Table of contents for April 2021 in 220 Triathlon

“I wasn’t too concerned but the next day things gradually got worse. I ended up paralysed down my right side” SPIRIT OF TRIATHLON I’m writing to let you and your readers know of a little-known condition in the young and fit, namely a stroke. Before October this year I thought they were something that only occurred in the old and unfit. I should mention that I have been a triathlete for a number of years and even at the age of 51 I’m generally fit and active. In 2019 I was even an age-grouper at the World Championships, coming 24th. Anyway in October last year my life changed. After a 2hr bike ride with my son, my legs experienced pins and needles. I ignored it as I thought I was…

KIT Swimwear, goggles, cap, pull buoy, paddles BENEFIT This is aimed at 70.3 athletes and is a strength/race-pace awareness session working below, at and above race pace. Ability-wise we’re looking at an intermediate age-group athlete with a good base fitness and race experience. WARM-UP 200m easy plus 4 x 50m, building speed through each 50. 20secs rest interval MAIN SET This should be done three or four times depending on the athlete. 3 x 200m reps as 200m just below target pace, 200m at target pace and 200m above target pace all with 15secs rest intervals and with 100m easy after each three-rep set. The first set, swim or use a pull buoy; second set pull buoy; third set pull buoy and paddles. This introduces an element of strength under…

Kit Walker’s achievements include winning the Outlaw Triathlon in 2016 and 2017, smashing the course record in 8:39:37. He also represented GB at the 2015 European Long Distance Championships and won the overall age-group race. He secured his pro licence in 2016 and coaches a number of athletes under his Kit Walker Triathlon Coaching platform. Giles Heaman is the current ETU European middle-distance champion (AG 40-44) after crossing the finish line in 4:14:02 in Romania, July 2019. He will now turn his attention to the ITU World Championships held in Canada later in 2021 along with fellow Shark Tom Carter. Ashley Scott Who says sharks can’t run ultras? In January 2020, Ashley Scott secured second place at the Raidlight Arc of Attrition 100-mile winter ultra along the relentless Cornish coastline.…

HUUB DESIGN TT BAG £99.99 The TT (Transition Three) is the most versatile offering here for triathlon, travel and commuting. The latter is down to the rear laptop compartment and shorter 52cm height (it’s 20cm deep and 34cm wide) that makes riding possible, a trio of zipped outer pockets for valuables and a stashable helmet net. And for triathlon race day and travel? The large main compartment is sizeable for shoes and race kit; internal pockets provide space for nutrition; while the three outer mesh pockets do the job for holding water bottles and bananas. It’s easy to wipe the mud of transition from the smooth outer coating, but a protective pouch for eyewear and phones would be a welcome addition both for race day and the crush of the…

Q I’ve read that cleaning your teeth can impair the performance-boosting effects of beetroot. True? A It is. A study several years back showed that mouthwash, like Corsodyl and Eludril, ‘disturbs oral mircroflora’, which diminishes the rise in plasma nitrate concentration. Twelve subjects mouth-rinsed with strong or weak chlorhexidine mouthwash three times a day, as well as ingesting 70ml beetroot juice twice a day for six days. There was also a control group who rinsed with deionized water. Two hours after ingestion, plasma nitrate levels were higher in the water group. Why? It seems that the chlorhexidine neutralised the nitrates before being converted to nitric oxide, which makes exercise feel easier. Q Do you have any mindset tips to improve my race performance? A Simple methods to decrease the mind…

Nordic brand Trimtex has been around for over 40 years and specialises in customised sportswear, expanding into the triathlon market in 2011. Trimtex’s newly released Aero 2.0 Tri Speedsuit claims to be “the world’s fastest tri-suit” and is primed for long-distance summer triathlon racing. Dubbed as a form-fitting “second skin”, the 2.0 has enhanced ventilation and quick-drying qualities, ideal for multisport use. Other features include structured fabric over the shoulders and stripes across the thighs, these are intended to reduce drag in and out of the water. The chamois pad is optimised for longer distances and developed with Elastic Interface. The wind tunnel-tested 2.0 version has added length to the suit and anti-slip cuffs. Trimtex says that improvements to the suit were developed in collaboration with pros, including Olympic silver…

1 @chrisbarry1983 Any prizes for guessing what she wants to be when she’s older? 2 @jase140.6 New watch day (Garmin Fenix 6 Solar)! 3 @berkshiretrisquad Anyone for a morning swim? If the water isn’t frozen, take your wetsuit, not your ice skates! Well done Julia. And don’t forget your Berkshire Triathlon squad swimming hat. 4 @betheardley I’m virtually departing Germany, so I thought it was only suitable to don the dirndl. Not sure how I feel about the chafing, though! Around 54 miles today and then onto Poland. Bring it on! 5 @jsafit Sunday trails. This is possibly my favourite session of the week. 6 @brandonlewis Managed to get both the boys to pause for a few seconds. My triathlon preparation begins for 2021. Good to get a few kilometres…

KIT Bike, indoor trainer, power meter and/or HR monitor BENEFIT This ‘cruise interval’ works at an interval intensity similar to an Olympic-distance tri. An optional variation that challenges you to work harder is to shift between your ‘normal’ gear for this intensity and a higher (harder) gear. Do this on a flat course or a turbo. WARM-UP Building intensity over 10mins MAIN SET Complete 3-5 work intervals of 6-12mins. Each interval is done in Zone 4. Power is the preferred gauge of intensity, but heart rate may be used. If using HR, the timed interval begins as soon as the hard effort begins, not when HR achieves Z4. During this increasing HR time, intensity is estimated on perceived exertion of seven on a 10-high scale. Recover in Zone 1 with…

SIMON WHITFIELD OLYMPIC GAMES, 2000 Relative rookie Whitfield left T2 in 25th place in triathlon’s men’s Olympic debut after a bike collision nearly wiped him out. “The crash was almost the perfect stimulus to fire me up,” he said. The Canadian charged out of transition but, with 2km to go, Germany’s Stefan Vuckovic had control of the race, at one point opening a 20m gap between himself and the chasing Canadian. “I was thinking, silver at the Olympics is awesome,” Whitfield adds, “and then I looked over my shoulder and saw third and fourth stacking up behind and thought that fourth would be terrible.” With the Opera House finish line in sight, Whitfield passed the German to win by 13 secs and enter tri immortality. CAT MORRISON IRONMAN LANZAROTE, 2010…

It might still seem too far away, but the new season will be fast upon us. So for experienced triathletes, who might already be dusting off their kit in anticipation, and for new triathletes, who are eager to take on a new challenge and see what all the fuss is about, this is the time to start working on your base fitness. Whether you’ve been training and racing for the last 20 years or it’s your first season, you should now be planning your training around key races and getting a strategy in place. The best and most successful seasons are achieved after constructive and consistent training, and that all begins with the base phase. This first block or period of training does exactly what it’s says on the tin…

1 The Xtri World Series race Amazigh is set for Ouarzazate, Morocco, on 29 May, with the highpoint of the race being the bike leg in the High Atlas Mountains. 2 The inaugural Ironman 70.3 Egypt will take athletes through the picturesque desert hinterland and marine hotspot of Harghada on 19 November 2021. 3 The renowned Ironman South Africa is set to take place on 21 November 2021, starting off with a 3.8km swim in the iconic Nelson Mandela Bay. 4 Challenge Cape Town is a middle-distance event that sees athletes race at the foot of Table Mountain in November 2021. 5 Ironman 70.3 Marrakesh boasts a swim in Lalla Takerkoust Lake before a bike along the rolling Moroccan hills and a 21.1km run. The 2021 date is currently TBC.…

‘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 £20 SUNDRIED CYCLING £20 With SPF40 protection, these versatile arm warmers aim to retain warmth or protect in the heat. An affordable option, the breathable material claims streamlined qualities with reduced seams and stitching. sundried.com UNDER £30 ZONE3 LAVA £29 These fetching sleeves aim to boost aerodynamics with water-repellent material that can also help with grip on the bike. They’re versatile all-year-round, too, as these light sleeves work to regulate body temperature for all conditions. zone3.com UNDER £50 2XU MCS ELITE COMPRESSION £45 Compression giants 2XU use their MSC technology in these sleeves to map muscle geometry and allow the best compressive fit. These arm guards are optimised for performance and reducing muscle fatigue. 2xu.com…

KIT Run shoes, clothing and heart rate monitor BENEFIT This is a great session to hit numerous physiological areas that are conducive for improved triathlon performance, so oxidative, anaerobic and neuromuscular. This is aimed at sprint-distance triathletes. WARM-UP Building intensity over 10mins MAIN SET The efforts are based on VO2max running pace. Broadly speaking, this is the pace a moderately fit individual can sustain for around 6-8mins. One way to determine your maximum VO2 pace is to warm up, then run for 8mins at your sustainable maximum for 8mins. When it comes to the session, run 103% of your VO2max pace for 30secs or 200m. Walk or jog for 30secs. Do this 10 times. Then run for 5mins at 40% VO2max pace before repeating. COOL-DOWN Easing down over 10mins…

HOKA ONE ONE CARBON X2 £160 Enter Hoka’s newest carbon-plated running shoe Where once bike brands focused their entire marketing strategy on carbon (before it became so commonplace that the PR needle turned to aerodynamics), the same is now happening in running. Cue this second-edition of Hoka’s Carbon X, which faces carbon competition from the likes of Adidas, Brooks and the giants who re-started this carbon craze, Nike (Reebok and Zoot were both experimenting with carbon soles in the 1990s and 2000s, respectively). How much is performance-based versus sellable-based is hard to quantify short of a lab, especially in the X2 as the carbon plate is sandwiched between a soft-foam insole and rubberised-foam outsole that results in a foundation that’s 32mm at the heel and 27mm in the forefoot…

“Testing at speeds of 45km/hr, Canyon say the new top-of-the-range Speedmax CFR model saves eight watts over the outgoing CF SLX” “Every athlete knows that if you stand still, you fall behind,” say Canyon in reference to the development of their overhauled Speedmax triathlon bike. Much like the continually improving pro triathletes they sponsor (see recent Ironman world champions Jan Frodeno and Patrick Lange), Canyon decided it was time to get ahead of the game and set themselves the ‘toughest challenge in triathlon’, namely to make a bike that has had the men’s Ironman world champion sat atop of it for five years in a row even better and even faster. As well as their in-house team, Canyon called upon 11 other brands and experts to perfect the new…

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 FOR RESULTS This is the base phase and race day is a long way off. Be confident in the knowledge that progress will happen. SET OBJECTIVES Set yourself daily, weekly and monthly targets and objectives to help you track your progress and maintain motivation. PREP AND RECOVER RIGHT Warm up and cool down around the main sets. Include stretching and foam-roller work in your cool-down. DON’T SKIP IT No skipping the long stuff. Always remember Tim Don’s favourite refrain – winter miles = summer smiles!…

Having missed the last 20 winters in the UK, I was ready for a damp, grey, cold one, but up until Christmas I was surprised. Not sure if I had rose-tinted glasses on, mind. But now, it’s much colder and winter’s arrived. When I was younger, I’d brave the elements no matter what. A bit like the Brownlee boys. I see them running in shorts and vest in a snow storm. Bloody mental. Must be a Yorkshire thing. They say no bad weather conditions for training, just wrong equipment, and to a degree that’s so true. The only exception is crazy icy conditions that are just crazy for running or biking. I’ve seen you can get heated insoles. With all the Thinsulate and Gore tops, bottoms, over shoes, merino wool…

“I’ve paid more attention to the amount of food that I’m eating since hitting the menopause. My weight ballooned and I made excuses that it was my hormone’s fault. In actual fact, it was me just living off sugar. With more protein and whole foods, my training and energy has improved and my weight is reducing.” Louise, London “Throughout perimenopause, the symptoms killed my training. Now, postmenopausal, I do have the occasional hot flush, but I feel like a new woman. I train in the three sports and complement with yoga, using classes on the Her Sprit app for motivation.” Liz, Bristol…