Most new triathletes will point to one element of racing as being the most nerve-wracking. Yes, while there is a lot to consider in multisport (transitions, skintight outfits, chafing and trying to get trainers on without socks, just for starters!) it’s the open-water swimming that causes the most sleepless nights. More so than that, it’s taking on a sea swim that can be the most worrying – and while you can manage that by only racing in fresh water (mainly lakes) – this means you’re automatically ruling yourself out of so many great events, including qualification to world champs, if they’re held in a coastal area.
Often these worries come down to lack of experience, as well as fears or phobias (we’ll level with you – it might have been a terrible robotic shark and two sinister notes, but Jaws has a lot to answer for). After all, if you haven’t grown up in the surf then there’s a lot you won’t have experienced, including waves, swell, tides and currents, rips and wildlife. It’s a shame, though, as a fear of sea swimming means you’re missing out on one of nature’s greatest playgrounds, as well as the chance to confidently compete in some of the best triathlons.
So, over the next few pages, we enlisted the help of experts Norma MacLeod and Steve Bowens, authors of the ‘Safer Sea Swimming’ course (available online) to guide you through how to approach the ocean. Let’s dive in…
HOW TO CONQUER: TIDES
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der May 2024-Ausgabe von 220 Triathlon.
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Diese Geschichte stammt aus der May 2024-Ausgabe von 220 Triathlon.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
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How to Carb Load - Packing your working cells with carbohydrates in the build-up to your big race is a proven strategy to race stronger and faster...
Whichever distance triathlon you're racing, the intensity and duration of your activity will see your body tap into its stores of carbohydrates (in the form of glycogen) to power your effort. While it's possible to top up your tank on the go, it's better to start your event with your stores full to the brim.
The Olympic Champion - On 31 July, Great Britain's Alex Yee put together arguably the greatest one-day performance we have ever seen at an Olympic Games to win gold. And we were there at the finish line to speak to tri's new poster boy...
The opening line of the race report read how 20 years on from New Zealand’s first and only Olympic triathlon gold medal, Hayden Wilde had put in a careerbest performance to regain the title for his nation. Then Alex Yee comes around the corner.Yee’s charge, seemingly from nowhere on the final lap of the 10km run in Paris, didn’t just help him become the most decorated Olympic male triathlete of all time, and didn’t just cap a rivalry that has been building for six years, it left seasoned watchers of swim, bike, run in awe. It will go down as one of the greatest triathlon races; Yee, still just 26, as one of the greatest triathletes. His medals from Paris added to the two from Tokyo, leaving his haul at two gold, a silver and a bronze, and counting.
"I HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO INFLUENCE THE GROWTH OF TRIATHLON"
British Triathlon CEO Ruth Daniels talks Paris, her plans to grow tri and her own personal goals... knees allowing
ZWIFT RIDE
£1,199.99 Zwift's new Ride is an indoor bike that might help you break your PB... but won't break the bank
PARIS SHOWED THE VALUE OF OLYMPIC EXPERIENCE
With the spotlight on triathlon like never before at these Games, debutant athletes talked about being overwhelmed by the unique environment
GAMES AT THE GAMES
After watching and enjoying the Olympic triathlon events, Brunt amused himself by playing the 'guess how far into each event I would die' game...
WHERE EAGLES DARE
With little heat prep, the wrong gear choice and a course-recce mistake, would experienced extreme triathlete Sean McFarlane soar like an eagle or drop like a stone in Italy?
HOW TO INCREASE RUN PACE WHEN FATIGUED
The ability to dig deep in the latter stages of a race helped Alex Yee achieve Olympic gold. Here Ben, a member of Team GB's coaching staff in Paris, explains how you too can find that extra gear...
BUYER'S GUIDE: BIKE COMPUTERS
Log your rides, find your way and monitor your multisport training with a quartet of impressive bike computers...
POLAR GRIT X2 PRO
\"You can't be anything other than impressed with the GPS, whose design is one of the significant changes to the V3\"