Triathlon Plus

If you’ve never raced a triathlon before, there’s something quite terrifying and exhilarating about them in equal measures. But one thing that is accepted fact, they are utterly addictive. In case the “terrifying” part is putting you off, we’ve included a beginners’ guide to triathlon (p32), which will hold your hand from training to the start line and before you know it, you’ll be a triathlete. For the more advanced triathletes among you, check out the Marginal Gains feature (p54) to help you make those small tweaks which can result in new PB. We’ve also got a huge grouptest consisting of 24 wetsuits (p80), so if you are starting out or looking to upgrade, you can be sure of our experts’ opinions to help you get the right suit for…

PHIL MOSLEY Coaching editor Phil is an Ironman Certified Coach with 20 years experience. His race CV includes top-10 Ironman 70.3 finishes, several national age-group titles and an 8_hour_55_minute_Ironman. He_runs the triathlon coaching business myprocoach.net, where he writes a popular fortnightly training advice blog. GUY KESTEVEN Guy Kesteven has been testing bikes and components professionally for 18 years, and was riding every bike he could try for a decade before that. That gives him an unparalleled knowledge base to compare everything from affordable first bikes to state-of-the-art superbikes. AMY KILPIN Our columnist Amy is an age-group long distance triathlete and a world champion qualifier in both ITU and WTC racing. She documents her triathlon success in both her Triathlon Plus column and on her website, amykilpin.co.uk. DAN MARTIN Dan Martin…

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO GET YOUR MONTH OFF TO A FLYER Double Olympic gold medallist and ITU Triathlon World Series champion Alistair Brownlee has made the long-anticipated step up to middle distance look like a walk in the park after two impressive back-to-back victories at Challenge Mogan Gran Canaria and Ironman 70.3 North American Pro Championship St George. His 70.3 mile distance debuts saw records obliterated, top professionals trailing in his wake and fans delighted with yet more sterling performances. And it makes his dream of qualifying for the Ironman 70.3 World Champs in Chattanooga this autumn all the more likely. Both spectators and athletes watched with baited breath as Alistair took to the start line on Amadores beach for his first race at Challenge Mogan Gran Canaria on 22…

IRONGIRLS AT WIMBLEBALL IRONGIRL – a household name in the USA – makes its debut at the final Ironman 70.3 UK event at Wimbleball, Exmoor, in June. The female-only 5km run, open to over 15s, will take place after the traditional IRONKIDS run on Saturday 24 June finishing under the iconic IM finish arch. Entries cost £15, with athletes receiving a race T-shirt and finishers medal. For further details, online entry and course map see ironman.com/irongirluk TRI A RAINBOW… Brighton and Hove Triathlon will feature another ‘Rainbow Wave’ in its sprint and Olympic distance races this September. “As Brighton is such a diverse and inclusive city, we wanted to extend this into our event,” say organisers, who have partnered with the charity Stonewall for this year’s event on 17 September.…

SIX YEARS SINCE she last topped a WTS podium New Zealand’s Andrea Hewitt has snatched two victories in a row, first at Abu Dhabi and secondly at Gold Coast, Australia. And the two finishes couldn’t have been more different. While her first win came from an epic sprint to the finish on the blue carpet in Abu Dhabi, snatching what looked like certain gold from GB’s Jodie Stimpson by mere seconds, her second triumph came through outrunning her competition from the second transition, on the first sprint distance course of the season. “I knew my running was good and that is why I went out at that pace, but you never know how the race is going to go and today I just ran a 5k at my pace and…

JIMMY’S ICED COFFEE £1.59 330ml jimmysicedcoffee.com As the weather heats up, it’s good to cool down with something tasty and packed with protein. This iced coffee contains just three simple ingredients: milk, Arabica coffee and demerara sugar, providing you with energy, caffeine and protein from the milk. It’s pretty tasty too. Available from major supermarkets. WIN! EKOI TR1 LD CARBONE TRIATHLON SHOES €199,99 (about £165) ekoi.fr After a comfortable, light and breathable high-performance shoe? Check out this latest offering from Ekoi who have designed the ultimate triathlon bike shoe. The rigid 3K sole allows for a more efficient foot-to-pedal energy transmission, while the breathable coating inside allows for them to be worn without socks. The Velcro closure helps with a speedy transition along with the rotating button tightener and the…