Triathlon Plus - April 2014

April 2014 UK 4.50 | US $9.
99
Find Britains best training spots
Ride faster in half the time
Plan your perfect tri season
TRAIN SMARTER TODAY
FIND YOUR FREE TRAINING ZONE MAG INSIDE!
FINE-TUNE
YOUR SWIM
IN 8 STEPS
APRIL 2014
PRINTEDINTHEUK UK 4.50
A crash couldnt keep
me out of the race!
Meet Britains toughest
age-grouper p72
BURST BACK
INTO ACTION
THE 6-WEEK SEASON-START PLAN
SPEED UP
QUICK GUIDE
NEVER
MISS
A RUN
AGAIN
4 BEST VALUE BIKES
12 ENERGY DRINKS
PLUS 4 TRIATHLON
RACING SHOES
FOR GEAR
No.1
FIRST-TIME TIPS
10 MUST-DO SESSIONS TO
TACKLE ANY TRIATHLON
YOUR
BEST
RACE
APRIL 2014 13
Welcome
ISSUE 65 / APRIL 2014
S
u
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to
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SEE PAGE 58
Get in touch...
twitter.com/TriathlonPlus
facebook.com/TriathlonPlus s
Triathlon training can get phenomenally
complicated. Not only do us multi-sporters train
in three disciplines, but we love to mix things up
with new, scientifically tested ways of working out.
No wonder newbies can find our sport a bit daunting.
If youre in that boat, stop panicking and turn to page 49
where youll find our guide to textbook triathlon
training. Weve outlined 10 classic sessions that are all
you need and dont worry, if youre completely new to
all this, just six workouts a week is your starting point.
The next question is, where are you going to do all this
training? Weve got the answer there, too. Our staff
writer Sarah, a lover of all things outdoors, has looked
into the best swim, bike and run training areas on this
fair island and come up with a stunning list (page 60)
just the thing to inspire you now that the days are finally
getting longer, drier and warmer.
Ill be drawing inspiration from it myself as I embark
on the mammoth task of building endurance for
Ironman Austria along with Team Felt Triathlon Plus
(page 40). Good job this issue comes with two free gifts
to help all of us building up to the season: a 32-page
strength and conditioning guide to get in great shape,
and a jersey bin for stashing your stuff on
long rides well, if you dont have your
phone to Strava it, it didnt happen, right?
ON THE COVER
AustraliasLukeMacKenziebattling
throughtherunatIronman70.3
StGeorge, May2013
PhotographyLarryRosa
No place like home
OurpickofthebestBritishplaces
toswim,bikeandrunwhenthe
rainstopsthisspring PAGE 60
Drink to your health
Tuckinto12topenergydrinksto
fuelyourtritrainingtoperfection
withourgrouptest PAGE 86
Carbon conundrum
Ourfourbargaincarbonfibre
bikesareallgreatridesbut
whichisthebest? PAGE 96
Dont miss
this month
Ironm
(page 4
to help
streng
and a j
long ri
phone

EAMONN DEANE
Coach and cyclist Eamonn is a
two-times national time-trial
champion, but hes no stranger
to multi-sport: he has also
been known to qualify for the
Ironman World Championship
in Kona, Hawaii.
14

APRIL 2014
GUY KESTEVEN
Cycling guru Guy spends his
time reviewing bikes and kit
for us and our sister mag
Cycling Plus. He burns calories
faster than he can eat them,
which is why he knows every
good cake stop in Yorkshire.
Weve assembled the biggest and best
team of triathlon experts around to bring
you unrivalled coverage of your sport
Meet
your team
of experts
Future
30 Monmouth Street, Bath, BA1 2BW
Tel 01225 442244 Fax 01225 732275
Email triathlonplus@futurenet.com
Web www.triradar.com
Twitter twitter.com/TriathlonPlus
Facebook facebook.com/TriathlonPlus
Editorial
Editor Elizabeth Hufton
elizabeth.hufton@futurenet.com
Coaching editor Phil Mosley
philip.mosley@futurenet.com
Art editor Rob Moxon
rob.moxon@futurenet.com
Deputy art editor Mark Rutkowski
mark.rutkowski@futurenet.com
Senior writer Tom Ballard
tom.ballard@futurenet.com
Staff writer Sarah Ryan
sarah.ryan@futurenet.com
Contributors
Mike Davis, Eamonn Deane, Tom Freeman, Phil
Graves, Peter Greenwood, Guy Kesteven,
Emma-Kate Lidbury, Steve Lumley, Warren
Rossiter, Kathryn Williams, Steve Trew
Photography
British Triathlon, Russell Burton, Dave Caudery,
Corbis Photography, FinisherPix, Getty Images,
Human Race, Image.net, James Lampard, Simon
Lees, Iain Macintosh, Marathon Photos, Paul
Phillips (Competitive Image), Larry Rosa, Joby
Sessions, Philip Sowels, Triathlon.org | ITU,
Jesse Wild
Group art editor Matthew Hunkin
Creative director Robin Abbott
Editorial director Jim Douglas
Advertising
Advertising manager Adrian Miles
01225 442244, adrian.miles@futurenet.com
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Tel + 44 (0)1225 442244
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Chief executive Mark Wood
mark.wood@futurenet.com
Non-executive chairman Peter Allen
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Training and health advice Future Publishing Limited is not an expert provider of medical advice and the
instructions provided herein are in no way intended as a substitute for such advice. Please seek medical advice if you
have any injuries or medical conditions. If you experience any pain or discomfort whilst carrying out training plans or
exercises in this magazine you should STOP immediately and seek advice from your physician or healthcare provider.
STEVE TREW
A leading triathlon coach and
commentator, Steve has been
in the game forever. You can
reach him for coaching advice
and details of his training
camps at trew@personal
best.demon.co.uk.
ELIZABETH HUFTON
Editor Lizs winter Wattbike
odyssey continues this month
(page 70), which should give
her just the fitness needed to
start training for Ironman
Austria with Team Felt
Triathlon Plus (page 40).
EMMA-KATE LIDBURY
Our columnist Emma-Kate
Lidbury was working as a
journalist when she decided to
put her fitness to the test and
take up tri. Now a world-class
pro triathlete, she hasnt
looked back. eklidbury.co.uk.
PHIL MOSLEY
CoachingeditorPhils2014
includestheGrafmanBritish
middle-distancechamps,the
Outlaw,ChallengeWeymouth
andIronmanFlorida.Hesalso
gettingmarriedandhavingan
elbowoperation.Lazy.
TOM BALLARD
Senior writer Tom is making
headway into his Ironman
Austria training and trying to
get his head round power,
which might take a while. Hes
also joining Liz on Team Felt
Triathlon Plus for the event.
PHIL GRAVES
Phil is a pro Ironman triathlete
renowned for his cycling
prowess. The youngest ever
Ironman winner, he won the
Ironman UK and 70.3 UK
double in 2009, and took the
70.3 title again in 2012.
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Chief nanciaI ofcer Graham Harding
Tol +44 (0)207 042 4000 (London)
Tol +44 (0)1225 442 244 (Batn)
SARAH RYAN
Staff writer Sarah loves
nothing better than straying
off the beaten path for a hard
run. Her first year in tri isnt
going great as her chosen race
has been cancelled new race
ideas on a postcard, please!
16

APRIL 2014
Contents
72
86
ON THE COVER
35 4 TRIATHLON RACING SHOES
Save time in T2 with these tri-
specic running shoes
49 YOUR BEST RACE
10 textbook triathlon sessions every
newbie needs to know about
60 FIND BRITAINS BEST
TRAINING SPOTS
Get set for spring training with our
guide to swim/bike/run playgrounds
72 A CRASH COULDNT KEEP ME
OUT OF THE RACE!
Meet Brian Tilley, who managed
three world champs in one year
86 12 ENERGY DRINKS
Shell out on a sugar rush with our
test of the best liquid fuel
96 4 BEST VALUE BIKES
Bag a bargain ride from our four-
bike full carbon line-up
EVERY MONTH
18 UP TO SPEED
The races, places and faces you
need to know about this month
23 LIVING THE DREAM
EK Lidbury on why long-distance
triathlon is a team sport
30 GRAVES CONCERNS
Our Yorkshire correspondent Phil
Graves ies south for the winter
40 TEAM FELT TRIATHLON PLUS
Join our foursome on the long road
to Ironman Austria this year
47 MAILBOX
Shout about your tri highs and lows
58 SUBSCRIBE AND RIDE!
Save money, never miss an issue,
and nab a Cateye bike computer
when you subscribe today
78 RACE REPORTS
Another South African win for Jodie
Swallow, and Crowies back too
A CRASH COULDNT STOP ME RACING
BE INSPIRED BY BRIAN TILLEY, THE SUPER-TOUGH
TRIATHLETE WHO FOUGHT HIS WAY TO KONA
12 ENERGY DRINKS
OURTESTTEAMHASNECKEDENOUGHFUELTOKEEPTHEM
TRAININGALLYEARLONG: FINDOUTWHICHTHEYRATED
113 TREW STORIES
Steve Trew says what separates us
from the elites is brain power
GEAR
39 OBJECT OF DESIRE
This Rolf Prima wheelset has got us
saving up our pocket money
81 BRAND NEW KIT
The top tri gear tested, including the
new Garmin 220 running watch and
great goggles from Aqua Sphere
TRAINING ZONE MAGAZINE
3 PEP TALK
Coaching editor Phil Mosley has
been sweating the small stuff
4 FINE-TUNE YOUR SWIM
IN 8 STEPS ON THE COVER
Learn to swim like an Olympian with
this concise guide
7 RIDE FASTER IN HALF THE TIME
ON THE COVER
Coach Eamonn Deane on how to cut
training time and boost your speed
9 NEVER MISS A RUN AGAIN
ON THE COVER
Struggling to manage your morning
run? Heres how to t it in
11 PLAN YOUR PERFECT TRI
SEASON ON THE COVER
Coach Steve Lumley explains
how to use proper planning for
performance
12 BURST BACK INTO ACTION
ON THE COVER
When youre ready to race again,
use this six-week plan to get going
16 CLIMB FASTER ON THE BIKE
Take your seats for our quick guide
to spinning up an incline
81
BRAND NEW KIT
THE BEST NEW TRIATHLON KIT ON TEST, INCLUDING
THE AFFORDABLE QUARQ RIKEN 10R POWER METER
APRIL 2014 17
4 BEST VALUE BIKES
SPENDJUSTOVERAGRANDANDGRABYOURSELFAGREATCARBONRIDE
96
49
YOUR BEST RACE
USE THESE TEXTBOOK TRIATHLON TRAINING SESSIONS TO GET
READY FOR YOUR FIRST OR BEST FINISH TIME THIS SUMMER
RACE REPORTS
TRIATHLON POWER COUPLE JODIE SWALLOW AND JAMES CUNNAMA WIN BIG IN SOUTH AFRICA
78
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UPLACE-BMC have revealed the full line-up
of their first pro triathlon team. It was
January 2013 that the companies announced
their intention to work together in supporting
a world-class team of international triathletes.
Our number one ambition is to qualify for
and be competitive in the Ironman World
Championships, said team manager Bob de
Wolf. We want to be the best team in the
world and we want to measure this in results.
We want to win.
Making up the 10-strong team will be top
long-distance triathletes Corinne Abraham
(GBR), Will Clarke (GBR), Liz Blatchford
(GBR), Dirk Bockel (LUX), Helle Frederiksen
(DEN), Romain Guillaume (FRA) and Ronnie
Schildknecht (SUI). Theyll be joining Bart
Aernouts, Axel Zeebroek and Sofie Goos who
announced their transition from the all-
Belgian Uplace team in December.
The announcement of Uplace-BMCs team
follows a period of instability for some
professional triathlon teams. In January last
year, the Abu Dhabi Triathlon Team folded
after their sponsorship deal with the tourism
bureau was discontinued. A similar fate befell
Team Commerzbank in 2011, after the
German bank pulled out of sponsoring the
team, citing a need to focus their interests at a
difficult financial time. The team has since
been backed by online retailer 21run.com, but
little has been announced since June 2013.
Possibly the worlds most high profile team
at the moment, teamTBB, is also undergoing
a period of transition after head coach Brett
Suttons departure last year. The teams
strength had been largely linked to Suttons
ability to prepare athletes for world-class
events and its yet to be announced how the
team will move forward.
Uplace-BMC are confident though and
have had an excellent season start with
podium finishes for Will Clarke, who claimed
silver, and Romain Guillaume (bronze) at
Ironman 70.3 South Africa on 26 January.
THREE BRITS IN AMBITIOUS, NEW, ALL-STAR IRONMAN SQUAD
UPLACE-BMC INTRODUCE
ELITE TRIATHLON TEAM
Romain Guillaume, Sofie Goos, Will Clarke, Helle
Frederiksen, Dirk Bockel, Liz Blatchford, Ronnie
Schildknecht, Corinne Abraham and Axel Zeebroek
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO GET YOUR MONTH OFF TO A FLYER
UPTOSPEED
UPTOSPEED
APRIL 2014 19
> NEW IRONMAN 70.3 TO BE HELD IN WESTERN SYDNEY ON 30 NOVEMBER
KNOW YOUR PAIN
Trick
TRI
Between them the athletes have
already collected 39 Ironman
titles and those recent results
bring their collective Ironman
podium finishes to 77.
But what will make Uplace-
BMC successful in the long term?
We look after every aspect of
their sport and thats where I
think we are being a trendsetter,
says De Wolf. Many triathletes
are surprised to find they have
mechanical support at a race. For
us, thats the norm. We looked at
everything, from equipment
support to communication and
believe that by offering the best
support we can bring a bigger
benefit to our athletes.
Will Clarke, who wrapped up
his first year as a long-distance
triathlete with a 10th place finish
in the Ironman 70.3 World
Championships 2013 concurred.
We are really well supported
with the best equipment, he
says. The BMC TM01 is the best
bike on the market, as well as
Shimano for the wheel and
groupsets, and we have support
for everything else you can
think of. The experts at Bakala
Academy in Leuven look after
the scientific and medical side.
We have help from managers
and mechanics at races and
budgets for expenses.
Clarke sees great value in
being part of a team. Seeing
those guys achieve only
motivates the other athletes.
We all train together semi-
regularly. I love being around a
team and I was already friends
with most of them.
Its going to make things
much easier for me, because
Ill be properly looked after so
I can just focus on the job,
which is to work hard and bring
in the results.
Everyone in the team has
been picked because theyve
got the ability to win the
Ironman World
Championships. Were all
long-course athletes and
winning this race is the biggest
prize in the sport, so naturally
everyone in the team wants to
be that person.
Corinne Abraham is back
from injury and promises
to be one of Britains best
Liz Blatchford came third in
her first attempt at Kona and
is one to watch in 2014
Will Clarke has made a
successful jump from
ITU to long-course racing
Normal soreness or
an injury warning
sign? Spotting the
warning pain of a
burgeoning injury
early allows you to
take action to stave
off what could
become a lengthy
break in training.
If you feel localised
pain during or after
training, which
tends to worsen as
you work out, or if
soreness develops
around a joint and
affects your form,
then its worth
taking a short
break or getting it
checked over. Be
aware of sharp pain
as opposed to the
duller ache of
exertion too.
UPTOSPEED
20

APRIL 2014
THE BEST NEW GEAR IN BRIEF
IRONMAN HAVE recently
proposed extending the bike leg
of their UK race to allow more
people to compete. This follows
a record sell-out in August last
year, with all 1,400 general entry
spaces snatched up in 50 hours.
Bolton has hosted the race
since 2009 and this year marks
Ironmans 10th year in the UK.
The extended bike course would
allow more people to enter and
would take in a two-lap route
rather than the current three.
The original route began with
a 14-mile cycle from Pennington
Flash in Leigh to Adlington.
Competitors would then
head east into the Lancashire
countryside before looping back
anti-clockwise via Belmont,
Abbey Village, Wheelton,
Eccleston and Charnock Richard.
This 112-mile leg takes in 1,600m
(5,249ft) of climbing.
The new proposed
two-lap route remains
similar but has been
extended to the north
and east and the
total climbing height
is a little lower. For
the rest of the race,
the 2.4-mile swim
leg comprises two
laps of Pennington
Flash while the final
26.2-mile run leaves
Blackrock and Livington school
on an eight-mile route before
joining a multi-lap circuit leading
into Bolton town centre.
Ironman held a public meeting
on 4 February at Runshaw
College, Chorley, which is
reported to have gone well, and
the extended course is likely to
be approved or rejected in early
March. If it passes, spaces will
reopen soon afterwards, with
priority going to pre-registered
athletes.
Ironman UK is the only
Ironman event to take place in
England and as well as providing
a chance for British triathletes to
race an Ironman on home turf,
there are 50 Kona qualifying
slots available. Ironman Wales,
confirmed for 14 September, has
also sold out. Visit ironman.com
for more details.
> TRISPORTS.COM RENEW SPONSORSHIP OF 2012 IRONMAN WORLD CHAMP LEANDA CAVE
NEWS
IRONMAN UK PROPOSE
NEW BIKE COURSE
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IRONMAN UK IN BOLTON MOOTS EXTENDED BIKE
COURSE TO ALLOW MORE TO COMPETE
FIRST LOOK
IN BRIEF
NEWS
BIG NEWS MADE SMALL
POLAR HAVE billed their latest
design as The Worlds Smartest
Training Computer and, to be fair, it
does a lot. Designed specifically for
pro athletes and serious amateurs,
it can record and give feedback on
pretty much everything you do.
Data is recorded for training in
multiple sports, on your transition
times between them and on day-to-
day activities to give an accurate
picture of your required recovery
time. It records heart rate, altitude
and, from mid-2014, will also
feature power monitoring. And they
didnt forget the GPS either!
Polar
V800
399.90 ( TBC)
polar.com
XTERRA
ENGLAND
CANCELLED
On 6 February, Brave Events
announced that Xterra
England and the Vachery
Triathlon would not take place
in 2014, citing a dispute with
Surrey County Council as the
source of the problems. In the
wake of this, Brave Events
have ceased trading and
entered insolvency. There
have since been rumblings of
another event organiser
taking on the franchise but
this is yet to be confirmed.
Follow triradar.com for the
latest news.
BROWNLEE TRI
SERIES NOW
OPEN
The Brownlee Triathlon, which
debuted last year, will return
in 2014 with an additional
South event. The original,
now dubbed Brownlee Tri
North, has moved from
Fountains Abbey to Harewood
House in Leeds while the sister
event takes place at Petworth
House, West Sussex. Check out
brownleetri.com for more.
Two-time champ Dan Halksworth
is cheered on his way to victory
CHRISSIE
WELLINGTONS
3-PEAKS
CHALLENGE
On 2 May, four-time Kona
champion Chrissie Wellington
and the 4321 Challenge team
will take on the Three Peaks
Challenge with a twist. As
well as running up and down
the UKs three highest
mountains, theyll be cycling
the 450 miles in between. The
event will raise money for The
Rainbow Trust and Jole Rider.
Visit 4321challenge.org for
more information.
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Web insight
Use with the Polar Flow web
service for in-depth training
and recovery analysis
Long-term
recovery
The orthostatic test function
provides insight into your
recovery status over
four weeks of training
Run strong
The Running Index
data function allows
you to gauge your
aerobic fitness and
running economy
UPTOSPEED
APRIL 2014 21
> TRIATHLON PINK WOMENS ONLY RACES START 1 JUNE AT CRYSTAL PALACE
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WHAT ALES YA?
Trick
Tri
Were not
suggesting you give
up the booze
altogether, but know
that alcohol is
metabolised by the
liver, which also
produces glycogen
and isnt super-hot
at multi-tasking.
While its busy
processing that pint
of ale, its not
producing as much
glycogen and your
muscles arent
getting as much
fuel. It can also
dehydrate you,
which is definitely
bad news in the
summer. Lay off the
day before a race or
big training session
and instead
celebrate when
youve got that
cracking time
tucked securely
under your belt.
.
THE IMMORTAL
A UNIQUE LOCATION AND CHALLENGING
COURSE AWAIT HARDY ATHLETES THIS MAY
FOR THE inaugural running of The
Immortal, organisers Total Buzz have
secured exclusive use of the stunning
Stourhead Estate in Wiltshire, an
idyllic National Trust venue new to the
multi-sport landscape.
The middle-distance race begins
with a 1.9km swim around the estates
picturesque lake, in view of the pillar-
fronted Temple of Apollo.
The 56-mile bike course is made up
of two anti-clockwise laps, heading
north and immediately uphill from
the estate through gorgeous
countryside. The first climb is steady
but long at about 6km, before a hair-
raising descent leads competitors into
the rest of the loops peaks and troughs
profile. Going into the second lap,
athletes will have to test their legs over
the whole 8km ascent upon which the
estate is located. By the time they roll
into T2, racers will have conquered
around 1,100m of climbing.
The three-lap half-marathon run
course is definitely no pushover either.
Like the bike, each lap begins with a
steady hill gaining around 65m in
height over 3.8km towards the
imposing King Alfreds Tower. Then
its a 2km downhill dash and a pair of
spiky climbs before the profile eases
towards the finish area.
The Immortal certainly looks set to
be one of the most exciting additions
to this years triathlon events calendar.
But for those seeking a shorter
challenge, theres also the 900m,
20-mile bike and 4.5-mile run
Stourhead Mega Sprint Tri event on
the same day. Find out more at
totalbuzzevents.com.
RACE
THIS
THE BEST PLACES TO TEST YOURSELF
IM RACING
TOM BALLARD
Senior writer
Team Felt
Triathlon
Plus is taking on
The Immortal and it
looks like a perfect
pre-Ironman test. The
swim is sure to be
chilly, so make sure
youre prepared for the
cold. Practising pacing
on hills both on bike
and run will also be
crucial to getting
over the line
in one piece.
Stourhead is a gorgeous and
unique race venue
DETAILS
WhatTheImmortal
WhereStourheadEstate,
Wiltshire
When18May2014
UPTOSPEED
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EMMA-KATE LIDBURY Age 33 Achievements Winner of six Ironman
70.3 titles (2011-2013) About EK is a journalist turned pro triathlete. Shes
sponsored by Anthem Media Group, Felt, Osmo Nutrition, Morris Owen
Accountants and Virtua. Visit eklidbury.co.uk or follow her @eklidbury
> DEDICATED, SAFE ONLINE BIKE MARKETPLACE BIKESOUP.COM HITS THE WEB
THERES NO I
IN TRIATHLON
EMMA-KATE LIDBURY MIGHT FINISH ALONE, BUT IT
TAKES A BIG TEAM TO GET HER TO THE START LINE
WHEN I was at school, I loved
team sports netball, volleyball,
basketball. You name it, I played
it. Team sports were fun,
sociable and engaging. But for
someone like me who is
competitive and has a fierce will
to win I would sometimes find
their dynamics frustrating.
Individual sports soon
became more appealing: you,
and you alone, are responsible
for the outcome. Its perhaps no
surprise the focus of my
childhood sporting life was
competitive swimming, an
intensely individual pursuit.
I spent much of my formative
years ploughing up and down
swimming pools, obeying my
swim coaches and quite
inadvertently building an engine
and a skill set that would later
prove highly useful as a
professional triathlete.
The irony is, however, that
now in my life as a pro triathlete
(in what appears to be a
ruthlessly individual sport) the
reverse is actually true. There
might be an I in triathlon, but I
have fast learned its a small one.
I may be the one who savours
the finish chute glory when she
wins, but I simply could not reach
that place without the network
of support I have around me.
Over the past couple of
seasons, I have been fortunate to
build a strong team who all share
in my goals. These people
believe in me, see my potential
and are on the journey with me
as I strive to be the best I can be.
My triathlon coach, Matt
Dixon, and my swim coach,
Gerry Rodrigues, are the two
most obvious sources of
guidance and inspiration, but so
too are the many family and
friends who continue to support,
love and help me through the
highs and lows of pro racing.
The expertise of Matt and
Gerry is well supplemented by
plenty of others, including my
sports psychologist, nutritionist,
masseuse, sports doctor,
strength and conditioning coach
and chiropractor. Their wealth of
knowledge and support in their
respective fields is vast.
Just as important are my
sponsors who help finance me
and enable me to lead this life
and follow my dreams.
Last year I teamed up with my
title sponsor Anthem Media
Group, which launched an
employee wellness programme,
in which Im involved, to help
improve the health and wellness
of the workforce.
Im hugely excited to have
signed two more significant
sponsorship deals this year too.
Felt Bicycles need no
introduction, but having the
support of Jim Felt and his
dedicated team is a ringing
endorsement of my biking and I
know their meticulous attention
to detail, help and, of course,
phenomenal bikes will empower
my riding and racing. I am only
too proud to represent them.
The second, Osmo Nutrition,
has also already enhanced my
training. The brainchild of
leading exercise physiologist
and nutritionist Dr Stacy Sims,
Osmo is the only hydration
brand to develop gender-specific
products. Learning how
womens nutritional needs are
so different to mens has been a
real eye-opener.
Two UK businesses Morris
Owen Chartered Accountants
and telecoms firm Virtua have
been loyal supporters of my
triathlon career since my age-
group days. There is no doubt
their continued support has
enabled me to step up to
become a world class triathlete.
I feel blessed, inspired and
privileged to have this team
around me. Everyone, in their
own way, serves to enhance
everything I am working
towards in the short and long
term. Together we are greater
than the sum of our parts and
together, I have every confidence
we will all achieve our goals.
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APRIL 2014
THE
RECCE
YOUR FAVOURITE PLACES REVEALED
THIS WEST SUSSEX CLUB IS GRINNING AND RARING TO GO
NEWTON RUNNING is introducing
some major updates to its range
this spring, starting with the Gravity
III (pictured), Motion III Mileage,
Distance III and Distance S III shoes.
The unique Newton soles have
been adapted to feature five rather
than four lugs. The company says
this better aligns with the foots five
metatarsals and provides a springy,
cushioned yet stable response.
Well have a full review as soon as
we get a pair to try out.
THE BEST NEW GEAR IN BRIEF FIRST LOOK
NUMBERS
MAGIC
FACTS YOU CAN COUNT ON
STARTING IN 1986
with just five athletes,
East Grinstead Triathlon
Club now has more than 120
members. The age span is from
16 to 70 and ability ranges from
novices to world championship
age-groupers and Ironmen.
Our group is always growing
and our annual sprint-distance
and ladies Try-a-Tri races
give the club a great boost in
numbers and morale.
We unashamedly take
over the leisure centre on a
Saturday morning with two
swim sessions followed by a
core session and, after plenty of
coffee and cake, a run. In winter
we keep our legs spinning with
weekly turbo training sessions.
DAVID PAWSEY
EAST GRINSTEAD TRIATHLON CLUB
Train here for All-abilities coached sessions
and plenty of friendly banter
Visit egtri.com
The Worth
and Forest Way
(previously a
rail line running
between Crawley
and Tunbridge
Wells) provides a nice flat path
for 5km time trials as well as long
easy runs, while there are also
plenty of inclines around East
Grinstead for hill sets.
Situated close to the Surrey,
Kent and Sussex borders, were
spoilt for choice when it comes
to picturesque rides. Ashdown
Forest, which provided the
inspiration for Winnie the Pooh,
is just a couple of miles away
and home to the infamous Kidds
Hill, semi-affectionately known
in cycling circles as The Wall.
The club enjoys post
session big breakfasts
Also located in the area is
Weir Wood Reservoir which,
come warmer weather, sees us
wading in in our wetsuits for
evening open-water sessions.
Perhaps the most integral
location for our training
though is Bluebells Cafe, just
across the road from the leisure
centre. Here, well devour a
well-deserved full English
breakfast after Saturdays
training, while our head coach
looks on with his healthy
banana porridge.
Newton Running
GRAVITY III
TBC
newtonrunning.co.uk
EAST GRINSTEAD
TRIATHLON CLUB
How much faster Ali
Brownlee was than
the average at
Abu Dhabi
last year
Low rider
The new range offers
increased arch support
but still features a low
2-3mm heel drop,
promoting mid-foot
rather than heel strike
Stitch free
The welded rather
than stitched overlays
should work to
decrease friction
> ALAN WEBB, US RECORD HOLDER FOR THE MILE, HAS MOVED INTO TRIATHLON
12:13
Dylan McNeices 100m pace
in the swim, setting a new
course record at Challenge
Wanaka, New Zealand
mg of
caffeine per
kg of body
weight can
give your
training a
boost. One
espresso
has around
60-70mg
UPTOSPEED
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APRIL 2014
BRAND NEW BIKES PUT THROUGH THEIR PACES 4
RIDE
REVIEW
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FAST
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Were fans of the Orcas
angular looks and this
years 1,549 base price
makes the standard wheel
package better value
though the tyres are a bit
basic. Orbea also offers a
range of upgrades via its
website so you can choose
how itll be supplied to
your local dealer. We opted
for Kysrium Equipe S
wheels, and an FSA
cockpit, which added 229
to the price but was
immediately shown to be a
good choice on the road.
The Orca really impressed
us with its cleverly
comfortable, yet
thundering performance.
Its smooth-rolling and
sharp happy thrashing
along at sprint speeds or
barrelling down descents.
Its a bike thats brilliantly
balanced no matter what
its tasked with. The
upgraded Kysriums
represent the higher end
of wheels in this price
range and make a useful
contribution to
transforming the ride.
The Orca B M50 is as at
home on the climbs as it is
descending or sprinting.
The only surprise we found
in the spec is the lack of a
compact chainset in
favour of the FSA
Gossamer triple, which
offers a 30/39/50 range,
complementing the 12-28
cassette. The triple is a
little bit overkill for most
UK climbs, but we could
see a use for it on the
super-steep slopes in the
heart of Basque country
where Orbea are based.
With huge box-section
chainstays and the
monostay seatstay having
similarly large dimensions,
the big surprise is that the
big back end is perfectly
supple over coarse
surfaces, adding smooth
rolling to long rides on the
UKs rough roads while
feeling taut enough to
match the totally planted
feel up front. The Mavic
wheels come with 23mm
tyres as standard but
25mm would make the
ride even friendlier.
3 4
LONG
RIDE
HILLY
RIDE
SPEC SHEET
Price1,738
Contactorbea.com
Size57cm
FrameBronzelevelcarbon
Forkcarbon
Weight8.64kg(57cm)
GearsShimano105, Tiagra
frontmech
BrakesOrbea
WheelsMavicKysrium
EquipeS
FinishingkitFSAWing
compactbar, FSAGossamer
stem, FSAOmegachainset,
Orbeacarbonpost, Selle
ItaliaXPsaddle, MavicYksion
tyres
ORBEA ORCA B M50
The Orca really
impressed us with
its cleverly
comfortable, yet
thundering
performance
28

APRIL 2014
UPTOSPEED
VEGETABLE AND SALSA
VERDE SCONE PIZZA
FAST FOOD TO FIX YOUR BODY
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SHOPPING LIST
250g self-raising wholemeal our
75g oats
3 tbsp cold-pressed rapeseed oil
175ml skimmed milk
400g can chopped tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, crushed
25g each basil and chives, chopped
1 courgette, peeled into ribbons
1 red pepper, diced
200g spinach, wilted
1tbsp balsamic glaze
NUTRITION
Serves 4 Cooking time 30mins
Per serving 451 kcal, carbs 59.9g,
protein 15.6g, fat 12.2g
30
MIN
FUEL
1

Preheat the oven to 200C/gas mark
6. Mix the flour and oats together, add
two tablespoons of rapeseed oil and
milk to form a dough.
2

Roll out to a 30cm circle and place
on a non-stick baking tray then bake
for five minutes.
3

Meanwhile, cook the chopped
tomatoes and garlic together in a
saucepan for five minutes or until the
sauce has thickened and then spread it all over
the scone base.
4

Chop the herbs with the remaining
rapeseed oil in a small food processor
and toss into the vegetables, then
season with black pepper.
5

Arrange the vegetables on the pizza.
Bake for 15 minutes or until golden,
then drizzle over the balsamic glaze.
Serve with a green salad.
6

Top this off with whatever you fancy.
For a bit of extra protein add cheese,
leftover chicken or, if you want to keep
it veggie, some tofu marinated in tamari sauce.
KEEP A FEW SLICES OF THIS IN YOUR FRIDGE
FOR A GREAT POST-RUN RECOVERY SNACK
>
FIND GEAR BUYING GUIDES AND FREE TRI TRAINING PLANS AT TRIRADAR.COM
UPTOSPEED
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PHIL GRAVES Age 24 Achievements Winner Ironman 70.3 UK (2012),
winner TriStar 111 Estonia (2010), Winner Ironman 70.3 UK (2009), winner
Ironman UK (2009), winner National Age Group Triathlon Championships
(2009), selected for Great Britain triathlon team (2009)
> TRAILMAN OFF-ROAD TRAIL RUN AND DUATHLON POSTPONED UNTIL 15 MARCH
ON THE UP,
DOWN UNDER
PHIL GRAVES IS TRYING TO DODGE A HEAT WAVE
AND BUSH FIRES AS HE TRAINS IN AUSTRALIA
IM IN AUSTRALIA preparing
for Ironman NZ and Ironman
Melbourne, and I thought I
would fill you all in on what Ive
been up to on my wild travels.
I made the plan to race on the
other side of the world well
before Christmas, even though
it did take me a while to book
flights and pluck up the courage
to come so far away from home.
I know many of you will have
done long trips away before, but
standing at York Station at 4am
waiting to get the train to
Manchester Airport is not an
experience I want many times
in my life!
I tend to try and wipe long
flights from my mind, so even
now, writing this, I only flew 10
days ago but it seems like
forever. From Manchester to
Dubai, to Perth, to an overnight
stop in Melbourne, where I
managed to get out for a little
run, then a train the next day up
to a small town called Albury on
the Victoria/New South Wales
border. It was all over in a
48-hour flash.
I sat on the train glued to the
foreign world outside, looking
for my first kangaroo, which was
sadly dead at the side of the train
tracks. This was the beautiful,
albeit burnt, landscape I was to
train in for the next few weeks.
No sooner had I arrived at my
homestay and been greeted by
my old swimming coach from
York, who now resides out here,
than it was out to do some
shopping, then down to the
pool for a swim.
After so much travelling, and
something like 11 hours of sleep
in 96 hours, hurling my fatigued
corpse into the pool was far from
enjoyable. But I got through it
and that night I slept very well!
Its been just my luck that on
my second day here, a huge heat
wave came in, weather I
definitely didnt bring from the
UK. From training in about 4.2C
it was now 42C. It would be
ironic to describe my
introduction to Australia as a
baptism of fire, but thats exactly
what it has been. In the first few
days, smoke came down from
various forest fires in the area,
and though I could still train fine,
the beautiful Australian
countryside looked more like a
misty Lake District scene.
In the last week I have done
some amazing training though.
I went running early one
morning, got horrifically lost,
saw a kangaroo (that was
actually alive) and did an
amazing 140km ride in a
national park here.
Ive even managed to join up
with the local chain gang. I could
tell I wasnt popular when I
turned up on a TT bike, but they
were a great group of lads. At
home a good turnout on the
chain gang would be 30, but
here there were 60.
I couldnt help taking off and
wiping out a few cobwebs,
which turned into a very painful
20km, but I managed to hold off
the chasing pack. I think they
were all suitably impressed.
Thankfully today it rained
most of the day, which meant
I could do my long run in the
afternoon and not at the crack
of dawn. The two things that are
saving me from all this heat at
the moment are Coke and air
conditioning. Ive been told it
will cool off, though Ive heard
that before!
However, Im feeling really
good. As I write, its two weeks
until Ironman New Zealand, my
first race of the season. My aim
for 2014 is to get to Kona, so I will
be racing a lot of races this year
Ironman Lanzarote, Austria and
UK to make sure I get there.
So hopefully Ill see some of
you when Im back in the UK
though by then my Aussie tan
will probably have worn off. Roll
on the English summer. Happy
training everyone!
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> JODIE SWALLOW (GB) TAKES HER FOURTH WIN AT IRONMAN 70.3 SA
SPOT FASCIITIS
TRICK
TRI
Once you start
running even semi-
seriously, youll
probably hear tales
of the spectre of
plantar fasciitis.
This nasty injury
can take you out
of training for
months. The
plantar fascia is a
band of tissue that
runs along the
bottom of your
foot, connecting
the heel and
middle foot bones.
Its the main shock
absorber and it
takes a pounding
when you run.
Plantar fasciitis
occurs when the
tissue becomes
inflamed, often
after a big increase
in mileage. If you
feel pain near the
heel, especially
first thing in the
morning, get thee
to a GP.
ON A
ROLL
SECRETS OF AGE-GROUP SUCCESS
F
Jane digging deep at the
World Triathlon Grand Final
I USED to run and swim for
the national team when I was
younger, but then did no sport
at all for 20 years.
I work in advertising and
marketing (Ive got my own
agency) and I had a terrible
lifestyle. Then in 2010 a client
persuaded me to do the London
Marathon. I ran it in under four
hours and was totally hooked.
A year later, I ran the New York
marathon in 2:58 and came third
in my age group.
After that my brother said,
You can swim and run. If you
learnt to ride a bike you might be
OK at triathlon. So I did my first
triathlon and loved it. The variety
was much more interesting. I
love running, its my favourite
discipline, but its nice to break
it up. I enjoy the swimming and
Ive recently fallen in love with
the bike. I used to be dreadful
but now I dont lose my place and
sometimes make spaces up.
Ive been doing triathlon for
exactly two years now. The
London Triathlon was my first
I won my age group and I think I
came 4th overall. Then two years
later I did the London Triathlon
again in the elite race.
Im going to Edmonton in
September and my main aim is
to medal in the triathlon. The
Ironman 70.3 is the week after
and I want to do the double
bubble, as they say!
I loved doing the 2013 World
Championships, getting bronze
for the aquathlon and finishing
4th in the triathlon in shouting
distance of a medal! I was
delighted because this time I
really felt like I held my own on
the bike, something I could never
have said before.
This sounds a bit weird but I
do like the amount of training
involved. I get a buzz from the
training. Its an amazing sport
and Im totally hooked.
JANE HANSOM
AFTER ONLY TWO YEARS IN TRI, THIS TOP AGE-GROUPER
HAS HER SIGHTS SET ON GLORY AT EDMONTON
JANE HANSOM
Age 45 Day job Director, Sponge Marketing Career highlights 1st female
age-grouper, Alanya ETU Triathlon European Championships 2013; 3rd
female age-grouper, ITU Aquathlon World Championships London 2013;
4th female age-grouper, ITU World Triathlon Grand Final 2013
APRIL 2014 35
UPTOSPEED
NEW GEAR PUT THROUGH ITS PACES
MINI
TEST
3
ZOOT ULTRA RACE 4.0
130 (258g UK9.5)
zootsports.com
An easy spot in T2, the Zoots are fast
to get into while the BOA closure
system works really well with the snug
upper to keep feet locked in without
constriction. Theres a smooth inner
layer making barefoot runs a breeze
they come up small with socks on
though. The fairly stiff soles come
complete with drainage holes too.
The Zoots are seriously fast shoes with
decent support, but the ride is a little
harsher than the others.
OVERALL
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THESE TRIATHLON-SPECIFIC RUNNING SHOES WILL HAVE YOU
OFF YOUR BIKE AND ON THE RUN FASTER THAN EVER
T2 TIME SAVERS
1
PEARL IZUMI EM TRI N 1
89.99 (279g UK10)
pearlizumi.co.uk
Theres a real smoothness to running
in the N 1 shoes heel to toe they
roll well, offer good comfort, a bit of
support where its needed and put you
in a fast midfoot position for a quick,
efficient turnover. Theyre speedy in
transition too, being easy to slip on.
The elastic laces work well to hold the
foot, though the large opening means
more slippage than some other shoes.
The upper is seriously airy and lined
throughout for barefoot running.
OVERALL
2
INOV8 TRI-X-TREME 275
120 (284g UK10) inov-8.com
The Inov8s were fast to pull on and the
elastic laces hold really well without
pinching a Velcro tag stopping
bouncing. The neutral footbed and
flexible sole means limited support,
but they feel fast and comfy. The
wide toebox allows good toe spread
and theres a seamless membrane
for barefoot friendliness. Ventilation
is great and the side of the sole has
drainage holes to avoid squelchiness
after water stations but without them
drawing water up from wet ground.
OVERALL
4
SCOTT T2 PALANI
100 (247g UK9.5)
scott-sports.com
Despite being the most traditional
trainers here, the Scotts are the
lightest and have a good level of
comfort thanks to the companys
Aero Foam. Support is good and the
rocker-shaped sole complete with
drainage encourages a fast turnover.
Seams on the inside of the upper mean
theyre not as comfortable barefoot as
the others though. Youll have to buy
your own laces too but the Scotts are
good value for training and racing.
OVERALL
UPTOSPEED
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APRIL 2014
CHRIS BLACK
AGE 28
FROM Stirling
JOB PR consultant
I swam when
I was younger
but stopped in my teens.
After a while I missed
sport and being
competitive but didnt
want to go back to
swimming. There was a
triathlon club in Stirling
where I grew up, so I
thought, Ill give that a
bash, and I caught the
bug. I was 17 when I first
went along and Ive been
a member since 2002.
What I really like is the
variety. It can get quite
tedious just swim
training, but with
triathlon youve got
cycling and running, as
well as the travel and the
diversity of the distances.
I did my first
Ironman last year!
Send us a pic and tell us why you love tri
and well tell the world. Email:
triathlonplus@futurenet.com with
I Love Tri in the subject box
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PEOPLE WHO LOVE TRIATHLON
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APRIL 2014 39
Rolf Prima
ARES4
THIS WEIGHT WEENIE WHEELSET
COULD SAVE YOU SIX MINUTES
W
eighing just 1,368g, the Rolf Prima
Ares4 is a stunningly light, and pretty,
aero wheelset. The carbon clinchers
use 42mm deep Delta Rim Technology a widened
27mm platform with a specially shaped sidewall to
improve aerodynamics and stability in windy
conditions as well as supporting the tyre better to
boost handling. The Ares4 uses Rolf Primas bladed
CX-Ray aero spokes in the companys usual paired
arrangement. This is designed to neutralise
opposing pulling forces on each side of the rim,
allowing a stiff yet light wheel with fewer spokes
for better aerodynamics. Compared to a standard
Mavic Ksyrium SL wheel, Rolf Prima says the Ares4
will save you over six minutes in an long-distance
event at 23mph certainly not a split saving to be
sniffed at. Ceramic cartridge bearings keep things
rolling perfectly while titanium skewers finish off
this gorgeous aero package.
2,299 rolfprima.com W
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saddleback.co.uk
Team Felt Triathlon Plus
PRO TRIATHLETES might have perfect aero
positions, but the members of Team Felt
Triathlon Plus are a far cry from the elite
iunks. So to nd out low to bulunce comloit,
powei und ueiodynumics duiing Iionmun
Austiiu, tle teum took tleii Felt bikes und
wonky bodies to visit expeit bike ttei Cliis
Newmun ut Tle Tiiutllon Slop in Biistol.
Cliis begun by ieminding us not ull
tiiutllon bike legs uie cieuted equul.
Tiiutllon is u veiy bioud teim. Tleie uie u
luge iunge ol distunces und tle type ol t you
luve loi u spiint tii is veiy dilleient to tlut loi
un Iionmun. You ulso need to tuke into
uccount pievious iiding listoiy und 'body
history. Some people are going to go for a
saddleback.co.uk
set-up tlut's inciedibly ueiodynumic und us
lust us possible, some people wunt sometling
comloituble und elcient so tlut wlen tley
get to the run, theyre as fresh as they can be.
With the team taking a selection of Felts
nest ovei Iionmun Austiiu's 112 miles, Cliis
locused on tle iisk veisus iewuid ol getting
ueio loi u long duy in tle suddle.
Foi Iionmun, you denitely eii on tle sule
side ol cuution becuuse loi tle mujoiity ol
utlletes out tleie, it's un inciedibly long
event. It miglt not be us ueiodynumic us tle
position you could lold loi u spiint event but
you wunt to muke suie you could quite
luppily sit in it loi six oi seven louis.
You see some people witl u pietty low,
TEAM FELT TRIATHLON PLUS
FIND THE BEST WAY TO GET FIT
FIT FOR A KING
42 APRIL 2014
little bit like balancing a set
of scales the further
loiwuids you go, tle less
powei you'll be uble to
output, but the more time
und elloit you'll suve
because your position is
moie ueiodynumic. It's
dilleient loi eveiy peison,
but you get to a tipping
point wleie youi body is
contoited into u position
wleie you'ie losing moie
than youre gaining.
Maintaining an open hip angle is really
impoitunt. Il you close up youi lip exoi too
mucl, tle ist puit ol tle pedul stioke
becomes ubout getting iid ol tle leg liom
undeineutl you beloie you cun diive uny
powei, seiiously luiming elciency.`
Tlis is wly tle Felt DA tii bikes luve u
78-degiee seut ungle, und tle ieveisible
seutpost on tle Felt AR-seiies bikes ullows u
78.S-degiee ungle. Tlis, us Cliis suys, opens
up tle lip ungle und gets tle knee ovei tle
top ol tle loot so you'ie pusling down iutlei
tlun loiwuids. It's ulso to muke suie tlut
tlose joints und muscles don't oveiwoik
tlemselves on tle bike und uie still
functioning by the run.
In this position, you shift yourself further
loiwuids so tle liont end ielies moie on tle
skeleton's stiuctuie to lold you in pluce iutlei
tlun on muscles, meuning youi uppei body
cun become luiily idle on tle bike.`
A luck ol tlis ciuciul loiwuids slilt could
be hampering the potential of many
competitors using clip-on tri bars.
The most common problem I see is people
oveistietcling witl clip-ons noimully
becuuse wlen you get u puii out tle box,
tley'ie set to tleii lull lengtl und tlut's u long
ieucl. You'ie immediutely putting moie
stiuin ucioss youi slouldeis und buck to get
into tlut position und youi lip ungle is going
to close iiglt up in tle top lull ol tle pedul
stioke losing elciency und comloit slilt
youisell luitlei loiwuids so tle liont end
ielies moie on tle skeleton stiuctuie to lold
you in place rather than on muscles.
It's not ulwuys possible to leel oi see tlese
peiloimunce diuining luctois tlougl, wlicl
is wly u good bike t liom un expeiienced
ttei is ulwuys u cost-ellective wuy to
instuntly ieduce youi tiiutllon splits.
Veiy lew people luve tle oppoitunity to
wutcl tlemselves iide u bike tleie's u luge
umount ol benet liom tlut outside
peispective. Tle dilleience between one
liume size und unotlei cun be only 20mm.
Reulisticully you cun be 10mm out und it's u
ielutively luige umount. Getting u bike t
done is impeiutive il you wunt to get tle most
out ol youi position und elciency.`
Chris Newman is founder of NewFit
systems and head tter at The Triath/on
Shop, which opens its new 9,000 square
foot premises with custom bike-tting
studio this Apri/ (thetriath/onshop.co.uk).
saddleback.co.uk
SETTING UP AN
AERODYNAMIC
POSITION IS A
LIKE BALANCING
A SET OF SCALES
YOU GET TO A
POINT WHERE
YOURE LOSING
MORE THAN
YOURE GAINING
Kevins new position
brings him forward
for better efficiency
and aerodynamics
uggiessive set-up but il tley've got to spend
ve oi 10 minutes eveiy loui sitting up und
stretching because theyre getting stiff,
tley'ie missing out on uny udvuntuge. You see
u lot ol people witl un uggiessive position
struggling to run because theyve put too
mucl stiuin on tleii lowei buck und lip
exois tleii glutes luve become stietcled
becuuse ol tle position, so it's luidei loi tlem
to ie going onto tle iun.`
Witl tlis in mind, Kevin leupt ubouid lis
new Felt AR4, und Cliis expluined tle
intiicucies ol nding un individuul position.
Setting up un ueiodynumic position is u
Chris explains the
importance of an
individual bike fit
THE GUVNOR
ELIZABETH HUFTON

Tlis montl we sent Plil
Mosley, our coach, some
inloimution to lelp lim wiite
our training plans. Ironically,
my job olten stunds in tle wuy
of training, so I hope hell
luve some time-elcient
sessions loi me to build my
tness in u ieulistic wuy.
Ive been lucky to have
access to a Wattbike over
wintei und luve just ended u
16-week tiuining block (see
puge 70) witl gieut iesults.
My otlei two disciplines need
woik, tlougl. I've been out
loi u lew plodding iun/wulk
sessions und um uctuully
looking loiwuid to moie ol
tlut. I ulso mude u
commitment to get back in the
pool often after seeing Toms
huge improvements Ive
wuined lim le'll luce
disciplinuiy uction il le
continues to slow me up!
THE SILVER FOX
KEVIN GOVER

THE BIKE t wus uwesome.
Tle tlings Cliis wus tulking
ubout, like low people get oll
tle bike und cun't iun tle ist
mile, summed me up. I leuint
u lot; le wus tulking ubout
low you use youi muscles
dilleiently. I cun't wuit to get
out on my AR4 now!
My tiuining's going well.
I'm ieully pleused consideiing
tle weutlei we've lud [in
Febiuuiy|. I've just swum my
ist 4km witlout u wetsuit up
ut tle S0m pool ut Butl
Univeisity it wus u bit boiing
ieully, und I lud tle lune to
mysell so it's not quite like
Austiiu witl 1,400 swimmeis
uiound me! It wus u big
condence boost tlougl
becuuse tlut's my weuk link.
Wlut I'm looking loiwuid
to getting from our coach Phil
Mosleys training plan is a bit
of structure. You can go on
putting the miles in but that
stiuctuie will lelp even just
to stop me over training.
COACH PHIL SAYS:
KEVIN LOVES tiuining witl
lis locul club, wlicl is u good
thing. As he gets nearer to
Ironman Austria, one of his
biggest clullenges will be
nding tle iiglt blend
between club tiuining und
tle individuul iequiiements
of his key Ironman
woikouts.`
saddleback.co.uk
Cuiiently I'm u good two
minutes off my best over
1km in tle wutei. Meunwlile
my Felt AR4 lus just uiiived,
so my cycling bius doesn't look
like it's going unywleie!`
COACH PHIL SAYS:

Tle key to Liz's tiuining will
be nding enougl time to
tiuin outside woik. Sle slould
stick to one quulity session on
week duys und tlen
proactively free up her
weekends loi tle longei miles
sle needs to do.`
LITTLE WOLVERINE
SHONSEL BALLARD

As Ive not been able to get
outside us mucl us I would've
liked tlis montl due to bud
weutlei, I've been poiing ovei
my tiuining logs und devising
u detuiled plun. Now I've got
Plil's lelp, I wunt to muke
sure my prep is spot on to
make the most of any
opportunity I get to train.
I keep tlinking low cun I
lope to do tle Iionmun
distunce in u single duy il I'm
not doing it comloitubly ovei
u week's tiuining?! I've been
trying to get into a routine of
swimming tliee times u
week, but cycling lus been
the biggest challenge Ive
just not munuged to get tle
long iides in. I'm doing tle
Lionheart sportive though, so
tlut slould lelp motivute me
to cycle wlutevei tle weutlei.
I'm ieully looking loiwuid to
getting on my Felt TT bike,
even il tle weutlei meuns
stuck on tle tuibo loi now.`
COACH PHIL SAYS:
Witl u good buse ol
enduiunce, Slonsel lus tle
tulent to do well ut Austiiu.
Like muny ol us, sle udmits to
occasionally losing focus
wlen sle lus u bud week ol
training. What really matters
is her rolling three-month
training average, rather than
tle nutuiul ups und downs ol
uny given week.`
THE TOMMINATOR
TOM BALLARD

I'VE FOLLOWED Mark
Allen's leud und lud uiound
12 weeks ol ieully low
intensity woik to stuit my
buse tiuining. I even lud u
break from group sessions in
tle pool loi u lew weeks, but
muintuined swimming
consistency witl eusy
sessions. Having Allen as my
guide denitely seems to luve
incieused my tness, becuuse
now I'm buck tiuining witl
the club, my times have come
down. I munuged 1:0S loi u
3.8km tlut lud me giinning
ull duy. Unloitunutely cycling
piospects luve been us wet us
the pool so the turbo has been
getting a lot of use over the
last month. Ive been
keeping myself going by
wutcling old Iionmun
Huwuii videos
und it's got me
wisling tlut
Custelli mude swim biiels. I'm
woiiied ubout tle luck ol long
iides tlougl.`
COACH PHIL SAYS:
FOR TOM to meet und
exceed lis gouls, le needs to
get to u stuge wleie le cun
iide 112 miles ut close to
Iionmun puce in tiuining und
still feel he has something left
in tle tunk ulteiwuids. It
takes months of consistent
iiding to build up to tlis point.
Gioup iides und spoitives lelp
witl tlis.`
ents
o
r
MONTH 2
TEAM
UPDATE
APRIL 2014 43
TOP GEAR
THE KIT THE TEAM WILL BE
RELYING ON FOR IRONMAN AUSTRIA
Guv'nors gear
Liz is quick to bagsy
some Castelli kit and
an awesome set of
ENVE wheels
saddleback.co.uk
FELT BICYCLES

FELT HAS a rich history
in triathlon with founder
Jim Felt building the
custom frame that Paula
Newby-Fraser won her
ist ol eiglt Konu titles on
in 1991. These days, stars
such as 2013 Ironman
World Champion Mirinda
Carfrae and Triathlon Plus
columnist Emmu-Kute
Lidbury ride the
companys cutting-edge
IA triathlon bike. Team
Felt Triathlon Plus is
racing with a mix of bikes
from the AR aero road
and DA tri-bike ranges.
feltbicycles.com
CASTELLI

CASTELLIS TRI gear is
some of the very best in
the world. Just ask
Frederik Van Lierde and
Mirinda Carfrae: both
2013 Ironman World
Champions, both
victorious wearing
Custelli kit. Peilect t,
plush comfort and great
design mark the Castelli
tri kit out as special.
castelli-cycling.com/en
BONT SHOES

BONTS CYCLING shoes
have a unique design,
with the carbon soles
wrapping up at the edges
before attaching to the
upper. Incredibly stiff and
light, theyre also heat
mouldable at home to
make an already comfy
pedalling base like sliding
your favourite slippers on
something the team will
be glad of during their
long day in Austria.
bont.com
STAGES CYCLING

POWER METERS are all
the rage with professional
triathletes, but thanks to
the innovation of Stages
Power, theyre now
accessible to many more
athletes. Chosen by Team
Sky for 2014, the
companys crank-arm
based system is simple to
set up, incredibly light at
just 20g and accurate to
within two per cent.
Stages systems also talk
to both ANT+ and
Bluetooth Smart head
units for compatibility
with the biggest brands.
stagescycling.com
ENVE

EXPERTS IN composite
construction, ENVE has
worked with renowned
aerodynamicist Simon
Smart to make their gear
even faster by improving
aerodynamics, lowering
weight and increasing
stiffness to help
triathletes get the best out
of themselves on race day.
enve.com
ZONE 3

SINCE THEIR launch in
2009, weve often lauded
Zone3s suits for their
superb performance and
great value. Theyre also
seriously fast through the
water and easy to slip out
of in transition all
reasons why Team Felt
Triathlon Plus will be
wearing Zone3 while
training for Ironman
Austria and hoping for a
wetsuit-legal swim come
race day!
racezone3.com
RIEMANN P20

IRONMAN AUSTRIA
could be seriously hot this
June, but luckily, the team
will be protected from the
suns harmful rays by
Riemann P20. With
strengths up to factor 50,
water resistance and
application lasting eight
hours, its ideal for
long-course racing.
p20.co.uk
Suited and booted
The Tomminator gets
stuck in to Castellis
Kona-winning tri suit and
Zone3s Aspire wetsuit
once wed wrested the
Bont shoes from him!
saddleback.co.uk
APRIL 2014 47
UPTOSPEED
YOUR NEWS, OPINIONS AND INSPIRATIONAL STORIES
MAILBOX
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WANT TO TALK TRIATHLON? VISIT OUR FORUM
SUPPORTING THE
SUPPORT
When Triathlon Plus is on the table,
I read it. This wouldnt be so
unusual, but I dont own a bike and
cant swim well. My partner
however has signed up to his rst
full Ironman. Supporting a loved
one is a different challenge and I
nd your advice invaluable.
I know the next six months will
be hectic. Support crew like me
(and there are many of us) may
start out complaining but deep
down we enjoy the ups and the
downs. We need your magazine
so we know at the nish line that
weve done everything we can to
help our racers.
Joanna Caldwell
FROM FACEBOOK
We asked which
energy gel or
snack keeps
you going?
High5 easy to get
down and less sticky
Alan Lang
Bounce Natural
Energy Balls good
energy source
without a massive
sugar high and low
Sarah Fiona
Matthews
For gels, GU taste
best, but SiS is better
on the gut. For snacks
you cant go wrong
with Jackoatbar
natural oat goodness
Matt Fisher
Fig roll biscuits,
flapjacks, jam
sandwiches, fruit
and nut mix
Paul McIntyre
Clif Bar oatmeal,
raisin and walnut.
Tastes more like real
food than bars!
Guy Neale
Banana smoothie.
Gels are crap
Andrew Wilson
Dates + nuts + coconut
= your own super bars
Brian Skov
Soreen and an SiS
energy gel washed
down with tap water
Will Bardin
Torq cherry gels!
Hayley Oates
Join the conversation
at Facebook.com/
TriathlonPlus
I COMPLETED Ironman Wales last
year and was surprised on the day at
how many bottles, sunglasses and
jackets had been dropped onto the
road. Its worth carefully securing
accessories before a race. Tightening
the odd bolt when checking kit will
help ensure we nish an event with
the same equipment we start with
and would make them less of an
obstacle course.
Jeremy Glover
A very good point as we head into
the season Jeremy not only do
you risk losing valuable kit, but if
you drop debris round the course
you could nd yourself penalised
on: you can try them at Tri UK
in Yeovil or Royles in Wilmslow
among others. Fit is key and
not just for looking svelte on
your race start
Good to hear were of use to the
backstage crew, Joanna An
Ironman is a long day no
matter which side of the crowd
barriers youre on. njoy
FIRST TIME IN
A WETSUIT
I need to buy my rst wetsuit but
dont know what to look for. Any
tips? Preferably one thatll help
me look svelte as well as help me
trash the competition!
Dave Johnson
Funny you should ask Dave
well be reviewing this years
wetsuits in two issues time.
Meanwhile, our best tip is to get
to a shop or lake and try some
All the gear but
will it all make it
back to transition?

P
h
o
t
o

B
r
i
t
i
s
h

T
r
i
a
t
h
l
o
n
Debris
dodge
LETTER
OF THE
MONTH
APRIL 2014 49
textbook triathlon
DISTANCE
LEARNING
These textbook training sessions are at the
heart of becoming a good triathlete
Photography Jesse Wild | Words Elizabeth Hufton with Joe Wainwright
50 APRIL 2014
textbook triathlon textbook triathlon
LEARN HOW TO SWIM SUCCESSFULLY BY
REDUCING DRAG IN THE WATER AND
INCREASING FORWARD PROPULSION
SWIMMING
1.1 Long swim/open-water swim
THE FIRST session that will prepare you
for a race is your long swim. In every
discipline in triathlon, its important to
include a (relatively) long, steady session
to build endurance. The less experienced
you are in sport, the more important
these sessions are to begin with; they
are the building blocks that form the
physiological foundations for your speed
and strength work later on.
Why? Stimulates angiogenesis
(creation of blood vessels) which helps
increase supply of blood, and thus
oxygen, to the muscles. Increases
mitochondrial biogenesis: the power
houses that utilise energy sources such as
carbohydrates and fats for exercise and
general metabolism.
Try harder: when you
swim long, throw in
100m reps reducing
rest time as you get
fitter and faster
1.0
works on strength. The simplest way
to do this is using hand paddles in the
pool which create extra resistance (see
below right). Make sure you warm up
thoroughly, using resistance bands on
dry land to mimic the front crawl action,
and then swimming 200-400m of drills
and easy front crawl, building speed. For
your main set, start with 20 minutes of
intervals using paddles you can use a
pullbuoy if you like to really focus on the
front half of your stroke. Swim intervals
of 100m to 300m with the paddles,
taking 30-second rests. You can build the
length and speed of your intervals as you
become stronger. Its crucial to use good
technique when youre swimming with
paddles, to avoid injuries to the shoulder
if you feel twinges, stop.
If youre an accomplished swimmer,
you can also use butterfly to build
strength in the water. Try swimming
100m intervals as hard as you can, using
butterfly every other interval.
1.3 Technical drills

THE CORNERSTONE of good
swimming, whether in the standalone
sense or as the first discipline of triathlon,
is good technique. For new swimmers,
every session should include an element
of technique work.
The purpose of technical drills is to
enable the triathletes body to form new
neuromuscular pathways; that is, to allow
the body to learn efficient movement
patterns for front crawl. There are a
number of useful drills you can do, but
weve suggested four (see Fig 1.1, a-d,
opposite) to begin with:
REDUCING
RESISTANCE TO
IS IMPORTANT,
BUT YOU ALSO
NEED TO BUILD
STRENGTH TO
POWER
FORWARDS
In your long slow swims, focus on
building rhythm in your stroke. To do this
you can buy a swimming metronome
which gives you a beep to work to; or
you can try simply counting or repeating
rhymes in your head to keep your pace.
When you are new to swimming, work on
building up time rather than distance in
the pool. Make sure you build this time up
gradually, so you dont end up reinforcing
poor technique; as soon as you start to
falter, stop.
1.2 Strength workout
REDUCING RESISTANCE to forward
motion in the water is the best way to
get faster, but triathletes also need to
build strength to power forwards. To
do this, add one swim each week that
textbook triathlon
Don Don ont t tpan pan p ic, ic, ic bre bre breast ast a
str str st oke oke oke an an an a d d d d d ddogg ogg ogg ggy y y
pad pa addle dlearr are a e a e a e allo llo lo l wed wed wedin in
tri tr r , bbut ut fro fro ro r nt nt nt n cra cra crawl wl wl is is is
qui qui quicke cke k st st stand and and andmos mos mosst tt
oft oft ften en enuse usedddd
A/ Kick on side
To work on body rotation and kick,
kick on your side, with your lower arm
outstretched in front dont lock the
elbow and keep the hand tilted down.
Rest your head on your lead arm and
pivot it to breathe, keeping your breathing
natural. Use a tight kick from the hip with
your legs straight, and toes tapping each
other. Start off by doing this drill with fins
to make it easier.
B/ Catch up
This drill (below left) helps to lengthen
your stroke and focus on the catch part
of the movement catching hold of the
water to pull yourself forward. Push off
with both arms stretched out in front of
you. Take a stroke with your right arm,
focusing on keeping your elbow high and
pushing right through the back of the
stroke make sure your hand brushes
your hip just before it comes up out of the
water. As soon as your right arm returns
to the front, begin the next stroke with
your left arm.
C/ Sculling
This movement (above) helps you learn
feel for the water. If you have sinky legs,
use a pullbuoy so you can concentrate on
your top half; usually your legs will just
float behind you. Floating on your front
with your arms in front and wide open,
bend your elbows and rotate your hands
as if you were rolling a pair of basketballs
without losing control of them. Get used
to the feel of the water against your hand
and notice how the resistance changes
as the position of your hand changes.
Finding this resistance in your stroke
helps to power you forwards.
D/ Torpedo drill
Work on your body rotation and
breathing with this drill. Push off from
the wall, with your arms by your side.
Kick down the pool, keeping that tight
kick from the hip. Rotate your body so
that each shoulder in turn comes up out
of the water; turn your head with the
motion to breathe every other time. The
rest of the time your head stays central.
Dont pause at the
front of the stroke
you will introduce
dead spots into
your front crawl,
slowing you down
Sw Swimming n wwit ithh
pa pa p dd ddle les is aggoo ood d
wa wa w y y to t bbui u ld
st st stre re reng nggth tt and power er
bu bu but tt ta ta take ke k ccar are eto
av avvoi oi oid ddst st stra ra r in inoon yo y ur
sh shhou ou ould ld lder ermmmus uscl cles es
52 APRIL 2014
textbook triathlon
A TRIATHLETE MUST LEARN TO BALANCE
COMFORT AND AERODYNAMICS ON THE BIKE,
AND RIDE FAST WITHOUT RUINING HIS RUN
CYCLING
2.1 Turbo session
RIDING ON the road is clearly crucial to
becoming a better cyclist for triathlon,
but traffic, weather conditions and safety
factors must be taken into account as well.
For that reason its advisable to do some
of your rides in a controlled environment,
such as on an indoor trainer, particularly
when you are new to triathlon. It is
certainly the best way to do high-intensity
intervals, which are crucial in all three
disciplines, on the bike.
Why? High intensity intervals: increase
strength and power which means the
athlete will be able to achieve greater
maximal ability. Lactate tolerance: means
can deal with higher levels of lactate
so can push that little bit extra when
racing. Improves oxygen uptake kinetics:
reduces the delay associated with exercise
commencement and the oxygen deficit
that is produced.
Using a basic turbo trainer, with
sessions starting at 30 minutes and
building up to one hour, you can build
strength and speed in your legs with
short, hard intervals. Begin with a
10-minute warm-up at an easy level*.
Then try three or four three-minute
harder efforts with a one-minute
recovery, followed by a 10-minute
cool-down. The intensity of your efforts
depends on the distance you are training
for and your level of experience in cycling.
2.2 Sweetspot training
UNIQUE TO cycling, the idea of
sweetspot training is to reach an intensity
that will build your fitness without
fatiguing you for sessions later in the
week. This is an excellent form of training
for triathletes as it is time efficient and
leaves you fresh to train in the other two
disciplines. The concept of sweetspot
training involves training for relatively
long sessions of 60 to 90 minutes at an
intensity just below your functional
threshold that is, the maximum effort
you can sustain for an hour, which you
need to measure in a test. The best way to
test this is using a cycle power meter, but
you can also use a heart-rate monitor. If
using power, your sweetspot level is about
90% of this level. If using heart-rate, take
the average heart-rate from the last 30
minutes of your hour and your sweetspot
is roughly 95% of that rate. Be aware that
factors such as fatigue, heat and caffeine
consumption can affect your heart-rate.
2.3 Long ride
ONE LONGER bike ride per week is
advisable to improve endurance. Many
people find cycling easier to sustain for
long periods than running or swimming,
so this is a good way to build general
fitness. In cycling, however, the long
ride is beneficial for practising bike
2.0
MANY PEOPLE
FIND CYCLING
EASIER TO
SUSTAIN THAN
RUNNING, SO
FOR BEGINNERS
THIS IS A GOOD
WAY TO BUILD
ENDURANCE
handling and fuelling as well as making
physiological adaptations. The length
of your long ride should depend on the
distance you intend to race, with one
hour being enough for those training for
a sprint race; two to three hours being
enough for an Olympic-distance triathlon;
and anything up to a eight hours of riding
required Ironman-distance triathlons.
During your long rides, experiment
with how your riding position affects your
speed and effort level (see below and
right). Riding upright with your hands
on the tops of your bars is a good position
for climbing on the bike. Riding on the
hoods on top of your brake and gear
levers is a good compromise, bringing
you slightly lower for aerodynamic
benefits but keeping you comfortable over
long distances. This is a good position for
taking on food and drink. Riding in the
drops is makes steering and descending
easier try to keep a relaxed grip. Finally,
if you want to save energy, you can have
tri-bars fitted to your handlebars (or ride
a time trial or triathlon-specific bike) and
ride with your arms resting on these.
For all al al al a l l three disciplines, find
th th th th th th
a way to measure intensity
aaaay y y yy y yy to to to to to tommmmmmmea ea easu ssuure re eiiint nnt ntten en en ensi si si s ty ty ty t
th hhhhhhhis is is is is is co co cco coo c ul ul ldd d be be behhhea ea ea eart rt rt rtra ra rate te te e,
pow we we we we we wer rr rrrrou ouu oo ttp tp put ut uut or or or o si si si s mp mp mp ply ly ly yyyou ou ourr
ratte te te te te te o o of f pe pe pe erc rc rc cei ei eive ve ve ved d dd ex ex exer er erti ti ti t on on on
g
dea of
is to re gi
Use a power meter to
r meter to
advance your training the
training th
level you can hold for an
or an
hour is known as your FTP:
Functional Threshold Power
C clistscan
Cyc Cyc Cyclis lis sts ts ts ts ca ca ccan can caan uselong
us use use elo lo lo long ng ng
rid rid rid des es es to to o t eeeeexp exp expp e eri eri eri iimen me men ment w t w t wwith ith ith t
dif dif f d fer ferr fe f ent ent enttttri ri ridin di din din ng p g p g p g osi osi ossitio tio tions ns ns
for for for f a a bal bal al b aaaanc anc ancce o e o e o e o e f c f c f c f omf omf ommfort ort ort, ,
eas eas as ea e o e oo e f h f h f hhhan and and nddlin lin lin ling a g a g and nd nd
aer aer aer aer erody ody odynnnna nam nam amic ic ic icadv adv advant ant ntage age age
APRIL 2014 53
textbook triathlon
APRIL 2014 53
textbook triathlon
Dont forget a basic
puncture repair kit on a
long rides: pump, inner
tube and tyre levers
Must try harder:
Race time trials to get used
to the demands of tri, as you
are not usually allowed to
draft i.e. to ride within 10
metres of the person in front
54 APRIL 2014
THE SIMPLEST OF THE TRIATHLON
DISCIPLINES IS ALSO HARDEST ON THE BODY
AND REQUIRES GRADUAL CONDITIONING
RUNNING
3.1 Brick session
THE UNIQUE challenge of triathlon is
moving from sport to the next and this
is most keenly felt when changing from
cycling to running. Brick sessions, in
which the athlete moves quickly from
cycling to running hard, are the best
way to train the body for this. As well as
becoming used to this change physically,
it is important to prepare psychologically
for the uncomfortable feeling of running
off the bike.
To begin with, use one of your shorter
bike sessions, such as the turbo trainer
session or sweetspot session, as the basis
for a brick. Run for just 10-20 minutes
straight after the ride, changing into your
running shoes as quickly as you can, and
running as fast as you can sustain.
3.2 Threshold session
THE FIRST type of speed session that
is useful for running is the threshold
session. To find your lactate threshold, its
necessary to have lab blood tests during
hard exercise to find the heart-rate level at
which your lactate levels sharply increase.
However, it can be reasonably estimated
at around 80-85% of your maximum
heart-rate; use your heart-rate monitors
built-in tests to determine this.
Why? Threshold training improves
lactate clearance rates; therefore the
athlete is able to maintain higher intensity
exercise for longer. Pushing threshold
higher allows for a greater aerobic
capacity which means can work at higher
intensities for longer without fatiguing.
To carry out threshold training, begin
3.0
with a 10-minute easy warm-up, then do
two intervals of five to seven minutes at
threshold (using an effort level of eight
out of 10 if you dont have a heart-rate
monitor) with two minutes recovery,
followed by a 10-minute cool-down.
As fitness increases, the length of the
threshold intervals can be increased.
3.3 Track intervals
AS IN cycling and swimming, an athletes
top running speed is increased by training
over short, fast intervals. The best way
to do this in running is to train on a
track, because you can measure your
distance and effort easily, and because
the forgiving surface makes injuries less
likely. Track sessions can cover almost
any distance but a good starting point
is the classic pyramid session: run a
10-minute warm-up at an easy pace; then
run: 800m; 400m; 200m; 100m; 200m;
400m; 800m. Run your 800m reps at
threshold pace, then increase your speed
as you decrease the distances. End with a
10-minute cool-down.
3.4 Long run
THE FINAL running session of an average
training week should be a long, steady
run. Your heart-rate will climb higher
than while cycling or swimming, so you
must be careful to control intensity to gain
the aerobic fitness benefits of the session.
The simplest way to do this is to ensure
you can still hold a conversation while
running. The length of your long run can
vary from 45 minutes if youre training
for a sprint triathlon, to 60-90 minutes for
Olympic distance, up to two to two-and-a-
half hours for Ironman distance racing.
THE BRICK
SESSION IS
UNIQUE TO TRI
AND PREPARES
YOU PHYSICALLY
AND MENTALLY
FOR RUNNING
OFF THE BIKE
If youre ready to try a
track training session,
find a triathlon club near
you at britishtriathlon.org
dist
to do th
be
di t
Do long runs on
soft surfaces
such as even trails
or towpaths to
further reduce risk
of impact-related
injuries
Must try harder:
Multi-bricks of short,
fast distances on
bike and run really get
your body used to the
change do three or
four lots of 15mins
bike, 5mins run
56 APRIL 2014
THE COMPLETE
TRIATHLETE
4.0
OVER THE last six pages, we have
discussed the classic training
sessions that triathletes should
do in swimming, cycling and
running, but successful triathlon
training is more than the sum
of its parts. The new triathletes
success depends on how he or she
puts together the sessions weve
outlined. On the right you can
see a typical training week using
those sessions. When devising a
training plan, it is important to
remember a few key points:
1. Consider the impact of each
session on the next; to perform
well as a triathlete you must be
able to complete each session to
the best of your ability, which
wont be possible with aching
muscles.
2. Recover well from each
session. This means re-fuelling
with good quality food and drink
(and, during long sessions, taking
on carbohydrate as you train).
You should also aim to get plenty
of rest, particularly after long
training days, and establish good
sleep patterns.
3. If you are new to triathlon
training, start by training
twice each week in each of the
disciplines for just 20-30minutes
per session, keeping your effort
level at no more than five out of
10. Build your volume by no more
than 20 per cent each week and
wait six to eight weeks before
introducing speed work.
4. Although it is possible to
design your own training plan, it is
helpful for triathletes of any level
to consult a qualified coach to help
plan and monitor training.
5. Finally, it is useful to
undertake specific strength and
conditioning workouts if you have
time. You can find a free guide
with instructions for 36 strength
and conditioning exercises with
this issue of Triathlon Plus. Adding
this training to your weekly
routine can help you to avoid
injury and to perform better in all
three disciplines.
DAY AM PM
Sun
Sat
Fri
Wed
Tue
Thur
Mon REST
Run 40mins steady, with 3mins
run/1min walk
Run Track. 10mins easy warm-
up. 5x400m at race pace with
200m easy jog in between.
10mins cool-down.
REST
Swim Strength. 400m warm-
up; 2x300m with paddles; 200m
cool-down
Bike Turbo. 10mins warm-up;
4x3mins at 7/10 with 1min easy,
10mins cool-down Run 10mins
Swim 200m each of sculling;
kick on side; torpedo drill; catch-
up; front crawl (easy)
Bike Sweetspot. 10mins warm-
up; 30mins at 90% FTP or 95%
FT heart-rate; 10mins cool-down
Swim 45mins steady
Bike 1hr 15mins, steady
OFFER ENDS
14 APRIL 2014
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W
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speed, total distance, trip distance, elapsed
x speed and clock
eration
0,000km sensor battery life
Though small and light,
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has a large display
perfect for a quick glance
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Elizabeth Hufton
Editor, Triathlon Plus
The road bike leg of the Celtman! tri snakes 202km
around the Torridon Mountains in Scotland
cxtri.com
RACE
HERE
L A N D O F P L E N T Y
60 APRIL 2014
L A N D O F
Words Sarah Ryan Images Colin Henderson, Iain Macintosh, RB create, Getty, castletriathlonseries.co.uk, Mark Epton
APRIL 2014 61
P L E N T Y
CRANK UP THE MILES
WITH A SMILE ON
YOUR FACE THIS YEAR
S
pring is about to spring (we
hope) so were beginning to
think of packing away the
turbo, leaving the treadmill
behind and heading out on the
road. Yes, triathlon hibernation is
almost over and to celebrate weve
compiled a list of the UKs most
awesome places to swim, bike and
run. Have a look, get inspired and
get out on the road.
62 APRIL 2014
KENT DOESNT get much attention but as
one of the driest, warmest and brightest
areas of the UK it should. Rolling hills,
orchards, quiet roads, balmy summer
evenings scented by hop elds regular
features of the Kentish countryside. Dont
forget the coast, where you can run on the
sand then take to the sea for a refreshing dip.
KENT
HEVER CASTLE TRIATHLON, 27-28 SEPT
castletriathlonseries.co.uk
RACE
HERE
APRIL 2014 63
SCOTLAND
WE COULD ll the whole mag with gorgeous
Scottish training locations, so weve decided
just to point you over the border. North of
Glasgow and Edinburgh there is minimal
urban sprawl and miles of open roads,
country tracks, rough trails, hill routes, forest
routes, loch-side routes, all the routes you
can imagine. During May and September
Scotlands at its best, with warmer weather
and no midges (though when they are about,
they do keep you moving).
RAT RACE CITY TO SUMMIT, 31 MAY 1 JUN
ratracecitytosummit.com
RACE
HERE
ONE LAP of the 40km track that encircles
Rutland Water takes you almost to marathon
distance, perfect if youre training for an
Ironman.Its quota of training brilliance is
also upped by the 3,100 acres of woodland
and countryside surrounding it. The water is
ideal for swimming sessions and the
landscape is very at which, as we all know,
translates beautifully to very fast.
PEAK DISTRICT
THE BEAUTY of living here is the unlimited training
options. Within minutes I could be testing my legs on
the famous climbs of Winnats Pass or hitting fantastic trails
towards Ladybower. I could work on my stamina and speed
cycling the Monsal Trail. I could follow the Eyam half marathon
route or take on one of the Peak Districts many fell races.
Finally, I can enjoy my swim training with High Peak Triathlon
club at Buxton pool. Is there anywhere better to train?
Clive Lee, High Peak Triathlon Club
RUTLAND WATER
WIGGLE PEAK DISTRICT PUNISHER, 31 AUG
ukcyclingevents.co.uk
TRAIN
HERE
VITRUVIAN TRIATHLON, 30 AUG
pacesetterevents.com
RACE
HERE
64 APRIL 2014
WOLLATON PARK, which featured in The Dark Knight
Rises, is one of our clubs favourite places to run. Great
scenery and the added bonus of running with wild deer
make it a perfect place to run. Nottingham has loads of
smaller parks and wooded areas and they all offer a mixed
variety of terrain. Cycling in the county is varied too. One of
our clubs favourite rides takes in Southwell, home to a lovely
old minster and some brilliant coffee shops.
Steve Lloyd, Absolute Triathlon Club
NOTTINGHAM
THE OUTLAW TRIATHLON, 27 JUL
onestepbeyond.org.uk
RACE
HERE
APRIL 2014 65
SNOWDONIA IS home to some of the
toughest endurance races in the UK. Let that
excite you as much as you like but dont let it
put you off. The climbs may be gruelling but
the views of craggy mountains jutting into
the sky make it worthwhile, plus youll be
grateful for that effort when youre
powering past your mates on the next race.
The mountains provide stunning off-road
runs and an almost-ice bath in the mountain
llyns will sooth your aching muscles.
SNOWDONIA
SLATEMAN TRIATHLON, 17-18 MAY
snowdoniaslateman.com
RACE
HERE
66 APRIL 2014
THE LONDON TRIATHLON, 2-3 AUG
thelondontriathlon.co.uk
RACE
HERE
APRIL 2014 67
EMBANKMENT AT dusk: lamplights
twinkling off the Thames, landmarks ticking
past with every stride, a route its almost
impossible to get lost on. The Big Smoke has
much more where that came from, too. If you
want greenery theres Hampstead Heath or
Epping Forest and to test your bike strength,
Box Hills zigzags are less than 20 miles away.
LONDON
MANCHESTER
WHETHER YOU fancy a trip to the Velodrome or
pedalling your way along the country roads that
surround the city, there is little time to waste by being off
your bike. Wide-open country spaces on the doorstep, great
facilities, a fantastic club with great people to train with
Manchester provided the perfect combination to
encourage me into triathlon!
Deirdre McCarthy, Manchester Triathlon Club
68 APRIL 2014
SALFORD TRIATHLON, 17 AUG
salfordtriathlon.com
RACE
HERE
THE UKS rst Cycling City is also, perhaps unsurprisingly,
fantastic for tri. Cycling charity Sustrans is based here and
those good folk have ensured that almost every major road
is cycle friendly, which means its as easy to stay urban as it is
to get out to Cheddar Gorge, Bath or even South Wales. The
paths and trails around Avon Gorge take in woodland, pretty
houses and one iconic bridge while the open elds and
woodlands of Ashton Court are car-free and laced with paths.
There are enough hills to get your muscles a-straining too.
BRISTOL
APRIL 2014 69
BRECON
BEACONS
Im so lucky to live here. We have some of
the best hill climbs and bike descents
anywhere the narrow and twisty roads have
great surfaces and are virtually trafc free. All my
running is off-road theres no need for Tarmac
when surrounded by mountains and moorland!
For open-water swimming, one of the best
venues is a tree-lined stretch of the River Usk in
Brecon, where at points its just shallow
enough to put your feet down.
Catherine Etchell, Brecon Triathlon Club
BRECON SPRINT TRIATHLON, 31 MAY
brecontriathlonclub.co.uk
RACE
HERE
BRISTOL HARBOURSIDE TRIATHLON, 29 JUN
tribristol.org
RACE
HERE
MONTH 06
SPRING
FORWARD
Photography Dave Caudery Writer Elizabeth Hufton
70

APRIL 2014
In the final reckoning, editor Liz
Hufton finds that a few hours
training a week translates to more
than a few watts on the bike
WATTBIKE
WINTER
Despite riding
blind for the
test, pedalling
technique was
much better
Going through
Lizs heart-
rate response
showed clear
improvements
W
hat I wouldnt give for a PB! Ive often
thought that to myself after a bad race.
As Ive discovered this winter, though, I
didnt need to give that much just a
few hours a week of carefully targeted training.
After 16 weeks of conscientiously following the
winter training plan I downloaded from wattbike.
com, I knew things were on the right track from my
regular test sessions, from talking to Wattbikes sport
scientist Eddie Fletcher, and just feeling things were
getting easier. But I didnt know for certain how big an
impact the training had had until I went back up to
Eddie's lub loi u nul RAMP test. Tle iesult? An
increase of 28 watts in my maximum minute power
(MMP); we lound u liglei muximum leuit iute; und
because Ive also gradually lost 3kg over the training
peiiod, tleie's been u signicunt incieuse in powei
per kilo and VO
2
mux. Tle numbeis uie impiessive
(see Piogiess Repoit, below iiglt) but, ol couise, it's
what those numbers mean on the road that counts.
Tle iesult meuns you'ie going to be lustei. Simple
us tlut,` suys Eddie. Tle key numbei is powei pei
kilo, which has gone up about 21 per cent, and thats
the number that will make you faster on the road.
Aside from the fact that, without the Wattbike, I
doubt Id have done more than three hours bike
tiuining in totul since Septembei, tleie uie cleui
udvuntuges to tiuining tlis wuy. Tuigeting specic
heart-rate, power and cadence levels means you can
wring every last gain out of your precious training
time, while working on pedalling technique as you go.
Tleie's no gieut udvuntuge to be lud liom udding
more volume. I see people doing lots and lots of hours
ol tiuining,` suys Eddie. Tley see tle piolessionuls
doing that, as opposed to what normal people have
time to do youve got to work long hours, youve got
family to look after all that comes into play. Less is
more, as far as Im concerned.
Impioved tness, powei output und teclnique is not
the end of the story. As Eddie points out, when youre
out on the road there are other factors to consider.
Tleie's still going to be giuvity pulling you down tle
hills and wind trying to knock you off, says Eddie.
Tiuining ut tle iiglt intensity on tle Wuttbike lus
given you the engine to be faster outdoors but coping
with external conditions and handling your bike are
things you will still need to work on.
Its also key to bear in mind that, having been fairly
unt ut tle stuit ol tle piocess, I'm unlikely to muke
such huge gains in future, but Eddie says the next
stage will be to work on endurance below my top level
of power, so I can maintain a higher output for longer
key to my performance at Ironman Austria. At least
with a solid winter of Wattbike training behind me, I
can be sure Ive laid the best foundations for that.
Want to check out your pedalling and power?
Try a Wattbike yourself at an upcoming show
see www.wattbike.com/events.
APRIL 2014 71
THE SUBJECT
Elizabeth Hufton, Triathlon Plus editor
AGE
34
BIKE PBS
1:14:32 (Olympic distance)
7:05:34 (Ironman)
TEST RESULTS SEP 13 FEB 14
MMP 219watts 247watts
Max HR 188bpm 195bpm
VO
2
max (est.) 52.9ml/kg/min 62.7ml/kg/min
Power/kg 3.8W 4.6W
ELIZABETH SAYS:
I knew I was getting fitter as each session from the
New Year onwards felt steadily easier at the
prescribed gearing and cadence, my heart rate was
even dropping back into the next training zone
down. The test went even better than I expected
though Im so chuffed. Its great to have my
training zones re-set ready for the next phase of my
training. Usually in winter I can keep up the
swimming and running but make excuses not to
ride; this year is honestly the first time I can
remember doing consistent, targeted training, and I
feel its really paid off. Im also pleased that losing
just a few kilos Ive gone from 57kg to 54kg has
paid off in my power to weight figure. I know thats
going to pay off on the road.
EDDIE SAYS:
If somebody is relatively unfit [to start with], youre
going to squeeze out quite a lot, and we have with
you. What we need to work on next is pushing up
those lower levels, so if we tested again we might
get 247watts again but we might see that youre not
having a problem until that last minute of the test,
as opposed to three minutes earlier.
[In terms of technique in the test] you went from
favouring one leg at lower power to favouring the
other leg at higher power and in the middle it was
fine. Once you take it back to that minimum 90rpm
cadence that I like, with lower gearing, you wont
have to put as much pressure on each leg. Im not
too worried youve done fantastically well on that
right/left balance.
PROGRESS REPORT
72

APRIL 2014
WERE INSPIRED BY...
BRIAN TILLEY DIDNT LET A SERIOUS CRASH
GET IN THE WAY OF HIS IRONMAN DREAMS
Words Kathryn Williams Photos James Lampard
ACCIDENTAL
GREATNESS
APRIL 2014 73
BRIAN TILLEY
74

APRIL 2014
then the pain and discomfort kicked in.
Fortunately my back wasnt damaged. I
dusted myself down and, bleeding from
my mouth, nose and shoulder, got back
on. I had heavily bruised my thigh and
torn shoulder ligaments, so cycling hurt.
In hindsight I was really lucky. I
thought, I need to get off the road.
Elements of my life were flashing before
my eyes. I checked the bike, nothing
seemed to be broken, so I started
pedalling again. I just needed to finish the
race. I finished off the bike much slower
than I normally would have and knew I
was in trouble when I tried to put my
running shoes on. My shoulder and leg
were in agony.
Not the type of person to give up easily,
Brian kept going and set out on the
42.2km run, which is his strongest
discipline. Amazingly he managed to
fight his way to first place with just 7km
athletes), in the Ironman World
Championship in Kona, Hawaii. But the
road to this achievement was no easy ride
for the Crawley Tri Club member.
During his build up to Hawaii, Augusts
Ironman UK race in Bolton was vital to
qualification. After seeing eldest
daughters Robyn, seven, and Abigail,
four, complete their Ironkids races, Brian
was confident in completing his. But early
into his 180km ride, disaster struck. Brian
was flung off the bike in a high-speed
crash his first real experience of a
serious racing accident.
In my build-up to Bolton I trained
really well, says Brian. I was as fast as I
had ever been and I felt very confident
I knew I was on top form. I had an
amazing swim my fastest time and
the bike was going well.
Then it happened so quickly. I came
off the bike. I was in shock first of all. But

P
erhaps a lesser
amateur athlete
would allow a
tumultuous bike
crash, severe
pain and
blackouts to put
them off
completing a race. Not Brian Tilley.
The 40-year-old project manager from
London has been enjoying triathlons
since his footballing days came to an end
and he wanted to remain active. Since
2000, when he did his first triathlon in
California, he has travelled the globe
pursuing his competitive dream. Even his
little daughters have been roped into
and love the sport.
Last autumn Brian reached the
pinnacle of his racing career so far,
coming 12th in his age group (40-44),
and 159th overall (out of over 2,000
WERE INSPIRED BY...
APRIL 2014 75
to go. But then he passed out.
Im not sure if it was from the pain, or
from blood loss, he added. I came to and
a paramedic was asking me if I could get
into the ambulance. I felt my dream
slipping away. I knew I had to make it to
the finish line. I struggled on and was
over the moon when I came in at 6th
place. Then I got taken straight to the
hospital for an X-ray.
This fighting spirit and determination
is evident from Brians earliest attempts at
triathlons. For my first triathlon I hadnt
done much swimming for a long time, he
says. By the time the next one came
around I swam so hard I was exhausted.
But I still found it enjoyable and exciting.
For six years in races I improved year
on year. Im very competitive but it
never bothered me where I was placing,
only that I was improving. When I
realised I was okay at running I kept on
upping the distance. I did Ironman UK
around 2009 and came through it.
After completing his first Ironman
distance in Nottingham 2010, Brian set
his heart on his first Ironman World
Championship in 2011. Despite
completing the race, Brian knew he could
do better and for two years he hurtled
towards his second attempt at what he
calls his Everest.
I felt my dream slipping
away. I knew I had to make
it to the finish line
BRIAN TILLEY
A severe bike crash at Ironman UK last year
didnt stop Brian placing 6th in the race
A family affair
Brians intensive training didnt
distract him from spending time with
his three daughters, Robyn, Abigail
and Charlotte. Here he shares his tips
for fellow busy mums and dads
aiming for Ironman qualification:
Involve the kids in your training
whenever you can. For example, use a
bike with a pull-along carriage. Its
great resistance/power training.

Build a training programme with
regular times so you and your partner
know when you will be out. Try to
match this with the kids activities so
as not to miss out on too much.

Get training done and dusted early
in the morning on weekends so you
can still take part in family activities.

Try and roll sessions into a family
activity. For example, get a swim set
in then meet them at the pool so you
all swim together afterwards.

Last and definitely not least, make
sure you have your partners full
support and understanding and
regularly show your appreciation for
the support you receive.
Brian doesnt let a heavy training workload
get in the way of family time
I was definitely mentally prepared for
how hard Kona is, he says. Its the
toughest race Ive ever done and ever will
do. How did he deal with the heat and
the tough course? Psychologically I did a
lot more in 2013 to prepare for the heat.
For example, training in the conservatory,
with the heating on!
Kona is the pinnacle of sport and its an
amazing experience. Its the top race in
the world, the world championship of
triathlon. And you are racing against the
best in the world.
However, he trained for the 2013 event
with an injury. I had a torn shoulder I
really couldnt swim. The Ironman in
Austria was the first time Id had a wetsuit
on since the accident. But it held up. I had
I was definitely mentally
prepared for how hard Kona
is. Its the toughest race
Ive ever done and
ever will do
picked up my bike training deliberately. It
was more about speed than endurance
and it was comfortable.
Not only did Brian have to train for
Austria and his second Hawaii trip, but he
also raced at the age-group aquathlon
and triathlon World Championships at
the PruHealth World Triathlon Grand
Final London in September.
The hard work paid off. When he
returned to Hawaii, in blistering heat, he
finished 12th in his age group and 157th
overall, in nine hours and 21 minutes.
It taught me three things, he says.
One, how much it meant to me if I was
going to put myself through all this pain.
And two, it taught me how much I could
endure. I put myself in this painful, dark
place so I could push myself further. It
really focussed me and I trained so hard,
but it paid dividends. I had never pushed
myself that hard. The third thing it taught
me was to enjoy it.
Now Brian can relax and hes keen to
spend time with his three daughters and
wife, Clarissa none of whom are shy of
mucking in with training.
There was very little down time
during the time I was training, says
Brian. So at the moment Im enjoying
some of that. Im still training, and Im not
the sort of person who goes on holiday
and sits around reading a book.
Apart from Hawaii the girls have been
to each of the races Ive done. Theyve
seen how hard I train and I could see
them wanting to take part. When I came
back from Hawaii my daughter wanted to
take my medal into school for a show and
tell lesson. They are proud of me.
My wife is a good swimmer too. We
ride our bikes together, I even factor them
into my training, the two littlest ones.
Who knows perhaps one day there will
be more than one member of the Tilley
family crossing the line in Kona
SHARE YOUR STORY
Do you have a story that can inspire
fellow Triathlon Plus readers?
Then dont be shy get in touch
at triathlonplus@futurenet.com
and share it with us. You could be
featured on these pages!
I was definitely mentally preparedfor
WERE INSPIRED BY...
76

APRIL 2014
After tearing his shoulder,
Brian put his effort into
picking up speed on the bike
Top 3 Men
Top 3 Women
1. James Cunnama (RSA) 4:05:01
2 . Will Clarke (GBR) 4:05:24
3. Romain Guillaume (FRA) 4:06:24
1 . Jodie Swallow (GBR) 4:37:01
2 . Lucie Reed (CZE) 4:40:48
3 . Simone Braendli (SUI) 4:42:40
Elite results
IRONMAN 70.3
SOUTH AFRICA
PRO TRIATHLON COUPLE JODIE SWALLOW AND
JAMES CUNNAMA WIN BIG IN BUFFALO CITY
WHEN 26 JANUARY
WHERE BUFFALO CITY, SOUTH AFRICA
WINNERS JAMES CUNNAMA (RSA) 4:05:01;
JODIE SWALLOW (GBR) 4:37:01
NE OF THE PROS favourite
warm-up races before the
countrys full Ironman race in
April, Ironman 70.3 South
Africa saw continued domination by
Britains Jodie Swallow while her
partner James Cunnama secured his
rst 70.3 victory on home soiI.
The mens race began with Marko Albert
(EST) leading from East London Harbour in
23:40 with Will Clarke (GBR) and Faris
Al-Sultan (GER) for company. Romain
Guillaume (FRA) was just over 20 seconds
back in no mans land while local favourite
James Cunnama (RSA) was around a
minute behind the leaders.
Clarkes ITU-speed transition saw him
mount his bike in the lead, but the Brit was
soon overtaken by Guillaume. Al-Sultan
also pushed ahead up the road, leaving
Clarke to conserve his energy in the chase
pack along with Cunnama.
Guillaume powered on, increasing his
lead over Al-Sultan, while Cunnama took
the control of the chase on the way back
to transition.
The Frenchman clocked the days fastest
bike split of 2:17:00, two minutes and 22
seconds ahead of Al-Sultan, who had a
buffer of nearly two minutes to Cunnama,
and two minutes and 40 seconds to Clarke,
who began the run in eighth place.
Cunnama looked strong as he put trainers
to Tarmac, while Clarke was running even
faster the pair of them overtaking
Al-Sultan by the time theyd reached 10km.
The South African soon had Guillaume
in his sights, the Brit only 20 seconds
behind. Cunnama snatched the lead with
4km still to run, Clarke picking up the pace
to take second and run shoulder to
shoulder with the leader.
At 1.5km to go, Cunnama found another
geui und cluiged uleud to cluim lis ist
home win in 4:05:01. Clarke posted the
fastest run split of the day 1:15:24 to
secure second while Guillaume held onto
third to complete the podium.
The womens race was headlined by
Jodie Swallow (GBR), who once again
showed stunning swim-bike form to clinch
a gun-to-tape victory in her adopted home.
Coming out of the water in 23:52,
Swallow had 47 seconds in hand over
Lucie Reed (CZE) and nearly three-
minutes lead on Simone Braendli (SUI) as
she headed out of transition.
78

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RACE REPORTS
Triathlon couple Cunnama and
Swallow enjoyed a double win to
start the season in style
IRONMAN 70.3
GEELONG
WHEN 9 FEBRUARY
WHERE GEELONG, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA
WINNERS CRAIG ALEXANDER (AUS) 4:06:00;
EMMA MOFFATT (AUS) 4:30:58
Top 3 Men
Top 3 Women
1. Craig Alexander (AUS) 4:06:00
2. Tim Reed (AUS) 4:09:34
3. Brad Kahlefeldt (AUS) 4:10:42
1. Emma Moffatt (AUS) 4:30:58
2. Rebecca Hoschke (AUS) 4:43:11
3. Lisa Marangon (AUS) 4:50:15
Elite results
Craig Alexander was back on
winning form in his native
Australia in February
CRAIG ALEXANDER AND EMMA MOFFATT SHINE
IN VICTORIAS HOT, WINDY CONDITIONS
Jodie Swallow was first out the
water with a lonely day ahead in
her wire-to-wire win
Will Clarke put in the fastest
run split in his first race for the
Uplace-BMC team
James Cunnama proved himself
the best overall athlete on the day
after wise pacing on the bike
Craig Alexander was back on g
winning form in his native g
Australia in February
N A HOT, BLUSTERY DAY in
Victoria, Australia, Ironman
70.3 Geelong got underway
with a choppy 1.9km swim
off the citys Eastern Beach.
Strong swimmer Clayton Fettell (AUS)
led from the water in 24:35 with pre-race
favourites Craig Alexander (AUS) and
Tim Reed (AUS) both around 40 seconds
behind him.
Tasmanias James Hodge attacked on
the bike to put time into the main group,
but Alexander and Reed caught and
passed the young athlete, creating a lead
of one minute and 25 seconds by T2.
Tough headwinds and temperatures
tipping 38C proved a harsh battleground
during the run, where despite cramps
Alexander pulled away from Reed to take
victory in 4:06:00.
Reed had to run hard to stave off the
udvunces ol eet-looted Biud Kulleleldt
(AUS), who clocked the days fastest run
in 1:18:29, but was unable to convert
bronze to silver. Reed took second in
4:09:34 witl Kulleleldt iounding out tle
all-Aussie podium in 4:10:42.
The womens race was blown apart by
ITU star Emma Moffatt (AUS), who showed
her all-round speed, power and endurance
throughout. Her battering of the womens
eld begun witl lei 26:48 swim giving lei
a four-minute lead onto the bike leg.
Driving hard into buffeting headwinds,
Moffatt still managed a 2:32:29 bike split
that was the days fastest. The Olympic
bronze medallist cruised to the win with a
1:28:28 half marathon that saw her take
the tape in 4:30:58, over 12 minutes clear
of second place Rebecca Hoschke (AUS)
and nearly 20 minutes ahead of Lisa
Marangon (AUS).
Reed had to bike hard to limit her losses
as Swallow raced on to a lead of one
minute and 10 seconds by the bikes
halfway point.
Swallows 2:38:50 bike split was the
days fastest, giving her just over a minute
to play with on the run. Reed meanwhile
leld second witl ovei ve-und-u-lull
minutes to Braendli.
Swallow did enough on the half
marathon to stave off Reed, clocking the
third-fastest run of the day to claim her
fourth consecutive victory at the event in
4:37:01. Reed was a comfortable second
in 4:40:48, while Braendli ran swiftly to
nisl in 4:42:40.
RACE REPORTS
APRIL 2014 79
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APRIL 2014 81
THE LATEST TRIATHLON PRODUCTS TESTED TO THE LIMIT
BRANDNEWKIT
OUR TESTS ARE THE
BEST. HERES WHY
Our testers
Years of competing in triathlons have given
our team of testers unrivalled product
knowledge.
Their expertise means we review new kit
not just in isolation, but in comparison with
everything else thats out there.
How we test
If something can be taken apart we
disassemble and then rebuild it, checking
for possible performance problems and, if
necessary, carrying out any relevant
pre-use tests.
Next, we subject each product to
meticulous real-world testing.
Bike tests
We take every bike we test to our workshop,
strip it down and examine it in detail
according to the well-proven system
developed over many years by our sister
titles Cycling Plus, ProCycling, What
Mountain Bike, Mountain Biking UK,
Cyclingnews.com and BikeRadar.com.
How our scores work
We mark separately on performance and
value, so you get the full story on every
product tested.
Exceptional
Very good
Good
Below average
Dont go there
How our awards work
We have three separate awards that are
given to the most impressive products in
our tests.
Peak Performer
A product that does a truly
stunning job, regardless of its price
Top Value
An outstanding deal
youre getting an excellent
product for the money
Gold Award
The winning product in our group
tests, based on both performance
and value
PEAK
PERFORMER
GOLD
AWARD
TOP
VALUE
THE LATESTTRIATHLON PRODUCTS TESTED TO THE LIMIT
OUR TESTS ARE THE
BEST HERESWHY
Bike tests How our awards work
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THE RIKEN 10R is Quarqs most affordable power meter
and is available in either BB30 or GXP models for around
400 less than the top-end ELSA version. Like all Quarqs,
the Riken is crank-based, meaning it gives accurate
power through the whole pedal cycle, with strain gauges
measuring torque and cadence to output in watts.
Spinning the cranks flashes a red LED to let you know
its on and calibration is a simple matter of setting the
drive-side crank in the six oclock position and selecting
calibrate on any power-compatible ANT+ head unit (the
Garmin 910XT prompts on detection). Theres a bit of a
lag in terms of power readings settling when taking the
bike from a warm to a cold environment getting your
bike outside for 10 minutes before riding will solve this
while once on the road, you can recalibrate to account for
temperature changes by spinning the cranks backwards
three to four times. Quarqs Omnical technology means
no recalibration is needed after swapping chainrings,
while the CR2032 battery, which gives over 300 hours
of riding time, is changeable by hand. The Riken does
miss out on the emulated left/right power balance and
weighs in at nearly 100g more than the ELSA though.
Initial temperature issues aside, the Riken worked
absolutely flawlessly, giving consistently accurate and
indispensable data to inform training, which can
then be uploaded to Stravas subscription
service, Training Peaks, WKO+ or the
open source Golden Cheetah
applications for analysis.
Quarq
RIKEN 10R 1,170
quarq.com
Agoodvalue, greatperformingpowermeter
tohelpenhanceyourtriathlontraining
PERFORMANCE
VALUE
OVERALL
PEAK
PERFORMER
82

APRIL 2014
BRAND NEW KIT
THE LATEST gel from sports nutrition
stalwart SiS is a 60ml concoction that packs
21.5g of carbohydrate and 75mg of caffeine
about the same as a large cup of coffee.
Though slitted, the packet is pretty tough to
get into on the move, but the gel is a good
consistency for necking down quickly. The
cola flavour divided testers; some liked
the watered-down coke taste while others
found it too synthetic with a medicinal
aftertaste. Either way, it did give a boost.
The energy spike wasnt too severe and the
caffeine hit our systems really quickly after
swallowing, making it a good emergency
measure if youre starting to flag.
Agoodenergyboostwithadistinctive
flavourtryasinglebeforebuyingabox
PERFORMANCE
VALUE
OVERALL
MAVICS ZXELLIUM pedal range is remarkably
similar to Times latest Xpresso models, but dont
let that put you off as theyre as good a design as
youll find. The SLRs feature a carbon body and
hollow steel axle, keeping the weight down to just
196g per pair. The best thing about them is the
innovative iClick engagement system, a carbon
leaf spring that holds the mechanism in an open
position, rather than closed as with Shimano and
Look pedals. This makes clipping in exceptionally
easy its a cinch to get your foot in place while
stationary, or both feet if being held
up for a time-trial start. Once
clipped in, the pedals large
surface area means a
really stable base that
feels totally secure under power. The liberal float
allows the knees and ankles to turn naturally,
making for a fluent pedalling motion in or out the
saddle without a disconnected feeling. You can
also customise your Q-factor the distance from
the cranks depending on which shoe you mount
each rugged plastic cleat on. The base plate can be
replaced if it wears too. The only downside is that
the pedal body is rather sharp, as cuts to our legs
from manic transitions will attest.
Innovativedesign, buttheyretypicallyabit
moreexpensivethanTimesversion
PERFORMANCE
VALUE
OVERALL
Mavic
ZXELLIUM SLR 130
mavic.com
stationary, or both feet if being held
up for a time-trial start. Once
clipped in, the pedals large
surface area means a
really stable base that
Innovativedesign, buttheyretypicallyabit
moreexpensivethanTimesversion
PERFORMANCE
VALUE
OVERALL
PEAK
PERFORMER
Garmin
FORERUNNER 220 249.99
garmin.com
OVERALL
Agreatwatchforrunningpuristswhodont
wantswimorbikedata
PERFORMANCE
VALUE
OVERALL
er power. The liberal float
kles to turn naturally,
alling motion in or out the
nected feeling. You can
actor the distance from
onwhichshoeyoumount
SiS
GO PLUS
CAFFEINE
1.79; 53.70 for 30
scienceinsport.com
NEWLY REDESIGNED in a sleeker form,
the successor to the Forerunner 210 features
a colour screen that makes the older versions
look as retro as a 5 Casio stopwatch. Two
customisable screens show three rows of data
at once, including speed, pace, distance, time,
heart rate and cadence though youre limited
to six readouts without accessing the user-
friendly settings, which could be a dealbreaker
for on-the-move data junkies. You can also set
alerts for heart-rate zones, auto lap, pace and
even run/walk. The watch is compatible with
the supplied soft heart-rate strap and Garmins
footpods though it calculates cadence fairly
well using an accelerometer, making it suitable
for indoor use. The watch links to Garmins
smartphone app via Bluetooth to allow easy
uploading too. Out running, the 220 finds
a GPS signal extremely quickly while
the lightweight design is far from
cumbersome. The screen is effortless
to read and has a handy backlight for
night running. The in-built interval
sessions (you can download more
workouts and training plans from
Garmin Connect) work brilliantly too. In
a confidence-boosting touch, the watch
also logs your personal bests and gives you
a medal display after you beat one. The long
10-hour GPS battery time is also impressive.
APRIL 2014 83
Mako
AUMAKUA 38
mailsports.co.uk
APRIL 2014 83
THIS SIMPLE polypropelene cylinder is
designed to fit in your bottle cage and can
comfortably store a tube, tyre levers, multi-
tool, patch kit, two CO
2
canisters and inflator
out of the elements. The 500ml pod comes
with a microfleece interior bag to reduce
rattle and it stayed perfectly secure in every
cage we tried it in though Xlab recommends
using one with a top hook. Theres also the
Mezzo Cage Pod (8.99), a 750ml version
thats designed to hold a spare tubular
tyre. The beauty of the Mini Cage Pod is its
versatility for both behind-the-saddle use and
for ease of switching between bikes without
having to remount a saddle bag.
Xlab
MINI CAGE
POD 7.99
xlab-usa.com;
multisportdistribution.co.uk
Asimple, effectivestorageoptionthat
keepsessentialssafeonthemove
PERFORMANCE
VALUE
OVERALL
PERFECT FOR those who want to get noticed in the pool,
the Aumakua (named after a Hawaiian protector god) comes
in several designs. Our patriotic Union Pink version is not
for self-conscious swimmers: not only does it draw the eye
but its pretty skimpy as one-pieces go. The thin crossed-
over straps and big cut out back are great for freedom of
movement in the upper body. The top of the suit is level and
high enough to be supportive and streamlined, and thanks
to the straps design, theres no danger of slippage. We
found the cut at the bottom a bit too revealing though: again
theres great freedom of movement but wed rather have
a more modest cut on the hips and bum. The fabric is hard-
wearing and colour fast.
Aneye-poppingarm-freeingswimsuit
PERFORMANCE
VALUE
OVERALL
FOR THOSE just getting into triathlon,
know that the Predator Flex is one of
the finest pairs of open water goggles
youre likely to find. Weve regularly
rated them highly and these are simply
the best version yet. The flexible frame,
comfy gaskets which sit wide around the
eyes and easy-adjust strap remain. As
does the wide field of vision making them
great for snatched moments of sighting
during open-water races. What marks
the Polarized Ultra out is the new pair of
Italian-made copper-coloured polarised
lenses. These are designed for use in all
light conditions repelling blue light and
cutting down sun and water surface glare
in bright conditions and amplifying light
when its grey and overcast. The results are
excellent, making the goggles versatile
for pool and outdoor use. Clarity of vision
is also superb and the anti-fog coating
stayed true to its name during testing.
Theultimatedo-it-allgogglesfortraining
andracingineverylightcondition
PERFORMANCE
VALUE
OVERALL
THIS SIM MPLEp
designedd to fit in
comfortaably stor
tool, patcch kit, tw
out of thee eleme
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rattle andd it staye
cage we tried it i
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Mezzo Cage Pod
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for ease oof switc
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Xlab ab
MINNI C
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xlab-ussa.com
multispportdis
Asimple, effe
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PERFORMA
VALUE
OVERALL
PERFORMANCE
VALUE
OVERALL
FORTHOSE ju
know that the P
the finest pairs o
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rated them high
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comfy gaskets
eyes and easy-
does the wide fi
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the Polarized U
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lenses. These ar
PEAK
PERFORMER
Zoggs
PREDATOR FLEX
POLARIZED ULTRA 27
zoggs.com
BRAND NEW KIT
84

APRIL 2014
WE WERE a little skeptical of this neon light band,
but it quickly won us over. Clipping easily to the
heel of your running or cycling shoe, the bright
light, which can be set to solid or flashing, helps
keep you clearly visible while training in low level
light. We were worried about the lights security,
but no amount of foot-stomping rocky runs could
dislodge it, the pointed grippers holding the spur
safely in place. While its a very lightweight unit,
theres a slight feeling of pressure from the rugged
plastic band that reminds you its there, but
nothing thats going to cause discomfort.
The replaceable battery is good for 100 hours
use and can be easily replaced too.
Nathan
LIGHTSPUR 19.99
nathansports.com
POWERBARS NEW protein recipe
has 55 per cent less carbohydrate read
sugar than the old version (now 25g per
bottle) and is made from skimmed milk,
making it 99 per cent fat free. Each 500ml
bottle contains 50g of protein and a wealth
of unpronounceable amino acids, all
designed to help you recover more quickly
after hard training. PowerBar suggests
drinking half directly after exercise and the
remaining half three to four hours later. Its
certainly a tasty drink and one that goes
down easily after sweating it out. While we
did feel better than usual the next day after
glugging it down, its also more expensive
than powder-based recovery drinks.
Powerbar
PROTEIN
PLUS
3.99
powerbar.co.uk
Atastylowercalorierecoverysolution, buta
bitpriceyforeverydayuse
PERFORMANCE
VALUE
OVERALL
Awellthoughtouttwo-pieceofthehighest
qualitywithworld-beatingcredentials
PERFORMANCE
VALUE
OVERALL
THE KONA winning two-piece suit of Mirinda
Carfrae, the Free Tri tops form-fitting cut
is aero friendly with a thin layer of silicone
grippers holding the laser-cut armholes in
place comfortably. There are no niggling
seams either, keeping the top chafe-free on
bike and run. The material is incredibly thin and
hydrodynamic, drying as fast as anything weve
ever tested. The mesh back is highly breathable
and features a pair of large, side-access pockets
that dont flap in the wind. The rear of the top
has a bra-hook style set-up so you can clip it
to the shorts to maintain aerodynamics and
avoid bunching. The shorts themselves are
extremely comfy. Laser-cut legs holes avoid
constriction, as does the wide waistband,
which sits fairly low. Though the chunky pad
takes a little getting used to, your behind will
thank you on long rides.
Welldesigned, easytouselighttobrighten
night-timerunning
PERFORMANCE
VALUE
OVERALL
BRAND NEW KIT
WEW
but it
heel
light,
keep
light.
but n
dislo
safely
there
Na
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nath
PEAK
PERFORMER
Castelli
FREE TRI TOP
AND SHORTS
69.99 each
castelli-cycling.com/en
es a slight feeling of pressure from the rugged
b P
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CARBOHYDRATE-ENHANCED DRINKS ARE THE EASIEST WAY TO
Photos Philip Sowels | Words Guy Kesteven
ENERGY
ENERGY DRINKS
86

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GET ENERGY DOWN YOUR NECK. WE LOOK AT 12 TOP CONTENDERS
DRINKS
ENERGY DRINKS
APRIL 2014 87
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HOW
WE
TEST
OUR TEST team have been using energy drinks
since they were starch powders that tasted like
spud water. Theyve watched sports nutrition
expand relentlessly over the past two decades in
terms of scientific research, proven field results,
product range and popularity. They havent lost
sight of the crucial aspects of what will or wont
make a drink suit certain athletes and exercise
schedules. Weve reviewed these based on
contents, ease of mixing and palatability at
different concentrations and levels of exertion.
NB: All nutritional info is quoted per 100g
Carbohydrate
The carbs in energy drinks can come
from a variety of sources. The most
common are starches, such as
maltodextrin, and simpler sugars,
such as fruit-based fructose or straight
glucose and dextrose sugars.
Powder or pill
Most of the drinks here are supplied
as a powder, so that you can control
the concentration of the mix. Some
however are made in effervescent pill
format, the idea being that theyre
faster and easier to mix with water.
Protein
There is a school of thought (and
research to back it up) that says a mix
of carbohydrate and protein works
better to fuel sustained exercise than
carbs alone. Its still only included in a
minority of drinks though.
Electrolytes
Some mixes are totally carbohydrate
based, but others chuck in minerals
designed to replace those lost during
sweating. It sounds like a good idea
but salts in particular can really effect
how your body reacts to the drink.
Stir crazy
The drinks here vary in how easily
they absorb into water and what sort
of concentrations you can get away
with without creating a sludge in
the bottom of your bottle.
THE KEY THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN
ENERGY DRINK SHOPPING
WHAT TO
LOOK FOR
Energy drinks
88

APRIL 2014
ENERGY DRINKS
APRIL 2014 89
CNP
TEAM SKY
RACE DRINK
24, 20 SACHETS (25, 1.6KG)
cnpprofessional.co.uk | paligap.cc
SO NEW were barely allowed to talk about
it, CNPs low intensity drink is great for high
intensity work. The mix was developed with
Team Sky, so its for serious athletes who
down bottles of the stuff. Cue neutral
flavouring and almost half the amount of
recommended powder per 500ml bottle of
most mixes. That means less energy per
bottle, but the electrolyte elements and a
trace of protein fast-track fuel into your
system. Because youre drinking more for
the same effect, dehydration is countered
and carbohydrate overload is less likely, too.
Carbs 94g Sugar 17g Protein 1.1g
Carbs/500ml 21g /500ml 34p-1.20
Low concentration but well reinforced
refuelling drink for high intensity training
V
E
R
D
I
C
T
PERFORMANCE
VALUE
OVERALL
Elivar
ENDURE
20, 12 SACHETS (25, 900G)
elivar.com
THE FIRST nutrition range developed for
club 35 to 80 delivers real benefits but will
punish your pension. Endure is designed
around low GI carbs mixed with energy
mobilising additives, plus protein for
sustained diesel power. You get branch-
chain amino acids, claimed to speed up
muscle recovery, and extra calcium for
senior skeletons. Its rich and synthetic taste
was described as more like work than
pleasure by some testers and they
struggled with it at higher intensities. Its
great for long steady sessions or heavy
training blocks though. Its easily the most
expensive here.
Carbs 71g Sugar 28g Protein 18g
Carbs/500ml 32g /500ml 1.25-1.66
Sustained steady-session energy delivery and
recovery for senior athletes, but expensive
V
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PERFORMANCE
VALUE
OVERALL
Very sugary, instant hit electrolyte enriched
mix but needs serious diluting or careful sips
V
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I
C
T
PERFORMANCE
VALUE
OVERALL
Gatorade
G SERIES PRO
11.50, 12 SACHETS (9, 350G)
gatoradestore.co.uk
GATORADE IS high profile, having
sponsored Team Sky, but their sugar-loaded
G Series drink needs careful use. Gatorade
makes a lot of their 40 years experience in
energy drinks, so the recipe is surprising.
Sugar and dextrose headline an 89 per cent
sugar mix. This is great for rapid fluid
absorption, but means real care is needed
not to create energy spikes and troughs. It
also tastes aggressively sweet and theres a
big slug of salt and other electrolytes
included. Even with a smaller sachet size
and a lower concentration than most, our
testers struggled with it when working hard.
The 350g tubs are expensive.
Carbs/500ml 33g /500ml 93-96p
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Expensive, but protein reinforced energy and
electrolyte drink is great for heavy training
V
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PERFORMANCE
VALUE
OVERALL
High5
ENERGY
SOURCE 4:1
17, 12 SACHETS (35, 1.6KG)
highfive.co.uk | hotlines-uk.com
THIS DRINK takes High5s 2:1 maltodextrin
to fructose Energy Source base and adds
a 20 per cent whey protein dose. This
potentially helps increase the speed of
energy processing and we felt strong with a
bottle or two for company. It gives your
post-training recovery a kick-start too,
making this a versatile drink. Its all-natural
flavouring is gentle and neutral enough to
quaff by the bottle even when youre
properly thirsty and its electrolyte enriched
too. The additional protein and other gear
beefs up the cost significantly though.
Carbs/500ml 37g /500ml 1.03-1.41
High5
ENERGY
SOURCE 2:1
13, 12 SACHETS (30, 2.2KG)
highfive.co.uk | hotlines-uk.com
HIGH5S 2:1 offers a tasty and effective
mix. The 2:1 ratio of starch carbs and
fructose is one youll see touted as the
optimum balance for useful pick-up plus
sustained energy, and at normal
concentrations it works. The natural colours
and flavours are pleasantly palatable and
there are no salty electrolytes. We had no
trouble using it at intense exertion rates or
long outings. You can also over-concentrate
by 50 per cent or even add a Zero
electrolyte pill. Sachets are expensive, but
the big tubs are more affordable.
Carbs/500ml 44g /500ml 64p-1.08
Excellent, tasty but not overpowering and
very versatile energy-only mix, but not cheap
V
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PERFORMANCE
VALUE
OVERALL
Maxifuel
VIPER ACTIVE
20, 20 SACHETS (20, 750G)
maxifuel.com
MAXIFUELS INGREDIENT-rich Viper
Active is a hard worker rather than an easy
drinker. With a high sugar ratio in the
maltodextrin and dextrose energy mix, Viper
strikes your energy levels as aggressively
as it sounds, with an obvious boost in
energy. That needs handling with care to
keep fuelling consistent, although the eight
per cent protein adds a slow-burning
background base. High levels of electrolytes
and amino acids make this a complex
refuelling recipe that works during and after
sessions too. This all makes for a strongly
scientific taste, and its not the easiest gear
on your gut over extended sessions.
Carbs/500ml 29g /500ml 93p-1
Heavily fortified multi-level energy mix, but
taste and turbulence not universally tolerated
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VALUE
OVERALL
ENERGY DRINKS
APRIL 2014 91
OTE
ENERGY DRINK
18.20, 14 SACHETS (23, 1.2KG)
otesports.co.uk
THIS IS a proper performance-enhancing
product. The mostly maltodextrin energy
load gives solid sustain with enough
sucrose for pick-up purposes. There are no
artificial sweeteners, flavours or
preservatives and its vegan and gluten or
dairy-intolerant friendly too. The neutral pH
is designed to sit easily in the stomach. Add
light flavours that leave your mouth clean
not sticky and, despite seriously high
sodium and electrolyte concentration, its
easily drinkable. It mixes very easily and
nice little touches include twin rip lines on
the sachet for different sized bottles and
synced energy loads across gels and drink.
Carbs/500ml 40g /500ml 82p-1.30
Excellent, easily drinkable intense or
extended performance mix
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VALUE
OVERALL
Osmo
ACTIVE
HYDRATION
16, 400G 2pure.co.uk
OSMO MAKES bold claims about life-
changing performance. Conceived at the
turnaround point of the Hawaii Ironman bike
leg by triathlete and PhD student (now Dr)
Stacy Sims, Osmo is all about fastest
possible fluid absorption. That means a ton
of sugars, assorted citrate electrolytes and
B vitamins rather than starches. That
sounds like a shortcut to an energy spike
but Osmo recommends a low concentration.
This makes the sweet, mineral taste less of
an issue, though its more medicinal than
moreish. Price per gram is high but
recommended dosage small.
Carbs/500ml 19g /500ml 88p
Radical fast absorbing high sugar, low
concentration electrolyte drink, but pricey
V
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VALUE
OVERALL
PEAK
PERFORMER
SiS
GO
ELECTROLYTE
21.40, 18 SACHETS (24, 1.6KG)
scienceinsport.com
SIS HAS rebranded their GO range to GO
Electrolyte and its still a useful, if strong
tasting, all-rounder. Most of the energy
payload is maltodextrin starch for sustained
release, with just enough fructose to give a
bit of pep. There are loads of different
natural flavours to stop you getting bored
and its electrolyte enriched. Most of these
flavours are strong and the aspartame
sweetener and electrolyte load creates a
synthetic taste, meaning it can be
overwhelming during longer multi-bottle or
higher-intensity/temperature sessions.
Carbs/500ml 36g /500ml 75p-1.08
Proven mixed energy and electrolyte drink but
best diluted for high intensity sessions
V
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More synthetic taste than most but still a
useful all-rounder
V
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PERFORMANCE
VALUE
OVERALL
Sponser
COMPETITION
HYPOTONIC
19, 1KG
sponseruk.com
THIS MIX of carbohydrates and
electrolytes is a useful blend if youre OK
with synthetic-tasting flavouring. Its
designed as a slow release mix, but with
over 50 per cent sugars its one of the
faster reacting recipes here. Flavouring is
a synthetically floral air-freshener style,
but its clean on the palette. It mixes easily
and goes down OK across a wide training
range. Thats despite a fairly high dose of
electrolytes including salt and even
calcium piggybacking the main starch and
sugar payload.
Carbs/500ml 38g /500ml 76p
Torq
ENERGY 2:1
14, 500G (48, 3KG)
torqfitness.co.uk | zyro.co.uk
IN A world of just-about-bearable
beverages this all-natural starch and fruit
electrolyte mix is user friendly and
enjoyable. Vegan friendly, with no artificial
sweeteners, colours or preservatives, Torqs
two-parts maltodextrin, one-part fructose
energy mix is a clean drink. A 500ml bottle
delivers the same dose as a Torq gel or bar,
for consistent fuelling with a usefully quick
pick-up and effective energy sustain. The
wide range of fruit and vanilla flavours taste
great and sneak in a decent electrolyte
boost without any hint of gagging at higher
exertion levels too. Flavours can get over
rich at higher percentage concentrations.
Carbs/500ml 30g /500ml 64p-1.12
Great tasting, easy drinking clean energy,
at a good price if you buy big
V
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PERFORMANCE
VALUE
OVERALL
Synthetic taste, but a really effective
all-conditions energy mix at a great price
V
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PERFORMANCE
VALUE
OVERALL
ZipVit
ZV1 ELITE
11, 700G (21, 1.4KG)
zipvitsport.co.uk | i-ride.co.uk
ZIPVITS ELITE drink tastes on the
scientific side, but it works really well,
especially in high intensity situations. There
are no artificial sweeteners, colours or
preservatives, but like their bars it has a
laboratory taste. The high levels of sodium
and other electrolytes give a slightly
brackish, potentially nauseous note at first,
but its worth bearing with. It mixes really
easily in a rush and our testers synced with
the taste and ingredient balance fine.
Everyone was positive about its fast and
effective energy delivery. It successfully
picked us up from bonks without obvious
comedown afterwards and its well priced.
Carbs/500ml 32g /500ml 52-55p
GOLD
AWARD
TOP
VALUE
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Overall verdict
WINNER VALUE
WINNER PERFORMANCE
OVERALL WINNER
ZIPVIT ZV1 ELITE
OTE ENERGY DRINK
TORQ ENERGY 2:1
TOP
VALUE
PEAK
PERFORMER
GOLD
AWARD
Next month
Running shoes
WHILE EACH product mix here would have you believe
otherwise, which recipes and flavours work for different
athletes differ dramatically. Our testers picked out
some clear favourites though. The heavily supplement-
loaded Viper Active found fans in our more tolerant
tasters who liked a technical edge and CNPs Team Sky
mix was favoured by those with more delicate palettes.
We wouldnt drink it for pleasure but ZipVits ZV1 is an
extremely effective refuelling mix and bargain pricing
makes it our value winner. Newcomer OTEs Energy
Drink was an immediate hit with our more hardcore, high
training-load testers to get our Peak Performer award.
GO Energy and High5s 2:1 and 4:1 siblings were
popular across the test team and only just missed top
honours. But it was the broad range of great flavours
and easy mixing, drinking and gel/bar/bottle syncing of
Torqs Energy drink that made it our overall winner.
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Bikes on test
Tech talk
Carbon fibre
Ultra strong yet lightweight
carbon threads laid into sheets
and fixed with resin to provide
the patches that are then laid
into a mould and baked hard
to create the finished frame,
fork or component.
Compact bar
A curved drop bar with a
shallower than normal depth.
Geometry
The angles and tube lengths
that create the handling
character of the bike.
Tapered
Steering bearings and fork that
are larger in diameter at the
bottom than at the top, for
increased stiffness without
significant weight gain.
RIDLEY ORION C20 1,325
SPECIALIZED ROUBAIX SL4 1,300
CUBE AGREE GTC 1,199
GIANT TCR COMPOSITE 2 1,299
ENTRY-LEVEL CARBON
HIGH FIBRE
ONCE RESERVED for ultra
high-end machines, carbon
fibre has become the dominant
frame material for bikes with
four-figure price tags. Youre
not getting exactly the same
carbon fibre on a 1,300 bike as
a 3,000 one, of course higher
budgets let you access stronger
carbon that gives the necessary
strength and stiffness for less
material, and hence weight. But
the cheaper bikes benefit from
the development work carried
out on the top models. Often
the entry-level frame in a range
is exactly the same design as
the top of the line one, just built
from lower-cost materials and
weighing a little bit more. Even
budget frames need careful
material selection and lay-up
if theyre not to end up being
heavier than an aluminium
frame, though. Theres still a bit
of a grey area between high-
end aluminium and entry-level
carbon, but were at the point
now where youre getting frame
weights of around a kilo even
in this price range its hard for
metal to compete with that.
Given a budget of around
1,300 youre spoilt for choice.
Every bike here uses Shimano
components, but the specs
range from Sora to 105, which
is a big slice of the companys
hierarchy represented for very
similarly priced bikes.
THESE ENTRY-LEVEL CARBON BIKES OFFER GREAT
PERFORMANCE AT EXCELLENT PRICES, BUT WHICH
ARE WORTH YOUR HARD-EARNED CASH?
Words Mike Davis Photos Joby Sessions
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ESPLENDENT
IN red and
white, Cubes
Agree GTC isnt
in any way a
shrinking violet. Its not at
all performance-enhancing,
but we do like the bar tape
that changes colour halfway
down the drops. Theres
more to a good bike than its
looks though, and under its
warpaint the Agree
certainly delivers.
FRAME AND FORK
When we pulled the Agree out
ol its box, ieui wleel ist, we
thought for a moment that
wed got a steel bike by
mistuke tle ist bits we suw
were the pencil-thin
seutstuys. Tle Agiee is u ne
example of the increasingly
popular fat underneath, thin
on top` sclool ol cuibon bie
frame design, with a high-
volume bottom half to
Cube has opted to use in-line
barrel adjusters on the gear
cables rather than adding
them to the cable stops. The
fork is a carbon unit with
gently curved blades and
smooth integration with
the head-tube.
THE KIT
Cube has kept things simple
with the spec the Agree has
Shimano Tiagra throughout.
The latest 10-speed
generation of Tiagra is good
stuff, with light, accurate
shifting. The levers dont feel
as solid as the 105s that some
bikes can muster at this price,
and Tiagra still has exposed
gear cables, but it does a
perfectly sound job. The
Cubes Tiagra brakes are
rather more convincing than
the non-Shimano units found
elsewhere, too.
The wheel package includes
Fulcrum 77 wheels shod with
25mm Schwalbe Lugano
tyres. Slightly bigger tyres are
becoming increasingly
popular, but its still quite a
brave choice on an aspiring
iuce bike. Tley'ie ne by us,
though for most purposes a
tiny bit more tyre volume
works well.
All tle nisling kit is
Cubes own, with the most
noteworthy piece being the
Wing Race bar. Its a
conventional enough compact
shape, but the tops are
uttened into un 'ueio'
section. With brake cables
under the tape as well, the
tops work best if you dont
grip too hard they can feel a
bit fat. The shape doesnt lend
itsell to tting clip-on tii-buis
remain stiff under power
and a slender upper half to
help maintain comfort levels.
Cube has used an 86.5mm
wide bottom bracket shell for
u Slimuno piess-t bottom
bracket, and its taken full
advantage of the width to
push the down-tube out as far
as possible its actually
rectangular in cross section at
the bottom bracket. Heading
forwards, the down-tube
meets a 1.125in-1.5in tapered
head tube to accommodate
the friendlier handling of the
tapered fork, while deep
chainstays head aft. Theres
lots of volume around the
BB shell, too.
The top-tube tapers to a
uttened ovul us it uppioucles
the seat-tube, merging into
those skinny seatstays. Only
the rear brake cable is run
internally routed, with the
gear cables following a
traditional external route.
either, which is well worth
bearing in mind if youre
wanting to adopt an aero
position for racing.
THE RIDE
Cube describes the Agrees
RFR geometry as relaxed
and comfortable, but its got
the shortest head-tube in the
test and the back end is
tucked well in too its much
more a race-style bike than a
sportive cruiser. The compact
bars mean that the riding
position isnt crazily
2
9
3
10
4
6
7
8
5
Size tested: 58cm
The striking bar tape hides an aero-
profiled handlebar, but that restricts
the use of clip-on tri extensions
The tapered fork aids handling while the
Shimano Tiagra brakes offer better
stopping power than cheaper models
The 27.2mm seatpost helps dissipate
road buzz better than a wider set-up
when spinning over rough roads
Cube
AGREE GTC
1,199
cube.eu/uk
DOES CUBES COMFORT UP TOP, BUSINESS DOWN
BELOW DESIGN MAKE TOO MANY COMPROMISES?
3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
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TOP-TUBE
LENGTH
COCKPIT
LENGTH
SEAT-TUBE
LENGTH
STANDOVER
HEIGHT
CHAINSTAY
LENGTH
BB
HEIGHT
WHEEL-
BASE
HEAD-
TUBE
SEAT
ANGLE
1 2
73 73 56cm 51cm 79.5cm 54cm 40.6cm 28cm 98.8cm 16.5cm
APRIL 2014 99
Light, stiff, comfortable and
affordable, the Cube Agree is a
great example of why carbon
fibre is such a popular material
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VALUE
OVERALL
Superb balance between stiffness
and comfort
Flat-topped bars arent great for
clip-on aerobars
Low front end makes it easy to
get low
Spec is good but not outstanding
for the money
C
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P
R
O
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aggressive, but its easier to
get low and aero than on the
taller Specialized or Ridley
bikes for example.
Its also easy to pick up
speed the Agree weighs well
under 9kg and all that volume
in the bottom half of the
frame gives it a mighty kick
when you put the power
down. The big tubes running
all the way from the headset
to the rear axle make the
Cube highly resistant to twist,
and even if youre not one for
spiinting, you'll benet liom
the accurate tracking and
positive handling.
The clever bit is that its as
supple as any other bike here
on cruddy roads, something
of which theres no shortage
of supply. There are a couple
of obvious component choices
that help those 25mm tyres
are immediately more
compliant than 23s, and Cube
has opted for a traditional
27.2mm seatpost that gives
signicuntly moie bum-
suving ex tlun tle luigei-
diameter items often found on
modern bikes. Its not all in
the components, though. You
can pump the tyres up hard
and its still smooth, and a
skinny seatpost doesnt do
anything when youre
standing up.
Somewhere between those
slendei stuys, uttened
top-tube and Cubes carbon
layup, road vibrations all but
disappear and even carelessly
tackled potholes result in
more of a whump than a thud.
The Agree has a great blend of
rush and cush.
Somewhere between those slender stays,
flattened top-tube and Cubes carbon
lay-up, road vibrations all but disappear
ENTRY-LEVEL CARBON
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G
IANTS TCR
Composite range
represents
technology
trickle-down in
action. Not long ago, the
Composite frames
represented the top of the
tree. Then the Advanced
frames came along and
bumped the Composites
down to entry-level, which
means that you can get a
bike built around an
excellent frame for really
very little money.
FRAME AND FORK
The TCR Composite is a
distinctive chassis. The most
eye-catching feature is the
aero seat-tube and
concomitant post. The deep,
foil-shaped tube with a
cut-out to accommodate the
rear wheel is the sort of thing
you expect to see on a time
trial bike or maybe a high-end
frame-stiffening stance.
You'll nd u mount loi Giunt's
own RideSense ANT+ wheel
sensor on the inside of the
chainstay, which makes
for a secure and clean
computer installation if youre
so inclined.
THE KIT
Giunt's enoimous buying
power means that it nearly
always comes up with a
high-value parts spec, and the
TCR Composite 2 is no
exception. While Shimano
Tiagra is the usual pick at this
piice, Giunt lus munuged to
include the next-step-up 105
shifters and mechs. Its a
worthwhile upgrade, with the
levers in particular having a
reassuringly solid feel but
retaining light, fast operation.
The 105 levers also have
concealed cable routing
which cuts a lot of clutter
from the front end and
reduces drag too, which youll
be glad of if you decide to
t clip-on ueiobuis loi
triathlon racing.
You'll nd u lot ol Giunt-
branded parts on the TCR,
including the wheels and
tyres. Compared to some
wheelsets out there, the
P-Elite C hoops are very
conventional and all the
better for it. Theres a lot to be
suid loi stunduid piole iims
and conventional spoking if
you want light, reliable
wheels with readily available
spare parts.
Geuiing ulwuys piesents
something of a dilemma for
manufacturers, especially on
bikes such as the TCR with
iuce uspiiutions. Giunt's gone
aero road bike, but its an
unusual feature for an
entry-level frame.
It looks great, but the aero
tube is something of a mixed
blessing. It uses more
material than a conventional
round tube, so is inevitably
heavier. The aerodynamic
benet will be muiginul ut
best and youre not going to
have a huge choice of
alternative seatposts. On the
other hand, you can
guarantee that your saddle
will always be straight.
Elsewhere on the frame,
the theme appears to be
large. The down-tube is
huge, and while the head-
tube is generally straight on
the outside it takes a tapered
steerer inside. Theres lots of
volume at the front of the top
and down-tubes to support
the head-tube. Tall chainstays
ow into tle piess-t bottom
bracket with a broad,
with a 12-30 cassette, which
gives some pretty low gears
on the inner ring at the
expense of closely-spaced
ratios. If that doesnt suit you,
its no big deal cassettes are
consumables anyway but
itll mean you can spin up
climbs in hillier races.
THE RIDE
There are two qualities that
tle Giunt lus tlut you miglt
not expect based on looking
at it. The TCR Composite
frame looks chunky, but the
2
9
3
10
4
6
7
8
5
Size tested: M/L
Despite the aero leaning of the seatpost
design, the cables are externally routed
on the TCR Composite 2
The bikes compact Shimano 565
chainset sits between the brands
Tiagra and 105 specs
The aero seatpost looks cool, but
means replacements are limited. It
does fairly well on coarse roads though
Giant
TCR COMPOSITE 2
1,299
giant-bicycles.com
3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
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ANGLE
TOP-TUBE
LENGTH
COCKPIT
LENGTH
SEAT-TUBE
LENGTH
STANDOVER
HEIGHT
CHAINSTAY
LENGTH
BB
HEIGHT
WHEEL-
BASE
HEAD-
TUBE
SEAT
ANGLE
1 2
73 72.5 57cm 56.5cm 78.7cm 48cm 40.5cm 27.5cm 98.6cm 17cm
LIGHTWEIGHT WITH AERO DETAILS, CAN THE
GIANT OFFER THE BEST OF ALL WORLDS?
APRIL 2014 101
The aero style may not suit
everyone, but its hard to argue
with the TCRs low weight, value
and sheer appetite for speed
V
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PERFORMANCE
VALUE
OVERALL
Trickle-down frame tech makes for
a great ride on a budget
Surprisingly comfortable, but not as
smooth as some
Excellent value for money and
impressive low weight
Aero post looks good but limits
seatpost options
C
O
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S
P
R
O
S
bike as a whole is the lightest
here by some margin. Only
tle Giunt und tle Cube dip
below 9kg on the scales, but
the TCR has a quarter-kilo
advantage even over the Cube
and is over 400g lighter than
the heaviest bike here. These
uie signicunt dilleiences,
und contiibute to tle Giunt's
sprightly feel under power.
Its not that big a deal on
steady-state riding, but if
youre doing a lot of braking
and accelerating youll
appreciate the lower weight.
That high-volume frame
has a big part to play in the
Giunt's kick too, but tle
second unexpected quality is
that the TCR has a smoother
ride than the big tubes would
ut ist suggest. Despite tle
deep, stiff aero seatpost and
23mm tyres, the TCR is a
composed ride on poor road
surfaces. Sure, its not as
smooth as some of the other
bikes leie, but tlut ts in
witl low Giunt position tlis
bike it is designed for
performance and a bit of
comfort, rather than the other
way around.
With fairly conventional
geometry, the TCR gives a
balanced ride, although
leaning towards the racier
end of the spectrum. The
head-tube is relatively short,
giving plenty ol exibility to
nd youi luvouied iiding
position if youre likely to
want your bars on the high
side, make sure the shop
leaves some spacers on the
steerer. You can always slam
the stem down later.
The TCR Composite frame looks chunky, but the bike as
a whole is the lightest here by some margin, contributing
to the Giants sprightly feel under power
ENTRY-LEVEL CARBON
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Specialized
Roubaix kicked
off the whole
comfortable
race bike genre. With
unique (and slightly odd-
looking) vibration-damping
inserts in the fork blades
and seatstays, the Roubaix
was designed for racing on
the eponymous cobbles
Tom Boonen won Paris-
Roubaix on one. Away from
pro bike racing, the Roubaix
range appeals to sportivists
and anyone putting in long
rides at a decent clip.
FRAME AND FORK
While all the frames in the
Roubaix range look the same,
they differ in grades of carbon.
Don't be looled into tlinking
that youre getting the same
state-of-the-art frame as the
top-of-the-range model,
though. The one found on this
The fork is plugged into a
head-tube that Specialized
describe as hyperbolic,
although they mean it in the
geometric sense rather than
the exaggerated sense
(although some might argue
otherwise). The tube has a
double curve on the outside
surface, with the goal of
adding material where its
needed for stiffness and losing
it everywhere else.
THE KIT
Clearly a large proportion of
the asking price is tied up in
the frame. Wed expect at least
Shimano Tiagra (or
equivalent) at this price, and
some bikes manage to get 105
on there for the money. But
the Roubaix can only muster
an 18-speed Sora
transmission. Not that theres
anything very much wrong
with Sora in its latest
incarnation. The previous
generation had an
occasionally awkward lever/
trigger set-up but the entry-
level group now has the same
double-lever shift
arrangement as its more
expensive brothers, and its
pretty slick in action. You have
to put up with exposed gear
cables, although the lever-
mounted barrel adjusters
are useful.
We werent all that
impressed by the Axis brakes,
which work in a slightly
grudging fashion, although
better brake pads when the
stock ones wear out would
help considerably. The wheels
are Specializeds own Axis
units shod with 25mm Espoir
tyres. These feature a double
entry-level bike is inevitably
the heaviest, but the overall
bike weight is 9kg on the nose
so 'leuviest' isn't uctuully ull
that heavy.
The Roubaixs unique
selling point is the Zertz
technology. The Zertz inserts
are viscoelastic pieces in
pockets in the frame, which
act to dampen vibrations from
the road surface before they
reach the bars and saddle. Its
not suspension you cant see
anything moving but theres
very little weight penalty.
You'll nd Zeitz inseits in
the fork, too, which also has
an interesting take on the
now-ubiquitous tapered
steerer. The Roubaix fork is
1.125in at the top and 1.375in
at the bottom, rather than the
usual 1.5in. The idea is to add
stiffness over a straight steerer
without adding too much
weight, though the downside
is limited headset choice.
layer of puncture protection,
potentially useful for winter
roads although there is a
weight penalty.
Theres a fairly spectacular
gear range, with the compact
chainset up front driving a
mountain bike-style 11-32
cassette. Its arguable whether
most people need that much
iunge it's dilcult to imugine
that a rider who feels the need
for 34/32 is going to get much
use out of 50/11. Its a big
range to get out of a nine-
speed cassette, too, giving
2
9
3
10
4
6
7
8
5
Size tested: 56cm
Brakes not as tested
The tall head-tube helps with comfort
over long rides, signalling that the
Roubaix isnt one for aggressive racing
The weighty Espoir tyres are wide and
comfy with extra puncture protection,
but the brakes arent up to Shimanos
The 27.2mm seatpost works alongside
the Zertz inserts in the fork and
chainstays to smooth out poor roads
Specialized
ROUBAIX SL4
1,300
specialized.com
THE UNIQUELY SMOOTH ROUBAIX FRAME IS A
CLASSIC, BUT DOES IT FLY WITH LOW-END KIT?
3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
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TOP-TUBE
LENGTH
COCKPIT
LENGTH
SEAT-TUBE
LENGTH
STANDOVER
HEIGHT
CHAINSTAY
LENGTH
BB
HEIGHT
WHEEL-
BASE
HEAD-
TUBE
SEAT
ANGLE
1 2
72.5 73.25 56.5cm 55cm 79.8cm 51.5cm 41.5cm 27.5cm 101.1cm 19cm
APRIL 2014 103
Lots of comfort and plenty of
race heritage, but the Roubaixs
smooth-riding, highly-developed
frame deserves better kit
V
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PERFORMANCE
VALUE
OVERALL
Wacky-looking Zertz inserts really
do smooth out the ride
Underwhelming component spec
for the money
Relaxed geometry works well for
long rides
Wide-range gear set-up feels
gappy on the road
C
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P
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signicunt gups between geuis
that make it harder to
maintain an even cadence on
undulating roads.
THE RIDE
While the Roubaix is marketed
on the back of its undoubted
race heritage, comfort is its big
thing. The combination of
25mm tyres, the Zertz inserts,
gel pads under the bar tape
and a 27.2mm carbon seatpost
means that the Roubaix scores
highly on ride quality. It really
is very smooth.
The geometry is a little
longer and more relaxed than
the other bikes on test here,
but its not a massive
difference. The handling leans
slightly towards stability over
agility, which is sensible for a
bike that lends itself to long
rides. Its tall at the front, too,
with a particularly long
head-tube its very user-
friendly if youre still getting
used to drop bars or arent that
exible, but tle leud-tube
limits how low you can get
the bars.
The Roubaix is a
competitive weight, but you
dont get the alacrity of some
of the competition.
Somewhere between the high
front end, sturdy tyres and
slightly gappy gears some of
your impetus gets lost.
Whether that matters is rather
subjective the Roubaix is
more about rolling along
comfortably than charging
ahead and lends itself to long
rides of the sort that make
sprinting performance a little
moot, and deliberately so.
The Roubaix is more about rolling along
comfortably than charging ahead and
lends itself to long rides
ENTRY-LEVEL CARBON
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UCH LIKE
cars and the
Nurburgring
most bikes
see a fair bit
of cobble action during
their development, and the
Orions seat-tube proudly
bears a Tested on Pav
sticker a reminder of
Ridleys Flemish origins.
The Orion C20 sits in
Ridleys Endurance range,
although the fact that it
shares that tag with half the
bikes that Ridley makes
tells you something about
the companys focus.
FRAME AND FORK
Were not sure that white
would be oui ist cloice ol
bike colour for a cobbled
spring Classic, but the Orion
is certainly a handsome bike
out of the box thats sure to
draw covetous glances.
With a boxy, octagonal-
want to add in-line adjusters
to the cables, which some
iideis nd eusiei to ieucl und
cun ulso be less ddly to
opeiute on tle y.
Up front is a graceful
curved fork. It looks the part
and is supple on poor
surfaces, although the carbon
only goes as far as the legs
theres an aluminium steerer
rather than the lighter, stiffer
full carbon types which are
offered elsewhere for the
same money.
THE KIT
Shimanos Tiagra group is par
for the course at this price,
and the Ridley packs the full
set, including the brakes
which are a cut above the
various off-brand callipers
often found at the carbon
entry-level.
It would have been nice to
see a hint of 105, especially as
the Ridley is the most
expensive bike here (albeit
not by much), but Tiagra is
what wed expect 105 is a
bonus if you can get it. Theres
very little wrong with the
current generation of Tiagra
unless youre troubled by the
exposed gear cables. In terms
of function theres little to tell
the levers apart from their
costlier brethren.
Ridley has opted for a
compact chainset and a 12-28
cassette, which is a sensible
range of gears for all but the
most extreme riding
situations. Ten cogs at the
back means reasonably small
gaps between them, too.
Stiong iideis oi utlundeis
might want a slightly higher
range but changing the
section down-tube and
top-tube and a short, tapered
head-tube, the Orion
promises a fast ride despite its
rough road leanings.
Theres not as much volume
in the frame as some of the
bikes here. Ridley are still
using a conventional
threaded bottom bracket,
which is starting to look a
little old fashioned these days
and limits how wide the
down-tube can get. And the
chainstays are relatively
slender too.
Ridley has used wishbone-
style seatstays, with a single
tube running from the seat
cluster to the rear brake
which then splits into the two
stays. Its a sleek design, a
quality that it shares with the
rest of the frame even though
all the cables run externally.
There are barrel adjusters on
the gear cable stops on the
down-tube, but you might
cassette is no big deal. You
can get the Orion with a triple
chainset if you need more
range too, though naturally
theres a weight penalty for
this option.
Its good to see a wheel
set-up thats practical and
straightforward, with
conventional Shimano hubs
laced to 30mm deep rims. No
gimmicks, reliable and youll
luve no tiouble nding
spokes to t tlem slould you
need to. Wrapped around the
rims are a pair of 23mm
2
9
3
10
4
6
7
8
5
Size tested: M
The Ridleys fairly tall head-tube is
married to racier geometry than the
other bikes making it a good all-rounder
The Shimano Tiagra kit is good-looking
and works well. The 50/34 chainset and
12-28 cassette give a good gear range
The traditional threaded bottom
bracket is easy to work on, but limits
size and stiffness of the down-tube
Ridley
ORION C20
1,325
ridley-bikes.com/gb
CAN THE ORION LIVE UP TO ITS GOOD LOOKS AND
COMFORT CLAIMS OUT ON THE ROAD?
3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
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HEAD
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TOP-TUBE
LENGTH
COCKPIT
LENGTH
SEAT-TUBE
LENGTH
STANDOVER
HEIGHT
CHAINSTAY
LENGTH
BB
HEIGHT
WHEEL-
BASE
HEAD-
TUBE
SEAT
ANGLE
1 2
73.5 73 55cm 54cm 78cm 54cm 40.5cm 28cm 99cm 17.5cm
APRIL 2014 105
The Orion scores with great looks
and a race-style riding position
matched with a floaty ride. Its
reasonable value, too
V
E
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PERFORMANCE
VALUE
OVERALL
A forgiving ride makes for
easy mileage
Not as lively under power as some
of its rivals
Conventional wheels are easy
to work on
Component spec merely adequate
for the money
C
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P
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Continental Ultra Sport tyres,
which are a safe bet though a
little less easygoing than
25mm types.
THE RIDE
At just over 9kg, the Ridley is
a reasonable, if not startling,
weight it only feels heavy if
you've just got oll tle Giunt
TCR, which you probably
wont be doing.
Despite its enduiunce tug,
the Orion has a low, racy
riding position and short,
steep geometry. This means
that handling is agile and its
easy to put the power down.
Ultimate pedalling stiffness
isn't us ligl us tle Giunt oi
Cube, although depending on
your riding style you may not
notice anyway. If youre a big
or powerful rider, or you like
your sprints, then it may
matter to you, but if youre
more about getting the miles
in, then it probably wont be a
factor. Theres more than
enough chassis stiffness to
keep everything in line and
accurate in the corners.
The real strength of the
Ridley is comfort. The pav
test claims are more than an
idle boast the Orion really is
very smooth on rough roads
despite its 23mm tyres and
oversized seatpost, and
makes you want to just keep
going. The Orion doesnt
tieud tle ne line between
stiffness and comfort as
successfully as the Cube
Agree, but youre unlikely to
have too many complaints
about the ride quality with
this handsome machine.
Despite its endurance tag, the Orion has a low, racy
riding position and short, steep geometry handling
is agile and its easy to put the power down
ENTRY-LEVEL CARBON
GOLD
AWARD
THE BIKE TEST SPEC SHEET
Giant
TCR
COMPOSITE 2
1,299
giant-bicycles.com
FRAMEANDFORK
SizetestedM/L
SizesavailableS, M, M/L, L, XL
Weight astested8.57kg
FrameGiant CompositeTechnology
ForkAdvanced-GradeComposite,
Full-CompositeOverDriveSteerer
TRANSMISSION
Chainset Shimano565- 50/34
Bottombracket ShimanoPressFit
CassetteShimanoTiagra12-30
ChainKMCX10L
DerailleursShimano105
ShiftersShimano105
WHEELS
Front Giant P-EliteC
Rear Giant P-EliteC
TyresGiant P-R3, Flat Guard, Front andRear
Specific, 700x23c
Wheel weight Front 1.27kg, Rear 1.91kg
OTHERCOMPONENTS
StemGiant Connect
BarsGiant Connect
Headset Giant, 1.125-1.5 bearings
SaddleGiant PerformanceRoad
Seatpost Giant Vector Composite
BrakesShimanoBR561
Specialized

ROUBAIX SL4
1,300
specialized.com/gb
FRAMEANDFORK
Sizetested56cm
Sizesavailable49, 52, 54, 56, 58, 61cm
FrameSpecializedSL4FACT8r carbon
ForkSpecializedRoubaixFACTcarbonfull
monocoque, Zertz
TRANSMISSION
Chainset ShimanoSora50/34T
Bottombracket OSintegrated, sealedbearings
CassetteShimanoHG-50, 9-speed, 11-32
ChainKMCX9
DerailleursShimanoSora
ShiftersShimanoSora
WHEELS
Front AXIS1.0
Rear AXIS1.0
TyresSpecializedEspoir, 60TPI, foldablearamid
bead, doubleBlackBelt protection, 700x25c
OTHERCOMPONENTS
StemSpecializedComp-Set, 31.8mm
BarsSpecializedCompShallowBend
Headset 1.125 upper and1.375 lower, Cr-Mo
cartridgebearings
SaddleBodyGeometryRivaRoadGel
Seatpost SpecializedComp, carbon, 27.2mm
BrakesAXIS1.0
Cube
AGREE GTC
1,199
cube.eu/uk
FRAMEANDFORK
Sizetested58cm
Sizesavailable50, 53, 56, 58, 60, 62, 64cm
FrameGTC, Monocoque, TwinMold
Technology
ForkCUBECSLRaceCarbon, Tapered
TRANSMISSION
Chainset ShimanoTiagraFC-4650,
HollowtechII, 50/34T
Bottombracket ShimanoPF
CassetteShimanoTiagra12-30
ChainKMCX10
DerailleursShimanoTiagra4600
ShiftersShimanoTiagra4600
WHEELS
Front FulcrumRacing77
Rear FulcrumRacing77
TyresSchwalbeLugano, 622x25c
Wheel weightFront 1.3kg, Rear 1.91kg
OTHERCOMPONENTS
StemCUBEPerformancePro, 31.8mm
BarsCUBEWingRaceBar, Compact
Headset FSAOrbit I-t integrated, top1.125,
bottom1.5
SaddleSelleItaliaX1 Road
Seatpost CUBEPerformancePost, 27.2mm
BrakesShimanoTiagra4600
GOOD NEWS if youve got 1,300 to spend and you
want a carbon frame, youre spoilt for choice. There isnt
a bad bike here, each one offering a level of performance
that would have been the preserve of much higher prices
just a few years ago. Budget carbon really has come of
age. When you can get a sub-9kg, 105-equipped bike for
1,300, how much more do you really need to spend?
The Specialized Roubaixs got a great frame with an
almost magically smooth ride, but next to the
competition the Sora spec looks a bit meagre. Its worth
considering if you value comfort above all else, though.
So is the Ridley Orion. Its spec is merely OK and it
doesnt have the kick of some of the competition, but its
comfortable and agile.
Cube's Agiee GTC lus u lugely impiessive blend ol
accelerative punch and road-smoothing plush, and a
well-iounded spec. Ultimutely, tlougl, tle Giunt TCR
Composite edges the win. Its not as smooth as the Cube,
and if your regular roads are particularly grotty the
Agree is a better bet. But the TCR is comfortable enough
while being inspiringly fast and mustering a component
spec us good us you'll nd.
T
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Ridley
ORION C20
1,325
ridley-bikes.com/gb
FRAMEANDFORK
SizetestedM
SizesavailableXXS, XS, S, M, L, XL
FrameOrion, 24t HMUnidirectional carbon
ForkOrion, 24t HMUnidirectional carbon,
Aluminiumsteerer
TRANSMISSION
Chainset ShimanoTiagra50/34
Bottombracket ShimanoHollowtech2
CassetteShimanoCS-4600, 12-28
ChainKMCX10
DerailleursShimanoTiagra
ShiftersShimanoTiagra
WHEELS
Front 4ZARC30
Rear 4ZARC30
TyresContinental UltraSport 700x23c
OTHERCOMPONENTS
Stem4ZABarbore31,8mm
Bars4ZA
Headset FSAIntegrated1.1/8
Saddle4ZA
Seatpost 4ZA31,6x350mm
BrakesShimanoTiagra
106

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The Giants light weight,
high spec and searing
speed takes the gold
108 APRIL 2014
PLAN FOR THE MONTHS AHEAD WITH OUR GUIDE TO TRIS AND DUATHLONS IN THE UK
THE RACE LIST
Notes and key
The Race List
AT THE TIME of going to press,
some race details were yet to be
confirmed. Before entering a
race, or if you cant find your
favourite event here, please contact
the organisers for the most
up-to-date information. Distances
given are: for triathlons, swim/bike/
run; for duathlons, run/bike/run; and
for aquathlons, swim/run. Swim
distances are in metres up to 999,
then kilometres. Bike and run
distances are in kilometres unless
otherwise stated, with M denoting
distances are in miles.
P
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M
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MARCH
SATURDAY 8 MARCH 2014
DAMBUSTER DUATHLON
Distance 10/42/5
Venue Rutland Water,
Leicestershire
Price 45 BTF/50 Non-BTF
pacesetterevents.com
SUNDAY 9 MARCH 2014
BURNTWOOD SPRING
AQUATHLON
Distance 400/5
Venue Burntwood Leisure
Centre, Staffordshire
Price 8-17
burntwoodtriclub.org
GRAVESEND CYCLOPARK
SPRING DUATHLON
Distance 6/20/3.5
Venue Gravesend Cyclopark
Price 19, 22
cyclopark.com
MAD MARCH TRIATHLON
Distance 250/16/5
Venue St Michaels Middle
School, Colehill, Wimborne
Price 14-40
resultstriathlon.co.uk
LANCASTER DUATHLON
Distance 5/20/5
Venue Halton, Lancashire
Price 30
mytrievents.co.uk
PARBOLD DUATHLON
Distance 5/27/5
Venue Farmers Arms Pub,
Bispham, Parbold, Lancashire
Price 30
epicevents.co.uk
SEAGRAVE CHARITY
DUATHLON
Distance 5/23/5
Venue Seagrave Village Hall,
Loughborough
Price 30 BTF/35 Non-BTF
endurocharity.com
SIDMOUTH AQUATHLON
Distance 600/5, 300/5
Venue Sidmouth Swimming Pool
Price 8-13
exetertri.co.uk
SUNDAY 16 MARCH 2014
GRIZEDALE OFF ROAD
DUATHLON
Distance 6.5/24/6.5
Venue Grizedale Visitor Centre,
Clumber Park Duathlon offers sprint and
standard distances for early-season racing
APRIL 2014 109
Hawkshead, Cumbria
Price 30
highterrainevents.co.uk
MARLOW DUATHLON
Distance 7/25/7
Venue Marlow Sports Club,
Marlow, Buckinghamshire
Price 32, 35
marlowstriders.co.uk
MUD & MAYHEM DUATHLON
Distance 5/18/5
Venue Thetford Forest
Price 36
gobeyondultra.co.uk
OULTON PARK SPRING
DUATHLON
Distance 21.6/4.3, 38.8/8.6
Venue Oulton Park Motor Racing
Circuit, Cheshire
Price 42-55
xtramileevents.com
PEMBROKESHIRE DUATHLON
Distance 5/20/2.5
Venue Neyland Yacht Club
Price 25
pembrokeshire-tri.org.uk
PORTSMOUTH DUATHLON
SERIES
Distance 5/15/5
Venue Speakers Corner,
Clarence Esplande, Southsea
Price 25
tprorob.biz
UK FIRE FIGHTERS 2UP
DUATHLON
Distance 5.6/37.2/5.6
Venue Horwich & Blackrod
School, Lancashire
Price 60 (pair)
epicevents.co.uk
WINCHESTER DUATHLON
Distance 2.5/10/2.5
Venue Winchester Stadium,
Hampshire
Price 30, 35
trytri.co.uk
BATH DUATHLON
Distance 3/15/1.5
Venue Odd Down Circuit, Bath
Price TBC
bathduathlon.org.uk
CLUMBER PARK DUATHLON
Distance 5/20/2.5, 10/40/5
Venue Clumber Park, Worksop
Price 39, 44
onestepbeyond.org.uk
MUMBLES DUATHLON
Distance 5/32/5, 5/21/3
Venue Mumbles, Swansea
Price 40
mumblesduathlon.com
THE WEE TRIATHLON
Distance 400/15/6
Venue Lochaber Leisure Centre
Price 18
nofussevents.co.uk
CARLISLE CITY AQUATHLON
Distance 500/5
Venue Morton Pool, Carlisle
Price 9, 15
sportinaction.co.uk
DARTINGTON DUATHLON
Distance 5/20/2.5
Venue Dartington Hall Estate,
Totnes, Devon
Price 28
dartingtonduathlon.co.uk
HOLE PARK MTB DUATHLON
Distance 5/13/5, 10/26/5,
10/39/10
Venue Hole Park, Cranbrook,
Kent
Price 37-62
trispiritevents.com
LEXUS READING DINTON
DUATHLON
Distance 5/20/5
Venue Dinton Pastures Country
Park, Berkshire
Price 35
barnestness.co.uk
MAXIFUEL WINTER DUATHLON
SERIES RACE 3
Distance 2.5/12/2.5,
5/20/5,5/40/10
Venue Dorney Lake, near
Windsor, Berkshire
Price 37.50-55
f3events.co.uk
OXFORDSHIRE SPRING
FORWARD DUATHLON
Distance 5/20/3
Venue North Oxfordshire Academy,
Drayton Road, Banbury
Price 23, 28
entrycentral.com
PEAKY FREAKY DUATHLON
CHALLENGE
Distance 20/2.5/7.5
Venue Webbington Hotel,
Axbridge, Somerset
Price 19
freakevents.co.uk
PORTSMOUTH TRIATHLETES
SPRING DUATHLON
Distance 4/24/4, 4/40/8
Venue Goodwood Motor Race
Circuit, Chichester, Sussex
Price 28
portsmouthtriathletes.co.uk
STOKESLEY DUATHLON
Distance 3/17/3, 5/35/5
Venue Stokesley Town Hall
Price 28-45
trihard.co.uk
THRUXTON MASS ATTACK
DUATHLON
Distance 5/35/5
Venue Thruxton Circuit, Andover
Price TBC
conceptsport.co.uk
TRIPURBECK SIKA DUATHLON
(OFF ROAD)
Distance 6/20/3
Venue Wareham Forest
Price 18-21
tripurbeck.com
THE WEE TRIATHLON
Distance 400/15/6
Venue Lochaber Leisure Centre
Price 18
nofussevents.co.uk
EDINBURGH UNIVERSITY
SPRINT TRIATHLON
Distance 750/20/5
Venue The Loch Centre, Well
Wynd, Tranent, East Lothian
Price 35, 40
entrycentral.com
AVON AQUATHLON
Distance 500/5
Venue Durrington Swimming
Pool, Salisbury, Wiltshire
Price 15-18
greencoachinguk.com
BOLESWORTH MOUNTAIN
BIKE DUATHLON
Distance 2.5/12/2.5, 5/20/5
Venue Hales Mountain Boarding
Centre, Chester, Cheshire
Price 26, 30
chestertri.org.uk
BRITISH ELITE DUATHLON
CHAMPIONSHIPS
Distance 2.5/10/1.25, 5/20/2.5
Venue Rockingham Motor
Speedway, Corby, Northants
Price 35, 40
britishtriathlon.org
BURNHAM-ON-SEA SPRING
AQUATHLON
Distance 500/5
Venue Burnham-on-Sea Swim
& Sports Academy
Price TBC
bospool.com
CARLISLE DUATHLON
Distance 4/25/4
Venue Kirkbampton Village Hall,
Carlisle, Cumbria
Price TBC
carlisle-tri.com
CARR HILL TRIATHLON
Distance 400/23/6.4
Venue Kirkham Baths, Station
Road, Kirkham, Lancashire
Price 27
bookitzone.com
DERWENT DUATHLON
Distance 7/29/4.5
Venue Upper Derwent Valley,
Peak District, Derbyshire
Price 25
peaklifesport.co.uk
EAST GRINSTEAD
AQUATHLON
Distance 500/5
Venue Kings Centre, East
Grinstead, West Sussex
Price 14-18
egtri.com
EAST LEAKE TRIATHLON
Distance 400/20/5
Venue East Leake Leisure
Centre, Near Loughborough, Leics
Price TBC
4lifeeventsuk.co.uk
FAST AND THE FURIOUS
DUATHLON
Distance 5/21/5
Venue Anthony Roper Primary
School, Kent
Price 22, 25
bridgetriathlon.co.uk
HILLINGDON SPRING SPRINT
DUATHLON
Distance 3.2/16/1.6
Venue Hillingdon Cycle Circuit,
Minet Park, Hayes
Price 20, 23
hillingdontriathletes.co.uk
LONDON FIELDS AQUATHLON
Distance 100/5, 400/5
Venue London Fields Lido
Price TBC
lftri.co.uk
MARK TANTON MEMORIAL
TRIATHLON
Distance 200/10/2.4
Venue Willison Centre,
Northampton, Northamptonshire
Price 35
onyourmarksevents.org
STIRLING DUATHLON
SCOTTISH CHAMPIONSHIPS
Distance 5/20/5, 10/40/5
Venue University of Stirling
Price 28, 33
stirlingtriathlon.com
SUN CITY DUATHLON
Distance 5/18/5
Venue Seaburn Centre,
Sunderland
Price From 25
suncitytri.co.uk
TEAM KENNET NEWBURY
DUATHLON
Distance 5/25/5
Venue Chieveley Village Hall,
Chieveley, West Berkshire
Price 13, 18
teamkennet.com
APRIL
SATURDAY 5 APRIL 2014
GATORADE ETON DORNEY
DUATHLON RACE 3
Distance 2.5/10/2.5, 5/20/5
Venue Dorney Lake, near
Windsor, Berkshire
Price 26-32
votwo.co.uk
GRAVESEND CYCLOPARK
MIDWEEK DUATHLON
LEAGUE
Distance 5/20/5
THE RACE LIST
110 APRIL 2014
Venue Gravesend Cyclopark
Price 15, 18
WESTCROFT AQUATHLON
Distance 400/3
Venue Westcroft Leisure Centre,
Carshalton, Surrey
Price 15
westcrofttriclub.wix.com
SUNDAY 6 APRIL 2014
1485 NO FRILLS DUATHLON
Distance 5/21/5
Venue Market Bosworth Water
Park, Leicestershire
Price 10, 13
entrycentral.com
ANDOVER (A2C) TRIATHLON
Distance 200/15/2.5
Venue Andover Leisure
Centre, Hants
Price 40, 45
trytri.co.uk
ASHBOURNE DUATHLON
Distance 5/30/5
Venue Carsington Water,
Derbyshire
Price 35, 40
punishingevents.com
BASILDON AQUATHLON
Distance 50/600, 150/1.2,
200/1.2, 200/1.8, 300/2.4, 400/5
Venue Basildon Sporting Village,
Basildon, Essex
Price 13, 16
east-essex-tri-club.co.uk
CASTLE COMBE STANDARD
DUATHLON
Distance 10/39/5
Venue Castle Combe Race
Track, Wiltshire
Price 33-36
dbmax.co.uk
CLITHEROE TRIATHLON
Distance 400/30/7
Venue Ribblesdale Swimming
Pool, Lancashire
Price 35
epicevents.co.uk
CRANLEIGH SPORTIVATE
TRYATHLON
Distance 300/16/5
Venue Cranleigh Leisure Centre,
Cranleigh, Surrey
Price 25, 28
cranleightryathlonclub.com
EAST RIDING TRIATHLON
Distance 400/24/5
Venue South Hunsley Sports
Centre, North Ferriby, Yorkshire
Price 40
eastridingtriathlon.com
GRAVESEND CYCLOPARK
BACK TO BACK DUATHLON
Distance 2.5/10/2.5/10/2.5
Venue Gravesend Cyclopark,
Kent
Price 19, 22
HALESOWEN TRIATHLON
Distance 400/20/5
Venue Halesowen Leisure Centre,
West Midlands
Price TBC
halesowentri.org
HARLECH TRIATHLON
Distance 400/22/5.5
Venue Harlech Swimming Pool,
Harlech, Gwynedd
Price 35, 40
harlechtri-entries.org.uk
ISCA DUATHLON/WELSH
CHAMPIONSHIPS
Distance 4.2/16.35/4.2
Venue University of South Wales,
Newport
Price 26, 29
newport.ac.uk/duathlon
KNOCKBURN DUATHLON
Distance 4/17/4
Venue Knockburn Loch
Price 15, 18
aberdeenshire.gov.uk/sport/
duathlon
MIDDLEMOOR AQUATHLON
Distance 600/5, 300/5, TriStart
Venue Middlemoor Police HQ
swimming pool, Exeter
Price 8-13
exetertri.co.uk
MIDSOMER AQUATHLON
Distance 400/2.8, 400/5.5
Venue South Wansdyke Sports
Centre, Midsomer Norton,
Somerset
Price 36, 39
midsomertriathlon.co.uk
MORPETH DUATHLON
Distance 3/12/2, 6/26/4, 9/40/5
Venue Morpeth, Northumberland
Price 25.95
vo2maxracingevents.co.uk
PADIHAM AQUATHLON
Distance 600/5
Venue Padiham Leisure Centre,
Park Lane, Padiham, Burnley,
Lancashire
Price 15.70
bookitzone.com/garry_stein
RINGWOOD TRIATHLON
Distance 600/45/10
Venue Ringwood Health and
Leisure Centre, Dorset
Price 50, 55
resultstriathlon.co.uk
SANDWELL AQUATHLON
Distance 200/2.5, 400/5
Venue Haden Hill Leisure
Centre And Park, Cradley Heath,
West Midlands
Price 10, 12
entrycentral.com
SKIPTON TRIATHLON
Distance 400/20/5
Venue Skipton
Price 44
freebirdevents.co.uk
TEWKESBURY AQUATHLON
Distance 400/5
Venue Cascades Pool,
Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire
Price 13, 16
tewkesburytriathlon.co.uk
WHINLATTER XTREME
MOUNTAIN DUATHLON
Distance 9/25/9
Venue Whinlatter Forest
Park Visitor Centre,
Keswick, Cumbria
Price 35
highterrainevents.co.uk
SATURDAY 12 APRIL 2014
AMPLEFORTH MTB
TRIATHLON
Distance 400/14/5
Venue Ampleforth College,
North Yorkshire
Price 35, 40
pdsportsmanagement.co.uk
RAF SCAMPTON DUATHLON
Distance 4.6/21.6/2.3
Venue RAF Scampton, Lincoln
Price 15-29
lincolntri.co.uk
WINTER FEAST DUATHLON:
THE BIG PUDDIN
Distance 5/18/5
Venue Nevis Range Car Park
Price 14
nofussevents.co.uk
SUNDAY 13 APRIL 2014
AMMAN VALLEY TRIATHLON
Distance 400/17/5
Venue Ammanford Leisure
Centre, Carmarthenshire
Price TBC
healthylifeactivities.co.uk
BAG4SPORT ABBEYFIELD
DUATHLON
Distance 5/22/5
Venue Abbeyeld School,
Chippenham, Wiltshire
Price 20 BTF/22.50 Non-BTF
eventslogicuk.com
BCT SPRING SPRINT
Distance 400/20/5
Venue Ounsdale Leisure Centre,
Wombourne, Staffordshire
Price 29-36
entrycentral.com
DESFORD SPRINT
TRIATHLON
Distance 400/18/5
Venue Bosworth Community
College, Desford, Leicestershire
Price 30, 35
racetime-events.co.uk
DRAGONSLAYER DUATHLON
Distance 7/40/5
Venue Redbridge Cycling
Centre, London
Price 32, 37
eastlondontriathletes.co.uk
GUILDFORD AQUATHLON
Distance 800/5
Venue Surrey Sports Park,
Guildford
Price TBC
aat-events.com
HEREFORD DUATHLON
Distance 4/28/4
Venue Whitecross Hereford
High School
Price 15 BTF/ 17 Non-BTF
herefordtriathlonclub.co.uk
HOT CHILLI DAMP DASH
WINTER AQUATHLON
SERIES RACE 6
Distance 200/2.5, 400/5, 1/10
Venue Clarendon Sports Centre,
Trowbridge, Somerset
Price 12, 16
hotchillitri.co.uk
KINGFISHER AQUATHLON
Distance 400/9
Venue Morden Park, London,
Morden, Surrey
Price 16, 19
kingshertriathletes.co.uk
NATIONAL DUATHLON
CHAMPIONSHIPS
Distance 10/40/5
Venue Newby Hall, near Ripon,
North Yorkshire
Price 40
functionaltnessevents.co.uk
NEWTOWN (MID WALES)
TRIATHLON
Distance 400/22.5/5.5
Maldwyn Leisure Centre,
Newtown, Powys
Price 25
maldwyn-leisurecentre.
powys.gov.uk
Hot Races
Keep an eye on these race
websites to secure entry
THE IMMORTAL
When 18 May
Venue Stourhead, Wiltshire
totalbuzzevents.com
TITAN MIDDLE DISTANCE
When 5 July
Where Parc Bryn Bach,
Tredegar, Blaenau Gwent
dbmax.co.uk
COTSWOLD 226
When 10 August
Where Cotswold Water Park
cotswold226.com
WIGGLE PORTSMOUTH
TRIATHLON
When 31 August
Where Portsmouth, Hants
portsmouth.gov.uk
CHALLENGE WEYMOUTH
When 14 September
Where Weymouth
challengetriuk.com
THE RACE LIST
bomnload
gour
tree
app
THE LATEST CYCLING NEWS
IN THE PALM OF YOUR HAND
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TREW STORIES
riathlon really is a funny old
game. Some triathletes come
into the sport from one of the
three contributing disciplines,
others seemingly from
nowhere. But why do some triathletes,
whatever their background, never really
progress to the standard that they should,
while others just improve and improve?
Well, to start with, having a modicum of
natural ability helps athletes be successful,
as does a good genetic inheritance in
other words, choose your parents well!
However, while these two attributes are big
advantages, they are not enough. Many top
sportspeople think that around 20 per cent
of their success is due to genetic inheritance
or natural ability, and the remaining 80 per
cent down to pure hard work.
Some top juniors make brilliant seniors.
Some dont. Some supposedly ordinary
junior athletes become senior world
champions. There is no magic formula, but
those who do succeed, who get better and
better over the years, do have something
special. And the special thing is the way
they approach their training, and perhaps
even more importantly, the way they
START PLANNING AND ACTING LIKE A PRO TODAY AND
YOULL BE OUTSTANDING, SAYS STEVE TREW
ELITE THINKING
approach their thinking.
Top triathletes take control of their
training and racing. If a race hasnt gone
well, they look at why. There are excuses
like goggles came loose, wore the wrong
shoes or gears werent working properly
from perpetually poor performers. Top
triathletes say nothing. It happened. Maybe
they didnt prepare properly, but it isnt used
as an excuse. Top triathletes are
accountable to themselves. Top triathletes
take responsibility for any poor results.
NO BAD RACES
There are no bad races, only learning races.
Somethings gone wrong, get over it,
examine why and do something about it.
You died a death on the run. Why? Was your
tiuining insulcient, oi inuppiopiiute? You
couldnt attack the hills on the bike. Why?
You swam all over the place. Why? Find out
whats wrong and do something about it
now! If you have a poor race, dont let it
demoralise you use the lesson to improve.
You become an athlete like the athletes
whore around you most of the time, a
product of your environment. You will
conform and act like those around you. If
theyre committed to training hard and
never making excuses, you will be too. But
the reverse is true as well. If everyone has
excuses, or they frequently dont turn up for
training, then that negativity can become
the norm for you. And if thats happening?
Change, and change now!
The six Ps: P*** Poor Preparation
Provides Pathetic Performance. Or as the
old clich states, If you fail to plan, youre
planning to fail. The top guys know where
tley wunt to be in ve, six, 10 yeuis time.
That doesnt mean to say theyre not
bothered about next season or next week
of course they are. But importantly, they
see the long term as well as immediate
lullment. Il tlut swimming stioke ieully
isnt good enough, immediate gains will be
suciiced loi tle longei teim ol getting it
right, even if it means going back to basics.

ACT NOW
Just do it! Preparation and planning are
great, but theyre like New Year resolutions
they dont mean anything unless you
lollow tliougl. Don't wuit until 1 Junuuiy,
or next season put the plan into action and
do it now. Immediately. Today!
Ordinary, good, excellent. Do they mean
what they say or does everybody want to be
good, so good becomes the new ordinary?
We move up a notch, and excellent becomes
merely good. Its a tough life! You dont win
gold medals without being extraordinary,
without being outstanding. If you want it
enough, it will happen. Its all about making
that commitment and then carrying it out.
But one word of caution: dont expect to
be perfect immediately. It takes all of the
above to make it come true. Pay your dues.
Or, as my dad used to say, Get your knees
brown! You have to work damn hard to get
anything worthwhile. Kids want things
instantly, but as you grow up you realise
that life isnt like that! Outstanding results
come from outstanding training efforts.
A hard interval set in the pool, on the bike
or pounding the pavement is tough, we
know that. But the elites, the top guys, those
who make it you know what they do? They
read the session, they plan how to get
through it, and then they actually do it. And
thats because they know thats what will
separate them from the merely excellent
athletes. We all know those guys who miss a
rep or avoid hard sessions. Dont be like
them. Choose to be outstanding. Go out and
carpe that diem, guys. Be outstanding.
Steves very tired just from reading what hes
written and may need to go and have an
outstanding recovery sleep. Steve is an advisory
coach for Speedo and can be reached for all
things tri at trew@personalbest.demon.co.uk.
Coach & commentator
Steve Trew
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APRIL 2014

113
MAKE EVERY STROKE BETTER
04
Fine-tune your front crawl by
learning from the master
RIDE FAST IN HALF THE TIME
07
Bash out brilliant bike sessions
that save time but boost speed
RUN FASTER FIRST THING
09
Turn yourself into a lightning-
quick lark with our quick guide
PLAN YOUR PERFECT SEASON
11
Learn how to prepare for success
with coach Steve Lumleys help
GET READY TO RACE AGAIN
12
Put in a cheeky PB this spring
with our 6-week sprint plan
CLIMB STRONG ON THE BIKE
16
Spin your way up any incline to
save riding time and energy
TrainingZone
APRIL 2014 ISSUE 09 TRAIN SMART. RACE FAST.
EXACT
CHANGES
TECHNIQUE
04
Make precise tweaks to your front crawl technique
like consummate perfectionist Alexander Popov
THIS MONTH CONTENTS
MAKE EVERY STROKE BETTER
Fine-tune your front crawl by
learning from the master
RIDE FAST IN HALF THE TIME
Bash out brilliant bike sessions
that save time but boost speed
RUN FASTER FIRST THING
Turn yourself into a lightning-
quick lark with our quick guide
PLAN YOUR PERFECT SEASON
Learn how to prepare for success
with coach Steve Lumleys help
GET READY TO RACE AGAIN
Put in a cheeky PB this spring
with our 6-week sprint plan
CLIMB STRONG ON THE BIKE
Spin your way up any incline to
save riding time and energy
APRIL 2014 APRIL 2014 APRIL 2014 ISSUE 09 ISSUE 09 ISSUE 09 TRA TRA TRAIIIN SMAR N SMAR N SMARTTT. RACE FAS . RACE FAS RACE FASTTT.
TECHNIQUE
Make precise tweaks to your front crawl technique
like consummate perfectionist Alexander Popov
THIS MONTH CONTENTS
April 2014 | TRIATHLON PLUS 1

01
--
ALL THE NEWS
Keep up to date on developments in
the world of triathlon from Ironman to
super sprint, world champions to
grassroots. Youll find everything you
need to stay in touch with the goings
on in your favourite sport throughout
the on and off season.
ALL THE TRAINING
Weve got a heap of training
information to build both your speed
and endurance, including a host of
training plans for all abilities and race
distances. Our sport-specific training
articles will help you swim, bike and
run faster in 2014.
ALL THE GEAR
Whether its a new wetsuit, pair of
wheels or shoes youre after, weve
got an ever-increasing archive of
reviews from the magazine. Each item
is independently tested to help you
make the best kit-buying decisions to
boost your performance this year.
YOUR COMPLETE
ONLINE TRIATHLON
RESOURCE
FOLLOW US ON
twitter.com/TriathlonPlus facebook.com/TriathlonPlus
Once a week Find a hill to practise
bike climbing with our guide p16
Every night Get to bed earlier to
boost your morning run p09
Dont get hung up on sub-standard swim sessions, bad runs
or missed rides, says coaching editor Phil Mosley
Training is like investing in
stocks and shares think in
terms of long-term gains,
rather than overnight success
ADD SMARTER TRAINING TO YOUR TO-DO LIST WITH THIS MONTHS TRAINING ZONE FOUR FAST FIXES
Twice a day Two short, hard turbo
sessions could save you time p07
Once a year Sit down and plan
your season with these tips p11
T
his month Ive
spent far too
much time
sweating about
the small stuff.
Maybe youve
experienced
something similar lately? Those
times when you get annoyed with
yourself about a slow run, a bad
swim or a missed bike ride.
Theyre inevitable from time to
time, but they can become
disheartening if you dont view
them in context.
Thats why I like the approach
of renowned triathlon coach Brett
Sutton, whos worked with dozens
of top professionals such as Jodie
Swallow and Chrissie Wellington.
He reckons that once youve done
a workout, you should forget it
and move onto the next one.
Dont pore over the detail. Focus
on nailing the next one instead,
because each workout is merely
part of a giant jigsaw. Sutton
doesnt even ask his athletes to
use heart-rate monitors or cycle
power meters. Hed rather they
went on feel.
I tend to agree with him in
some ways. Triathlon training is
a bit like investing in stocks and
shares, where its better to think
in terms of long-term gains,
rather than overnight success.
Dont get too focused on good
days or bad days or over-
analysing tiny uctuations in
data. Just get on with it.
My 83-year-old swim coach
Laurie Dormer has a saying for
the end of a tough session. Well
done everybody another jelly
bean in the jar! Whenever Ive
had a bad swim, this statement
puts me in a slightly better mood.
It helps me remember that the
most important thing is to keep
ticking off the sessions each day,
while keeping one eye on the
bigger picture. Thats all it takes.
Having said that, its not easy
to be consistent when the
weather is awful. Thankfully,
were heading for springtime now.
To get you on the right track,
this issue of Training Zone
features a sprint triathlon training
plan that will help you get race t
in just six weeks. We also have
some bike tips that will give you
an injection of speed, even if you
didnt manage to train regularly
throughout the winter. So while
its good to train consistently
throughout the winter, its also
never too late to start.
Phil Mosley
Coaching editor
The brains behind Training Zone is

Phil Mosley, an elite triathlete,
former national duathlon
champion and coach
with a degree in sports
science. He also trains
individuals at
myprocoach.net
duathlon
ach
sports
rains
Phil in sunnier times.
Like the rest of us, hes
looking forward to spring
Set a
reminder
for
TrainingZone

03
PEP TALK
Set a
reminder
for
Set a
reminder
for
Set a
reminder
for
DONT
PRACTISE
FAILURE
Dont ght the water. If your
stroke starts falling to pieces
because youre tired, youre better
off taking a rest. Popovs mantra
was: If you cant do it exactly
right, dont do
it at all
KICK TO THE
RHYTHM
Popov believed there was a
rhythm to swimming well and it
partly came from the kick. He
would do a six-beat kick kicking
three times per arm stroke. For
good form, keep toes
pointed and knees
straight
SWIM
SLOWLY
Popovs coach Gennadi
Touretski allocated large
proportions of time to low
speeds, so his athletes focused on
technique. That doesnt mean
you should avoid hard efforts,
but you should focus on
improving stroke
Phil Mosley talks you through four-time Olympic gold
medallist Alexander Popovs super-efcient methods
Swim like an
Olympic champion
TUNE IN TO
THE WATER
Popov would swim for hours
simply tuning into how the
water was resisting him, then
seek ways to avoid drag. Drag
increases the faster you go, so
you wont get much quicker
until you improve your
slipstreaming
4 TRIATHLON PLUS | April 2014

04
TECHNIQUE
PULL TO THE
RHYTHM
Popovs arms and hands kept
a rhythm underwater. He would
start his catch by gently engaging
the water with a high elbow
position, then accelerate his
arm through the water for
maximal propulsion
INCREASE
YOUR REACH
Popov extends his hand a
long way before a long, smooth
stroke. Use your hand to lengthen
your bodyline, not as a paddle. As
your hand goes forward, rotate
onto your side, engaging
your latissimus dorsi
STROKE
LENGTH
Popov would attempt to
swim ve fewer strokes per 25m
than in a race. His coach believed
speed improvements would
come from efciency.
Challenge yourself to swim
with two fewer strokes
than usual
STAY
RELAXED
Popov kept arms and wrists
relaxed during arm recovery, not
wasting energy from tense
muscles. Try lightly dragging your
ngers along the surface. Above
water, arms, wrists and
hands are oppy
TEAM TALK:
SPEEDING UP
Its important
to improve your
efciency in the
water, but make
sure you dont
become a drill
hermit or a one-
speed wonder!
We recommend
you supplement
your technique
sessions with
plenty of speed-
work and group
swimming.
Tom Ballard
Senior writer
TrainingZone

05
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DIGITAL EDITION!
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UR
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*
Fitness tricks for
time-poor cyclists
T
rying to cram a decent-
length bike ride into your
working week can be a real
challenge. If youve got a
family, it can be tricky to
nd enough time at weekends too.
Luckily, its still possible to be a great
cyclist without having to spend hours
and hours in the saddle.
I had to be very smart about my
training, while simultaneously
working full time and supporting my
family. However, I still managed to go
under nine hours for an Ironman and
win two national cycle time-trial
championships. Here are some of the
methods I used:
1
QUALITY, NOT
QUANTITY
Its far better to do one hour
of hard training than three hours of
aimless riding. This is the key
philosophy that will help you make
the most of your limited training
time. Of course, quality training also
requires quality rest. You will be
working harder, so you need to make
sure you build up your sessions
gradually and get plenty of recovery
time afterwards as well.
2
DOUBLE DAYS
If you cannot get out for a
long weekend ride, try doing
a double day on an indoor trainer. Its
not as bad as it sounds! Start with a
morning session of 30 minutes riding
at 70-80% of your max heart rate.
Then take a few hours rest and repeat
the session, building up slowly to an
hour eventually. Double days can be
mentally tough, but they really bring
on your tness.
3
COMMUTE WITH
PURPOSE
If you commute to work
by bike, turn it into a training session.
I like using the terrain to decide what
the workout will be. For example, hills
can be ridden hard, while you allow
for recovery on the at. Or you could
ride hard between sets of trafc
lights. Unstructured intervals like
these are often mentally easier than
a planned workout.
4
DONT WAIT
FOR RAIN
If you have a turbo trainer,
use it. An hour of tempo riding on the
indoor trainer is a great way to build
stamina and endurance. Include a
warm up and cool down and you are
all done in 90 minutes. This again is a
time efcient way to train and its not
weather dependant either. Turbo
trainers are great for training but you
do need some feedback, either heart
rate or power, to get the best out
of your workout.
5
SEIZE THE
OPPORTUNITY
Take advantage of a gap in
your schedule and head out on your
bike. Make sure your bike is always
ready to ride. A pre-planned 15 to
20-mile circuit close to home or work
is ideal. Dont worry about the speed,
just pedal hard but not at race pace.
These sessions can be very
productive if you are smart about it.
6
LEG STRENGTH
For those days when the
weather is too bad or time is
short, the gym is a great substitute
for outdoor workouts. You can do an
effective session in just 20 minutes.
To maximise your time, concentrate
on your legs. I always found squats
to be the most effective exercise for
cycling, although many cyclists like
hamstring curls too. Start with high
reps with medium weight and
minimum recovery. Over time,
increase the weight, gradually reduce
the reps and increase the recovery
time too. The aim is not to build
bigger muscles, rather maximise
what you already have. Dont forget
to include a warm up and cool down,
and always remember to build up
your weights gradually.
You dont need to spend endless hours in the saddle
to be a fast rider, says Eamonn Deane
MAKE IT WORK
FOR YOU
This simple
cycling session
works brilliantly.
Warm up:
10-15 minutes,
gradually taking
your heart rate
to 80% of max.
Main set:
Ride at 80% of
your max heart
rate for 40
minutes. It
should feel hard
and require
concentration,
but still be
manageable.
Warm down:
10 minutes at
an easy effort.
Note: For a
change, split this
into 10, 15 or
20-minute
sections at the
same intensity
with one minute
easy spin
between efforts.
TrainingZone

07
QUICK GUIDE QUICK GUIDE
ON SALE NOW!
Never miss a
run again
Y
ou probably know that
training in the morning is
the best way to t
triathlon into your life.
Trouble is, its just so
much nicer to stay in bed an extra
hour. Theres a good reason it feels so
hard: your bodys circadian rhythms,
controlled by your internal body
clock, mean that your temperature is
lower and your hormone levels are
working against you rst thing. That
doesnt mean you should give up,
though. Squeeze in a workout and
youll feel a sense of achievement
throughout the work day. Even for
very early risers, a run is an easy
workout to t in. Its generally the
fastest session us triathletes do, you
dont need it to be light outside or the
pool to be open. You can just get up,
and run. Heres how.
1
WAKE UP BEFORE
YOU GO GO
If an all-consuming desire to
hit the snooze button is whats
stopping you running rst thing, dont
ght nature work with it. Your sleep
runs in cycles through the night, with
periods of deep sleep and periods of
wakefulness. If youre setting an
alarm at an arbitrary time, you could
well be trying to drag yourself out of
a very deep sleep. Use a smart-phone
app such as Sleep Cycle (for iPhone)
or SleepBot (for android) to wake you
when youre naturally halfway there.
2
SEE THE LIGHT
One of the beautiful things
about running early is
getting to see the sunrise. The
downside of this is, of course, that it
means starting in the dark. Studies
have shown that exposure to strong
light has a huge inuence on our
body clocks and, while nothing
matches up to the strength of a real
sunrise to wake you up, you can use
special lights developed to help
people suffering from Seasonal
Affective Disorder to help you crack
the dawn rise. The Lumie Bodyclock
(lumie.com) mimics sunrise at your
bedside to help you feel more alert
when you rise.
3
GET YOUR KIT OUT
Sound organisation is key to
getting your early run in. Lay
your kit out the night before, check
the weather forecast so theres no
need for last-minute rain jacket
hunts, and youre good to go. If its
cold, put the kit on a radiator or even
under your covers so its inviting
when you jump out of bed. Have your
route and workout plan ready to go
too a sense of purpose is key to
getting you up and running.
4
EAT, DRINK
AND BE MERRY
One of the reasons running
feels harder early in the morning is
lack of fuel. Unfortunately, because
its the discipline that drives your
heart-rate and body temperature
highest, many people nd it hard to
run on a full stomach. So line up
something short, sweet and fast to
eat before you go: a ripe banana, one
piece of toast with honey, or even an
energy gel should do it. Many
morning runners swear by an
espresso too: a quick caffeine boost
to get your heart rate going and wake
up your senses.
5
START STEADY
Theres no getting around
the fact that your muscles
and core temperature will be cooler if
youre running rst thing, so give
yourself a ghting chance by
performing a longer-than-usual
warm-up. If youre short on time that
might just mean starting every
session slower than usual, with 10-20
minutes of jogging sprinkled with
short, easy sprints. If you have longer,
try a dynamic warm-up before you
leave the house: leg swings are a
good start, or learn a yoga sun
salutation to wake up body and mind.
Make sure you hit your running targets no matter
what your morning routine, says Elizabeth Hufton
MAKE IT WORK
FOR YOU
Weekday
long run
Free up valuable
weekend time by
running to work.
Either leave a
set of clothes
there the day
before, or invest
in a running
rucksack the
extra weight will
help you keep
your pace
steady.
Block intervals
Staying close to
home can be
mentally easier
in the morning
and means no
journey to the
track. Choose a
10-minute loop
(1.5-2km) from
your front door.
Start with one
steady loop,
then two loops
at threshold
pace, with a nal
cooldown loop.
TrainingZone

09
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NUTRI TI ON PARTNER TRAI NI NG PARTNER BI KES PARTNER
How to plan your
race season
With so many races to choose from, its difcult to know
which ones to do. Steve Lumley helps you decide
TrainingZone
Choose something that really
excites you. An exciting race goal will
give you a reason to train hard and
get out of bed on dark mornings. It
could be a championship race, a
qualication race, a long-distance
challenge, or simply something new.
Evaluate your race strengths and
weaknesses and match them to
courses optimum performance is
more likely on a course which suits
your strengths. Look at previous
results or think about types of training
sessions youve done well in.
Assign a priority to all the events you
plan on doing either A, B or C. Build
your season around the A races
these are the ones which are most
important to you. Think about your B
and C races as being steps on the
road to succeeding in your A races.
W
ith the race season
lasting from April
to October and
with so many
races to choose
from, deciding which ones to enter
is daunting. Its impossible for an
athlete to maintain their highest
level of performance throughout a
whole season mental and physical
recovery are crucial. Only the
mediocre are always at their best.
You have a choice between being
at your best for one or two key races
or racing at as high a level as
possible all season long. There is
no right approach here. Sometimes
there is a case for consistent
all-season-long performance.
A novice athlete wanting to gain
experience or someone competing
simply for tness and enjoyment
benets may not feel the need to
put all their eggs in one basket.
Similarly, taking part in a multi-race
series rewards consistent
performance. So think about your
goals: do you want season-long
participation at a reasonably high
level, or one or two outstanding
performances at your very best?
The next step is to prioritise your
races into three categories: A, B and
C. Pick out the two or three races
which are most important to you
this year, or possibly only one if its a
long-distance event. A races are the
most important and training will be
designed to prepare specically for
them or it. Ideally they will be
selected to suit your strengths as an
athlete. For example, if youre a
strong rider on hills you could
choose a race with a hilly bike leg.
If theyre shorter races its better
that they are grouped together, only
a few weeks apart, or spread by six
to eight weeks at most. This enables
you to peak for these events. Peak
performance can be maintained for
two or three weeks, but not longer.
B races are those you would like to
do reasonably well at, but not main
targets. Plan them a few weeks
before or shortly after A races.
In order to deliver your best
performance on a given day, you
need periodisation in your training.
This structures your training
programme, aiming to peak at a
certain time. Taking part in lower-
priority C races in the period
approaching a target race can help
increase this ability. It would be
sensible to keep these close to home
to minimise travelling, expense and
disruption to training.
Steve is the UKs most experienced
Ironman triathlon coach. Hes
competed in33 iron-distance events
and coached athletes of all ages and
experience levels to over 300
nishes. steve-lumley.com

11
EXPLAINED
TEAM TALK:
STARTING
OUT
If theres just
one race your
rst in the
diary this year
you should still
plan for
warm-up events:
short sportives,
10K run races or
swimathons.
THREE WAYS TO HELP PICK THE BEST EVENTS FOR YOUR SEASON MAKE IT WORK
Sarah Ryan
Staff writer
Race a faster sprint
tri in six weeks
I
f you want to excel at triathlon but
dont have many spare hours,
sprint-distance races are ideal. The
format is 750m swim, 20km cycle
and 5km run, which lends itself to
speed-based training, rather than pure
endurance.
The key to getting good at sprint
triathlon is to polarise your training.
Either train fast, train easy or take a
rest day. This training plan takes you
through the process in just six weeks,
factoring in recovery at the right times.
Itll take just over ve hours per week,
including six workouts and a rest day.
There are three key sessions per
week, during which youll need to
either run, swim or bike hard for short
bursts. These are the ones thatll make
you fast. There are also some easier
sessions, where you train at lower
speeds but with good technique.
Its important to make a distinction
between the two types of sessions,
so you recover on the easy days and
attack the hard ones.
The downside to a sprint triathlon
is that small things can make a big
difference. For example, on race day
you might lose a minute because you
make a mistake in transition. In such
a short race it might lose you 10
places overall. So perhaps enter a few
low-key races before you attempt one
thats important to you.
Beyond the six weeks, stick with this
training routine and build on it
gradually. This allows your tness to
increase at a steady rate and helps
avoid injury. Provided youve trained to
some extent through the winter, you
should reach peak tness after 12 to
16 weeks of this plan, but even six
weeks should make you faster. As you
get to within six weeks of your big
race, include a weekly brick session.
For example, cycle 2x10mins at target
race pace, then a 3km hard run.
Swap the workouts around if it helps
you t them in. The important thing is
that you allow yourself adequate time
to recover. If you feel excessively tired,
take two days off initially.
For simplicitys sake the swims are
given as Main Set only. In addition you
should incorporate a warm up and
warm down a few hundred metres
of front crawl, drills, backstroke and
kicking. And for warm downs, do at
least ve minutes of gentle
swimming. We also recommend you
include a weekly coached session or
one-to-one lessons if possible.
Start the season as you mean to go on, with
Phil Mosleys speed-boosting sprint triathlon plan
TRAINING PLAN
WU Warm up, MAIN Main set, WD Warm down,
FC Front crawl, PULL Front crawl with a pull-buoy
oat between your thighs, KICK Kick with a oat
held out in front, SECS seconds, Z1 Training
Zone 1, Z2 Training Zone 2 Z3 Training Zone 3, Z4
Training Zone 4, Z5 Training Zone 5, DRILL Your
preference of swim technique drill, BUILD Do
each rep slightly faster than the previous, BACK
Backstroke, BREAST Breaststroke
P
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DESCRIPTION HEART RATE
(%MAX)
RPE
1-10
ACCUMULATED INTENSITY
Z1 Recovery 55-70 <2 1-6hrs Easy
Z2 Endurance 70-75 2-3 1-3hrs Steady
Z3 Tempo 75-80 3-4 50-90mins Comfortable
Z4 Threshold 80-88 4-6 10-60mins Uncomfortable
Z5 Vo
2
max 89-100 >7 12-30mins Hard to very hard
KEY

TRAINING ZONES GUIDE 6 WEEK PLAN
IS THIS PLAN
FOR YOU?
Goal
To quickly get
sprint-triathlon
t in just over
ve hours
per week
Timescale
6 weeks
Start point
Cycle 90mins,
Run 40mins,
Swim 400m
non-stop
Level
Intermediate
to advanced

12
DAY ESSENTIAL WORKOUT OPTIONAL WORKOUT
Sun
Sat
Fri
Wed
Tue
Thur
Mon
W
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1

Run (endurance)
WU 15mins in Z2 MAIN 10mins in Z2/Z3
WD 15mins in Z2
Swim (endurance)
Run (speed)
Stretch
Bike (endurance)
Bike (speed)
MAIN All with 15secs rests: 100m FC Z2, 100m KICK Z2,
200m PULL Z2, 100m KICK Z2, 400m FC Z2, 100m KICK
Z2, 200m PULL Z2, 100m KICK Z2, 100m FC Z2
Group yoga or stretch class
Steady road ride in Z2
WU 15mins in Z2, 5mins as (20secs in Z5, 40secs in Z1)
MAIN 2x10mins in low Z4 + 5mins rest in Z1 WD 15mins
in Z2
MAIN 3x(5x200m in Z5 +20secs rests) +3mins rests
WD 5mins in Z2
RECOVERY
Swim (speed) Strength
Sun
Sat
Fri
Wed
Tue
Thur
Mon
W
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2

Run (endurance) WU 15mins in Z2 MAIN 15mins in Z2/Z3 WD 15mins in Z2
Run (speed)
Run (endurance)
Stretch
Bike (endurance)
Bike (speed)
MAIN 8x100m FC as (50m Z5, 50m Z2) +15secs rests,
300m as (25m KICK Z2, 50m FC Z3), 4x100m FC as (50m
Z2, 50m Z5) +15secs rests
Group Pilates or core stability class
MAIN All with 15secs rests: 400m FC Z3, 100m KICK
Z2, 300m PULL Z3, 200m as (50m BACK, 50m BREAST)
Z2, 300m as (25m KICK, 50m FC) Z2, 200m FC Z3
MAIN 6x3mins in Z5 +3mins rests in Z2 WD 5mins in
Z2
WU 5mins in Z2, 5mins of (15secs in Z4, 45secs in Z2)
MAIN 7x400m in Z5 +2mins jog rests WD 5mins in Z2
RECOVERY
Swim (speed) Stretch
Sun
Sat
Fri
Wed
Tue
Thur
Mon
W
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3

Run (recovery) WU 10mins in Z2 MAIN 10mins in Z2/Z3 WD 10mins in Z2
Swim (recovery)
Run (speed)
Stretch
Bike (recovery)
Bike (speed)
MAIN All with 15secs rests: 400m FC in Z2, 300m PULL in
Z3, 200m BACK/BREAST in Z2, 100m KICK in Z3
MAIN 10mins in low Z4 WD 10mins in Z2
WD 5mins in Z2
RECOVERY
RECOVERY
RECOVERY
RECOVERY
MAIN 3x(4x50m FC sprint in Z5 + 45secs rests, 200m
PULL Z1)
Swim (speed) Strength Group Pilates or core stability class
MAIN 10x100m (50m FC Z4, 50m FC Z2) +20secs rests
RECOVERY
RECOVERY
RECOVERY
RECOVERY
RECOVERY
RECOVERY
RECOVERY
RECOVERY
RECOVERY
RECOVERY
RECOVERY
RECOVERY
TrainingZone
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Sun
Sat
Fri
Wed
Tue
Thur
Mon
W
E
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4

Run (endurance) WU 15mins in Z2 MAIN 20mins in Z2/Z3 WD 15mins in Z2
Swim (endurance)
Run (speed)
Stretch
Bike (endurance)
Bike (speed)
MAIN All with 15secs rests: 100m FC Z2, 100m KICK Z2,
200m PULL Z2, 100m KICK Z2, 400m FC Z2, 100m KICK Z2,
200m PULL Z2, 100m KICK Z2, 100m FC Z2
MAIN 2x15mins in low Z4 + 5mins rest in Z1 WD 5mins in
Z2
WD 5mins in Z2
RECOVERY
Sun
Sat
Fri
Wed
Tue
Thur
Mon
W
E
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5

Run (endurance)
WU 15mins in Z2 MAIN 10mins in Z2/Z3 WD 15mins
in Z2
Swim (endurance)
Run (speed)
Stretch
Bike (endurance)
Bike (speed)
MAIN 4x100m FC in Z4 +30secs rests, 4x100m KICK in Z3
+30secs rests, 4x100m PULL in Z4 +30secs rests
MAIN 10x200m as (100m FC in Z2, 50m FC in Z4, 50m
FC in Z2) +30secs rests
MAIN 4x5mins in upper Z4 + 3mins rest in Z2 WD 10mins
in Z2
MAIN 4x800m in upper Z4 +3mins jog rests WD 5mins in
Z2
RECOVERY
Sun
Sat
Fri
Wed
Tue
Thur
Mon
W
E
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K

6

Run (recovery)
WU 10mins in Z2 MAIN 10mins in Z2/Z3 WD 10mins
in Z2
Swim (recovery)
Run (speed)
Stretch
Bike (recovery)
Bike (speed)
MAIN All with 15secs rests: 400m FC in Z2, 300m PULL in
Z3, 200m BACK/BREAST in Z2, 100m KICK in Z3
MAIN 3x3mins in Z5 +3mins rests in Z2 WD 5mins in Z2
WU 5mins in Z2, 5mins of (15secs in Z4, 45secs in
Z2) MAIN 3x400m in Z5 +2mins jog rests
WD 5mins in Z2
DAY ESSENTIAL WORKOUT OPTIONAL WORKOUT
RECOVERY
RECOVERY
RECOVERY
RECOVERY
RECOVERY
MAIN 6x200m alternating (50m FC in Z3, 50m PULL in Z2,
50m FC in Z5, 50m PULL in Z1) +30secs rests
RECOVERY
RECOVERY
RECOVERY
RECOVERY
RECOVERY
RECOVERY
RECOVERY
RECOVERY
MAIN 5x200m as(100m FC Z4, 100m FC Z2) +45secs rests
RECOVERY
RECOVERY
TrainingZone

14
Climb on
the bike
Tackling hills is an essential
skill for any triathlete
FUNDAMENTALS
PRACTISE MAKES
PERFECT
The fastest way to improve
your hill climbing technique
is through practising. Try to
get into the habit of doing a
hill climb once a week its
a great way to improve and
gauge tness levels.
LIGHTEN UP
Reducing the weight of your
bike will instantly help you
get up climbs. The best way
to do this is reducing the
rotational mass parts
such as wheels, tyres and
chainsets are all examples
of components that can be
upgraded to lighten your
bike. Your own weight is
also a factor of course, so if
you want to be at your best,
work towards your ideal
performance weight. Thats
the lowest weight you can
be at your highest level of
athletic performance its
not about fast dieting!
1
GETTING INTO GEAR
The lower your gear the less
effort is needed to move,
however you will be
moving slower. Drop a few
gears at the start of the
climb and get yourself into
a steady rhythm, spinning
comfortably at a high
cadence. The choice of gear
depends on which one
would be most comfortable
for you to maintain for the
duration of the climb.
Mentally its a good idea to
hold one cog back for when
you really need it.
2
TAKE A SEAT
Sitting down is generally
better as it avoids
activating the large muscle
groups used when
standing, saving you
energy. For long or steep
climbs you should alternate
between sitting and short
bursts of standing for a
boost of power. For shorter
hills it can be more efcient
to stand and power through
them quickly, though.
3
RELAX
Be calm when climbing.
Hold the tops of the
handlebars as lightly as you
can. Keeping your back
straight and your shoulders
back will open up your
diaphragm giving your
lungs space to expand. Try
to avoid rocking the bike as
this only wastes energy.
3
1
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F
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GET STRONGER FOR TRI IN
ONE 30-MINUTE WORKOUT
FIGHT OFF INJURIES WITH
FUNCTIONAL DRILLS
BOOST YOUR POWER TO
SWIM, BIKE & RUN FASTER
ON SALE NOW!
Strength & Conditioning Guide Welcome
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WHY SHOULD you worry about building a better body? If youre
already training for triathlons your body should take care of
itself, right? Its true that 99 per cent of the improvements you
make come from your swimming, cycling and running. No
amount of strength training is going to turn you into Alistair
Brownlee or Chrissie Wellington unless you train regularly in
each tri discipline. And some of historys best triathletes didnt
bother with weights, core or stretching. So whats the point?
The point is this. Our bodies are imperfect. You might have a
tight hamstring, a weak glute or a dodgy back. These are the
weak links in our armour and no amount of swimming, cycling
and running will fix them.
Thats why building a better body can help you become a
better athlete. It can make you more resilient, more powerful,
more consistent, and more efficient in your movements.
If you can barely find the time to train, you might be better
off sticking with the three main triathlon disciplines. For
everyone else, strength and conditioning is well worth the
investment of time. Not only could it help you race well, but
youll also look and feel better into the bargain.
Phil Mosley, coaching editor
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STRONG
WORDS
04
Introduction:
how to use
this guide
06 30 min
Strength
workouts
12 Stretches
for triathlon

18 Core
stability and
functional
strength
24 Triathlon
power moves
Strength & Conditioning Guide How to use this guide
MAKE YOUR COMMITMENT COUNT WITH OUR
QUICK-START GUIDE TO S&C TRAINING
HOW TO DO
STRETCHING AND
CORE STABILITY
THE PROBLEM with stretching
and core stability work is that
unless you do it right, its a waste
of time. Stretching muscles that
are fighting against the stretch
wont improve your suppleness.
And doing core work with bad
technique wont train the muscles
you need. Heres how to get it right.
WHY YOU NEED
CORE STABILITY
A strong core supports your
movements during swimming,
cycling and running. Consider this
example. During the bike leg of a
triathlon you need a strong core to
act as a counter force to help you
push against the pedals. If you
dont use your core strength to
control your pelvis and trunk
position, some of the power from
your legs will be lost through
motion in the back and the arms.
To improve your core stability you
HOW TO USE
THIS GUIDE
need to train the right muscles, and
you need to do this while
maintaining a neutral spine.
Find your neutral spine
The neutral spine is your bodys
natural position for optimal muscle
activation and shock absorption.
Heres how to find yours:
Lie on your back with your knees
bent. Tip your pelvis down toward
your heels, creating a big arch,
then flatten your back.
Repeat this movement through
an increasingly smaller range,
until your lower back is neither
arched up or flattened against the
floor, but aligned with a small gap
between your lower back and the
floor. This is your neutral position.
Its hard to maintain this during
exercise. You can usually improve
by drawing your belly button in to
engage the transversus
abdominis muscles. Its good to
have someone point this out to
you sometimes, which is why its
worth attending Pilates classes
to get the hang of it.
HOW TO STRETCH
There are three main things to
remember to stretch properly.
1
Warm muscles
stretch more easily
Imagine your muscles are like
chewing gum: stiff when theyre
cold and elastic when warm.
Warm muscles are easier to
stretch. As an athlete, its best to
stretch in a warm place, straight
after exercise.
2
Let your muscles relax first
Next time you hold your foot to
stretch your quads, consider this.
Your body has a natural response
to sudden movements a low
level tensing of the muscles. This
is to protect the muscles and
joints from being damaged. You
wont stretch anything until this
response eases off. Focus on
those muscles and see if you can
switch them off. This may require
deep breathing and relaxation.
3
Time it right
There is ongoing debate about the
right amount of time to hold a
stretch and how many times to do
it. Providing you consider the
above two rules, two lots of 30
seconds on each muscle should
do the trick. If you feel like it hasnt,
extend the stretch by 10 seconds.
1
2
p p
your legs will be lost through
motion in the back and the arms.
To improve your core stability you
g
have someone point this out to
you sometimes, which is why its
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PHASE 1 PREPARE YOUR BODY
When Late autumn/early winter
Goal Ease into weight training, to
prepare your body for the heavier
loads in later phases
How many sessions Do around 10
of these sessions before moving
onto the next phase
Sessions per week Two
Load Select a load that you can lift
20-30 times
Progression Increase weight by 5%
every four or five workouts
Sets/reps Two sets of 20 reps
Speed of lift Slow to moderate
Recovery One minute
Watch point Emphasise good form
and posture on each exercise
PHASE 2 BUILD YOUR
STRENGTH
When Mid-winter
Goal Gradually increase the loads,
to prepare yourself for the following
phase of heavier lifting
How many sessions Do around
five of these sessions before moving
onto the next phase
Sessions per week Two to three
Load Select a load that you can lift
10-15 times
Progression Increase weight by 5%
every four or five workouts
Sets/reps Two sets of 10-12 reps
Recovery Two minutes
Watch point End each set a couple
of reps before the failure point
PHASE 3 FORCE GENERATION
When Mid-winter to early spring
Goal Boost force generation with
heavier lifts and fewer reps
How many sessions Do around
12 of these workouts before
moving onto the next phase
Load Select a load that you can
lift 3-6 times
Progression Increase weight by
5% every four or five workouts
Recovery Three minutes
Watch point Build up your loads
gradually and carefully
PHASE 4 STRENGTH
MAINTENANCE
When Spring and summer
Goal To maintain your strength
without it impacting your swim,
bike and run training
How many sessions Do this
throughout the season and then
take a break after your last race
Load Set 1: 60% of your 1-rep
maximum. Set 2: 80% of your
1-rep maximum
Progression Maintain the loads
Recovery Two minutes
Watch point Stop weight training
seven days before any A races, so
you are fresh for the big day
CHOOSE THE RIGHT SWISS BALL
IF YOU use a Swiss ball for core stability exercises, you need to
choose the right size. Basically, it depends on your height.
Height below 145cm? Go for a 45cm ball
Height between 145 and 165cm? Its a 55cm ball for you
Height between 165 and 185cm? Choose a 65cm ball
Height between 185 and 195cm? Opt for a 75cm ball
Height above 195cm? Youll be needing an 85cm ball
PHASE1 P
When Late
Goal Ease in l
prepare you
loads in late
How many
of these ses
onto the nex
Sessions p
LoadSelec
20-30 times
Progressio
every four o
Sets/repsT s
Speed of lif
RecoveryO y
Watch poin
and posture
HOW TO GET
WEIGHTS RIGHT
IF YOU want to get stronger for tri,
forget trying to emulate Arnold
Schwarzenegger. If you push
weights like a meathead, youll
end up so sore you wont fancy
swimming, cycling or running for
at least 48 hours afterwards. That
wont make you faster.
The goal of weight training for
triathletes is to get stronger,
without overdoing it. You need to
avoid three things specifically:
1. injury, 2. developing big heavy
muscles, 3. getting so fatigued
that it negatively impacts your
training and racing.
The third point becomes even
more crucial leading up to big
races. It wouldnt be a disaster if
you were sore from weights in
February, but it would be a
different story three days out from
a summer Ironman. Thats why
you should periodise your weight
training, just like you might do with
swimming, cycling and running:
break it down into phases to suit
the time of year and your race
goals. Heres how to do it:
Strength & Conditioning Guide 30min strength workout
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IMPROVE YOUR OVERALL
PERFORMANCE WITH THIS
30-MINUTE STRENGTH
DRILLS SESSION
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Seated row
Benefit Works back of shoulders.
Balances muscles around the
shoulder joint, reducing likelihood
of overuse front crawl injuries.
You can do this at home with
stretch cords or at the gym using
a cable machine
Brace your torso by engaging
core and abdominal muscles
Keep the spine as tall and
straight as possible
Pull your elbows back, until your
hands reach your chest at
sternum height
Gently let the cable/cord back
out to finish one rep
Watch point To provide an element
of core stability, try doing this
without resting the soles of your
feet against anything.
Dumbbell squats
Benefit Squats help strengthen the
quadriceps, hamstrings and calf
muscles. They can be done in
almost any location, with or without
the use of weights or equipment.
Position your feet shoulder-
width apart
Keeping your back straight, core
tight and chest up, squat down
like youre going to sit in a chair
Bend at the knees until your
thighs are parallel to the floor,
keeping your knees from
extending past your toes
Hold this position, and then
exhale as you stand back up
Watch point Ankles, knees, hips
and lower back are all used in the
squatting motion. If you feel any
pain in these areas, stop.
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Calf raise and lower
Benefits Strengthens the muscles
used to lift your feet off the ground
as you run and the muscles that
absorb impact as you land.
Stand with both feet on the edge
of a step, with something to hold
on to for balance
Slowly lower your heels as far
as theyll go
Return back to the top, so your
heels are just past horizontal
To increase the resistance, wear
a rucksack with books in it
The aim is to strengthen your
calves concentrically and
eccentrically. So take the strain
gradually going down and up
Watch point Dont do this if your
calves are already sore or if youre
about to run on a track or in a race.
Hamstring curl
Benefit This exercise helps you
achieve a good heel lift, which is an
integral part of a fast and efficient
running style.
Begin this exercise lying on your
stomach with a resistance band
tied around your ankle
Slowly curl your heels towards
your bottom, and then gently
let it back out again to a straight
leg position
Engage your glute muscles,
as well as your hamstrings
The tension of the cable or band
will determine the resistance
Watch point You could try
wrapping a towel around your ankle
or wearing jogging bottoms, so that
the rubber cable doesnt roll on
your skin uncomfortably.
about to run on a track or in a ra
See page 5 for advice on how
many reps and how much
resistance you'll need
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Glute medius leg lifts
Benefit Strengthens the gluteus
medius the small muscle that
plays a role in hip stability and
running efficiency.
On a bed, lie on your side with
your lowermost leg bent
Hold onto the side of the bed
for balance if needed
Keep your uppermost leg
straight and with the foot rotated
out to 45, raise it up and slightly
backwards, holding just for
a couple of seconds
Lower the leg and repeat, then
swap to exercise the other side
Watch point When contracted,
the gluteus medius can be felt as
a lump at the top of the scoops of
your buttocks. Rest a hand on it
to check youre working it.
Lat pull down
Benefits This strengthens your
lats the muscles at the side of
your torso that help pull you
through the water in front crawl.
Use swim cords or a gym cable
machine, with the cables/bands
fixed above your head so you can
pull them down at a 45 angle
Start in a fully extended position
Concentrate on pulling down
from the elbows and below while
keeping the body still
At the bottom, hold, then
squeeze your shoulder blades
together as if you were trying to
grip a small ball between them
Control the resistance back up

Watch point Get stronger at this
for a couple of months before
graduating to pull-ups.
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Tricep dips
Benefit Builds up your triceps,
which are used in front crawl
swimming to help you accelerate
through the water.
Sit with your back to a bench
Place your hands on the bench
so your fingers are pointing
towards you
Raise your body up into a seated
position with your feet flat on
the floor
Bend your elbows out behind
you to lower your buttocks
towards the floor
Push back up until arms are
straight again
Watch point If this exercise feels
too easy, make it more challenging
by straightening your legs out, with
only your heels on the floor.
Dumbbell pullover
Benefit Works all muscles used
in the catch phase of front crawl.
Place a dumbbell standing up on
a flat bench, ensuring its secure
Lie perpendicular to bench with
shoulders resting on the surface
Grasp dumbbell, hold it straight
over your chest at arms length
Keeping arms straight, lower the
weight slowly in an arc behind
your head while breathing in until
you feel a stretch on the chest
Bring dumbbell back to the
starting position, through the arc
that you lowered the weight
through, as you exhale
Watch point Always ensure
dumbbell is secure, with no loose
plates. If youre new to this one,
have someone hand you the weight.
resistance you'll need resistance you ll need
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Strength & Conditioning Guide 20min stretch workout
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MUSCLES EASILY BECOME
STIFF AND SORE, BUT 20
MINUTES OF STRETCHING
KEEPS YOUR BODY SUPPLE
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Calves
Benefit Your calves take a
pounding when you run but this
exercise helps keep them supple.
Stand on a step, feet together
Place the ball of one of your feet
on the step edge, with your heel
hanging off the back
Keep both knees straight and
slowly lower the back heel below
the level of the step, until stretch
is felt in the calf. Relax and take
deep breaths
Then bend the front knee slightly
until you feel stretch in the lower
calf and the Achilles tendon
Swap legs and repeat
Watch point Your calves will be
tense at first. Relax and focus on
switching them off so you are not
fighting against the stretch.
Chest
Benefit Loosens the muscles
at the front of your chest and
shoulders, which can get tight from
front crawl swimming.
Stand with arm at a 90 angle
Rest your forearm against an
immovable object such as a wall
or door frame
Turn your body and shoulders
away from your arm, until you
feel a stretch across the front of
your shoulder and chest
Relax and take deep breaths
Rest for a few seconds and then
do the same stretch on your
other arm
Watch point As well as this, try
doing some backstroke to help
develop a balanced musculature
around your shoulders.
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Glute stretch
Benefits Stretches the powerful
muscles in your backside, which are
often tight after cycling.
Lie on your back
Bend your left leg and place the
foot flat on the floor
Cross your left ankle over your
right knee, and let the left knee
drop out to the side
Your right knee should be in
contact with the left leg, just
above the ankle bone
Reach between the legs and hold
onto your right thigh
Pull thigh towards your chest
Repeat with the other leg
Watch point You can increase the
stretch by pressing your left elbow
into your left knee and pushing your
knee away.
Quadriceps
Benefit Overly tight quads can
restrict your movements and alter
your running gait.
Start in a low lunge with right
knee bent in front of you at 90
Rest left knee on floor under your
left hip with a folded towel
underneath it
Bend your left knee and reach
your left hand back to hold the
front of your ankle. Rest right
hand on your right hip or knee
With left hand, pull left heel
towards left bum cheek. Stay in
this position, stretching left thigh
Gently release your left leg to the
floor and repeat this stretch with
the left knee forward
Watch point Balance is tricky, so
have something nearby for support.
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See page 4 to find out
the best way to perform
these stretches
Hamstrings
Benefits Tight hamstrings can
impact hip flexion during running
and back comfort when you cycle.
This helps keep them supple.
Find a door frame and lie on your
back with your hips about a foot
back from the door
Raise one leg against the frame
while extending the opposite leg
and keeping it straight
Stretch the hamstring by sliding
forward with your hips or lifting
the leg away from the frame
Remember to try and keep both
legs straight to reach maximum
stretch in the hamstring
Hold the stretch then swap sides
Watch point Dont let your resting
leg bend at the knee as this makes
the stretch too easy.
Iliotibial Band
(
ITB
)
Benefit A tight ITB can cause knee
pain among runners. This exercise
stretches the Tensor Fascia Latae
muscle which blends into the ITB.
Stand on one leg, while keeping
it straight at the knee
Cross the other leg in front, so
the outsides of the feet are next
to one another
Keep the front leg relaxed and
bent at the knee
Drop the back hip out to the side
With chest pushed out in front
and tailbone pushed out behind,
lean forward until you feel a
stretch down the back/side of leg
Repeat with the other leg
Watch point Rest hands on front
leg to support your upper body,
or use an exercise ball or chair.
Watch point Dont let your resting t
leg bend at the knee as this makes
the stretch too easy.
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Hip flexors
Benefit Alleviates tight hip flexors,
which can contribute to lower back
pain as well as limit your range of
motion when running.
Start on one knee and step the
opposite foot out in front
This is a big step, keeping front
knee directly above the ankle
Contract the abdominals to
create a slight pelvic tilt
Push the back hip forward,
shifting your weight into the heel
of the front foot
You should feel a stretch in the
front of the back hip (between
top of the thigh and abdomen)
Watch point If balancing is difficult
or theres too much pressure on the
back knee, place your hands on the
floor inside the front foot.
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the best way to perform
these stretches
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Lateral lunge
Benefits Strengthens quads while
mobilising the inner-thigh muscles,
which get tight from cycling. When
your adductors are tight, you tend
to scoot forward on the saddle,
which robs you of power.
Stand with your feet shoulder-
width apart. Step wide to your
left, keeping your right foot flat
and your right leg straight
With your head up and chest
high, push your hips back and
squat until your left thigh is
parallel to the floor
Return to start position, then
repeat on the right side. Try to
do 15-20 per set
Watch point If youre new to this
exercise, start with a 45 lunge,
stepping diagonally forward.
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Strength & Conditioning Guide 30min core strength
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CORE STRENGTHENING
WILL BENEFIT ALL THREE
TRIATHLON DISCIPLINES
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Swiss ball plank
Benefit Trains your entire core,
including your abdominal,
lower-back and hip muscles. Your
abs work nearly twice as hard when
you do a plank on a Swiss ball.
Lean with forearms on ball. Keep
back flat or maintain its natural
curve, with legs straight
Try to breathe naturally while
bracing stomach muscles to
keep the position on the ball
To make it harder, bring knees to
the ball alternately as if pedalling
Hold for 30secs to 1min. Rest for
half the time you work, and
repeat twice
Only do this on a soft surface,
in case you roll off the ball
Watch point Practise this without a
ball until youve mastered it.
Swiss ball bridge
Benefit This strengthens the
hamstring and glute muscles used
in running and cycling, as well as
improving core stability.

Start with arms out to the side,
hands flat on the floor, back flat,
legs extended and heels on ball
Inhale, then exhale as you
squeeze buttocks and press
lower legs and heels into the
ball, lifting hips until your body
forms a straight line from
shoulders to heels
Hold for one full breath. Slowly
lower body to starting position
Do 4-8 reps. Focus more on good
form than number of reps initially

Watch point If this feels too
easy, try it with your arms resting
on the ground, pointing upwards.
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Hamstring curl
Benefit This functional hamstring
exercise helps improve your
strength and stability when
running. It requires more
concentration and control than
simply using a machine in the gym.
Start with your back flat, legs
fully extended, arms out and
heels on the Swiss ball
Squeeze glutes to raise hips off
the floor until your bodys rigid
Bend your legs to roll the ball
towards you
Take 5secs to roll the ball away,
returning to start position
Do two sets of 10-20 reps.
Rest for 30secs in between
Watch point Engage glutes as well
as hamstrings when pulling ball
towards you with your heels.
Swiss ball Superman
Benefit Improves your core control
and exercises back, glutes,
hamstrings and shoulders.
Start with the ball under your
chest and your whole body
extended, like Superman
Then alternate, raising the arm
and leg on opposite sides (the
right arm and left leg, then left
arm and right leg) while
maintaining your balance
Work your glutes and keep a
straight line between left hand
and right leg and vice versa
Until youre confident with your
balance, keep the inactive hand
flat on the ground
Watch point Make sure the area
around the ball is clear of hazards
in case you roll off sideways.
Not sure how big your Swiss
ball should be? Find out on
page 5
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Side plank
Benefit Works your entire core,
especially an often-weak muscle
called the quadratus lumborum.
Lie on your side on a mat
Place your forearm on the mat,
directly under your shoulder and
perpendicular to your body
Put your upper leg directly on top
of your lower leg and straighten
both knees and hips
Raise your body upward by
straightening at the waist so that
your body is rigid
Hold this position for 30secs to
1min, for two reps on each side
Watch point Make this more
challenging by slowly raising and
lowering your upper leg. If you get
really good at it, progress by using
a Swiss ball.
Single-leg box squat
Benefit These squats encourage
better posture and balance.
Stand in front of a box or the arm
of your sofa with one foot flat on
the floor and the other extended
in front of you
Maintain a tall posture and
gradually move downwards,
bending the knee so there is brief
contact between your backside
and the box, then come back up
The downward movement
should be controlled, while the
upwards movement is quick
Try to do 10 reps on each leg,
repeated twice
Watch point With tight calves or
a tight lower back, you will need a
higher box and a shallower squat.
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Scorpion
Benefit Works your core and
encourages good posture and trunk
stabilisation particularly useful
for running and swimming.
Get into push-up position but
with your feet on a bench
Raise your right knee toward
your left shoulder as you rotate
your hips up and to the left as far
as you can
Then reverse directions, rotating
your hips up and to the right, as if
youre trying to touch your right
foot to the back of your left
shoulder. Thats one repetition
Continue for 15-30secs with
your right leg, then switch legs
Watch point Make this more
challenging by doing it with shins on
a Swiss ball for experts though.
See page 4 to find out the best
way to perform these
exercises
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Diagonal wood chops
Benefit A full body movement that
requires balance and coordination.
Great for building swim strength.
Use a gym cable machine or
swim cords attached at
approximate head height
Start in a relaxed position with
your feet hip width apart and
toes and knees straight ahead
Pull weight across the body from
shoulder to your opposite hip
Rotate your hips and upper-body
as you perform the exercise.
Return to start position slowly
If youve no access to a cable
machine, use an exercise band
Do 10-20 reps on each side
Watch point Practise this with low
resistance until you get it right.
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Strength & Conditioning Guide 30min power moves
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THIRTY MINUTES OF
EFFECTIVE STRENGTH AND
CONDITIONING EXERCISES
WILL BOOST YOUR SWIMMING,
CYCLING AND RUNNING
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Pull-ups
Benefit Works your lats and
strengthens your catch and pull
phase for front crawl swimming.
Particularly effective for fast
wetsuit swimming.
Your arms should be at least
shoulder width apart
Use an overhand grip and pull
your chin above the bar
Clench your glutes and keep your
abs tight throughout the exercise
try not to swing like crazy
Keep shoulder blades pinched
behind you and focus on pulling
the bar down with your arms
Watch point Your body weight and
arm length will make a difference
to the difficulty. Assisted pull-up
machines in the gym are the best
way to get started.
Half pulls (cords)
Benefit Not only will this exercise
strengthen your catch, but it also
helps teach you to swim with a
high elbow position.

Tie some elastic swim cords
to an immovable object, slightly
above waist height
Extend your arms until the cords
are just tight
Keep your elbow perfectly still
while your forearm rotates
forward and down. Your hand
remains aligned with your
forearm. Your elbow should
not move back
Look down and slightly forward
Watch point All the movement
in this exercise is done with the
forearms. Your elbows should
not budge at all.
Strength & Conditioning Guide Power moves: swim
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Supine one-arm throw
Benefit A functional exercise that
works the shoulders, chest and
abdominals. Its a great
strengthening exercise for both
front crawl and tumble turns.
Lie on your back with your knees
bent. Hold a ball with one hand,
extending the arm fully behind
your head. This will be your
starting position
Initiate the movement at the
shoulder, throwing the ball
directly forward as you sit up,
going for maximum distance
The ball can be thrown to a
partner or bounced off a wall
Watch point Start off this exercise
by using a tennis ball or similar,
before moving onto heavier balls as
you get stronger.
Press-ups
Benefit Strengthens shoulders and
chest and aids good swim posture.
Get into a plank position with
your hands slightly wider than
shoulder-width apart
Engage your abs and back so
your body is neutral
Lower your body almost to the
floor with your eyes focused
about three feet in front of you
Draw shoulder blades back and
down, keep elbows tucked close
so upper arms form a 45 angle
Exhale as you push back up as
explosively as possible without
leaving the ground
Watch point For balance, you
should also do an exercise that
targets shoulder blades and upper
back see seated row (page 8).
resistance youll need
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Kraftausdauer
Benefit German for strength
endurance the most specific bike
strength workout you can do.
If you want tree-trunk thighs and
muscular glutes like an
uber-biker, ride at a low cadence
while pushing a big gear
During a long ride, try putting in
two to three sections where you
spend 10-20mins at a moderate
intensity, using a big enough gear
that you can only pedal slowly.
Uphill and headwind sections
are ideal for this
Or try doing 4-5mins hard efforts
at 60rpm in a heavy gear. Make
sure you include a good warm
up and warm down
Watch point Build up gradually,
as this stresses hips and knees.
Strength & Conditioning Guide Power moves: bike
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Ball cobra
Benefit Trains your entire core,
including your abdominal,
lower-back and hip muscles.

Start prone (face down) on a
Swiss ball in a relaxed position
Lift your chest off the ball slowly,
externally rotate your shoulders
and retract your shoulder
blades (squeeze your shoulder
blades together)
Hold your finish position for two
to three seconds and then lower
yourself slowly back to the start
To advance this exercise, simply
hold small dumbbells for added
resistance. Perform two sets of
10-20 reps, but without
sacrificing good form
Watch point If you find this too
hard, do it lying on a mat at first.
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Watch point Build up gradually, t
as this stresses hips and knees.
Squat shoulder press
Benefits Improves hip and
lower-back mobility and strength
to generate power through more
of the pedal stroke.
With your feet shoulder-width
apart, set a dumbbell on the floor
outside each foot
With your eyes forward and
chest high, push your hips back
and bend your knees until your
thighs are parallel to the floor
Grab the dumbbells and stand
up. Curl the weights to your
shoulders and over your head
Reverse the moves, touch the
weights to the floor, and repeat
Watch point With tight calves or
hamstrings youll struggle to get
down very far. Avoid bending at the
waist to compensate.
Deadlift
Benefits An effective exercise for
the glutes, hamstrings, adductor
magnus and lumbar erector
muscles all used in cycling.
Bend at hips and knees to grab a
barbell with an overhand grip
Slightly arch your lower back
while keeping your arms straight
Keeping your back straight,
stand up very slowly with the bar
Hold for a second, then lower the
bar slowly, using a controlled
motion, to the floor
Try two lots of 20 reps with a low
weight, before progressing the
resistance over time
Watch point Lower the weight by
pushing your hips back first and
only bend your legs once the bar
reaches knee level.
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Strength & Conditioning Guide Power moves: run
Backward lunges
Benefits This exercise targets
the adductors and glutes the
muscles used in the push phase
of hilly running.
For the beginning position, stand
with legs together and hold
dumbbells by your sides or rest
a barbell comfortably on your
upper back
To get to the ending position, step
back, extending your leg out
behind and lower your body into
a split squat
Drag the toes of the extended
foot on the floor on the way back
up to the starting position
Watch point Keep a clear space
behind you, and use a mirror if
possible. Make sure youre not
creeping backwards with each rep.
1
2
3
Russian twists
Benefit Builds your core strength
with a rotational element good for
training your upper body to stay
stable when you run.
Sit up, with your knees bent 90
and feet flat on the floor
Holding a weighted ball or
dumbbell in your hand, rotate
your trunk to the left until your
hands are almost on the ground
Rotate back to the centre and
then over to the right, again so
your hands are almost on the
floor by your side. Thats one rep
Watch point If this feels too taxing
at first, try it without anything in
your hands. Then build up to holding
a small weighted ball. It can be
made even harder, if you want,
by keeping your feet off the floor.
1
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Dumbbell lunge
Benefit Trains both sides of the
body independently improves
strength, balance and coordination.
Stand straight, then step
forwards into a lunge position
Keep a straight back and dont
allow the front knee to go beyond
the end of the toes
Dont allow the back knee to
touch the ground and keep your
hip, knee and ankle aligned
Step back to start position and
repeat with the other leg
Doing this without weight may be
sufficient for some see how you
do before adding resistance
Do two sets of 10 on each leg
Watch point Dont try this if you
have a knee injury, unless
recommended by a physio.
Back extensions
Benefit Strengthens lower
back, glutes and middle back.
Encourages glute engagement.
Lie face down on a stability ball
with feet spread wide for balance
Elbows should be bent with
hands lightly touching the
ground for initial support
Squeeze your glutes and lift your
torso up until your body forms
a straight line
Allow your hands to come off the
ground, keeping elbows bent
Extend your arms in front of your
head. Hold for 1-2secs
Release your arms then your
torso back down to start position
Watch point Work your glutes to
extend your back, rather than
relying on lower back muscles.
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Triathlon Plus - April 2014

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April 2014 UK 4.50 | US $9.

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