Triathlete May/June 2022

AS WE WERE FINISHING UP THIS ISSUE I GOT A CHANCE TO head to Ironman 70.3 Oceanside—the start of the long-course season in North America and the first of a dozen 70.3 races that will be aired live this year on our sister streaming service, Outside Watch. It was an exciting race, of course, but the most exciting part, in a lot of ways, was that it finally (finally!) felt like the start of a real race season again. It felt filled with excitement and hope and pent-up buzz. It felt like seeing friends after two years and sharing race stories and battle wounds. It felt like triathlon is back. Many of us have done some kind of event in the last two years. But even when the performances were epic and…

exclusive for members at triathlete.com HIROMU INADA WILL ATTEMPT TO BE THE FIRST 90-YEAR-OLD TO FINISH KONA Already the oldest person to ever finish the Ironman World Championship race in Hawaii, Inada shares his training schedule and mental approach. I “BOUGHT” A WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SPOT TO ST. GEORGE, SO WHAT? One triathlete wrestles with a decision to race at the Ironman World Championship after being offered the slot as an Ironman Gold All World Athlete. LEARN FROM OUR MISTAKES: TRIATHLETE EDITORS ON THEIR WORST SCREW-UPS Fistfights, “chafe city,” and dubious internet research—the editors at Triathlete share their worst, most embarrassing mistakes (so you don’t make the same ones). TWO NEW, FEATURE-PACKED SMARTWATCHES, SUUNTO 5 PEAK AND GARMIN INSTINCT 2 Not looking to spend as much on your smartwatch as you would on a laptop? The good news is…

AFTER A HANDFUL OF YEARS KICKING AROUND MY LOCAL tri scene, I decided to broaden my multisport dreams and do my first destination race. It sounded like fun: I’d get to travel to a new place I’d never been to, buy some travel gear, and “enjoy” the race with a friend who would come with me. What could go wrong? If you’ve ever traveled for a triathlon, you know the answer to that is: anything. While most of my races in the course of my tri career have gone according to plan, I can’t always say the same about the travel to those races. Here are six of my most heinous triathlon travel calamities. #1: FEAR THE SUN If you’re of the pasty-skinned variety like me, the sun is more foe than friend.…

THE SPIRIT OF GRAVEL IS A REAL THING—albeit a heavily debated and internet-meme’d one. Heard of it? Basically, it’s the idea that people who go to gravel races operate under a set of agreed upon rules that no one likes to call rules. “Don’t be a d*ck” kind of things. The spirit of gravel also refers to the wide swath of people who like to ride their bikes at these wildly popular off-road events. This includes current and former WorldTour pros, people in their 70s, and those who like to ride in overalls and jorts. Everyone starts at the same line and rides the same course. I’ve been told that triathlon is similar, minus the jorts and with a few more actual rules. Age groupers are out there hustling behind the pros,…

WHAT: In 2015, race fees were climbing and members of the California Triathlon Club saw how the cost was keeping new athletes from the sport. Their solution? The CalTri Race series. "We wanted to extend the concept of safe, affordable, and accessible triathlon into the race production space,” said CalTri founder Thom Richmond. After successful races in their home state, the series expanded to 20 CalTri events nationwide in 2022, and will grow to over 30 next year. WHY: If you want to do a race without it costing hundreds of dollars, then CalTri is for you. Adult sprint entry fees are as low as $60 and the Olympic distance costs around $110. A family of four can race for $190 total. You can even race for free if you volunteer at…

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