Triathlon

Rich takes part in the Bradford on Avon Standard Triathlon and has a smashing day at the office. Rich is part of our in-house dream team aiming to take on the Virgin Active London Triathlon this July with the support of Team Carbon – official bike supplier, Tenn Outdoors – official kit supplier, Saucony, Polar, Zone 3 and Limar. To find out more about Team Triathlon Plus click here Rich racing to the finish line (Photo Credit: www.sportysnaps.com) It was an early start for the Bradford on Avon Triathlon on Sunday, but luckily the sun was out in full force – a rarity in the UK. This was my first standard distance triathlon so I wasn’t sure how to pace myself. I was pretty confident, however, as my training has been going really well and I’m felling strong in all three disciplines. Following my training plan set by team coach Phil Mosley has been a massive help. My wave set off at 8.30am; the thought of getting in a river at that time was a bit strange, particularly since it was pretty cold. Luckily, I was on holiday in Cornwall two weeks ago and going in the sea toughened me up a bit. The swim was shortened to 1,000m because the temperature was only 12°C.  We set off with the current and I found myself in the lead at the turnaround. It was the first time I’d worn my Zone3 wetsuit in anger and it fitted like a glove, with plenty of buoyancy. Someone went by me as we turned into the current which was perfect as I could then just draft behind them. I regained the lead on the second lap and surprised myself by exiting the swim first. My first transition went well and I was first out on the bike, so I took on a gel and knuckled down. I wore my Limar Speed Demon aero helmet and felt that it really gave me some extra streamlining. The course gets hillier as you go and I eventually got caught by someone on the steepest hill only a few kilometres out. I managed to regain the lead though and never looked back. The second transition also went well. The run started OK but I found it hard to keep my form as I’d worked pretty hard on the bike. This is something I need to work on with some longer brick sessions.  I had no one go by me and overtook a few from the previous wave. I came 21st overall and 17th in my age category, with a time of 2:10. I was really chuffed with my performance, but more importantly, I thoroughly enjoyed the event and met some great people. It was fanatically organized and a brilliant day out. Triradar.com is the online home of Triathlon Plus – the best source of triathlon training advice, triathlon gear reviews and triathlon news. Log your training for free at the TriRadar.com Training Zone. Have every issue delivered to your digital device by getting Triathlon Plus through Apple Newsstand, Google Play or Zinio. Subscribe to the print edition with massive savings at MyFavouriteMagazines. Join the conversation on the Triathlon Plus Facebook page, follow us on Twitter @TriathlonPlus.

Australia often has quite a bit of young talent in the sport of triathlon and among them these days is 21-year old James Hodge. He recently finished third at 70.3 Busselton but now he is back to studying and preparing for tests.

About a year ago we built up a Giant TCX Advanced SL cross bike with Rotor 3D+ cranks with 50/34 Rotor Q-Rings and it is now time to talk about the experience.

An in-depth test of the Felt AR4 aero road bike. Felt are a bike brand well rooted in the triathlon community and their AR range has pioneered the aero road platform. Borrowing heavily from Felt’s DA time trial bikes, the AR4 is a sleek, fast machine that blends aerodynamic advantage with friendlier road bike geometry and versatility, resulting in a great ride for training and racing. The Felt AR4 is packed with triathlon-friendly technology THE FRAME With its wheel-hugging profiles and stunning matte finish, the AR4 looks mean and fast. The bike shares the same design and aero benefits as the rest of the AR range and like the AR5 below it and AR2 above, the frame is made from Felt’s own UHC-Advanced custom carbon that’s developed for superb ride quality. The company’s unique InsideOut process uses internal and external moulds to better compact carbon during construction to create more complex and consistent tubes. The result is the most aggressively aerodynamic-looking aero road bike on the market. Only the pro-level AR1 uses a different lay-up for added stiffness and reduced weight. The frame won a Red Dot design award in 2010, which is telling of its superbly-crafted lines, expertly-designed geometry and the fact that it’s starting to get a little old in the tooth in some respects. There’s no tapered steerer on the fork for instance – though the long head tube provides excellent rigidity at the front – and the classic 68mm bottom bracket doesn’t quite match up with the wider, stiffer BB30 designs now being slotted into Felt’s newest TT bikes. Nevertheless, it’s still a beautiful piece of aerodynamic design. The narrow, tall headtube is unimpeded by cabling, which instead slot neatly into the top tube behind the stem. The top tube itself is horizontal to hide from the wind and flared, becoming thinner as it runs from the headtube to meet the seat tube. The narrow aero fork has a notched profile on the back of the fork crown that lines up with the thin teardrop downtube, which hugs the front wheel for better aerodynamics then sweeps down to meet the bottom bracket. The seat tube is also profiled to accommodate the back wheel and features a scooped interior curve for a close fit to the wheel but with clearance enough for any standard tyre sizes. The thin seatstays aid aerodynamics and a supple ride while the chainstays are strong, chunky numbers and feature a replaceable aluminium gear hanger. In contrast to some other aero road bikes on the market, the front derailleur cable leaves the frame to travel under the bottom bracket inside an external housing, popping up to meet the mech, while the rear derailleur’s cable runs naked along the outside of the chainstay. THE KIT The AR4 comes specced to the nines in Shimano Ultegra – the mechanical levers shifting flawlessly across the front and rear mechs to keep you in control of cog selection at all times. Pushing hard on the big ring or climbing out the saddle, the gearing won’t let you down. Clearly designed to go fast on the flat, the AR4 features a silky-smooth Ultegra chainset with standard 53x39T chainrings paired with an 11-25T rear cassette for close enough ratios to always find that sweet spot. There’s no compact option available on the chainset though, so if you need friendlier gears, talk to you local Felt dealer or factor the additional cost into the equation. The Ultegra brakes also have decent, reliable stopping power though took a while to bed in. An in-line gear adjuster – crucial for triathlon, where indexing can be knocked out of alignment in transition – is included for front shifting, but not the rear, which would have been nice for mid-ride tweaks. The wheel selection is telling of the AR4’s against-the-clock potential. Shimano’s RS30 wheelset offers 30mm aero-profiled rims and solid performance on the flat, but at a shade under 2kg without tyres and tubes, they drag the bike down when the gradients tip up, being neither light nor stiff. Though the RS30s me

Next week is Hawaii 70.3. Excitement has filled my entire heart, for many reason. Beyond the thrill of a start line, the push & will to go hard for 70.3 miles, there is of course opportunity. Some hope of a pay day and precious KPR points for Ironman Hawaii. Not many points, at all, but every little bit helps. My fingers are crossed that the next 3 races will seal the deal into Kona. Coach and I made a back up plan, but honestly I am not chasing that, I never go for plan B in life. While sometimes back ups are good and turn out pretty cool, it's hard to rest easy on a plan B... A few wonderful things have happened leading up to this race. I'm racer #19 next weekend so I figure a good way to keep my brain reminded on some of the good heading into next weekend, I should write down (in some random order) 19 of them...1. My favorite tree went into Summer bloom, hotter training weather...2. The winds did not knock me off my bike when the "hurricane" trades blew3. I can keep up with Chandler (almost, okay if he is tired) at swim practice4. 2.4 miles solo (a few times) and no sharks, plenty of dolphins5. Zucchini bread does not make you poop during track practice6. ZOOT sent me really bright clothes and new shoes: MOTIVATION7. I ran 20 miles without an IPOD and survived mentally8. No injuries & Rob is getting better everyday after being hit by a car 9. Breakthrough Nutrition has helped me avoid bonking on any long rides 10. My body has minimized damage thanks to Odin Willmont: Chiro/ART 11. Coach Steve & the High School swimmers don't kick me out of the pool12. Kainoa reminds me to wear sunscreen & chill out13 Mike continues to keep Pancake Sunday in full force after big days14. My new Swift Carbon is such a dream bike (you'll see it race day)15. I rode to Hilo! Still stoked on that big adventure, must repeat...16. Splish makes me want to swim, 80's suits are my favorite at the moment17. Kainoa asks to go to church (maybe for the food), he keeps me believing18. I got to paddle yesterday, it was a needed rest from SWIMBIKERUN19. I'm happy. Sometimes I race better happy... Cheers :)Bree

Last year, we'd had Norah take swim lessons via the city, and they were okay, but not great. Norah didn't like going, and often cried beforehand about having to go, and at the end of the 10 week session, we didn't feel her swim skill had advanced much. So, we didn't continue the lessons, and since it was then late fall, there wouldn't be much swimming over the course of the winter anyway. This summer, then, I was on the fence about having both kids do lessons again: Were they really worth the money? Could I teach them what they needed to know? So, we began our summer of swimming with arm floaters and that was fine, but I knew they needed more in order to be competent swimmers -- sooner rather than later. I knew the city lessons weren't great, so I searched for private swim schools and found the US Swim Academy, a place we'd briefly checked out before since it was close to a movie theater Jerry and I often go to for our date nights. I toured it, and I knew right away it would be WORLDS better than the lessons we'd done last summer, so I signed them up. Their first lessons were yesterday, and I can't say enough good things about the place and their methods. It's indoors, heated pool, and they have a plethora of inventive toys and equipment, and the teaching philosophy is all about making every skill a game or task. Plus, the classes are super small: 3 kids to 1 teacher. Pic's not great, but here's Norah going down one of these floaty slides into the water in her class: Unlike the lessons Norah did last year, she was beaming through her entire lesson yesterday, and when she got done, she was excited about returning for next week's class.That is worth every penny of the extra cost.Not only does the place make the lessons not feel like lessons, but immediately, there's a noticeable improvement in both kids' swimming. Today, at home in our community pool, Norah abandoned the arm floaters and was swimming back and forth from the stairs to me, and she kept wanting me to go farther and farther away (I'm terrible at judging distance, but I'd say she was going about 10-12 feet at a stretch).Caleb too wanted to follow Norah's example and swim out to me without his floaters, but he could only go about 2 feet or so, and he was still flailing like I was stabbing him with hot pokers when I tried to get him to practice his back floating; still, he too had improved and he had also liked his class (the only problem, by his estimation, with his class was that Norah wasn't in it with him).Caleb's teacher said he needed one more week in the class he started in, and then he could probably advance; Norah immediately advanced, and for her advancement, she earned a medal.She was SO proud of her medal, and when she got home, she knew, right away, where to put it:

Xterra South East Championships, Pelham, AL 18 May 2013 2nd 2h18’44? – 1’44 behind winner Josiah Middaugh Alabama and it’s narrative has been an interesting space for me. Crashed here in Oak Mountain State park in 2007 breaking my wrist … Continue reading →

It's not always easy, but it's definitely worth it....To enjoy the thrill of flying downhill on a bike, you have to climb up beforehand.Illustration - Albert & MarieMy roommate is a pro triathlete from France. He often says "Life is Beautiful" and I couldn't agree more. But the times when I have seen this the most, are often in the little things - in the roughest, rockiest times of life, or when I was not looking for or expecting something big, a small piece of realizing how much I love life sneaks in. This happens often when I am way outside my comfort zone. I live for these small, beautiful moments.I will share a few of my recent Life Is Beautiful moments:That moment in training when I really think I'm DONE, and I somehow go harder or hang on a little longer, realizing it doesn't hurt any more than it was before.Laughing. Loudly.Sitting on a swing at sunset (say that 10x fast - HA!) on top of a mountain.Crying. Because I care.Dancing - everyone should dance more in my opinion. In your kitchen, out, wherever - just dance a little. Just like singing like a rockstar in the car - I love this also.Losing. It's good. It keeps me coming back to try again and appreciating the wins.Running on trails like I'm 12 years old.That tired, hanging-on-til-I-can't-anymore feeling that only comes from Ironman training, and is completely crazy, but makes me feel very alive.You only get one life. Live it.

Triathlon England and Swim Smooth Launch Open Water Swimming Training Days. Triathlon England have teamed up with Swim Smooth Ltd to deliver a series of open water novice sessions this summer. These new training days are designed to give triathletes of all abilities specialist open water swim training from world renowned Swim Smooth Accredited Coaches. Morgan Williams, National Development Manager for Triathlon England said: “Swim Smooth is fast becoming the gold standard in coaching for the freestyle stroke and open water swimming. They are already the Swim Coaching Consultants to our current coach education programme; therefore it was a natural decision for Triathlon England to choose Swim Smooth to deliver a series of specialist training days across England.” Triathlon England, through a series of new relationships, are trying to increase participation in the sport as Morgan went on to explain: “We hope working with Swim Smooth will create extra opportunities for members of the public to access high quality coaching and to help them prepare for their next triathlon challenge” Paul Newsome, the founder and head coach of Swim Smooth Ltd said: “We are incredibly excited to be teaming up with Triathlon England to deliver a series of open water training days this summer and for the next 3 years thereafter! This partnership is a natural extension of the coach education work we’ve been doing with British Triathlon coaching at levels 1, 2 and 3 since 2010, and we’re confident that this will be another very successful relationship for all parties. By offering these training days across England using our own certified Swim Smooth coaches in conjunction with Triathlon England coaches, we can assure a great quality of delivery, which we know all budding triathletes will really benefit from. Here’s to a great 2013 summer season!” Take up for this new initiative is already proving to be very popular and the provisional nine dates planned across the UK starting in Worcester on 2 June 2013 are expected to expand due to this high demand. For more information or to book a place please visit:  www.triathlonengland.org/take-part/open-water Triradar.com is the online home of Triathlon Plus – the best source of triathlon training advice, triathlon gear reviews and triathlon news. Log your training for free at the TriRadar.com Training Zone. Have every issue delivered to your digital device by getting Triathlon Plus through Apple Newsstand, Google Play or Zinio. Subscribe to the print edition with massive savings at MyFavouriteMagazines. Join the conversation on the Triathlon Plus Facebook page, follow us on Twitter @TriathlonPlus.

Olympians Will Clarke and Tim Don Confirmed for Ironman 70.3 UK. With 2013 marking their transition into long distance racing with remarkable success, both Don and and Clarke have already proved they are a force to be reckoned with, fending off veteran Ironman athletes to finish in podium positions;  Don recently came 3rd in Ironman 70.3 South Africa, whilst Clarke took 2nd place at Ironman 70.3 St. Croix. Amongst the 20 strong British Pro men’s line up at Ironman 70.3 UK is three time winner Fraser Cartmell, who has the advantage of course knowledge and experience on his side, whilst Tom Lowe’s inaugural entry to the event, will have four time Ironman Champion Chrissie Wellington cheering him on as his secret weapon. Ahead of the race Tim Don said “I’m really looking forward to the race. Having raced ITU distance since 1994, I’m loving my entry into 70.3 and embracing this all new experience. 70.3 is all about pacing myself over the 4 1/2 hours, listening to my body and not reacting to what other athletes are doing. Exmoor is a beautiful spot – it’s going to be a great race and I’d love to see an all GB podium although I think the course is going to be the toughest competition for me” * The women’s Pro field also promises an exciting race between reigning Champion Eimear Mullan and Scotland’s Cat Morrison, whose successful return from injury this year has already seen her being crowned Champion at Ironman 70.3 St. Croix. Putting the UK based athletes to the test will be Germany’s Kristin Moeller who won Ironman Lanzarote last weekend along with previous 70.3 UK podium placed Simone Braendli from Switzerland. The Pro field will form part of the sell out 1700 athletes entered in one of the world’s most iconic triathlon events, being the first 70.3 staged in the world. Now held at Wimbleball on the edge of Exmoor’s National Park it plays host to a truly stunning yet gruelling course. Starting with a 1.2 mile swim in Wimbleball Lake, the athletes will have to embark on the two lap 56 mile bike course – which entails 52 hills and 1190m of climbing, eased only by the excitement and buzz of the fantastic crowd support. The final half marathon adds to this iconic triathlon event with its 13.1 mile mixed terrain run course, comprising three laps each with its very own leg bursting hill climb. Kevin Stewart, Managing Director of Ironman UK said, “We are very much looking forward to welcoming all the new and seasoned athletes to this year’s Ironman 70.3 UK. The event filled up in record time – 20 weeks ahead of last year – and has attracted over 50% of first timers to the race, and we hope their experience will play a part towards their journey to completing a full Ironman.” For further information on Ironman 70.3 UK please visit www.ironmanuk.com   Triradar.com is the online home of Triathlon Plus – the best source of triathlon training advice, triathlon gear reviews and triathlon news. Log your training for free at the TriRadar.com Training Zone. Have every issue delivered to your digital device by getting Triathlon Plus through Apple Newsstand, Google Play or Zinio. Subscribe to the print edition with massive savings at MyFavouriteMagazines. Join the conversation on the Triathlon Plus Facebook page, follow us on Twitter @TriathlonPlus.