Table of contents for Spring 2022 in 220 Triathlon

Power data has long been accepted as an invaluable tool when training for triathlon and cycling, but to get accurate info you need access to the right kit. Typically, you’ll be relying on a smart trainer or a crank-, pedal- or hub-based power meter you can add to your bike. As you’re probably aware, Wahoo has indoor trainers covered, but the American brand has now released its first pedals. The Powerlink Zero pedals were announced in February along with the brand’s new Kickr Rollr (£699.99) – the two can be bought together in a bundle costing £1,199.99 (with the single-sided pedals). If you’re just buying the pedals, it’s £549.99 for the single-sided option (250g per pair) or £849.99 for the dual-sided option (276g per pair). That’s roughly £100 cheaper than…

WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS 1 @gemma_triathlon Nearly one week on from my PB at the Oulton Park 10km race and I’ve been struck down with Covid. Despite having had all 3 of my jabs I have been quite poorly. But as always I’m staying positive. 2 @davemurray_totaltri 20 days out from @invernesshalfmarathon 7 days out from day 1 of the @totaltritraining training camp 3 @dale_jersey Gotta love track Wednesdays! I know it’s Thursday but working nights so all days are merged 4 @jakub.tri Lanzarote #triathlontraining 5 @runamile365 Happy Valentines! And what a way to spend it – with my tri club teammates in the pool 6 @paultaylortri I set off on my long ride… while watching [English rugby union player] Kevin Sinfield going the extra mile, running 101 miles in…

It started on 26 July 2021, when Kristian Blummenfelt became Norway’s first Olympic triathlon medallist. Twenty-six days later, on 21 August, in Edmonton, he’d take the tape and add his first world title to that Olympic gold. The first male pro triathlete to complete the double in the same year (Flora Duffy would achieve the same after finishing third in Canada). Exactly three months on from winning the two biggest trophies in short-course tri, the then 27-year-old had a go at his first Ironman, in Cozumel, Brazil. He not only won it, but also clocked a 7:21:12 – the fastest Ironman of all time… and the fastest iron-distance triathlon time, beating both Jan Frodeno’s 7:35:39 from Challenge Roth in 2016 and last summer’s 7:27:53 at the Tri Battle Royale. Comparisons…

“Research has shown that optimal tapering duration ranges between eight and 14 days. However, we all know that general rules do not necessarily apply to individual athletes, who should adapt taper duration to their individual recovery-fitness profile and their level of accumulated fatigue. Some triathletes recover faster than others and they’d need a shorter taper; others lose fitness faster than others and they’d need to train enough during the taper to avoid losing adaptation (i.e. detraining); while some may have a more pronounced residual fatigue from their intensive training and/or other stressful lifestyle factors, and they may require a longer taper or a more pronounced reduction of their training load in the days prior to the race. “Training volume must decline during the taper by reducing either the duration or…

To date triathlon has avoided the spotlight of trans athletes competing at elite level, but Chris Mosier , a trans advocate, was the first transgender athlete to represent Team USA in 2016 where he finished 28th in the 35-39 age-group at the sprint duathlon world championships in Aviles, Spain. When Mosier made Team USA in 2015, he knew he wouldn’t be able to compete in the world championship race the following year because of the existing IOC policy and guidelines on transgender athletes, which at that time stated that all athletes needed to have surgery including internal and external modifications. The was modified in early 2016 to remove the need for surgery. Mosier said: “My whole thing was that I qualified for Team USA just like the rest of the…

FULCRUM SPEED 55 DB £1,899.99 The Speed 55 DB wheelset features Fulcrum’s ‘2-Way Fit’ system which, according to Fulcrum, means they should run well as tubeless or with tubes thanks to extra precise engineering in the valve area. A 19mm internal width is bang on trend and an asymmetrical spoke pattern with 21 at the front and rear should improve balance and stiffness. On the road, the Speed 55s provide a very smooth ride, enhanced by USB ceramic bearings. The freehub whistles quietly, which is appropriate for the regal ride experience, and when you want to crank the power up, engagement is rapid. They’re no trouble at all in the wind, and we think the Speed 55 front wheel would be ideal paired with a rear disc wheel for very…

HOW TO FLY TO THE FINISH LINE JAMES WITTS Freelance writer and former editor of 220 Triathlon magazine, James specialises in sports science and endurance training. FOUR SUPER-QUICK MIDWEEK RECIPES KATE PERCY is a nutritionist and keen amateur athlete. She’s written three books on sports nutrition and founded Go Bites energy balls. ASK THE PROF AND EXPERT Q&AS GREG WHYTE Olympian Greg is a preeminent authority on exercise physiology and sports and exercise performance.…

PREP 5mins COOK 15mins SERVES 2 INGREDIENTS • 200g raw prawns • 1 tsp turmeric • 1/2 tsp salt • Juice of 1 lemon • 1 tbsp coconut oil • 1 onion, sliced • 2 tomatoes, chopped • 3 cloves garlic • 3cm fresh ginger, grated • 1 tsp mustard seeds • 1 tsp each ground black pepper, coriander and cumin • 2 red chillis, finely chopped • 200ml coconut milk • 25g coriander leaves • 1/2 tsp sugar Combine prawns with turmeric, salt and juice of half a lemon in a bowl. Heat oil in a pan. Sauté onions for 5mins. Stir in tomatoes, garlic, ginger, mustard seeds, coriander, cumin, pepper, chillis and cook for 3-4mins. Add prawns, marinade and cook for 1min, add coconut milk. Bring to boil,…

Q What should I look for in a good running shoe? A Choosing the right running shoe can be very subjective as feet come in many different shapes and sizes, with different pronation and muscle/tendon builds. Bear this in mind when choosing your next running shoe. That being said, there are some key features to look out for. Firstly, consider what terrain and distance you need the shoe for. Are you after a pavement plodder for easy training miles or a fast triathlon race shoe? A road training shoe will prioritise comfort for long miles, with ample cushioning in the midsole and heel collar, and support along the shoe walls and in the arch. In comparison, a shorter-distance road running shoe will look to save weight by reducing cushioning and…

The Dorney Lake Series returns in 2022 after a blockbuster 2021 season. The series, which is hosted by Human Race, offers participants a range of distances on FOUR different dates throughout the year, all taking place at the iconic London 2012 Olympic Games rowing venue. Dorney Lake is a triathlete’s utopia. The clean and calm waters, smooth, closed-road bike circuit and flat, lakeside run are ideal for triathletes of all experience levels. Whether you’re looking to rediscover your fitness after a stop-start winter or focus your training going into the new season, the Dorney Lake Series will have the event for you! Human Race, organisers of the iconic Royal Windsor Triathlon, (which has already sold out for 2022) have witnessed unprecedented demand throughout the winter for each of their triathlon…

UNDER £45 BONTRAGER NCS MUDGUARD SET £44.99 This set is designed to offer stable, reliable protection from the elements. It uses stainless steel hardware to resist rust, has a disc fork mounting kit and allows for quick strut adjustment for your required tyre clearance. trekbikes.com UNDER £55 SKS RACEBLADE PRO XL £50.99 No mudguard mounts, no worries. The Raceblade Pro XL mudguards are suitable for tyre widths between 25-32mm, offer great coverage and can be clipped on and adjusted with ease. zyro›sher.co.uk UNDER £65 KINESIS FEND OFF MUDGUARDS £60 Offering full-wrap coverage, these Fend Off mudguards are made of anodized aluminium and are available in silver or black, with the standard version offering coverage for tyre widths up to 34mm. upgradebikes.co.uk…

From $5,340 “The weight savings and engineered stiffness make the V-PR the best- climbing and quickest-accelerating bike in triathlon, but also one that handles in a nimble manner that has long been absent in triathlon bikes.” That’s a bold claim, but it’s one the folks at Quintana Roo are hanging their hat on. The new V-PR has been designed from the ground up, with a focus on weight savings and aero gains to help the bike perform on a wider range of courses. Aero gains come in several forms, including a redesigned down tube, which moves air more cleanly onto the bike’s most aero non-driveside side. There’s also a new Leading Edge Absent 2 (LEA.2) nondriveside chainstay design and lightweight fork. The result is a bike that QR says delivers…

Sophie Coldwell deserves a medal, and if it doesn’t come in the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham this summer, then it should be awarded for services to animal welfare. The Loughborough-based star might have been competing on the international stage in swim, bike and run for more than a decade, but outside of training, racing and plans for a marriage to ultra-running fiancé Tom Evans later this year, she’s also fostering dogs and rescuing chickens. As a reserve for Tokyo last summer, she also got her ‘nails’ if not her hands on Olympic gold, as 220 found out. 220: What are your hopes for the Commonwealth Games? SOPHIE COLDWELL: My last Commonwealth Games was about learning, but I’m going into Birmingham to win a medal, and that’s the aim for races…

21 MAY 2011 First pro win at the Brno ETU Triathlon Junior European Cup. 11 JULY 2015 First major success in elite triathlon with bronze at the Geneva ETU Tri Euro Champs. 18 AUGUST 2016 Competes in his (and Norway’s) first Olympic Games triathlon event in Rio and finishes a respectable 13th. 25 NOVEMBER 2017 Races his first Ironman 70.3 Middle East Championships and wins. 16 SEPTEMBER 2017 Finishes second at the ITU Grand Final in Rotterdam to take third overall in the World Triathlon Series. 28 APRIL 2018 Takes silver in a Norwegian 1-2-3 at the World Triathlon Bermuda race, between Casper Stornes (1st) and Gustav Iden (3rd). 16 SEPTEMBER 2018 Comes just shy of the top finishers at the ITU Grand Final Gold Coast, finishing fifth. 31 AUGUST…

GARMIN FENIX 7 SOLAR “The Fenix 7 is slimline enough for your wetsuit to roll over and gives you the full gamut of swim, bike and run features” £689.99 Is Garmin’s latest Fenix worth the upgrade? As you’d expect for a smartwatch that’s packed with technology, the Fenix 7 is not cheap, with the ‘basic’ Fenix 7 coming in at £599.99 (without solar). Our test model, the Solar, is £689.99 and comes in two sizes – 42mm and 47mm. Let’s be clear, this is one impressive watch, but what’s changed over edition six? Let’s start with battery life, which, in the case of your Solar version, is beefed up by the sun. In basic smartwatch mode, you’re looking at up to 22 days if the sun shines. Sans soleil…

The Flyers are projected via HOKA’s new Bondi X run shoe, which is the third HOKA to feature a carbon plate. The Bondi X is equally adept at consuming miles as tempo sessions, the carbon plate designed to stiffen the midsole and Rather impressively, the cutting-edge run brand’s maximised the benefits of the carbon plate within a highly cushioned shoe; in fact, HOKA claims this is the softest foam they’ve ever used in a midsole. As for other highlights, it features a Meta-Rocker that helps to quicken the transition though the run gait. The carbon plate helps here, preventing the midsole from flexing too much so the Meta-Rocker can get on with its job. Meanwhile, durable rubber on the rearfoot and forefoot ensure they’ll effortlessly consume many a mile on…

“Strength training as an As we emerge from a winter of predominantly long-duration, lower-intensity training into the shorter-duration, higher-intensity training of pre-season, we’re presented with the perennial problem of early-season soreness and injury. This can, if not avoided, destroy all those many hours of hard training throughout the winter months. In addition to the change in training intensity, training environments also differ – open-water swimming, track running, and high-intensity turbo sessions, for example. These changes place increased and novel stressors on the body, which can lead to exaggerated muscle damage, soreness, ‘niggles’* and injury. For example, the longer, continuous efforts of open-water swimming combined with the restrictions created by the wetsuit places unaccustomed stress on the shoulders, which can lead to shoulder pain (the classic ‘swimmers’ shoulder’). In addition, it’s…

‘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…

This is one of ‘The World's Toughest Triathlons’ (as voted for by 220 Triathlon in 2017), but the Brutal Extreme events are also renowned for their low-key, friendly vibe. Every athlete, whether it’s your first triathlon or 21st, will feel the massive support from not only the event crew, but the other competitors, too. The challenging terrain and breathtaking scenery create an awesome experience that will stay with you long after the aches and blisters have gone! The Brutal Extreme Triathlons start in the beautiful, if chilly, Lake Padarn, which is based in Parc Padarn in Llanberis. But you’ll soon warm up on each of the 28-mile Brutal bike laps as they start with a killer hill. From there, you can then enjoy the stunning views and undulating course, until…

“I’ve found a way of being good at triathlon, by being really slow!” I played rugby for years but I got injured and all of a sudden different sports started opening up to me. I bought a cheap road bike and did a few local triathlons, followed by a couple of half-irons. I did Ironman Wales in 2013 and then fell out of love of it. I’d ticked that box and achieved that goal. It took me years to get back into it again. The idea to do 70 half-irons in 70 days came from James Lawrence’s [AKA the Iron Cowboy] challenges. I was inspired by them, and by the concept that you don’t have to stop at 140 miles or ultra-marathons. Why put limits on yourself? I’ve always wanted…

“Since reading about Martyn’s swim I’ve had an itch to do similar” MY 2022 SWIM CHALLENGE I took up triathlon shortly after being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 2013, aged 54. Having kept myself very fit in the distant past, I’d lapsed and gone somewhat pear-shaped, so the diagnosis was a bit of a wake-up call. Over the next few years, I did quite a few runs, building up to full marathons. In between these I started to do triathlons, building up to the Outlaw in 2017. Due to some health problems, it ended up being my one and only iron-distance tri, and by the time I hit 63, my knees were a bit past their best. A few years ago now, I read of columnist Martyn Brunt swimming…

Last month we showed you how to set goals and boost your chances of reaching them. This month we’ll take things to the next level by helping you to formulate your own training plan, giving you the information you need to go away and overcome the hurdles of training for a multisport event. And, for the alpha males and females among you, that starts with one clear message: don’t let your ego ruin your chances of success. “With any training you undertake for an event, the number one goal is to make the start line injury-free and healthy.” The words there of Phil Mosley of MyProCoach. Phil’s been coaching amateur triathletes for over 20 years and is adept at designing training plans for people with busy lives. You must, he…

TRANSGENDER  Your experienced gender is different than the one you were assigned at birth. TRANSITION  Transition, for a trans person, could start and end with coming out as a new gender – or it could mean a life of gender-affirming hormone replacement therapy and surgery. Transition is a process, and it’s different for every trans person. No one needs to complete a specific set of steps to have transitioned. CISGENDER  Your experienced gender aligns with the gender you were assigned at birth. SEX  Your sex is the biological combination of your bodily organs, hormones, and chromosomes. Sex and gender are associated, but not the same nor interchangeable.…

OUR RATINGS 90+ % BUY NOW A GENUINE CLASS LEADER 80-89 % IMPRESSIVE ONE OF THE BEST YOU CAN BUY 70-79 % GOOD A DECENT PERFORMER 50-69 % AVERAGE IT’LL DO THE JOB WELL ENOUGH 0-49 % POOR SIMPLY PUT, DON’T BOTHER! HELEN WEBSTER 220’seditor is also a qualified open-water swimming coach. ROB SLADE 220’s features editor and resident adventure seeker. KATE MILSOM 220’s staff writer and a keen endurance athlete. MATT BAIRD Has spent years testing tri kit and accessories for 220 . JACK SEXTY A strong age-grouper focusing on top-end gains. JAMES WITTS He’s a published author writing about sports science.…

Ready to take transition to the next level? It’s time to learn the flying mount (the method of hopping onto the bike fast in T1 by using a leading leg to get over and onto the bike). Firstly, clip your shoes to the pedals and tie two elastic bands through the heel loops. Put the non-drivetrain side band over the rear quick-release or thru-axle, and the other over your front derailleur. Then open your shoes up wide to help slip your feet in easier. Work out from which side you’ll want to mount. If you’re right-footed, it’s likely you’ll lead with your right leg, which means mounting from the non-drivetrain side. Now practise running with your bike, holding the saddle to steer, and then quickly grabbing the front bars as…

SHORT-SLEEVED TRI-SUITS Performance is key for race tri-suits, so consider chamois, grippers and pocket options. Fabric should also be quick-drying and sweat-wicking. HUUB Commit Long Course £119.99 Stylish and good-value suit that feels smooth and lightweight. Issue 393 huubdesign.com DHB Aeron Ltd Edition £125 Striking suit ideal for long-distance, with wide leg grippers and large pockets. Issue 392 wiggle.co.uk SANTINI Viper £159.99 Optimised for a long bike leg, with quality chamois and aero panels. Issue 393 santinicycling.com STOLEN GOAT Sector £160 Designed for speed, with long aero arms and legs, and large rear pockets. Issue 392 stolengoat.com TRI-FIT Evo £179 Standout suit for all distances, aero design and ample pocket options. Issue 392 tri-fitathletic.com TRIATHLON WETSUITS These hit a range of abilities. Newcomers will look for greater buoyancy, especially around…

Lockdown enabled us to reconnect with our kitchens, preparing elaborate dishes and (re) discovering the joy of cooking. But as life returns to normal, time is suddenly precious again. That doesn’t mean you have to reach for your favourite home delivery app, though… I challenge you to cook up one of this month’s meals faster than your average meal delivery service! You’ll save money, too. But before you do, here are a couple of tips to guarantee there’s always a nourishing meal to be made, quickly. Firstly, keep a stash of interesting and useful ingredients in your store cupboard, fridge and freezer. E.g. different types of pasta, noodles and rice, tins of butter, kidney and black beans, chickpeas, tuna and sardines, coconut milk and curry pastes, jars of antipasti. In…

BRAD BEER Massage guns Brad is a sports & exercise physiotherapist, founder of Pogo Physio, and is head physio for Super League Triathlon. DR CATH SPENCER-SMITH Secrets of the heart Cath is a sports medicine doctor and lecturer who’s worked extensively with Olympic athletes. EMILY KIER Fuelling your run Emily is a nutritionist and co-founder of health & fitness blog Twice The Health. JAMES WITTS Plan your training Freelance writer and former 220editor James specialises in sports science. DO MASSAGE GUNS WORK? QI’ve seen a lot of athletes using massage guns. What are they and do they actually work? James Vaughn A Massage guns are portable handheld devices that provide muscle tissue with percussive vibration-based input. The devices output high-frequency, low-amplitude pulses, and are typically wireless, coming with interchangeable attachments…

MENTAL STRENGTH “I think mental strength is key to Ironman racing. You need to be able to keep yourself going even when everything hurts, focus over the full length of an Ironman and be able to react to different situations throughout the day.” AERO GAINS “I predominantly won Ironman South Africa on the bike thanks to being so aero and being able to hold that aero position for the whole leg. Having a good bike fit with Matt Bottrill and ensuring my position was comfortable was key.” CONSISTENCY “Often talked about but key to endurance sports is consistency of training. Although it wasn’t as long a block as I would ideally like with my calf niggle before Mallorca, I put together a consistent month post-Mallorca to prepare as best as…