As knowledge in sports science and sports psychology grows, it is apparent that the mind is a very important tool when trying to harness peak performance in triathlons – as shown by many elite triathletes. But as well as keeping calm during a race, a recent study, published in the Journal of Behavioral Medicine and carried out by a team at Germany’s University of Freiburg’s Department of Sport Science, found that an individual’s attitude and expectations about an exercise session can influence the psychological and neurophysiological benefits gained from that session.
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So, when you are faced with a gloomy 6.30am training session in the rain, it might be worth taking a few moments to get yourself in a more positive headspace, as it could benefit your brain and body in the long-term and make the difference on race day.
The research involved 76 participants, whose age ranged from 18 to 32 years old. The subjects were randomly allocated into different groups, with each group being shown one of several multimedia presentations, before all groups completed 30 minutes on an exercise bike. Some of the presentations highlighted the benefits of cycling on health, whilst others didn’t.
The participants were also asked to answer questions on whether they already believed the positive effects of physical activity (‘habitual expectation’), and their mood before and after the exercise session. Brain activity was also measured, using an electroencephalogram (EEG).
Participants who already believed the positive effects of exercise before the start of the study reported reduced anxiety levels, being in a better mood, and enjoyed the exercise more. They were also shown to have neurophysiological changes on the EEG after the exercise –in this case, more brain-activity in regions linked with relaxation and well-being.
Those who had been exposed to positive multimedia presentations before their exercise session also recorded the same EEG neurophysiological changes, but not the same self-reported psychological changes, as the ‘habitual expectation’ participants. This shows that while expectation can be influenced by outside information, making self-belief and positive mindset about exercise a regular habit has a stronger effect on mood and well-being.
The team think that this effect is present across a range of endurance sports – great news for triathletes, as a regular effort to really believe in training sessions could result in more benefits for the brain, which in turn may improve performance.
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In the lead up to the Rio Olympic games, we were lucky enough to get one of only four limited edition Boardman Air 9.9’s made for the Rio Olympics in for a test ride, complete with signatures of Alistair and Jonny Brownlee themselves on the frame.
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Needless to say it all went rather well in Rio, and we were more than keen to try out the same bike that the brothers rode so magnificently to Olympic gold and silver.
On first impressions it’s impressive just how integrated everything is – to the untrained eye it may not look as space-age as a fully aero road or TT bike, but on a club ride and at a local triathlon it turned more than a few heads. Hidden front brakes and a rear brake located below the bottom bracket mean there’s minimum airflow disruption, and a four-bolt saddle clamp allows you to adjust the seatpost angle for an ultra-aggressive position.
Alistair Brownlee wins in Rio
The build is largely the same as the standard Boardman Air 9.9 except for the paint job, but the Brownlees opted for a Fizik Arione 00 saddle and bar tape – the saddle is fantastic, and we think it’s definitely an upgrade on the Prologo perch you get with the stock model.
The Sram eTap shifting is flawless, and to change between the big and small rings you simply double-tap on both shifters. There’s a definitive electronic ‘click’ whenever you perform a shift, the only problem is getting used to how responsive it is compared to mechanical. The frame is nice and stiff, and the oversized forks make the bike feel strong and controllable at 40km/h plus.
Pairing with Zipp 404’s is a nod to the bike’s pack-riding pedigree, as there’s much less need for the ultra wind-cheating 808’s in draft-legal racing. This said, the 404’s still cut through the air magnificently and on a particularly windy weekend in the UK, were more beneficial for some extra stability and easier handling. Tyres come courtesy of Continental in the form of their Competition Pro Ltd tubulars, which unfortunately aren’t available to the public – but purely for bragging purposes, we can reveal they’re even grippier and smoother than the mass-produced Competitions! If you happen to be very well connected in the bike world or bump into a Brownlee out riding somewhere, it might be worth asking them if you can ‘borrow’ their tyres…
So far Boardman have run a competition to win one of the signature frames for their newsletter subscribers, and any news of some going on general sale is still TBC. We’re told the complete bike won’t be available, but you can buy the Air 9.9 specced with Sram eTap in the non-custom colours via Boardman’s website for £6,499,99.
*For a full review, look out for issue 331 of 220 Triathlon, on sale 11th October
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*For more gear news, reviews and info head over to our gear section
The biggest players in the GPS market Garmin have announced the release of their most luxurious smartwatch to date, the Fenix Chronos.
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In it’s classiest form, the Chronos comes with a titanium strap, sapphire lens and high-res 1.2 inch display for a whopping £1,099,99. The leather-strapped version will ‘only’ set you back £849.99, however.
The metal case on the Chronus is made from premium jeweller’s grade materials, constructed to traditional watch making quality, and is designed to be as classy as it is practical. It comes equipped with everything you’d expect from their Vivoactive fitness trackers, including daily activity tracking technology, pedometer, calories counter and a sleep tracker in sleep mode.
Reading through the list of features the Chronus is up there with the most sophisticated GPS watches, meaning you’re not just paying for the prestige. 25 hours battery life (13 in GPS mode), water resistance to 100m, GLONASS satellite receivers and activity profiles for at least ten sports makes it arguably the most feature-packed Garmin to date.
You can also sync all your data though Garmin’s Connect IQ app, receive text, email and call notifications and even get weather updates. Even so, is it really worth over a grand? We’ll be hoping to get our hands on a Fenix Chronus in the coming weeks, so check back for more news on our Twitter, Facebook and Instagram pages!
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For the best multisport gear reviews, guides and info, head to our gear section
Eurobike 2016 kicked off in the German town of Friedrichshafen today, with some exciting new tri-related products on display for the 2017 season.
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Of the new bike releases, 220 was excited to hear of the Parlee TTR tri bike, the world’s first to have disc brakes and through-axles. We’ll be getting an exclusive run-through of the bike’s engineering process from the bike’s creator Bob Parlee in the coming days.
The new Parlee TTR with disc brakes
Other big bike news includes the new lineup of Scott Foil aero road bikes, with the Foil Premium at the top of the line complete with the new Dura-Ace electronic groupset. Austrian bike brand Simplon had their MR.T 2 tri bike on display, and tell us they will be available through a UK distributor in 2017.
Away from the bikes, Louis Garneau have made changes to their flagship course tri suit for 2017, with improved fabrics and compression in the legs and a colour change from black/green to black/red. There is also subtle changes to their X-Lite tri shoes (which won 220’s tri shoe grouptest this year) with improved power transfer in the sole. Santini were showing their new 2017 sleeved aero tri suit, and Gore, more renowned for their high-end bike-specific gear, are bringing out tri suits for 2017. the women’s suit (below) has a zipper around the hip line for toilet stops, which will be welcome news for many triathletes!
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We’ll be bringing you all the latest gear and tech news this week from Eurobike – look out for our Eurobike feature in issue 331 of 220 Triathlon, on sale in October
On Wednesday 5th October at the Cube Cinema in Bristol, ultra endurance triathlete Luke Tyburski will be hosting a screening of his brand new The Ultimate Triathlon documentary.
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Forced out of a professional football career and into depression by injury, Luke Tyburski discovered his salvation in the world of extreme endurance sport.
The Ultimate Triathlon is his own creation: an insane 2,000km solo swim, bike and run from Morocco to Monaco, all in just 12 days. Experienced athletes said it couldn’t be done, Luke believed otherwise…
On the night, Luke will also be hosting a Q&A with the audience.
220’s second day at Eurobike was, naturally, all about the bikes, as we got all the info on the latest version of the record-breaking Canyon Speedmax and Parlee’s TTR, the first tri bike with disc brakes and through-axles.
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Canyon have at long last announced the release of the Speedmax CF this week, a more accessible (and more affordable) version of the Speedmax CF SLX rode to glory by Jan Frodeno at Challenge Roth earlier this summer.
Marketing manager Nick Allen tells us the bike will be available at numerous price points, starting at €2300 specced with Mavic wheels and Shimano 105 groupset – though still a big investment for some it means a bike proven to be one of the world’s fastest will be accessible to the mass-market, with the direct-mount rear brake as opposed to integrated on the SLX version costing just 0.6 watts per hour according to Allen. You can read a more in-depth first look of the Speedmax CF here, courtesy of our sister title BikeRadar.
Boutique American bike brand Parlee are renowned for their customisation, so it’s little surprise that their new TTR tri bike was on show in three completely different colour schemes at Eurobike. Marketing manager Tom Rodi told us Parlee usually take on one big project every year, and this time around the TTR is the outcome. The first triathlon bike with disc brakes and through-axles, it aims to bring much improved braking to the tri market without the losses in aerodynamics, and a removable carbon fairing has been added at the front and back to reduce drag.
The version of the TTR on show above was equipped with Sram Red Etap shifters and Hed wheels, and the bike is listed at 5999 euros minus both of these – innovation clearly comes at a cost, though the TTR is an exciting proposition.
Reynolds Cycling have unveiled their new lineup of tri-orientated wheels, having completely overhauled their Aero range. They will now just come in 46, 65 and 80mm depths, are tubeless ready and are optimised to achieve lower drag than previous versions. The branding is also more subtle, with a sleek blacked-out finish.
Endura have been busy creating new cycle-specific lines for 2017, and have made some limited edition jerseys in fun prints that will be available in early 2017. You’ll have to be quick as we’re told it’s going to be in very limited runs!
Endura’s new cycling speedsuit is potentially a big game changer, as the arms are clad with silicon rather than the ribbed strips seen on previous versions and on the Drag2Zero tri suit. We will wait with anticipation to see if Endura role the tech out onto their tri suits in the future…
We’re bringing you all the latest tri gear and tech news this week from Eurobike – look out for our Eurobike feature in issue 331 of 220 Triathlon, on sale in October
One of the most exciting developments in the road and tri-bike world has potentially been announced at Eurobike 2016, via renowned bike brand Argon 18.
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With a working title of ‘Smartbike’, the system can connect numerous sensors to the rider to give a huge amount of information about position.
The data can be downloaded and your optimal aerodynamic position on the bike determined: this can then be used to actually fine-tune your position while riding to make it the most aerodynamic, in effect replicating wind tunnel data in real-time. Though developer Marc Graveline says this in no way negates the importance of bike fit (more so that Smartbike is designed to be an extension of a bike fit to further fine-tune your own body’s position on the bike) it does mean that data you could only gather in a wind tunnel can be accessible to the public. Smartbike can also calculate other metrics not relating to aerodynamics, including heart rate variability, lactic acid build-up and body temperature.
Graveline told us there is no release date as of yet, but the price will most likely be akin to a high-end power meter. When it does hit the market Argon 18 are exploring options to sell it as a stand-alone product as well as integrated specifically into Argon 18’s bikes.
Elsewhere, 220 noticed a trend for brands building do-it-all bikes for road and tri – two notable examples were the Kuota KT3 and the Bergamont Prime RS Tri. The Kuota KT3 bike on display had just drop bars attached, but the frame is TT-like in its geometry. Kuota tell us it’s their ultimate solution for a do-it-all aero road and tri bike, and you simply need to attach an aero rig to make it as capable as a dedicated tri bike.
The Bergamont Prime RS, however, comes with clip-on bars already attached, and while not having such an aero geometry is fully ready to go with no extras needed. The bike will retail for 3999 Euros, and we’re told the brand, who are massive on the continent, are exploring the idea of expanding their UK operations.
Tucked away on a smaller marquee at Eurobike was fledgling British brand Flaer, who have developed a patented self-lubricating chain system.
The logic is that during a ride, your chain’s lubricant will start to have less effect than during the first hour of riding and power is lost from the extra friction – this is where Flaer’s chain system comes in, as the specially designed lubricant is pumped out in micro-doses via a vessel attached to your driveside (in a similar place to where a cadence sensor would go). To clean your chain after you simply rinse with water, as the formula is light and doesn’t stick.
Flaer tell us the system is set to retail at £250, with the rolling cost being the lubricant itself that will be a similar price to others on the market. The brand are in discussion with bike manufacturers to potentially have it integrated onto bikes at point-of-sale, and we think the product could have an interesting future off the back of its potential to save power by improving the workings of your chain while you ride.
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We’re bringing you all the latest tri gear and tech news this week from Eurobike – look out for our Eurobike feature in issue 331 of 220 Triathlon, on sale in October
Swimrun has seen a surge of popularity among multisport enthusiasts with 200 races being held worldwide in 2016. And Monday 5th September sees the Stockholm archipelago in Sweden play host to the original – and toughest – swimrun race as 120 teams take on the ÖtillÖ grand final.
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This marks the culmination of a year of qualifying races that included the new British race, the ÖtillÖ Swimrun Isles of Scilly in June (see report here). Teams of two will swim and run a total of 75km as they traverse the 26 islands from Sandhamn to Utö, a race which breaks down into 10km of cold, rough sea swimming in the Baltic and 65km of tough trails, slippery rocks and rocky terrain (see our beginners’ guide to swimrun here).
Triathletes Racing
The event will include some notable names from the world of multisport, including Scottish triathlete, Ironman UK 2010 winner and three-time Ironman 70.3 winner Fraser Cartmell. He joins ultra-runner Andrew Fargus, who won the Scilly ÖtillÖ race with former pro triathlete Richard Stannard, who is unable to compete in Sweden this time. In total, 12 teams this year will include British athletes.
Another recognisable tri name competing this year is Faris Al Sultan, professional triathlete and 2005 Kona winner, who races with Werner Leitner.
Image: Jakob Edholm
Ones To Watch
Some previous winners and record holders will be heading to the championship race this weekend with titles to defend. Look out for Daniel Hansson and Lelle Moberg who hold the course record (2014) of 8 hours 16 mins. Also competing in the men’s teams are reigning world champs Paul Krochak and Oscar Olsson.
In the mixed race 2015 winners Staffan Björklund and Marika Wagner will be back to see if they can match or better their fifth-overall place of last year. Plus in the women’s teams, reigning world champs Annika Eriksson and Maja Tesch will compete in separate teams, with Kristin Larsson and Bibben Nordblom respectively,
The race will be streamed live online at http://otilloswimrun.com/live from 04:45 UK time. The 220 Triathlon team will also be following the race and posting live updates on Twitter (@220Triathlon) throughout, plus check back here for race reports and interviews.
ÖtillÖ Final 15
Also taking place this weekend is the new ÖtillÖ Final 15 race. Held on Saturday 3rd September, this gives swimrun teams the chance to experience the last stages of the Grand Final course in a shorter race and is one of a series of ‘sprint’ events launched by ÖtillÖ to introduce more athletes to the sport of swimrun.
In total, Final 15 athletes will race just over 2km of swimming and 14km of running, taking in a slightly modified route to the grand final finish line in Üto. Competing for 220 Triathlon is Editor Helen Webster (@Helen_Webster on Twitter) who joins a media team. Helen also competed earlier in the year in the ÖtillÖ swimrun isles of Scilly race with Swedish multi-time ÖtillÖ world champs finisher Göran Wernqvist (read her race blog here).
The Final 15 will also be streamed live at http://otilloswimrun.com/live, starting at 11:15am UK time on Saturday 3rd September.
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Interested in trying swimrun? Read our beginners’ guide to swimrun here and our feature on swimrun gear here.
IMG and the Fengtai Sports Bureau of Beijing have announced that the Olympic gold medalist Alistair Brownlee will compete in the fifth edition of the Beijing International Triathlon on Sunday 11 September.
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This will be Brownlee’s first race since winning the gold in Rio, as well as his first time competing in the Beijing International Triathlon. He placed 12th in his first Olympics in Beijing 2008, then returned to Beijing in 2011 to win his second ITU world title. Brownlee is also a two-time ITU World Champion (2009 and 2011); three-time European Champion (2010, 2011 and 2014); and current Commonwealth Champion.
“I’m looking forward to racing at Beijing International Triathlon and the challenge of the non-drafting format,” said Brownlee. “I think it’ll be a tough race against a quality field, especially as I don’t usually race the non-drafting format. I have always enjoyed racing in China and have fond memories from my two previous visits.”
In the non-drafting Olympic-distance (1.5km swim/40km bike/10km run) event, Brownlee will lead an elite field of professional triathletes including fellow Olympians Joe Maloy, Ashleigh Gentle, Vicente Hernandez and Barbara Riveros in the women’s race. Lining up against Brownlee will be regular Beijing entrant Greg Bennett and rising US non-drafting talent Cam Dye.
The Beijing International Triathlon will also be a return to China for Riveros who just captured fifth for Chile at the Rio Olympics, and also raced in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Professional triathletes participating in the 2016 Beijing International Triathlon include:
They say no two races are the same, but in the case of the ÖtillÖ swimrun series, this seems to be especially true. The thing is, with swimrun there are so many variables. The course route, the terrain, the water conditions – added to which you race with a partner – all these things make each race feel like completely individual.
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So, heading to the start of the inaugural ÖtillÖ Final 15 race in Stockholm on 3rd September I’m facing a series of emotions. Having already raced the new ÖtillÖ Swimrun Isles of Scilly earlier in the year (report here), people seem to have me down as some kind of swimrun veteran. But if I’m being completely honest, the day we’re facing in the Stockholm archipelago has me more than a little spooked…
So what is it? Well, in essence the Final 15 is exactly as it sounds. Forming part of the new ÖtillÖ Sprint race series, it offers a shorter version of an existing ‘full’ race. Only in this case, the full race in question is the mythical ÖtillÖ world championship final, renowned for being one of the world’s toughest endurance races, in which athletes traverse 75km of brutal trails, slippery rocks and current-strewn swims in the freezing Baltic.
“It’s one of the most beautiful parts of the course,” says founder Michael Lemmel during the race briefing on the ferry to the start line, “but our racers are a bit foggy by the time they reach it…. So this is a new way to experience the finish.”
Let’s be clear what we’re talking about here, though. The race is called the ‘Final 15’ when in reality it’s nearer 17km (and my Garmin finally reveals our race to be more like 18km!) and within that there are nine runs across often tricky, technical trails and eight swims, including strong currents at times, the longest of which is 900m.
Lemmel is right though – already from the ferry we can see just how beautiful the scenery in the area is, with dense woods sitting on rocky outcrops, while the air feels clean and fresh in a way that makes you desperate to get outside and take in the environment.
A Unique Experience
The Final 15 ÖtillÖ Sprint also gives you a chance to experience something that very few athletes will be lucky enough to go through. The full championship race follows two days later and only 120 teams of two are lucky enough to qualify to take on the full 75km course, with another 600 (ouch) registered on the wait list. So if ÖtillÖ is on your bucket list but you can’t contemplate the full distance, or never managed to qualify, this is a good alternative.
I’m racing with Laurent Grabet, a fellow journo from Switzerland, who I meet the night before. He’s never raced swimrun before, but with plenty of trail experience and a faster swim ability than me, we decide to go for it and try racing tethered with belts and ropes, with hand paddes for Laurent in the swim.
Many of the water exits were straight on to slippery, steep rocks. Image: Jakob Edholm
The first run is only 1400m, so we’re soon arriving at the first – and longest – swim. I’d been nervous about water temperatures after really struggling in the Scilly race, but in fact either a summer of hanging around in lakes trying to toughen up has worked or things are much warmer here, as the water feels comfortable to swim in.
Laurent and I soon get into a rhythm and we’re keeping up well with the field. I get the odd paddle in the face but I’m loving the beautiful surroundings – and bizarrely, am enjoying spotting the many jellyfish swimming beneath me. Not everyone reported liking them so much!
Swim done and we’re into the longest of the runs, at 7400m. Most of this one is remarkably flat and easy-going for ÖtillÖ though, with the first 5k taking us down wide country trail roads. It starts to pelt it down with rain, but actually we don’t mind as it’s refreshing and means we don’t have to bother ‘cabbing down’ (swimrun speak for peeling off the top of the wetsuit to avoid overheating).
Technical Terrain
From here on though, the terrain soon starts to become more technical. I’m more used to flat runs and am also conscious of a recent Achilles injury that is still a little creaky. Laurent pushes the pace though and I’m surprised to find I (mostly) fall into step with him – although there are a couple of moments I fall flat on my face…
Distances from here are much shorter between swim and run legs, so we’re constantly in and out of the water. We seem to have transitions pretty nailed though – apart from one memorable swim where I forget to do up the front zip on my wetsuit and it promptly filled with water on each stroke. Not a mistake you make twice.
Runs varied from technical trails to swampy undergrowth. Image: Jakob Edholm
One thing I am finding tricky though is the water exits. Many are on to steep and slippery rocks and I just can’t get a foothold. Swimrun is a friendly sport though and I find other swimrunners behind me only too happy to give my bum a good shove to help me out!
As well as trying to keep to a decent pace, we’re trying to take in the scenery as well though. There can’t be anything else in the world like this race – we run through beautiful forests, along magical, almost fairytale, trails and scamper across barren rocks feeling like the last people on earth.
With no cut-offs in the Sprints, there’s plenty of time to enjoy them! Image: Jakob Edholm
All too soon we reach the final island – Utö – where the course slightly alters from the world championship course to allow us to take in a final beautiful trail and a couple of short extra swims, before we head up the final hill to the finish line where race organiser Michael Lemmel is there again to greet finishers with a hug – along with a welcome finish line buffet! Our finish time? Three hours and five seconds…. We joke that if I hadn’t spectacularly fallen off the rocks back into the sea during one swim exit we’d have come in under three!
220’s Editor Helen and race partner Laurent at the finish. Image: Magnus Ormestad
There’s no doubting that this is a tough race. Don’t be fooled by the ‘Sprint’ name – you’ll need to be in reasonable shape to attempt it and you’ll meet some tricky trails and rough currents along the way. But most regular triathletes should be more than up to the challenge and it’s also a fantastic way to experience the things that truly make swimrun unique. Plus having the opportunity to try out the same course as the world champs racers – but without having to get in shape for 75km – is a truly wonderful experience.
Race done and I’m tired but by no means exhausted and I’m soon wondering what it would take to manage the full distance some day. That’s the other thing with the new Sprint distances. They hook you in. Enter one and prepare to be converted…
Find out more about the ÖtillÖ full and sprint distance race series here.
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Interested in trying swimrun? Read our beginners’ guide to swimrun here and our feature on swimrun gear here.