220 Triathlon

There's no doubt about it – endurance is my thing. Ask me to do something for many, many miles at a moderate pace and I'm happy. Ask me to do anything involving the ‘s’ word (speedwork) and I'll be downright grumpy. That's not to say I'm not wowed by anyone who can embrace the need for speed, though – which is a good thing when it comes to our professional athletes and, in particular, one Alex Yee. The Brit gave us a performance for the ages at the Olympic Games, when he came back to overtake Hayden Wilde with a sprint finish and a show of grit that had jaws on the floor. Luckily for you, this issue we have an interview with the man himself (p16) and run tips…

THE BIG PIC Jumping from the ferry to start another year battling the fjords and plateaus that make up the Norseman course, 259 athletes were treated to unseasonably warm 17°C water. Sebastian Norberg took the men's win in 10:10hrs, while a stunning performance from German pro Laura Zimmerman saw her conquer the women's race in 11:30hrs.…

START TIM HEMING Cutting through the spin of tri to address the issues that matter, Tim is a sports journalist who has written extensively on triathlon for the national press. Three years ago, amid a second lockdown and strict Covid measures, I interviewed a young Portuguese triathlete at poolside in the London Aquatics Centre. Vasco Vilaça had just taken part in the Super League Arena Games and further burnished his growing reputation. Here was an athlete who had grown up in Lisbon, trained out of Sweden, and was now living in Spain as he attempted to forge a career for himself in the sport. Vilaça had been a surprise runner-up in the one-race world champs in Hamburg, 2020. So, when I asked him about heading to Tokyo, I was expecting…

In our experience, the best indoor trainer needs to be the most convenient indoor trainer; in other words, it's already set up and sidesteps the faff of grabbing your bike from the shed, detaching its dirty rear wheel and then clamping frame to trainer. That's why we're big fans of indoor bikes, with this writer spending the past few years training on first, the WattBike Atom and then, Wahoo's KickR Bike. They're both impressive; they're also both pricey, at £2,399 and £3,499, respectively. If only there was a more affordable indoor bike. Welcome to the Zwift Ride… HOTTEST NEW GEAR Okay, £1,199.99 is still an expenditure. But by reducing cost, says Zwift, they're confident of getting more people into indoor biking and growing the sector. They achieve this price-welcoming trainer…

RUTH DANIELS Ruth Daniels joined British Triathlon as CEO in January having most recently worked as chief legal officer at UK fashion brand Superdry. She lives in the Cotswolds but spends a lot of time in Loughborough and London. Reflecting on the Games, it's what happened beyond the results, good as they were, that I think will resonate most with people in the weeks and months to come. It's the emotions that those moments evoked that we hope will motivate people of all ages and capabilities to start or continue their triathlon journey. Everyone is invited to be part of the community, whether for the first time through the Swim Bike Run programme, as part of a club, qualifying for the age-group team or picking up a volunteering or coaching…

STAR LETTER Got an opinion to share? Then email us at fao220@220triathlon.com TIME FOR SOME DIY I recently completed my first Ironman, a DIY event that I put together along the south coast of England. I tackled it in order to build mental strength in light of my son's undiagnosed genetic condition, and thought I'd share how I got on. The DIY Ironman was my way of callousing the mind, preparing for the unseeable challenges ahead and holding fast to the belief that facing hardship head-on could make future trials more manageable. I started in the local pool at 8am with a target time of 1:45:00, but ran over by almost five minutes. A cycled home and an outfit change later, I was starting the 180km bike leg, fuelled by…