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YO U R U LT I M AT E KON A G U I D E

OUTSIDER TO

ADVOCATE Nicole Sin Quee is a mom, a teacher, a champion, a bad***, and our 2021 COVER CONTEST WINNER.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2 02 1

T R I AT H L E T E .CO M

THE GREAT RACE WEIGHT DEBATE

HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOU'RE OVERTRAINED?

OUR FALL RUNNING SHOE GUIDE

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CONTENTS

SEPTEMBER/ OCTOBER 2021

AN EXAMPLE LIKE NO OTHER Reader cover winner Nicole Sin Quee works out with her son, Simon

DEPARTMENTS

TRAIN

6 Editor's Note

24 Go Hard or Go Home

8 Membership Preview

The science behind overtraining

46 54

From Outsider to Advocate Nicole Sin Quee is our Reader Cover Contest winner—and her story is an inspiring one.

42 PROfile

27 Overtraining Pitfalls & Remedies

44 Trispo

Your cut-out-and-keep guide

66 Last Shot

BY CARRIE BARRETT

The Ultimate Guide to Kona From who to watch to how to watch, we've got it all covered in our Big Island preview.

BY TRIATHLETE EDITORS, TIM HEMING

START 14 Destinations Maui isn't all maxing and relaxing—there are some great spots for tri-life too

18 Triathloning with Taren How to feel like you're racing in Kona, even when you're not

YO U R U LT I M AT E KON A G U I D E

OUTSIDER TO

ADVOCATE Nicole Sin Quee is a mom, a teacher, a champion, a bad***, and our 2021 COVER CONTEST WINNER.

THE GREAT RACE WEIGHT DEBATE

19 Commentary

HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOU'RE OVERTRAINED?

OUR FALL RUNNING SHOE GUIDE

ON THE COVER Photo by Danny Weiss

Could this be the most All-American world championship yet?

20 A Race to Tri Lavaman is the ultimate race/party combo

SUBSCRIPTIONS: For questions related to your magazine subscription (print only), call 800-336-5653 or email TriathleteMagazine@emailcustomerservice.com. For Outside+ or Triathlete digital + print members with customer service questions, please email support@outsideinc.com

4

TR IAT H L ET E // SEPT EM BE R/O CTO BE R 20 21

30 Thirty Minutes to Win It Keep moving with this active recovery circuit

FUEL 33 The Great Race Weight Debate It's a thorny topic—avoid the pitfalls with this sound advice

35 Ask Stacy Recovery nutrition and gender differences

36 Recovery Done Right We test three recovery fuel products

GEAR 37 Triathlete's Fall Shoe Guide Run your way to a new PR this fall with our shoe guide

PHOTO: DANNY WEISS

12 First Wave

FEATURES

A Novel about Swim, Bike, Run, Life

An action-packed portrayal of how people become involved in triathlon, how they train, and what it means to become the best you can be.

—Scott Berlinger, Founder/Head Coach, Full Throttle Endurance Racing, NY, NY Full of powerful truths that resonate deeply. A great read for fiction and non-fiction readers alike! —Joanne Frantzis, Endurance Triathlete, Connecticut I loved this book because it covers so many of the internal personal battles one faces in the sport. —Jake Bailey, Endurance Triathlete, California I’m amazed that a book like this wasn’t written sooner!

—Casey Conlon, Endurance Triathlete, Texas

Learn more at StevenDecker.com Purchase at amazon.com

EDITOR'S NOTE

WHAT IS IT THAT MAKES KONA KONA? THERE ARE OTHER TROPICAL ISLANDS, other hard courses, other

KELLY O'MARA EDITOR-IN-CHIEF @kellydomara

PHOTO: BRAD KAMINSKI

historical places in the triathlon lexicon. Why is Kona so special?

I had been involved with triathlon for 10 years before I ever even rolled into the town of Kailua-Kona. I don’t know what I was expecting, but I have to tell you, on a random Wednesday in September it looked just like every other Hawaiian town. There are cute shops and cafes along the water, plenty of beaches, a state-wide amazing public pool system, hotels, resorts, a Costco, and lots of traffic.

That very first time I came into town I wanted to ride the full 112 miles of the bike course. OK, actually I skipped that little bit at the beginning in town, and just started out on the Queen K towards Hawi. The thing no one tells you about the Queen K, though, is that on non-race days it’s just a county highway with big trucks and many cars blowing. I passed the airport, the resorts; I got knocked around by the wind and the cars, and I got hot. Things got rough, as they so often do, and I found myself on the way back making an emergency pit stop at the Hilton Waikoloa. And as I stood there in the air-conditioning, eating my macadamia nuts and drinking a Gatorade, I looked out at the resort guests lounging around the pool and thought: “Huh, I guess that’s what normal people do for fun.”

Yes, many triathletes have a mythical and deep bond with the island, but what makes Kona Kona isn’t the lava or the roads or the water. It’s the people. It’s that we’ve all agreed to come here on the same day, in the same place, and be triathletes, in all our weirdness, together. To celebrate our history, our sport, our goals and dreams. To have one place for one week where it’s all about our idea of fun.

This issue, we’ve got your Kona preview guide (p. 54.)—though we should preface this by saying: It’s going to be an odd year, where anything can happen (even more so than usual). It may even end up being a heavily American year (p. 19). And if you can’t make it to the Big Island, you can still play along by living out the dream at home (p. 18).

As we hit championship race season, we tried to focus our issue on nailing that fine line between race-ready and overdoing it. Check out our overtraining guide starting on p. 24, and don’t get sucked into the race-weight trap (p. 33). Form should follow function.

This issue is also our Reader Cover Contest—you can see our winner Nicole Sin Quee on the cover. Our focus for this year’s contest was highlighting the people who are helping to grow our sport. The reality is triathlon can be a very difficult nut to crack sometimes—and this can be especially true when it comes to all the insider-y Kona talk. And so we wanted to

celebrate those readers helping to expand the sport to new people and making it all-the-more welcoming. I think you’ll agree Nicole is setting the bar high as she opens doors for those who follow in her footsteps (p. 46). Don’t miss the other fantastic finalists on p. 53.

You don’t have to go to Kona to be a triathlete. You can live and breathe and love triathlon wherever you live. But if you have the chance, it’s not so much the place as it is the coming together of your people and your community.

And also the swimming and poke aren’t bad either.

6 TR I ATHL E T E

// S EP TEM BER /O C TOB ER 2 02 1

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MEMBERSHIP PREVIEW

BECOME A MEMBER TO GET ALL THESE STORIES AND MORE TRIATHLETE.COM/ MAGAZINE

this month at

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT LAUREN M. RACE: Age Group Sprint Nationals AGE GROUP: 25-29

We give members the untold stories behind some of the sport’s most iconic—and attention-grabbing—shots, like this one of Tim O'Donnell on the deck of the USS Midway.

GOLD-MEDAL INSIGHTS Members have access to expert commentary, exclusive workouts, and data analysis from the bike files of this year’s gold-medal winners, Flora Duffy and Kristian Blummenfelt.

8

HOW FAST CAN THE FASTEST PROS RUN IN IRONMAN?

THE SCIENCE BEHIND LOW-CARB HIGH-FAT DIETS FOR TRI

As the science of physiology and the technology behind racing and training gear gets better, pros are fast, but are they getting faster?

We tap the experts to understand this popular diet and to see how it could (or couldn't) work for triathletes.

T R IAT HL E TE // S EPT EMB E R/OC TO B ER 2 02 1

IMPACT Each month, we dig deep on a classic moment in tri, talk to the athletes involved, and interview the next generation of triathletes to see how it impacted the sport in their world.

PHOTOS: PAUL PHILLIPS; LOIC VENANCE/GETTY IMAGES; IAN MACNICOL/GETTY IMAGES; GETTY IMAGES; WORLD TRIATHLON; FINISHERPIX

BEHIND THE PHOTO

"I loved getting to race in Age Group Nationals because it was only my second-ever triathlon, and I felt really honored and lucky to compete alongside and learn from the best triathletes!"

CREAMY.

DELICIOUS.

SATISFYING. OATS.

WHICH ATHLETES DO YOU THINK WILL SURPRISE US IN KONA THIS YEAR?

Nothing surprises me.

EDITORIAL Editor-in-Chief Kelly O'Mara Executive Editor Chris Foster Managing Editor Emma-Kate Lidbury

He still has a lot to learn before he wins this race, but be ready for Sam Long.

Nobody's talking about Gustav Iden, but they should be.

Matt Hanson and Fenella Langridge

Contributing Writers Carrie Barrett, Jonathan Cane, Brad Culp, Matt Fitzgerald, Taren Gesell, Tim Heming, Lisa Jhung, Susan Lacke, AC Shilton, Dr. Stacy Sims, Sarah Wassner Flynn, Betsy Welch

Lisa Norden could impress on her Kona debut. She's a smart racer and she respects the race.

Online Writers Sarah Barker, Nick Busca, Brad Culp, Dr. Alex Harrison, Kristin Jenny, Tim Heming, Matt Kadey, Susan Lacke, Bethany Mavis, Sara McLarty, Dr. Jeffrey Sankoff , Dr. Stacy Sims, Dr. Jim Taylor, Sarah Wassner Flynn

ART Art Director Heidi Carcella Photo Director Brad Kaminski Photo Editor Hannah DeWitt Contributing Artists & Photographers Oliver Baker, Lucy Engelman, Mike Reisel, Danny Weiss

PRODUCTION & CIRCULATION Senior Director of Production + Circulation Heather Arnold Director of Production + Manufacturing Barb Van Sickle Salesforce Coordinator Cossette Roberts Prepress Manager Joy Kelley Circulation Manager Angela Martinez

ADVERTISING Senior Sales Director Rob Hudson, rhudson@outsideinc.com Eastern Sales Executive Molly O’Keefe, mokeefe@outsideinc.com Western Sales Executive Shannan Standefer, sstandefer@outsideinc.com

Chief Executive Officer Robin Thurston President & Chief Operating Officer Danielle Quatrochi Chief Financial Officer Ajay Gopal Chief Product Officer Christopher Glode Chief People Officer Jade Curtis Chief Revenue Officer Scott Parmelee Senior Vice President Business Development & Licensing Tommy O’Hare Vice President, Active Lifestyle Sales Sharon Houghton Vice President of Content Strategy Zander Baron Vice President of Marketing PJ Rabice Vice President of Creative Services Andrea Kupfer

SUBSCRIPTIONS: For questions related to your magazine subscription (print only), call 800-336-5653 or email TriathleteMagazine@emailcustomerservice.com. For Outside+ or Triathlete digital + print members with customer service questions, please email support@outsideinc.com

10

T R IATHL E T E // SEP TEM B ER/O C TO B ER 2021

Joe Skipper and Skye Moench

FIRST WAVE

DARK SKIES: An athlete rides through the iron-distance bike course at the Norseman Xtreme Triathlon on Aug. 7, 2021.

Considered one of the hardest races out there, Norseman is known for its frigid fjord swim, mountaintop finish, and epic-ly tough day. If you want aid stations, bring your own. Athletes must provide their own personal support car and team.

PHOTOGRAPHED BY KAI-OTT MELAU/GETTY IMAGES

Nikon D780 24-70 f/2.8 ISO 100 f/4.5, 1/500 sec.

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T R IAT HL ET E // S EPT EM BE R/O CTO BE R 20 21

TR I AT HL ET E .CO M

13

DESTINATIONS

TRI HERE: MAUI

Secret Beach in Makena Cove is a favorite for swimming (when calm) and beautiful sunset photos.

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T R I ATH LE T E // SEP TEMB E R/ OC TO BE R 20 21

PHOTOS:IVAN NANITA/GETTY IMAGES; GETTY IMAGES; HAWAIIAN TOURISM AUTHORITY/HEATHER GOODMAN

Think Hawaii is all about maxing and relaxing? On Maui in particular, there are plenty of ways to get a workout in before hitting the beach with fruity drinks. BY BETSY WELCH

No lane lines here—Maui's crystal clear waters make for some idyllic swimming.

Maui is Hawaii’s second-largest island, and it sits poised as the best of all worlds. That might be why the home of the XTERRA World Championships has also become a triathlon go-to training spot. From mountains that stretch from the sea to the sky, to seemingly endless coves fringed in perfect sandy beaches, there’s plenty to do on the valley isle. Although some of the best swimming, running, and riding isn’t all concentrated in one place, if you happen to rent a quintessential Maui convertible, getting to the beach or trailhead is half the fun.

SWIM Big Beach, also known as Oneloa or Makena Beach, is a favorite of swimmers and beachcombers alike. South of the condos and resorts of Kihei and Wailea, Big Beach is aptly named. It’s easy to knock off a solid out-and-back one mile swim here, but with one caveat: Currents can be strong. When there’s a south swell—usually in the summer—read the surf report before heading out.

North of Big Beach, nestled between Wailea and Kihei, are three stereotypical Hawaiian beach parks, Kamaole I, II, and III. Each of the ‘Kam’ parks are fringed with palm trees, grassy areas, and boast bathrooms and picnic facilities. They’re great for the entire family.

A point-to-point swim from Kam I to Kam III is 1.5 miles, or if you have a favorite, go out-and-back for as long as you please.

BREAK After a run at Lahaina Pali, quench your thirst with a fresh lilikoi and mango juice or smoothie from the Olowalu Juice Stand. While enjoying your juice, hop in line (because there’s likely to be a line) to get a table at Leoda’s Kitchen and Pie Shop next door. Leoda’s serves up “glorified grandma comfort food,” best experienced through one of their coconutty key lime pies. In Pa’ia, locals and tourists alike all love the Pa’ia Fish Market, where ample portions of fresh fish, rice, and fries are made to order quickly while you people-watch the busy street corner outside. If you like a little spice, ask for the “Obama Fish Burger.” It’s not on the menu, but its namesake will ensure that it’s cooked with that much more aloha.

T RI AT HL ET E .COM

15

DESTINATIONS

BIKE While the entire island of Maui is much more bike-friendly than its neighbors, riding in its ‘upcountry’ is especially sublime. The key is to base yourself in the beach village of Pa’ia on Maui’s north shore, and then go high. Once you crest away from the coast, the roads that spider up toward the Haleakala crater become quiet, smooth sinews of tarmac, carpeted with the tiny purple petals of Jacaranda trees. Make the tiny towns of Haiku, Kula, and Makawao your destinations, and it’s possible to stitch together up to a four-hour ride. For fuel, stop at the farm stands and contribute generously to their honesty jars.

The jewel on top of the crown of upcountry riding is the summit of Haleakala, Maui’s 10,000-foot volcano. The voyage from the sea in Pa’ia to the summit of the mountain spans a disproportionate 37 miles and 10,000 feet of elevation gain. It includes all of the pastoral scenery of upcountry rides around Kula and Makawao and then takes you above the treeline into an otherworldly landscape and climate. Be prepared for cold toes and wintry weather at the top, but hope for sunny skies and views for miles.

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T R I AT HL ET E // S EP T EM BER/ OCTO B E R 202 1

STAY Most people think of Maui in three zones when it comes to lodging—West Maui, South Maui, and the North Shore. It’s impossible to go wrong on the “valley isle,” where beaches and shaved ice stands abound. If swimming is your priority, then look for a place in Kihei or Wailea in the south.

You’ll be joined by tropical fish during every stroke. If you’re most stoked on cycling, funky Pa’ia is the best homebase. And you can’t go wrong in West Maui; Lahaina has something for everyone, from beaches to charming neighborhoods, and a lively nightlife and restaurant scene.

PHOTO: BRAD PHOTOS: GETTYKAMINSKI IMAGES (2); HAWAIIAN TOURISM AUTHORITY/DANA EDMUNDS

The stark views from the winding roads on Haleakala let you see Maunakea and Maunaloa peeking through the clouds.

There are miles and miles of coastline trails, which are perfect for run workouts.

RUN It’s easy to get vert on Maui, where the mountains stretch from sea level up to the sky. Just 15 minutes south of Lahaina and the beaches of Ka’anapali, the Lahaina Pali trail climbs from the sand at Ukumehame Beach Park up to 1,600 feet. Run up to the windmills on Kealaloloa Ridge for a five-mile out-and-back, or leave a second car at the trail’s southern terminus at Ma’alaea for a 10-mile trip. The views of nearby islands Lanai and Kaho’olawe will make you want to hop in the water and swim across.

Spectacular views also extend in all directions from the trails

of the Polipoli Spring State Recreation Area near Kula. A state park sitting at 6,200 feet, Polipoli is a naturalist’s dream, with its landscape of rough cinders, native scrub brush, grassy swales, and planted forests of pines, eucalyptus, and other tree species.

Link up the Plum, Redwood, Haleakala Ridge, and Polipoli Trails for a 3.5-mile loop, or for an even bigger adventure, take the Skyline Trail to the top of the Haleakala crater. The six-mile ascent takes in nearly 3,000 feet of climbing and delivers you to the summit of the volcano, far above the treeline.

DO The Maui to Lāna‘i passenger ferry is the only remaining inter-island ferry in Hawaii. Pack a picnic and hop on board! The hour-long ride from Lahaina to Manele Harbor offers spectacular views of Lāna‘i’s rugged southern coast; in the winter the trip doubles as a whale-watching ride. Once on Lāna‘i, you spend the day lounging at Hulopo’e Beach Park near the harbor, or rent a Jeep and go exploring. Lāna‘i City—a town developed by Hawaii's pineapple baron James Dole in the early 1920s—is the place to go for a plate lunch and a walk through time.

T R I AT H LE TE.COM

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TRIATHLONING WITH TAREN

BE THERE WITHOUT BEING THERE How to feel like you’re racing in Kona—even when you’re not.

EP. 2

BY TAREN GESELL

EVERY YEAR ROUGHLY 20,000 TRIATHLETES, SUPPORTERS,

THE UNDERPANTS RUN

and industry mucky mucks flock to the Big Island of Hawaii to be a (small) part of the (big) Ironman World Championship. It’s an honor to race the event, and it’s inspiring (and maybe a tad more enjoyable) to witness the race from the sidelines.

But what’s a passionate triathlete to do if they didn’t qualify for Kona and don’t plan on making the trek to the lava fields? You’re in luck! You can still feel like you’re right there in the sweaty mix of things—from the comfort of your air-conditioned home.

The Kona Underpants Run is a fundraising event where hundreds of our sport’s most exhibitionistic athletes run around downtown Kona in their undies. It’s a great event, but it also involves a lot of standing around awkwardly not knowing where to put your hands. Want to feel like you’re there? Parade around a busy grocery store parking lot in your swimsuit, while the local shoppers judge you.

THE FAMOUS KONA HEAT

Kona is hot! Temperatures on race day average 82-95 degrees F, with humidity as high as 80%. But that’s just the air temperature; the black asphalt athletes race on is often much hotter. Want to feel like you’re in Kona? Drag your bike trainer to the sauna or just run in place inside a sweaty, steamy room. Seriously, it’s pretty much the same thing.

THE FULL KONA EXPERIENCE

Kona Week is one of the few times each year that we get to see and hug friends from all over the world. But here’s the thing about those hugs: Everyone is gross and sweaty. You can actually tell who just landed on the island based on whether they apologize for being sweaty. After about six days, you stop acknowledging your sweatiness and just accept we’re all a hot mess. Want to feel what that’s like? Go for a group run, then start hugging everyone afterwards while you’re all sweating like Andrew Messick getting questioned about refunds on live TV.

THE COFFEE BOAT

The week leading up to race day is almost as exciting as the weekend show. Sponsors are out trying to grab the eyeballs of everyone and anyone—and one of the most iconic displays of this is the Kona coffee boat. It sounds like a great idea, until you actually swim out there. Want to get the full experience? Try to sip boiling hot coffee out of a Dixie cup while treading water in your local pool—with a masters practice going on around you.

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TR IATH LE T E // SEP TE MB E R /OC TOB E R 202 1

All jokes aside, Kona is one of the most inspirational sporting events anywhere in the world, and the finish line is the quintessential pump-up spot.

Thousands of athletes return at midnight to cheer on the final finishers while Mike Reilly amps up the crowd. It’s an outdoor dance party with a finish line in the middle. This is the hardest one to replicate at home—there’s nothing quite like it—but you can get many of the feelings by doing 500 air squats then heading to a bar, blasting the jukebox, turning on the live coverage of the final finishers, and cheering wildly while high-fiving your new best friends.

ILLUSTRATION: MIKE REISEL

THE FINISH

COMMENTARY

ALL-AMERICAN?

The Ironman World Championship this year could represent only a small portion of the world.

THIS YEAR’S IRONMAN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP WILL BE WEIRD.

Of course, that was always going to be the case, but in addition to the weirdness we can see—face masks, COVID tests, adjustments to volunteers and changing tents—what will be weirdest is what (and whom) we don’t see. In a time when triathlon is increasingly becoming a global sport, when the world championship has gotten more and more diverse and more countries are represented every year, we will see less of that this October than we have in years.

I got my first hint of this at Ironman Coeur d’Alene, watching the 21 Kona spots be handed out in the men’s 50-54 age group. And I had my suspicions confirmed when friends in Australia told me how athletes were turning down their slots because they had no guarantees of being able to get to Hawaii once they handed over their money. The weirdness of who will and won’t be there is multiplied.

Here’s the problem: There are over 2,000 spots on the start line for any given year’s Ironman World Championship. Those spots, in normal years, have to be earned or qualified for at an Ironman race somewhere in the world (with a few exceptions). And so the spots are allocated relatively evenly to each of the few dozen Ironman races around the globe—with each event having about 40-50 total Kona spots. (Those spots are then divided up and handed out to each age group.)

However, during this 2021 qualifying period, there were the same number of spots but a lot fewer events at which to hand them out.

Goodbye spots for European and Canadian races—most of which were canceled or rescheduled for outside the qualifying window. Goodbye spots for canceled races in South America and rescheduled races in South Africa. Australia and New Zealand were able to hold events, but travel restrictions continue to heavily limit people from coming or going. Goodbye Australians and New Zealanders who can’t make it to Hawaii. In fact, if Hawaii has to re-up its heavy quarantine requirements and travel restrictions because of

KELLY O’MARA

“Where are races happening? America.

And who can make it to Hawaii without too many travel limitations?

Americans!

”

the recent increase in cases, then goodbye to a lot of countries’ athletes.

What happened to all those leftover spots? They got added to races that were happening. And where are races happening? America. And who can make it to Hawaii without too many travel limitations (at least for now)? Americans!

And so dozens and dozens of Kona spots were then added—many times at the last minute—to the American races that were able to go off. Coeur d’Alene ended up with 200 Kona spots—many times the usual amount. Roll down took forever and it went deep.

This means more Americans than ever will be at the Hawaii start line. While the U.S. always has the largest number of athletes of any nation (though not the largest percentage of podium finishes), Americans were still just 26% of the field in 2019. And in the last two years Kona was held there was a larger percentage of athletes from outside the most-represented 10 countries than there ever had been—i.e., more countries and a wider range were represented on the start line. That will not be the case this fall.

This doesn’t mean anyone on the Big Island in October doesn’t deserve to be there.

They all earned their spots exactly the way you’re supposed to earn a spot. The reality of the world isn’t their fault, but the reality is also that Ironman has 2,400 age-groupers who pay $975 to race in Hawaii—and it is not a cheap event to put on. They need to hand out all of these spots however they can.

And so we are left with a baseball World Series phenomenon: a world championship event that’s heavily American. Once upon a time, it wasn’t weird when the hundreds of people lining up at the pier were mostly from the U.S. with a handful of Germans and Australians. Now, it seems weirder than ever.

T R IAT H LET E.CO M

19

A RACE TO TRI

THE OTHER SIDE OF KONA Party on the beach at this 23-year-old Hawaiian classic.

BY KELLY O’MARA

LAVAMAN WHERE: Waikoloa Beach Resort, Big Island, Hawaii

WHAT: Since the late 90s, this iconic Olympic-distance race has been taking place on the grounds of the Hilton Waikoloa Resort just outside Kona. It started as a way for long-time race director, Gerry Rott, to honor her husband, who was killed when a car hit him during a bike ride. There were just 83 people at that first memorial event.

But ever since it was labeled the “best party in triathlon” the race has grown to be a mega-popular event that sells out its 1,800 spots in two weeks. Lavaman’s popularity really took off after athletes came from far and wide, then went home and raved about it to friends. There’s a particularly large Alaskan contingent now, said Rott, who are always happy to escape to the Big Island.

Held almost entirely on the hotel grounds, the 1.5K swim is in Anaeho’omalu Bay off the beach, the 40K bike heads out of the resort and down the infamous Queen K of Hawaii Ironman fame, and then the 10K rolling and tough run winds on and off trails before finishing on the sandy beach.

24 kegs of beer and, in regular years, has nearly 3,000 people at the postrace beach party. With a laid-back atmosphere, and a transition and finish right next to each other by the water, it’s easy for both spectators and first-timers. It’s also gorgeous.

“It’s one of the most scenic courses,” Rott said.

Lavaman also has a local community vibe to it, with locals often contesting for the coveted overall title. Many of the aid stations are run by community groups, who then earn a donation to their organization. And Team-in-Training athletes have raised more than $17 million at the race.

WHY: Because the Hawaii Brewing Company-sponsored event goes through

For more info, check out: lavamantriathlon.com.

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T R I AT HL E T E // SE P TE MB E R/O CTOB ER 20 2 1

HOW: Since it was canceled in 2020 and moved to the fall for 2021, the race has been capped at just 900 racers. But because travel restrictions could change at the last minute, Rott is encouraging more locals to jump into the relay. Next year, Lavaman is hoping to be back to full fun numbers—so plan ahead for that other Hawaiian triathlon tradition.

PHOTOS: WAGNER ARAUJO; COURTESY LAVAMAN (2)

WHEN: Oct. 31, 2021 & April 3, 2022

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The science behind EPO-BOOST is equally compelling. Dr. M.T. Whitehead from the Department of Health and Human Performance at Northwestern State University conducted a 28-day double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial to test the effectiveness of the key ingredient EPO-BOOST. The research showed that the active ingredient in EPO-BOOST® increased EPO production by over 90% compared to the group taking the placebo. The supplement group showed significant improvements in athletic performance as measured by VO2max and running economy.

EPO-BOOST is not a miracle pill and it won’t make you a world champion overnight. In fact, most users will see that it takes 3-4 weeks to obtain the full performance benefits of EPO-BOOST. Athletes who use EPO-BOOST are sharing their results.

Pablo Santa Cruz, a category one cyclist, stated, “I am very skeptical with nutritional supplements due to the prevalent lack of clean manufacturing practices and banned substance contamination. I am very glad to have researched and tested EPO-BOOST to my and my performance support team’s satisfaction. Particularly, I am very encouraged with breaking through key power and speed thresholds after 6 weeks of using these products.”

Mr. Cruz is not alone in his praise of the product. Travis Beam, a top cyclist from North Carolina, used EPO-BOOST in his preparation for his season. Travis stated, “starting the season I made several goals to accomplish in my racing career. To achieve those goals, I knew I needed something extra to support my training. After a month of using EPOBOOST I started seeing crazy gains in my endurance and power during training and my speed picked up to the next level! I am a firm believer in these products and cannot wait to see how these gains will help my performance in events later this year.”

So EPO-BOOST provides a total solution for athletes in all sports looking for improved energy, endurance, and recovery. EPO-BOOST is legal for competition. All ingredients in EPO-BOOST are in compliance with WADA, UCI, IOC, and NCAA rules.

A company spokesman confirmed an exclusive offer for Triathlete readers. If you order this month, you’ll receive $10 off your first order by using promo code “TRI10” at checkout. You can order EPO-BOOST today at www.EPOBOOST.com or by calling 1-800-780-4331.

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TRAIN

TOO MUCH OF A GOOD THING

Go hard or go home? Sometimes, going home really is the best bet. BY A.C. SHILTON

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES (2)

HERE’S THE FRUSTRATING THING ABOUT ENDURANCE SPORTS: The fastest way to a PR? Hard training. The fastest way to miss that PR? Too much hard training.

Stress plus rest is the way we build fitness. The term scientists use for this is “functional overreaching.” But with a bit too much ambition, functional overreaching can quickly become dysfunctional. “When you’re exercising, you’re putting stress on your skeletal muscle, your cardiovascular system, and even the nervous system,” said David Ferguson, Ph.D., an assistant professor at Michigan State University’s department of kinesiology, whose research centers on physiological stress. That stress results in small amounts of damage to your cells. Your body then works to repair that damage—making your legs and heart just a bit stronger in the process.

If, however, week after week you stop your body from repairing the damage of each day’s efforts, you essentially put yourself into a state of chronic inflammation, Dr. Ferguson said. That inflammation can reduce mitochondrial adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production, according to a 2013 paper published in the Journal of Sport and Human Performance. As you may (or may not) remember from high school biology, mitochondria are the “powerhouse” of human cells, responsible for the production of ATP, which is the chemical energy our cells use for things like muscle contraction. Normally, when you deplete your ATP, the body begins making more. But when you’re overtrained, “you block that mechanism,” Dr. Ferguson said.

Which is why your legs constantly feel like lead.

We don’t know exactly how many endurance athletes struggle with overtraining syndrome (OTS) each year, but a paper published in Sports Health: A Multidisciplinary Approach estimated that 60% of elite athletes and 33% of recreational athletes grapple with OTS during their lifetimes. That’s a significant number of athletes sidelined because of a preventable problem, and it suggests even the regular recreational athlete risks going past their ability to build stress and recover if they ramp too much

too quickly. Plus, once you’re sidelined, recovery from true overtraining syndrome takes time. Like: Wipe out a big chunk of your race season time, said Todd Buckingham, Ph.D., an exercise physiologist at the Mary Free Bed Sports Performance Lab in Wyoming, Michigan, and multi-time age-group national champion. “It can be months before someone gets back to feeling good,” he said.

While we often think of overtraining as being a strictly physical problem solely the domain of elite athletes, it’s not.

Here’s how overtraining can impact our bodies and our minds, and what we can do to avoid it.

Bodily Injury Soreness is just a regular part of triathlon life. Delayed onset of muscle soreness (DOMS) after a hard run or race is expected.

But if you always feel a little sore or tired? That’s worth noting. How long it takes a body to move from “just a little tired today” to “truly overtrained” depends on your level of fitness, Dr. Ferguson said. A new athlete can end up with overtraining syndrome after just four to six weeks of hard work. An elite athlete may take two to three months to suffer the same fate.

Nutrition can also play a role in an athlete’s susceptibility to OTS, Dr. Ferguson said. Not consuming enough calories hampers your body's recovery efforts. A 2021 paper published in Sports Medicine analyzed studies on training overload that tracked diet and energy availability. A majority of the studies showed an energy imbalance among the athletes who were overtrained.

The study authors posited that OTS and Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S) are closely related. However, you can be overtrained and not necessarily dealing with disordered eating, according to Dr. Buckingham. RED-S and OTS are not the same, but if you're constantly finding yourself overstretched, looking at your relationship with food might be a wise move.

While OTS has a variety of symptoms that can vary from person to person, the most significant, universal sign is a chronic drop T RI ATH LE TE .CO M

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in performance, Dr. Buckingham said. If you’re burned out but still posting great times, you’re not overtrained, he said.

But if you ignore the signs and keep on pushing? That’s when things get ugly. If you refuse to rest, you’re often headed for an overuse injury too, like a stress fracture.

Your Brain On Too Much Training “Stress is stress,” Dr. Ferguson said, explaining that your body can’t necessarily differentiate between the stress of a hard workout and the stress of moving to a new home or going through a divorce. It all triggers the release of stress hormones like epinephrine and cortisol. Epinephrine—also called adrenaline—can mess with your ability to sleep, which is why so many overtrained athletes feel sluggish all day but can’t get any rest at night.

Numerous studies—on athletes like rowers, gymnasts, and football players—

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have found a link between overtrained athletes and symptoms of depression.

While these studies generally can only show correlation, there are a few hypotheses for why overtraining syndrome may result in depressed mood. One hypothesis argues that systemic, chronic inflammation utilizes the tryptophan present in your blood to synthesize C-reactive protein and other inflammatory-related proteins. And low levels of plasma tryptophan have been linked to depression in non-athletes.

Overtraining may even affect your ability to make decisions. A 2019 study published in Current Biology took two groups of triathletes and had one ramp up their training by 40%. A few weeks later, those athletes were showing symptoms of overtraining syndrome. The researchers put both groups of athletes in a brain scanner and asked them questions such as, “Would

you like $10 now or $60 in six months?”

The overtrained group wanted the money now. Interestingly, Bastian Blain, PhD, the lead author on the study, said that the overtrained athletes did well on other tests. “They became more impulsive for economic choices,” he said, “but they remained equally good in tasks involving working memory or tasks for which there is an objective correct answer.” In other words, it wasn’t so much that our brains were tired, as they were impulsive.

The takeaway here? Don’t make any big life decisions when you’ve been feeling overtrained and be aware that if you notice you’re making impulsive choices or decisions and you’ve been overdoing it in training then it could be a tell-tale sign worth noting.

Check out the next two pages for some more takeaways on what pitfalls to look for and what to do about them.

PHOTO: JÖRG SCHÚLER/GETTY IMAGES

TRAIN

OVERTRAINING PITFALLS AND REMEDIES

Being overtrained is a common issue for triathletes, but what should you look out for? Below are some of the most common warning signs and pitfalls that can occur while you try to bounce back. Do any of these sound familiar? Then flip the page for the expert solution to each symptom, so you can turn that ship around before it sinks. Cut out these handy cards and stick them in your bag or pin them next to your training calendar to help you remember what to do and when.

BY A.C. SHILTON Tear this page out and keep it handy to help keep you from overdoing it.

PROBLEM

PROBLEM

PROBLEM

PROBLEM

PROBLEM

Training is an exercise in frustration.

For pro ultrarunner Corrine Malcolm, training literally had turned into her job.

It was 2012 and she’d left college to pursue a spot on the U.S. Olympic Biathlon Team. Living at the Olympic Training Center in Lake Placid, New York, her sole focus every day was getting faster. The volume was high and so was the pressure. But her times were getting worse, not better. By the time the second half of the Olympic Trials rolled around, Malcolm knew she was not going to be able to race. “I just knew that I needed to totally step away,” she said, adding that she ultimately left the sport entirely.

Packed days, short nights At the Olympic Training Center, Malcolm felt like she was living in a fish bowl. Getting enough rest was a challenge in that intense living situation.

These days, Malcolm coaches for Carmichael Training Systems and sees many of her age-group athletes struggling to get enough sleep, too. Most of these athletes are working fulltime jobs and managing families in addition to logging big miles. Something, somewhere has to give, and way too often it’s adequate shut-eye.

Rest feels like stress.

When pro triathlete Frankie Sanja was recovering from overtraining syndrome, she found that suddenly her life lacked structure. A pro athlete’s day centers on training—so what do you do when you don’t have that? Plus, many of her social connections were training buddies. “Time away from sport is often very isolating,” she said.

Depressed mood Malcolm was tired all the time and feeling glum about how poorly her workouts were going. “I thought I was depressed,” she said, adding that she sought the help of a sports psychologist. And of course: Missing your Olympic dream would depress most of us—but the ongoing feelings were also a result of overtraining. Luckily, the sports psychologist was able to give Malcolm the tools she needed to get through this rough time.

Cutting back on food The temptation to scrimp on calories once you’re not training much (or really, at all) may creep into your mind. “When an athlete suddenly can't control their training because they are being forced to take time off, it's not surprising that they would turn to calorie restriction for control,” Malcolm said. She didn’t personally struggle with this during her 18-month break, but she does see it sometimes in athletes she coaches. Be warned: Restricting calories when your body is trying to repair damage does more harm than good.

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TRAIN

SOLUTION

SOLUTION

SOLUTION

SOLUTION

SOLUTION

Nourish your body.

Dr. Ferguson said we don’t yet have research showing good nutrition alone can save someone from overtraining syndrome, but eating well certainly will not hamper your recovery.

While many athletes may feel a temptation to restrict their caloric intake as they recover from overtraininig, since they won't be training, resist this urge.

Instead, use your extra would-be training time to make meals full of healthy fats, veggies, and plenty of carbohydrates, too.

Practice gratitude.

Overtraining syndrome can cause feelings of depression, and if you’re not sure whether you’re overtrained or dealing with clinical depression, a good first stop is your primary care doctor.

In Malcolm’s case, the cause truly was overtraining. Her psychologist suggested she try gratitude journaling. In the months after she waved goodbye to her Olympic dreams, spending a few minutes reflecting on the good things in her life became an invaluable habit. Try to write down three things you’re grateful for, or three good things that happen to you each day. You’ll be surprised by how much you still have to be grateful for, even if “set 5K PR” isn’t on that list.

Get another hobby.

Distract yourself by diving into something new that you’ve always wanted to tackle. Sanjana loves learning new languages. So when she needs to back off the mileage, she looks at it as an opportunity to spend more time doing that other thing she loves.

More rest.

You may need to do a life audit and look at what you can and can’t control stress-wise, Malcolm said.

Maybe we can’t control everything about our boss’ demands, but we can control how we engage with stressful people and situations. And most of us can control how much sleep we get, so commit to an early bedtime. But don’t just hit the sack at 9 p.m. Few people fall asleep the moment they close their eyes. If you want to get eight hours of rest, be in bed at least 15 minutes before you want to be asleep, she advised.

Make it fun.

Malcolm would end up taking 18 months completely off from competitive sports. In those 18 months, she lived by a new rule: Any exercise had to be social.

If a friend was going for a jog around town or a bike ride to get ice cream, she’d join. Focusing on enjoyment—not splits or mileage—let Malcolm keep moving while still getting the rest she needed. Even if you don’t take that much time, be sure to keep your rest/downtime somewhat “playful.”

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PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES

Tear this page out and keep it handy to help keep you from overdoing it.

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This rain isn’t just water.

It’s FIJI Water.

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TRAIN

RECOVERY MODE

Sometimes the best way to recover is to keep moving—but not in a traditional swim, bike, run kind of way.

BY JONATHAN CANE | ILLUSTRATIONS BY OLIVER BAKER

Even the most resilient and ambitious athletes benefit from recovery. But that doesn’t have to mean luxuriating on the couch with your feet up. While it might sound like an oxymoron, “active recovery” is often more productive than complete inactivity. Some movement on recovery days can help you bounce back quicker than being entirely sedentary. You can also use those days to address complementary muscles that can be neglected by the repetitive, straightforward movements of swimming, cycling, and running.

1

Carioca

Here are a few moves that will get your blood flowing, use your muscles in ways they may not be accustomed to, and help make your “day off” more productive.

This drill is often neglected (and even more frequently mispronounced, it’s “keh·ree·ow·kuh”) but it’s a great way to work on agility, coordination, and lateral movement using your abductors and adductors—work that triathletes don’t always do much of.

Stand with your feet a little wider than shoulder width apart and your upper body squared up.

Cross your right foot in front of the left. Quickly bring your left foot over to return to the starting position. Next, cross your right foot behind the left. Once again, quickly return the left foot and resume the starting position.

Repeat for 15-20 seconds, and then change direction. Rest 30 seconds and repeat for a total of three sets in each direction.

2

Backward Running

Backward running is an effective way to “open up your stride,” work on hip extension, and recruit your hamstrings and glutes when running.

Like many drills, this may feel awkward at first, but with time running backwards will feel more natural. Push off of your forefoot forcefully in order to recruit your hamstrings and glutes. You should look over your shoulder periodically for safety, but try to keep your shoulders pointed straight ahead at all other times. This drill works great on a track where the lane lines help keep you going straight, and where you’re not likely to encounter many obstacles.

Perform three to four sets of 50-75 meters at a time, with 30-60 seconds rest.

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3

Lunge Matrix

There are countless lunge variations at your disposal, and each serves a purpose. These three are a good sampling that will work your muscles from different angles.

Forward lunge with overhead reach. As you lunge, reach both hands high overhead, timing it so your arms are fully extended as your foot lands. This should provide a good stretch in the abs and hip flexors in addition to working your quads, hamstrings, and glutes.

Side lunge with rotation. Step out to the side, keeping your planted foot pointed straight ahead, while rotating the moving foot as well as your torso. You should feel a stretch in your groin.

Reverse lunge with rotation. For this variation, lunge backward. As you do, stand tall and twist your torso in the direction of the forward leg to get a good stretch in the front leg.

4

Do two to three sets of 10-15 reps of each variation. Remember that you can vary the intensity by how far you step and how deep you lunge.

Cat/Cow

A favorite among yoga practitioners, cat/cow is a great way to increase range of motion in your spine, and strengthen the muscles of your abdominal region, lower back, and neck.

Start in what yogis refer to as Table Pose (or “on all fours”). Your hips should be directly over your knees, and shoulders directly over your hands. Your back should be neutral and flat (like the aforementioned table), and your neck long, with your head facing straight down. Next, move into Cow Pose by inhaling, pressing your chest down, lifting your head, and lifting your pelvis. Hold that position for a beat, then move into Cat Pose. Exhale, round your spine, tuck your pelvis, and let your head drop. Once again, hold for a beat.

Repeat for three sets of 10-15 cat/cow cycles.

5

Balance Board

A balance board is a challenging way to work on balance, coordination, motor skills, and strength. Plus, once you get the hang of it, it’s actually fun.

Start simple. Just work on standing on it. For most people, it won’t be easy at first. Keep your core engaged, knees slightly bent, chest out, and gaze forward. Once you’re able to stay upright for 30 seconds or more, you can start to get more creative. Try doing squats while balancing on the board. Enlist a partner to play catch with a tennis ball.

Using the balance board on a tile or hardwood surface is particularly hard, so start on a yoga mat or light carpet.

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FUEL

THE GREAT RACE WEIGHT DEBATE Race weight can be a confusing topic fraught with pitfalls. We break it down into three simple pieces of advice.

BY MATT FITZGERALD

PHOTO: JACOB LUND/GETTY IMAGES

THE FIRST EDITION OF MY BOOK RACING WEIGHT WAS

1. KNOW YOUR PRIORITIES.

released in 2010—and it was inspired by my observation that athletes often approached performance weight management in ineffective and sometimes unhealthy ways. As an alternative to the fad diets and other extreme measures that were leading so many athletes into trouble, I took a different view on performance weight management based on mainstream science and elite best practices.

Much has changed since Racing Weight first hit bookstore shelves. Fad diets have come and gone (remember Paleo?), and the very practice of performance weight management has been questioned by many. Yet my own views on the subject have changed very little, and that’s because elite best practices and the science that supports them have remained remarkably consistent. I do frame my guidance somewhat differently, however, taking pains to help athletes maintain a healthy perspective on the process.

If I were to rewrite Racing Weight today, I would add three key messages:

Losing excess body fat and building endurance fitness cannot co-exist as top priorities. The reason is that the most effective methods for shedding fat, which include moderate calorie deficits and a low-volume, high-intensity exercise regimen, run counter to the goal of building endurance performance.

It’s OK to make fat loss your top priority, but this should only be done during the off-season or at other times when you don’t have a race in front of you. When you do have a race in front of you, focus on eating and training for maximum fitness. You might still get leaner along the way, but only as a side effect to the main goal of getting fitter.

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FUEL

2. LET FORM FOLLOW FUNCTION. The most important thing to understand about racing weight is that it’s defined functionally, as the combination of body weight and body composition at which an individual athlete performs best—not how they compare to others or appear on social media, for instance. What this means is that the only way to determine your optimal racing weight is to attain it through proper training and diet. It’s impossible to accurately predict your best race weight ahead of time, and you most certainly can’t judge it by how you look in the mirror.

Because of this, it’s best to avoid setting any kind of weight-related goal and instead focus on the process of training and fueling your way toward peak fitness—let the weight be a result of that focus. In other words, let form follow function in your pursuit of race weight. On the diet side of the equation, I encourage triathletes at all levels to emulate the eating habits of the pros in three key areas: quality, quantity, and timing.

Quantity: Elite endurance athletes don’t count calories. Instead they regulate their food intake by eating mindfully, which entails tuning out external cues such as food advertising and excessive portion sizes and allowing internal signals of hunger and satiety to determine when they eat and how much. As four-time Tour de France winner Chris Froome put it in his autobiography, The Climb, “I don't count calories or know the values of most things; I just let my instinct guide me as to what is the right amount to eat.”

It takes practice to build a consistent mindful eating habit, but studies show that even those with a history of disordered eating can do it.

Timing: It’s not just what you eat and how much but also when you eat that affects your body weight and body fat level. The same calories are put to different uses depending on the timing of their intake. Calories consumed at times of energy need are used to fuel activity and build muscle, while calories taken in at other times are stored as fat. (For more on food timing, take a look at the next page.)

The times of greatest energy need are first thing in the morning and around workouts. Concentrate your food intake within these periods without further changing what or how much you eat.

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3. BE KIND TO YOURSELF. I’ve never met an athlete who was consistently happy with the results from their diet, but unhappy with the diet itself.

In the long run, you simply cannot be a healthy eater without a healthy relationship with food. If your diet feels like a chore, or if it creates a lot of anxiety and guilt, then it’s very unlikely to lead you to your performance goals, no matter how healthy it looks on paper. Never lose sight of the fact that you not only can—but must—enjoy eating to maximize the performance benefits of food.

PHOTOS: OSCAR WONG/GETTY IMAGES; GETTY IMAGES (2); LUCY ENGELMAN

Quality: While much of the focus in popular diet discourse is on macronutrients, research has shown that overall diet quality has a bigger impact on body weight and body composition than any particular ratio of carbs, fat, and protein. A high-quality diet is one that features a variety of unprocessed foods (vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, healthy oils, whole grains, dairy, unprocessed meat, seafood) and limited amounts of processed foods (sweets, refined grains, foods with added fats, processed meat).

Increasing your diet quality overall will help you achieve a lean body composition by satisfying your appetite with fewer calories. My Diet Quality Score (DQS) smartphone app is a simple tool you can use to monitor and increase your diet quality.

ASK STACY

Leading sports nutritionist and exercise physiologist Dr. Stacy Sims answers your most pressing questions.

Plan your recovery well, and you will find improved sleep, better training adaptations, and better race outcomes.

What are the principles of recovery nutrition, and how do they differ between men and women?

The quality of your recovery post-workout will determine how well you adapt and achieve fitness gains, but perhaps more importantly, will also have a direct impact on how you get through your next training session.

Poor recovery can mean arriving at a race or the next workout depleted, sore, tired, fatigued, and with poor focus—reducing your ability to race well or to get the full training benefit of the session. Plan your recovery well (both in the acute post-exercise phase, and with your daily food intake), and you will find improved sleep (more recovery!), better training adaptations, and, of course, better race outcomes.

The importance of recovery nutrition depends on the type and duration of exercise, body composition goals, and personal preferences. The goals of recovery are to: ®Appropriately refuel and rehydrate the body ®Promote muscle repair and growth ®Boost adaptation from the training session ®Support immune function Nutritional components of recovery include carbohydrates to replenish depleted fuel stores, protein to help repair damaged muscle and develop new muscle tissue, and fluids and electrolytes to rehydrate.

Following a prolonged endurance exercise bout, replenishing muscle glycogen stores is a top priority. The first 30 minutes or so after exercise provide an important opportunity for nutritional recovery, due to factors like increased blood flow and insulin sensitivity—which boosts cellular glucose uptake and glycogen restoration.

In women, the capacity to restore muscle glycogen stores fluctuates over the course of the menstrual cycle, with the highest capacity occurring in the follicular phase (the time between the first day of the period and ovulation). In an ideal situation, women should focus on getting at least 0.75g of carbohydrates per kilogram of body weight immediately following prolonged sessions, in order to maximize muscle glycogen restoration. For men, the window is a bit longer (up to two hours post-exercise), with a bit more carbohydrate needed: 1-1.2 g/kg body weight. The difference in carbohydrate needs is primarily due to sex differences in fueling: women rely more on plasma glucose and free fatty acids, whereas men rely more on muscle and liver glycogen.

Protein is a hot topic for recovery: Some research indicates that there

is no specific anabolic window, whereas other research suggests the co-ingestion of protein with carbohydrate is necessary to maximize muscle glycogen recovery and protein synthesis. The discrepancy between ideologies is because it depends on the type of exercise.

Endurance exercise is fuel depleting and catabolic (breaks down muscle tissue). Since we are talking about endurance recovery nutrition here, the co-ingestion of protein becomes a critical component of rapid recovery. We have all heard the chocolate milk campaign of “20 grams of protein for rapid recovery with a 4:1 ratio of carbohydrate to protein.”

This is the bare minimum for male athletes, post-exercise, to stimulate muscle protein synthesis. But for women, it is different. When testing women in the low and high hormone phases, it was found that a ratio of 1.5:1 carbohydrate to protein significantly increased responses to muscle protein synthesis and may have benefits to body composition.

Further, the menstrual cycle phase also influences the amount of protein needed post-exercise. Why? Not only does progesterone increase protein needs at rest, protein use during exercise is also greater during the luteal (high hormone) phase.

In short, an effective nutrition recovery plan supplies not only the right nutrients, but also at the right time. Recovery is the body's process of adapting to the previous workload and strengthening itself for the next physical challenge. Get it right and your body will reward you for it.

TR IAT H LE T E.COM

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FUEL

RECOVERY DONE RIGHT

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OSMO RAPID RECOVERY

CHERIBUNDI TART CHERRY JUICE

TRUE ATHLETE BCAA

$35 for 1.16lb tub osmonutrition.com

$23 for case of 12 cherbundi.com

$23 for 7.1oz tub amazon.com

For those days when you’re on-the-go and want to get in a decent post-workout hit of protein and carbs but don’t have time for real food, then products like Osmo’s Rapid Recovery are a golden choice. Two scoops of powder yields 17 grams of protein, 19 grams of carbohydrates, and 140 calories. It comes in two flavors—chocolate and vanilla— and can be mixed with water or milk (or dairy-free alternatives).

We preferred it mixed with water for a lighter, easier-to-get-down drink, but if you want to make more of a meal of it, blend it with milk, banana, peanut butter, and honey and you’ve got yourself something far more filling.

Aside from being a sweet and tasty drink, this little bottle of cherry juice is packed full of all kinds of goodness that athletes want and need. Tart cherry juice is well known for its antioxidant properties and sleep-enhancing benefits—and Cheribundi has captured all of those (and more) in their 8-ounce bottles. Granted, it’s not going to come top of the list when you’re looking for ways to expedite recovery, but it’s a good choice if you’re trying to improve sleep and reduce inflammation. We only have our own subjective data to go on (and we fully recognize the power of the placebo effect), but we definitely found Cheribundi helped with a good night’s sleep— reason enough to give it a try.

BCAAs (branch chain amino acids) are the building blocks of protein, helping your body to repair and recover after training and racing.

It’s essentially fuel for your muscles and helps aid protein synthesis and prevent muscle breakdown.

While there are a plethora of BCAA products out there, True Athlete’s is a simple, palatable, and unflavored powder that’s easy to drink with water or add to another drink of your choice. It’s a great option post-workout (especially after high-intensity training) as well as a mid-afternoon tide-over: Like protein, it’ll help keep you feeling satiated for longer. It’s also a worthy choice for those looking to increase their protein intake during blocks of higher-volume training.

T RI AT HL E T E // SEP T EMBE R/OC TO B ER 202 1

PHOTOS: COURTESY MANUFACTURER (3)

Looking to up your recovery game? We tried three products aimed at helping you get the nutrients you need post-workout, so you sleep well, recover, make fitness gains, and are set up optimally for your next big session. BY EMMA-KATE LIDBURY

GEAR FUNKY FALL MIDSOLES Members can get the full in-depth reviews in our fall shoe guide at triathlete.com/magazine

PHOTO: BRAD KAMINSKI T RI AT HL ET E.COM

37 3 7

GEAR

SHORT STACK OR TALL STACK?

What triathletes should know about stack heights, cushioning, and the difference between maximalist and minimalist shoes.

BY LISA JHUNG

and you’ll notice a huge range of midsole thicknesses. Some shoes are fat and cushy, with the midsole—the soft foam cushioning layer between the outsole and upper that wraps around your foot—resembling a Double Stuf Oreo or marshmallow. (And, yes, there’s only one “f” in “Double Stuf.”) These types of shoes are generally referred to as “maximalist” shoes, or shoes with “maximal” cushioning.

Other shoes look more streamlined, with less cushioning (like a regular Oreo), or with barely any visible cushioning at all. These are generally referred to as “minimalist” shoes.

The amount of cushioning, in shoe-geek speak, is called the “stack height.” It refers to how high the shoe’s midsole foam is “stacked” between the ground and where your foot sits within the shoe. For most shoes, stack heights are slightly higher under the heel than under the forefoot. It’s not uncommon to see stack heights listed as “33mm/28mm” (on the maximal side) or “23mm/17mm” (more minimal), for instance. Sometimes you’ll only see the “heel offset,” which only tells the difference between the heel and forefoot—a measurement many shoe experts use to address the way your foot strikes the ground. (When there is no difference between the stack under the front and back of the shoe, that's what’s known as a “zero drop” shoe.)

“If you go by industry standards, everything above 28mm is considered max cushioning,” said Mark Plaatjes, world-champion marathoner, physical therapist, and owner of Boulder-based In Motion run specialty store. But, Plaatjes explained, there’s a new breed of shoes which appear minimal, but still achieve the feeling of generous cushioning—due to unique compounds that maximize a bouncy, cushy feeling without a massive amount of foam material.

Conversely, the relatively new breed of “super shoes” on the market combine maximal cushioning with a carbon plate, a unique construction worn by runners breaking virtually every speed record over the past few years.

In other words, high-stack shoes are no longer pigeon-holed as recovery shoes, or shoes for injured runners. And shoes that look more like racing flats may deliver a surprising amount of bounce.

Plus, cushioning is subjective. “You can steer someone who you think needs max cushioning to a high-stack shoe, and they think it feels hard,” Plaatjes said. “Or you put someone in what you think is a firm shoe, and they like the cushioning.”

Plaatjes generally offers maximally cushioned shoes to those who exclusively run on pavement, larger runners, and people who have what he calls “a rigid foot.”

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“Typically, people with high arches and rigid feet need high cushioning because their feet don’t flex like someone who pronates, and everything goes up the chain. Those people may have shin splints, knee, hip, or low back issues.”

Still, Plaatjes is quick to add that the ideal amount of cushioning for each runner—and which specific shoe, for that matter—isn’t black and white.

To find the right shoe for you, visit a specialty retailer, and have a knowledgeable salesperson ask you questions and watch you run in a range of shoes. Also, be sure to check out our shoe guide in the following pages to give you a jumping off point to begin the conversation.

PHOTOS: BRAD KAMINSKI (6)

TAKE A LOOK AT ANY RUNNING SHOE STORE SHELF

TRIATHLETE’S FALL SHOE GUIDE

Run your way to a PR this off-season with the help of our run shoe guide.

BY EMMA-KATE LIDBURY AND ADAM CHASE

Fall is the perfect time for some run-specific fun—increasing your mileage, focusing on your form, and even venturing off-road for some trail adventures. We had all of this—and more—in mind as we tested the 15 shoes on these pages, which span the run-shoe spectrum from maximalist to lightweight super shoes to heavy-hitting trail options. We’ve covered at least 50 miles in every pair, literally putting them through their paces on trails, pavement, track, and treadmill to bring you this comprehensive guide for your fall running needs.

Adidas Ultra 4D 5.0 Sleek and comfortable, the Adidas Ultra 4D 5.0 is a different-looking shoe, with its open lattice midsole that's designed to provide greater cushioning and responsiveness. The result helps put a spring in your step, but it doesn’t feel hugely durable or supportive.

Weight: 13 oz (M); 13 oz (W) Stack height: 32.75 mm/24.25 mm Price: $200

Brooks Glycerin GTS 19 This is a well-cushioned and comfortable run shoe that feels lighter than it is. What these shoes lack in responsiveness they certainly make up for with fit, comfort, and stability.

Weight: 9.4 oz (M); 9.4 oz (W) Stack height: 38 mm/28 mm Price: $150 Cushioning: Responsiveness: Ground Feel: Rocker: Basics: You’ll notice how wellcushioned these are from the first step, and that translates into a super smooth ride, from toe-off to foot strike.

Impressions: These shoes lack ground feel and snappiness, so don’t reach for them when it comes to speed workouts, but they definitely deliver for simple miles.

Skechers GORun Razor Excess The GORun Razor Excess feels so lightweight it’s almost like you’re putting on slippers. They are nimble, responsive, and have excellent ground feel—but don’t bank on their durability.

Weight: 7.2 oz (M); 5.7 oz (W) Stack height: 30 mm/26 mm Price: $140 Cushioning: Responsiveness: Ground Feel: Rocker: Basics: A neutral road running shoe that’s great for speed and tempo run days: simple, lightweight, fast.

Impressions: These shoes are a lot of fun to run in, especially on days when your legs are feeling fast—the Razor Excess will match you. Not really a longer-run shoe option, especially for the injury-prone.

Cushioning: Responsiveness: Ground Feel: Rocker: Basics: A performance shoe that is breathable and lightweight.

Impressions: There’s something just a little too fragile about the ground feel of these shoes that stops us from wanting to run too far or too fast in them.

Puma Deviate Nitro The Deviate Nitro is a highperformance shoe that is fast and snappy, but not the most comfortable. Best used for shorter road runs and speed workouts. These took us a while to break in.

Weight: 7.7 oz (M); 7.7 oz (W) Stack height: 36 mm/28 mm Price: $160 Cushioning: Responsiveness: Ground Feel: Rocker: Basics: The Deviate Nitros are lightweight with moderate cushioning.

Impressions: We found the ride of the midsole to be a little harsh, especially at first. The fit and feel of the mesh upper helps with support, but we were surprised to get heel chafing from the high-rising heel tab.

Asics Nimbus Lite 2 This is a well-cushioned shoe that’s as comfortable as it is versatile.

We’ve used these on the road and on trails, and they perform well across the board. They offer a decent level of support through the midsole and upper and after 150+ miles logged appear to be highly durable too.

Weight: 9.1 oz (M); 7.8 oz (W) Stack height: 31 mm/23 mm Price: $150 Cushioning: Responsiveness: Ground Feel: Rocker: Basics: These have superior support, comfort, and versatility—a good all-around option.

Impressions: We’ve used these for steady, aerobic runs as they’re extremely comfortable and cope well with all kinds of terrain.

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On Cloudboom Echo These shoes scream performance and will have you bouncing out the door to chase your next PR. Designed for fast marathons and road races over 10K, they feel lightweight and responsive.

Weight: 6.7 oz (M); 6.7 oz (W) Stack height: 35 mm/27 mm Price: $270 Cushioning: Responsiveness: Ground Feel: Rocker: Basics: This is an extremely comfortable carbonplated speed shoe that offers moderate cushioning and solid support.

Impressions: These shoes are unabashedly fast.

They offer slipper-like comfort and fit, while also giving fantastic road feel and responsiveness. The carbon plate gives superb energy return, while the minimalist mesh upper helps make these shoes feel like a serious racing flat.

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NB FuelCell RC Elite v2 This is a super snappy speed shoe that delivers great comfort, cushioning, and performance. These receive top marks for fit and feel, with a carbon plate that offers good energy return and gentle propulsion— one of our favorite shoes on test.

Weight: 9.5 oz (M); 6.5 oz (W) Stack height: 39 mm/31 mm Price: $225 Cushioning:

Responsiveness: Ground Feel: Rocker: Basics: Comfortable and well-cushioned, this shoe still feels performance-oriented and the carbon plate provides just the right amount of propulsion.

Impressions: These shoes blend performance with comfort: You can feel the carbon-rocker benefits while also enjoying plenty of road feel.

Nike Pegasus 38 The Pegasus 38 is a plush, well-cushioned shoe that never fails to put a pep in your step while also offering plenty of support and durability. This is not a lightweight, über-performance shoe, but it’s perfectly versatile for easy aerobic runs.

Weight: 9.2 oz (M); 8.9 oz (W) Stack height: 24 mm/14 mm Price: $120 Cushioning:

Responsiveness: Ground Feel: Rocker: Basics: Comfortable and supportive with a tough and durable outsole, if you’re looking for a shoe that you can use for a range of runs, then you won’t be disappointed with the Pegasus 38.

Impressions: If you have wider feet or prefer a roomier toebox, then these shoes likely aren’t for you.

Inov-8 Trailfly Ultra G 300 Max The Trailfly Ultra is a truly versatile trail shoe that also performs well on the road. The G-FLY (graphene-enhanced) midsole delivers surprisingly good energy return—especially for a trail shoe— which combines with excellent support and traction to make this a smart choice for long runs on- or off-road.

Weight: 10.5 oz (M); 10.5 oz (W) Stack height: 25 mm/19 mm Price: $190 Cushioning: Responsiveness: Ground Feel: Rocker: Basics: Well-cushioned and extremely comfortable with solid support, this is a shoe that really pays dividends on trails.

Impressions: We’ve worn these for longer runs of 20+ miles on all kinds of terrain and they deliver a smooth and stable ride.

Brooks Cascadia 16 As with the Inov-8 shoes, the Cascadia 16s are a beast of a trail shoe that you can pull on for almost any adventure, and your feet will thank you for it. We’ve worn these for epic runs of all kinds (including water crossings and mudfests), and they offer nothing but comfort, protection, and durability.

Weight: 10.6 oz (M); 9.5 oz (W) Stack height: 33 mm/25 mm Price: $130 Cushioning: Responsiveness: Ground Feel: Rocker: Basics: These shoes offer great comfort and good road feel (for a trail shoe), while also providing solid traction and support.

Impressions: There are few trail shoes you can wear that help keep you upright and stable offroad, yet are nimble and light enough for the road.

PHOTOS: BRAD KAMINSKI (10)

GEAR

HOKA Mach 4 The fourth version of these responsive and highly cushioned trainers now incorporate “Intelligent Cushioning” in the springy, energetic midsole, with a rocker shape that makes for smooth recovery runs.

Weight: 8.6 oz (M) 7.1 oz (W) Stack height: 35 mm/30 mm Price: $130 Cushioning: Responsiveness:

Ground Feel: Rocker: Basics: Riding the thin line between cushion and resilience, the now-lighter Mach features a new midsole foam that is softer and less firm than earlier models. The revamped upper includes a reconstructed collar to relieve Achilles pressure.

Impressions: These lightweight trainers feature airy uppers, albeit with too-long laces, a wide toe box, and a secure foothold.

Mizuno Wave Inspire 17 For those seeking a stable, foot-guiding ride, the Wave Inspire steps in with a variety of upgrades, including a heel wedge, strategically-placed flex grooves, and a well-cushioned midsole. The mesh upper is comfortable and locks the foot down to match the midsole’s motioncontrolling qualities.

Weight: 11.3 oz (M) 9.3 oz (W) Stack height: 36 mm/26 mm

Price: $135 Cushioning: Responsiveness: Ground Feel: Rocker: Basics: A versatile shoe that's especially helpful to those prone to losing form later in their runs.

Impressions: The updated tech provides welcome guidance for overpronators in a non-intrusive way.

Altra Rivera New to Altra’s lineup, this is a natural-running uptempo trainer or a 10K-to-half-marathon racer that is equally responsive and cushioned for those who prefer a flexible feel.

Weight: 8.2 oz (M) 6.9 oz (W) Stack height: 28mm/28mm Price: $130 Cushioning: Responsiveness: Ground Feel: Rocker: Basics: This shoe has a low-profile, natural feel without insulting your feet by depriving them of comfort and response—exactly what minimalism should be.

Impressions: These boast simplicity for natural running without compromising performance. Altra stripped away all that is superfluous, leaving only what you need with a neutral, lightweight, stable platform.

Reebok FloatRide Energy Symmetros The magic is in the midsole of these highly resilient shoes that compress down and rebound for a responsive ride. Light in weight, the upper doesn’t skimp on comfort or in keeping the foot in place.

Weight: 8.6 oz (M) 6.7 oz (W) Stack height: 24 mm/14 mm Price: $130 Cushioning: Responsiveness: Ground Feel: Rocker: Basics: The 3D-molded heel counter holds the foot securely in place while the Floatride Energy Foam enhances the pace, putting some excitement into tempo training and long runs.

Impressions: The midsole comes close to bottoming out for heavier-footed runners or those who land primarily on a concentrated part of their feet.

On Cloudultra The gravel grinder of shoes, these hybrid cruisers do well on and off roads with efficiency, yet they’re a soft enough ride that they roll over smooth and rough terrain with ease. Good for long runs on mixed surfaces.

Weight: 10.4 oz (M) 8.6 oz (W) Stack height: 22 mm/15 mm Price: $180 Cushioning: Responsiveness: Ground Feel: Rocker: Basics: The new “FlipRelease” system allows you to snug things down or release for more toe room with a quick twist of the lacing.

Impressions: The upper is better suited for cooler climes, as the booty-type sleeve holds in warmth but also keeps dirt and debris from getting in. The outsole is un-On-like in a welcome way: It doesn’t collect or retain small stones and gravel.

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PROfile

THE BRIGHT, YOUNG BRIT Inspired as a kid by his now-teammates, Alex Yee can barely believe how he got here.

BY TIM HEMING

of his tender 23 years, Great Britain’s Alex Yee’s appearance can be deceptive. A double Olympic medalist after gold and silver in Tokyo in the mixed relay and individual events, respectively, Yee is arguably the most-feared triathlete on the planet right now.

If there’s one rival the field does not want in contention when leaving T2, it’s the fleet-of-foot Yee from London. Yet despite such prodigious talent, particularly on the run, he remains in awe at what he’s achieved.

“It’s a bit bizarre that it’s me doing this,” was his reaction to crossing the line behind Norway’s Kristian Blummenfelt for individual silver in Tokyo. “I’m just a normal guy from southeast London. But dreams really do come true.”

In many ways, the enormity of the achievement still has not sunk in. “There’s still a massive sense of disbelief about what happened,” he said. “I keep looking at my medals to prove to myself that they’re real.” Those emotions extend to his father, Ron, and mother, Emma. “We were quite stunned,” Ron said. “We believed in him, but we couldn’t quite believe it happened.”

Yee admits the year’s delay to the Games helped his chances.

A runner-up finish in a World Series race in Abu Dhabi in 2019, and fifth place in what became a default world championship in Hamburg last year, underlined his potential, but it was the early summer races of 2021 that showed he was ready to step onto an Olympic podium.

“I felt my performance in Leeds to qualify was my best to date,” he said of victory in the final World Series Championship-level race ahead of the Olympics, which gave him a glorious send-off in front of a home crowd. “I then prepared the best I could, and stood on the start line knowing I’d done everything I could to produce a performance to be proud of. The impact it had on the community I grew up in, and their messages of support, will put a smile on my face for years to come.”

His youth was spent training with Crystal Palace Triathletes, where his father introduced him to the sport as a nine-year-old.

Training under the watchful eye of head coach Jon Horsman and Paul Eaglestone, winnings were made of boxes of candy that would be shared with everyone anyway.

“There have been a fair few people along the way to thank, from just starting out as a way to blow off some steam to now,” Yee said. “Without doubt I have to start with my parents.

As role models, they taught me determination and humility.”

Ron recalled watching London 2012 as a turning point.

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“Before that Alex was just enthusiastic,” he said. “After the Olympics, we thought: ‘It’s a big deal, and quite a nice lifestyle. People do this for real!’

It would be Alex waking me up early in the morning for training—the motivation was all his.”

Yee joined the track and field program at Kent Athletics Club when he was 16 to hone the smooth running style that has since become his trademark, and there’s a sense that the track side would dearly have loved to have kept him within their ranks. Even as recently as 2018, he became the British 10,000m champion, where he set a PR of 27:51.94, a time that surpasses anything achieved by other world-leading triathletes. For context, Alistair Brownlee’s PR over 10K on the track is 28:32.48.

Ken Pike, the veteran coach at the club, recalled Yee joining. “In three weeks, he was beating two current England internationals. It requires a quiet steeliness and unflappability—and he appears to be unflappable.”

Yee’s first love always remained triathlon, but it hasn’t been a linear path to the top. Lapped out of a regional tri race as a junior, he devoted himself to training at the local Herne Hill velodrome and cutting his teeth with serious cyclists, building the bike legs seen in the Olympic mixed team relay when two-time world champion Vincent Luis, of France, attacked on the anchor leg. The thought in Yee’s mind? “There is no way I’m losing this wheel!” He didn’t, and when they reached T2 together, he knew he wasn’t losing gold either.

Greeting him at that finish line was teammate Jonny Brownlee, who has known longer than most how much potential Yee has: “I’ve seen him come up through the ranks the last few years and I always knew he was an incredible athlete. He works ridiculously hard and is unbelievably talented.

Alex has said one of the main things that inspired him was watching us in London 2012. The fact that a young athlete saw us race on home soil and has now won his two Olympic medals means a lot to me.”

Yee spent three years in Leeds, where he combined elite training with studying for a degree in sport and exercise science. That time in the Brownlees’ backyard ended with a move to Loughborough, where he also credits coach Adam Elliott and girlfriend, fellow British elite triathlete Liv Mathias, for his continued development. “It’s motivating to work hard with Liv and grow together,” he said.

Unlike the Brownlees, Yee will not be turning to long-course any time soon. By the time you read this, he’ll have competed in Edmonton hoping to win a first World Triathlon world title too, then it’s a month of Super League Triathlon racing. And from there, it’s all eyes on Paris 2024, where he’s now installed as an early favorite for gold. If the year’s delay for Tokyo suited him, a three-year wait for the next one should play into his hands even more.

PHOTOS: LEON NEAL/GETTY IMAGES; MIKE EGERTON/GETTY IMAGES

FRESH-FACED, UNASSUMING, AND LOOKING SHY

The fleet-footed Yee is one of the finest—and most feared—runners in shortcourse triathlon.

“There’s still a massive sense of disbelief about what happened.

I keep looking at my medals to prove to myself that they’re real.”

Yee is greeted by his teammates as he breaks the tape and Britain wins gold in the mixed relay at the Tokyo Games.

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TRISPO

JOHNNY AGAR’S IMPOSSIBLE MILE The power of living life one step at a time. BY SUSAN LACKE

day is the moment when a volunteer takes a marker and writes numbers on his arms and calves. For most triathletes, body marking is a necessary hassle of race morning, but for Agar it’s a badge of honor.

“I get emotional, because I’m just like everyone else, wearing the markings that only triathletes wear,” Agar said. “I am one of them. That is the only thing I have ever wanted to be.”

Agar, 26, who was born with cerebral palsy, admits he’s about as far from the stereotypical image of a triathlete as one can get. While symptoms of cerebral palsy vary from person to person and cover a range of motor and muscular disorders, for Agar his limited mobility and use of a wheelchair mean that he races as a team with his father, Jeff, who pushes or pulls him for much of the event. In a lot of ways, though, Johnny’s still your standard triathlete: He wakes up early to train, he celebrates post-race with pizza, and he got into the sport because of a friend—but quickly fell in love and recruited the rest of his family.

A neighbor in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Chad Spaman, got Johnny hooked on triathlon and raced with him at first; Spaman was a part of an organization called myTeamTriumph (mTT). The group pairs people with disabilities alongside fellow athletes to participate in running and triathlon races using equipment such as harnesses, bike trailers, and joggers.

But after that first event, Johnny and Jeff began doing marathons and triathlons as a family team. His sister, Annie, would often join them as well. Training and racing provided a way for the family to bond over a shared love of sports, spurred in part by Jeff’s former career as a minor-league relief pitcher for the Detroit Tigers.

“I had always wanted to be an athlete like my dad,” Johnny said. “Being on a team with my dad and sister in a sport that we could all participate in was like a dream come true for me.”

The more the Agars achieved together, the more confidence Johnny gained to pursue other independent goals. His major goal was to walk the final mile of his race—a distance much greater than

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PHOTO: TTOM PENNINGTON/GETTY IMAGES

JOHNNY AGAR’S FAVORITE PART OF RACE

the 23 steps that constituted his longest walk at the time. It took consistent training with his family and a physical therapy program to gradually build up to that mile, but Johnny eventually covered it in a 2012 race made famous on an episode of ESPN’s E:60 and in Under Armour’s “Will Finds a Way” campaign. Today, he walks the final mile of every race he does with his father, be it local 5K races or full Ironman events. His ultimate goal is to one day cross the finish line of the Ironman World Championship. It hasn’t yet happened—a 2016 attempt in Kona ended with the Agars failing to make the bike cutoff and they're unlikely to race in Kona this fall—but the dream of walking the final mile of the race keeps them both going.

“The final mile represents what my whole life

with cerebral palsy has been about: hard work, dedication, optimism, and determination,” he said. “The message that my parents taught me when I was young, and that I still apply today, is that it’s much easier to take on life one step at a time than it is to think about the huge task ahead of you. Small steps lead to bigger steps.”

Johnny applies this philosophy off the race course as well. Over the years, he’s learned to sit independently, eat and drink on his own, earn two university degrees from nearby Aquinas College, develop an accessibility app called Johnny’s Pass, and co-write a book with his mother, Becki. The book, The Impossible Mile, chronicles the Agar family’s philosophy of small steps toward big goals.

“At first, I didn’t realize how my impossible mile would affect others,” Johnny said. “As I look back on it now, I can see why a lot of people considered my walk impossible. When I set my goal to walk that distance, I had only ever walked 23 steps. I was just doing what I loved, trying to be an athlete. At my pace, it takes me 4,823 steps to walk a mile. So me having that big of a goal would be like someone else walking to the mailbox for the first time ever and deciding they were going to run a marathon. It was a pretty big goal to set, but the difference was I didn’t let the fear of failure scare me. The same thing applies to triathlon. It’s very hard for someone to see how three activities all in one race, or something like 140.6 miles in a day, could even be possible—but it is.”

THE IMPOSSIBLE MILE: THE POWER OF LIVING LIFE ONE STEP AT A TIME $27 RELEASE DATE SEPT. 21, 2021

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Nicole Sin Quee went from outsider to advocate, working to eradicate exclusion and give kids the opportunity to be anything they want to be.

BY CARRIE BARRETT | PHOTOS BY DANNY WEISS

“Nicole, you know the real reason you got into Amherst College, don’t you? Do you really think you deserve to be there?”

Thirty years later, these words still ring in the ears and sting in the heart of Nicole Sin Quee. A resentful and jealous high school friend, who hadn’t been accepted to Amherst, brought all of Sin Quee’s self-doubt and feelings of being an outsider to the forefront again. The Jamaican-born student-athlete had fought so hard for a spot at the table, but still she questioned herself: Did she deserve to be here? Did she get into this prestigious school for the “wrong” reasons? Who did she think she was?

It's exactly because she doesn’t want other kids to face those same questions and doubts that she now works to create possibilities for her students and for young athletes who wouldn’t otherwise think of triathlon as open to them. That pay-it-forward attitude is why she was nominated for Triathlete’s Reader Cover Contest; her ability to overcome and set an example for others is why she won.

COMMITMENT

A CAUSE FOR

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“We have things to do” Sin Quee, now 49, was just eight years old when her parents decided to move from Kingston, Jamaica, to the United States.

The goal was to be closer to family and to pursue greater opportunities and choices available, but Sin Quee, the youngest of six daughters born to Jamaican-Chinese parents, remembers confusion and a deep sense of loneliness instead.

The family was all set to move and then, at the last minute, her dad and four of her sisters stayed in Jamaica, but Nicole, her mom, and one sister still left for New Jersey. Taking the two youngest daughters, her parents agreed, would be the best transition—even if it wasn’t easy. “We lived with family friends until we could find a place of our own,” Sin Quee said.

“My mom worked in a factory and then a nursing home doing double shifts and over-extending herself to provide for us.” She was determined not to return to Jamaica because, in her mom’s mind, it would’ve been seen as failure.

“I used to question this all the time in my loneliness. Why the heck did we leave a big house, a stable life, and family to come and suffer?” While her parents had big plans for the American Dream, she felt like the odd one out in her new home.

“I was the girl with the weird Jamaican accent and then I’d tell people I was also Chinese and they just wouldn’t get it,” she said. “They’d want to know: Are you black or are you white?

And I didn’t know I had to choose.”

It was the first time—but it wasn’t the last—that people wanted to talk about race with Sin Quee. And it was the first time—but not the last—that she felt slighted and left on the outside.

“I am Sheila’s daughter,” she now says, a proud acknowledgement of her sturdy roots. “My mother always preached about commitment, and it’s why I’m so stubborn to this day.

We made a commitment to come to the U.S. and, even when plans changed with my family, we honored that commitment, as difficult as it was.”

Her mom, she said, while loving and dedicated, also made it clear that there was no time for loneliness and sadness. “We have things to do,” she would say. Some might have seen this as cold or callous, but Sin Quee said her mom was quite the opposite. Actions meant everything to her—and so it was abundantly clear from an early age that, no matter what Nicole pursued in life, she must remain committed.

In addition to working two jobs, Sheila would also wake before dawn each morning to accompany her daughters on their paper route. She made most of their clothing herself and, together with family, would prepare daily meals from scratch.

“My mother is stubborn, hard-working, and generous to a fault,” Nicole’s sister, Loraine, agreed. “She will defend her family like no other and has a smart mouth you don't want to take on—all traits that Nicole has.”

Nicole was dedicated to her studies and smart, but she was stuck in a tough overcrowded school with plenty of fights. The teachers and counselors, she said, still gave so much of themselves, doing their best to look after the students and teach with

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“I was the girl with the weird Jamaican accent and then I’d tell people I was also Chinese and they just wouldn’t get it.” enthusiasm. So, at the recommendation of one of those counselors, Nicole left home at the age of 13 to attend a boarding school—again a chance for greater opportunity if she could make it work.

Just like eight-year-old Nicole, 13-yearold Nicole once again felt the pang of sadness, loneliness, and exclusion in a new world surrounded by wealth and privilege.

“I had never even had a sleepover before this,” she recalled. “I was one of about five students of color in my grade, and I didn't have shared experiences in anything—not even music—so it's not like I was hanging out singing with the other girls. I literally had nothing to share.”

Again, she felt completely out of place when it seemed normal to everyone else.

As much as she wanted to come home, though, she honored her commitment.

Her mom wouldn’t have it any other way—even if Nicole cried every week when she was dropped back off at school.

A dorm counselor was her guardian angel, letting Nicole come into her room when she felt too homesick. A cross-country coach was her savior too when, while she was on the way to field hockey tryouts, he shouted, “Hey Sin Quee, are you going to try out for cross-country today?”

She wasn’t intending on it, but ever the people-pleaser, she said yes. Suddenly, she was a runner. She never made it to field hockey try-outs.

It got better, as it does, but there were always moments where Nicole still felt left on the outside. She excelled at sports and academics—getting accepted to Am-

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herst—but failed to win her high school’s student-athlete award.

It went to another student. As an adult, she now knows the other girl deserved to win, but the gut-wrenching disappointment at the time of wanting something so badly and falling short remained with her for decades. Besides, it was the same time her supposed friend turned on her, telling her she didn’t really deserve to go to the prestigious college. It felt like maybe she wasn’t good enough after all.

See the champion inside Looking back, so many of the slights seem trivial now—but still they gnaw. Everyone has those moments, those things they never forget. Nicole’s moments drove her to be better and then to bring others like her into worlds of privilege and opportunity, and ultimately into triathlon.

At Amherst, she discovered mountain biking and triathlon.

She jokingly admits that she was an OK student, but a great mountain biker. She loved multisport and it showed in her results.

There was a triathlon back then where she won both the overall sprint and the relay. Typically, that would earn you the title of athlete of the week for the school—and a gift certificate to Bub’s Bar-B-Que. She had anxiously been waiting for that BBQ prize. But that year the gift certificate went to a tennis player. She doesn’t know why she didn't win, but it added to the small slights and rejections.

“I would carry these rejections with me into adulthood and long past giving birth when the nurse told me to ‘push like you mean it,’ and I pushed so hard that I burst all the capillaries in my face,” she laughed. For Sin Quee, everything is a competition, everything is an opportunity to prove you’re good enough. “You thought I didn’t know how to push? Apparently, the only thing I don't know how to do is to let things go.”

She did successfully graduate from Amherst College and went on to graduate school, and then to bringing others with her.

Today, Nicole is a middle and high school math teacher and lives in the Bronx with her husband, Jonathan Cane (founder of City Coach Multisport), and their nine-year-old son, Simon.

She has also competed in five national and world championship races (duathlon, sprint, and long-course triathlon) and has placed top-three in her age group at each. She won the Duathlon National Championship (40-44 age group) in 2012, just six months after her son was born, and followed that up with a second-place finish at Duathlon Worlds in France later that year.

“Nicole is incredibly intense and driven, but she is not just a one-dimensional athlete,” Cane said, who not only coaches his wife but also nominated her for the Reader Cover Contest.

“People may only see one side of her, but she’s so multifaceted and does it all so well, which is one of the reasons she is so deserving of this honor.”

In true coaching form, he also provides the perspective Nicole needs in times of self-doubt or nervousness. “See yourself the

“Nicole is incredibly intense and driven, but she is not just a one-dimensional athlete. People may only see one side of her, but she’s so multifaceted and does it all so well.” way others see you,” he tells her. And how do others see her? As a champion at everything she does.

In 2010, Nicole was racing the New York Road Runners sprint triathlon as the defending champion.

She wanted to win, but she also races so intensely because she constantly feels the need to prove she is good enough, deserving enough.

That day, the chip on her shoulder became a chip in her shoulder when she took a turn too aggressively on the bike and went down hard. But, in the spirit she was raised to display, Nicole got back on her bike, finished the race, and won with a cushion of three minutes.

Outsider to advocate Today, she wants other kids—kids who felt like she did—to believe they belong and that they deserve to be here too (without having to crash or endure endless slights along the way). She wants them to see themselves as champions. Understanding from personal experience that kids of color are not well-represented in the sport, Nicole, along with Cane, have started triathlon camps for middle- and high-schoolers to help grow minority participation.

Their theme for these camps? If you want to know what a triathlete looks like, look in the mirror.

“It is exciting to see the transformation over a week,” Cane said. “And, having Nicole there as a national champion athlete, math teacher, and mom is so inspiring to these kids who could never imagine that there may be a place for them in the sport.”

They’ve also brought in guest speakers to help widen the kids’ perspectives, including Roderick Sewell, the first bilateral above-the-knee amputee to finish the Ironman World Championship.

“By the end of the course, we had more eye contact from all our athletes. They were speaking louder, T RI AT HL ET E .COM

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showing more confidence, laughing, and even trying to outdo some of our expectations,” Nicole said. “One athlete, who was initially so quiet and reserved, ran with me and, at the end, sprinted in and left me for dead.” This young girl's parents wrote them a note after the camp that said not only had her daughter’s physical fitness and overall awareness of her abilities improved, but “I hope she brings that experience with her to the classroom and puts that in her memory bank so that she gives herself room to be better.”

It can be so easy to see triathlon or cycling as a sport where you don’t belong, or where everyone else besides you got the memo. Making it more inclusive is what fuels Nicole and her family these days. She races as a proud ambassador for the BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) community.

Not only is she back to triathlon after a long hiatus, but she is also making a grand entrance into the world of gravel racing and cyclocross as part of Randy Locklair’s BE Cyclocross team, a program he started to get more black and brown athletes on bikes. And she’s part of the Ride for Racial Justice nonprofit organization, which aims to provide resources and education for BIPOC cyclists and dismantle systemic racism so that everyone can feel empowered and safe while riding a bike.

One of the things that got her racing again was the fact that her son, Simon, is now old enough to watch and understand.

The last time she raced a world championship, he was too little and had no idea what was going on. “It's one thing for me to tell him that his mom is a badass. It's another thing for him to witness it,” Cane said.

He’ll witness it, along with so many others whose lives Nicole

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“The path to success isn’t always the way other people define it. You get to decide for yourself what success looks like.” touches. As she shares her own personal stories of struggle with her athletes and students, she also stresses that, “The path to success isn’t always the way other people define it. You get to decide for yourself what success looks like.”

A few years ago, she appeared in an ad for Dick’s Sporting Goods where she looked into the camera and told viewers, "I want my son, Simon, to know that his mother got it done...That it is in his genetic makeup to be a champion at whatever he chooses to be."

And she did get it done. The path may have had some unexpected left turns and naysayers along the way, but that’s helped forge her uniquely iron character. She’s gone from afterthought to ambassador, from outsider to fierce advocate, pulling up chairs to help those like her, those who feel like they would never otherwise even get a seat at the table.

MEET THE READER COVER CONTEST FINALISTS We asked for your nominations for our annual reader cover contest. We wanted to hear about the most amazing athletes giving back to the sport and helping to nurture triathlon in their community—then we asked you to vote. Here are our other finalists in the words of the people who nominated them.

DIXON MCDONALD

LISA MARSHALL

New York, New York

Alpharetta, Georgia

My older brother, Dixon, is the reason I and many others got into triathlon in the first place. He raced his first in 2010, without any background in the sport, and has now competed in all distances, qualifying for the Ironman 70.3 World Championship, U.S. Age Group National Championship, and the Boston Marathon. He’s volunteered with Achilles International as a guide for blind runners. And as a NYC native, Dixon rallied teammates across the country at the start of the COVID outbreak to do the 4x4x48 challenge (run four miles every four hours for 48 consecutive hours) and raised about $30,000 to provide more

Lisa has been passionately involved with triathlon for 27 years. She was a top U.S. triathlete, earning All-American honors for 10 consecutive years and representing Team USA at multiple world championships. Then in 2011, she created a youth developmental team, Multisport Explosion, and has grown it into a nationally ranked youth and junior elite program with three teams: Developmental, Emerging Elite, and High Performance, and over 100 athletes annually. Lisa coaches up to 11 in-person practices every week and offers Zoom workouts and online coaching. She coaches with passion, and her love for the sport and her athletes is contagious.

than 300 New Yorkers living with chronic illnesses one week’s worth of food. And he added two more miles on at the end! Most recently, he captained a four-man team for a 3,000-mile unsupported rowing race across the Atlantic Ocean. They encountered 30-plus foot waves, a marlin attack, and extreme sleep deprivation, but finished second and raised over $250,000 for four different charities. Dixon is now back to training for triathlons in New York City.

MATT VERMEER

BRIAN CLEVEN

Tampa, Florida

Marinette, Wisconsin

Last year was a rough year for Matt.

He was working in the ER and finishing his certification for private practice, when his mother was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and his boss called to say they couldn’t afford to keep him on staff. After months of no work, he started a new job and continued to serve his patients during the pandemic. Then, his mother passed away, and he broke up with his girlfriend. His friends asked if he wanted to do the Six Gap Century Ride, and that’s where I met him, the love of my life. Since then, Matt has caught the triathlon bug and signed up for his first half-Ironman, 70.3 Chattanooga, raising $1,750 for the Ironman Foundation. Donating money to the city we’re

This is a portion of a thank you letter that my husband wrote to Ironman and Mike Reilly. Brian has completed every Ironman VR race since 2020 (all 56!) and hasn’t missed running at least one mile each day for 11 years (over 4,000 in a row!): “It was a no-brainer to keep completing the VR races into 2021, but just like every other member of the Ironman family, balancing work, family, and life presents challenges.

My beautiful baby girl that Mike Reilly announced back in September made her appearance on Jan. 28, so completing VR4 of 2021 was more challenging than usual in a wonderful way…In 2020 and 2021, I

racing in is something he thought his mother would’ve liked. He is the most thoughtful, dedicated, hard-working, and selfless person I know—putting in crazy hours at work and training, and volunteering as a sports medicine doctor for a local high school football team. He has volunteered for the medical tent at Ironman Florida and Haines City, and helps motivate me, making my bottles, putting my bike on the trainer, and even preparing our pre-race breakfasts. He is passionate that “exercise is medicine.”

She has many athletes that started in her program as young kids and are still with her team as they graduate high school and move on to college.

She has coached multiple national champions, and her Multisport Explosion High Performance Team placed third in 2018 and 2019 at the Youth and Junior Elite National Championships. The lessons she taught her young athletes about dedication, hard work, and perseverance through 2020 will translate to their future as successful adults.

was fortunate to help coordinate a couple food drives, lead family and coworkers in physical activity challenges, and even help give back to the smallest members of my community by leading a book and pajama drive at my clinic…As the world starts to slowly transition back to where we can gather and have the joy of hearing Mike Reilly call us to the finish line in person, do not forget to ‘Set Big Goals, Work Hard, and Get Them!’”

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YOUR COMPLETE GUIDE TO

After a year away from the Big Island, (almost) everything has changed but still so much has stayed the same. We look at what to expect, how to plan your spectating schedule, who to bet on, and why we could be wildly wrong.

PHOTO: DONALD MIRALLE/GETTY IMAGES

BY THE TRIATHLETE EDITORS

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NEW NAMES, SAME FACES

Can anyone beat the three-time Kona champion Jan Frodeno?

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PHOTO: TOM PENNINGTON/GETTY IMAGES

It’s hard to know what will happen on race day—but don’t be surprised to see the old favorites charging to the front. BY TIM HEMING

H

awaii’s Big Island has been largely Lycra-free since 2019, but very soon we’ll be returning to the middle of the Pacific for the 44th edition of the Ironman World Championship. Everything has changed in the real world—yet the upper echelons of triathlon have both completely changed and somehow feel oddly familiar.

Same course, same toasty conditions, same Banyan tree along Ali’i Drive, and despite all of the disrupted race schedules of the past 24 months, the same stand-out contenders. While Daniela Ryf and Jan Frodeno might have taken contrasting approaches to tri life during lockdown, just as in 2019, they’ll still head to Kona as big favorites two years later.

Before immediate interjections, let’s acknowledge that unlike the German giant, Ryf isn’t the reigning Kona champion. An out-of-character, sub-par showing in 2019 saw her first defeat since her debut five years earlier—as Anne Haug proved it’s not just the German men that can produce a quick-step at the Big Dance. Haug, and those exceedingly quick steps, should again be a force to be reckoned with this October.

The Swiss star, though, having sat on the sidelines throughout 2020, has returned in inimitable fashion, biking away from strong fields at Ironman 70.3 St George and Ironman Tulsa, and now narrows her sights on a fifth Kona triumph, just three shy of Paula Newby-Fraser’s record tally.

If Ryf is to emerge on the bike, and Haug on the run, expect the lens of the lead camera to still spend most of the day trained on Great Britain’s Lucy Charles-Barclay. The Londoner with the battle braids has been runner-up in the last three Konas, as she’s lowered a swim course record set in the previous millennium and led deeper into the race each time—holding out until 16 miles in 2019 before Haug swept past.

That was also Charles-Barclay’s last full-distance race. Having also sat out 2020, she’s returned by mixing up not just the distances but sports too, even taking a shot at Olympic qualification over 1,500m in the pool, where she placed second at the British Olympic Trials and hit the Olympic B standard. (But, no, she did not qualify for the Olympics.)

Charles-Barclay finished second at both Challenge Miami and the fast and furious indoor Super League Arena Games in London, and posted a remarkable fifth in a pre-Olympics draft-legal World Triathlon Championship Series race in Leeds to further raise the tantalizing specter of a possible Paris 2024 bid. If a switch is in the cards, she’ll want that elusive Kona title first, giving herself every motivation to stay out front for the whole 140.6 this time around.

On the home front, there could be eight or more U.S. women competing, bringing a range of fresh faces and experience. Hawaii newcomer Skye Moench is currently the highest-ranked U.S. triathlete by the Professional Triathletes Organization—which rates long-course triathletes using an aggregate of results. Heather Jackson, Meredith Kessler, and Linsey Corbin have 26 Ironman World Championship appearances between them. A top five for any of the Stars and Stripes would be an achievement.

Looking to the men’s side, it is all about who—if anyone—can challenge Frodeno. It says much about the German’s dominance

of the distance that he wouldn’t just be the first 40-year-old to crack the Kona code, but in his fifth decade is an overwhelming favorite to do so.

During lockdown, Frodeno completed a charity iron-distance exhibition at home, using his pool, trainer, and treadmill to raise $300,000 for local communities in Girona, Spain, before returning to the race course to school a talented field at the Miami Speedway in March at Challenge Miami.

Among that field was Canadian Lionel Sanders, who later accepted the invitation to go head-to-head at the Tri Battle Royale in July where, on a purpose-designed iron-distance course in southern Germany, Frodeno lowered his own world best mark to an eye-watering 7:27.53. A dogged Sanders came in 15 minutes later, and at the time of going to print was still chasing not just Frodeno, but a Kona spot of his own.

If that battle was more about fast times than real competition, Kona could play out the same. Although Australian Josh Amberger is a regular first-onto-the-pier, Frodeno is unlikely to be far from his feet—and may not give up that front position all day.

The fastest in the saddle could be another Aussie, Cam Wurf.

The bike course record holder (at 4:09) looked like he might become a contender after sharpening up his run legs to finish fifth in 2019, but has since switched modes back to pro cycling with team INEOS Grenadiers. While he might return to rip to the front along the Queen K, Wurf is unlikely to stay there on the marathon.

In contrast, the youthful Sam Long is a strong biker who could sustain a challenge—and, with Tim O'Donnell out after a heart attack back in March, the 25-year-old from Boulder spearheads a wildcard U.S. threat for the men. Long raced well in the heat to win Ironman Coeur d’Alene and will be gunning for the title of top American finisher, although veterans Ben Hoffman, and the evergreen 44-year-old Andy Potts will certainly have something to say about that.

The other two previous Kona winners have qualified for Hawaii in contrasting form. Sebastian Kienle, the 2014 champ, has been beset with Achilles’ injuries, but Patrick Lange, the 2017 and 2018 winner, was back to his fast-running best in Tulsa with a 2:36 marathon. He’s the only man to have gone sub-2:40 in Hawaii on the run, and done it twice; if he’s within 10 minutes of the lead leaving T2, watch out.

Spain’s Javier Gomez, a five-time short-course world champion, may have finally waved goodbye to the Olympics after Tokyo, and will certainly target a better showing than the 11th he achieved on his Kona debut in 2018. Double-Olympic champion Alistair Brownlee also plans to be in Hawaii post-ankle surgery, after injury thwarted his attempt to defend his Olympic title.

Even if neither of those men are able to bring their A game, the biggest threats could still herald from the short-course world—because the Norwegians are coming. Olympic champion Kristian Blummenfelt accepted his invitation from Ironman to race on the Big Island and Ironman 70.3 world champion Gustav Iden is already qualified. Plus, training buddy Casper Stornes is intent on joining them. Time will tell whether results can match such bold ambition. And, with more questions than answers headed into October, there are bound to be a few surprises.

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THE MEN’S

CONTENDERS

JAN FRODENO

SEBASTIAN KIENLE

PATRICK LANGE

Age: 40 | Country: Germany

Age: 37 | Country: Germany

Age: 35 | Country: Germany

WHO HE IS: The three-time Kona champion, 2008 Olympic gold medalist, and two-time 70.3 world champion is widely considered one of the best triathletes of all time.

WHO HE IS: The 2019 third-place finisher did his first triathlon 25 years ago and hasn’t stopped. A perennial podium contender, he’s won the 70.3 world title twice and the Ironman world championship once—but those were both more than six years ago.

WHO HE IS: A part of the German dominance, the über-runner was third in his debut Kona and then followed it up with back-to-back wins in 2017 and 2018, course records, and then became the first man to go under eight hours on the island.

WHY HE COULD WIN: Because it’s hard to bet against the GOAT. Although he’s nursed injuries on and off and kept a relatively low-profile during COVID, he obliterated any question of his fitness in a two-man exhibition-style performance this summer, where he lowered the world’s best mark for 140.6 distance to 7:35:39.

WHY HE MIGHT NOT: Though it may seem otherwise at times, he is a mere mortal— and an aging one. If he wins at the age of 40, he’ll be the first athlete to do so.

And he’s struggled some with injuries over the last few years. Notably, he was off his game in 2017 and missed 2018 because of an injury. Bad days do happen, even for the GOAT. SWIM: BIKE: RUN: OVERALL:

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WHY HE COULD WIN: It’s easy to count Kienle out, but the 2014 Ironman world champion has been counted out before and then came back for an impressive podium finish at the last big dance. He’s also reinvented his run to keep up with the youngsters and could deliver if he minimizes his losses on the swim.

WHY HE MIGHT NOT: When he’s on, he’s on. When he’s not, he’s not. The last two years, he’s been injured, DNF’d at Challenge Daytona, and recently had his first child, so it’s hard to say what’ll happen in October. His last few Kona performances have been: third, DNF, fourth, and second.

It’ll take a big day from him to make it to the top step.

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WHY HE COULD WIN: Did you just read all of his accolades? He has repeatedly been the fastest man on the Kona course, not just for the year but for history—right up until Frodeno broke those records. And, while Lange DNF’d Kona in 2019, he recently proved he’s back on form with a blistering 2:36 run at Ironman Tulsa on his way to a dominating win.

WHY HE MIGHT NOT: He’s never beaten an on-form Frodeno on the Big Island.

The other German record-breaker didn’t start and then infamously walked to the finish the two times Lange won—and their rivalry is significant. He has the run legs, but the bigger bikers will try to drop him before they get to T2.

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PHOTOS: BRAD KAMINSKI(5); MADDIE MEYER/GETTY IMAGES; GREGORY SHAMUS/GETTY IMAGES

We break down who to keep your eye on on the Big Island, and who could home with the biggest title in long-distance triathlon. Stats provided by Thorsten Radde of Trirating.com

PATRIK NILSSON

MATT HANSON

BEN HOFFMAN

Age: 29 | Country: Sweden

Age: 36 | Country: U.S.

Age: 37 | Country: U.S.

WHO HE IS: The Swedish runner blew onto the scene with a few sub-8 wins in 2016, but really caught international attention after he finished runner-up to Frodeno at Ironman Copenhagen in 2018 and scored a top-10 finish on his Kona debut.

WHO HE IS: Hanson did his first Ironman as part of a 50-goal bucket list he made at the age of 16. It turned out he was pretty good and qualified for Kona as an age-grouper on that first try. He ultimately went pro, won a few Ironman titles, quit his job as a professor to train full-time, and has never looked back.

WHO HE IS: With Tim O’Donnell out after a heart attack earlier this year, Hoffman might be the great American hope. Since emerging onto the scene after a relatively successful collegiate career, the Hoff has won seven Ironman titles and has been second and twice fourth at Kona.

WHY HE COULD WIN: Nilsson’s been heralded as the next big European star for a while and has repeatedly proven that he’s capable of blistering performances and contending head-to-head with the best in the world. His recent Ironman Frankfurt victory would suggest he's coming into form at just the right time (he won in 7:59.21 with a sub-2:40 marathon).

WHY HE MIGHT NOT: Prior to his win in Frankfurt, Nilsson had DNF'd his last six Ironman races, which can be a tough psychological burden to carry.

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WHY HE COULD WIN: Hanson surprised a lot of big names with a chase-them-down from behind run at Challenge Daytona in December. He’s shown his ability to run through the field (especially when it’s hot) and there’s nowhere he’d rather do that than the Big Island.

WHY HE MIGHT NOT: While he’s won five Ironmans, he’s never quite been able to make it all come together in Hawaii.

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WILDCARD: SAM LONG

WHY HE COULD WIN: Hoffman knows exactly what it takes to be at the top-level on the day. He was second in 2014 and, after an injury took him out in 2018, he returned to form with a fourth-place finish and a 2:43 run in 2019.

WHY HE MIGHT NOT: He’s struggled at the races we have seen him at in the last year, with a 21st at 70.3 St. George and 38th at Challenge Daytona. He also hasn’t raced a full-distance since Ironman Florida in November 2019, which earned him his Kona spot.

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Age: 25 | Country: U.S.

heat with a win on a suffocatingly hot day at Ironman Coeur d’Alene.

WHO HE IS: The Boulder native picked up triathlon in high school, got serious about it in college, turned pro, and broke through in 2019.

WHY HE MIGHT NOT: While his bike and run are world-class, his swim remains a liability— especially at the championship level.

WHY HE COULD WIN: The ebullient Long was poised to crack into the big time pre-pandemic, but has really taken advantage of the extra year. He showed his capacity to cope with the

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THE WOMEN’S

DANIELA RYF

LUCY CHARLES-BARCLAY

ANNE HAUG

Age: 34 | Country: Switzerland

Age: 27 | Country: Great Britain

Age: 38 | Country: Germany

WHO SHE IS: Arguably one of the most successful female long-distance triathletes of all-time, Ryf has won four Ironman world titles, five 70.3 world titles, and represented Switzerland at both the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games.

WHO SHE IS: A former elite swimmer who famously picked up triathlon as an age-grouper after failing to make the Olympics in swimming, Charles-Barclay hit her stride and exploded onto the pro scene in 2017—just two years after she raced on the Big Island as an amateur.

WHO SHE IS: It’s not just the German men who know how to win on the island. Haug took third in Hawaii in 2018—behind Ryf and Charles-Barclay—and then ran her way to the world championship title in 2019 with a 2:51 marathon. She’s one of the fastest runners in the women’s field right now.

WHY SHE COULD WIN: Because she usually wins. Since her second place in her Kona debut in 2014, she’s been unstoppable.

The one race she’s lost since 2017 was the last Kona event in 2019 where she finished an uncharacteristic 13th—but her return to racing in 2021 has so far been full of her usual dominance.

WHY SHE MIGHT NOT: The Swiss star has said she struggled with injury and burnout during the pandemic, especially after her poor performance at the 2019 World Championship.

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WHY SHE COULD WIN: Since her surprising debut second in 2017, Charles-Barclay has been knocking on the door for the win. Each year she takes the lead at the start and seems to hold onto it for a little longer. This year could be the year she carries it all the way to the tape.

WHY SHE MIGHT NOT: No one questions her swim and bike capabilities, but it’s been the run where she just hasn’t quite been able to hold off the chargers behind.

We haven’t seen her in an Ironman since 2019, but if her recent 1:18 half-marathon and 35-minute 10K off-the-bike are reliable indicators, her run may not be a question anymore.

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WHY SHE COULD WIN: She knows how.

When Ryf faltered last time around, Haug was ready to pounce—and she would have been tough to beat no matter what. She hasn’t raced a full Ironman since then, but she’s looked strong enough at the half-distance and took second at Challenge Daytona even after a penalty.

WHY SHE MIGHT NOT: We don’t know for sure what kind of form she’s in. And while her run is excellent, she’ll need to keep the gap into T2 to a manageable level.

The question is: What’s a manageable amount for her to run down?

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PHOTOS: BRAD KAMINSKI(4); CHRISTIAN PETERSEN/GETTY IMAGES; AL BELLO/GETTY IMAGES; PATRICK MCDERMOTT/GETTY IMAGES

CONTENDERS

SARAH CROWLEY

CARRIE LESTER

HEATHER JACKSON

Age: 38 | Country: Australia

Age: 40 | Country: Australia

Age: 37 | Country: U.S.

WHO SHE IS: A director in corporate finance for Deloitte until just five years ago, Crowley started out chasing the Olympic dream as a junior triathlete, but eventually made the move to long-course and had a huge turnaround in 2016—winning ITU Long Distance Worlds in 2017 and taking third in Kona twice.

WHO SHE IS: After starting out as a sprinter—her best for the 100m dash is 11.71 seconds—Lester stumbled into triathlon as an age-grouper and has been a solid performer on the pro circuit for a decade.

Pre-pandemic, she was on a tear with wins at Ironman France, Mont-Tremblant, and Cozumel. She was eighth in Kona, but she seemed poised for something big.

WHO SHE IS: The smiling assassin started out as an elite hockey player and found triathlon after those Olympic dreams ended. Her positive attitude and aggressive bike-run have earned her the fastest Ironman times by an American and four top-five finishes at Kona.

WHY SHE COULD WIN: The last few years, she’s been on the verge of breaking through and becoming one of the sport’s superstars. In 2019, she was third in Kona and followed it up with a win at Ironman Arizona a month later.

WHY SHE MIGHT NOT: The last time she didn’t race for over six months, she came back and won the Ironman European Championship. This time, the results have been a little more lackluster, with a sixth at Ironman Tulsa this spring and a 10th at 70.3 St. George.

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WHY SHE COULD WIN: Lester moved her name to the top of a short list with her recent win in 100-plus degree temps at Ironman Coeur d’Alene.

WHY SHE MIGHT NOT: She was eighth in 2019 and has been a little hit-or-miss since then: first in Coeur d’Alene, 13th at Challenge Miami. Australians faced strict lockdowns of 2020, so it’ll depend on how much she’s been able to sharpen the sword since then.

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WILDCARD: LISA NORDEN Age: 36 | Country: Sweden WHO SHE IS: The 2012 Olympic silver medalist moved up to long-course—after a brief interlude where she was also the Swedish national time trial and road cycling champion. Though she’s only done one Ironman, she won it: Ironman Lake Placid earlier this summer.

WHY SHE COULD WIN: She could be a sneaky

WHY SHE COULD WIN: Why not? She’s finished as high as third (2016) and was fifth in 2019. She gave gravel racing a shot during the pandemic, so that could mean she comes to Kona stronger and fresher. She was fourth at Ironman Tulsa this spring and second at Lake Placid.

WHY SHE MIGHT NOT: Going into Kona in 2019, she’d had an impressive string of race performances. This year, it’s not quite the same level of results—although that’s largely because there’s not been as much racing. It's hard to say for sure what’ll happen in October.

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contender. She obviously knows how to win and has the chops across multiple distances.

WHY SHE MIGHT NOT: She’s only done one Ironman. It’s hard to make that kind of transition your first time in Kona.

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THE VIEWER’S ILLUSTRATED

ILLUSTRATIONS BY LUCY ENGELMAN

GUIDE TO KONA

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1

~20-25min.

SWIM TURNAROUND Expect good swimmers to use these turns to make accelerations and drop the back-of-the-pack swimmers who they’ll be seeing for the first time.

2

~45-55min.

SWIM EXIT The leaders get to see who they’ll be riding with; those behind learn how much they have to make up.

4

2h45m-3h15m CLIMB TO HAWI This 600-foot climb is an opportunity for strong cyclists to get away from the group they’re in.

3

55m-1h15m FIRST LOOP ON KUAKINI Here is the athletes’ first real glimpse of the crowds, where they can bridge up or get away. Expect big surges.

5

3h10m-3h40m HAWI TURNAROUND This is the first chance since town that athletes can see who is in front of and behind them.

6

4h-5h45m FINAL DESCENT TO KONA You might see some athletes try to put space on chasers or spin out tired legs before the run.

T R IAT HL ET E // S EPT EM BE R/O CTOBE R 202 1

Watching Kona from afar can be confusing. How do you know when the important stuff actually happens?

To help, we’ve put together a map with 11 of the key strategic spots. Plan your day with our handy estimated times based on when the leaders should arrive after the starting gun, and check in to see if your favorite athlete is moving up or down. We’ve also included approximate mile markers to help you get a sense of how far they’ve come and how far they still have to go.

1

5h-6h15m T2 Everyone gets another chance to eye the competition.

Who’s running through transition well and who looks rough?

2

5h30m-6h30m RUN TURNAROUND The excitement of getting off the bike has started to wear off and athletes can see who actually looks good.

3

6h-7h CLIMB UP PALANI This is one of the most significant (though short) hills on the course and a big spot for crowds before the quiet of the Queen K.

4

6h10m-7h45m NATURAL ENERGY LAB Leading into one of the hottest (and mentally toughest) parts of the course, this is where many days are made or broken.

5

7h50m-8h50m ALI’I DRIVE, FINAL STRETCH The culmination of the longest, hardest day in our sport. The energy here is incredible. You don’t want to miss seeing the finish after all that work!

TR I AT H LET E.CO M

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T R IATH L ETE // SEPT EM BE R/O CTO BE R 20 21

LAST SHOT

OLYMPIC SPIRIT, EMBODIED Freshly-crowned Olympic champion Flora Duffy cheers bronze medalist Katie Zaferes across the finish line at the Tokyo Games. The fatigue and emotion floored Britain's Georgia TaylorBrown, who took second place.

PHOTO: TOMMY ZAFERES/WORLD TRIATHLON

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T R I AT HL ET E // S EPT EMB E R/O CTO B ER 20 21

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