Table of contents for May 2021 in 220 Triathlon

LAKES Lake swimming is probably the simplest and easiest of the four types of open-water swim to do, because they’re, relatively, smaller and more enclosed. You can almost think of them as large swimming pools if that helps with your nerves. Unless you choose a large lake swim (such as the Great North Swim in Lake Windermere) then you’re not likely to get too much by way of currents or tidal movement; this makes lakes a good place to start open-water swimming. Chances are that you can walk into the water from a beach or a ramp – so this’ll help you adjust to the cold gradually as well as allowing any other racers to move by you at their own speed. There may even be parts shallow enough that…

“To maximise your cycling potential, eat well, train well and sleep well” What I love about cycling is probably exactly what you love about cycling. It’s going full gas and burying myself. It’s testing my physical capabilities, smashing my PB and getting the better of my mates. None of that comes easy, but what you need to do to achieve it is pretty simple. To maximise your cycling and triathlon potential, eat well, train well and sleep well. Eating the right stuff is key because it ensures your body has the right levels of all nutrients, not just for those big race days, but for ordinary week-in, week-out training sessions, too. Without correct nutrition, your body won’t be able to make the most of those training sessions and, when it…

INGREDIENTS  Makes 24 x 35g (11/2 oz) bars (snack-size) 400g (14oz) chickpeas, strained 250g (9oz) Medjool dates 120g (4oz) crunchy nut butter 90g (31/2 oz) coconut oil, melted 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Pinch of sea salt 50g (2oz) cocoa powder 2 teaspoons good-quality instant coffee (optional) 30g (11/4 oz) cocoa nibs 60 g (21/2oz) walnuts METHOD 1 Fit a food processor with the paddle attachment and into the bowl add the chickpeas, dates, nut butter, coconut oil, vanilla extract and salt. Beat until fairly smooth. 2 Gradually add the cocoa powder, coffee (if using) and the cocoa nibs until the mixture forms a paste. 3 Finally, add the walnuts and whizz for 20secs max to ensure the texture of the nuts is retained. 4 Transfer the mixture to a 22…

It was a mixed bag with the women’s vested tri suits this year, some wowing with innovation and comfort-driven design while others fell a little short. Trimtex and 2XU dazzled with their stylish lines and ample easy-access pockets, though we were disappointed with the quality in some areas. We liked the lightweight, seamless feel of the Tenola and Castelli for shorter distances; the former promising some funky tan-lines. Coming top for comfort would have to be the Castelli, though – the well-thought out suit and luxurious leg grippers had us at ‘laser-cut’. As an all-rounder, though, the Speedo was hard to beat. The flattering style, with breathable mesh panels and silver-treated chamois cinched it for us. In this women’s test, we \were particularly interested in the level of bra support…

Increasing your cadence – how many times you stride each minute – is a proven way to become a more efficient triathlete, and thanks to training-tool advancements, watches, such  as the Garmin Forerunner 745, now automatically measure cadence. Of course, measuring cadence and actively doing something with that information are two very different things, but one thing’s clear: there’s no optimum cadence at any level; each triathlete is different and has a different cadence range. But ultimately, the shorter the race, the higher the cadence because you’ll be running at a faster pace. Gwen Jorgensen’s former coach Jamie Tuner put it best when he said every triathlete should develop a “cadence bandwidth”. If you have a wide cadence range – say 160spm for easy running; 166spm for faster running –…

The pandemic must have been so tough for all junior and U23 athletes. I know if the pandemic had hit us in 1998 when I was a last-year junior, I don’t think I’d have turned pro. It was my breakthrough year, winning silver at the Europeans, several ETU Cup podia and all finished off with a junior world title. I think so many young athletes might not have that opportunity. It’s gutting. On the positive, it looks like the situation’s improving. Let’s hope you can race soon. “Make 2021 the year of going out there and showing how hard you’ve worked in lockdown” Tri’s such a great sport to do with studying, especially now so many universities offer scholarships or let you do a three-year degree over four years. I…

THE INCREDIBLE HOYTS I’ve never written to a magazine before but felt compelled too following the death of Dick Hoyt. I’m not an experienced triathlete but I’ve spent years running. It’s where I came across the Hoyt story. An American friend of mine ran the Boston Marathon in 2014. It was her first Boston, which is a magical moment for any sports person, but all she could talk about were the amazing Hoyts. This was the final time they’d race Boston, which from my brief bit of research looks like it was their 32nd time. Incredible. For those of you who don’t know, Dick’s son, Rick, was born a quadriplegic with cerebral palsy. He was wheelchair-bound from birth. Medical staff advised them to put Rick into a home, but Dick…

This first session is aimed around improving your endurance ability, the ability to swim a little faster or a little longer – helping make that overall time in the water just a little shorter! It’s very much based around changing pace; the benefit here being that when you come to race, theoretically most of the swimming will be reasonably smooth apart from around any turns. WARM-UP 10 mins easy swimming, loosen up. Nothing wrong with including some swim drills to help focus your stroke for your session: some single-arm swimming for 10 strokes, high arm recovery, or some head-up swimming to watch your entries/sighting. PREP-UP 5 mins – 30 or so strokes easy swimming, 10 strokes fast and controlled. MAIN SET Repeat 3-4 times round: 10 strokes easy, 10 strokes…

FULCRUM WIND 75 DB £1,149 Fulcrum’s Wind wheels have gone deeper with the new Wind 75 DB. We test out their tri credentials... Fulcrum’s Wind 75 DB is a new disc brake aero wheelset that is (you guessed it) 75mm deep front and rear, adding to the existing Wind 40 and 50 wheelsets. The Wind range is a mid-point between their budget alloy road options and high-end Speed range, the latter costing over £2k. The Winds, while featuring full carbon rims, have dependable aluminium hubs with sealed cartridge bearings, as opposed to carbon hubs with Fulcrum’s CULT ceramic bearings on the top-of-the-range Speed 55 CMPTZN DB. The depth will be suitable for most triathletes looking for maximum aero gains. If your budget allows, then the front wheel paired with…

There were no losers in this year’s rundown of men’s vested tri-suits, and we’d consider using any in a race… when that precious time comes! Yonda’s Argento Performance just missed out on the top marks because of some sizing inconsistencies and a slightly less comfortable experience than others on test. Huub’s Raceline and Zone3’s Activate both offered similar levels of comfort and performance, with Zone3 coming out on top for the nicer price. We’re fans of Bioracer’s Team suit, so the score is unchanged from last year’s vested trisuits grouptest… which means our overall winner is Zoot’s Sunset Ltd. Though expensive, it looks the business and we felt the construction is on another level compared to the other suits on test; with excellent seam technology that ensures maximum comfort, plus…

IRONMAN TRI-SUITS Comfort is key for long distance, so consider pads, grippers and material quality. Full-length zippers are also handy for mid-race toilet stops. DHB Aeron £120 Good value with secure graduated compression and shoulder flexibility. Issue 389 wiggle.co.uk 2XU Compress £160 Compressive legs, full zip and lean fabric primed for long-course racing. Issue 389 2xu.com ZONE3 Lava Long Distance £195 Aero and affordable, with comfy ribbed sleeves and Cytech pad. Issue 389 zone3.co.uk CASTELLI PR Speed Suit £275 Ultra-lean, formfitting areo material, with iron-friendly pad and pockets. Issue 389 saddleback.co.uk ZOOT Elite FZ Racesuit £295 Breathable, supportive UV50+ fabric, with highly aero split-suit design. Issue 389 zootsports.co.uk TRIATHLON WETSUITS These hit a range of abilities. Newcomers will look for greater buoyancy, especially around the hips and thighs; more experienced…

WARM-UP Run for 10mins Gradually increasing speed throughout so your heart rate’s increased and a mild sweat’s developed on your brow. MAIN SET 10mins at threshold This is around 80-85% of your maximum heart rate and is commonly known as the exercise intensity or blood-lactate concentration we can only sustain for a specific period of time. It’s commonly about 25-35secs slower than 5km race pace and 15-20secs per mile slower than 10km race pace. • 90secs jog recovery • 5 x 2mins 10km pace with 60secs recovery • 5 x 1min 5km pace with 60secs recovery COOL-DOWN 10mins of gradually slower running…

At the start of the race, I was very confident that I was going to win, but when it was time to get into the water I got a bit nervous. There were a lot of people and I didn’t know how good they were. Swimming is my weakest discipline as I don’t have a swim coach and there are no swimming pools in [my hometown] Goma, so my only option is to swim in Lake Kivu. Without a coach and proper training facilities it’s difficult to develop my speed. But I knew I’d be able to catch up later in the race so I wasn’t worried about it. The bike course was mixed with slopes, flat sections and muddy off-road tracks. Right at the start, the course was flat…

‘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…

From the company that brought us the Nova Swim comes their next wireless update – the Incus Nova Run. We rated the swim version 88%, impressed by the level and amount of detail the wearable analytics device picked up, plus its unobtrusiveness. The Run uses the same teardrop device which slots inside a tailored Incus run top or tri-suit at the upper spine. The Run forms phase one of Incus Cloud Run, which is the engine that processes running motion data and automatically transfers analysis to the user’s Incus Cloud app. This phase involves the use of in-built MARG motion sensors to measure running metrics including power, pace, cadence, take-off acceleration and landing deceleration, left/right balance, elevation and distance. Once the data’s analysed, you’re fed back information on how to…

“I’ve now completed all 34 Ironman VR events. Endurance racing has changed. We’re in a world where we can race anybody” I’m an IOS instructor in New York, teaching underrepresented groups. We take them from no programming background to getting their first IOS job 10 months later. It’s rewarding to see how often disadvantaged individuals realise their potential. I grew up on the small Caribbean island of St Lucia, so there was a big change when I moved to the US in 1999. I met my wife here and have two kids – four and eight. My wife got me into tri in 2010. New York City Road Runners put on a sprint event. I had no idea what triathlon meant so had to look it up – then figure…

1 @lonelyman_to_ironman My Cwtch Jean medal in conjunction with Tenovus Cancer. The challenge was to do 200km before the 1st March 2021. 2 @tri_dad86 That post double-brick feeling. Legs are hanging and the rest day’s thoroughly needed. 3 @roscoemck No time for a ride out today, but still managed a turbo – 5 x 5mins on, 3mins off, plus warm-up and cool-down. Tough! 4 @pseymour75 After years of trying to convince my kids I’m cool I’ve received confirmation from Zwift! 5 @haveringtri This time last year, Havering Triathlon Club arrived in Lanzarote on the day Spain went into full lockdown. Nevertheless, we made the most of the situation and arranged the club’s inaugural Half Marathon and Marathon Challenge. 6 @the_baps_ironman Second dose of Covid vaccine. 7 @racheldoell1810 Covid caught up…

This session from John Wood is for swimming with company to help build your skills. Assuming that you can already do the skills and the basics, swimming with company and putting pressure on each other will help you hone your skills and improve for when you get in race company! WARM-UP 10 mins easy swimming, loosen up. Nothing wrong with including some swim drills to help focus your stroke for your session: some single-arm swimming for 10 strokes, high arm recovery, or some head-up swimming to watch your entries/sighting. PREP-UP 5 mins easy swimming between any buoys but around the turns accelerate in, turn fast and accelerate out for 5 strokes. MAIN SET Swim through and off with your colleagues – similar to chaingang cycling. When you’re on the front…

6:30am Reece and I have a bowl of porridge with dried fruit and nuts plus a drizzle of honey, all washed down with a cup of tea and then coffee. 7:15am Drive to London Aquatics Centre. It’s a relatively easy swim with many drills using as many toys as we can. 7:45am Core stability beside the pool. We do core work as a warm-up for most of our swim sessions. 8am The swim. As elites, we have access to this pool and swim here most days. We’re sharing it with the GB diving team and often swim in their pool when not in use as the main one’s not been heated for a year so it’s freezing. After, I’ll shower, dry my hair and hit the track for the second…

INGREDIENTS Serves 2 100g (31/2oz) oats 300 ml (11/4 cups) boiling water 2 bananas, peeled 80g (3oz) frozen raspberries 25g (1oz) almonds, skin-on, crushed 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 tablespoons honey 200ml (3/4 cup) almond milk 1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds Nutrition per serving:  Energy: 502kcal |Total carbohydrate: 72g (of which sugars: 37g››››"›é››14g (of which saturates: 1.7g››››"°›Þ›››11g | Protein: 13g | Salt: 0.14 g Surely this is just porridge with fancy pants on? Nope, there’s something quite magical about a slightly crunchy topping with oats and scalding hot fruit. The base recipe and technique are the starting point and, once you have that mastered, you can freestyle flavour profiles. Raspberry-banana ripple-baked oats, as shown here, are reminiscent of ice-cream van flavours and so luxurious it almost feels like…

Short sleeves, or the ‘traditional’ fully sleeveless tri-suit? There are pros and cons to both, with many elites and an increasing number of age-groupers deciding nowadays that the claimed aero benefits and sleeker appearance of short-sleeved suits are a better investment. Even so, we still see pros rolling their short-sleeved suits down to the waist for the swim, before putting them on fully in T1 during long-course races, so clearly some still appreciate more freedom of movement under their wetsuits. It’s here where the benefits of a vested suit come in, as for shorter races it’s probably not worth the time you’ll lose in T1 pulling the rest of your suit up on the go; plus, it’s not allowed in races held under British Triathlon rules. There are also fewer…

Her Spirit cycling coach Michelle Sharland is a triathlete with children who naturally wanted to follow her lead. Here are her tips… “My favourite quote is, ‘Quit while you’re ahead.’ I always want my children to come home with a smile on their face and energy left in the tank rather than tears. Avoid becoming a competitive parent – if the parents drive their journey, it’ll probably be short-lived. Let the child drive the decisions to compete and create autonomy. Competitiveness will come naturally as they progress. As a parent, I really focus on the fact that they’re having fun, swim regularly, ride as a family, run at school… Many children naturally enjoy this anyway. Enter little events such as Tri-Star and some bigger ones such as Hever Castle. The…

Finally, it was time for running! Running is my favourite discipline and I was well prepared for the course. I’m the captain of my running team, Mangwele, in Goma, and I know I’m a strong runner. I hadn’t had anything to drink during the bike leg so when I changed into my running gear I realised I was very thirsty. I normally don’t drink during a race – especially not a short one – but today was really hot, but then I couldn’t find any! On the first lap I caught up with the guy who was in the lead. The run was a two-lap course and he was already ahead of me after I’d fallen off my bike. But I caught up with him and we raced each other.…