women don’t need to carboload before a race as much as men do. Is this true and, if so, why? Jacky Astbury

Q

Carboloading involves either a reduction in glycogen for two days, or no change followed by a glycogen-loading period for four days where carbohydrate intake’s 70% of your diet. In both cases, the idea is that your cells are saturated with glycogen and so delay the onset of fatigue by up to 20%.

The majority of studies comprise men, but as you highlight, there’s evidence that females might require a different race-fuelling strategy. These are based on

A

Evidence suggests that women need to carboload even more than men pre-race

THESECRETSTUDIO NET

gender-based metabolic differences that derive from different hormonal profiles, specifically the female hormone estradiol.

Estradiol’s secreted by the ovaries, peaking at ovulation. It’s been linked with numerous enzymes that play a role in metabolism, leading to enhanced triglyceride (a type of fat found in the blood) use in skeletal muscle. Concurrently, there’s no variation in glycogen levels during the menstrual cycle, suggesting female athletes are better fatburners than men.

A study by Asker Jeukendrup measured fat-oxidation rates in 300 men and women over a range of exercise intensities and showed that

women’s maximum fat oxidation (MPO) rate was 8.26mg of fat per kg of fat-free mass per min compared to 7.40mg in men. Their FatMax – the exercise intensity at which fat-burning peaks – was also higher, 52% of VO2max to the men’s 45%.

This efficient fat engine is one theory why the difference between male and female athletes shrinks the longer the event. One example is American Camille Herron, who smashed the overall 24hr and 100hr run records on the track.

In the 90s, professor Mark Tarnopolsky showed that, despite both genders increasing carb intake for four days from 55% to 75%, the women exhibited no muscleglycogen increase and a 5% performance improvement. The men’s glycogen rose to 41% and performance by 45%. Tarnopolsky speculated that this was due to the women consuming less carbs per kg compared to men (6.4g/kg vs 8.2g).

Subsequent studies discovered that increasing carb intake to around 8g/kg helped. But, importantly, the overall energy intake, too. In fact, 30% more than normal. So a female triathlete might shift from 2,000cals a day with 60% from carbs to 2,600cals with 70% from carbs. That might compare with a man, who might shift from 2,500cals a day with 60% derived from carbs to 2,500cals a day with 70% from carbs.

So do women need to carboload as much as men before a race? The evidence suggests even more so, albeit ‘energy-load’s’ arguably a more appropriate term.

“A female triathlete might shift to 2,600cals with 70% carbs” February 2020 /

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A pitch-black swim. A ride through Europe’s deepest canyon. A marathon run with more climbing than most bike legs can muster. Montenegro’s Blacklake Xtreme is one of tri’s toughest tests. Seb Zimmermann was one of 26 athletes to brave it in 2019. Here’s his tale…

WORDS SEBASTIAN ZIMMERMANN IMAGES DRAGAN STOJKIC/PORTRAITOFANATHLETE COM

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BLACKLAKE XTREME

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how was it for you?

MEET SEB

Sebastian is a 34-year-old father of two girls. He’s a visual artist and sculptor by profession from Berlin. After standing on his first tri start line in 2017, the vegan triathlete completed his first full Ironman in 2018, finishing in a time of 10:07hrs.

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eep, beep. 1:50am. Click!

Beep, beep. 1:55am. My eyes open and my deep breath tastes the cold morning air charged with the smell of the fire that heated our mountain cabin. I get up and open the door to the living room where my coach, Vladimir Savic, is sleeping. A routine follows of breakfast, coffee, bathroom, ginger tea, more breakfast, electrolytes, bathroom again, packing the car and listening to my race playlist.

We can see our breath in the car as we drive down empty roads at 3:45am. We meet only a few other cars and some wild dogs on our way to the Blacklake Xtreme Triathlon in northern Montenegro, a 227km Xtri World Championship race. The supporters of the 26 starting athletes are filling up the car park.

It’s just above freezing. A torch-lit path leads us down to the swallowing darkness of Black Lake.

Lights on the shore reveal the icy deep ahead. The race rules are read in a language foreign to my ears.

After a few steps into the cold water my feet sink into the soft, muddy ground. We wait for the signal to begin the 3.8km swim.

I can hear all the people behind me yelling. Is that the signal? I hesitate.

The guys next to me jump forward.

Then I leap. The icy water bites my skin and I can feel the blood pumping through my veins.

I can’t see anyone in front of me.

I look left. Nobody there. Right?

Nothing. I follow a vague bright spot in front of me. How could I lose them? The bright spot in front of me grows. Emerging out of the water I’m blinded by the brightness as I’m greeted by euphoric volunteers.

‘Where are all the others?’ I ask them. “You’re the first!”

I run into the second lake for part two of the swim. They flash a bluish light to point me in the right direction. I’m so grateful. It’s the only sign that I’m not completely alone. I corner the last buoy and push forward onto the last stretch.

Left, right, left, right, left. The swim exit comes into view. The volunteers, supporters and my team – Ivan, Zoran, Vlada and Coach – cheer as I step out of the water with wobbly legs. I step on a stone, tumble and fall. After the darkness of the Black Lake, everything now

/ February 2020

Sebastian (centre) with, from left to right, Zoran, Vlada, Coach Savic and Ivan

feels bright. I run up the rocky path in Coach’s Crocs. He removes each glove with one determined pull. I can’t remember the last time I was dressed by someone else.

A LEARNING CURVE I mount my bike at the last breath of night in full armour: tri-suit, legwarmers, arm-warmers, long socks, insulating vest, race jacket, scarf, gloves and helmet. I leave the highway just as the red dawn paints the Durmitor mountain peaks against the sky. Despite a few small houses with ascending pillars of smoke from the fires within, the land is mostly untouched.

I close in on a bright red spot – the eventual race winner Petr Vabrou ek’s backlight. He’s faster in the corners and on the soft ascents. I need to push hard to stay in sight of him. The road surface isn’t what I’m used to but, having cycled around Belgrade, it’s no trouble. I’ve never experienced such corners, though, especially at speeds of 50km/h. I decide against overtaking Petr. I want to read his line and follow his movement. It works. I improve curve by curve.

After every corner a new stunning view awaits us, but also a new ascent and a new technical focus on the descent. I’m already feeling my legs.

I find Petr taking a break and I sense how much stronger he is. I pass, fully confident that he’ll pick me up in a few minutes. He does, earlier than I’d hoped, because an old Volvo is blocking my way!

There’s a rhythm to it already, of gripping onto my aerobars, avoiding warps in the road, bunny-hopping over potholes at 60km/h and anticipating what might be waiting around the next corner. I’ve a huge rocky wall on my left, while the course is winding its way up. Up somewhere. I try to keep going. The traffic is picking up and most drivers are close when overtaking me. The tunnels have been short so far, but now they’re getting longer. It’s perfectly dark apart from the beam of my light and all my focus is on riding in a straight line.

BLACKLAKE XTREME

“It’s just above freezing.

A torch-lit path leads us down to the swallowing darkness of Black Lake”

how was it for you?

Suddenly I can see the famous Tara Bridge and hear the noise of the crowd. My wheels roar down to the bridge, but I’m soon climbing again.

I wonder how much the total ascent of the bike leg is. I’m deep in denial.

I’m ready to accept any lie, thinking it must be 2,700m but maybe it’s more? The numbers on my Garmin climb even slower than I feel possible. After every hundred metres covered I make a new estimate of what the total ascent must be. I want to believe I’m close to the top. A soft descent and I get some of my power back, before the last ascent towards Zabljak starts and my euphoria turns into disbelief. Yet I’m closing in on T2.

I pass wild horses and, after 187km and 7:14:13 of riding, reach the ski centre of Savin Kuk that is T2.

COACH HAS A PLAN Zoran runs with me at an easy pace.

The road curves over a few hills and a cold headwind blows into my smiling face. I’m euphoric. I’m in third place in a race that’s succeeding all of my wildest expectations. Nothing will stop me now. Little do we know what’s waiting ahead of us…

My watch has a hiccup so I pace myself without all the metrics.

Zoran is pushing the pace beyond what feels comfortable to me. It’s a race, of course it hurts. How it hurts!

I tell Zoran, ‘Please let us not aim for a faster pace than a 7min/km!’ He answers, “No problem, so far we are doing well. We have a 5:30 average!”

And he keeps running without a change in pace. What did I miss here? But I’m too weak to argue. It must be Coach. Coach must have told him what pace to run.

Coach has a plan. So… trust Coach.

And with that, the topic is closed.

The wind turns itself up and brings snowflakes down from the grey sky. I’m freezing. Zoran is ahead. I have to yell as I need to put on more clothing. I use a short break to recover. I inhale the surreal landscape.

My team drives by shortly before arriving at the mountain entry checkpoint. I think they’re worried as I’m not looking great and feeling worse. I asked for oranges when they passed by and, of course, they have oranges for me. They work like a charm, my second secret weapon right after my ginger green tea to reset my taste buds.

I’m in a deep hole but somehow I feel happy. I’m lucky to be here and fortunate to be guarded by my brothers. We’re armed to the teeth, all flasks and hydration systems are full and charged with carbs, another layer of clothing, first aid kit, head torches and whistles. We’re ready to request the mountain’s consent to less us pass.

“I pass wild horses and, after 187km and 7:14:13 of riding, reach the ski centre of Savin Kuk that is T2” 98 /

/ February 2020

XTRI RACES 2020

Canada Man Xtreme Triathlon returns to Lake Mégantic in the forests of Quebec on 4 July.

The figurative and literal high point is the climb to the Mont Mégantic Observatory on the marathon run.

1

The Manx Xtreme Triathlon moves to a more favourable 25 July spot in 2020, but that’s about as favourable as things get given the 3.8km Irish sea swim, 185km bike leg with 3,000m+ elevation gain and marathon climb to Snaefell.

2

With swim, bike and run legs totalling a combined 5,400m of elevation gain, Hispaman (north of Valencia on 26 September) is one of the toughest races on the Xtri circuit.

3

Entries open in early January for the Xtri classic that is Patagonman. The race returns to Chilean Patagonia on 6 December for some of the greatest scenery in all of tri.

4

BLACKLAKE XTREME

how was it for you?

Sebastian tackles the epic mountain ridges of Montenegro on the run

We follow a beaten track.

Untouched grassland is broken up by rough rocks. My thoughts are deep in another realm as the path comes to a sudden end and I’m faced with a rocky wall. Left of me is a steep slope going down, while the wall on my right is close to vertical. I turn to look at my friends’ faces and up to the mountain ahead. This is madness! I grab the fixed rope and pull myself up. I try to find a hold with my feet. The icy rain has made the rocks wet. I slip, but luckily my arm has a firm grip and saves me from falling. I keep climbing up then turn around to watch Coach and Vlada following me. What have I dragged them into?

LEAVING THE MOUNTAIN We close in on the mountain ridge of Bobotov Kuk as snowflakes bite my skin. I move slowly with sedate steps, but this ice-cold grip won’t make me stop. With the smile of an explorer suddenly discovering the promised lands, nothing can stop me now. The view is vast and epic.

We reach a steep descent covered with loose rocks and it doesn’t take long until I’m on my back, again and again. The area where I train back in Germany is flat and soft; easier on the joints but it doesn’t compare to this battleground. This isn’t what I asked for, but it’s exceeding my wildest expectations.

The view widens again to reveal our trail bending around the hillside, and we spot someone behind us closing in fast. Moments later Misha Boyko emerges and leaps away. He dances like a mystic Shaolin from rock to rock. I don’t feel mad being passed by him as I’m in awe of his movements.

We follow on the narrow, rocky path to leave the mountain.

There’s a chaotic mosaic of roots growing out of the ground. We

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enter the forest and it feels like a light switch has gone off.

It feels like running in a maze.

I’ve no idea where I am or how much time has passed. I’ve abandoned my fear of darkness and I run as hard as I can. Suddenly a dog jumps out of the dark right onto my chest. I yell at him and keep moving. The dog runs alongside me and I soon decide that he’s no threat – I welcome him as my new companion.

I keep pushing as much as I can until a swarm of bright lights closes in on me. I’m blinded as my team take me into their midst and we start the last ascent together. The slope picks up in gradient and the

BLACKLAKE INFO

First event 2019 2019 starters 26 2019 finishers 15 Next date 12 September 2020 Entry fee 375 Nearest airport Podgorica Website blackxtri.com

comfortable ground turns into loose debris. My team is chatting, but I’ve a hard time following the conversation. Again there’s a strange distance between me and the outside world.

“Sebastian! What took you so long?!” I hear the race organiser, Igor Majer say. Everyone is cheering. I see a light. There’s the finish line. I have to run but I fall, then get back up again. My heart is pumping like crazy. I run to the line and grab the banner. Where’s my team? Right behind me. I call to them. We hold the banner together. I’ve finished third after 16:30hrs of racing.

We’ve done it.

NEXT MONTH On sale – 23 January

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Andrea Mason, Katrin Meyer, James Mitchell, Rosanna Morris, Kimberley Morrison, Mia Nielsen, Kate Percy, Steve Sayers, Daniel Seex, Jack Sexty, Richard Smith, Nigel Tassell, Vikki Voysey, Remy Whiting, Simon Withers, James Witts, John Wood

JEFF THOREN

TIME-CRUNCHED IM TRAINING

Ruth Purbrook worked 70hr weeks and won her Kona age-group. Find out how!

LICENSING & SYNDICATION 220 Triathlon is available for international licensing and syndication. For more information, please email Tim Hudson: tim.hudson@immediate.co.uk 220 Triathlon is published 13 times a year by Immediate Media Company Limited Cover image: James Mitchell Every care is taken when compiling this magazine, but we accept no liability for mistakes and no responsibility can be taken for the contents of these pages.

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TRI ON A BUDGET

The most bargainous races and gear, plus simple training tips for all levels

ISSN: 14791500 We abide by IPSO’s rules and regulations. To give feedback about our magazines, please visit immediate. co.uk, email editorialcomplaints@ immediate.co.uk or write to Katherine Conlon, Immediate Media Co., Vineyard House, 44 Brook Green, London W6 7BT.

NEW-SEASON KIT RATED

Our pick of the pre-season steals, from wheels to run shoes to £800 bikes February 2020 /

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faq

advice

kit

races

KNOWHOW THE HOW, WHAT AND WHERE OF RACING

WHAT KIND OF TRIATHLETE AM I? PART 2

THESECRETSTUDIO NET

Like last month, work your way through the below questions to help you find out more about your triathlete personality characteristics. Think carefully about each one, but don’t read on until you’ve formed your opinion.

Below each question are some advantages and disadvantages that apply to each characteristic. By better recognising your personality you’ll be able to make the most of your advantages and guard against some of the possible pitfalls of each characteristic. You’ll also be in a better position to have a more focused and consistent winter of training.

faq

DO YOU PLAN YOUR TRAINING OR DO WHAT YOU FEEL LIKE? A planner Advantages A programme that leads to success is satisfying.

Disadvantages Producing a balanced plan won’t necessarily be easy to do. You may do more planning than actual training.

Do what I feel like Advantages Going with the flow can be less restrictive.

Disadvantages You might omit vital elements of a training programme because they’re less attractive to you.

Similarly, you might fail to put in place adequate recovery periods.

DO YOU FOLLOW YOUR PLAN NO MATTER WHAT OR GO ON FEEL? 102 /

/ February 2020

Follow my plan Advantages Going with the plan is great if you’re ready for the given session. You’re going to enjoy the training effect you planned.

Disadvantages Doing the planned session no matter what brings a risk that you’ll train when you should be backing-off and recovering more adequately. And, as a result, you’ll risk overtraining and illness.

Go with how I feel Advantages Being aware of how your body is feeling and backing off when necessary is key to progressing by avoiding overtraining.

Disadvantages It’s sometimes difficult to be sure whether you’re a little tired or ill. So compare how you feel with other measures of under-recovery or overtraining.

ARE YOU A RISK-TAKER (ADRENALINE JUNKIE) OR CAUTIOUS? Risk-taker Advantages You’ll find different routes and sessions to keep your interest high. Your body may then respond more quickly to variety.

Disadvantages More risk means more chance for injury. Be careful to manage your need for excitement with the risk – you don’t want to miss the 2020 season!

Cautious Advantages You’re more likely to make it safely to the start line this season.

Disadvantages Your performance might be hampered by avoiding some of the more challenging sessions – for example, working on bike cornering, descending skills or confidence by riding in the rain.

JAMES MITCHELL

ABOUT KIMBERLEY

Kimberley started out as a hockey player before switching to the swim, bike and run while at Loughborough University. In 2013, she qualified for both the World Duathlon and Triathlon Champs. A year later, she won her first medal (25-29AG) at the European Tri Champs in Kitzbühel. After going pro in 2015, she won her first Ironman 70.3 in Buenos Aires just one year later. She rounded out 2019 with a 26th-place finish at the Ironman Worlds.

KIMBERLEY MORRISON Long-distance pro Kimberley Morrison swapped hockey sticks for Lycra and hasn’t looked back. Here are her top tips for tri success…

01

RIDE SOLO

As much as I love company out there, doing it solo is really good training adaptation for when we need to get on with the work alone in racing. Whether that’s 5hr turbo sessions with no computer programme, early-morning runs without the dog or even solo yoga, the character and mentalcapacity building will really help in those latter stages of long-distance racing.

03

Be consistently good and be consistently consistent. I know that’s a lot of repetition of the word ‘consistent’, but I really do believe it is the key to any success when we have a training or racing goal.

Consistency is king!

pro advice

02 FIND A WOLF PACK

I’m not refering to the movie, The Hangover, but rather my dog, an Alaskan Malamute Suka – she’s my perfect rest and recovery tool. She’s also great on crisp, pre-bike activation walkies or post-run recovery walks. I’m not saying go out and buy a dog, but if you have friends or family who own one, borrow theirs!

BE CONSISTENT

GET PLENTY OF 04 GOOD SLEEP

A good book and an early night are key to getting those all-important eight hours to help support the recovery process of our everyday love of swim, bike and run (not forgetting the gym, yoga, sports therapy, nutrition, stretching, the roller… the list goes on!).

FORGET TO 05 DON’T SAY THANK YOU

Whatever you may think, triathlon is a team sport. I’m from a hockey

background where the team surrounds you on the pitch and the same holds true in triathlon. So never forget to say thanks to those who support you. I love the thought process when I’m out training and racing, thinking of my support team and how far we’ve come and how far we can still go.

06

EVERYTHING IN MODERATION

Has anyone caught the Netflix documentary, The Game Changers?

It tells the story of James Wilks – elite Special Forces trainer and The Ultimate Fighter winner – as he travels the world on a quest to uncover the optimal diet for human performance. My advice is always appreciate that there are two sides to every story and ensure you’re happy to make your own decisions when it comes to nutrition.

Everything in moderation.

February 2020

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essential kit

All you need to train & race, as rated by our 220 Kit Zone expert testers

WETSUITS Build quality, comfort, flexibility and insulation – the four key factors when choosing your neoprene. Spend more and the quality for each factor tends to increase.

AERO ROAD HELMETS Decent ventilation, low weight, comfort and how easy it is to adjust on the fly are all key things to look for when choosing a new aero road bike helmet.

83 %

zoot Wave 1 £220 Solid construction, warm and buoyant. Love the chest panels, too.

Issue 366 zootsports.co.uk

84 %

limar Air Master £129.99 Light, impressive ventilation, decent chin pad and easy-to-use rentention system.

Issue 360 nrg4cycling.co.uk

93 %

orca Equip £239 Peerless comfort and flexibility for the price. Great for frugal swimmers.

Issue 366 orca.com

82 %

bontrager Velocis Mips £149 A solid performer with a precise retention system and sizeable vents for good airflow.

Issue 360 bontrager.com

90 %

roka Maverick Comp III £325 Superior arm flexibility and reach, plus assured buouyancy.

Issue 365 roka.com

86 %

Scott Cadence Plus £170 Alistair Brownlee’s lid of choice; comes with MIPS and Aero Plugs for colder days.

Issue 360 scott-sports.com

91 %

AQUA SPHERE Racer 2.0 £399.99 Striking graphics, a decent price and a superior build – winning!

Issue 365 aquasphereswim.com/uk

92 %

S-WORKS Evade II £200 Slick on the roads and in the wind tunnel, plus great magnetic buckle for a swift transition.

Issue 360 specialized.com

92 %

yonda Ghost 2 £549 A highly comfortable and superb all-rounder wetsuit.

Issue 364 yondasports.com

90 %

giro Vanquish MIPS £219.99 Jan Frodeno’s lid of choice! Great ventilation and magnetic shield visor.

Issue 360 zyrofisher.co.uk

IRONMAN TRI SUITS Consider what type of triathlete you are – top-end agegroupers should assess their suit’s aero properties, but comfort is key for all levels, so consider pads, grippers and material quality.

TRI BIKES The key here is fit and comfort.

Remember: the least aerodynamic thing on the bike is you, so get a bike fit to refine your position.

104 /

/ February 2020

90 %

heart Purple Thunder £125 Brilliant touches abound, as does affordability.

Issue 362 heartsports.co.uk

92 %

giant Trinity Advanced £1,799 Powerful yet surprisingly comfortable ride that’s literally geared to be intimidating!

Issue 357 giant-bicycles.com

82 %

dhb Aeron Lab £160 Great ventilation, design and grippers.

Issue 362 wiggle.co.uk

89 %

neil pryde Bayamo £2,250 For the price, superb ride performance and build quality on the frame and forks.

Issue 351 neilprydebikes.com

93 %

2xu Comp Full Zip £160 Comfortable, good looking and practical.

Issue 362 2xu.com

91 %

ribble Ultra Tri £4,469 Clever windcheating features and fantastic range of adjustment. Bike as built is ready to race.

Issue 358 ribblecycles.co.uk

87 %

sailfish Aerosuit 199.99 A goodlooking, breathable choice for 70.3 racing.

Issue 362 sailfish.com

95 %

canyon Speedmax CF SLX £5,199 A bike that just wants to go fast… but will also get you into T2 with fresh legs.

Issue 328 canyon.com

93 %

huub Anemoi £299.99 One of the very best just got better.

Issue 372 huubdesign.com

87 %

wilier Turbine £8,800 A comfortable and rapid ride that’ll stand out from the multisport crowd.

Issue 366 wilier.com

MILEAGE RUN SHOES Where possible, go to a run shop so the staff can analyse your gait and running style. Also pay attention to cushioning, especially for offseason miles.

85 %

asics Gel-Cumulus 21 £120 Asics’ most cushioned and supportive shoe, so not a speedster but a highly-durable shoe.

Issue 369 asics.com/gb

87 %

saucony Ride ISO2 £120 Not overly bulky, grippy in the wet, a luxury upper and the best for neutral runners.

Issue 369 saucony.com/uk

82 %

newton Kismet 5 £125 Updated upper to make it more breathable, springy and cushioned for neutral runners.

Issue 369 newtonrunning.com

92 %

on running Cloudswift £135 An ideal blend of flexibility and comfort with a reinforced yet stretchy upper that moves with your feet.

Issue 369 on-running.com

89 %

brooks Glycerin 17 £140 In its 17th iteration, but look no further for support and cushioning.

Issue 369 brooksrunning/com

POOL GOGGLES Look for a pair that’s easy to adjust and with comfortable gaskets so you can dial in the best possible fit. Field of vision, anti-fogging properties and zero leakage are also vitally important.

ROAD BIKES We really can’t stress enough just how much a proper bike fitting will improve your overall ride and comfort – so buy from a shop that offers this service.

82 %

ZOGGS Podium £25 Good value goggles with some stylish features.

Issue 370 zoggs.com

89 %

vitus Razor £499.99 A bike that’s meant to be ridden fast. Add some tribars for even faster bike splits.

Issue 371 chainreactioncycles.co.uk

87 %

mp Xceed £29.99 Provide clear vision and a bright tint with great comfort.

Issue 370 michaelphelps.com

91 %

kinesis 4S Disc £1,850 Fantastic bike that majors on fun as much as it does on performance.

Issue 369 kinesisbikes.com

85 %

huub Brownlee £34.99 Quality and good-looking goggles, with extras.

Issue 370 huubdesign.com

93 %

giant TCR Advanced Pro 2 £2,399 A brilliant frameset that’s comfortable but still effective at turning energy into speed.

Issue 367 giant-bicycles.com

93 %

swans Valkyrie £34.99 Superb fit and clarity, stylish and very comfortable.

Issue 370 swansuk.co.uk

92 %

specialized Tarmac £4,250 Endlessly accessible performance, amazing grip and compliance.

Issue 372 specialized.com

88 %

speedo V-Class £58 Quality package with good visibility, but very expensive!

Issue 370 speedo.com

93 %

cervélo R5 Disc £7,299 Great handling, smooth ride quality and highest levels of equipment to match the best.

Issue 356 cervelo.com

sub-£250

MULTISPORT WATCHES KALENJI ONMOVE 500

£79.99 Under £80 for a feature list as long as one of Jan Frodeno’s legs is impressive. HR, GPS, smartphone analysis… decathlon.co.uk

SIGMA SPORT ID.TRI £138Great screen clarity, neat icons to switch between sport modes, a crash alert and sleep analysis. sigmasport.com

COROS PACE

£250 A fine effort from Coros, especially the battery life – 25hrs with GPS on and 30 days in regular tracking mode. coros.com

February 2020 /

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race calendar Pick your races and plan your season with the 220 Knowhow event guide

KIELDER OFF ROAD DUATHLON 5JANUARY Kielder Castle marks the start and finish for this 8km trail run, 20km MTB and 6km trail run race, over a mix of forest tracks and woodland trails.

TRI SPEAK

Wondering what the ‘washing machine’ is, or where to find your M-dot?! Make things easy with our guide to common tri terms…

‘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

106 /

/ February 2020

JANUARY

FEBRUARY

1

2

5

8

THE NEW YEAR’S DAY TRIATHLON (400m S/16.5km B/6km R).

Royal Commonwealth Pool, Edinburgh. edinburghtri.org KIELDER OFF-ROAD DUATHLON (8km R/20km B/7km R). Kielder Forest Park, Kielder, Northumberland. highterrainevents.co.uk

11

WINTER WINDSOR DUATHLON (various dists). Dorney Lake, Berkshire. f3events. co.uk

12

HOP FARM MULTITERRAIN DUATHLON 1 (3km R/10km B/3km R). Hop Farm, Paddock Wood, Kent. velocityevents.co.uk

HOP FARM MULTITERRAIN DUATHLON 2 (3km R/10km B/3km R). Hop Farm, Paddock Wood, Kent. velocity-events.co.uk DORNEY LAKE WINTER DUATHLON (various dists). Dorney Lake, Berkshire. f3events. co.uk

16

ASHRIDGE DUATHLON 1 (various dists).

Ashridge, Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire. ashridgeduathlon.co.uk

MARCH 1

ANGLIAN WATER DUATHLONS (various dists). Grafham Water, Perry, Cambs. nicetrievents.com

EUROPEAN CHAMPS QUALIFIER

WORLD CHAMPS QUALIFIER

8

EPIC FIRE FIGHTERS 2UP DUATHLON (4-mile R/25-mile B/4-mile R).

Rivington & Blackrod High School, Bolton, Lancs. epicevents.co.uk HOP FARM MULTI-TERRAIN DUATHLON 3 (3km R/10km B/3km R). Hop Farm, Paddock Wood, Kent. velocity-events.co.uk PEMBROKESHIRE DUATHLON (5km R/20km B/2.5km R). Neyland, Pembrokeshire. pembstri. org.uk BURNTWOOD SPRING AQUATHLON (various inc. Tristar and youths). Burntwood Leisure Centre, Staffordshire. burntwoodtriclub.org.uk

15

PARBOLD DUATHLON (5km R/29km B/5km R).

Bispham, Parbold, Lancashire. epicevents.co.uk BRITISH AG CHAMPS

BEDFORD AUTODROME DUATHLONS (various dists). Bedford Autodrome, Thurleigh, Beds. nicetrievents.com ASHRIDGE DUATHLON 2 (various dists). Ashridge, Berkhamsted, Herts. ashridgeduathlon.co.uk

21

BATH DUATHLON (various dists).

Odd Down, Bath. bathduathlon.org.uk CLUMBER PARK DUATHLON (various dists). Clumber Park, Worksop, Notts. trisociety.co.uk MUMBLES DUATHLON (various dists).

Mumbles, Swansea. mumblesduathlon.com

29

RIPON HORNBLOWER DUATHLON (5km R/24km B/3km R).

Ripon Grammar School, Ripon, North Yorkshire. trihard.co.uk

TRI ENGLAND NATIONAL CHAMPS

STORM THE CASTLE DUATHLON

OULTON PARK SPRING DUATHLON (various dists). Oulton Park, Little Budworth, Cheshire. opevents.co.uk EAST LEAKE ‘END OF SEASON’ TRIATHLON (400m S/22km B/5km R). East Leake Leisure Centre, Loughborough, Leics. 4lifeeventsuk.co.uk

APRIL THAMES VALLEY SPRING DUATHLON (various dists).

Dorney Lake, Berks. f3events.co.uk COWMAN CITY TRAIL DUATHLON (various dists). Willen Lake, Milton Keynes. big-cow.com

4

ULVERSTON TRIATHLON (400m S/28km B/5.8km R).

Ulverston, Cumbria. epicevents.co.uk HARLECH TRIATHLON (various dists and events).

Harlech, Merionethshire, Wales. alwaysaimhighevents. com GRANTHAM TRIATHLON (various dists and events). Meres Leisure Centre, Grantham, Lincs. sbrevents.co.uk

5

BOUNDARY PARK TRI (750m S/55km B/10km R).

Boundary Water Park, Allostock, Cheshire. uswimopenwater.com CLITHEROE TRIATHLON (400m S/30km B/8km R).

Ribblesdale Swimming Pool, Clitheroe, Lancs. epicevents.co.uk MAIDSTONE DUATHLON (various dists).

Maidstone, Kent. velocity-events.co.uk

12

BEDFORD AUTODROME DUATHLON (10km R/39km B/5km R).

Bedford Autodrome, Thurleigh, Bedfordshire. nicetrievents.com STORM THE CASTLE DUATHLON (10km R/33km B/5km R).

Ludlow, Shropshire. stormthecastleduathlon. com WEST LANCS SPRING TRIATHLON (400m S/18.5km B/ 5km R).

Edge Hill University, Ormskirk, Lancs. epicevents.co.uk LINCOLN SPRINT TRIATHLON (400m S/23km B/5km R).

Burton Waters, Lincoln. osbevents.com WILMSLOW TRIATHLON (various dists).

Wilmslow Leisure Centre, Wilmslow, Cheshire. opevents.co.uk

19 APRIL A challenging 33km bike leg through the best of Shropshire countryside sits between two rough, hilly run loops.

19

OSPREY SPRINT TRIATHLON (300m S/17km B/5km R).

Osprey Leisure Centre, Portland, Dorset. bustinskin.com SPLASHWORLD TRIATHLON (400m S/20km B/5km R).

Dunes Splash World, Southport, Merseyside. epicevents.co.uk STIRLING DUATHLON (various dists).

University of Stirling, Stirling. stirlingtriathlon.com STOCKTON DUATHLON FESTIVAL (various dists).

Stockton Riverside, Durham. trihard.co.uk WINCANTON TRIATHLON (400m S/27km B/5km R).

Wincanton, Somerset. wincantontri.com

26

DARREN MUSGROVE

MAY STRATFORD TRIATHLON (various dists). Stratford Leisure Centre, Stratford-uponAvon, Warwickshire. uktriathlon.co.uk HORWICH TRIATHLON (500m S/40km B/ 8.6km R).

Horwich Leisure Centre, Horwich, Lancashire. epicevents.co.uk SKEGNESS TRIATHLON (various dists).

Richmond Holiday Park, Skegness, Lincolnshire. sbrevents.co.uk STEYNING TRIATHLON (various dists).

Steyning Leisure Centre, Steyning, West Sussex. rawenergypursuits.co.uk

3

SOUTHWELL SPRINT TRIATHLON (400m S/17.6km B/ 5km R).

Southwell Leisure Centre, Southwell, East Midlands. osbevents.com ST NEOTS TRIATHLON SERIES 1 (various dists). Regatta Meadow, St Neots, Cambridgeshire. nicetrievents.com

10

THE ROC (SPRING) (1.5km S/50km B/12km R/50km B/1km R).

Abersoch, Gwynedd, North Wales. abersochtriplecrown.com

16

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

ETON SPRINTS (various dists). Dorney Lake, Berkshire. humanrace.co.uk

16-17

OUTLAWHALFNOTTINGHAM 17 MAY A fast, scenic course with the start, swim, transition and much of the run (including the finish) all conveniently located within close proximity of each other.

Duathlon Usually a run/bike/run format Elite Another word for a ‘pro’ – e.g. the Brownlees HIT High-intensity training HRmax Your maximum heart rate Hyponatremia A deficiency of sodium in the blood Intervals Intensive training using repeated on/off efforts

February 2020 /

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TRI SPEAK (CONT) Lactic acid Produced in high-intensity workouts, it can inhibit oxygen movement around the body and slow you down Main set A block lasting 40-50% of a session where the heart rate is elevated

BLENHEIM TRIATHLON

30-31 MAY An excellent beginner’s race in the grounds of Blenheim Palace – just be ready for the killer hill run out of the lake, around the palace and into transition.

M-dot Abbreviation for the Ironman logo – often seen as a tattoo!

overpronation Foot rolls inwards on impact rather than outwards overtraining Common symptoms of training too much with inefficient recovery include insomnia, headaches, moodiness, loss of enthusiasm and increased illness due to a suppressed immune system PB Personal best Pull The mid part of the swim stroke where the hands and arms accelerate using the purchase from the catch reps Pre-fixed distances covered and pre-fixed recoveries maintained Rest interval (RI) Period of rest between reps Sighting Looking ahead/at an object while swimming to keep on course

T1/T2 ‘Transition 1’ (swim to bike) and ‘Transition 2’ (bike to run) Taper Reducing your training in the days just before your big race

108 /

/ February 2020

RB CREATE

IMMORTAL STOURHEAD (various dists).

Stourhead, Wiltshire. immortalstourhead.com STRADBROKE TRIATHLON (160m S/17km B/ 3km R).

Stradbroke, Suffolk. canbuttri.co.uk TATA STEELMAN (various dists). Port Talbot, South Wales. welshtriathlon.org OUTLAW HALF NOTTINGHAM (1.2-mile S/56-mile B/13.1mile R).

National Watersports Centre, Nottingham. outlawtriathlon.com SOUTHPORT TRIATHLON (various dists). Marine Drive, Southport. epicevents.co.uk #51FIVER COTSWOLD TRIATHLON (1.5km S/40km B/10km R). Cotswold Water Park, Gloucestershire. dbmax.co.uk CRANBROOK SPRINT TRIATHLON (300m S/20km B/5km R). Weald Sports Centre, Cranbrook, Kent. velocity-events.co.uk

17

ARUNDEL LIDO TRIATHLON (various dists). Arundel Lido, West Sussex. rawenergypursuits.co.uk CHESHIRE TRIATHLON (various dists).

Nantwich, Cheshire. uktriathlon.co.uk ASHBOURNE TRIATHLON (various dists).

Ashbourne Leisure Centre, Derbyshire. pma-racing.co.uk LOUGH CUTRA CASTLE TRIATHLON (various dists).

Lough Cutra Castle, Co Galway, Ireland. castletriathlonseries.co.uk

23-24

THE SWYD TRI (various dists).

Barry Island, Glamorgan, South Wales. allornothingevents.com GRAFMAN TRIATHLON (1.9km S/88km B/ 21.1km R). Grafham Water, Huntingdon, Cambs. nicetrievents.com MARLOW CLASSIC TRIATHLON (various dists and events).

Higginson Park, Marlow, Bucks. f3events.co.uk

24

SRI CHINMONY SOMERSET SPRINT TRIATHLON (400m S/25km B/5km R).

Portishead Open Air Pool, North Somerset. srichinmoyraces.org HERTFORDSHIRE SPRING TRIATHLON (various dists).

Stanborough Lakes, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire. activetrainingworld.co.uk ARCTIC ONE TRI & PARA-TRI FESTIVAL (various dists). Dorney Lake, Berks. arctic1.co.uk WESTONBIRT SPRINT TRIATHLON (400m S/24km B/5km R).

Westonbirt School, Tetbury, Glos. dbmax.co.uk

25

TAUNTON TRIATHLON (400m S/21km B/5.7km R).Taunton School, Taunton, Somerset. tauntontriathlon.com

30

BLENHEIM PALACE TRIATHLON (various dists). Blenheim Palace, Woodstock, Oxfordshire. livetotri.co.uk

30-31

SWANSEA TRIATHLON (750m S/20km B/5km R).

Prince of Wales Dock, Swansea. swanseatriathlon.com FLEET FEET SPRINT TRIATHLON (various dists).

Knockburn Loch, Banchory, Aberdeenshire. fleet-feet.com EPIC MAN WINDERMERE (various dists).

YMCA Lakeside, Lakeside, Cumbria. epicevents.co.uk SWASHBUCKLER MIDDLE DISTANCE TRIATHLON (1.9km S/90km B/ 22km R). Buckler’s Hard, Beaulieu, Hampshire. theswashbuckler.co.uk

31

JUNE WORLD TRIATHLON LEEDS (various dists).

Leeds, Yorkshire. leeds.triathlon.org

6-7

IM 70.3 STAFFORDSHIRE (1.9km S/90km B/21.1km R). Lichfield, Staffs. ironman.com

7

THE MARSHMAN (various dists).

Action Watersports, Lydd, Kent. velocity-events.co.uk TALLINGTON LAKES TRIATHLON (various dists).

Tallington Lakes Country Park, Tallington, Lincolnshire. sbrevents.co.uk OUTLAWHALFBOWOOD (1.2mile S/56mile B/ 13.1mile R). Bowood Estate, Wiltshire. outlawtriathlon.com THE WALES TRIATHLON (1.2mile S/56mile B/ 13.1mile R).

Fishguard, Pembrokeshire. walestriathlon.com FISHGUARD SPRINT TRIATHLON (0.5mile S/13mile B/ 3mile R).

Fishguard, Pembrokeshire. fishguardtriathlon.com

13

SLATEMAN (various dists). Llanberis, Snowdonia, Wales. alwaysaimhighevents. com

13-14

EASTBOURNE TRIATHLON (various dists).

Eastbourne College, Eastbourne, East Sussex. eastbournetriathlon.co.uk

14

DEVA TRIATHLON (various dists).

Grosvenor Park, Chester, Cheshire. chestertri.org.uk ROYAL WINDSOR TRIATHLON (various dists).

Alexandra Gardens, Windsor, Berkshire. royalwindsortriathlon. co.uk RACE TO THE BILL TRIATHLON (various dists).

Isle of Portland, Dorset. bustinskin.com THE BRIDGE TRIATHLON (various dists).

Dartford, Kent. bridgetriathlon.co.uk ULTIMATE TRIATHLON (various dists).

Alderford Lake, Whitchurch, Shropshire. uktriathlon.co.uk TITAN BRECON MIDDLE DISTANCE TRIATHLON (1.2mile S/60mile B/ 13.1mile R).

Parc Bryn Bach, Tredegar, Blaenau Gwent, Wales. dbmax.co.uk DAMBUSTER TRIATHLON (1.5km S/42km B/ 10km R).

Rutland Water, Leicestershire. pacesetterevents.com

20

ITU WORLD SERIES

Catch all the action live online at triathlonlive.tv

6-7 MARCH ABU DHABI UAE 18 APRIL BERMUDA 16-17 MAY YOKOHAMA Japan 6-7 JUNE LEEDS United Kingdom ITU/WAGNER ARAUJO

27-28 JUNE MONTREAL Canada 11-12 JULY HAMBURG Germany 17-23 AUGUST ITU GRAND FINAL, EDMONTON Canada

IRONMAN UK

12 JULY Experience British longdistance racing at its best, complete with countryside views, enthusiastic crowds and the promise of pies at the finish!

GETTY IMAGES

20-21

CHOLMONDELEYCASTLE TRIATHLON (various dists).

Cholmondeley Castle, Cheshire. castletriathlonseries.co.uk ADAYINTHELAKES TRIATHLON (various dists). Pooley Bridge, Ullswater, Cumbria. trihard.co.uk CENTURION TRIATHLON (various dists).

Stanborough Lakes, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire. activetrainingworld.co.uk SOSPAN SIZZLER (1.9km S/90km B/ 20km R). Burry Port, Carmarthenshire. healthylifeactivities.co.uk

21

RIPON TRIATHLON FESTIVAL (various dists).

Ripon, North Yorkshire. ripontriathlon.co.uk

26-28

THE BANANA TRIATHLON (various dists and events).

Dorney Lake, Berkshire. humanrace.co.uk

27

CARDIFF TRIATHLON (various dists).

Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff, Wales. alwaysaimhighevents. com LEEDS CASTLE TRIATHLON (various dists). Leeds Castle, Harrietsham, Maidstone, Kent. triathlon.leeds-castle.com

27-28

OUTLAW HALF HOLKHAM (1.2mile S/56mile B/13.1mile R).

Holkham Hall, Norfolk. outlawtriathlon.com BIRMINGHAM TRIATHLON (various dists). Sutton Park, Birmingham. uktriathlon.co.uk

28

THE WMD TRIATHLON (various dists).

Weymouth College, Dorset. bustinskin.com

Threshold run A run at about 80% of your max heart rate for no more than 20mins

JULY

time trials A setdistance session, where the aim is to swim as fast as you can over the allotted distance

LONG COURSE WEEKEND (3.8km S/180km B/ 42.2km R). Tenby, Pembrokeshire, Wales. lcwwales.com

3-5

THE FUGITIVE (various dists and events). Higginson Park, Marlow, Bucks. f3events.co.uk MAIDSTONE SPRINT TRIATHLON (300m S/18km B/4.2km R).

Sutton Valence School, Maidstone, Kent. velocityevents.co.uk THE FESTIVAL OF ENDURANCE (various dists). Hever Castle, Kent. castletriathlonseries.co.uk IMMORTAL EXMOOR (1.2mile S/56mile B/13.1mile R). Exmoor, Somerset. immortalsomerset.com

Transition area The place where you rack your bike and swap kit between disciplines

5

THE MONSTER TRIATHLON (5km S/1,000km B/50km R). Loch Ness to London. monstertriathlon.org

5-11

PEMBROKESHIRE COAST TRIATHLON (1.5km S/43km B/10.6km R). Broadhaven, Pembrokeshire. pembstri.org.uk

11

M3 TRIATHLON (various dists). Monikie Country Park, Dundee. m3tri.com

11-12

IRONMAN UK (3.8km S/180km B/42.2km R).

Bolton, Lancashire. eu.ironman.com

12

Tri-bars Also known as aerobars, they help you race aerodynamically Tumble turn Fast way of turning at the pool wall by performing a forward roll, push off and a twist to return to the initial stroke position Turbo trainer A frame that attaches to your bike, turning it into a static trainer V02 max A measure of the body’s maximal ability to use oxygen to produce energy Watt (w) The unit of measure in which power is expressed Waves The groups which triathletes are put in to start a race, usually split by age

February 2020 /

/ 109

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

MUST DO EVENTS 2020

THE ARTEMIS GREAT KINDROCHIT QUADRATHLON

WORMS HEAD 10K

SATURDAY TH JULY

SUNDAY ND FEBRUARY KM RUN

An exhilarating team challenge of a 0.8 mile swim, a run/walk across 7 Munros, 7 mile kayak & 35 mile bike ride around Loch Tay in the Scottish Highlands. 3 different route options cater for all abilities and participants will experience a bagpiper during the swim and haggis, home-made shortbread & locally caught fish & chips along the route. Enjoy a post-event dinner and ceilidh dancing under a starry sky illuminated by a spectacular firework display. This challenging, family-friendly event delivers the most extraordinary adventure.

The tough but incredibly scenic multi terrain run is based in Rhosilli which has been named the best beach in the UK, the third best in Europe - and the ninth best in the world!! Running out towards the Worms head then turning back towards Llangennith, climbing to the top of Rhosilli Down creates a 10k route that will be truly memorable as well as a real test of fitness. With the stunning backdrop and a pub at hand the Worms Head 10k is perfect for supporters and families.

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wormshead10k.com | info@activitywalesevents.com | 01437 765777

LONG COURSE WEEKEND HOLLAND

SWANSEA TRIATHLON

TH TH MAY BEESEL HOLLAND KM SWIM KM BIKE KM RUN MULTIPLE SWIM BIKE & RUN DISTANCES AVAILABLE

SUNDAY ST MAY SWANSEA CITY CENTRE SWANSEA M SWIM KM BIKE AND KM RUN

Only 4 hours drive from Calais, LCW Holland is the latest event on the incredible Long course weekend circuit. It is fast becoming the “go-to” event for many athletes looking for a pre-season weekend away. With the options of the Full Long Course Weekend or pick and mix individual swimming, cycling or running events, it’s a great event for all athletes and all abilities.

lcwholland.com | info@lcwholland.com

RHOSSILI SWANSEA

With arguably the best finish line on the triathlon circuit, The Swansea Triathlon is suitable for all. With dedicated waves for the Elites through to first timers, the course takes place on fully closed roads and starts in the safe, enclosed open water for the 750m swim; followed by a flat and fast city centre bike and run, finishing in the middle of the city on the red carpet of Castle Square.

swanseatriathlon.com info@activitywalesevents.com | 01437 765777

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

We showcase a host of events in 2020 that are a perfect way to test the results of your winter training…

THE WALES TRIATHLON

THE WALES SPORTIVE

SATURDAY TH JUNE MIDDLE AND SPRINT

SATURDAY TH JULY Mi Mi Mi BIKE

FISHGUARD PEMBROKESHIRE

With 2 distances to choose from, The Wales Triathlon is one of Beauty! A stunning swim is followed by a fast 2 lap bike course that takes you out and through St Davids, Wales’ smallest city. On your return, the views just get better and better as you run 4 laps along the Pembrokeshire coast, lapping the crowds on the finish line on every occasion.

TENBY PEMBROKESHIRE

Wales’ only closed road Sportive, is an absolute must for your calendar.

Starting in Tenby and taking in the stunning Pembrokeshire Coast national park, this ride has it all. Including the famous finish, where you will witness crowds and support like no other!

walestriathlon.com | info@activitywalesevents.com | 01437 765777

thewalessportive.com info@activitywalesevents.com | 01437 765777

STOCKTON DUATHLON FESTIVAL

CASTLE TRIATHLON SERIES

SUNDAY TH APRIL STOCKTON RIVERSIDE STOCKTON ON TEES

TH ST JUNE CHOLMONDELEY CASTLE CHESHIRE

Stockton’s well established Duathlon Festival returns to Stockton Riverside for 2020 and this year will host the European and World Championship Qualification Races - open for all. Participants will benefit from racing on fully closed roads around the picturesque Stockton Riverside. With various distances available, there is a race suitable for all. For more information and to apply visit the website.

This festival of sport falls over the summer solstice weekend of 20th/21st June 2020 and will see all levels, from beginners to professional triathletes, race in this stunning rural location in Cheshire. The event offers a wealth of triathlon; 6 adult distances and 3 juniors, from age 8 upwards, as well as the exciting 4-person Mixed Team Relay! And with 6 multisport options, 3 swim and 3 run courses including the new Marathon course, there really is a race to suit all levels.

stockton.gov.uk/duathlon

castletriathlonseries.co.uk

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DIRECTORY

DANIEL SEEX

THE MAN TIN Brunty has a tin of crap – he’ll not only tell you what’s in it but also wax lyrical on the joys and benefits of owning such an item…

MARTYN BRUNT

Martyn is tri’s foremost average athlete and is living proof that hours of training and endless new kit are no substitute for ability.

I have a tin. It lives on the shelf in my garage, where it has resided happily for many years. It is a large tin that once held Terry’s Chocolate Orange ‘Segsations’ but is now full of assorted items that we’ll come to in a moment. Its lid is long gone, mostly because the items it now contains are so numerous they’re spilling out of the top, but on the whole it does its job well – and its job is a vital one.

In my years of doing triathlons, I dread to think how much money I’ve lavished on bikes, wheels, saddles, carbon bottle cages, more wheels, more bikes, computers, shoes, racing tyres and more bikes, yet nothing has played so critical a role in keeping me on the road as this tin. It’s no exaggeration to say that without it, I could not have done half the triathlons, bike races and training rides that I have. So what does this wonder-receptacle contain?

I’ll tell you. Items essential to every cyclist in the world – bits and bobs.

Yes, bits and bobs, those oddments that have accumulated over the years

“There isn’t a cyclist in the land who doesn’t have a stash of random items” 114 /

/ February 2020

and on which I have come to rely.

I’m sure you also have a tin, because there isn’t a cyclist in the land who doesn’t have a stash of random items gathered from previous bikes, old shoes, unused tri-bars, redundant bike lights and God knows what else that we’ve looked at and thought ‘that will come in handy one day.’

I don’t know what’s in your tin but this tin is my tin. Here is a summary of the goodies it contains: Heart-rate monitor strap.

Several tyre levers, all of different designs.

Wheel skewer (minus nut).

Bottle cage.

Race belt that’s lost its elastic.

Various headset spacers, retained on the off-chance I have another growth spurt and have to raise my handlebar height.

A charger with a port that doesn’t fit any of my electronic devices.

A three-quarters-used tube of Black Witch neoprene glue.

A couple of old cleats, most probably from right shoes because it’s my left foot I put down when stopping, thus knackering the left cleat much faster.

An old, bent bicycle clip.

A spoke key, used only once after which I had to take my wheel to the bike shop to have it re-trued.

weekend warrior

Rear bike light (not working).

Assorted watch batteries, none of which fit my watch.

A cone spanner.

A spare inner tube, which I keep forgetting I have until after I buy a new one.

Cable ties of various lengths.

A wheel magnet from an old bike computer, with several bolts and screws stuck to it.

A front reflector.

An indeterminate number of Allen keys.

A C02 cannister, which may or may not contain any C02.

A Cateye and a Sigma bike computer (neither working).

Some brake blocks.

A strange plastic bracket that may be for a bike light, a bell or a pump.

Some yellow lens inserts for a pair of sunglasses I no longer own.

Old inner tube dust caps.

Various strips of rubber, used to pack the gaps between the bike light bracket and seatpost or handlebars.

Numerous skewer springs.

A gross of screws, bolts, those washers you get with inner tubes and never use, and the oblong washers from shoe cleats.

Several million safety pins, all in one connected mass.

Handlebar spacers for clip-on tri bars I haven’t used for about 15 years.

The straw from an old tin of GT85.

Mysterious swivelling nut thing, never used but which I dimly recall is essential if you ever want to remove a bottom bracket.

Short piece of old tyre, carried in case of a split in the sidewall.

A combination lock (combination long forgotten).

This might sound like a lot of old crap to you, but I’ve lost count of the number of times over the years I’ve faced some pre-ride mechanical issue and thought, ‘Aha! I know what will fix that.’ And lo! There is just the thing in my trusty tin.

So with the new year upon us, the new season on the horizon, and an excuse to buy new kit, don’t forget to make time for the humble tin.

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