Table of contents for February 2021 in 220 Triathlon

The case for meticulous recovery strategies was made recently by researchers comparing biochemical markers after the Norseman Extreme and Oslo Olympic triathlons. The team collected blood samples from 98 Norseman and 15 Oslo athletes before, immediately after and the day following both races. The Norseman is known as one of the most brutal triathlons around – and the results highlighted just how brutal – with Norseman athletes exhibiting clinically high levels of: white blood cells, involved in immunity; creatine kinase, a sign of inflammation; and NT-pro BNP, a peptide released when the walls of the heart are stretched. The Oslo group showed raised levels in each but nowhere near as significant. The takeaway? That rest-and-repair ideas like gentle, active training the following day, sufficient macronutrients and micronutrients, compression socks and…

The Christmas and New Year break should provide a great opportunity to assess your fitness, recalibrate your triathlon goals, and then swim, bike and run for the stars. But if you’re feeling a little hazy over what to expect for 2021, unsure where you’re headed and how to get started, you won’t be alone. From getting the cornerstones in place for your season to planning an adaptable approach for what’s to come, we’ve turned to a leading coach, world champion triathlete, nutritionist and sports psychologist to provide a little combined swim, bike and run wisdom to help you through. The advice is applicable for all abilities, so will ensure PBs all over the land… THE COACH “HAVING HARD TRIATHLON GOALS IS GOOD BUT EXERCISING WITHOUT A FOCUS JUST FOR MIND…

Creatine, sodium bicarbonate, beta-alanine and, of course, caffeine. All supplements that have a pretty solid base of evidence behind their use. But what about the new wave of performance-enhancing supplements growing in popularity? Are they grounded in solid science or marketing make-believe? We picked five of the most credible to research, interview, assess and advise. It’s time to look at ketones, collagen, menthol and probiotics in more detail – though let’s start with a few droplets of CBD… LEGAL HIGH? CBD OILS INVESTIGATED “Pain relief and sleep are two mooted reasons to take CBD. We showed that out of 500 rugby league players, 26% of them used it” In September 2019, USADA banned triathlete Lauren Goss for six months after testing positive for THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), the psychoactive agent found in…

ELLIOT SMALES 26,LEEDS His 8:01 finish at Ironman Barcelona last year was the fastest-ever Ironman debut by a Brit, and it built on a stellar 2018 season on the domestic scene when he won 70.3 titles at Staffs, Dun Laoghaire and Weymouth. JACK WILLIS 23,LEEDS Training as part of Leeds Triathlon Centre, his last year as an under-23 athlete was largely spiked by Covid. A nascent non-drafting career, but had the fastest run of the day and showed bags of potential in finishing 2secs behind Goodwin for third place at Helvellyn.…

TRI-SUITS Comfort is key for all levels, so consider pads, grippers and material quality. Full-length zippers are also handy for mid-race toilet stops. 2XU Perform Full £130 Performs very well on both the bike and run thanks to top-quality fabrics. Issue 378 2xu.com TRI-FIT Evo £179 Comfort, aerodynamics and features… a standout suit for all distances. Issue 378 tri-fitathletic.com ZONE3 Lava Short Sleeve £190 Very comfortable woven fabrics and excellent temperature control. Issue 378 zone3.co.uk LOUIS GARNEAU Aero Tri Suit £287.90 Aero and comfort benefits combine in a fantastic iron suit. Issue 376 garneau.com ENDURA QDC D2Z £349.99 The fastest suit on test in the wind tunnel, yet with comfort and style. Issue 376 endurasport.com TRIATHLON WETSUITS These hit a range of abilities. Newcomers will look for greater buoyancy, especially…

BE PATIENT This is especially true for lower-intensity workouts, as it takes time for these to change performance. They must be done easily to really tap into that fat-burning potential. KEEP FUEL TO A MINIMUM During fat-burning sessions you don’t need extra calories from gels. Rely on water or an electrolyte fluid, as our fat stores will get us through 3-4hrs of low-intensity training. MONITOR WEIGHT LOSS Keep a record of your weight on a weekly basis and make notes on your performances. Watch out for feeling low on energy if you’ve lost significant weight. REFUEL ACCORDINGLY Take refuelling seriously and have protein-based products ready for your post-workout meal. Aim to eat within 30mins of training, even if it’s a supplement to last until meal time.…

Are there benefits of using lightweight run shoes come the race season? Research from Australia suggests so. Sixty-one runners gradually increased the amount of running performed in either a race shoe or a conventional shoe over six weeks until they’d reached around 35% of normal weekly run mileage in either shoe. The results showed that the minimalist shoe group improved 5km run time-trial performance by an additional 21.1secs over the conventional shoe group, as well as improving run economy. Key to the improvement was that 35% benchmark with previous studies reporting increased lower limb pain and injury risk for runners transitioning to more than 50% of weekly running in minimalist shoes over 12 weeks. Also note that the runners weighed up to 85kg, countering minimalist critic claims that racing shoes…

Wahoo, the American crew behind the KickR turbo trainer, has entered the multisport watch market with its Elemnt Rival GPS watch. It’s heavily aimed at triathletes thanks to Wahoo’s Touchless Transition technology, which can seamlessly switch from swim to ride to run without the athlete having to touch their watch. The Elemnt Rival calculates factors like your body position to determine the triathlon leg you’re on. Rather niftily – albeit it’s an extra outlay – this data can also sync to Wahoo’s Elemnt bike computer for easier viewing on two wheels. We’ve received one for review next issue and it looks smart, the ceramic bezel and backlight providing a stylish aesthetic. It uses five buttons rather than touchscreen, which is fine in our books, especially for freezing winter rides. But…

“I doff my cap to race organisers up and down the country who’ve held, postponed or had to cancel their events” A HAPPIER 2021 As we near the end of what will prove the most unforgettable of forgettable race seasons, I doff my triathlon cap to race organisers up and down the country who’ve either held, postponed or had to cancel their events. A friend of mine completed the Outlaw X and couldn’t praise the team there more for their professionalism and adherence to stringent Covid rules. On paper, what could have been a rather sterile day of racing turned out to be absolutely mega. While this year’s been tough on all of us, the lack of races failing to satisfy our competitive urges, I really do feel for the…

Philip Hatzis is the head coach and founder of the Tri Training Harder online and face-to-face coaching outfit based in Oxfordshire. Helen Jenkins is a two-time ITU world champion and a three-time Olympian. She’s just launched her new coaching business, Jinx Sport. Emily Kier is a sports biomedicine and nutrition expert, and the co-founder of Twice the Health. She is an experiened nutrition expert. Hannah Brooks is a performance psychologist from the English Institute of Sports who works for British Triathlon.…

British triathlon’s blessed with some of the finest long-course athletes in the world. On the men’s side, we have the likes of Ironman record holder Tim Don and David McNamee, twice third at the Ironman World Champs. On the women’s side, we have three-time Hawaii runner-up Lucy Charles, while Rachel Joyce has two Hawaii runner-up spots to her name. They’re fantastic athletes and their shadows loom large over up-and-coming British athletes. But, as you’ll discover, there are a band of triathletes ready to step out into the light and join – if not eclipse – them on the world stage. They’re hungry, fit, and, certainly in the case of Tom Davis and George Goodwin (both under 25), defying the historic dogma that to challenge at Ironman, you needed to have…

NURVV RUN £249.99 Will the Nurvv shed light on your running technique? Just when you thought every metric-measuring tri tool had been invented, along strides this cutting-edge insole from Nurvv, designed to give you next level of insight into your run technique. And, despite initial scepticism, we were impressed. This might be one wearable that stands the test of time. Nurvv’s USP is two smart insoles loaded with 16 sensors apiece. They fit between your current insole and the sole of the shoe. Each features a housing that clips onto your foot entry where a further removable sensor sits, which sends all the data to your phone. We’re not huge fans of clipping sensors to your shoe – in fact, aside from triathlon laces, we generally avoid it –…

Huge in America and with the potential for major growth this side of the pond. No, we’re not talking about the NFL or chlorinated chicken. We’re talking gravel bikes, the second biggest growth market in UK bike purchases after e-bikes. Some of us have long dismissed gravel bikes as a jack of all trades, master of none, content with our road bike (with clip-on tri-bars), tri-specific number, and/or MTB for training and racing. And yet, given that triathletes often subscribe to the N+1 rule when it comes to bikes, should a gravel machine be your next two-wheeled purchase? Alternatively, if you only have room for one steed in your life, do gravel bikes tick the road and trail options well enough to perform both roles? With the first gravel-bike triathlons…

JOHN WOOD Master of the Water An award-winning multisport coach of 10 years, John is also a former international swimmer. DERMOTT HAYES Bike Strength Dermott has been coaching for 15 years, is head coach at Be Endurance and the organiser of the Storm the Castle duathlon. JOEL ENOCH Run Long, Run Safe Joel is a sports scientist and triathlon coach who’s helped athletes of all abilities reach their multisport goals. JAMES WITTS Exhale to Victory Freelance writer and former 220 editor James specialises in sports science and endurance.…

1 Ironman finally arrives for its debut Russian event in 2021 with Ironman70.3St Petersburg. The event takes place in the glittering cultural centre of the nation on 1 August 2021, kicking off with a reservoir swim. 2 A day after 2021’s Ironman Tallinn comes Ironman70.3 Tallinn on 8 August, sharing the same course and stunning picture-postcard host city as its full-distance sibling. 3 A week later in the east of the country is TriathlonEstonia. Set in Kuremaa, the race offers a full iron-distance, half iron, Olympic and sprint options, and boasts one of Europe’s cheapest Iron-distance entry fees (it was €68 in 2020!). 4 Both Ironman Kazakhstan and Ironman70.3 Astana take place in Nur Sultan, Kazakhstan, on 15 August, with a river swim and flat bike and run courses.…

‘A’-RACE The most important race of your season AGE-GROUPER Non-pro triathlete (most of us!) AEROBIC Aerobic exercise involves or improves oxygen consumption by the body ANAEROBIC How much energy your body can produce without using oxygen BILATERAL BREATHING Breathing every 3 strokes when swimming BONKING Running out of energy mid-race or training session BRICK SESSION When you ‘brick’ two disciplines together, e.g. bike & run CARB-LOADING Eating a carb-heavy meal prior to a race to boost energy CATCH The part of the swim stroke where you pull on the water DNS/DNF/DQ Did not start/Did not finish/ Disqualified DRAFTING Hitching a ride on someone else’s slipstream in the bike or swim DUATHLON Usually a run/bike/run format ELITE Another word for a ‘pro’ – e.g. the Brownlees HIT High-intensity training HRMAX Your…

UNDER £100 ZONE3 HYBRID PUFFA QUILTED £85 The Zone3 Puffa can be used for everyday warmth and training use due to breathable side panels. There’s a windproof shell material on the front and back, and a toasty hood. Three pockets add to the chilly race morning appeal. zone3. UNDER £150 HUUB WINTER PUFFER £129.99 Huub target this at spectating, travel and transition prep, with the synthetic lining providing warmth. There are plenty of pockets for essentials, and there’s an adjustable hood for extra weather protection. huubdesign.com UNDER £250 CDC AMELIE £206 Many packable jackets can feel insubstantial: not so with Café du Cycliste’s Amélie. Designed for pre- or post-race warmth and colder adventure days, it stuffs away into a zippy pocket, yet unpacks to cocoon you in a warm, cosy…

‘I wouldn’t call myself a triathlete but I did qualify for Hawaii” My challenge consisted of a 38km swim around the perimeter of Lake Annecy, a 330km bike that followed the route of the Tour du Mont Blanc, featuring 9,000m of climbing, before finishing with the 171km UTMB (Ultra Trail Mont Blanc), which stacked up another 10,000m of climbing, this time on foot. I did this challenge to promote awareness of ‘endometriosis’. It impacts one in 10 UK women and affects the lining of the womb, resulting in heavy periods and fatigue. You can manage it with drugs or opt for keyhole surgery, which is what I’ve had. It grows back, though, so it’s a continuous thing. I also used my challenge as a platform to tell women to attend…

01 @reallyaveragetriathlete Took a bit of effort to go outside. It was cold and had just started raining, but sometimes you get a reward for making the effort. 02 @gorillas.and.butterflies @joepbischoff finishing his first Ironman in Hamburg in 11hrs. Looking forward to racing again next season! 03 @ashleydelotz Coffee in the shower after a cold, wet ride... This was taken after my four-hour ride on Saturday, which was forecast to be nice but ended up being pretty grim! That said, it was weirdly satisfying. 04 @pseymour75 Still not too old to enjoy playing in the mud (not that I had a choice and lost a shoe at one point!). 05 goran76 Muddy but fun 12km around the forest and up to Copt Hall. Only downer was a calf pull with…

1 Dip your toe in cold-water swimming (with friends). 2 Buy some new kit for a pep up. 3 Have a warm (and waterproof) jacket, gloves and overshoes. 4 Get a bike fit. 5 Try biking off-road or on the trainer. 6 Develop a 10min home circuit session for core stability. 7 Grab some spikes and give cross-country a go. 8 Ask for training chums and fix weekly slots. 9 Clean up your sleep habits by no late-in-the-day coffees and banning phones from the bedroom. 10 Record your training in a purposeful way.…

SIMONE MITCHELL 33, WINCHESTER Won Ironman Wales last year in her first pro season. It backed up a 2018 that saw her set records at the Outlaw and finish second woman at Ironman Lanzarote despite being an age-grouper. RUTH ASTLE 31, LONDON Last year’s overall age-group champion in both the Ironman World Championship and Challenge Roth, Astle (formerly Purbrook) swapped life in the City to make the step up to the pro side. After an eighth at Western Australia on debut, she picked up the pace with fourth place at Ironman Florida.…

KOMOOT Komoot’s a regular of round-the-world record-holder Mark Beaumont, highlighting its adventurous appeal. Existing routes, creating your own, turn-by-turn navigation – it’s all here and more, and is arguably the most intuitive routing app on the market. https://www.komoot.com/discover KING ALFRED’S WAY ROUTE GUIDE This comprehensive guide details Cycling UK’s newest off-road trail – a 350km circular adventure route around the heart of historic Wessex. Includes full route mapped on 1:50,000 ordnance surveymaps. https://shop.cyclinguk.org/ kingalfreds-way-route-guide ALTURA VORTEX 2 A waterproof seatpack is a must for backpacking. This one comes in at 12 litres so there’s plenty of storage, while the neat and durable strapping system keeps everything clamped in place. https://www.zyrofisher.co.uk/ products/detail/ALBV2S VELODRY HANDLEBAR BAG This stylish 10-litre bag conveniently straps onto your handlebars for convenient storage. The waterproof bag comes…

Finding your optimal race weight and reaching that stage is a balancing act that all triathletes should take time to focus on. Every athlete will have their own ideal race weight, which may differ depending on the race distance they’re focusing on. Longer-distance athletes, for example, may feel that carrying a few extra pounds provides them with the necessary calories for 10hrs-plus of racing, while short-course triathletes will want to reduce body fat as much – and as safely – as possible. Arriving at race weight will be a case of trial and error; only through experiencing how you perform at a certain weight will it give you the knowledge to know what your golden figure is. So you need to monitor your weight throughout the eight weeks of this…

I hear triathlon can make you brainier. Is that correct? It is. Professor Heikki Kainulainen had rodents undertake an eight-week programme and discovered that neurogenesis – essentially an increase in brain cells – doubled when the rats scampered along at moderate intensity. This was prevalent in the hippocampus part of the brain, which is linked to memory and learning. How important is protein when seeking leaner muscle mass? Recent research suggests that consuming a high-protein diet in search of lean body mass is essential to do so without sacrificing strength. A team from McMasters University in Canada put two groups of athletes through six weeks of resistance exercise and high-intensity intervals. Both groups consumed 40% fewer calories than their dietary needs (33cals per kg bodyweight) with one group ingesting 2.4g/kg…

“It was a big wakeup call when I lost my periods. I was forced to reduce training, while upping food intake. Fortunately, my fertility wasn’t impacted as I now have two beautiful children.” Anon, Brighton “I believed that being thinner would make me faster. Having an eating disorder has taken over my life. I have osteopenia and am no longer vegan to try and improve my bone density.” Anon, Her Spirit “I was heavily fatigued, so my coach encouraged me to include more snacks around training. My energy levels have soared and so has my running speed!” Cheryl, Sussex…