Table of contents for March 2020 in 220 Triathlon

1 From Amazon comes the Eono Essentials Men’s Softshell Jacket. It’s windproof, has an adjustable hood, elasticated hem, drawcord and zipped hand and chest pockets, all for just £25.99. 2 Soothing your wintertime aches and pains is the Ultimate Performance Foam Roller (£19.99), a solid, lightweight (660g) and portable roller that’ll improve flexibility and core strength. 3 Boasting two white-light brightness settings, the 60-lumen Lomo Peak head torch (£6) is a versatile kit-cupboard essential for running in low-level light on roads and trails. It takes AAA batteries, but still only weighs in at 85g. 4 The key temperature-regulating element in this Kalenji Run Warm+ top (£19.99) from Decathlon is the high collar, which will keep you toasty for the first 1-2km of your run, then can be rolled down once…

What I sometimes say to people is that I don’t really want to relive the accident again because it was a big trauma for two days, but it was afterwards that I really started living my life. It developed me as a person, and it opened my eyes to how I want to live my life. It was intense at the time, but in the end it brought me a lot of things. [In 2014, Els, then 24, was backpacking solo around Indonesia after finishing a medical internship in Bali when the small boat she was travelling on sank in the middle of the night with no means to raise the alarm. After an eight-hour swim to the closest island, Els and another passenger were eventually rescued.] I still have…

OUTSOLE The bottom of the shoe, usually made out of blown rubber and featuring all manner of tread patterns to provide grip. MIDSOLE Located inbetween the outsole and the insole, this is where manufacturers will add most of their cushioning technology. UPPER The upper covers the top of your foot, and should be breathable while offering plenty of support and flexibility. Distal weight. Heard of it? Broadly, this is the pendulum weight of your lower limb. The heavier the weight hanging from your knee – in this case, your shoe – the greater force required to get it moving. Therefore, a strong argument for choosing lightweight racers over your slightly heavier training shoes. According to a study by former Nike coach Jack Daniels, adding 100g to a shoe increases the…

RIM Comprising of the upper and outer edge, race wheel rims will have more depth (50mm and more) than training wheels for wind-cheating benefits. SPOKES A number of rods threaded from the hub to the rim that give the wheel tensile strength. HUB The central part of the wheel, consisting of the axle, bearings and a hub shell to which spokes are attached. Want to go faster on the bike? Then some carbon wheels with deeper rims to slice through wind are one of the most proven investments you can make. While your legs are the most important piece of the puzzle in the quest for speed, when we’re talking about time you can save using deep rims compared to standard training wheels over an hour, we’re often dealing in…

A 2018 study reported that among Australian triathletes 50% took part in strength training, but only 40% of those athletes completed ‘heavy’ strength training, with females representing the minority of those. On the flip side, I know of a female British elite athlete who can squat nearly two times her bodyweight and run a sub-16min 5km! Strength then, is no barrier to running quickly and could increase power and stride length, as well as improve balance, core control and reduce injury risk. However, some principles are important: • Heavy lifting and aerobic running stimulate opposing adaptive systems, so separate strength and aerobic work as much as possible. • If you train more than once in a day, consider doing leg and core work on swim days and upper and core…

1 The Ultra Tri Series is set for Durban on South Africa’s east coast on 1 March, with both sprint- and middle-distance races on offer.ultratri.co.za 2 A classic on the M-Dot calendar is Ironman South Africa, and the 226km event returns to Port Elizabeth on the Rainbow Nation’s southern coast on 29 March.ironman.com 3 The off-road ATU Cross Triathlon African Championships will arrive in the Cradle of Humankind, South Africa, on 26 April.triathlon.org 4 The Amazigh Triathlonis the Xtri series’ first venture into Africa, and will be held in Ouarzazate, South Morocco, on 31 October.amazighxtri.com…

WETSUITS Build quality, comfort, flexibility and insulation – the four key factors when choosing your neoprene. Spend more and the quality for each factor tends to increase. ZOOT Wave 1 £220 Solid construction, warm and buoyant. Love the chest panels, too. Issue 366 zootsports.co.uk ORCA Equip £239 Peerless comfort and flexibility for the price. Great for frugal swimmers. Issue 366 orca.com ROKA Maverick Comp III £325 Superior arm flexibility and reach, plus assured buouyancy. Issue 365 roka.com AQUA SPHERE Racer 2.0 £399.99 Striking graphics, a decent price and a superior build – winning! Issue 365 aquasphereswim.com/uk YONDA Ghost 2 £549 A highly comfortable and superb all-rounder wetsuit. Issue 364 yondasports.com ENERGY GELS Carb and caffeine content, added extras (such as electrolytes and salts), digestability, and, of course, flavour and texture…

TRI ON A BUDGET SPECIAL Look out for our ‘Budget Buys’ badge throughout the issue for our top bargainous tips for an easier, cheaper and more accessible way into tri. BRUNTY’S PREDICTIONS Martyn ‘Mystic Meg’ Brunt looks to the stars on p27 to see what challenges lie ahead for triathletes in the year 2020. POST-TRAINING SUPPERS We’ve got your evening meals covered with these four, super speedy and ultra delicious recipes, ideal for those after-sesh munchies. See p85.…

ROCKRIDER XC 500 £1,099 Whenever frugal friends ask us for bike recommendations, we send them towards Decathlon’s range of Triban road and Rockrider trail bikes. This cross-country Rockrider hardtail fits the bill as a dream off-road triathlon bike for more serious athletes on a budget, however, with Rockshox Reba RL front suspension, compatibility with three different wheel sizes (27.5in, 27.5in Plus and 29in) and a SRAM Eagle GX drivetrain. Overall weight is a lean 11.5kg and there’s a lifetime warranty on the alu frame. decathlon.co.uk…

It’s a little known fact that I have powers. Sadly none of them relate to swimming, cycling or running, but you can’t have everything. No, my powers have to do with seeing into the future, making unerringly accurate predictions about the triathlon year ahead. As powers go, I admit this is fairly useless and I’d obviously prefer it if my soothsaying extended to predicting the outcome of horse races or selecting six National Lottery winning numbers, but psychic beggars can’t be choosers. I should say that I’m naturally gifted when it comes to my multisport mysticism and I need no clairvoyant training aids to assist me with my predictions, which is just as well because the only crystal balls I’ve ever had are the ones I got when I slipped…

1 ENJOY IT Remember why you’re doing it, but never take it too seriously. 2 PRACTISE NUTRITION I’ve reached the point where it’s quite nailed down. I have an SIS beta fuel after breakfast, a gel before the swim, a set number on the bike, and then every 20-25 mins on the run. i mainly drink to thirst, and I have salt tabs in hot races. 3 EMBRACE THE DARK There are always going to be moments you don’t feel great, or it feels tough. Recognise it will happen and find a way of getting through. Think of your favourite song of the moment. Right now, mine is Higher Love – the Kygo version. 4 BE PATIENT It’s a long race and lots of things happen, but an Ironman is…

Lightweight race shoes deliver a psychological as well as physical surge in performance. First, pick a bright, vivid colour. Studies show this forges the mentality that you’re fast (even if you can’t match it physically!). But before purchasing your next pair of speed shoes, also bear the following in mind… • Consider race distance. If your goal event’s an Ironman, arguably you need greater cushioning than a sub-20min 5km sprinter needs. • Sweating expands your feet so it’s prescient to try out prospective new shoes in the afternoon. • Don’t leave your lightweights collecting dust until race day. Ensure you acclimatise to them in training first. You can even start on a softer, more forgiving surface like grass. Gradually increase the amount of time you wear them, from part of one weekly…

So many people have issues with their swimming. Whether it’s learning to swim or trying to get quicker, there are many facets and focus points that you can work on. The good thing is that if you can give yourself a solid foundation, a stable base, everything else becomes a little bit easier. That foundation for your swim stroke is a good body position. Other efforts in your swim almost become worthless if you don’t get your position correct – because breathing will be harder, you’ll be creating more resistance against the water (meaning you’ll have to work harder), and you won’t be in a position to pull and kick as efficiently as possible. Good body position relies on keeping your spine as long as possible, keeping your neck neutral…

DERMOTT HAYES Brick session benefits Cycling writer Nik is a competitive multisporter who’s competed for Team GB in duathlon. MATT BAIRD Cycle to Work Scheme 220features editor Matt has been with the brand for over 10 years and is our go-to man for all things kit-related. STEPHEN SMITH Loss of appetite in training Stephen is a sports nutritionist, sports science researcher, and is completing a PhD in GI health and exercise. DR NICKY KEAY Male menopause Nicky is honorary research fellow in the Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences at the University of Durham.…

We take gear testing seriously – you need to know that the kit you buy will help you reach your goals in all three disciplines and work as hard as you on race day. Our test team is made up of experienced triathletes, cyclists and runners who test each product that appears in 220 to the max during training and racing, rating it honestly for performance and value. JACK SEXTY A triathlete since blowing his student loan on a bike, sub-2hr Olympic athlete Jack moved to Ironman at Lanzarote in 2016. Tri on a budget tip “Buy tri shorts instead separate swim and run shorts as you can use them for all three sports.” HELEN WEBSTER 220’s editor made the move from marathons to tri seven years ago. Happiest when…

Suffering from flavour fatigue? The answer to your sugary prayers might come from a recent study by researchers at the University of Illinois, who’ve suggested that potato is as effective as gels for boosting athletic performance. The team, led by professor Nicholas Burd, recruited a dozen cyclists who were assigned to one of three groups, fuelled by either water, energy gels or a potato purée. “We found no difference between the performance of the cyclists who consumed 60g of carbohydrates from either the commercial energy gel or the potato purée.” Burd said. The physiological parameters were similar, too, with blood-glucose concentrations and heart rate rising to a similar degree. Arguably, that’s not surprising as though potato is a starchy vegetable, many have a high GI rating, meaning they rapidly increase…

DISHEARTENING BEHAVIOUR I thought I’d share a recent, rather disheartening experience at a local pool that I hope will encourage others to be a little more considerate to newbies. On arrival, I saw no indicators of the lane speeds so picked a relatively quiet lane so as not to annoy anyone faster than me. Much to my regret! I’d obviously picked the fast lane, a lane with egos who took great pleasure at the end of one length telling me loudly to ‘move to the far lane with the slowest swimmers’. Part of me just wanted to leave and part of me wanted to give them a piece of my mind, but with so many people now watching I sheepishly did as I was told. As it transpired, I ended…

1. Look after myself better by stretching (see p114), recovering properly, and making voodoo dolls of my enemies. 2. Stop swearing at headwinds, they never listen. 3. Find the source of ‘the smell’. 4. Start going to the gym, and then stop. 5. Stop celebrating when I manage to pee while cycling. 6. Learn to laugh off criticism in a way that makes the critic scared. 7. Remove the sticker covering the engine warning light on my car. 8. Beat my dog Bertie at running. 9. Put money IN to my savings account. 10. Admit to my wife she’s right.…

LOMO PRIME WETSUIT £100 Is the latest Lomo the ultimate entry-level wetsuit for tri? With the ability to make or break an athlete’s race, wetsuits are a key piece of tri kit that we’d rarely recommend skimping on and dipping under the £100 barrier. A regular exception to this rule is Glasgow-based Lomo, who have largely scored well for their wetsuits since their 2011 debut on these pages. Back then, direct sellers such as Xterra Wetsuits were a rarity, but that landscape has fundamentally shifted. While the lack of ability to test wetsuits for sizing before buying is still a negative of online purchasing (Lomo do have a shop in Glasgow), the fiscal benefits to the consumer of cutting out the middleman are clear, as evidenced in Lomo’s startling value.…

Thankfully, the flash exteriors seen here aren’t compensating for inferior technologies below. In all honesty, there isn’t a bad shoe here, although some clearly tick the race-speed box with more elan than others. The Saucony Type A9 has pure thoroughbred stamped all over it. It’s a racer in the best tradition, coming in as the only shoe that dips beneath the 200g mark. Impressively, there’s enough cushioning not to leave your legs in tatters for days afterwards. We’d still only recommend them for short-course racing, though. Special mentions to On’s Cloudflow, which continues the Swiss manufacturer’s mastering of energy-rebound lugs, and Topo Athletic’s Fli-Lyte 3 that’s much more than its moderate looks. But the title of best lightweight racer on test goes to New Balance’s 1500T2 BOA. Yes, it’s the…

Big-gear work should be a winter-training staple for all triathletes, especially if you come from a running or swimming background and find that your strength on the bike is a limiter. Specificity – meaning that if you want to improve a particular activity you need to spend more training time doing it – is one of the golden rules of conditioning. Although there’s no doubt that there are proven performance, injury prevention and health benefits to strength work in the gym, for cycling-specific strengthening, a dose of big gear/ low cadence grinding is hard to beat. It forces you to engage all of your key cycling muscle groups to keep your pedals turning, it necessitates a balanced, all-round pedal stroke and it demands a strong, stable platform from your core…

Can exercise help hot flushes? While there’s no medical evidence that exercise can reduce the frequency of hot flushes, it can certainly help ease stress, which is a trigger. Regular exercise will also help keep your body in tip-top condition, and maintaining a healthy weight and staying fit and strong is also recommended to relieve symptoms. What is plantar fibroma and how is it treated? Plantar fibroma is a benign lump that forms on the plantar fascia – the fibrous band of tissue that connects your heel bone to your toes. Cause is not well understood, although trauma could be one. Treatments for painful cases include physical therapy – strength and stretching exercises – or using orthotic devices to support your arch. Steroid injections can reduce pain and inflammation. Surgery…

‘A’-RACE The most important race of your season AGE-GROUPER Non-pro triathlete (most of us!) AEROBIC Aerobic exercise involves or improves oxygen consumption by the body ANAEROBIC How much energy your body can produce without using oxygen AQUABIKE Race with just swim and bike elements, no run BILATERAL BREATHING Breathing every 3 strokes when swimming BIOMECHANICS The forces applied to your body during exercise BONKING Running out of energy mid-race or training session BRICK SESSION When you ‘brick’ two disciplines together, e.g. bike & run CADENCE Pedal rate on bike, in revolutions per minute (rpm) CARB-LOADING Eating a carb-heavy meal prior to a race to boost energy CATCH The part of the swim stroke where you pull on the water CORE STRENGTH Development of the stomach and lower back area in…