Triathlete November/December 2021

THIS MAGAZINE ISSUE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE OUR POST-KONA issue, with the winner on the cover, the recaps, all the world championship moments. Of course, that didn’t happen. We didn’t go to the Big Island and there was no Ironman World Championship. But that doesn’t mean there weren’t lots of amazing things that happened this year. In September, I headed instead to St. George and watched Lucy Charles-Barclay dominate from the front all day. I stood in the pouring rain as Gustav Iden ran away from the field and Sam Long bombed downhill into second. I saw the thousands of age-groupers fighting their way through one of the craziest storms on one of the craziest courses I’ve seen in a long time. It was a world championship day. Yes, we get into the…

this month at triathlete.com BECOME A MEMBER TO GET ALL THESE STORIES AND MORE TRIATHLETE.COM/MAGAZINE HOW GUSTAV IDEN WON HIS SECOND 70.3 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP The confident Norwegian talks about beating countryman Kristian Blummenfelt, his transition from road to time-trial bike, two of his insane workouts, and more. THE 21 BEST RUNNING SHOES FOR EVERY KIND OF RUN Our shoe expert digs into his giant pile of new shoes and breaks down which pairs are best for long runs, recovery days, tempo, intervals, and racing all tri distances. THE TOP 7 EASIEST 70.3 AND IRONMAN COURSES Looking to smash your long-course PR? Maybe looking to complete the distance for the first time? We’ve dug into the stats behind fast courses with fast times for our comprehensive lists. WHY YOU GET BLOATED IN TRAINING AND RACING It happens to (almost) all…

EN ROUTE TO GOLD: Norwegian machine Gustav Iden successfully defended his title at the Ironman 70.3 World Championship in St. George, Utah, on Sept. 18. He took the lead on the bike, near the start of the Snow Canyon climb, and then ran away with the win, crossing the line in 3:37.13. American Sam Long rounded out a stellar 2021 season, finishing second in 3:41.09, while Daniel Baekkegard, of Denmark, took the final podium spot for the men in 3:42.24. Sony ILCE-1 20mm f/1.8 G ISO 100 f/18, 1/60sec.…

1. COROS VERTIX 2 $700, coros.com The latest version of the Vertix has built-in, full-color maps with touchscreen navigation, onboard music storage, and uses five GPS satellite systems to track every mile. 2. ROLL R8+ $170, rollrecovery.com The upgraded version of the popular Roll R8 has an adjustable dial that allows you to increase or decrease the pressure. 3. MALOJA SILBERBLATTM. SHORTS $130, malojaclothing.com These ultra-lightweight, premium running shorts have secure pockets galore. 4. WAHOO SYSTM SUBSCRIPTION $15/month, wahoofitness.com More than just a training log, SYSTM provides workout content, virtual training environments, and more. 5. ROKA MATADOR AIR $225, roka.com The massive coverage of Roka's popular, lightweight Matador cycling sunglasses is paired with three vents to increase airflow for potential running use. 6. PEDRO’S MASTER T-HANDLE SET II $220, pedros.com This set of 10 sliding t-handle wrenches ranges from 2mm to 10mm (with T10, T25, and T30…

Given that Park City is a former Olympic host town, location of the popular Sundance Film Festival, and home to two world-class ski resorts—Deer Valley and Park City Mountain—many know it best as a winter destination. But no matter the season, this alpine paradise that sits at almost 7,000 feet above sea level is an ideal place to train. It’s easy to get to (30-45 minutes from Salt Lake City International Airport), the outdoor access is fantastic, and there’s plenty to do during your downtime. Use this guide to find some of the best tri and not-so-tri training options around PC. SWIM Park City has a handful of reservoirs where open-water swimming is technically allowed. Your best bet is the calm Rock Cliff Recreation Area at the Jordanelle Reservoir, where the August…

FOR MANY PEOPLE, THESE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS HAVE likely been some of the hardest they've faced. And triathletes are no exception. We, too, have had a rough go of things. Plus, our identities are (too) often tied to our finish times, and we haven’t had many finish lines to cross, leaving a sort of existential question: If a triathlete trains and there are no finisher medals to confirm it, do they even make a sound? Fortunately, the pandemic has also provided many of us with some benefits that we might not even yet understand will help us in the future. Let’s call them low-key pandemic tri-perks. NEWFOUND STRENGTH The motto of all triathletes everywhere is: “Why be excellent at one sport when you can be mediocre at three?” And when pools closed…