220 Triathlon

How adventurous are you with your swim training..? While I much prefer open-water to the pool, I have to admit to choosing managed venues (or lifeguarded beaches) to ‘wild’ swimming spots. As part of our support for 220 writer Greg Whyte’s Thames swim world record attempt though, I found myself wading into the murky (literally) topic of river swimming this issue. What resulted was an adventure that took me from the Thames to Devon, to studying sewage overflow maps and visiting some of the prettiest swim spots in the UK. What does this have to do with triathlon? As open-water swimmers, we should all be concerned about how this country takes care of its rivers and coasts. See p42 to find out more and I’d encourage you to get involved…

THE BIG PIC Following the 3.8km swim, a competitor makes a dash out of Lake Thun at Ironman Switzerland on 10 July. The event, which was previously held in Zurich for 23 years until its move in 2021, now takes place in the achingly beautiful town of Thun, which affords spectacular views of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau peaks. Racing in her home event was five-time Ironman world champion Daniela Ryf, who breezed to the finish line with a winning time of 8:59:05, almost 27 minutes clear of the runner-up. A pack of locals keeps a close eye on proceedings at this year’s age-group-only Ironman UK, on Sunday 3 July. The UK’s only official full-lronman event takes place in and around the northern town of Bolton, with a 3.8km swim…

START QUICK SCIENCE Exercise is the best medicine is an adage that triathletes would ascribe to. But what of exercise’s impact on medicine? It’s a topic researchers recently focused on in Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews with interesting results, concluding that “a drug’s dosage may need to be personalised for athletic individuals to ensure they remain effective and nontoxic”. The reasons for this are to do with both short-term physiological changes and long-term fitness adaptations. The former include diversion of blood away from the liver, reduced plasma volume and blunted drug-metabolising activity, all of which can change a drug’s blood concentration. Long term, changes in body composition, a more resilient gastrointestinal tract, greater bile production and enhanced enzyme activity can change how a drug is absorbed and metabolised. What does…

UNDER £7.50 HIGH5 ZERO £7.33 FOR 20 A more affordable hydration option than some, each High5 Zero tablet contains 200mg of sodium, 70mg potassium, 9mg calcium and 56mg magnesium. It also comes with vitamin C (28mg) and lmg green tea for a very minor caffeine hit. highfive.co.uk UNDER £8.50 SIS GO HYDRO £8 FOR 20 Each of these 4.2g tablets has added vitamins and contains just 7kcals. As for electrolytes, sodium is at the 300mg mark, along with l02mg calcium, 8.lmg magnesium and 65mg potassium. scienceinsport.com UNDER £9.50 [FOR 2] POWERBAR 5ELECTRO' £4.50 FOR 10 This one’s for hot races punctuated with stiff climbs thanks to 79mg caffeine per tablet. Sodium’s a standard 250mg, alongside 6omg calcium, 28, 1mg magnesium, 150mg potassium, and 200mg chloride. wiggle.co.uk…

START HOTTEST NEW GEAR From French brand Bollé comes a new road cycling helmet that aims to ‘redefine high performance’. You may have seen it worn by the eight riders of the B&B Hotels-KTM team at the Tour de France this summer. That’s because the new Avio is said to prioritise lightness, ventilation and aerodynamics and be ideal for climbs and fast descents. Developed with weight savings in mind, the 234g lid aims to provide a weightless feel when riding. In terms of aerodynamics, the helmet’s rear Kamm Tail and AVID Aero Progressive EPS are designed to direct airflow and reduce drag, while front and back ventilation channels minimise pressure at the rear of the helmet and improve air circulation. The Avio’s also constructed with that all-important MIPS technology (multidirectional…

MEET BEN Ben Turnbull, 14, lives in Hartlepool with his triathlon coach dad Matt, his mum Kelly and older brother Dylan, 16. A triathlete since "before I can remember", Ben's also a keen gymgoer and his favourite subjects at school are maths and PE (“obviously"). I honestly can’t even remember how I got into triathlon. It’s just what we’ve always done [Ben’s dad is also a triathlete and has raced for GB as an age-grouper], I always wanted to do gymnastics and karate, but then I went to a swimming gala and got into that. The record was mainly inspired from when my dad did a big challenge [seven iron-distance triathlons in seven days in 2017], then it was also to do with these community pledges we did at school.…