_0utd0orfitn3ssjuly2015

TRAVEL WORKOUTS ADVENTURE CHALLENGES NUTRITION

ISSUE 43 JULY 2015 £4.50

THE TOUGH TRIO›› TRAIL RUN

STEEPLECHASE›› EXTREME

TRIATHLON›› BINGO RUN

When do you finish?

PLUS WILD SWIMS, MTB JUMPING, BROWNLEE BROS

July 2015 outdoorfitnessmag.com 57

PLUS 10 CYCLING TIPS YOU CAN LEARN FROM THE PROS

YOUR GUIDE TO THE BIKES, THE ROUTE, THE TEAMS

TOUR DE FRANCEWELCOME TO THE GREATEST RACE ON EARTH

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COULD YOU ENTER a race without knowing how far or how fast you had to run or how long you were going to be running? It’s a tall order in our quantifiable world of power metres, running computers, distance apps, sat navs, heart

rate monitors and stopwatches. Just take a breath and imagine the mind-set that would be needed to race a race with no definitive finish line.

Well, Dan Connors ran such a race – humorously called the Bingo Run, it was indeed a lottery as to when he would finish – see page 26. You’ll find out all about it when you read his account and how lady lucky seemed to favour him and not a couple of poor souls who were still running seven hours after he’d come in. Yet as you’ll find out Dan debated whether he was actually the unlucky one……

Competing such an event requires a specific mind-set, one that’s contrary to the perceived-wisdom of most other races. It requires huge will-power and mental strength. You just don’t know when you’ll be stopping. On page 62 George Winter delves into the minds of the tough guys, those who have battled against the odds to achieve great performances. The minds of great distance runners such as Paavo Nurmi and Jim Alder are poured over in an attempt to find out what made them so tough and successful. Tips are provided for you to have – in the politest interpretation of the term – a hard head.

A hard head and mental resilience were definitely the order of the day when Damian Hall ran the Red Bull Steeplechase – see page 36. It’s an elimination race, with runners being progressively dropped as stages are completed. You feel as if you’re being constantly chased and are hence full of adrenaline. But then - and if you

make it to the subsequent stage - you’ve got to do it all again. How much more can you take? And speaking of taking it Sean McFarlane tackled the Wasdale Half Ironman triathlon – probably the hardest of such races. Guts, and lots of guts are required to complete this epic – see page 30.

The Bingo Run, Steeplechase and Wasdale are the tough trio that our issue’s cover line shouts out, but there are plenty of other challenges and events for you to ponder over in this issue. Some that are more stroll than a never-ending marathon. For example, why not get out and do some walking and swimming in the summer months on the way? We’ve 11 wild swimming walks to get you out and about – see page 42.

And finally, and returning to toughness, I’m going to end my blurb about this issue by pointing to our Tour de France supplement (see insert), is the Tour the toughest of them all?JOHN SHEPHERD Editor

HEROES OF THE MONTH

BROWNLEE BROTHERSThe siblings stood together on the 2012 Olympic podium, always ready to stand up to the challenge, they offer us mere mortals tri advice. Page 58.

TOUR DE FRANCE RIDERSThe Tour tests athletes like no other endurance event. Three weeks, 21 stages & 3,344km the world’s best cyclist face the ultimate test. TDF page 12.

NEIL SPENCEROur new reader diary entrant survived a bomb blast as a soldier and plans on tackling the Brecon Ultra, by way of the Fan Dance and Cardiff half-marathon. Page 68.

Welcome July

OUTDOORFITNESSNOW ON

THE iPAD!

STARTLINE006 The Great Outdoors012 Race around the world014 Sports Science

Fitter & faster over 50

016 New Products Hot gear for the summer

018 5 Things we learnt from Joe De Sena

020 Scott MTB Comp Winner Sally Hall

022 Events Guide Focus on Great Manchester Cycle

ON THE COVER026 Bingo Run030 Extreme Triathlon036 Trail Run Steeplechase062 Tough Mind Training072 Multi-event nutrition079 Tried and Tested

Contents July

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W W W . K E L S E Y . C O . U K

OUTDOORFITNESSMAG.CO.UKOUTDOOR FITNESS Kelsey Media, Cudham, Tithe Barn, Berrys Hill, Cudham, Kent TN16 3AG

EDITORIALEDITOR John Shepherd [email protected] EDITOR Jonathan Manning CONTRIBUTORS Marc Abbott, Adam Atkins, Rob Barker, Dominic Bliss, Dan Connors, Nik Cook, Bryce Dyer, Simon Freedman, Damian Hall, Andy Hamilton, Rob Kemp, Kenwood Ladies Pond Association, Patrick Kinsella, Oli Laverack, Andy McCandlish, Sean McFarlane, Ed Oxley, Anthony Pease, George Winter, Jamie YoungART EDITOR & PRODUCTION Mark Tucker marktuckerdesign.comDIGITAL EDITORKatherine Weir [email protected]

ADVERTISEMENT SALES COMMERCIAL MANAGER Lauren GeorgeADVERTISEMENT MANAGER Greg Bettles AD SALES TEL 01959 543718AD SALES EMAIL [email protected]

PRODUCTION PRODUCTION SUPERVISORSarah Willmott, 01733 [email protected] MANAGER [email protected]

MANAGEMENTMANAGING DIRECTOR: Phil WeedenCHIEF EXECUTIVE: Steve WrightCHAIRMAN: Steve AnnettsFINANCE DIRECTOR: Joyce Parker-SariogluCREATIVE DIRECTORS: Vicky Ophield & Emma DublinRETAIL DISTRIBUTION MANAGER: Eleanor BrownAUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT MANAGER: Andy CottonSUBS MARKETING MANAGER: Dan WebbBRAND MARKETING MANAGER: Rebecca GibsonEVENTS MANAGER: Kat ChappellEVENTS MARKETING MANAGER: Sarah Jackson

SUBSCRIPTIONS13 issues of Outdoor Fitness are published per annumUK annual subscription price: £58.50Europe annual subscription price: £71.49USA annual subscription price: £71.49Rest of World annual subscription price: £79.99 UK subscription and back issue orderline: 0845 241 5159Overseas subscription orderline: 0044 (0) 1959 543 747Toll free USA subscription orderline: 1-888-777-0275UK customer service team: 01959 543 747Customer service email address: [email protected] service and subscription postal address:Outdoor Fitness, Customer Service TeamKelsey Publishing Ltd , Cudham Tithe Barn, Berry’s Hill, Cudham, Kent TN16 3AG United Kingdom Find current subscription offers on our website: shop.kelsey.co.uk/OFIAlready a subscriber? Manage your subscription online: shop.kelsey.co.uk/site/loginForm www.kelseyshop.co.ukBack Issues: 0845 873 9270Books: 0845 450 4920 DISTRIBUTION Seymour Distribution Ltd, 2 East Poultry Avenue, London, EC1A 9PT www.seymour.co.uk Tel: 020 7429 4000

PRINTING William Gibbons & Sons Ltd

12

CHALLENGES AND HEROES026 Bingo Run

House? No. OMG!

030 Extreme Triathlon Sean McFarlane tackles Wasdale

036 Trail Run Steeplechase Damian Hall’s chased (sort of) by Orcs

042 Wild Swimming Walks Get your kit off & on…..

FOOD 072 Keep going Multi-event Nutrition

076 Heroes & Villains Become a BBQ king

GEAR 080 Grab a bargain

Entry-level Carbon Fibre bikes

088 Long-term tests


PLUS 10 CYCLING TIPS YOU CAN LEARN FROM THE PROS


TOUR DE FRANCEWELCOME TO THE GREATEST RACE ON EARTH

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20/05/2015 09:05

TOUR DE FRANCE>04 Bike Anatomy>06 Route Facts>09 10 Tips to Ride

Better Learning from The Tour

>12 Team Guide

TRAIN

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58

66

050 Braveheart Tri Training Swim focus

054 Fear of Flying Nik Cook gets his MTB wings

058 18 Tri Tips from the Brownlee brothers

062 Tough Mind Training Success is between your ears

066 It’s in your Genes Patrick Kinsella gets his tested

068 Reader Training Diaries The new crew

090 Reader Challenge Tough Girl - Emily Martin

outdoorfitnessmag.com July 20156

FOR MUCH OF the year this is an inhospitable landscape, beset by perishing temperatures and deep snow, and traversed only by the boldest and most adventurous cross-country skiers. But in mid-summer nature goes into turbo-drive in this area of northern Sweden’s Lapland, inside the Arctic Circle, as the midnight sun delivers 24-hour daylight. It’s a brief window to climb dramatic mountain passes, walk through scree-filled boulder fields, hike birch forests and grass meadows. The 450km Kungsleden (King’s Trail) traces its way through this extraordinary wild country of valley, lake moor and mountain, shared with lynx, wolverine, elk and reindeer. More popular stretches of the trail have huts or cabins in which to stay, while others demand a full-on backcountry camping expedition.More info: To plan your own trip, tinyurl.com/os87nqo. Or for an easier approach, Macs Adventure offers a seven-night hike along the Kungsleden for £435pp (plus flights). macsadventure.com

WALKING THE KING’S TRAIL

THE GREAT OUTDOORSAll light and no shade – the summer provides the ideal opp to explore Lapland with its 24-hour daylight.


IT LOOKS LIKE the lair of a Bond-villain or a space station fallen to earth, but this is actually the Gouter Hut, a mountain refuge on the standard ascent route to the summit of Mont Blanc in the French Alps.

The hut officially opened on 1st June for the summer season, and has 120 beds available, but The French Alpine Club warns mountaineers that a reservation is essential. Frankly, it’s not the sort of place that you’d pop into on spec – it’s 3,835 metres above sea level, more than three times the height of Ben Nevis. Climbers without a reservation will not be allowed to stay; with the Alpine Club insisting that the hut is bound by the same occupancy rules and safety regulations as any hotel. In the event of an emergency it needs to be able to evacuate guests safely and look after them.

At 4,808m, Mont Blanc is the highest peak in Western Europe, yet with good base fitness and the right guides, it’s climbable at the end of a week long course, even for people with no mountaineering experience. You will, however, need to be able to cope with at least 1,500m of vertical ascent in a single hike (virtually the equivalent of going up Snowdon twice in a day), and be a swift learner to pick up the crampon and rope techniques required to reach the summit, although the most popular route up does not require technical climbing skills. From the top you can look forward to 60-mile views across the roof of the continent.More info: To make a reservation at the Gouter Hut, refugedugouter.ffcam.fr. A week-long course to climb Mont Blanc costs £1,500 with montblancguides.com

OUT OF THIS WORLD IN THIS WORLD

THE GREAT OUTDOORSFrankly Mr Bond, we want you to book in advance! The Gouter Hut is a Bond Villain’s lair set on Mont Blanc.

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Our aim is to offerpeople a gentler

approach to personal fitness throughwalking, cycling or fitness, focusinginstead on creating and maintaininglifestyle habits rather than bootcamp styletraining. Through fun, rewarding activities,we help people get themselves on trackfor healthier, more positive lifestyles.Develop healthier exercise and lifestylehabits that you can incorporate intoyour everyday life and why not explorethe countryside at the same time.

Walking HolidaysOur healthy walking holiday packages area great way to visit rural France.We are happy to advise and guidewalking routes tailored to your ability andfitness level. Get off the beaten trackand see France at its best, with manyrivers, lakes, waterfalls, chateaux and

beautiful traditional villages not to mentionthe wildlife. Also included is a range ofexcursions to local places of interest orattractions with something for everyone.

It’s all about the bikeWe will put an ideal cycling holidaypackage together to make your breakexactly what you want. You can cycleas much or as little as you like, all day,morning, afternoon, evening or notat all and try a different activity, thechoice really is yours. There really issomething for everyone, we will listen andprovide the cycle holiday you want fromMountain Biking, Road Cycling, FamilyCycling, Beginners or Nervous riders.

Fitness andWellbeingAt HealthCycle as well as cycling andwalking we also offer a more personal

trainer based exercise schedule, don’tworry we won’t have you runninghundreds of miles or doing a thousandstar jumps but will start by having agood chat to understand your goalsand what you hope to achieve. Aswell as promoting outdoor activitiessuch as jogging, cross country running,swimming etc. we also have a small gymwhere we can work on more gym basedexercise’s to suit your requirements.

We consider a visit to us here atHealthCycle to be just the startof your healthier way of life.

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S TA R T L I N EON YOUR MARKS FOR A BRILLIANT MONTH IN THE OUTDOORS

Racing round the worldBritish endurance athlete Kevin Carr has just stopped the clock on a record-breaking run around the globe.AFTER MORE THAN 26,232km and 36,480,000 steps, Devon’s Kevin Carr has set a new world record for running around the world… by just 24 hours.

The self-supported solo run took Carr 621 days, just one-day faster than the previous record holder, as he averaged an ultramarathon of 31 miles per day.

During his odyssey, Carr pushed a buggy/trolley carrying all his running, camping, first aid and tracking kit, as well as food and water. On the most remote sections, he passed only 12 petrol stations for resupplies in 1200km, as he ran across the Nullarbor Plain in Australia.

“Running across Nullarbor was really tough,” he said. “This desert is famed for its lack of trees, hence no shade and water. This was a real test for me. Running without a support

crew, I had to ensure I had enough food and water with me to survive up to four days at a time as there was literally nothing except the desert beneath my feet.”

The personal trainer had already become the first person to run off-road and unsupported from Land’s End to John O’Groats - 1,250 miles of path, track and trail that taught him valuable lessons in keeping safe, avoiding planning errors, and in never pushing “too far”.

As he set off from Dartmoor in 2013, Carr identified three goals to his mission: 1) to become the first runner to circumnavigate the globe self-supported/solo, 2) to become the fastest runner around the world, and 3) to provide a powerful demonstration that an ‘ill mind’ is in no way a weak mind”.

Carr explains, “I have loved endurance sport

all my life, but I almost had a very short life,” At 19 I was incredibly lucky to survive a very serious suicide attempt. I’ve had to fight depression and anxiety all my adult life, but I’m determined not to let an illness or any stigma wrongly associated with it ever hold me back. I hope to inspire others, especially people who are where I was.”

His 19-month adventure certainly presented enough challenges to his mental strength and determination. Unlike cyclists who can time a round-the-world effort to coincide with favourable seasons and weathers, a runner’s speed of progress is much more limited.

“There were plenty of hazards – floods, freezing blizzards, heatstroke in India, wild dogs in Romania – and I was run over twice,” he said. “Towards the end, especially, I suffered setback-after-setback. In Argentina, I tore a quad muscle, lost a day in bed, then kept hitting delays and detours on the road. To make my

13July 2015 outdoorfitnessmag.com

16NEW PRODUCTSHot Products for the summer

20MTB COMP WINNERSally Hall

22EVENTS Focus on Great Manchester Cycle

ROUND THE WORLD RECORDSCYCLING There’s an element of controversy surrounding the round-the-world cycling record, following a change in the rules by Guinness World Records. The previous record was held by Britain’s Mike Hall in a time of 91 days 18 hours, but the rule change means that the clock does not stop when queuing for flights or ferries across oceans. As a result, the record has reverted to former holder and Brit Alan Bate, who completed a 42,608.76km circumnavigation (including transfers) in 125 days and 21 hours.

SAILING The fastest solo circumnavigation of the world by a sailor was by Frenchman Francis Joyon who lapped the globe in just 57 days and 13 hours, covering 26,100 nautical miles in his catamaran. Dame Ellen MacArthur holds the record for a monohull at 71 days and 14 hours. The record for a crewed boat is 45 days and 13 hours, held by the boat Banque Populaire 5, skippered by Loick Peyron.

WALKING The longest distance for a round the world walk is 64,752km (40,235 miles) by American Arthur Blessitt, who set off on Christmas Day 1969. Since then he has visited all seven continents, and crossed 321 nations, island groups and territories, carrying a 3.7m tall wooden cross and preaching from the Bible throughout his pilgrimage.

KEVIN CARR’S ROUTE The run started on Dartmoor, Devon, and headed east through France, Belgium, Holland, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey.

Carr then ran across India, from the west coast to the east, before running the entire width of Australia (Perth to Sydney), and continuing to run the full length of New Zealand. From there he flew to Canada, ran down through the USA and South America, before returning to the UK and the finish line on Dartmoor.

plane, I had to sleep four hours a night and run 16 hours a day for a week.”

In Canada he was pursued by a bear and forced to use his “bear banger” flare, he camped in the Arctic Circle and his route took him across the Andes at an altitude of 12,000 feet.

Yet these landscapes and climates also presented him with unforgettable moments. “I saw the northern lights a few times while camping in the Arctic Circle,” said Carr. “In Australia, there was a lunar eclipse and I heard a pack of dingos singing at the moon. That was a special moment. But the most amazing thing was the hospitality from strangers – people going out of their way to offer me a bed to sleep and free meals.”

The running also helped him deal with his mental illness. “Running outdoors is just the best therapy – you get to see a lot of the great outdoors. At my peak fitness, I can see in an afternoon what most people see in a full hiking holiday. That’s four days’ worth of beauty in one stretch.”

Looking to the future, Carr is still coming to terms with not waking up and running another ultramarathon every day.

So what next? “As for my next steps, I’m a qualified personal trainer, so want to coach long-distance runners,” he said. “I can help them with everything from writing the plan to doing their physical training. I reckon I’m pretty well qualified now.”

n Kevin Carr was running to raise funds for the Red Cross. “Most of the time I slept rough and it was hard, even as a trained athlete, to not know where I’d lay my head each night,” he said. “That’s what refugees have to endure all the time, plus not knowing what they’re going to eat. I can’t imagine that.” More info, hardwayround.com

There were plenty of hazards – floods, freezing blizzards, heatstroke in India, wild dogs in Romania – and I was run over twice,


STARTLINE SPORT SCIENCE NEWS

ENDURANCE ATHLETES WHO want to outrun and outride aging, need to focus on three solutions, according to an endurance coaching legend.

In his new book, Joe Friel says high intensity training, periodisation changes, and lifestyle adjustments hold the key to sustaining fitness into old age. As an elite coach, Friel has trained Olympic and world championship contenders in triathlon, duathlon, road cycling and mountain biking, and he’s now turned his attention to the older athlete.

In Fast after 50, he argues that performance decline is due primarily to changes in training regimes and lifestyle rather than physical deterioration. In effect, we start to take training easier at a time in life when we should be pushing harder to maintain fitness. With

appropriate caveats about taking medical advice to avoid illness and injury, he advocates high intensity interval training to stretch aerobic capacity, raise metabolism and cut fat production.

“If you train slower, you are likely to lose performance at a greater rate per decade than if you train fast,” says Friel. He also recommends strength training with heavy weights to maintain and develop muscles throughout the body. This intense exercise should then be counter-balanced by rest and recovery.

Friel also recommends a diet significantly higher in protein, at the expense of carbohydrate, to boost muscle growth and avoid fat gain; but adds: “Sleep is the single most important thing you can do to speed your recovery.”

Stay fit and fast after 50New book claims you can defy aging and maintain performance levels by training at high intensity

Keep running away from injuryIncreasing both the frequency and distance of your training runs is the best precaution against running related injuries, according to new research.

The study of 517 recreational runners appears to dispel the perception that high mileage, high frequency runners are more susceptible to injury. Instead, its analysis reveals that runners who train less than twice a week, and whose training lasts less than two hours per week face a greater injury risk.

The report, published in the Journal of Medicine and Science in Sport, indicates that a higher weekly distance is a strong, protective factor in avoiding injury. It also found that runners who carry a previous injury and run for less than two hours per week are most likely to suffer a subsequent injury

Cherries combat coughsDrinking Montmorency cherry juice wards off the coughs, phlegm, sore throats and blocked noses that plague long distance runners.

British sport scientists followed 20 marathon runners, tracking their upper respiratory tract symptoms (URTS) before and after a race. Building on research which found more than two-thirds of URTS were due to inflammation and/or allergy, rather than infection, the scientists gave the runners a dose of Montmorency cherry juice for the five days leading up to a marathon and in the 48 hours afterwards. The results revealed that the runners who drank the cherry juice suffered no inflammation and reported zero URTS, compared to a group given a placebo. Tart Montmorency cherries are purported to have anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative properties.

The research, published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, bolsters a growing body of evidence that Montmorency cherries can aid exercise recovery and improve health.P

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Fast after 50 by Joe Friel addresses sport science research on how to counter aging, and includes workout guidelines; £15.99, cordee.co.uk

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STARTLINE NEW PRODUCTS

Hot in the shopsWork hard, play hard, capture the action, then wash your kit. We review new products that’ll make the great outdoors ever more accessible.1 Polaris Women’s Vela Summer Jersey, £49.99A few years ago, women’s outdoor kit suffered from the “pinking and shrinking” approach – effectively making a smaller size of men’s kit and colouring it pink and selling it to women. This Vela jersey, on the other hand, is tailored specifically to the female form. So while it’s made from a high performance sweat-wicking fabric and has the practicality of a full length zip and three rear pockets, its USP is its woman-specific fit for riding comfort with a touch of style. It also comes in black with purple detailing. But not in pink.More info: polaris-bikewear.co.uk

2 Club Ride Cog, £74.99With the long, light and dry (ha!) days of summer finally here, it’s the best time of year to try commuting by bike. You could dress head-to-toe in Lycra, but not everyone wants to walk through their workplace in skintight clobber. Alternatively, pedal to work in these jeans designed for cycling; the pre-shrunk denim has Lycra in for stretch, the crotch gusset is seam free to avoid chafing, there’s a “Nocrackback” to keep your lower spine covered and warm when you’re stretching forward to the handlebars, and there’s even discreet reflective detailing on the zipped sidepocket, belt loop and inside right leg. Then when you’re off the bike they’re smart, straightleg jeans.More info: hotlines-europe.com

3 Anita Active Extreme Control, £48Banish bounce and run in comfort with this new sports bra. It features adjustable shoulder straps and a lightweight mesh back, and the seamless lining is made from a breathable towelling fabric. It’s available in sizes 30-46 B, C, D, E; 32-44 F, G and 32-42 H.More info: anita.com

4 Fat Lad at the Back Lads Try Triathlon Suit, £94.99For our bigger-boned brethren, few items of outdoor gear are as potentially unflattering as a trisuit, which is a shame, because sprint triathletes can benefit from a bit of ballast for buoyancy in the water and power on the bike. This suit aims to help the bigger lad get into triathlon; it’s made from a fast-drying fabric, has a long zip to help you get in and out, comes in beefy sizes, and as you might expect, there are back pockets for gels and snacks.More info: fatladattheback.com

5 TomTom Bandit Action Camera, £299.99Rugged action cameras have transformed the way we record and share high-adrenaline outdoor adventures. This new camera aims to make the process easier and swifter by allowing the video clips to be processed and edited on the camera itself. The camera can identify seven-second video highlight clips through sensors that record maximum G-force, acceleration, deceleration and

vertical speed. Then via an Apple or Android app, it syncs via WiFi to your smartphone. With a simple shake of your smartphone, the app will assemble these highlights into a ready-made video. Alternatively, select and edit video as you would with any other action camera, but without the need to upload the data to a computer. The camera does it all, using your phone as a display screen, you can then upload it from your phone directly to your favourite social media site. It’s waterproof, shoots in HD and can take still images too.More info: tomtom.com

6 Adidas Supanova ClimaChill Tee, £33This training and running T-shirt features aluminum-cooling spheres on the back and neck (the warmest area of the body), to provide an instant cooling sensation, while the micro-fibre fabric not only lets sweat escape rapidly, but also contains titanium to transfer heat away from the body. adidas promises it will keep you up to 36% cooler than previous adidas clothing.More info: adidas.co.uk

7 Odo Revive, £5.99 for 750mlIf your sports kit smells as high as your ambitions, you face a conundrum. Do you kill the odour with a hot wash that can damage the performance and shape of technical fabrics? Or do you run or cycle downwind from your mates? This new cleaning agent is designed to clean and remove sweat in 30-degree washes, and keep breathable, wicking fabrics functioning as intended. More info: odosport.com

8 Alpkit Lotic, £135The marketing blurb of most wetsuits is peppered with speed-related phrases – “quick in the water”, “fast in transition” – but what if you want a wetsuit not for racing but just for spending hours swimming? Step forward the bargain-priced Lotic, designed to keep you warmer and more comfortable for longer. Different thickness neoprene panels add buoyancy in the legs and backside, while allowing freer movement across the arms, chest and shoulder. Alpkit says the “Glideskin” outer not only makes the suit more hydro-dynamic, but also reduces heat conduction, keeping you warmer.More info: alpkit.com

9 Ultimate Performance Elastic Laces, £5.99There are times when an undone lace appears as a godsend, a legitimate reason to stop and catch your breath. But most of the time it’s a nuisance, breaking your rhythm, slowing you down and bugging your running buddies. So fix the issue with these laces that will never come undone; the spring-loaded lock secures the elastic bungee cord for a totally reliable fit. They should also help triathletes with fumbling fingers speed up transition two. More info: ultimate-performance.co.uk

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The former endurance sport enthusiast launched Spartan Race in 2010. This year the company will run more than 150 obstacle course races in 25 countries, with over 1 million participants.

5 things we learnt fromJoe De Sena, founder and CEO of Reebok Spartan Race

A VETERAN OF more than 50 ultra-distance and 14 Ironman events in one year alone, Joe De Sena is the mastermind behind Reebok Spartan Race, one of the largest obstacle course racing (OCR) companies in the world. He’s convinced that OCR events can change lives for the good, promoting healthier, more active lifestyles and building personal confidence to overcome barriers in life just as competitors overcome obstacles in races.

1 The perfect obstacle - It has got to take people to the brink of destruction mentally and physically so

they are just about broken, but can then come out the other side. The human being is a very competitive creature and there is a clock inside us that really wants to beat our personal best or beat the people near us. If Spartan Race had just a fun, hand-holding message, people would not push themselves to the limits. In life, all the great things you have to work for.

2 Sitting is the new smoking - I love burpees! I’m a big believer in functional movement. My fitness is very

bodyweight-centric and focused on mobility. It’s great if you can do curls in a gym, but we want to see a full range of movement and to feel comfortable doing it in repetitions. The body needs to be mobile and strong. Any time you get out in nature it feels a lot better than your office or hotel. I was up at 5am today to do sprints and 50 reps of five bodyweight exercises - I try not to sit - it’s the new smoking.

3 The perfect OCR athlete - OCR demands total body strength, athleticism and mental attitude. You have to

be a fast runner but we have had the fastest runners in the world participate and they could not compete with Spartans. It’s about having a wide range of skills.

4 OCR should be an Olympic sport - If curling and ping-pong are in the Olympics then Spartan Race can

have its place too. OCRs test the human being the way it’s supposed to be tested. The obstacles would have to remain the same (nets of a particular size, for example) but the courses would have to change and the competitors would not know what’s coming, because that’s the way life is. Most of us get very structured about our days and we do not deal very well with bumps in the road.

5 Face up to challenges that scare you - I tend to take on challenges that I do not want to do. At some

point I want to row across the Atlantic, but my kids need to be a bit older, because I might not make it.

n In the UK, Reebok Spartan Race will be holding events in Wales, Manchester, Glasgow, Cambridge and London this year, spartanraceuk.uk

STARTLINE SPORTING HEROES

July 2015 outdoorfitnessmag.com 1PLUS 10 CYCLING TIPS YOU CAN LEARN FROM THE PROS


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3Tour de France 2015 OUTDOOR FITNESS

TOUR DE FRANCE WELCOME

Welcome to the Tour de France GuideIt goes without saying that very few people with even a passing interest in sport will not have heard of the Tour de France for reasons good or bad. It’s one of the world’s most iconic sporting events and throws up some of the most compelling reasons for watching sport and then perhaps more importantly, acting as an inspiration for people to get out and cycle and get fit/fitter. Whether this “get out” be returning to cycling after many years; or aspiring to ride in the cycle tracks of the greatest cyclists on earth by attempting a Tour stage or riding in scintillating Wiggins’ style a more local sportive.

In our special Le Tour supplement we provide you with information on the TEAMS to look out for and their riders (page 12) and also offer a GUIDE TO THE ROUTE, singling out especially difficult and possibly Tour outcome defining stages – page 6. Elsewhere Bryce Dyer explains how you can IMPROVE YOUR SPORTIVE RIDING by learning from the Tour – page 9. And if high tech gadgetry floats your boat, we’ve an exposé on a TOUR BIKE’S ANATOMY – page 4.

So whether watching the Tour with your feet up, or pedalling with fast flying feet on your Tour-copy steed, or pootling along on your not so high-tech ride, take inspiration and strive for your own yellow jersey...

4 OUTDOOR FITNESS Tour de France 2015

TOUR DE FRANCE TYPE NAME HERETOUR DE FRANCE THE BIKE

It’s all about the bike!The Tour de France gives every road cycling fan the chance to drool over the most desirable frames and componentry on the planet. Here’s a closer look at the bike that pre-Tour favourite Nairo Quintana will be riding… it could be yours for a cool £7,299!

ULTIMATE CF SLX 9.0 TEAM MOV

1 FIZIK ALIANTE SADDLE Look carefully and you’ll spot

certain riders on board unlabelled saddles, preferring their own choice to that of their team sponsor. It’s not surprising – the width of sit bones varies so much that the chance of one saddle being comfortable for every anatomy is as rare as one size and type of shoe fitting every rider. That said, you will spy a lot of Fizik Arione saddles in the pro peloton, but unless you have the flexibility in your spine of a pro rider you’re more likely to feel comfortable on the Fizik Antares or Aliante.

2 GEARS (LEVERS) The Movistar team uses a

Campagnolo Super Record EPS groupset, the lightest electronic groupset in the world. Made from carbon fibre and titanium it’s capable of shifting gear even when under strain, such as when riding uphill. The lever still clicks to inform the rider of a gear change. The battery is cleverly concealed in the seat tube of the bike.

3 CHAINRING Mixing hollow carbon fibre cranks and spider

arms with a titanium axle this crankset is super light, and there’s new technology in the teeth of the chainrings - used by pro teams for the first time in 2014 - that helps the chain move up and down with optimum efficiency.

4 FRONT DERAILLEUR The electronic gear changes

are fast and precise with the Campagnolo Super Record EPS derailleur. Moreover, the front derailleur automatically fine-tunes its position, depending on which sprocket of the cassette is in use for optimum alignment with the chain.

5 REAR DERAILLEUR When the race suddenly kicks

into action or the terrain changes sharply, the Campagnolo Super Record EPS derailleur lets the rider make multi-gear shifts up or down the 11-sprocket cassette, with as many as 11 shifts possible with a single tap of the gear lever. For amateur riders who fear a technical

malfunction and don’t have a team car behind with a mechanic in it, a manual rear derailleur release system lets you move the rear derailleur manually into the desired position.

6 WHEELS Minimising the rotational weight of the rim,

while maximising its aero-efficiency is the holy grail of wheel design. The Campagnolo Bora Ultra uses an innovative spoke configuration, with the right-hand side of the rear wheel fitted with twice as many wind-cheating, aero-profile spokes as the left to reduce the stress on the spokes on the right and improve energy transfer. In the carbon hub, ceramic ball bearings reduce friction to the minimum, yet on the rim the new 3Diamant surface treatment eliminates imperfections in the wheel’s surface, thereby allowing the brake pad to work directly on the carbon fibre.

7 FRAME Barely troubling the scales at 790g in size medium,

the Canyon Ultimate CF SLX combines minimum weight with

maximum stiffness for a ride that transfers all the rider’s power to the road. The seatstays pass either side of the seat tube to join the top tube. This creates a stiffer connection between the seat tube and top tube, while allowing a degree of vertical flex to absorb harder shocks. The frame is made from carbon fibre, and features internal cable routing for neatness, aero benefits and to protect the cables from grit and water.

8 BRAKES Thrilling downhill mountain descents demand

safe, reliable brakes with maximum stopping power. The Campagnolo Super Record Skeleton Brakes use aluminium alloy for the body and special brake shoes for enhanced braking performance. In standard format, the double-fulcrum front brake controls 70% of the stopping power and the single fulcrum rear brake delivers 30% of the resistance. But for a tiny weight penalty of just 25g, Campagnolo has developed a dual-pivot rear brake to increase the braking force.

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TOUR DE FRANCE TYPE NAME HERETOUR DE FRANCE THE ROUTE

3 weeks, 21 stages, 3,344kmThe Tour de France challenges competitors like no other sporting event, demanding high-intensity effort and extraordinary endurance on a daily basis. Yet over the course of three weeks of ferocious racing, victory is likely to be seized on just a handful of days. Here are five of the stages that are sure to be preying on the minds of potential winners.

STAGE 14th July, Utrecht, Netherlands - Time TrialTo be ready to go on the “B of Bang” as Linford Christie used to say, lets yellow jersey contenders throw down the gauntlet to their rivals on the first day of the race. This flat, 14km time trial course is unlikely to give any rider the chance to gain serious seconds over other podium pretenders, but psychologically it allows the winner to throw down a marker that says, “I’m in red hot form”.

STAGE 47th July, Seraing to Cambrai, 221kmUnpredictability is the name of the game on this potentially treacherous stage over the same cobbled sections of road that torment riders in the classic Paris-Roubaix one-day race. Seven sectors of cobbles totalling 13km await the Tour riders exponentially increasing the risk of punctures, mechanical failures and falls. On these brutal roads, general classification (GC) hopefuls will fear losing minutes on their fiercest competitors… or even bouncing out of the race for good. Vincenzo Nibali’s bold and impressive performance over the cobbles last year saw him chisel out a lead that he held for the rest of the race, bar one day. In the words of race director Christian Prudhomme, this stage to Cambrai, “Will force the leaders and their teammates to be extra cautious.”

STAGE 1014th July, Tarbes to La Pierre-Saint-Martin, 167kmAfter nine days when the sprinters ought to have snaffled the glory, the race enters the mountains for the first time on Bastille Day. This Pyrenean stage is set for climbers with limbs like pipe cleaners to fly skywards in pursuit of the coveted polka dot King of the Mountains jersey. It’s also the first chance for yellow jersey contenders to eyeball each other without the protection of a full team of domestiques. Expect a few tentative attacks as they size each other up on the final climb of the Col du Soudet, which gains 1,090m in altitude, much of it at a 10% gradient.

STAGE 1216th July, Lannemazan to Plateau de Beille, 195kmPowers of recovery will be put to the test today, the third consecutive day in the mountains. Three major ascents threaten to blow the race apart even before the riders reach the foot of the final climb to Plateau de Beille, 1,780m above sea level. The Tour organiser describes the incline to the mountain-top finish as “frightful” – 1,255m of height gain at an average of 7.9%, with several double-digit gradient sections.

STAGE 20, 25th July, Modane to Alpe d’Huez, 110kmThe penultimate stage of the Tour and a last gasp opportunity for podium contenders to snatch victory as they race over three giants of Tour de France history - Col du Telegraphe, Col du Galibier and finally Alpe d’Huez with its legendary 21 switchback ascent. It’s a shortish, savagely steep stage that will demand total respect and commitment from every GC contender. Whoever is in the yellow jersey at the end of today’s stage fully deserves their victory ride into Paris tomorrow.

L’ETAPE DU TOURSTAGE 1924th July, Saint Jean de Maurienne to La Toussuire, 138kmFor the thousands of Brits who cross the Channel to ride ‘L’Etape du Tour’ (the event that lets amateurs tackle a full stage of the Tour on roads closed to traffic), watch carefully to see how it should be done! The Etape is five days earlier on the 19th July, and it will be both humbling and awe-inspiring to see the speeds at which the professionals race up the same mountains, and the bike-handling skills they deploy to descend at perilous pace.More info, letapedutour.com


TOUR DE FRANCE TYPE NAME HERE

YOUR DAY BY DAY GUIDE TO THE TOUR STAGESSTAGE DATE START AND FINISH DISTANCE 1 Saturday, July 4th Utrecht/Utrecht 13.8km2 Sunday, July 5th Utrecht/Zélande 166km3 Monday, July 6th Anvers/Huy 159.5km4 Tuesday, July 7th Seraing/Cambrai 221.5km5 Wednesday, July 8th Arras Communauté Urbaine/Amiens Métropole 189.5km6 Thursday, July 9th Abbeville/Le Havre 191.5km7 Friday, July 10th Livarot/Fougères 190.5km8 Saturday, July 11th Rennes/Mûr-de-Bretagne 181.5km9 Sunday, July 12th Vannes/Plumelec 28km- Monday, July 13th REST DAY 10 Tuesday, July 14th Tarbes/La Pierre-Saint-Martin 167km11 Wednesday, July 15th Pau/Cauterets - Vallée de Saint-Savin 188km12 Thursday, July 16th Lannemezan/Plateau de Beille 195km13 Friday, July 17th Muret/Rodez 198.5km14 Saturday, July 18th Rodez/Mende 178.5km15 Sunday, July 19th Mende/Valence 183km16 Monday, July 20th Bourg-de-Péage/Gap 201km- Tuesday, July 21st REST DAY 17 Wednesday, July 22nd Digne-les-Bains/Pra Loup 161km18 Thursday, July 23rd Gap/Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne 186.5km19 Friday, July 24th Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne/ La Toussuire - Les Sybelles 138km20 Saturday, July 25th Modane Valfréjus/Alpe d’Huez 110.5km21 Sunday, July 26th Sèvres - Grand Paris Seine Ouest/Paris Champs-Élysées 109.5km

TOUR DE FRANCE IN NUMBERS

102 THE ONE HUNDRED

AND SECOND EDITION OF THE RACE

3,344km THE DISTANCE THE RIDERS

WILL COVER

21 THE NUMBER OF STAGES

9THE NUMBER OF “FLAT”

STAGES THAT SPRINTERS WILL EXPECT TO WIN

7 MOUNTAIN STAGES, SHARED

BETWEEN THE ALPS AND PYRENEES

28kmTHE DISTANCE OF THE TEAM

TIME TRIAL

3 HILLY STAGES

2 REST DAYS

14km THE DISTANCE OF THE ONLY

INDIVIDUAL TIME TRIAL IN THE RACE

London to ParisCycle Challenge

It’s amazing what

you can do on a bike

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TOUR DE FRANCE LEARN FROM THE TOUR

10 TIPS TO RIDE

BETTERIs there anything you can learn from the

Tour to help improve your performance and enjoyment of your Sportive riding?

We’ve 10 tips that say yes!

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10 OUTDOOR FITNESS Tour de France 2015OUTDOOR FITNESS Tour de France 2015

TOUR DE FRANCE TYPE NAME HERETOUR DE FRANCE LEARN FROM THE TOUR

01 SAVE YOUR ENERGY. Bike racing isn’t just about who is the

strongest, it’s also about who can conserve the most energy. As a rider you can only go so hard, for so long. Proverbially speaking though, if your wheels fall off you’ll either struggle, have to spend even more time in the saddle trying to finish the event or maybe not even finish at all. Riders in the Tour save energy by working together in packs - riders slipstream each other by performing “through and off” (a means of riding whereby each rider takes a short stint at the front before peeling off and recovering in the slipstream of the others behind). According to a review paper published in the Journal Sports Engineering in 2005, a rider slipstreaming a single rider in front could use 33% less power to go the same speed than if they were riding alone. It has also been shown that you save fractionally more power again by being third or fourth in line but you won’t make many friends unless you take a turn on the front yourself. All in all though when you’re tiring, the shelter of others can really keep energy costs down and help get you home faster.

02 AERODYNAMICS MATTER. As well as slipstreaming,

aerodynamics plays a huge part in terms of equipment selection at the Tour. Consider that research tells us that depending on your riding speed aerodynamic drag can account for upto 90% of the force holding you back. Of that 90%, 20-30% is typically due to your equipment (be it the bike, your

clothing and other things like helmet design). So whilst it might seem more tempting to go buy a new carbon frame, a more potent and cost effective improvement may well be your clothing. In the early days of the tour, the riders used wool jerseys which were heavy, basic and not very breathable. In the modern tour, riders now use skin-tight lycra suits with special low surface drag fabrics. They also use strategically placed seams and pockets to minimise any resistance that would also slow the rider down. So for your own sportive use well-fitting clothing with minimal bunching and wrinkles. Plus, don’t open any front zips unless you have to. Opening the front zip can add massive levels of surface generated turbulence.

03 TAILOR YOUR EQUIPMENT. Recent tour history tells us

that riders with overall aspirations leave no stone unturned. They alter their cycling equipment to help provide any technological advantage they can get. For example, the 2014 Tour included a stage that had large sections of cobbled roads. Some riders used wider tyres to provide extra comfort and grip. Some applied a second layer of bar tape to their handlebars to minimise vibration and some used stronger wheels with higher spoke counts to make them more durable to the higher level of impacts. At the end of the day, having a featherweight bike is great for when the road goes skywards, but a sportive is more pleasant if you’re comfortable all day long and you have the

confidence that your equipment can take anything the route throws at it. A 2014 paper in the Journal Sports Engineering proposed that excess levels of vibration in both the hands and buttocks creates discomfort and generates increased fatigue. Fatigue will sap your energy levels and ultimately slow you down. Look at your chosen event in advance using tools like Google Earth (or pre-drive it) and then tailor your bike’s set-up to match the route’s demands.

04 MAXIMISE YOUR POWER-TO-WEIGHT RATIO. Power-to-

weight is a key driver of Tour success. When you hit a climb, the impact of aerodynamics reduces but the impact of your weight (and the energy needed to move it) increases. Renowned cycling physiologist Dr Andrew Coggan has proposed that a world class rider can produce over six watts per kilogramme of their body weight for an hour. However, a recreational rider in their first sportive may only be able to achieve a third of that. As a result, getting rid of any excess weight is only going to improve your performance if your sportive has some climbing in it. In published work by Professor Asker Jeukendrup, if a rider dropped the weight of their bicycle from 10kg down to 7kg, over a 20km climb (with a gradient of 12%), this weight loss would save the rider a whopping seven minutes of climb time. However, before you all start running to your local bike store to buy the latest carbon fibre gadget, consider that it might be more effective (and cheaper) to lose the weight from your own body rather than your bicycle!

05 SPEND MONEY WHERE IT HAS THE MOST IMPACT ON

PERFORMANCE. In the early days, Tour riders had to use and repair their own bikes. In the 1913 race, Tour leader Eugene Christophe had to reweld his forks mid race at a local blacksmiths whilst leading (cruelly he was later penalised time anyway for using a local boy to pump the forge bellows). Christophe wasn’t the luckiest of riders as he had already lost the race the previous year to another rider who was using the (then) highly innovative rear derailleur (whereas Christophe had opted to use the more typical fixed gear). The best upgrade on your sportive bike depends on the

event’s length and route but the best place to start with is nearly always the wheels. The impact of reducing any rotating mass by using lighter rims and tyres will make the bike accelerate faster as well as making it ascend hills quicker. An aerodynamic rim profile will also lower the aerodynamic drag acting on it on the flat and therefore either reduce your energy to hold a given speed or give you more scope to increase it.

06 PACING. Pacing is critical to make the most of your ability.

Bad pacing, (notably in the individual time trial stages of the tour) can make or break a rider’s overall ambitions. It’s really only taken the relatively recent widespread use of power meters at the tour for riders to really know how hard they should push and when they should back off. Heart rate is a useful measurement of how hard you are working but it takes time to elevate. By the time it stabilises, the damage might already be done. A study published in the Journal of Sports Sciences in 2007 tells us that it’s not just a case of saving our best until last if we want to do well. It was proposed that a strong way to use our energy most effectively when riding alone was to push a little above our comfort zone (roughly 10%) when the speed is likely to fall (i.e. on hills or in a headwind) but easing off (around 10%) when things are favourable (i.e. downhill or with a tailwind). This way, the overall average speed is kept higher and therefore your ride to the finish will be swifter.

07 GIVE YOUR BIKE THE ONCE OVER. At the 2010 Tour, race leader

Andy Schleck attacked 2km from the top of a summit and just as he made his big bid for glory……. his chain fell off. Close rival Alberto Contador counter-attacked and was gone. By the time Schleck got his chain back on he’d lost 15 seconds, lost any chance of a slipstream or group to help him and ultimately lost the race. Contador was later disqualified for a doping infringement (thereby giving the win to Schleck) but the point here is that bikes often work well when tootling around but can experience problems when being pushed hard. Make sure you check every bolt on your bike and that you bed in any new equipment you might have bought for it, long before your big day out.

11Tour de France 2015 OUTDOOR FITNESSTour de France 2015 OUTDOOR FITNESS


08 IF YOU CAN’T RIDE UP FAST, RIDE WELL ELSEWHERE. Sooner

or later you might find yourself struggling when the road points upwards. Everyone’s fitness has limitations and with power-to-weight being such a factor, some riders may just be too large in build to cope as well on the hills compared to waif-like others. However, bike riding is also about handling and skill and it’s possible to limit your losses going up by being skilled when coming down or when cornering. Former Tour stage winner Sean Yates discusses in his autobiography that he learnt how to get down mountains fast to help compensate for his weaker climbing to still be able to stay with the main group. That’s not just a case of letting the brakes off and going for it kamikaze-style though. Look on youtube for an example by Fabian Cancellara at the 2009 Tour when he’d been forced to stop due to a rear wheel puncture, got subsequently

dropped by the peleton and then had to chase back on his own. It’s an exercise in grace and precision, not blind aggression.

09 NO FUEL = NO ENERGY = NO FINISH. We all

likely know to drink when we’re thirsty or to eat when we’re hungry. However glycogen depletion is a factor once your cycling event gets much past an hour in length. A single tour stage is often around five hours long so pro riders have to learn to both eat and drink little often, and on the move. In their case some of their teammates drop back to their team cars to collect new bottles and nutrition throughout the day or pick up bags (“musettes”) from team helpers at the roadside. Even the pro’s can get it wrong and suffer the dreaded “bonk” though – Tour winner Chris Froome was reported to suffer a major bout of it during the 2013 Tour as he ascended Alpe d’Huez. He was

dropped as other riders realising his weakness started attacking him. In the case of your own sportive, use the event’s feed stops to keep bottles topped up and take on gels and nutrition from the start of your event through to its finish. Additionally, find out what they are serving at the event and try it beforehand in your training. There should be no surprises on the day.

10 WATCH WHERE YOU’RE GOING! It sounds obvious but the

sheer volume and tightly packed nature of a peleton in a tour or a sportive can make visibility extremely limited. Tour stages have a tendency for the pace to ratchet up towards the end – especially if it’s a sprint stage. Likewise, sportives often see the same as riders competitive juices start to flow and they get the sniff of a finish line. The increase in speed coupled with lots of tiring riders is liable to see mistakes being made. Never was this so

painfully clear than at the Tour’s final stage in Paris in 1991 when Djamolodine Abdoujaparov (whilst in a desperate sprint for the line with his head down), could have been killed as he rode into crash barriers at nigh on 40mph. Frenchman Laurent Jalabert did the same thing in 1994, then colliding with a policeman (who bizarrely had decided to lean out and take a photograph). Jalabert’s bike was literally obliterated by the impact and he ended up with multiple fractures. As far as your ride goes, keep your head up, steer away from those weaving across the road and if you’re not happy, drop back and ride it in alone. If you look at TV footage of many sprint stages at the tour, you’ll often see some riders not interested in the stage win dropping back in the closing kilometres to stay out of trouble and living to fight another day.

Hopefully these 10 tips will help you have the fastest, safest and most enjoyable ride at your next sportive.

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TOUR DE FRANCE TYPE NAME HERETOUR DE FRANCE TEAM GUIDE

Team GuideTwenty-two teams, each with nine riders, will contest the 2015 Tour de France. Here’s your guide to the jerseys, the bikes and the riders to look out for.

YELLOW JERSEYThe famous “maillot jaune” is presented to the rider with the shortest aggregate time for the race, often referred to as the general classification (GC). To wear it for a day is a career highlight. To win it in Paris after three weeks of racing is career defining.

GREEN JERSEYThe “sprinters’ jersey” is worn by the rider who leads the points classification competition. Points are won at intermediate sprints and at the end of a stage, on a sliding scale. Rule changes this year favour riders who win, rather than are highly placed in stages.

KING OF THE MOUNTAINS JERSEYThe prize for the best climber is the hugely respected polka dot jersey. Points are awarded at the top of any classified climb, and the points accumulate throughout the race.

WHITE JERSEYThe best young rider (25 years old or younger) wears the white jersey, based on having the shortest aggregate time for the race. It’s a pointer to future stars.

AG2R LA MONDIALENationality: FranceBike: Focus Izalco MaxWho to watch: Superb performances in last year’s Tour leave AG2R with that loveliest of challenges, selection problems. Will the great young French hope Romain Bardet lead the team after his sixth place in last year’s race, or will the experience of 38-year old Jean Christophe Peraud, second last year, have a final tilt at the top spot of the podium?

ETIXX-QUICK-STEPNationality: BelgiumBike: Specialized Tarmac and VengeWho to watch: There’s a galaxy of stars in the Etixx-Quick-Step squad, including the world champion Michal Kwiatkowski but British eyes will be on Mark Cavendish. The “Manx Missile” has been in blistering form this year, notching up 13 victories by the time Outdoor Fitness went to press, and he’ll be determined to add to his 25 Tour stage victories.

ASTANA PRO TEAM Nationality: KazakhstanBike: Specialized Tarmac SL and VengeWho to watch: With the defending champion in their ranks, all resources will be focused on helping Vincenzo Nibali retain his yellow jersey. Last year he dominated the race after Chris Froome and Alberto Contador were forced by injuries to withdraw. The Italian is unlikely to have such an easy ride in 2015.

FDJNationality: FranceBike: Lapierre Aircode 500Who to watch: Tipped to be the first French winner of the Tour de France in 30 years, Thibaut Pinot will set French hearts fluttering if he can repeat the heroics of his third place overall in 2014. A stage win at the Tour de Romandie in May, where he beat Tour favourites Quintana (Movistar) and Nibali (Astana), will have done his confidence no harm at all.

BMC RACING TEAMNationality: USA Bike: BMC Teammachine SLR01Who to watch: As BMC’s undisputed GC contender in 2015, following the retirement of Cadel Evans, the talented American Tejay van Garderen finally has the chance to shine – although the bookmakers will still give you 50-1 on him winning overall. With a squad full of stars, BMC riders should regularly find themselves on the podium.

IAM CYCLINGNationality: SwitzerlandBike: Scott FoilWho to watch: IAM has a roster of riders capable of plundering an opportunist stage win, from veteran Sylvain Chavanel to sprinter Heinrich Haussler. Keep an eye out too for Sebastien Reichenbach – if he recovers from his exertions at the Giro, he’ll fight for a top 10 GC spot.

JERSEY BOYS These cycling jerseys are awarded at the end of each stage and are the most valued prizes in the sport.



BORA-ARGON 18Nationality: GermanyBike: Argon 18 Gallium Pro and NitrogenWho to watch: Dominik Nerz, currently Germany’s best GC rider for grand tours, will be gunning for a top 10 position, while this Pro Continental team will surely attempt to justify its wildcard invitation to the world’s greatest race by getting into breakaways and targeting stage wins. It was third in last year’s team time trial.

LAMPRE MERIDA Nationality: ItalyBike: Merida Reacto TeamWho to watch: Given the most vivid kit in the pro peloton, Lampre Merida ought to have a team of stand-out riders. Their star is former world champion Rui Costa, who is returning to form after an injury-blighted 2014 could on his day contest a handful of stage wins.

MTN-QHUBEKANationality: South AfricaBike: Cervelo R5 and S5Who to watch: Eight new signings to Africa’s first and only UCI Pro Continental team have made this team a force to be reckoned with. In its ranks are former Tour stage winner Edvald Boasson Hagen, 2014 Milan San Remo winner Gerald Ciolek, and the race-savvy Australian sprinter Matt Goss. Natnael Berhane is the longer-term hope for an African champion.

BRETAGNE SECHE ENVIRONNEMENTNationality: FranceBike: Look 795Who to watch: Excited at its wildcard entry to the Tour for a second consecutive time, the French team has already set out its stall with three goals for the 2015 race: 1) a stage win, 2) a rider in the top 15 overall, and 3) to get all nine of its riders to Paris. The pressure is on Pierrick Fédrigo, Eduardo Sepulveda and Anthony Delaplace to deliver.

LOTTO SOUDALNationality: BelgiumBike: Ridley Noah SL and Helium SLWho to watch: On the sprint stages the huge German champion Andre Greipel will always be close to the podium. Regular GC contender Jurgen Van den Broeck will sit out this year’s Tour, but his teammate Tony Gallopin wore the yellow jersey for a day last year and won a stage, so there’s good strength in depth.

ORICA GREENEDGENationality: AustralianBike: Scott Foil and AddictWho to watch: The team that always seems to be having the most fun on tour, plays as hard as it works, and will pedal hard for victory in the team time trial. In Simon Gerrans, Orica has one of the outstanding riders on the world stage, while British fans will be hoping one or both of the Yates twins, Simon and Adam, will make a breakthrough.

COFIDIS, SOLUTIONS CREDITSNationality: FrenchBike: Orbea OrcaWho to watch: Cofidis has a genuine contender for stage wins in the sprinter and former French national champion Nacer Bouhani. Last year he won three stages and the points’ jersey at the Giro d’Italia, and two stages at the Vuelta d’Espagne. Can he transfer that form to the finish line on his home soil?

MOVISTARNationality: SpainBike: Canyon Ultimate CF SLXWho to watch: The tiny Columbian Nairo Quintana is one of the pre-Tour favourites to be wearing the yellow jersey when the peloton eventually pedals into Paris. He’s a phenomenal climber with an expression that never seems to change whatever the gradient. Froome, Contador and Nibali will watch his every move in the mountains.

TEAM CANNONDALE-GARMINNationality: USABike: Cannondale Super Six Evo Who to watch: A merger of two teams, Garmin Slipstream and Cannondale has created a tantalising mix of riders with serious competition for the nine Tour places. Ryder Hesjedal has won the Giro d’Italia, Dan Martin has won Tour stages and Classics, and Andrew Talansky could one day challenge for the top spot on the podium.

14 OUTDOOR FITNESS Tour de France 2015OUTDOOR FITNESS Tour de France 2015

TOUR DE FRANCE TYPE NAME HERETOUR DE FRANCE TEAM GUIDE

TEAM EUROPCARNationality: FranceBike: Colnago V1-rWho to watch: With his fourth place in last year’s Giro d’Italia followed by 11th in the Tour, Pierre Rolland showed he has what it takes to stand on the podium of a grand tour, and the team are whispering that the Tour is his number one target for 2015. Meanwhile, perennial stage winner Thomas Voeckler will seize any opportunity for a win.

TEAM LOTTO NL-JUMBONationality: NetherlandsBike: Bianchi Oltre XR2Who to watch: Laurens ten Dam has spent good spells of the last two Tours de France well inside the GC top 10, while Robert Gesink has been staying in the USA since the Tour of California to train at altitude. “I like being in the States as it offers me the perfect combination of training and fun,” he said.

TREK FACTORY RACINGNationality: USABike: Trek MadoneWho to watch: With the Tour starting with a time trial there’s a good chance that the team’s undisputed leader and phenomenal time triallist Fabian Cancellara could spend the first few days of the race in the yellow jersey. Meanwhile, Bauke Mollema is a dark horse for a highly placed finish in the GC competition.

TEAM GIANT ALPECIN Nationality: GermanyBike: Giant Propel Advanced SL and TCR Advanced SLWho to watch: Home to the fastest sprinter in last year’s Tour, Marcel Kittel, and 2015 Paris-Roubaix winner John Degenkolb, this is a team built around sprinting speed. Last year Kittel’s lead out train was flawless and his acceleration breathtaking. He’s set for a royal battle with Cavendish.

TEAM SKYNationality: BritishBike: Pinarello DogmaWho to watch: After last year’s injury-ruined Tour, Chris Froome will be looking to recapture the form that won him the 2013 race by a comfortable margin. Team Sky’s early season at the Classics was strong, and it will be interesting to see whether the team can impose its control on the race.

TEAM KATUSHANationality: RussiaBike: Canyon Ultimate CF SLXWho to watch: In the mountains the veteran climber Joaquim Rodriguez can be a match for any rider, and he’s topped the UCI World Tour rankings three times since 2010. In the hilly stages and the sprints, expect to see the Norwegian Alexander Kristoff come to the fore – he won two stages last year and was second in the green jersey competition.

TINKOFF-SAXONationality: RussiaBike: Specialized Tarmac and VengeWho to watch: Contador is the only one of the hot GC favourites to have raced the Giro d’Italia – will the Tour of Italy have sharpened his form or exhausted him? He’ll be helped by last year’s King of the Mountains Rafal Majka, while 2014 green jersey winner Peter Sagan has the fitness and skill to be at the sharp end of all but the steepest stages.

Chris Froome will be looking to recapture the form that won him the 2013 race by a comfortable margin.

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rSTARTLINE COMPETITION WINNER

Sally Hall MTB Competition WinnerLate last year, we teamed up with the SCOTT MTB Marathon Series, SCOTT sports, CYCLE-TEC and TORQ Fitness Consultancy, to offer one of our readers the ultimate mountain biking prize. We’re now following our winner Sally Hall as she trains and races through this summer’s Scott MTB Marathon Series. WELL, BULITH WELLS was certainly an introduction to the Scott MTB Marathon Series on April 12th! What a stunning place for my first ride in the MTB series, even if the conditions were a tad challenging. I was down to do the full marathon (well, they put the effort in to make the course, so it would be rude not to ride it all wouldn’t it!). It was just under 70km with over 1500m of climbing and some nice descents that never lasted long enough! I got round in 5:44:31 at a pace of around 7-8mph (to give you an idea the first guys back did it in 3:20, but it’s not a race…!). Me, I was happy enough to finish and not feel exhausted, although I was beaten up by the wind (does that mean I wasn’t riding hard enough?!).

I’ll admit that I went into round 1 with little expectation, rather just a bunch of questions surrounding the whole event. What’s the bike going to be like and will it fit me? What kit do I wear and take? How much food do I need? What and when do I eat? Will I make it round? I was going in blind without a true gauge of my fitness and to be honest minimal preparation, but I thought, well there’s nothing to stress about because it’s all for the love of it!

As soon as the ride started all the questions (answered or not) and nervous butterflies subsided and it was all about enjoying what turned out to be a pretty tough ride. To say it was windy was an understatement; relentless gale force winds seemed to be always in my face or to my side, no matter which way the trail went. The climbs were a challenge in consequence when trying to ride in a straight line and actually keep up some kind of speed. It was not a ride to lose concentration on - the simplest of trails turned into a mission to stay on track.

The first feed station was a godsend and it was out of the wind too. It provided a chance to catch my breath and to realise I had not eaten or drunk very much at all even though I had my supplies me, so a cheeky munch was in order (the banana cake was a highlight!). I’m rubbish at monitoring what I take in, so this will be important to learn over the course of the season. Filling a little fuller it was then back on for the next stretch, which for me seemed to go fairly quickly, especially as there were a couple or roads and some sheep trails with some fast grass descents. All was good until a marshall mentioned it was 3km to the next feed station. I thought, “Great, it can’t be too long then”. I was wrong, it was all uphill with a headwind that literally took my breath away and felt like I was giving my all and going no-where fast. This was very frustrating. Finally, the second feed station appeared, although not sheltered it was a happy sight. I have to say thank you and well done to all the marshalls who stuck it out in the cold

winds, it was not pleasant. I didn’t stop for long as I cool down really quickly, so I quickly pedalled off to complete the final section, which saw another 10km, at least on the tops in a now familiar headwind. It wasn’t so bad this time, and then it began descending, at last a real smile came across my face, as well as a lot of mud!

All in all, my first ride was hard; some called it a “bit of a slog”, but I strangely enjoyed it. You can control a few things, but the elements are not one of them.

The Scott Contessa Spark 700RC I rode is a beautiful machine and despite never having ridden it before we got on very well. It’s like an excitable Spaniel that never wants to stop or slow down, and so it makes you want to ride faster and longer, whilst still making the journey enjoyable. I’ve now spent a bit more time on the bike around my local trails and it’s a fast rolling, responsive, easy to manoeuvre and very capable machine on even the steeper local trails - who needs a dropper post!

Since round 1, I have been up to visit the guys from TORQ Fitness (competition partners) for my consultation day (I would highly recommend giving it a try). This was a really interesting and educational experience, where I was put through my paces with fitness testing. Firstly, a controlled lactate threshold test on a turbo trainer, which stops before it gets too hard thankfully! This was followed by a 7-mile “give it all you’ve got” hill climb that measured my anaerobic threshold. For those who love a few stats, I have a lactate threshold of 130 watts and an anaerobic threshold of 209 watts. I would say my fitness level is at a middle-of-the-pack-club-rider-level, compared to that of a professional road rider who would probably be happy chatting away at around 250-300 watts – and who when they crank it up, could achieve 475-500 watts. My training plan is being written as we speak. I know that I am going to have a main focus of building up my endurance and therefore increasing my aerobic threshold, so I can go further for longer, hopefully at a faster pace.

Time has flown by and I’ve just been getting out on the bike as much as possible, increasing my commute to work. My days off are now longer rides and evenings are either a ride around the trails or a spin on the turbo. I hope this will enhance how I do in round 2 of the MTB series at Rhayader - it sounds like a cracker. This time I’ll be going in with a bit more confidence about the distance and so will be aiming to increase my pace and therefore my time, without pushing too much and hitting “the wall”. All I can say is that I will give it my all on the day and whatever the elements - they won’t stop myself or the other riders from having a great day out in the saddle!


SCOTT MTB MARATHON SERIES24th May Rhayader, mid-Wales5th July Church Stretton, Shropshire2nd Aug Wantage, Oxfordshire12-13th Sep Ruhtin, north-WalesMore info: n mtb-marathon.co.ukn cycle-tec.co.ukn torqfitness.co.uk


7TH JUNECOLOR RUNWembley, LondonPresented by Dulux, this 5km fun run is literally an explosion of colour, as runners are doused in different colours.£28, thecolorrun.co.uk

20TH JUNEMARTIN CURRIE ROB ROY CHALLENGE HIKE & BIKEDrymen, TrossachsExplore the stunning Trossachs on this 16-mile hike to Callander, followed by a tough 39-mile bike ride along Loch Tay to Kenmore. £125, robroychallenge.com

20TH JUNEWEST HIGHLAND WAY RACE Milngavie, Dunbartonshire Starting at 1am, you have 36 hours to cover 95 miles and 14,760ft of ascent. The race qualifies for four points for the 2016 Ultra-Trail du Mont Blanc.£97, westhighlandwayrace.org

20TH JUNEGREAT EAST SWIMAlton Water, SuffolkSwim ½, 1 or 2 miles or stretch your endurance by tackling the 5km circuit in the beautiful Alton Water reservoir. £28-£40, greatswim.org

21ST JUNEHENLEY-ON-THAMES TRIATHLON Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire A pool-based triathlon with sprint and super sprint distances available. The cycle course is mainly on flat roads while the run is on grass.£46.50-£56.50, uktriathlon.co.uk

27TH JUNECOAST TO COAST IN A DAY Seascale to WhitbyCycle 150 miles from the Lake District to the North Yorkshire coast in just one day.£250, opencycling.com

28TH JUNEHENLEY CLASSIC SWIMHenley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire Swim 2.1km upstream on the famous Henley Regatta river course at sunrise. A delightful and satisfying experience.£43, henleyswim.com

28TH JUNEA DAY IN THE LAKES TRIUllswater, CumbriaThis half Ironman distance triathlon features a 1.9km swim in Ullswater, a 90km cycle including the Kirkstone Pass and a 20km run.£52-£72, trihard.co.uk

27-28TH JUNE LONDON TO BRIGHTON TREK LondonYou’ve got just 30 hours to walk 100km non-stop. It’s so much harder than you think. For teams and individuals.£50, bhf.org.uk/l2btrek

27-28TH JUNETOTAL WARRIOR OCRBramham Park, Leeds Multi-terrain 12km challenge with 30 obstacles (you can race both days!).£69-£100, totalwarrior.co.uk

4TH JULYSOUTH COAST TRIATHLON Seaford, East SussexA sea-based triathlon featuring super sprint, sprint and Olympic distance triathlons and large crowds!£51.50, £56.50, £61.50, uktriathlon.co.uk

5TH JULYSPIRE BUSHEY 10K & 5K RUNQueens School, Bushey, WatfordPart of the annual Bushey Festival, this great little race is now in its 29th year. £17.00, £12 (£6.00 junior races) purplepatchrunning.com

Events Diary: June - JulyThere’s something for everyone in our events guide…

›› NEAR HORIZON12TH JULYWORCESTER RING CANOE CHALLENGEWorcesterHere’s a new concept for paddlers – a canoe and kayak sportive. The event is organised by Worcester Canoe Club and offers three distances of 6, 15 or 21 miles, following the River Severn, Worcester & Birmingham Canal and Droitwich Canal. The different distances and waters should cater for all levels of paddler.£20, worcestercanoeclub.org.uk

›› DISTANT HORIZON 10TH OCTOBERHALO OKTOBERFESTBristolMix mountain biking and beer in this four and eight-hour endurance event for solo riders, pairs and teams. How many laps of the 10km singletrack all weather course at Ashton Court can you (and your buddies complete) within the time limit. Then celebrate afterwards at the beer festival with DJs, and sleep it off at the campsite (just £4 per pitch).£32, oktober-fest.co.uk

›› LIFELIST HORIZON5-13TH SEPTEMBERLAND’S END TO JOHN O’GROATSIf not this year, then maybe next, but one thing is for sure… at some stage in the life of an outdoor fitness fan, a ride from the top to the toe of this country is an itch that has to be scratched. Maybe it’s even a duty or a rite of passage? Cycling 1,000 miles from Land’s End to John O’Groats gives a magnificent flavour of Britain’s amazing landscapes. It may be a formidable physical challenge, but it is achievable by normal mortals (not just explorers) with a bit of training and planning. To make the logistics easy, the Deloitte Ride Across Britain tackles the ride in nine days, providing full back-up and support, so all you need to do is keep on keeping on until you reach the very top of Scotland.rideacrossbritain.com

(Download our Complete 2015 Event’s Guide at: outdoorfitnessmag.com)

STAR EVENTS NEAR & FARSign up & start training for these epic events

STARTLINE EVENTS


28TH JUNE 2015THE GREAT MANCHESTER CYCLE

HAVE YOU EVER ridden the roads of any UK city and wondered what it would be like to do so if there were no cars, buses and other road traffic? In your mind’s eye you imagine riding around all those great twist and turns, seeing the sites whilst riding straight down the middle of an empty highway.

Well, the Great Manchester Cycle gives you just that chance, allowing 8,000 cyclists to wheel their way around the completely closed roads of the great city. Returning to Manchester’s roads

for the fourth year, this unique event allows an unprecedented two-wheeled tour of the areas in and immediately surrounding the city.

Three distances are available - 52, 26 and 13 miles - with the organisers looking to put on a welcoming event whatever your ability. Experienced cyclists can test their skills as well as their legs on the 52-mile route. Starting at the Ethiad Stadium, riders wind their way through the city’s roads and over the Mancunian way. On any other day this iconic stretch

would be out-of-bounds to cyclists, and its traverse makes the Great Manchester Cycle the only event of its kind to take in a stretch of motorway.

Later in the day the second round of riders take on a similar route, covering a slightly more relaxed, but still testing 26 miles - again all on a completely traffic-free course. This event allows established cyclists the perfect opportunity to introduce their friends to riding in a fun and safe environment.

As well as catering for those

looking to clock up some miles, the Great Manchester Cycle also offers a family-orientated 13-mile distance - an event that welcomes budding Bradley Wiggins and Laura Trott’s of any age. It offers a chance for mums, dads and kids to enjoy a day out together on two wheels. All paying adults entering the 13-mile event are able to bring up to two children, aged eight to fifteen free of charge as part of a group entry, and three to seven year olds are eligible to ride on a tag-a-long bike.

More info: greatcycle.org

Three distances are available - 52, 26 and 13 miles - with the organisers looking to put on a welcoming event whatever your ability.

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Words Dan Connors Pictures Jamie Young

CHALLENGE BINGO RACE

WELCOME TO THE Bingo Race - probably the most unfair race in the world. Brainchild of ultra-runner James Adams the concept is

quite simple. Each runner’s bib has three numbers on it. Each runner has their own bag with 30 balls in it. Run a lap and then pick a ball. If it’s on your bib you cross it off. Keep running until you’ve crossed off all three numbers. Easy right?

I’d signed up mainly out of curiosity. This was the first running of the event and it sounded quirky and fun. I was also interested in the psychology of it all. How would people deal with never knowing if they were on their last lap?

30 individuals and four teams descended on Box End Park in Bedfordshire on a rather chilly March morning to test their luck. The runners were an eclectic bunch of seasoned ultra runners, fun runners and one relay team of 10km runners who, “never run long stuff”. Some were viewing it all as (probably) a long training run. Others were hoping to get it done as quickly as possible and were dreading the prospect of a long day. Some were local, others had travelled from as far afield as Hull

and Leeds for a race that they could finish in three of the 2.2-mile laps.

After a short innuendo-filled race briefing (there are lots of jokes about ball bags) we toed the line and set-off. The course was an off-road loop on a good footpath around the lake at Box End. At one end it looped around a hilly section, which didn’t look like much, but for some runners would become torture later in the race.

Not having prepared myself mentally to run a set distance I didn’t really have a race strategy and just decided to run at a pace that felt comfortable, slowing down if necessary. I was one of the first runners into the checkpoint and to my surprise the first ball out of the bag was on my bib. I was now winning the race although I was already a good way behind the Kirkstall Harriers’ relay team who were running the loop in around 15 minutes.

On the second lap I was trying to work out whether getting a number early was good. Was I in danger of getting my hopes up, only for disappointment to set in? Next loop and unsurprisingly the 1 in 29 shot didn’t come in. Quickly back out and still running quite fast I resigned myself to a long day… the first ball had been a fluke.

Most of the runners had set out at a steady pace accepting that they’d be running for most, if not all of the day. I kept to my pace though and was surprised, although not as surprised as the race marshalls, when I drew my second ball out on my third visit to the checkpoint – another number ticked off. I was now on my last lap or what could be the last of many laps. By this stage very few runners had drawn any balls at all.

After a quick cup of flat coke from the well provisioned check point, I headed out. The quirks and bumps of the course already becoming familiar; I knew when to push on the short uphills and when to slow it down a touch. Another 18 minutes and I was heading back towards the Checkpoint. “Let’s have a sprint finish,” shouted one of the marshalls, a joke which would be repeated umpteen times on the day. Disappointment, replenish at the checkpoint and run again.

I wasn’t the only one on two balls now though which made things interesting. Aimee, who had travelled from Hull to run and Team Dirty Gertie were now in competition for the win. Surely one of them would be luckier than me. Aimee was ahead of me so I sped up to make sure I caught her.

“SO I COULD RUN A WORLD RECORD 100KM AND STILL NOT EVEN FINISH?” “YUP.”

“MARVELLOUS, WHERE DO I SIGN-UP?”

THE WORLD’S

MOST UNFAIR RACE?


Most of the runners had set out at a steady

pace accepting that they’d be running for

most, if not all of the day.


CHALLENGE TYPE NAME HERE

This was faintly ridiculous as the chance of me winning on this lap was 1 in 25 - so not great odds.

I overtook Aimee and made it back in around 18 minutes again. A bit of a build up from the checkpoint staff and I drew my ball out. What? It was the winning ball. This wasn’t supposed to happen. No one was supposed to win this early. I just had. Cue lots of mirth and disbelief from everyone.

And then Aimee came back in. And drew her ball. Her last ball. She’d run even fewer laps than I had. I’m not a statistician but the likelihood of this happening was astronomical. Not quite as astronomical as what happened next. John from Team Dirty Gertie came in and drew their last ball. Three finishers inside five laps.

After some celebratory photos and my medal presentation I put some warm kit on and decided to stick around. I hadn’t found out for myself what it would be like to keep being disappointed so I thought I’d watch it happening to other people!

So I waited. And waited. And waited. For

five hours. This was how long it took the next runner to

finish. I’d finished in 1 hour 33 minutes. The fourth placed runner took nearly seven, yes, seven hours.

But it got worse for many people. The three man relay team from Kirkstall Harriers took 20 laps before they drew a single ball and only finished on lap 29, leaving only one ball left in the bag. Even worse happened to the five runners who were timed out - some of whom had run over 50 miles and still left empty handed. Or did they?

I’d ended up paying for a fairly expensive 11-mile run. They’d all run an ultra-marathon and kept going. Every time they came in they were smiling. Some more convincingly than others it must be said but they were all still smiling at lady luck even if she wasn’t smiling back. There was disappointment from some that they hadn’t finished but a general sense that they achieved something even if you couldn’t quite define what.

So would I go back and do it again? Probably. It will be almost impossible for me

to beat my time and I reckon my fastest known time for finishing the Bingo Run will stand for a good few years. What I’d really like to do would be to become the unluckiest finisher ever. Thirty laps in 10 hours is achievable right?

The Bingo Race will return in the summer. Further details will be on James Adams’ website at, running andstuff.com/racesThe Piece of String race is another idea from the warped mind of James Adams. 2015 will be the fourth running of the event where runners must be available for seven days and will never know the entire route or duration of the race. The winner is only told they’ve won once they cross the finishing line, centurionrunning.com

n Box End Park is located on the edge of Bedford. As well as the free to use running trail there’s also the option to go wakeboarding or waterskiing, either cable towed or behind a boat. In the warmer months the lake is available for open-water swimming, boxendpark.com

Unlucky son. The Kirkstall Harriers’ team didn’t finish until lap 29.


LAPS

Guy Mawson, Cardiff“I didn’t have anything better to do today. It’s the whole unknown factor and seemed like a bit of fun.” Guy eventually finished after 19 laps in 9.5hrs.

Stephen McAllister, Milton Keynes“I heard about it in a pub and it seemed like a good idea after a few pints.” Stephen downed a miniature bottle of spirits as he got each number. He drank his third after 19 laps and 42 miles.

LIES, DAMNED LIES & STATISTICSBefore the race self-confessed statistics geek and ultrarunner Sam Robson (@stupid_runner) had used a computer simulation to work out when people would be finishing. He’d run his simulation a million times. The results were somewhat different to what happened on race day.

MEET THE RUNNERS

40%

10 20 30

60%

80%

100%

FIN

ISH

ERS

John & Kate - Team Dirty Gertie, Hitchin“It was just something different.” John. “I didn’t even know I’d been signed up. I hope we’re really lucky.” Kate. Team Dirty Gertie was the winning team – they got their three numbers in five laps.

Words Sean McFarlane

CHALLENGE EXTREME TRI

EXTREMETHE WASDALE IS BILLED AS THE “HARDEST HALF

IRONMAN” RACE ON EARTH. SEAN McFARLANE

TURNS UP WITH OVER 200 RUNNERS TO SEE IF IT IS!


or me triathlon does have a branding issue. The very word often instils a sense of awe amongst those that haven’t done one, and the pre-race

nerves of first timers are often off the scale. But the reality is that most normal triathlons are achievable by the vast majority. Short distance races are well within the grasp of most people with a modicum of fitness whilst with a relatively small amount of training significant gains can be made by almost everyone. I suspect the realisation of all this has led, at least in some part, to the unprecedented rise of the “extreme triathlon”. There is now an annual drive to organise the toughest race, and more than ever these races are attracting large numbers from far and wide.

I’m at the Wasdale Triathlon. It’s a remote and difficult to get to part of the Lake District (though more than worth the journey), and we’re just about to swim 1.9km at the end of September last year; a time right at the limit of what most of us would call the UK’s open water swimming season. So why are so many people here? It might make no sense but I strongly suspect the distinctive lack of flat tarmac on the bike section has something to do with it. The bike course is 56 miles with over 7,000 feet of climbing and takes in two of England’s most infamous climbs, Hardknott and Wrynose, twice. Still not hard enough? Well, then try an off-road run of 15 miles going over England’s highest mountain. It’s billed as the hardest half ironman race on earth and that strapline alone is enough to entice me here together with well over 200 others. So why are these ridiculously tough races more

EXTREMETRI

F



popular than ever?There’s no doubting the unique atmosphere

on display here. The excited pre-race chatter comes in a huge variety of accents and, whilst it’s more or less exclusively English that’s being spoken, it’s clear that for several it’s not their mother tongue. Scandinavians do seem to love this lark and there are plenty of them here. Thor Hesselberg from Stavanger is one of them and although he’s up against some stiff competition I give him the award of most enthusiastic competitor! Smiling for the camera and chatting with his social media extreme tri pals (everybody needs a friend called Thor), his infectious attitude pretty much typifies the atmosphere, and the attraction is clear. For many this race is simply about getting round the course. I’ve got high hopes myself of a decent finish but for me as well, survival is a key pre-race aim. The online forums have been alive with pre-race talk and plenty have expressed fears of DNFs. But they seem to simply serve as rallying cries.

The day dawns dry and still, with the forecast set to stay that way. As always with these types of races, weather conditions are the key factor. I suspect the campsite is livelier than usual at 5.30am. I meet Doug Allan from Perth, who as a father of two young and energetic boys getting up at 5am is all par for the course for him. We chat over porridge and coffee. So why Wasdale for him? “It’s different, the location and the assumed

BIKE CHOICE ALL IMPORTANT!

With over 7,000 feet of climbing in just 56 miles, bike choice for this race is more vital than ever. 20% gradients are common with Hardknott on the return section ramping up to as much as 33% in parts. There are sections particularly at the far end of the course where a time trial bike with aero helmet, disc wheels and all the other paraphernalia would be an advantage, but not many, and a tarmac virtual wall is never far ahead. On top of that steep descents with less than perfect surfaces aren’t what

time trial bikes are made for. So for me and everyone else I spoke to this is a course for a road bike. Some opted for clip on bars but I prefer a clutter free cockpit.

Gearing was a much discussed topic pre-race. I opted for a 56/32 double with an 11 speed 11/28 cassette. I’m a relatively strong biker and used to hills and that worked fine. In saying that, I wouldn’t have said no to a 30 on the back. It’s crucial to be able to “spin” up the climbs as much as possible. Remember that run!

Lightweight is essential. Luckily a sponsor gave me a real racing machine – a 2015 Neil Pryde Bura SL with Dura Ace group set and Rotor 3D+ chain set. It also had carbon mid-section Neil Pryde wheels. It was a seriously fast piece of kit and with a weight of just 6.5kg was the perfect weapon here. I miss her desperately!

I also paid particular attention to where the aid stations were. That way I was able to stay properly hydrated throughout but was never carrying more than one bottle.

The excited pre-race chatter comes in a huge variety of accents and, whilst it’s more or less exclusively English that’s being spoken, it’s clear that for several it’s not their mother tongue

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difficulty; plus I got a bit caught up in the social media!” Fair enough. I was interested to hear he was also keen “not to miss out”. I know what he means. I’m nervous but there’s no place I’d rather be right now.

Christian Bouet has come here from York. What attracted him to the race? Plain and simple – the tag line of “the world’s hardest half ironman”. With a busy family life he’s only able to commit three to four hours of training a week. But he’s more determined than ever to get round.

The swim is an out and back affair and straight away looks a bit on the short side. But these races aren’t for those who are sticklers for exact distances. Wastwater is the deepest lake in England but I, like most others, find the water temperature perfect. With flat calm conditions and in lovely clear water, it’s a perfect start to any day. For once I’m out the water quicker than I’d like.

One of the first on to dry land is Wendy Gorman from Stirling. Her main reason for competing today is that she loves doing races with stunning landscapes and she’s not disappointed here. It’s easy to forget how fortunate we are to have areas in this country like the Lake District. I’m lucky to be able to spend a bit of time up the west coast of Scotland but the Lake District has an allure all of its own which is hard to surpass.

On to the bikes. There are climbs and there are climbs. Hardknott and Wrynose will be familiar to many readers, and with good reason. Although not particularly long, the gradients in parts are ridiculous. It’s a classic “lollipop” route and race organiser Mark Blackburn tells me that the first section of Hardknott on the return at over 30 percent is the steepest section of road in Britain. The five climbs give a useful way to mentally break up the ride. I’m surprised and pleased to see how quiet the roads are. Arriving at the first climb up Hardknott I see the rest of the field in front of me. There aren’t many but I do see a guy I spotted the night before unpacking his TT bike, and he’s really struggling now. This is very much a course for a road bike - it’ll be long day for him. Over Wrynose and its somewhat scary descent the field starts to thin. With the sun now fully up, smoke gently rises from each idyllic cottage and the road meanders through perfect English countryside, it’s road biking heaven. The legs do seem to adjust to the climbs – they come at reasonably regular intervals – and soon enough I’m on to the fifth and final climb of the day. It feels just as steep as Mark told me. Many are walking by now but several have prepared for doing so and it doesn’t come as a surprise. For most this whole race is about completion not competition.

The climbs require more than just physical strength. What goes up must come down and it’s all too easy to lose concentration with the hard work apparently over. But the surfaces and camber require focus. Down Hardknott for the last time, the route flattens out, though any chance of a gentle spin back to transition is out – it is the Lake District after all!

Transition from bike to run is a field at Wasdale Head and with mountains all

around, there’s a resounding inevitability of what now awaits. Many seem in no particular hurry to start the run and you can see why. Straight from the off, we’re into a gruelling climb all the way up on to the summit of Scafell Pike, right on that annoying limit of what at this stage is runable. For me it’s an opportunity to correct my nutrition which I’m aware is undercooked. For Wendy, she reels in fellow competitors. But fell running is more than just about running up hill – she’ll go on to lose many places on the descents. More time on the mountain required, I’d say.

That initial climb, taking even the leader well over an hour, represents the “avenue of doubt” for most. Meeting walkers with their questioning looks doesn’t help either. In the lee of the wind and with the temperature rising in the autumn sun, even the mighty Thor at this point thinks of turning back. “Why am I doing this?” he asks. But he’ll never turn back and neither will others. Even following my own soul-destroying navigational error after Scafell Pike, quitting is not an option. The same fate befalls others as well as me but none goes on to quit.

Once over and down off the last hill of the day, Slight Side, and out of the clag, the course

becomes much more runable. But at this point, energy levels are low. Doug is struggling. Keen to push on and make up places, he can’t summon the energy. With the line of runners ahead now visible, it’s clearer than ever that this is a race against yourself. It always has been.

Finally off the hills we pass by the first transition. With a wry smile I think back to how it now seems like a long time ago that we were last there. And it was. Crossing the finish line with my unplanned detour still fresh in my mind, the feeling of unfinished business in my head is immediate. I’ll be back, as I’m sure will many, many others.

Not long after me I spot Doug’s usual finishing grin from a mile away. Thor’s not far behind him and gives me a surprisingly aggressive high five considering he’s almost eight hours in. It’s a longer wait for Christian but he duly arrives too, looking like he’s hardly run more than 500 metres, but we all know otherwise. Wendy’s ten minutes after him, knees bloodied. Her initial frustration at being overtaken by so many on the downhill sections soon leads to an agreement with me to join my local hill-running club to ensure no repeat performances – that’s my girl.

This race has all the ingredients of an epic adventure. The location is unique and perfectly fuels those primal urges to get outside and exercise. Talking of urges, having a pub at the end always helps too. The entire course has the perfect mix – staggeringly difficult and beautiful. And the best ingredient of all? My fellow competitors are comrades rather than rivals.

With the line of runners ahead now visible, it’s clearer than ever that this is a race against yourself. It always has been.


WASDALE TRI FACT FILE

Accommodation The National Trust campsite is right next to the start and has plenty of space. Good showers and toilets too, nationaltrust.org.uk/article-1355840528269 The Wasdale Head Inn is conveniently located at the finish and is a cracking Lake District pub with quality food and lovely rooms. They also have some self-catering apartments. There is also a camping field adjacent to the Inn and available on a first come first served basis, for information on both locations, wasdale.comRace website, wasdaletri.co.uk For those of you who still feel the Wasdale isn’t hard enough, have a look at this year’s Wasdale X (wasdalex.co.uk). The bike route alone is the infamous Fred Whitton sportive route – you can work out the rest!

36 outdoorfitnessmag.com July 2015

Words Damian Hall Pictures Simon Freedman

The thrill of the chase

THE PEAK DISTRICT’S RED BULL STEEPLECHASE IS

A UNIQUE RACE WHERE ONLY 40 OF THE 400

RUNNERS WILL FINISH. IT’S NIGHTMARISH STUFF,

SAYS DAMIAN HALL

CHALLENGE RED BULL STEEPLECHASE


The early race leaders climb Lose Hill, with their chasers spread along the ridge back

towards Mam Tor.


MY CHILDHOOD WAS a naively happy time spent mostly climbing trees, but I did have three reoccurring nightmares. One, standing at the bus stop and realising I’m naked (which hasn’t happened yet). Two, falling off a very high cliff (which has almost happened). And three, being chased. That happens a lot – because I do a lot of running races.

However, in my dreams I was pursued, night after night, by hordes of orcs and goblins; ugly, slimy, slobering, skuttley things. I think they wanted to eat me, but I never thought to ask. After a short chase, I would either get stuck in quick sand or my legs simply stopped working. And... aaahhh... I’d wake up!

The horror of being unable to move forward fast enough has been with me forever. So when I heard about the Red Bull Steeplechase I shuddered. The concept is brilliant and horrible. A 21-mile hilly trail race around the glorious Peak District, with a big twist – there are effectively four finish lines.

There’s the official finish line at 21 miles, but before that three cut-offs, each at a local steeple. Usually cut-offs are based on times, but here it’s your position in the race. At the first cut-off, eight miles in, the back third of the field is heartlessly eliminated. Just like that: over 100 people (exact ratios dependent on how many people are

running). And the same again at the second cut-off. So 200 runners wiped out of the race. Then at a third cut-off only the front 30 in the men’s race (and 10 in the women’s) are allowed through to the end.

Because I’m both skinny and read Outdoor Fitness cover to cover, I tend to be in the front quarter of races. So to my mind, if I was in good form, I’d have several hundred people – or orcs and goblins – hunting me down, desperate for those life-giving front spots. It sounded brutal, gladiatorial and like a hunt. It was appalling but compelling.

It’s a textbook Peaks’ morning. Sunshine luring mist from the valley bottoms, revealing clusters of sheep and stonewall spider-webs. Oh, and some rather big, steep hills. As some 400 runners (around 300 men and 100 women) loiter by a giant inflatable arch, I chat to friend and fellow Outdoor Fitness scribe Tobias Mews. But before we’ve properly done our hair, we’re off.

We’re in the middle of the traffic. We should have been at the front! There’s a stampede across the 100 metres of winding Tarmac as most people have figured out what’s next: the steepest slope I’ve ever tried to run up. It’s a friggin wall. An evil, calf-destroying scramble, up the flank of Mam Tor. I’m grabbing at tussocks, almost vertical, panting and hurting. It’s horrendous. And it goes on forever. Well, about five minutes.

At the top… gasp… I’m dizzy. But it’s delicious to use different muscles on the now level terrain. If there’s one thing I’ve learned from



my few fell races it’s that, if I have any sort of trail running forte at all, it’s the flat. So I scamper along and overtake a few.

Never mind my arrogant assumption that I’d be worrying about being chased. I’ve no idea where I’m placed in the race and there are plenty of runners ahead. Normally in a 21-mile race, I’d try to get in the top end of the field, hang in there and try to save a bit for a blast at the end. But I’m mid-pack and need to move my a%^e. Pacing myself and ensuring I’m just inside the cut-offs doesn’t seem too clever, as I’d need to make up over 100 places between the first two cut-offs. Time to get a move on.

We dash along a spectacular long ridge, with massive views either side of the Peak District stretching languidly as she gets out of bed in the morning sunshine. A brass band are playing something familiar and uplifting, I’m sure I could name it if I was fully compos mentis.

Often the path is what we in the south would call technical – and those in the north would probably laugh at us if we did – but it’s rocky and you have to really watch your footing. On the downhill I think I spy the front of the field and I furiously count people as I try not to trip. I reckon I might be placed about 18th, which is more than satisfactory. I relax a bit. This mightn’t be such an ordeal after all.

Runners are electronically tagged and there are counter clocks based roughly halfway between the cut-offs, to give you a chance to catch up. We soon thunder past the first counter clock.... which says

I’m fortieth. Oh b@&@&$£s. That’s okay for now – the back third of the field will be knocked out

at Bamford in about four miles. But now everyone knows where they are in the race. And everyone will be desperate to get on, or get out. The full brilliance and cruelty of the concept hits me. Almost every runner is running faster than they normally would. We’re in a permanent state of panic.

I’m physically very ready but mentally unprepared for an energy station when it arrives. They have water, Red Bull, and a 50/50 mix. I sort of grab all three, tip some in my mouth and some on my head. And don’t get it the right way around.

I’m in the high thirties at the first cut-off, which in theory will be fine for the next cut-off too. But there are literally hundreds of runner-goblins behind me trying to get me. There’s definitely more intensity than a normal trail race, an almost tangible desperation. It feels apocalyptic, a matter of survival. There’s always someone (or something) close on my tail, chasing. I try not to think about it too much, as when I do my legs seem heavier and thoughts of that nightmarish quicksand come to mind.

We go downhill, then up and into woods and a good spell of flat where I tell myself attack is the best form of defence. It’s not so much about deciding to go faster as simply being too fearful not too. The pace is absolutely relentless.

Female runner escaping from both

Hall and Mews!

Sigh of truth: only 20.5 miles

to go folks!

Slow train coming: that brutal climb in more detail.

OF scribe Tobias Mews eyes Damian Hall in front.


I make my way slowly up the field. A counter clock tells me I’m now much nearer 30 than 40. Relatively safe, for now. But at Hope, the second cut-off, my plans of a leisurely bimble from here are dashed.

A marshall explains that only the top 30 men (and top 10 women – so 40 overall) will make it through the third and final cut-off in Edale. I hadn’t been paying attention. I thought the top 40 men were safe. All that lung-busting running and it’s not enough. I have to get to Edale in the top 30, or I’m out.

I can see from body shapes and equipment that the runners around this position in the field are the serious ones and overtaking is harder. But there’s a group of four ahead. I stick with them on the uphill, then as terrain slopes forward, I use gravity to sneak past them.

A counter clock tells me I’m 27th. Phew. Okay, safe. But that group behind me will smell blood. If they don’t get to me, they die. If they get to me, I die. I can feel goblins’ hot breath on my neck. I see Tobias again (so maybe it was his breath?). “We’re okay as long as we’re overtaking,” he states mater-of-factly.

As we go from open moor to the outskirts of Edale – the start of my beloved Pennine Way – a cowardly thought enters my mind. If I just slow a little here and let a handful of pursuers overtake, I won’t make the cut-off and all this horrible running will be over. I can have a cold beer and a nice sit down.

But that seems a waste of my efforts. I tumble through the final

cut-off. I don’t know my placing, but I’m safe, I think. Most people behind will be struck from the race.

I’m one of the 30 survivors in the mens race, but it doesn’t feel all that good to be alive. At the finish line, along with the free bar, free hog roast and decked in my fancy new hoodie (makes a change from all the T-shirts) I’ll hear several anecdotes along the lines of: “I was fifth at the final cut-off. I finished 25th”.

The adrenalin from the hunt has gone and it seems that was all that was propelling me along. There’s still three miles, including a stiff hill, and I’m a busted flush. I shuffle through flat fields, feeling spent and ouchy. All that’s left now is pride in the relative irrelevance of finishing say 17th instead of 18th.

I suffer for a bit. I get overtaken. But looking at the last steep climb I see a line of slow-moving runner-hikers ahead and it gives me hope. Everyone’s feeling as bad as me. I pass a couple of guys on the climb. “I’m so f*&*%d,” says one. “I’m more f*&*%d than I’ve ever been.”

I re-overtake the guy who passed me before the climb, apologising. Then it’s a dash along the road and I find two more zombies ahead – they look destroyed, moving very slowly.

In Castleton I round a corner to the finish arch. And collapse into a giant beanbag. In a way the last section has been the hardest, and the strangest. I’ve escaped the goblins and orcs… at least until bedtime.More info on Redbull events go to,redbull.com/uk/en

The course has a total height gain

of 14,00m.

Andy Greenleaf wins the race by

5 minutes in 2:37:23.


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WILD SWIMMING

WALKSYou’re out walking and the mercury climbs, fancy a

swim? Well, here are 11 of the most beautiful and invigorating walk-swims you can make courtesy of

a new book from the Kenwood Ladies Pond Association.


CHALLENGE SWIMMING WALKS

1 SHEPRETH TO CAMBRIDGE, CAMBRIDGESHIREA nine and a half mile walk, starting at

Shepreth train station, across stretches of East Anglian farmland, passing through several attractive villages, via Grantchester to Cambridge. Follow the signposted footpaths through Barrington, Harston, Hasslingfield and then on towards Grantchester. The River Cam can then be followed all the way into Cambridge City Centre, with the walk ending at the train station.

You can swim in the River Cam, a clear river with a modest current. Expect crowds on the river in high summer, especially at weekends, and biting winds in late autumn or winter. The walk can also be combined with punting - the end of the route passes Scudamore’s boat station above the weir below Silver Street Bridge, the traditional location for hiring a punt to go to Grantchester. The river offers scope to do a long swim downstream from Grantchester all the way to Newnham.

2 KIRBY CROSS TO FRINTON AND WALTON-ON-THE-NAZE, ESSEXA perfect summer’s walk of ten and a

half miles with sea swims from sandy beaches. This walk starts at Kirby Cross train station and ends at Walton-on-the-Naze. From Kirby Cross station a little white gate opens directly into fields and, apart from a short stretch of road, footpaths lead through open countryside, past the village of Great Holland, all the way to the sea. Carry on walking along the sea-front until you reach the pier, and you are then in Walton-on-the-Naze. All the way along the shore, from the rural stretch through the resorts, the swimming is exceptional. The beaches are sandy and pleasant for sitting on at low tide, with breakwaters in the resorts every 100 metres or so that also act as windbreaks. There are numerous cafés and pubs in Walton-on-the-Naze including one at the Naze Tower for post swim refreshments.

3 CHILWORTH TO GUILDFORD, SURREYThis eight-mile walk crosses heathland dotted with pretty Surrey villages before

dropping down to follow the Wey Navigation, where there are many swimming places. The route, from Chilworth station, starts by crossing a strange mixture of wild and rather forbidding heathland of scrub and gorse, but soon gives way to gentle pastures, small woods and cosy commuter villages. Once the route joins the Wey Navigation it follows the towpath right into Guildford and almost to the station. Swimming is quite well established as a local pastime and two spots in particular seem popular. The first occurs very soon after reaching the Wey, just beyond the Manor Inn, and is a tiny patch of sandy beach where someone has placed poles, presumably to warn non-swimmers not to go on into deep water. The next main swimming place is close to Guildford and has a more extensive sandy beach and also a steep sandy bank. Rowing boats and canoes can be hired from Farncombe Boat House, Catteshall.

4 FOLKESTONE TO DOVER, KENT Starting from Folkestone train station, the day starts with swims from shingle

coves or a sandy beach and continues with a nine-mile walk over towering cliff tops and past mysterious relics of war. There are so many good swimming opportunities around Folkestone that walkers may be tempted to change their plans and linger all day. The first swimming opportunity is from Mermaid beach near Mill Point. The second swim is on the other side of Folkestone Harbour at Sunny Sands, a lovely sandy beach where swimming is nearly always possible. After Sunny Sands there are two options: one is to climb up to the cliff tops to join the North Downs Way, enjoy magnificent sea views and pass the Battle of Britain Memorial – or you can enter the Warren, a site of special scientific interest created by repeated landslides. The route rejoins the cliff top one by taking a very steep, long winding path up through woods to emerge at the Clifftop Café. A little further on the route turns inland towards Dover Priory train station, but walkers reluctant to leave the sea could ignore our directions and continue on the well-signposted North Downs Way into Dover.

5 GORING AND STREATLEY TO CHOLSEY, BERKSHIRE This is a glorious walk from Goring and

Streatley Station, embracing wide stretches of the Thames, open meadows, woody paths and a beautiful Brunel railway bridge. With three swimming spots, you can take your time in good weather, enjoying a peaceful meander along the Thames Path with views of the Chilterns. At Goring Lock cross the bridge, and turn right just past The Swan pub to St Mary’s church. Exit the churchyard and follow the path alongside The Swan car park. Take a right fork for the Thames Path - which passes through a wooded area and across a field onto the towpath - where you turn left and follow the river. The walk now opens out onto beautiful wide meadows with the Chiltern Hills to your left. There are a couple of swimming spots along this stretch. When the river is running fast, take care and stay close to the bank. In normal conditions it flows steadily and slowly and the swimming is very enjoyable.

6 SCARBOROUGH TO FILEY, YORKSHIRE This ten-mile walk starts with a swim on Scarborough’s South Sands, one of

the earliest resorts to popularise swimming. Walk along the sand then pick up the Cleveland Way which is signposted all the way to Filey. After a spell on the cliff tops, the wide sands of Cayton Bay offer the ultimate wild swim – the north end is known as an unofficial naturist spot! Or try Lucy’s Beach Shack for a friendly cup of tea. A mile or so later, prepare for a stunning sight: two miles of sheer cliff apparently stretching out into the North Sea. This is Filey Brigg, and you can walk to the end to enjoy the views and the bird life. Head to Filey for a final swim before returning home. Trains to Scarborough run regularly from York.

7 TOTNES, DEVON This six-mile walk with two swims starts from Totnes railway station. Turn left,

and follow the signpost for the riverside towpath towards Dartington Estate. After a quarter of a mile you get your first swim in

Dover to Deal

Shepreth to Cambridge


CHALLENGE SWIMMING WALKS

deep water from a grassy bank. This is a favourite spot for swimmers and canoe launchers. Carry on along the towpath, and at the road turn right 400 yards into Dartington Estate. You walk through meadows with several easy access swim points - one watched by gnomes, pixies and possibly the Staverton steam train. Follow the path along the river through the woods. Emerging onto the road, turn left up hill, passing Staverton Nursery Tea Rooms. At the top, Huxham Cross, cross the road and take the footpath to Dartington church. Cross the road to take the path to Shinner’s Bridge shops and cafe. Once refreshed, you can then take the footpath about one and half miles back to Totnes train station.

8 LOUGHRIGG TARN AND RYDAL WATER, THE LAKE DISTRICT The Lake District must have inspired

more writing than any other piece of land in Britain, and is famous for its glorious swims in crystal clear water. This is a moderate seven-mile hill walk from Ambleside. Start from Ambleside church taking a path from the North side across a park and over two small bridges to a minor road. Turn right and after a few yards take the signed path on the left up and over hills to Loughrigg Tarn and the first swim. Rejoin the path you arrived by and turn left to continue along it through a small wood and then look for a turning to the right going steeply uphill to Loughrigg Fell (335 metres) where there are fine views. Take a path left to the west, downhill towards Grassmere but then turn right for Rydal Water and walk along the bank choosing a place to swim. Where the lake ends go up to the main A591, turn right to take a minor road on the left to Rydal Hall. Just past the Hall’s drive, a path to the right leads you back to Ambleside.

9 LUNE, LANCASTER A twelve-mile walk starting from Wennington Station - which is served by

trains from Lancaster. The walk starts over slightly hilly country and then follows the Lune where there are many places to swim in its clear, dark waters. From the station walk on footpaths to Wray and then Hornby. Walk through Hornby and take the cycle route on a minor road to cross the Lune by a bridge near the thirteenth century ruins of Castle Stede. Take the riverside path all the way down to

Halton, taking in the beautiful Lune valley.

10 CHARMOUH AND LYME REGIS VIA PENN, DORSET This is a six-mile hilly walk in

beautiful Dorset. The walk starts at Charmouth, on the Jurassic coast, an interesting beach popular with fossil hunters. Swimming is off a mixture of sand and shingle. Take the path towards Monkton Wyld, the easternmost of two footpaths heading inland, climbing steeply through pretty country. Before Monkton Wyld take a turning left which crosses the A35 at Penn and descends into Lyme Regis through a steep valley with remnants of mill based industry. In Lyme Regis you can swim off a lovely sandy beach partly sheltered by the Cobb, made famous by the scene of an accident in Jane Austin’s Persuasion.

11 MAIDEN NEWTON TO CATTISTOCK, DORSET A nine-mile walk starting at the

crossroads in the middle of Maiden Newton. Walk up the road taking the right hand fork towards the station (not the road to Sydling or Cattistock). Continue on this road and then a track past the allotments for about half a mile. Take a left and follow this field track past farm buildings until you reach the main road to Yeovil. Cross this road, go through a

field gate immediately opposite, then go through the second gate on your left. Follow the path down the hill; at the bottom the path widens to become a farm track which you follow to Sydling St. Nicholas. Turn right along the road until you meet a track to the right after about a quarter of a mile. Go up this track for about 100 yards, turning left onto one at right angles to it. After a short time follow it right up the hill. Continue up, taking a gate into the field on your left after a short distance. Proceed through fields over another gate. Bear slightly to your right and traverse the highest field to reach the gate by which you entered this valley from the Yeovil Road. Cross it, go back down the track opposite until you reach the farm, taking the first entry between the buildings, reaching the path to Cattistock. Follow the road for about half a mile; under the railway bridge the road turns to the left. Where the road then turns right, there is a church straight ahead and a house on your left. Take the path to the left of the church into a field, crossing a stile at the end. Follow the path to the left and you reach the river bank which you follow to Maiden Newton (about three-quarters of a mile). You may want to try swimming here - the best area is immediately below a bridge. Continue along the bank until you reach a track crossing the river which leads you to Maiden Newton by the church.

WILD SWIMMING SAFETY TIPSn Swimming in open water is not dangerous as long as you follow reasonable precautions, are aware of possible risks and know your own limits. Remember that most of the swims on these walks are in the countryside where there are no lifeguards, no facilities and no one but you to decide whether the conditions are safe.

n Avoid getting too cold. Be cautious about length of time in the water, especially if you are not acclimatised. If in doubt get out. If you feel cold after swimming dress quickly, put on an extra layer, start walking again and, if your fingers are numb, exercise them.

n Early signs of hypothermia include extreme shivering and numb fingers or toes; more serious ones include feeling sleepy and dizzy. If you have symptoms leave the water, put on layers of warm, dry clothing and sip a warm drink.

n Never jump or dive unless you have checked that the water is deep enough, there are no underwater obstructions, and that you will be able to get out of the water.

n Try to avoid swimming alone in deep water.

Hampstead Ponds


n Look out for blue-green algae, which can occur in lowland lakes or ponds, usually in summer. It may appear as a turquoise or greenish scum and some kinds are toxic, can be an irritant, or make you sick if you swallow it. Try to avoid it by swimming in a part of the lake without it or swimming away from it.

n In rivers always check which way the water is running (it can be deceptive if a wind is blowing). Swim upstream as it will be easy to return. In powerful rivers, make sure there is somewhere to get out in case you are carried downstream.

n When sea swimming always check tide times and conditions – if in doubt seek local advice. Make sure you can swim in both directions parallel to the shore (in case there is a current) and don’t swim too far out. If caught in a rip current that takes you out to sea, don’t panic. Swim out of it parallel to the beach, then aim for the shore or use the waves to help you bodysurf back.

WILD SWIMMING WALKS 28 lake, river and seaside days out by train from

London by the Kenwood Ladies Pond Association (Wild Things Publishing, £14.99) is available from all good bookshops and wildthingspublishing.com

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Prolonged cycling, incorrect bike set-up, the use of drops and rough roads can all contribute toward cycling induced neck pain (cervical facet strain).

A Pain in the Neck

GET YOURSELF FITTER AND NAIL YOUR NEXT MAJOR EVENT

TRAINTHE SPINE’S CERVICAL discs run into your neck and act like shock absorbers. Even before you push a pedal your neck is compromised as it is in a position not as nature intended (that’s with chin parallel to the ground and head up).

Prolonged neck pain results from pain receptors switching on in response to the neck joints being overstretched over a prolonged period. In consequence your neck can go into spasm as it attempts to prevent further potentially injurious and painful movement.

If you rule out bike set-up as a cause (e.g. handlebar slip) then you’ll need to get some treatment for your neck, this can be self-administered at first. Initially ice for 10-15 minutes two to three times a day, don’t ride for a week, and try to avoid any other activity that strains your neck. You should also perform some gentle exercises to restore movement, reduce tension and strengthen your neck. Such exercises include neck rotations, shoulder rolls and using a tennis ball under your upper back to release tight muscles. If your symptoms show little sign of recovery after a week to 10 days, seek expert advice.n Adapted from The Pain Free Cyclist, Martin Rabin & Robert Hicks, publisher Bloomsbury.

CONTENTS50 Braveheart Tri Prep

54 MTB - First Time Flier

58 Brownlee brothers

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hTRAIN BRAVEHEART TRI PLAN

WELL, WE CAN help. Over the next four editions, we’ll give you a training plan to allow you to not only take on, but successfully conquer the race. We’ll also provide you with expert insight into all aspects of the course and what to expect.

For now, it’s time to “start the engine”. With the longer evenings and better weather, now’s the perfect time to pick up your training. So what should you be doing for the next four weeks?

The plan is actually pretty simple; you’ll do two sessions a week for each discipline, but always keeping things flexible. Work, family, bugs and a host of other factors all impact on our ability to train, so focus on not stressing if you miss sessions. The next four weeks should primarily be about awaking from your winter recess and beginning to think about the challenges ahead, notably the one on the 3rd

October!When picking up your training, it’s always

important to do so gradually. I’ve lost count of the many people who tell me that they’ve all too quickly pulled muscles when they’ve started to dust off the winter cobwebs. Backs and knees tend to be the main victims so build up sensibly. Food is such a fundamental so start to think about fuelling yourself properly – a quick look through back copies of this magazine will put you on the right fuelling and re-fuelling track.

Make sure you keep things fun. We all have friends and family who tell us how they’d love to get out a bit more, so now is the chance to call their bluff and get some new training partners. They may not last through until October, but be sure to make use of their early season enthusiasm.

More info, bennevisbraveheart.com

Braveheart Tri PlanSo, you’re keen on doing an epic challenge this year. And you fancy a late season race in an iconic venue? But you’re worried that the Braveheart Triathlon (as sponsored by this magazine), with its run up and down Britain’s highest mountain is a step too far?


When picking up your training, it’s always important to do so

gradually. I’ve lost count of the many people who tell me that they’ve all too quickly

pulled muscles…


TRAIN BRAVEHEART TRI PLAN

The Braveheart SwimThe swim is a two-lap affair with competitors following a line of buoys on each lap to turn anti-clockwise and come back. The sea floor is visible throughout so that does help. High tide on race day is at 8.56am with the start scheduled for 8.30am, so the effects of the tide on your swim should be minimal.Perhaps the key aspect of the swim will be temperature.The water is normally 13 degrees at the start of October, however, this cold spring has led to sea temperatures being significantly lower than normal, so colder water temperatures may be possible. For many of you, this will represent a colder than usual swim but

make no mistake this is perfectly achievable. But there’s no escaping that this race is in Scotland at the start of October, so the combination of the cold water and crucially the expected low air temperature need to be carefully considered and prepared for. So what does this mean for race day? One word – transition.The weather in Fort William in early October can frankly be anything, so prepare for the worst. Make sure your transition to the bike is prepared to do the key job required here – warming you up quickly. Take the time in transition to make yourself as comfortable as

possible for the bike. Dry off and get warm as quickly as you can. Next month we’ll go through the bike course in more detail, but do note for the moment there’s a gradual climb for the first half, so you should warm up quickly. Nonetheless, always err on the side of starting the bike with too much clothing on rather that too little. Just make sure you can store any unwanted layers as you ride. If you get wet and cold early on, this can have a dramatic effect on your body’s ability to process nutrition. Even if you finish the race warm and dry, that’s not a sign that you’ve gotten the best out of your body.

SEAN’S INSIDER’S GUIDE TO THE SWIM I’ve swum this course several times in a variety of races over the years and here’s my insider’s guide on how to get in and out as quickly as possible:

1 Don’t be concerned by the inevitable cries of how cold it is from

other competitors as they enter the water. Yes, there is undoubtedly a significant temperature drop from the Brighton shore to Fort William and someone will no doubt remind us all of this in a very loud voice just prior to the start – this person gets everywhere and we all know him! The water will be cold but perfectly fine for a 1.9km swim.

2 It will be a mass start (in the water but shallow) so place

yourself according to ability. It’s going be a long day for everyone and the last way you want it to start is by being swum over. The field will very quickly spread out.

3 Given the nature of the course (a straight line of buoys you go

around twice) make sure you’re entirely happy with being able to distinguish the buoys from swim caps. You would think that this should be easily enough done, but when you’re swimming it’s more difficult to distinguish things along the line of the water, particularly if there’s any roughness in the sea. So take time to look at both the colour of the buoys (perhaps from transition which sits above the water, rather than during the start itself) as well as the swim caps. As with any open water swimming race, sighting is vital.

4 Also on the issue of sighting, beware of the one inevitable

problem with out and back swims – head on collisions! In theory it shouldn’t happen but it does and probably will do to the unlucky one or two. Just make sure it’s not you. It’s anti-clockwise loops.

5 For most, including me, the swim at this race is really just

about getting wet and then trying to get out as quickly and in as good a shape as possible. Then the real race starts. So treat it as that. Focus more than anything on swimming your own swim. The cut-off time on the first lap is a very generous 45 minutes, so as long as you get through that, you’re fine. Others by then may well be on two wheels on the outskirts of Fort William, but you’ve got plenty of time to catch them.

In short, settle into your rhythm as quickly as you can and just enjoy it!

Yes, there is undoubtedly a significant temperature drop from the Brighton shore to Fort William


BRAVEHEART TRAINING PLAN 1Here’s your training plan for the next four weeks. As you’ll see there are alternative options and additions, so just do what you can.

DISCIPLINE GENERAL POINTS SESSIONS AIM ALTERNATIVES

SWIM If you have an existing structure and pattern that you are happy with, then feel free to stick with that. Otherwise, use pool-based sessions to focus primarily on technique. Most of us will have been swimming indoors for well over six months now, so I suspect the boredom levels may be rising. So try to get some open water swimming done and use this to start building up your longer distance swims. When doing so try to swim with as little neoprene as possible so that the added extras you wear on 3rd October give you a real boost. But do this gradually.

Technique. Use previous sessions you’re happy with or construct your own. See if you can get some video analysis to give you things to target and work on.

Check technique and work on any issues.

Anything in the water! Windsurfing, surfing, kayaking, etc. Plenty of fun alternatives here.

Open water – whatever time and distance you’re comfortable with.

Getting used to cold water swims and increasing distance.

Anything that exposes you to cold water whilst in a controlled environment – ice bath anyone?

BIKE With dry roads and longer evenings, get on yer bike! Biking for the next four weeks is primarily about time on the saddle.

Steady distance – 70km.

Getting used to three hours or so of biking.

Mountain biking varies the heart rate much more than road biking and provides a great way to cross train. Also consider cyclo cross.

40km, possibly on time trial bike, or 50km with varying gradients and gear changing.

Early test of race bike set-up and varying pace.

RUN Go through the gears and give yourself a good health check, making sure you’ve ironed out or at the very least identified any twinges to the body. If you have off-road options use them. Also consider your shoe choice and perhaps experiment with a couple. Remember to stretch before and particularly after each session.

5km mixed terrain.

Work on good running form.

Hill walking is a good alternative. This race is so much about time on your feet. It also helps toughen up triathlete’s infamously soft feet! Blisters can ruin your race chances so best to prepare now.

10km off road/ gentle hill run.

Get used to uneven surfaces and varying gradients. Begin to work on your descending technique. Learn to power walk up hill.


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Fear of flyingHaving been mountain biking (as he puts it, “badly”) for fifteen years, can Nik Cook right his wrongs, learn some new skills and maybe even get his tyres off the ground?I LOVE ALL forms of cycling whether road, track, cross or trail however, if I had to nail my colours to a mast, my shaven legs and liking for lycra would place me firmly in the roadie camp. However, back in the dim and distant early noughties, I came to cycling via mountain biking and I do still enjoy a bit of dirty biking. I’ve had some amazing off-road cycling adventures over the years but I’ve always relied on fitness rather than finesse. I know there are significant chinks in my skills’ armour and, if my tyres ever accidentally do leave the ground, I panic!

Offering courses such as “Stop Falling Off” and “Jumps for Dads”; I knew that if anyone could enhance my mountain biking mojo, it’d be Ed Oxley. Meeting up at Gisburn Forest, Ed

pandered to my inner bike tart and presented me with a beautiful Santa Cruz 5010 to ride for the day courtesy of Jungle Distribution. My own mountain bike is a steep angled, short travel XC machine and we’d agreed I’d get more out of the day riding something a little more forgiving. Having put on my pedals, adjusted the saddle-height and tweaked the suspension, we hit the trails.

First up, Ed followed me down a tightly twisting section of trail to assess my riding. Too much hanging off the back of the bike and too much sticking my bum out were his diagnosis. Apparently this is typical of forty-something mountain bikers who were self-taught and who’d learned on early hardtail bikes. To start

correcting this and to teach me to ride “in” rather than “on” the bike, lesson one involved track stands. Balancing statically on the bike teaches you where the bike’s balance point is, and once Ed had corrected my sticky out bottom and got me standing straight, I immediately felt planted and more stable. He explained that perfecting track stands is a fundamental for all riders and something you should practise every time you come to a stop or roll off.

With a balanced, forward and less bum out riding position, the next section of trail instantly felt better. I was suddenly working with the bike and the improvement in grip and cornering was a revelation. We then moved on to pumping, using the lumps and bumps of the trail to gain free

TRAIN MTB FIRST TIME FLYER


speed without pedalling. I’d always used my upper body for this, performing exaggerated press-ups on the bike, but Ed made me focus on my legs, keeping my head level and again, the improvement was instant. We then spent some time putting both of these skills together through some corners and, after a few runs and constant encouragement to “keep my chin up and look ahead”, the satisfying swoosh of acceleration as I pumped out of the turns put a massive smile on my face.

With an aim of getting some air between my tyres and the ground in the afternoon, we then moved onto manual front wheel lifts. In the BMX-mad-eighties I was never one of those kids who was blessed with the “wheelie gene” and - like most of my mountain biking - getting my front wheel off the ground involved brute strength rather skill. However, Ed showed me how it was all about a simple shift in weight rather than a crude yank on the bars. I was really startled at how easily my front wheel popped up. We then turned our attention to rear wheel lifts and correcting another one of my

Ed tells Nik how to cure his sticky

out bottom.


bad habits. I’d tend to yank on my clipped in pedals, but again it was all about subtle but positive shifts in body weight. Ed also had to constantly remind me to use the bike’s dropper post, usually with a “b@*%$y roadie” comment. I’d always mocked my mountain biker mates who had these gizmos fitted, but now I became a sudden and complete convert to their benefits. I have one on my shopping list for my own bike. Ed puts them on a par with disc brakes for revolutionising mountain biking so if you haven’t got one, get shopping now.

Buzzing from the amount I’d learned in the morning and how my riding had already progressed, we tucked into a fantastic pie lunch at the Riverbank Tea Room in Slaidburn. It was then back to the trails and on to bunny hops. If I’d needed to hop anything in the past, I’d have used an ungainly tug on my bars combined with a heave on my clipped in feet. Ed was standing for none of that and linking together the manual and front wheel lift, showed me the correct technique. I hit a bit of a sticking point unwiring this bad habit and although I definitely made

progress and started to get the S-shaped weight shift that got me airborne, mastering these was going to be my homework. Without a reliable and correct bunny hopping technique, which is crucial to jumping success, my flying options for the day were limited and this also explained my past bad off ground experiences.

Some flying wasn’t completely off the agenda though as having mastered manuals, Ed decided I was ready to tackle drop offs. Previously I’d always tentatively rolled drop-offs with my backside almost touching my rear wheel or if they were too big, dismounted and taken the “walk of shame”. Finding a suitable drop of a couple of feet, Ed gave me a few demos and went through the technique of a small manual on take-off and soaking up the landing, and then it was my turn. After a nervy first attempt, it all just clicked and it really felt as though I was flying. Ed then challenged me to experiment with rear wheel first and both wheels together landings and I found I had the time in the air to choose and implement either. We progressed onto bigger drops that I would

have never dared tackle previously. This included a monster that Ed first got me to roll - just to show me what proper technique could accomplish - but was much more fun to leap off! We dabbled with a small jump and - although I did get off the deck - I was much more pleased with what we’d done on the drops. We finished off with a double drop into a big berm; a trail feature that would have previously totally freaked me out, but one that I now handled with ease. Ed then gave me a bit of a demo on some bigger drops and jumps, instructive, inspirational and very cool it all was.

I got so much out of the day, and I’ve been able to apply the lessons learnt on my own bike on my home trails. I’m riding smoother, faster and with so much more confidence. I can always hear Ed’s voice telling me to keep my chin up and backside in and my bunny hops are almost there. I’ll definitely be booking on with Ed again, it’s no exaggeration to say that he’s totally transformed how I approach my mountain biking and next time I’m confident I really will fly.

TRAIN MTB FIRST TIME FLYER

After a nervy first attempt, it all just clicked and it really felt as though I was flying.


ED’S TOP TIPS FOR BETTER MOUNTAIN BIKING

1 JUST RIDE MORE! You’ll get fitter, gain experience and it’s fun after all. Take every opportunity to practice skills whether it’s track standing while you wait at the top of a climb or some bunny hops in the car park.

2 SET YOUR BIKE UP PROPERLY. Don’t just ride it as it came to you; take some time paying particular attention to your suspension. If you don’t know how to do this go to your local bike shop, they need your support. Tyre pressures are also important, too hard and

you get no grip, too soft and you get punctures. Front like an orange, back like an apple!

3 UPGRADE YOURSELF Invest in yourself rather than your bike with a skills’ day. It’ll be less than the cost of a new set of fancy handlebars and will benefit your riding way more.

4 KEEP YOUR CHIN UP. Look well ahead down the trail. Look ahead to the exits of corners and where you want to go. Don’t look at the big rock you want to avoid.

5 RELAX HARDER! If you’re stiff your riding will be rubbish. Chill out, stay loose and go with the bike. If you have a spill or scary moment on a section of trail, leave it, go and ride something well within your ability and rediscover your mojo.

ABOUTED OXLEY

Ed has been riding mountain bikes for about 20 years. Over this time the bikes have progressed and so has the way we ride them and the trails we ride. Like many other ordinary mountain bikers he’s progressed along with this. He’s got a good eye for spotting what people need to do to improve their riding up to the next level, because he’s been there and done it himself.His skills courses, suitable for a full range of abilities, run at the trail centre locations of Gisburn Forest and Hurstwood, both in Lancashire, as well as on the famous natural trails of Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire. He also runs trips, which combine skills tips and guided riding, at other locations including the Basque Country and Spanish Pyrenees in N.W. Spain and Sospel in the Maritime Alps in the south of France.More info: great-rock.co.uk

If you have a scary moment go ride something well within your ability and rediscover your mojo


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TRAIN BROWNLEE BROTHERS

If you’re doing Olympic distance, don’t feel you have to stop at feeding stations during the run. If it’s hot you might just grab some water...


1 PRE-RACE FOOD Use your training to discover how long you need before a race to digest your food, recommends

Alistair. “I can eat two hours before a race but some people need longer to digest – maybe three or even four hours. You should have tried out what’s best for your body well before race day. Don’t eat anything too complicated. Pasta, a sandwich… any kind of food you digest easily. When it comes to hydration, drink a product you’ve used before. Don’t try anything new on race day.

People say it’s good to drink a Coke after a training swim because it kills any bacteria. But don’t drink it when you’re actually racing.”

2 WETSUIT Jonathan stresses the importance of a proper wetsuit fitting.“I’d always go for buoyancy. But the fit is

the most important thing. Go to a shop and get fitted correctly.

When you put your wetsuit on before the race, grab it from behind and stretch it over your shoulders so it sits correctly and lets you make your strokes correctly. Take care to zip it up right. I lube my legs before I put my suit on, but not the rest of my body. After the swim I find the rest of the wetsuit comes off easily – the lube is just for the legs. Most types of lube work. I’ve used all sorts. I’ve even tried baby oil.” (See OF issue 42 for a detailed review of wetsuits.)

3 GOGGLES There are certain precautions you can take to avoid your goggles fogging up, says Alistair.

“We use new goggles for every race because it’s the only way to make sure they’re totally fog-free. But we get free goggles from our sponsor. If your own goggles are new, just rinse them before you put them on. If they’re a bit older, you can spit in them (but don’t rinse them in water afterwards) or use de-fogging spray. If you’re ever in doubt, leave a tiny bit of water in the goggles when you put them on – then if they do fog up, you can simply move your head a little bit to clear them. It’s crucial you buy goggles that fit your eyes properly, otherwise you’ll hurt your eyes.”

4 SWIM STARTING POSITION Alistair says don’t worry about starting at the front.

“If it’s one of your first races and you’re not so confident, don’t feel you need to start right in the middle. Instead start at the side or the back, where there are fewer people, until you get the confidence of being right in the middle of it. In any case, the time difference between the front and the back isn’t that great.”

5 DRAFTING Drafting in swimming isn’t something beginners should worry about, says Alistair.

“You have to be swimming quite fast to make drafting worthwhile. If you’re a beginner, and starting at the back, don’t worry too much about drafting. However, if you’re at the sharp end of the field, it definitely has an effect. Draft directly behind another swimmer to keep things simple. Drafting on the hip of a swimmer is quite difficult.”

6 THE WASHING MACHINE Jonathan says you mustn’t panic when the swim section turns into a

washing machine: “The swim section can be pretty chaotic. Remind yourself that when you’re in a wetsuit you’re absolutely fine. Don’t worry. There’s nothing that can go wrong; you’re not going to drown because the buoyancy of the suit keeps you on top of the water. Practice swimming in your wetsuit in swimming pools before the race. Get your friends to beat you up a bit in the swimming pool so that you’re used to the washing machine! If you find yourself in a bit of a fight during the race – and someone is swimming over the top of you – just kick your legs as hard as you can. The worst thing you can do is stop swimming because then other triathletes will start to swim over the top of you. Don’t stop; keep moving forwards.”

7 SIGHTING It’s crucial to keep sighting during the swim so you don’t stray off course, says Alistair.

“In amateur racing people can end up swimming miles off course. So it’s really important to look up quite frequently to check where you’re

headed – every five or six strokes. Make sure you swim the course beforehand to get used to it. It’s often quite difficult to see a buoy in the distance while you’re swimming but if you know there’s a large landmark on the shore behind the buoy, it’s much easier to sight off that. The landmark can be a building, or a tree, or a flag post. Of course if you’re swimming behind someone you’re confident in, then you don’t need to sight as often.”

8 WETSUIT REMOVAL First the top half, later the legs, says Jonathan. “As soon as I exit the water, I pull off the top

half of my wetsuit. The wetter it is, the easier it is to remove. Then, when I get to my bike, I take the legs off.”

9 SOCKS Go sock free, says Alistair.“Once you’ve removed your wetsuit, put your bare feet straight into your bike shoes.

Unless it’s a really long-distance triathlon, like an Ironman, I don’t think it’s worth putting socks on.”

10 RACE NUTRITION Eat on the bike section only, says Jonathan.“On an Olympic triathlon you only

need to eat on the ride. I take an energy gel after 20km and 35km of the bike section. Sip an energy drink all the way through the bike section too. Then you’ll be fine for the run.”

11 PEDALS Go clipless, says Alistair.“We use Look pedal systems. I would

always recommend using clipless pedals for triathlon. It means you can clip your shoes into your bike pedals before the race, and you can pedal a lot faster uphill.”

It’s not often two brothers share the same Olympic podium. When Alistair and Jonathan Brownlee took gold and bronze medals respectively at the 2012 Olympics, they cemented their place as one of Britain’s great sporting dynasties. For all of you fancying a go at the three-sport discipline here are their words of advice.

BROWNLEE BROTHERS TRAIN

18 Tri Tips from Jonathan and Alistair Brownlee


12 BIKE DISMOUNTING Beware of tripping up, says Alistair.“When you dismount, and you bring

one leg over the crossbar, make sure you don’t cross your legs, otherwise you risk tripping over. Also, remember that you’ve got to put your bike on the rack before you unclip your helmet. Don’t even touch your helmet before you’ve racked your bike, or you risk a penalty.”

13 TRI-BARS Alistair says it’s crucial to be properly fitted for tri-bars.

“If you have tri-bars and you’ve practiced with them, they are massively beneficial. But you’ve got to know you’re comfortable in that position. Get them fitted properly by a bike fitter. They are anatomically different for everyone. Different people prefer different angles. And during the race, make sure you don’t use them on the tricky, corner sections of the bike ride. You’ll save yourself a lot of time if you know how to use them right.”

14 CHOICE OF BIKE Be sure you enjoy the sport before buying a pricey bike, says Jonathan.

“Train and do your first race before you buy an expensive one. See if you enjoy the sport. You can always adapt your existing bike – even if it’s a mountain bike with slicks on it. If you really enjoy it then you can buy a faster bike.”

15 FEEDING STATIONS No need to stop while running, says Alistair.“If you’re doing Olympic distance, don’t

feel you have to stop at feeding stations during the run. If it’s hot you might just grab some water, sip it or pour it over your head.”

16 JELLY LEGS Jelly legs are inevitable, says Jonathan. “Accept that you’re going to have jelly

legs for the first few minutes of the run. It will feel a bit weird but don’t worry, it will pass. You can practice in training for this situation by going straight into a run after a bike ride.”

17 COMBINING ALL THREE DISCIPLINES? Jonathan explains it’s not necessary to

combine all three disciplines in training.“This isn’t important at all. I don’t think I’ve ever combined all three disciplines in my training. However, it’s good to practice bike to running several times, a few weeks before the race. But I don’t think you have to practice swim to bike at all. It’s really impractical to do all three disciplines in one session, especially when it’s cold. Train to be as good as you can be at all three individually and then put it all together on race day.”

18 FAMILY SUPPORT This is essential, says Jonathan.“They can pick up your kit and help you

before the race - if it’s cold while you’re waiting at the start, you’ll be wearing a towel or jumper. And you need to have someone cheering you on when things start to hurt later on.”

n The Brownlee Brothers were speaking at the Triathlon Show London, driven by SEAT, which

took place from February 12-15, triathlonshowlondon.co.uk

TRAIN BROWNLEE BROTHERS


OUTDOOR FITNESS REACHES EVERYWHERE

CLIMBING MATTERHORNIT’S 150 YEARS SINCE ITS FIRST CLIMB

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BRAVEHEART TRI TRAINING

EVERYMAN’S MARATHON MAN STEVE WAY

ON LAND, WATER, WHEELS & IN THE SKY

Tough Mind TrainingPhysical training is crucial to improved athletic performance, but can we train our minds to become mentally tougher and boost performance further?

IN FEBRUARY 2015 ultrarunner and personal trainer Donnie Campbell (getactiverunning.com) became the first, together with Andrew Murray, to run 550km across the Namib Desert in ten days (look out for their epic story in a future issue). Campbell says: “Sports psychology plays a big part in racing, and I use visualisation, goal setting, positive self-talk and breaking things down into manageable chunks. During the 2013 British Trail Championship I used positive self-talk to get me through a bad spell. Except I wasn’t talking; I was shouting! Thinking there was nobody else about, I rounded a corner to find a group of walkers looking at me very strangely! I ended up laughing at how ridiculous I must have sounded, but it got me through the bad spell and I finished fourth.”

“Donnie’s experience is very relevant,’ says Dr Samuele Marcora of the University of Kent’s Endurance Research Group, “Our team recently demonstrated that motivational self-talk improves endurance performance. But interestingly, we found that motivational self-talk did not actually increase motivation, probably because our participants − like most athletes − were already highly motivated. Our research suggests that at a psychological level, the mechanisms through which motivational self-talk improves endurance performance is by reducing perception of effort, i.e. the conscious sensation of how hard, heavy and strenuous exercise is. In other words, participants in the group taught how to use motivational self-talk during the endurance test perceived exercise to be easier.”

What’s going on in the brain of someone who’s demonstrating mental perseverance compared to someone who’s not? Author, ultrarunner and three times Triple Ironman Champion Christopher Bergland says in his book The Athlete’s Way: Sweat and the Biology of Bliss (2011) that the so-called “reward molecule” dopamine – a hormone and neurotransmitter – is what, “… keeps people motivated to persevere and achieve a goal. You have the power to increase your production of dopamine by changing your attitude and behaviour.” (See box.)

Dr Alan MacPherson, Programme Director of the MSc course in Performance Psychology at the University of Edinburgh says: “I view self-regulation, such as that outlined by Christopher Bergland as a learnt skill, and I teach psychological characteristics of developing excellence to fourth year PE students, alongside my colleague Murray Craig. Such psycho-behaviours are cross-curricular mental skills, and I think human performance – your own performance – can be improved to a significant degree by learning and practising these skills, and there is strong

evidence that this is the case. Simply, within reason you can learn and be nurtured to perform.”

An interesting perspective on a possible stimulus for mental perseverance comes from Drs Dave Collins and Áine MacNamara at the University of Central Lancashire’s Institute of Coaching and Performance. In a recent paper in the journal Sports Medicine they contend that “… talent needs trauma and thus purposeful provision of such challenge at appropriate levels is an essential feature of any talent development system.” They suggest that overcoming early challenges in life is a precursor to high-level achievement, stating: “A quick glance through biographies of elites will usually reveal one or more critical incidents, which the performer retrospectively reports as key moments in their development.”

This idea of trauma prompting the blossoming of talent seems to apply in the case of Jim Alder, one of GB’s finest ever athletes. He set track world records for 30km in 1964 and 1970; won the 1966 Jamaica Commonwealth Games Marathon; and his time of 2:12:04 for the marathon (when he took silver to Ron Hill’s gold in the 1970 Edinburgh Commonwealth Games) remains a Scottish native record to this day.

Born in Glasgow in 1940, Alder, now President of Morpeth Harriers, told Outdoor Fitness: “On 6th May 1945, our dad was killed by a land mine in Berlin. Then two years later Mum died of tuberculosis. That left me the eldest, my sister and brother. After a succession of orphanages and homes, my sister and I were moved to Morpeth to meet our foster parents.” The former plasterer and bricklayer said: “As a boy and young man, my tough upbringing gave me a few chips on my shoulder about how unfair life could be, and I became argumentative and outspoken. But I was determined to make something of my life and I became very competitive, training hard every day. Running gave me self-discipline and focus.”

One of Alder’s contemporaries, England’s Bill Adcocks, also knows about self-discipline and focus. Runner-up to Alder in the 1966 Commonwealth Games Marathon, the Coventry Godiva Harrier not only held the record for the “classic” Marathon to Athens race for 35 years – his 2:11:07, set in 1969, was only bettered by 12 seconds in 2004 – Adcocks was also the first to run four marathons in

The mechanisms through which motivational self-talk improves endurance performance is by reducing perception of effort


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TRAIN MENTAL PERSEVERANCE

RUNNING AND THE MINDn “Mind is everything – muscles, pieces of rubber. Everything that I am, I am because of my mind.” Paavo Nurmi, winner of nine Olympic distance running gold medals between 1920−1928.

n“If you emphasise the physical side of training you may become superbly conditioned but mentally not advanced at all … my golden rule is to train for the mental toughness and [not to] train for the physical development.” Australian Herb Elliott (b.1938), world-record holder at 1500m and the mile. He was undefeated over those distances during his career.

n“The athletes who truly make it are mentally some of the toughest people in the world. No one is born with that kind of toughness, and it doesn’t come overnight. You must develop it, cultivate it, cherish it!” American Marty Liquori who was ranked world number one for the mile in 1969 and 1971, and world number one for 5000m in 1977.

SEVEN WAYS TO INCREASE DOPAMINE PRODUCTIONn Learn to associate perseverance and accomplishing a mission with feeling good.n Stop viewing perseverance as drudgery but as an opportunity to neurochemically boost your confidence and make you feel good.n Puzzles and brain-teaser games are a great way to tap your dopamine reserves.n Expectation and belief can produce dopamine.n Get in the habit of setting deadlines and completing goals in a timely manner.n Break the bigger challenge which is a “Macro-Goal” into very tangible “Micro-Goals”, each of which gives you a small hit of dopamine.n Be your own cheering squad. Don’t base your feelings of self-worth on the praise and kudos of others.


under 2:14, and the first to win Japanese and English titles … in the same week! Bill said: “Comparing today’s runners against those of my day is difficult. There have been many changes in society and the world of work, and expectations are different. We didn’t have too many diversions; we just got on with it. There was no help or back-up. You rose or fell by your own application. It seems to me that today’s runners look at the reasons why they can’t do something rather than apply themselves to how they can do something.”

Common to Alder and Adcocks − and what may have helped shape their mental perseverance − is the fact that they raced almost every weekend over a variety of distances, both on road and track. Bill Adcocks told Outdoor Fitness: “I raced often, and getting used to the race situation is vital, as all the aspects of race week right down to race day need to be rehearsed. If you haven’t run in competitions often, when the big event comes you might be lacking in experience of the situation. Just wishing or hoping that things are going to be okay is generally not enough.”

According to former GB and South Africa international duathlete and triathlete Phil Mack, applying mental perseverance is an underestimated skill, but when done effectively, it can significantly improve performance. With a global reputation as an injury rehabilitation specialist – he was also strength and conditioning coach to the South African Springboks, Leicester Tigers and Ulster rugby teams − Mack now runs six sports injury and physiotherapy clinics (thephysiotherapyclinics.com) in Edinburgh and Peebles. “For most athletes,” says Phil, “mental perseverance is something that has to be learnt and developed. It’s not just about

mental strength but mental focus as well. The key is to first identify the problem areas and experiment with strategies that may help overcome each challenge you’re confronted with. While working with the South African Springboks we had to look after as many as forty players, all with different personalities. Even at this level, some players struggled with confidence or nerves, and improving their mental strength and focus was essential to help them perform at their best.”

Mental perseverance is fine when you’re striving to improve performance, but what about when things go wrong? Mack explained: “Mental perseverance also plays a critical role in recovery from injuries, especially long-term injuries. Frustration, disappointment and loss of confidence may be affected. Having the determination and focus to complete the daily rehab may be a huge challenge for some athletes and the support team play an important role in keeping the athlete focused and providing challenging training programmes that work around the injury.”

It seems then that we’re not necessarily just born with mental perseverance; it can be developed. And don’t worry, if you’re halfway up a hillside and hear shouting, it’s Donnie Campbell doing his version of self-talk - maybe you need to shout it out too!

CULTIVATING MENTAL TOUGHNESS Dr Daniel Gucciardi, is a senior research fellow in the School of Physiotherapy and Exercise Science at Curtin University, Perth, Australia. He studies mental toughness in a range of areas, including work and sport (Twitter @DanielGucciardi). In this box out he explains how persistence, effort and perseverance can be cultivated.n Use conversation and language to highlight the connection between effort and outcome. For example, a coach might say: “You performed well today. Your hard work is paying off.” This is better than saying: “You performed well. You’re a really talented athlete.”n Set goals. They focus attention on achieving a standard, whether an outcome (winning a race), performance (improving a personal best) or process (increasing cycling cadence).n Goals provide the target, but action and coping planning are required to guide and direct one’s efforts towards attaining those standards. The “action” component involves specifying when, where and how you’ll go about doing those things to achieve those goals. The “coping” aspect entails anticipating problems and challenges, and working out strategies to overcome them.n Converse with family, friends or peers on what persistence means to them, and how it has helped them in work, study, sports etc.n Read (auto)biographies and/or watch documentaries of high performers from all walks of life.

Applying mental perseverance is an underestimated skill, but when done effectively, it can significantly improve performance


TRAIN MENTAL PERSEVERANCE

SCOTT-SPORTS.COM© SCOTT SPORTS SA 2014.15 | Photo: Daniel Geiger

There are everyday rides. And then there are rides you’ll never forget. When you push yourself to the limit, leave it all out on theroad and feel the rush of reaching your potential, you have a bike that is up for the challenge.

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AT A RECENT school sports day, my daughter – who’d just told all her friends how her dad had just set a running world record in New Zealand (see upcoming edition of Outdoor Fitness) – was left a bit embarrassed when I got beaten by several other dads in a short sprint race.

“Sorry love,” I spluttered. “I’m not built for speed. I do distance.”

She didn’t look convinced, but now I have scientific proof that this is true. Because I had my DNA decoded by Muscle Genes.

Using a saliva sample, this UK-based company analyses their clients’ genes and reveals exactly where people’s sporting prowess lies. In an instant you can find out whether you’re genetically predisposed to be better at endurance or high intensity activities. All you have to do is dribble into a little spittoon, get your gob in the post, and within a couple of weeks a link to a comprehensive set of results is emailed back.

THE TEST RESULTSIt’s undeniably fascinating. I learnt that I have two copies of the I allele in my

ACE gene; a combination that’s associated with higher maximum oxygen uptake (VO2max). Plus, I have two G alleles in my PPARA gene (which looks after energy-efficient fat burning) and in my PGC1A (aerobic capacity) gene, and I’m therefore more likely to have a high percentage of slow-twitch muscle fibres – all of which points to better performance in endurance-based sports.

However, I only have one sprinter R allele in my ACTN3 gene (the one associated with speed), and it’s paired with an endurance X allele. The R allele produces the protein alpha-actinin-3, which boosts muscle strength and performance through fast-twitch muscle fibres – leading to explosive power. It’s been observed in every Olympic sprinter ever tested, which gives me one thing in common with them, but I’d have much more explosive power if I’d returned an RR result.

There were some surprises (apparently I’m probably lactose intolerant – bit of a shock, since I’ve never shown symptoms and some of my best friends are cheeses) but basically my results confirmed all my suspicions (and justified most of my excuses) - I’m built for long-distance events and escapades, not short fast races.

DECODING THE RESULTSSo far, so interesting. But to actually be useful, you need to translate this

information into action. To this end, the results are accompanied by a “fitness and nutrition blueprint”, a brief overview of what to do exercise-wise and what to consume and when, in order to get the maximum effect from training, written in accordance with your results. You can then pay extra to do the “Genetic Training System Challenge” (GTC), an 8-week fitness programme tailored to your genetic make-up.

So, is this a scientific sensation or

charlatanism? My results seem like a good fit, but am I simply reading the genetic equivalent of my star signs (which are always composed so that you can bend them around what you want to hear)?

Like an astrology guide, the report’s tone is based on positive affirmation. I’m awesome, apparently – but I’m guessing they say that to all the guys/girls. However, the business doesn’t quack when you probe it though, there are genuine scientific minds behind the concept – two geneticists, a nutritionist and a medical doctor – all of who check out.

Interpretation of results is a little patchy (some genotypes are explained in detail, while others are skimmed), and the website seems squarely aimed at male American bodybuilders and gym junkies, with a big focus on muscle hypertrophy and testosterone levels, and prices quoted in US dollars. When I speak to Dr Samantha Decombel – one of the geneticists – she confirms this is exactly their largest target demographic.

However, there’s still plenty to interest and educate those of us who prefer getting sweaty outside, doing endurance sports like running and cycling. If you can live with the look of the site (which the company’s considering changing to better reflect divergent interests), it provides a lot of information and, more importantly, some personal interpretation of that info. And it’s still growing.

“This is a whole new area,” Dr Decombel explains. “Our business is continually evolving as we expand our ability to interpret results.” As additional findings become available, she assures me, people who have already paid their fee and received their initial readings and recommendations will continue to get updates.

No need to hand over any more saliva or cash. Excellent. In the near future I look forward to learning about my genetically determined ability to process salt, lactic acid and caffeine, among other things.

I was all set to embark on the GTC challenge too, until I realised that the activities were largely gym-based and 100% focused on building muscle and burning fat. Dr Decombel says they’re working on more programmes, including one for people who want to work on their endurance fitness – so I’ll wait for that.

OUTSIDE THE LABFor now, while extremely interesting, this initiative is of limited practical use

for those who prefer nature’s gym. But I’ll keep watching this space. And at least I know why I suck at sprinting. It’s in my genes – and probably in my daughter’s too.

Incidentally our editor John Shepherd also took the test and err he’s basically the opposite of me. John had an RR allele rating for speed; those two copies of the relevant gene make for sprint capability rather than endurance. In terms of fat burning he was CG (one fat burning and one power allele); apparently this is an unusual combination and is one that’s found again in power athletes. For endurance John was DD, which indicates – and you’ll be getting the thread by now - a strong affinity for anaerobic training. This response naturally indicates a predominance of fast twitch fibres. In terms of metabolism John scored AV, reflecting an “intermediate” metabolism and his result showed an: “insulin sensitivity below average” – which means he should avoid excess sugar and starchy carbs, for example. He had a KR pairing for hypertrophy indicating a propensity for low body fat and muscle gain. I asked John what his sporting background was and he replied that he was a former international long jumper. That might explain that then.

All in the genesBy decoding and analysing people’s DNA, a new company claims to be able to unlock a whole new level of fitness. Patrick Kinsella airs his genes in public to find out more.

My results seem like a good fit, but am I simply reading the genetic equivalent of my star signs?

Pat Kinsella in his element

TRAIN GENETICS


PAT’S GENES

n Speed RX n Fat Burning GG n Hypertrophy KK n Endurance II n Aerobic capacity GG n Muscle Volume AA n Metabolism AV n Lactose Tolerance CC

Kit Cost: US$149 (currently £99)Upgrade to eight-week GTS Challenge: US$98 (currently £65) More info: musclegenes.com


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RICHARD MANNING 47,Richard is a design engineer living in Llandeilo, South Wales.

“My only real sport-related activity before this was cycling, although I now cover good distances and often compete in sportives and some mountain bike events, I actually only started cycling when I turned 40. I also completed a half marathon last year, then realised, I don’t enjoy running and certainly don’t consider myself a runner, as it feels far too slow and painful compared to cycling. As for swimming, my past mainly consisted of splashing about in the sea, throwing seaweed at my kids and, if truth be told, I can only swim breaststroke, as I never learnt to breathe properly in freestyle.”

COLIN BARRETT 43Colin in a peripatetic brass instrument teacher for Pembrokeshire music service.

Since leaving school in 1988, I’ve virtually not participated in any sport or exercise apart from the occasional skiing holiday. Huw nagged me for about two years to get a road bike and after the constant pestering and wanting to become healthier for the sake of my five-year old daughter, I purchased one through the Cycle to Work scheme. A few rides later with Huw, I entered my first sportive. This soon led to me joining the local Tenby Aces and entering another four sportives. Until very recently I couldn’t swim, so this really is going to be the ultimate test.

HUW BENBOW 41,Huw is the deputy head teacher at Cleddau Reach Cc Primary school.

Before this, my sporting past mainly consisted of basketball through college but this led to me destroying my knees and having to give the sport up. Although I always enjoyed outdoor activities, I have pretty much been sedentary for this last 20 years. Just over a year ago, I took up cycling and instantly fell in love with the sport; this has led to me loosing three and a half stone in this short time.

n All three completed a 300-mile cycle challenge to raise money for charity and this helped cement a friendship and there started this new journey to become Ironmen. With, how shall we put it delicately, a far from extensive base for taking on a triathlon it will be very interesting to see how the guys get on.

TARGET: IRONMAN WALES

IronmenIf you take three men that between them have destroyed knees, can’t swim and hate running, then add a pint of beer, what would you expect the logical outcome to be? Err, enter Ironman Wales of course! Let’s introduce the trio.

TRAIN TRAINING DIARIES

Outdoor Fitness’s new training diary candidates have set themselves up to enter some mega events in the near future. This issue we introduce you to our new recruits.


NEIL SPENCER, 34 lives in Newport and is a former soldier.

I’m Neil, I’m 34 years old and married with two young children. I served in the Royal Welch Fusiliers between 2002 and 2006. I was medically discharged after being injured in a bomb-blast.

I’ve done many endurance events in the past to raise funds for military charities and this year will be no different. In December I’ve set myself the task of running the Brecon Ultra – it’s 46 miles of mixed mountain and trail around two laps of the Brecon Beacons and Brecon town. I’ve never been much of a runner; most of my past challenges have come in the form of speed marching or walking very fast with a weighted day-sack on my back. This required a completely different style of locomotion for getting from A to B.

However, before I get to the Brecon Ultra I’ve a couple of other tasks to test me. The first will be on the 6th June, when myself and Lee, another former soldier, take on the Fan Dance – this will be a very tough 24km speed march

carrying a 45lbs patrol pack over two sides of Pen y Fan mountain (the highest mountain in the Brecon Beacons and southern Britain at 2,907ft/688m). This route is now over 50 years old and is still used by the UK Special Forces as a selection course. And to test me straight after the Fan Dance, we have decided to take on walking up and down Pen y Fan as many times as possible within 24 hours while carrying a 35lbs weighted pack. This is something former Wales international rugby player, and more recently adventurer Richard Parks did in July 2010, ahead of his record breaking “737 challenge”. Richard managed seven summits; Lee and I are aiming to match that figure. So combined with the Fan Dance that will be nine summits – that’s around 50 miles and over 18,000ft of ascent (over half the height of Everest). We could be on our feet for around 30 hours – obviously this is going to be a tough call.

The other event planned before the Brecon Ultra will be the Cardiff Half Marathon in Oct. I won’t just run it though as I plan to run carrying a 35lbs patrol pack,

hopefully I’ll get under two hours.For now my training is in top

gear for the Fan Dance; I’ve been hitting the treadmill every other day, walking on full incline for up to two hours carrying the 35lbs pack. This is to build the leg strength and endurance required to cope with the high demands of the challenge. I’m also doing plenty of swimming and lots of stretching between sessions. In terms of nutrition, I’ll admit that I just eat what I like - I need all the calories I can get. As the day gets closer I’ll hit some hills around my area and if time permits I might get a last training session in on the Fan itself.

I’m walking to raise funds for two charities: the first is Talking2minds (a charity formed to treat those dealing with the effects of battle trauma) and the second is the Cystic Fibrosis Trust (to raise funds for a young four-year old girl from Newport called Amy Smith who suffers from CF).

n Donations can be made safely at, virginmoneygiving.com/neilspencerfandance

TARGET: BRECON ULTRABefore the Brecon Ultra, Neil has a date with the Fan Dance.

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EXPERT NUTRITION ADVICE TO BOOST YOUR PERFORMANCE

CONTENTS72 Multi event

nutrition76 BBQ Heroes &

VillainsFOODMagic MineralsLike a gold prospector our body’s need to mine equally precious minerals.

These mainly metallic minerals play crucial roles.1 Minerals assist the formation of bones and teeth; 2 They assist muscle

contractions, normal heart rhythm, nerve conduction and the acid-base balance of body fluids; 3 They play a key role in cellular activity.

KEY MINERALS FOR EXERCISE:CALCIUM If calcium in-take is insufficient then osteoporosis can result. With age and insufficient calcium bones can become more brittle and lead to osteoporosis. Sources: milk, cheese, leafy vegetables

IRON Iron plays a key role in oxygen transportation and use. Iron deficiency can result in tiredness and shortness of breath. Sources: eggs, lean meat, whole grains, leafy vegetables

SODIUM, POTASSIUM & CHLORINE (ELECTROLYTES) These minerals are crucial for fluid exchange in the body and they balance the exchange of nutrients and waste products between cells. Sodium and potassium are vital for nerve conductivity, and depletion can potentially lead to cramps and muscle

spasms under exercise conditions (and/when these minerals are deficient). Hot weather and a lack or relevant fluid consumption will exacerbate this situation. Sources: salt/leafy vegetables, potatoes, milk, meats/whole grains, leafy vegetables

Milk is an exceptionally good source of minerals

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Multiday Events & RecoveryHave you got a big multiday event looming? Andrew Hamilton explains the nutritional demands of multiday competition and provides practical advice for multiday athletes.

THERE’S LOTS OF excellent research showing how best to fuel your body for a single event and importantly, to promote recovery afterwards (see box). But what about events that run over several consecutive days such as stage races or big tours? In these multiday events, long and often hard efforts have to be repeated on consecutive days. More often than not, there’s simply insufficient time for full recovery.

The obvious question then is whether there are any specific strategies that can benefit multiday athletes? Surprisingly, this is an area in which little research has been carried out. One reason for this is simple logistics; studies carried across many days are far more time consuming and costly to carry out. Also, many athletes may be more reluctant to put their bodies repeatedly through the mill in the name of research. However, recent findings by scientists have provided a valuable insight into the specific nutritional needs of multiday competition.

MORE OF THE SAME?If you’re faced with a multiday event you might assume that by simply consuming plenty of carbohydrate and sufficient protein after each day’s session(s), you’ll be recovered and ready for the next day. To some extent this is true. Figure 1 shows how consuming extra carbohydrate after a two-hour training sessions on three consecutive days helps to offset muscle glycogen depletion compared to simply consuming a typical diet(1). Notice however, even when extra carbohydrate is consumed, muscle glycogen levels still decline gradually over the three days – enough to impair performance.

A recent study on this very topic also suggests that where full recovery is concerned, multiday competition and training presents a big challenge(2). In the study, 11 well-trained cyclists carried out simulated racing for four consecutive days. On each day, the cyclists performed a three-hour simulated race session. These simulated sessions all took place two hours after the cyclists’ last meal and in each session, the subjects were given carbohydrate drinks supplying around 50g per hour – that’s about the same amount per hour as you might consume in a race event.

During days two to four, the cyclists’ muscles derived significantly more energy from fat in the earlier stages of each bout of cycling compared to day one. What was perhaps even more surprising was protein breakdown. During long, hard bouts of exercise, some muscle protein is inevitably broken down, particularly when muscle carbohydrate reserves are running low. However, the increased amount of protein breakdown on days two, three and four surprised the researchers: on day one, the average amount of protein breakdown was around 23g. However, this rose to 29g on day two and increased further to around 33g per session on days three and four – i.e. muscle protein losses were 28-46% higher compared to day one.

What do these results mean? Well, despite the fact that these cyclists consumed carbohydrate drinks during their race sessions

and were consuming a carbohydrate-rich diet, the fact that they resorted to burning more fat earlier on days two, three and four shows that they were unable to fully replenish muscle glycogen stores even after one day of racing. The racing-induced protein losses are also concerning because we know that during intense and prolonged periods of exercise, higher intakes of protein are needed to aid recovery and maintain performance levels(3,4). There’s also evidence that extra protein consumption during periods of intense training can reduce soreness and inflammation(5).

CARBOHYDRATE SURPLUSAt this point, you might be wondering whether the key to keeping your muscles topped up with glycogen over the course of a multiday event is to simply consume a lot more carbohydrate during each session. However, a 2011 study suggests no (6). During two-hour rides, 51 cyclists and triathletes were given different levels of carbohydrate supplementation (in the form of drinks) - 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 110, and 120g per hour.

As carbohydrate intake in grams per hour rose, so did performance. However, this upwards performance trend only occurred up to an intake of 78g of carbohydrate per hour (see Figure 2). After that, progressively higher intakes resulted in less performance gain than that observed at 78g per hour. In other words, while consuming very high amounts of carbohydrate during exercise might help offset muscle glycogen losses, it could result in poorer performance – not what you want!

THE ROLE OF LEUCINEThe (rather limited) research to date suggests that for athletes who train or compete long and hard on consecutive days, a degree of muscle glycogen depletion may be unavoidable – even if extra carbohydrate is consumed during and after exercise. That being the case, are there any other nutritional strategies that can aid recovery in between sessions?

In recent years, there’s been increasing interest in the role of protein for recovery – specifically one of the amino acids (building blocks of protein) called leucine. This is because

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR POST RACING/TRAINING NUTRITION RECOVERYAfter training or racing, you need the following:

1Carbohydrate (the body’s premium grade fuel for strenuous exercise) to

replenish muscle glycogen.2Protein to supply the amino

acid building blocks required to repair and regenerate

muscle fibres that are damaged and broken down during exercise.

3Water to replace fluid lost as sweat and water exhalation during exercise and to enable

glycogen storage in your muscles (each gram of glycogen synthesised in muscle requires around three grams of water to fix it in place).

4Electrolytes to replenish minerals (e.g. sodium, chloride, calcium,

magnesium) lost in sweat – especially important in hot conditions.

FIGURE 1 GLYCOGEN DEPLETION OVER 3 DAYSThe blue line shows a progressive drop in

muscle glycogen when the moderate carbohydrate diet is not supplemented with carbohydrate. The red line shows how glycogen levels are better (but not

completely) maintained over three consecutive days of two-hour training

bouts when extra carbohydrate drinks are consumed.

DAY 1 DAY 2 DAY 3

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FOOD MULTIDAY FUELLING


this amino acid appears to play a key role in stimulating muscle synthesis therefore aiding muscle growth and recovery.

A study on cycling performance looked at whether consuming extra leucine could be helpful for rapid recovery(7) Ten cyclists performed interval-training bouts lasting between 120 and 150 minutes on three consecutive evenings. For 90 minutes afterwards, they ingested either 1) a leucine-rich protein, high-carbohydrate supplement or 2) a supplement containing exactly the same number of protein and carbohydrate calories but where the leucine content of the protein was poor.

The net effect was that the leucine-rich group (group 1) consumed no more protein overall but the protein they did consume was much richer in leucine than group 2. Following the three evenings of interval training, the cyclists were allowed 39 hours of recovery then all the subjects performed a repeat-sprint performance test.

Compared to group 2, the group that ingested the leucine-rich protein improved their mean sprint power by 2.5% and their perceived overall tiredness was reduced during the sprints by 13% - i.e. feeding protein rich in leucine (along with carbohydrate) produced better subsequent cycling performance than the equivalent amount of protein that was not rich in leucine. In

practice this suggests that your post-exercise recovery drinks and snacks should contain protein that is leucine-rich - one of the very best sources of whey protein.

WHEY TO GOThere’s further evidence for the benefits of leucine for recovery from studies on whey protein (an excellent source of leucine). For example, a recent Australian study investigated the effect of supplementing whey protein on endurance adaptation in cyclists(8). A group of cyclists and triathletes followed two separate periods of dietary intervention during a 16-day period of training:n Carbohydrate only supplementation.nCarbohydrate plus whey protein supplementation.

Both dietary interventions provided the subjects with the same number of total calories and carbohydrate content. On completion of the dietary intervention, the subjects performed a very demanding cycling task, consisting of cycling for 60 minutes at 70% of their maximum oxygen uptake (moderate intensity) followed by a time trial to exhaustion at 90% of maximum oxygen uptake (very hard!).

The levels of muscle glycogen in the subjects at the end of each trial were the same

regardless of dietary intervention. However, compared to the carbohydrate-only supplemented diet, the carbohydrate plus whey diet resulted in significantly higher levels of the hormone insulin and very importantly, significantly higher levels of a substance called “peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator-1 alpha” (PGC-1a ).

Why are these results important? Well, insulin is a key hormone in recovery because it helps muscles absorb carbohydrate (i.e. refuel) after exercise. Therefore, higher levels of insulin after the carbohydrate plus whey diet indicate that the muscles were better primed for recovery. Meanwhile, higher levels of PGC-1a produced by the carbohydrate plus whey diet indicated greater endurance adaptation – a process that normal takes place as part of the recovery process.

SUMMARYMultiday competition nutrition is very challenging, particularly as it can be extremely difficult to fully replenish muscle glycogen stores in time for the next session. However, recent research suggests that protein and in particular, the amino acid leucine may play a vital role in aiding recovery. See below for some practical suggestions to help you maximise your multiday performance.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS FOR MULTIDAY EVENTSn Consider using carbohydrate drinks containing small amounts (20%) of added whey protein during your activity. Some evidence suggests that by supplying muscles with amino acids during activity, muscle damage may be minimised and recovery accelerated.

n For post-exercise drinks, choose whey protein based recovery drinks (whey provides high levels of leucine – around 10% by weight) providing a 3:1 ratio

of carbohydrate to whey protein.

n Start your recovery nutrition immediately after exercise. Consuming three or four smaller servings of recovery drink over the following hours is likely to be more effective than taking just one large drink.

n Topping up with supplemental leucine, so that your total daily leucine intake is around five grams may further increase effectiveness (e.g. 30g of whey would require an extra

two grams of supplemental leucine).

n Don’t forget your recovery diet! Consume carbohydrate-rich foods such as potatoes, bread and cereals, pasta, rice, beans and lentils, and high-quality proteins such as low-fat milk and yoghurt, low-fat cheese (cottage), fresh fish and lean cuts of meat (e.g. chicken breast). Most foods contain good levels of electrolytes, so these will automatically be topped up when you eat a meal

FIGURE 2: PERFORMANCE GAINS WITH VARYING CARBOHYDRATE INTAKE

Perf

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Carbohydrate intake (grams/hour)

2

3

4

5

20 40 60 80 100 120

As the grams/hour of carbohydrate consumed increased, so did performance gains – but only up to 78g/hour after which the gains diminished.

FOOD MULTIDAY FUELLING

Barbecue Heroes & Villains


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“PROTEIN, CARBOHYDRATE AND fats are all needed by the endurance athlete; the trick is to get them in the right amounts, and BBQs can be a minefield of sugary condiments and sauces and fatty cuts of meat,” warns Drew Price, Multipower Sportsfood registered nutritionist and strength and conditioning coach (multipower.com/uk).

Another BBQ issue is not paying attention and nuking the meat – this creates greater potential for free radical damage to your insides - or rather your cells. “The main tip here is avoid burning your meat,” advises Price. “Light the BBQ early, and use lots of charcoal. Doing both will mean you’re not going to rush your cooking. Wait for the coals to turn white and don’t cook directly over them but just off to the side.” That said, the key to keeping your BBQ healthy and wholesome lies with the ingredients.

It’s getting hot outside and what better way to enjoy the heat than to sizzle a BBQ. But how do you make sure your alfresco eating is as healthy as possible? Rob Kemp seeks out the ultimate in nourishing, nutritious fayre so you can become the healthy griller-king.

BURGERS HERO: MAKE YOUR OWN Protein is key to maintaining muscle mass and it also spikes your metabolism due to the greater amount of energy needed to metabolise it compared to carbs

and fat. So for your BBQ you need to choose the right meat. This is ideally extra lean steak mince. “For flavour and texture add a little lean pork mince. Each burger should consist of 130g of beef mince and 30g or so of pork,” recommends Price.

Mix the meats, adding a small pinch of salt and one grind of pepper and mix again. Press firmly into burger shapes about 1cm thick. Cook for about four minutes a side until done.Nutrition Info: Protein 35-40g, Fat 6g, Carbs 0g

“If you want to mix things up you can make a Tex Mex burger - add a little cumin, some chopped jalapenos and chunks of Double Gloucester cheese with chives and onions,” says Price. “Or you can go for a Greek burger with diced black olives and a little diced feta cheese. Whichever you do, eat with lots of salad. Leerdammer Lightlife cheese makes for a great reduced fat and higher protein topping (271 calories of which fat 17g, protein 29.5g, carbs 0.1g, per 100g).”

VILLIAN: OFF THE SHELF BURGERS One reason alone to make your own burgers is that unlike shop-bought ones you can

manage the salt input. According to campaign group Consensus Action on Salt and Health you could have a whopping two-thirds of your maximum daily salt intake with just one beef burger (for example, Tesco’s Barbecue Ultimate Beef Burgers contain 2g of salt per burger).

SAUSAGES HERO: SUPER-STRENGTH SAUSAGES “The trick when buying sausages is to look first at the ingredients and then their nutritional breakdown,” suggests Price. “Ideally

you want a lean sausage that has few ingredients and lots of protein – this shows that the producers have used decent cuts of meat, not the usual face and trotters and have avoided cheap fillers.” Cook your sausages slowly turning often and avoid cooking them directly over the coals - pile the coals up in a cone and cook to the side.

Ingredients:n 500g lean pork mincen 1 tsp onion powdern ⅓ tsp finely crumbled dried sageMakes five patties.“Just like making a burger take the pork mince and stir in the other ingredients, form into burgers around 1cm thick and cook for four minutes per side,” says Price.Nutrition Info: Protein 18g, Fat 4.5g, Carbs 0g

VILLIAN: SATURATED SAUSAGES A Cancer Research report from 2013 warns of the dangers of a heightened risk of stomach

cancer linked to consuming too much, poor quality sausage meat with too much added salt. If you’re going to use shop-bought ones then those with other ingredients (such as leek or apple) will at least have less meat and therefore less fat – or buy leaner poultry sausages.

FOOD BARBECUE HEROES AND VILLAINS


KEBABSHERO: LAMB KOFTE – THE ALL-CONQUERING KEBAB Lamb mince is a great source of Vitamin D – which is essential for peak athletic performance, recovery and bone

strength. “It’s also quite fatty though so seek out the extra lean variety,” says Price.

Ingredients:n 500g of lamb mince n 2 tsp of garlic powdern 1 tbsp of chopped flat leaf parsley n ½ a tsp of chilli flakes Makes four skewers“Form this into sausages around skewers and flatten them out. A tip is to use old dinner knives, as the flat shape holds the kebab better.” Cook for eight minutes per side turning frequently.Nutrition Info: Protein 15g, Fat 8g, Carbs 0g

VILLIAN: SAUCED UP SEGMENTS Meat should be marinated a long time before cooking for added flavour (as opposed to

smothering it with barbecue sauce on the BBQ). Placing a sauce soaked segment on the grill will just add greater amounts of sugar and calories to your kebab or grilled chicken breast.

POTATOESHERO: WEDGES WITH AN EDGE - SPICY SWEET POTATO WEDGES “By making chunky wedges you reduce the amount of the chip’s surface area in touch with the fat

compared to the volume of the chip,” say Price. “Sweet potatoes - though just as carb heavy as white ones - have a little more in the way of beta carotene, vitamin C and folate.”

Ingredients:n 1 washed and dried sweet potaton ½ tsp smoked paprikan ½ tsp dried rosemaryn ½ tsp onion saltn 1 tbsp olive oilCut a sweet potato lengthwise into 6-10 wedges, depending on the size of the potato. Place in a baking tray, drizzle with a little olive oil. Cook in the oven for 15 minutes on a medium heat (gas mark 3/180OF). Remove from the oven, sprinkle on the seasonings and herbs, carefully mix the wedges up again and cook on medium high (gas mark 5-7/375-449O) for another 5 minutes

VILLIAN: FRIED POTATO CRISPS/CHIPS Ok these were never going to get a look-in around the healthy heroes but the key concern

among corn chips, potato crisps, tortilla chips and so on is that they’re so very high in unhealthy trans fats – a side-effect of the cooking process which is linked to high levels of bad cholesterol in humans.

Lamb mince is a great source of Vitamin D – which is essential for peak athletic performance, recovery & bone strength.

BITS ON THE SIDEKeep your healthy options flowing with this selection of side dish recipes from Price.

QUICK GUACAMOLEIngredients:n 1 medium avocado (remove the flesh and

keep the stone)n 1 tomato finely dicedn ½ tsp garlic saltn ½ tsp of mixed Tex Mex spicesn 1 tsp lime juiceMakes four serving“Mash the avocado flesh with a fork and mix all the other ingredients in. For extra points add a tbsp of fresh, diced coriander. Stick the stone in the centre to stop the guacamole turning black.”Nutrition Info:Protein 1g, Fat 7g, Carbs 6g

LOW FAT, HIGH PROTEIN CHEESE & CHIVE DIPIngredients:n 2 tbsp quark (dairy product)n 2 tbsp yoghurtn 2 tbsp sour creamn 1 tbsp fresh chivesn ½ tsp garlic powderMix all the ingredients together and serve.

BUTTERED BAKED BANANAIngredients:n Whole banana, peeledn 1 tsp maple syrupn Sprinkle of cinnamonn ½ tsp butterPlace the banana on a rectangle of tin foil. Place the other ingredients on top of the banana and seal the foil by crimping on all sides. Place on a less hot part of the BBQ - usually as the coals are dying off, and leave for 10 minutes to slowly cook. Eat directly from the foil, being careful not to burn your mouth.

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PERFORMANCE-ENHANCING KIT FOR TRAINING AND EVENTS

KEEN UNEEK, £89.99, keenfootwear.comAs open water temperatures rise, chances are most outdoor fitness fans will soon be dipping a toe in a river, lake or sea. Whether you’re kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding or just mucking about with a Frisbee on a beach, what to wear on your feet poses a problem. Do you sacrifice an old pair of trainers, dust off sandals or try to make-do with flip-flops?

These extraordinary new shoes from Keen might just present a solution. The uppers are made from

two cords, which tighten to provide a glove-like fit wrapped around your foot, while the surprisingly robust sole would be more than adequate for decent walks on well-compacted trails. There are also razor-like cuts in the sole to disperse water and deliver reassuring grip on wet rock.

Whether you want to make a splash or a fashion statement, the Uneek are the funkiest sandals we’ve ever seen.

Pulling the strings

CONTENTS80 Carbon

Fibre Bikes88 Long-term testsGEAR

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GEAR ENTRY LEVEL CARBON BIKES

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STEEL MIGHT BE real and retro, alloy might be affordable and efficient but there’s no doubt that carbon fibre is the ultimate sexy hi-tech material for bikes right now.

In its highest quality form it’s the ultimate material in terms of strength to weight ratio and the undisputed choice of champions in every cycling discipline. Even at this entry level price point it’s possible to get most of the details of the most exotic machines too. If you pick your bike right you can have: aerodynamic drag reducing or comfort increasing tube profiles, tapered headtubes for lightweight stiffness, oversize press-fit bottom brackets, and internal cable routing. Our four test bikes have it all.

Like every material carbon fibre comes in a whole range of grades though, and while

entry-level carbon fibre is a lot better than it used to be the bikes here are inevitably either heavier or have more flex than flagship machines. Carbon fibre frames also cost more than alloy frames so there’s less to spend on potentially lighter componentry. That means the complete bikes here are at best only a few hundred grams lighter, and sometimes heavier than alloy-framed equivalents. As you’ll see from our reviews there’s a whole range of different ride characters from relaxed and comfy, light and flexy to taut and responsive even at the lowest price point. Size ranges and shapes also differ between bikes and brands.

All this means that reading the reviews of our ultra experienced test team is the only way to make sure you’ll get the right cost effective carbon bike for you and your riding.

Entry level carbon bikesThere are lots of affordable carbon fibre road bike options out there, but does cut price mean cut corners? We test four bikes from £999 to £1,215 to find out.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR

1 Shape Before we start discussing tech you need to think about the position your bike puts you in. If you’re a novice or just want a more upright position then a tall head tube, shorter top tube “Sportive” position is the way to go. Longer and lower is aerodynamically faster.

2 Frame Carbon fibre comes in many different qualities and so does the resin it’s bonded together with. Even the same materials can

perform very differently depending on tube sizes and shapes and how the different carbon sheets in the “lay up” are aligned and overlapped.

3 Wheels Wheels make a massive difference to overall performance. Light wheels are responsive and make a bike really pop. Stiff wheels give drive and directional control real purpose. Tyres also make a vast difference to ride feel, rolling speed and traction, and at least they’re

relatively cheap to replace if the supplied rubber is rubbish.

4 Groupset Shimano’s 20-speed Tiagra gearing matched with various other brand chainsets and/or brakes dominate the spec of bikes around £1,000. Shimano’s new 105 groupset delivers 22 gears, stiffer cranks and extra powerful brakes though so the more of that you can get on your bike the better.

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Lapierre Sensium 100 CP £1,200

VERDICT Lapierre’s entry-level Sensium is a great way to spin out the miles in comfort, but the same softness sucks out its killer instinct on climbs and sprints. Kit is okay rather than amazing for the price too. RATING nnnnnnnnnn

The Sensium all-rounder from French brand Lapierre is an established frame with great looks and a distinctively comfortable ride but is it dynamic enough to deliver the performance you’d expect from a carbon bike?

FRAME AND FORKS The Sensium is a really sweetly detailed chassis. The fat D-section fork legs sync straight into the tapered head tube and the down tube swells smoothly to a press fit bottom bracket shell with stout chain stays. The top tube tapers back to the seat tube with a slim wishbone seat stay arrangement at the rear. Internal gear and brake cable routing are some of the smoothest we’ve seen on any frame and it’s even ready to take Di2 electronic shifting. For now though you get a 20-speed Shimano Tiagra groupset and similarly solid and reliable Shimano 501 wheels. Ritchey supply finishing kit and their’s include a skinny 27.2mm seat post to add a bit of flex and shock

absorption under the Selle Italia saddle.

THE RIDE There’s softness in more places than just under the saddle too. In fact the smoothness of the Sensium was so pronounced that we actually stopped to check tyre pressure several times on our first test ride. Whether it’s little ramps between road surfaces, proper potholes or just rough patches and frost damage on the barely-used-grass-up-the-middle-

of-back-roads the Lapierre laps them up with barely a buzz or bump getting through to the saddle or bars. Most of this shock absorption obviously comes from the fork and frame design and the fibre lay up itself but the 25mm Hutchinson tyres also help draw the sting out of the ride. A relatively tall head tube and relaxed steering angle make the handling equally soothing despite a fairly short wheelbase and if you’re out for a country cruise the

Sensium is a remarkably benign and friendly ride.

If you’re looking for a bike with any sort of performance edge though this is not the ride for you. While overall and wheel weight are both reasonable, the softness that makes it so comfortable also sucks up a lot of energy before it gets to the back wheel. What feels a bit flaccid when trying to accelerate in the saddle becomes even more dramatically demoralising if you stand up and try and stamp some pace into it. That meant whenever our testing got combative the Lapierre waved a white flag before the Boardman and Vitus had even wound themselves up properly.

The Tiagra shifting is noticeably more notchy and slower up front than the 105 of the Vitus. The moulded rubber brake pads and narrower pivot architecture of the Tiagra brakes are reflected in much less aggressive anchorage too. It’s still a beautifully looking bike and a thoroughly enjoyable bike to ride if you prefer the soft option though.


13 Intuition Alpha £1,000Halfords’ own brand 13 bikes were launched last year and stand out for their extensive aero efficient design elements as well as low weight. But does the actual performance of their cheapest carbon fibre option match its contemporary looks?

FRAME AND KIT The 13’s aerodynamic gain claims aren’t just cosmetic either. The front brake is positioned behind the fork crown to stop it disturbing airflow and the rear brake is tucked under the chainstays for the same reason. The headtube is kept as narrow as possible - gear and rear brake cable disappear into the aero profiled downtube. The seat tube and brakeless seat stays are kept as slim as possible and attaching the stays low down also cleans up airflow behind the rider.

The wheels are 13’s own custom sourced semi-aero design, and the bike is powered by identical 20-speed Shimano Tiagra gears and BB30 FSA crank, as the Boardman. TRP crosspull brakes are used to cope with the unconventional positioning while

Vittoria provide the tyres. 13’s own brand kit completes the rest of the bike and includes a 27.2mm seatpost designed to optimise aero-efficiency.

THE RIDE The skinny seatpost also adds a noticeable smoothness to life in the saddle but the whole ride is distinctively supple and comfortable throughout, and that’s definitely a rarity when it comes to the world of reduced drag aero bikes. Despite their deeper rim profile, the wheels are impressively smooth and comfortable too, although the

smaller volume 23mm rather than 25mm tyres do jolt more if you hit a sizeable hole. The lack of road buzz and rattle through the forks and saddle becomes increasingly appreciated the further you take the 13 though and it’s an extremely efficient and effortless cruiser. Add the speed-boosting aerodynamic gains from the tube profiling and rim shape, plus a low head tube and if there’s one bike here that suits being fitted with clip on aero bars for a time trial it’s definitely the Intuition.

The thin main tube walls and skinny rear stays that keep the

frame weight low have a less positive effect when you put the power down. Squeeze the pedals smoothly and the low weight eases the 13 forward without much effort. Hustle it harder than it naturally wants to go though and there’s a definite softness in the torque transfer triangle between pedals, back wheel and bars. It’s obvious enough that we actually hopped off a couple of times to check if the brakes were rubbing before accepting it’s lack of muscle and switching to a smooth spinning rather savage stomping approach.

The brakes themselves take some getting used to. While there is a decent amount of stopping power if you pull hard enough, getting to the biting point is an indistinct and therefore slightly unpredictable process, especially until you’re completely familiar with the bike. It makes fine control a definite issue in the damp, and wet grip isn’t a strongpoint of the Vittoria tyres either. Add in the soft wheels and it’s a bike that definitely takes descents on the back foot rather than going balls out.

VERDICT13’s intro carbon bike is a comfortably efficient, user-friendly cruiser that’ll work well if you’re into long rides with minimal effort. It lacks aggression and authority if you try and ramp up the pace though. RATING nnnnnnnnnn



Boardman Team Carbon £999

VERDICT A smart design gives you a great frame that delivers a really well-balanced blend of user-friendly yet encouragingly combative performance. That makes it the best bike here if you can’t go past the £1,000 barrier or want local shop support. RATING nnnnnnnnnn

The Team Carbon is another great example of why Boardman bikes are as consistently highly rated and popular as they are - especially at the ultra competitive £999 price point that sneaks under the crucial “bike to work” scheme threshold.

FRAME AND KIT Boardman’s typical pragmatic performance ethos is shown in the tough and resilient T700 carbon fibre blend and large diameter monocoque “tubes” for lightweight stiffness. Practical touches include an easily serviced external gear cable routing and - unique in this test - full mudguard mounts for clean commuting and winter training.

Mixed componentry is confusing when trying to establish relative value and it leaves the Team Carbon the heaviest on test. The 10-speed Tiagra/105 gearing, BB30 FSA chainset and Tektro brakes all work OK though. Mavic’s CXP 22 rims are reliably tough hoops and the Continental tyres are solid all-rounders that benefit from the added volume of 25mm

rather than 23mm width casings. Boardman’s own ultra short reach bar also turned out more comfortable than expected and the saddle is firm but fair.

THE RIDE It’s immediately obvious that Boardman has created a very well balanced performance blend with the Team Carbon. In terms of fit that means a relatively tall head tube that gives a back friendly upright position if you leave all the steerer spacers in place. The longest top tube on test means that removing the spacers still gives it a

purposeful feel when you’re on the attack though. It also removes the slight wander in the steering when you’re stood up that’s a common characteristic of a tall front end.

It’s the inspiringly solid power transfer from the big downtube, deep chainstays and stout seat tube that guarantees a good return on any effort you invest though. Even though the wheels aren’t any lighter than the other bikes here, that gives the Team Carbon a clear and decisive edge under power or on climbs compared to the Lapierre and 13. Throughout testing it dropped either of them at

will when ridden by equally matched riders or when we were deliberately running handicapped heart rates to equalise power levels. The significantly lighter Vitus couldn’t escape its clutches on climbs either making the Team Carbon a very popular option among our more combative testers.

A relatively long wheelbase means plenty of cornering stability but despite a skinny front hub causing a slightly flexy front wheel, the stout head and seat tubes provide plenty of steering/tracking accuracy and tyre feedback for attacking descents or fun, twisty roads.

The fat 25mm Continental tyres themselves are notably trustworthy rubber for a bike at this price too.

Overall, the gears and brakes simply aren’t as good as the Vitus though. Getting comparable performance isn’t as simple as upping your spend to £1,300 for the Pro Carbon either as that uses Shimano’s old 10-speed and conventional Dual Pivot brake 105 rather than the new version.


Vitus Venon £1,215Chain Reaction is one of the biggest bike shops in the world and its own Vitus brand is a great reflection of its reputation for value. The Venon itself is a great all-rounder that’ll turn in an impressively polished but user-friendly performance whatever you’re doing.

FRAME AND KIT The Venon’s frameset is a mix of modern tube shaping and traditional, practical detailing. The mid-height headtube is tapered for firm control of the aero bladed fork and the down tube, conventional screw in bottom bracket and chainstay area are all power friendly. The top tube and seatstays are curved for shock absorbing though.

Because you’re buying direct and not from a local shop, kit is where the Venon really scores though. While it’s the most expensive bike here it’s still a bargain for a bike with the new style chainset, 22-speed gears and powerful Shimano 105 brakes. Fulcrum 7 wheels are a super-smooth and long-lived choice and the Continental Grand Sport 25mm

tyres are a great match for the bike. You even get a carbon seatpost.

THE RIDE It’s the whole bike that matters though and Vitus don’t disappoint. The Venon is designed as a comfortable distance cruiser but it’s not an enthusiasm-killing-sit-up-and-beg machine. The head tube is actually slightly shorter than the Lapierre and Boardman and the tapered head tube and stout tubes stop it feeling unstable

and flexy out of the saddle. It doesn’t bounce or flex obviously when you’re dancing on the pedals or gurning round a big gear either and the 105 chainset feels impressively firm underfoot. Add the lightest complete bike weight on test and one of the lighter wheelsets and it always picks up speed encouragingly quickly however much wattage you can supply. It isn’t concerned when the contours start crowding together and the road heads skywards

either and there’s enough reach in the frame to keep your lungs open and oxygen flowing easily. The 11-speed block also gives smaller jumps between gears for smoother pedalling rhythm and the whole bike just feels more efficient under power.

The handling is on-point for an encouragingly involving ride too. The seat tube is noticeably steeper than the other bikes here and this pushes more weight onto the front tyre. The Continental tyres are well up for late braking, hard cornering challenges and the frame doesn’t fumble feedback however tightly you turn it into the apex either. The Shimano 105 brakes get wider spaced SLR-EV pivots for more power and precise control too, putting the descending control of the Vitus into a different class to the other bikes here.

There’s an underlying smoothness to the Venon’s ride that skims the sharp bits off rattly roads and dulls the impact of bigger potholes and other random jolts putting stress about road surface quality low on your ride radar.

VERDICT When money is tight going direct and cutting out the middleman makes a load of sense. If you’re happy getting your bike in a box and not from your local shop, the Shimano 105 equipped, smooth riding, yet sportingly responsive Venon is a superb all-rounder for the price. RATING nnnnnnnnnn

BEST ON TEST



WITH SOME REALLY good alloy bikes putting metal back on the map, carbon fibre isn’t the only choice in the £1,000 bracket. But this test proves that if you pick your composite bike choice right you can get an absolutely outstanding ride.

Lapierre deliver serious Gallic style and the most future-proofed, neatly finished frameset on test with the Sensium. It’s a really composed and comfortable cruiser for effortlessly enjoyable distance dispatching

too. It’s undeniably soft when pushed hard though and Tiagra kit can’t compete with 105. 13’s Intuition Alpha is similarly smooth and subtle to ride but adds an extra element of wind-cheating efficiency to the mix as well as a more race inspired position.

The win is a two-way split depending on what you can actually afford. If £1,000 is your top limit or you want the reassurance of buying from a local shop then the Boardman Team Carbon is a great all-round rolling chassis that

you can always upgrade later if you feel the need. If you can stretch to the price of the Vitus Venon and don’t mind your bike arriving in a box you get a very similar feeling and performing chassis, amplified to another performance level by Shimano’s excellent 11-speed, sharp-stopping 105 groupset. Genuinely, it’s all the bike you need and good enough to run rings around a lot more expensive machines.

And the winner is...

Genuinely, it’s all the bike you need and good enough to run rings around a lot more expensive machines.THE VITUS VENON.


BRAND FORK CHAINSET GEARS WHEELS TYRES INFO

Lapierre Sensium Carbon tapered

Shimano Tiagra 50/34T Shimano Tiagra 11-28T Shimano WHR501 Hutchinson Equinox

2 25c hotlines-europe.com

Boardman UD carbon tapered FSA Gossamer Pro 50/34T

Shimano Tiagra front, 105 rear 11-28T Mavic CXP22 Continental Ultra

Sport II 25c boardmanbikes.com

Vitus T700 HM UD carbon tapered

Shimano 105 50/34T Shimano 105 11-28T Fulcrum Racing 7 Continental Grand

Sport Race 25c vitusbikes.com

13 Aero UD carbon FSA Gossamer Pro50/34T Shimano Tiagra 11-28T 13RS Aero Vittoria Zaffiro III 23c halfords.com

BEST ON TEST


GEAR LONG TERM TESTS

Long-term testsGet wet, stay dry, get a grip, protect from the sun… we’ve been asking a lot of our gear in the last couple of months.

1 BUFF® TDF Ypres, £17, More info: buff.eu/gbI took some convincing to buy my first BUFF about a decade ago, thinking it seemed like a top dollar price for a mere tube of fabric. Yet if I were to amortise the cost of that piece of multifunctional headwear across the number of times I’ve worn it, it’s probably the cheapest bit of kit per wear that I’ve ever bought. Whatever the sport, I’ve found a useful application for the BUFF, whether it’s keeping my neck warm or sheltering it from the blazing sun; a make-do balaclava in the face of hail or a headband to stop sweat from rolling into my eyes. It always washes well, doesn’t smell and doesn’t irritate my skin. Now summer is here, this new Tour de France-patterned BUFF is proving just as indispensable, keeping my neck warm on chilly starts and screening it from the sun in the afternoon with its high UV protection. If all goes to plan I may even be able to wave it as a flag from the roadside as the actual race goes by.Jonathan Manning, contributing editor

2 TYR Hurricane C2, £290,More info: tyr.comThe Hurricane might prove a slight struggle to pull on, but as with many of the more solid suits, the effect in the water is of reassurance rather than restriction. The Hurricane’s extra buoyancy around the chest and core helps keep me straight in the water and there’s no real need to kick in this suit – body position is taken care of. Practising in the pool, my split times were fast, but I did find my shoulders and arms tired quicker – perhaps because of its smaller fit (the size seemed to come up small). The raised, firm catch panels are quite obvious, and although I haven’t noticed a better feel for the water with them, they are certainly no hindrance. Overall, it’s an ultra supportive suit, better suited for short, powerful racing.Damian Hall, contributor

3 Look Keo Blade 2 pedals, £139.99, More info: fisheroutdoor.co.ukIn my quest for extreme bike lightness, I was drawn (as if to a siren) by Look’s new, 110g carbon blade pedals. Light weight aside, the solidity of their cleat capture far surpasses that of my old alloy Keo pedals, and they present a slightly larger platform on which to engage. If aero is your thing, they also boast a wind-cutting profile. They’re available in three cleat resistances – 12, 15 or 20Nm. Mine are 15s, which despite being the middling level of resistance, is still super-firm once clipped in. Yes, their three-figure price tag is a little salty if you’re new to cycling, but if you want superlight pedals and you want what the professionals use (and if, like me, that makes you feel just that tiny bit more accomplished as a cyclist), these are a must-have. If it makes it easier to get the outlay through the joint account, they come with a two-year warranty…Marc Abbott, contributor

4 Fizik PA:K ICS Saddle Bag with Clip, £13More info: fizik.itUPDATE: Three months ago I reviewed this saddlebag, mentioning how convenient I found it to be able to switch it between bikes with just a single click of the plastic clip. I added, however, that unfortunately after 18 months of regular use the clip had snapped leaving the saddlebag unusable. Following the review, an email arrived reminding me that Fizik products come with a two-year guarantee. So I packed up the saddlebag, sent it to UK distributor Extra UK, and a couple of weeks later a brand new saddlebag landed on the doormat. I’m happy to pass on the good news about both the warranty and the customer service.Jonathan Manning, contributing editor

5 Salomon X-Scream 3D, £110,More info: salomon.com/ukSalomon kit is always pleasingly light and breathable (a good job, with my feet) and I’ve long been a fan of its Quicklace system that means shoes never come undone mid-flight and always fit snugly straight from the box. The X-Screams are designed with multi-terrain urban running in mind and have been perfect for my 50-minute run commutes. The terrain involves Tarmac, sometimes muddy fields and a stony canal path that can vary between gravel, soft mud and puddles. The shoes don’t have enough grip for a muddy trail race, but I haven’t yet slipped in them although I have kicked a big metal mooring pole that made me yelp like a puppy, but that’s probably not my shoes’ fault! However, they offered far better fortune when I won a local half marathon on hilly B-roads in them. I’m lucky to have lots of running shoes, but these are my first choice for my run commutes at the moment.Damian Hall, contributor

6 Mountain Hardwear Scrambler 30, £85, More info: mountainhardwear.euMy preparations for outdoor expeditions, whether in boots or on a bike, start with an OCD sorting of kit into different, colour-coded drybags. Spare socks, hat and gloves in one; down jacket in another; GPS, compass, multi-tool in a third; emergency rations in a fourth… It’s a fussy system, but it keeps my gear dry and I always know where to find it. This completely waterproof rucksack offers the option of stuffing everything directly into the pack, which I find useful midway through a mini-expedition when my OCD tendencies wane. I’ve tried other waterproof packs before, but they’ve been little better than a reinforced drysack with shoulder straps. This is a proper rucksack, with a stiff plastic frame, padding down the back, broad shoulder straps and a narrow hip belt. It’s designed for climbing, which means it fits flush to the spine, and there are useful features such as compression straps, carry loops and even a rope strap under the lid. But it’s the fully waterproof quality that makes the difference whether walking, biking, climbing or skiing.Jonathan Manning, contributing editor

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Long jumper Emily Martin takes on the Tough Guy and finds it’s not a leap too far!

Reader challenge

Kelsey Media 2015 © all rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part is forbidden except with permission in writing from the publishers. Note to contributors: articles submitted for consideration by the editor must be the original work of the author and not previously published. Where photographs are included, which are not the property of the contributor, permission to reproduce them must have been obtained from the owner of the copyright. The editor cannot guarantee a personal response to all letters and emails received. The views expressed in the magazine are not necessarily those of the editor or the publisher. Kelsey Media accepts no liability for products and services offered by third parties. Kelsey Media uses a multi-layered privacy notice, giving you brief details about how we would like to use your personal information. For full details, visit www.kelsey.co.uk , or call 01959 543524.If you have any questions, please ask as submitting your details indicates your consent, until you choose otherwise, that we and our partners may contact you about products and services that will be of relevance to you via direct mail, phone, email or SMS. You can opt out at ANY time via the email: [email protected] or phone 01959 543524 Outdoor Fitness is available for licensing worldwide. For more information, contact [email protected]

AS A LONG jumper I have always despised running longer than running 200m, so how I ended up running the Tough Guy is a mystery! A group of colleagues decided it would be a good idea to enter the UK’s original and toughest obstacle race. It’s 15km long (this alone had my heart racing) and takes place in the bitterly cold, wet and windy month of January.

We arrived the night before in anticipation. In the gloom of the dark we could see obstacles towering above us with cargo nets and ropes ready to take their victims the next day. In true “tough guy” spirit we found the warmest looking barn and camped down for the night. Laying on bales of hay and wrapped up in our jumpers and sleeping bags we attempted to sleep whilst listening to the howling wind outside, trying not to imagine (without success) how horrendously cold we would be the next day. The morning came and with it bought thousands of fellow tough guys. After we had collected our race numbers, signed our death warrant (yes, you read that correctly),

and tied our obligatory neon yellow bands around our heads we were ready to face the nightmares the obstacle course promised to bring.

The cannon blasted and we were off, slipping and sliding down a steep hill with smoke bombs and fireworks going off around us. After a cross country run the “killing fields” approached. They’re designed to test your will, endurance and strength, by getting in and out of muddy water filled trenches, traversing treacherously steep hills, belly crawling under barbed wire, jumping fences and trekking through ice cold water, before meeting the even bigger emotion destroying obstacles that lay in wait.

It was in the latter stages when at your coldest - and with every ounce of you wanting to stop and get warm - that the mental challenge takes over. It’s when the course felt really long….. We were crawling through concrete pipes designed to not let you crawl, running through electric wire, and being

submerging in icy water. Just how much can you take?

Well I took it, and somehow crossed the finish line. I was elated I had finished. After being given a hot drink and having what’s termed the “tea shakes” (uncontrollably shaking that spills burning hot tea all over your hand) I was whisked away to be stripped out of my wet clothes and to get warm as soon as possible.

Looking back on my Tough Guy experience I am incredibly proud. This is an obstacle race like no other designed to test how far the human body and mind will take you. Although I had moments towards the end where I can honestly say I hated it, I now look back and smile. My medal hangs proudly on my wall with my athletics’ ones declaring me a Tough Guy. It’s an experience I will never forget. (Mind you my coach and err Outdoor Fitness editor John Shepherd has been asking whether regular Tough Guy sessions should now form part of my training from now on. I’m not so sure…). n More info, Toughguy.co.uk

Tried and tested on roads the world over, the Sensium has become the Lapierre icon for keen long-distance sport cyclists and endurance competitors. The Sensium combines the perfect blend of efficient power transfer and all day comfort. Shimano Ultegra hydraulic disc brakes and UDi2 elecronic shifting keep the Sensium 500 right up to date. Lapierre Sensium, the road won’t stop, will you?..

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