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Here is the statement, which includes a link to their in-depth guidance document for swimmers, from Swim England, BTF and the Royal Life Saving Society UK:
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The aim is to help prevent swimmers from getting into difficulties in open water – especially as the majority of locations will not have lifeguards – and putting extra pressure on already stretched emergency services.
The COVID-19 Guidance to Open Water Swimmers is being hosted on the SH2OUT website and includes:
Information on where to swim and accredited venues
Six key steps to consider before going on an open water swim at unsupervised locations
Assessing risk due to weather conditions and water temperature
Advice on wetsuits and equipment
Course planning and the safe entry and exit of the water
Plus, recovery and nutrition.
Jane Nickerson, Swim England Chief Executive, said: “It’s imperative that even the most seasoned of open water swimmers reads through this advice and follows it carefully.
“Not knowing the temperature of the water or how strong the current is could lead to swimmers struggling and in need of emergency help.
“That’s something we’re keen to avoid at all times but even more so in the current situation.
“We’re pleased to have worked so closely with British Triathlon and RLSS UK on this guidance to ensure our members can enjoy the beauty of our natural surroundings safely.”
Andy Salmon, Chief Executive of British Triathlon, said: “We would encourage anyone considering open water swimming over the coming weeks to think before doing so and read our advice very carefully.
“During these unprecedented times, it is vital that we think of others before ourselves and make sure we neither risk the spreading of the Covid-19 virus or place unnecessary burden on emergency services.’
“We would also urge swimmers to comply with government guidance on social distance and travel.”
“Royal Life Saving Society UK Chief Executive Robert Gofton said: ‘We are extremely concerned that people will now rush to get into open water without proceeding with caution and understanding the potential life-threatening implications.
“If you are not used to swimming in open water, we strongly urge you NOT to start now unless you can do so under supervision and guidance.
“Open water sites, including beaches, are not currently supervised. There is no one to help you if you get in trouble and emergency services may not be able to get to you in time.
“Please stay sensible, know your limitations, and please enjoy the water, safely.”
The RNLI has warned that there are currently no lifeguards on beaches and anyone who goes sea swimming must “understand the risks and take the necessary steps to keep themselves safe.”
Meanwhile, the three organisations are also due to publish advice for venues on the safest way to operate in line with social distancing measures in the near future.
“They are also encouraging people to use facilities as close to where they live as possible.
This advice is for England only and aimed at individual swimmers as club activity is not currently permitted under the Government guidelines.”
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How to restart your swim training when lockdown eases
With lockdown rules changing across Europe and triathletes keen to get back into open-water, Norseman have today released a simple ‘swim safety code’, designed to keep outdoor swimmers safe.
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Formed of a checklist similar to the ‘mountain code’ used in Norway to keep people safe in the mountains, the swim code includes advice on choosing an appropriate place to swim, why a swim buddy is important and how to approach water of different temperatures.
To launch the swim code, 220 Triathlon‘s Editor Helen Webster interviewed Norseman Safety Director Jorgen Melau and HUUB Design CEO Dean Jackson about open-water swimming, safety, gear and their plans for summer.
You can watch or read the Q&A interview here:
Plus find the Norseman swim code here:
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How to restart your swim training when lockdown eases
The UK lockdown has been tough enough but mentally and physically but, until recently, the ultra-strict lockdown in Spain has witnessed all outdoor exercise banned and only ventures to the supermarket allowed.
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One such triathlete experiencing the Spanish lockdown was the Girona-based top pro David McNamee, Britain’s highest-placed male in Ironman World Championship history and a man with one of the fastest long-course run legs in triathlon.
With that running gait unlikely to be seen on the race course at least until September, the Scot has been improvising from his city centre balcony, including doing an improvised 10km after his first virtual Ironman experience.
Isolation goals https://t.co/UjILJyukN1
— David McNamee (@DavidMcNameetri) April 15, 2020
“I just have to focus on what I can control,” says the 32-year-old to 220. “Having no idea what will happen with the race season is frustrating but it’s not something I can control. But I think this experience will be a wake-up call to how we take so many things for granted. I know personally I’ll never take for granted again the fact that I can travel the world doing something I love with very little restriction. And it’s been nice seeing how the triathlon and cycling community here in Spain have been supportive of the ban on outdoor exercising. People have adapted to the situation and supported the government’s decision.”
Like in Britain there’s been a widespread awareness of the role frontline workers are performing during the crisis, as well as heightened bonds between neighbours. “Every night we clap for the frontline workers,” says McNamee, who’s planning to be race ready by September. “That and a lot of shouting between balconies as people try and communicate. I developed a daily conversation with one of my downstairs neighbours while I was on my turbo and he was in his garden walking around in circles.”
Spain is gradually opening up some of the world’s strictest lockdown restrictions, meaning that McNamee and professional athletes can train outdoors with little restrictions. It also meant McNamee experienced his first outdoor run in 49 days. “It was like Christmas morning as a child. I did a 10.3k steady run which was painfully beautiful.”
Freedom Day:
– I ran 10.3k. It was the most beautiful training session of my life.
– Celebrating by having cake for breakfast (obviously porridge too)
– Same again tomorrow? #free pic.twitter.com/UtQr9bIfJu
— David McNamee (@DavidMcNameetri) May 2, 2020
Here’s David’s key advice on training through the lockdown…
BUILD MENTAL STRENGTH
I learnt to set myself some small simple goals to achieve each day that I could control. So, training wise, that was mainly cycling based but then I’d also target doing something else like reading another chapter of a book or making a certain meal for lunch or dinner. Write these down so that you can look back and see if you did or not.
SET GOALS
Set yourself targets that you can control. For me, over the coming months, I’ll now focus on getting my run fitness back and then, hopefully soon, that’ll include swimming as well.
UTILISE TECH & COACHING
I was never a fan of Zwift until this experience, but I’ve now been converted. Also having a coach has been crucial during the lockdown, and I’ve been speaking to him more during this time than I would even coming into races.
SWIM TRAINING TIPS
For the swim, I use resistance bands most mornings to try and keep some arm strength and a feel for the movement.
BIKE TRAINING TIPS
A mixture of Zwift races, including a 17.7km time-trial which was probably the hardest I pushed myself during this period. I also focused on leg strength so did, for example, intervals of 5 x 8mins at just below FTP and 70 cadence.
RUN TRAINING TIPS
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After my treadmill blew up, I started skipping a lot. In terms of strength and conditioning, a lot of core work focusing on foot mobility and upper-body strength, with plenty of press ups.
Ironman have announced, in conjunction with host city partners and authorities in Hawaii, United States and Taupō, New Zealand, that due to the impact of the COVID-19 global pandemic, the 2020 editions of the World Championship and 70.3® World Championship cannot take place on their originally scheduled dates.
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The Ironman World Championship will now take place on February 6, 2021 returning to its historic original race month and marking 40 years since it first took place in Kailua-Kona on the Island of Hawaii. While a new date for the Ironman 70.3 World Championship has not yet been determined, teams are working diligently with local and national officials and authorities to secure a date for early 2021.
Similar to 1982, there will be two editions of the IRONMAN World Championship in a single year (February and October) to accommodate athletes who qualify during the 2020 and 2021 seasons.
As a result of the continued impact of COVID-19, the qualifying window for the 2020 edition of the Ironman World Championship has been extended to provide further qualification opportunities. The most up-to-date information on overall qualification details for the Ironman World Championship can be found at www.ironman.com/im-world-championship.
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For more information and event details for the IRONMAN World Championship, please visitwww.ironman.com/im-world-championship. Further updates on the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship can be found atwww.ironman.com/im703-world-championship.
To celebrate its 50th anniversary, footwear brand Kickers is highlighting 50 creatives that it states “will shape their respective industries over the next 50 years”.
Called the Kickers: Class of ’50, the list places a spotlight on a range of creatives from DJ’s to designers, art curators to dancers and editors, including Leanne Elliot Young of Digital Institute of Fashion, stylist and designers The McKing Sisters, Ollie Olanipekun of Future Impose and Milo Harley and Ned Membery of Dukes Cupboard.
The line-up also includes the full team behind the lens of the creative campaign, from makeup artist Lauren Webster to the photographer Rosie Matheson.
“The Class is a true celebration of homegrown talent and features some of the most exciting faces in the industry at the moment,” explains Kickers in a statement.
Each of the creatives featured in the campaign champions Kickers’ classroom heritage, with each shot in a classic school portrait aesthetic. The self-styled portraits aim to showcase not only the personality of the ‘pupil’ in a raw and authentic aesthetic, but also to highlight the “true force of the UK creative industries” as the list comprises of a diverse range of skills and talent.
Alongside the campaign visuals, Kickers worked closely with each creative to gain their feedback on their education experience, and how their talent and skill has grown and developed since their school days.
The footwear brand adds that they hope it challenges the traditional notion of success in ‘core subjects’, and in light of recent headlines around retraining, sends a message that “individuality, originality and creativity is more important than ever”.
Other creatives taking part include singer Olivia Dean, Joe Joiner director of Area.Gen, stylist Bemi Shaw, creative director Joseph Prince, photographer Louis Never, ballet dancer Mukeni Nel, Rob Boyd designer of Soar Runner, lecturer Shanu Walpita, and Rhiannon Barry founder of Nintey Fly Wavey Garms.
The Kickers: Class Of ‘50 campaign launch coincides with the unveiling of the exclusive Kickers 50th Anniversary collection, featuring the Kick Hi 50th shoe that has been made to celebrate Kickers heritage, while looking forward to the future.
The classic Kick Hi silhouette has been enhanced with handcrafted details such as raw edges, leather laces, printed cork in-sock and fleurette detailing, and features a soft, unlined leather upper. The shoe is available in three colourways – Veg Tan, Dark Brown and classic Kickers Red, and retails for 105 pounds.
Images: courtesy of Kickers; Portraits by Rosie Matheson
The Triathlon Industry Association (TIA) is conducting its latest survey about UK athlete’s endurance sport participation in 2019. If you can spare some time on this, it would be really appreciated.
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You don’t need to have completed a triathlon to participate; and, all those who complete the survey will be entered into a series of prize draws. There are already loads of individual prizes in the mix, collectively worth more than £7200, with the prize pool growing day-by-day. The next prize draw takes place in a few days. So, the sooner you complete the survey the more chance you have of winning!
In addition, everyone who completes the latest survey will be given access to an exclusive list of discount codes from a number of TIA member companies. The codes will be shared (with all who opt-in to receive them) in late May 2020 – as a thank you for taking part.
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>>> Click to give your input
This announcement means that it will also be the first time in history, German and European title fights will take place during the same race in Roth, as a few weeks ago, Roth was also awarded the 2021 German Championships by the German Triathlon Union (DTU).
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This means German and European professionals and age group athletes can not only fight for victory in DATEV Challenge Roth, but also for the German or European crown over the 3.8 km swim, 180 km cycle and 42.2 km run.
“It is a huge sign of respect for the triathlon district of Roth that the governing bodies have approached us to host both championships here,” said Felix Walchshöfer, of Team Challenge. “The region will do everything possible to be a great host for the double championship.”
There is a special allocation of entry spots for the sold out event for the European Championships. 200 of the 3,400 places have been reserved for the ETU and will be given to the national associations. All athletes who have already registered for DATEV Challenge Roth 2021 from Germany and Europe and who hold a valid membership of their national associations can take part in the European Championships. Athletes should contact their national body for further information on eligibility.
Renato Bertrani, ETU president said, “It is with great pleasure and excitement we announce the 2021 Long Distance European Championships will take place on the iconic long distance course in Roth. Still in my mind are the memories, back in 2012, when for the first time we held our European LD Champs in collaboration with Challenge in Roth. In the extremely difficult period we are currently living in, such positive news is greatly welcomed.”
This is not the first time Roth has hosted the European Championships. In 1987, Detlef Kühnel and his team hosted the title fights over the middle distance. Challenge Roth was once again the venue for the European Championships in 2012 when Rachel Joyce (GBR) and Timo Bracht secured the wins.
01 DOMYOS T520B TREADMILL
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£399
Many portable treadmills are only useful for walking on, but this fold-up, more affordable unit from Domyos allows runners to reach 13km/h for low-intensity workouts. There’s a 10% incline and 10 pre-set programmes.
Buy from www.decathlon.co.uk
02 TIGER TAIL TIGER BALL
£28
The Tiger Ball is designed to eliminate knots in your back, legs, shoulders and more. The ball slides up and down the rope to help you find the exact position of the ache and should stay precisely where you want it to.
Buy from www.tigertail.co.uk
03 TACX BOOSTER
£219
The Booster is the most powerful ‘basic’ turbo out there, and offers a beginner-friendly intro to turbos as you don’t need to mess around with cassettes. Tacx’s Speed and Cadence Sensor (£45) will give you access to a host of training apps via ANT+ or Bluetooth Smart.
Buy from www.bikeinn.com
04 WATTBIKE ATOM
£1,599
Those who’ve used a Wattbike gym trainer will find the Atom functions far more like an actual bike. There are clickable gears, drop bars and tri-bar extensions, and a moveable seatpost, all built on a solid alu frame. The lack of screen means you’ll need a tablet or phone to use it with the Wattbike app or a third-party offering.
Buy from wattbike.com
05 TRX HOME 2
£169.95
This suspension-weight training system from TRX offers huge versatility. It can be set up on door frames and garden trees for triathlon fitness and strength gains over the whole body.
Buy from store.trxtraining.co.uk
06 COMPRESSPORT POSTURAL AERO
£85
For both indoor cycling and outdoors, the Postural Aero offers superior breathability and back support thanks to the compressive weaving. The fabric is ultra-light, thin and stretchy, and nothing stretches too far in the TT position.
Buy from www.runnerinn.com
07 TORQ MANGO
£29.25 (for 15)
Torq’s bar delivers 144cals from mainly carb sources (127cals), all topped off with a hint of protein (8cals) and fat (just 9cals). This combo of fast and slow-releasing carbs is ideal for high-intensity turbo sessions. Its texture is chewy and has just enough water to avoid that claggy feel.
Buy from www.tweekscycles.com
08 OPEN WATER, MIKAEL ROSÉN
£26
Translated into English, Swedish swim coach Mikael Rosén’s superb book takes in open-water swim history, technique and theory in a hardback that’ll be a must for swim geeks and those seeking aquatic gains.
Buy from www.amazon.com
09 ELITE SUITO
£649
Weighing in at 14.5kg, the Suito is relatively light for a direct-drive turbo and also has a useful carry handle. An 11-speed Shimano cassette out the box saves time and money, a front wheel block is included, and there’s a cadence sensor, accurate power measurements and inclines to 15%.
Buy from www.wiggle.co.uk
10 THERAGUN G3PRO
£549
The Theragun is named as ‘percussive therapy’, which combines frequency (2,400rpm), torque and amplitude (16mm) via its pulsing and repetitive arm to encourage increased blood flow and flush out lactic acid. The benefits? Muscle relief, tension reduction and pain alleviation.
Buy from kitbox.co
11 MUC-OFF CLEANING KIT
From £9.99
Muc-Off’s indoor training range includes Sweat Protect spray and Antibac Cleaner, plus a mat. It’s designed to keep your bike clean and free from corrosive sweat and dirt, while the Antibac is a handy way of keeping things clean.
Buy from www.wiggle.co.uk
12 HUUB DESIGN CORE BIBS
£99.99
These bib-shorts have been our training staple for the past couple of years, more so in this turbo-heavy 2020. Breathability is heightened by the mesh inserts, the pad is dense and the anatomical cut gives tri-bar comfort.
Buy from huubdesign.com
13 TRI SERIES BOARD GAME
€40
Hit the wall with Disney+? Then this tri board game could be just the ticket for self-isolation boredom. Divided into two phases, you build fitness and wellbeing in the first phase then take those skills into triathlon race day.
Buy from afterracegames.com
14 FABRIC TRI RACE FLAT
£79.99
Fabric make some of the best, most affordable tri saddles around, and buying now will give you time to bed-in your position for race season. The Tri Race Flat has titanium rails and weighs 232g, and it’s grippy to keep you in position.
Buy from www.bikeinn.com
15 PUSH UP SWIVEL BARS
From £10
Push up swivel bars target your chest, shoulder and back muscles, with the rotation providing a greater range of motion and are easier on the wrists. Seen here are Opti from Argos, but Decathlon do home deliveries if Argos can’t deliver to your local Sainsbury’s.
Buy from www.argos.co.uk
16 TACX NEO 2T
£1,199
Tacx have nailed their smart turbodesign with the Neo 2T. There’s even more motor power (with the option to run it wirelessly), greater stability and a neighbour-friendly level of noise. Power accuracy is spot on, and you’ll really notice the superior quality of the ride feel.
Buy from tacx.com
17 ACTIVBODY ACTIV5
£119.95
The Activ5 is a Bluetooth-enabled device that comes loaded with a whole host of exercises, performed by you squeezing it in various different positions to provide resistance. Just download the app, pair with your phone and there’s over 100 different workouts at your disposal.
Buy from www.amazon.co.uk
18 HEALTHSPAN ELITE VEGAN
£24.99
This recovery powder from Healthspan Elite offers the textbook 20g of protein per serving for enhanced recovery. It also contains a blend of amino acids and multi-vitamins.
Buy from www.amazon.co.uk
19 UP FOAM ROLLER
£19.99
Soothing your turbo aches and pains is this budget pick from Ultimate Performance, a solid, lightweight (660g) and portable roller that’ll improve flexibility and core strength.
Buy from www.chainreactioncycles.com
20 ZWIFT SUBSCRIPTION
From £12.99 Zwift, Sufferfest… indoor triathletes have never had it so good in terms of fun and competition. A Zwift subscription starts at £12.99 per month, and for that you’ll get training plans, group rides, races and more on 80+ routes.
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Buy from zwift.com
Belgian brand Bioracer are new to these pages but are celebrated for their aero expertise in the world of cycling, having long scored success on the track and in the peloton. That cycling influence looms large over the Speedwear Concept tri-suit on test here and it feels like a hybrid between a time-trial and triathlon suit, featuring lengthy pinstripe arm sleeves, smooth seams and the brand’s own Speedsilk fabric, yet lacking any form of pocket for carrying race fuel.
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Once on, it’s that Speedsilk fabric that draws the attention. Created from a hot-press treatment, it’s utilised on the front torso, the side panels and the legs and is said to be aerodynamically swifter than regular Lycra. The aero appeal is continued with the pinstripe fabric woven into the arms and back in an effort to create the turbulent ‘golf ball’ aero effect to reduce drag. The race-day comfort continues with a long zipper guard, secure leg grippers and a spongy chamois
that has endurance appeal.
We analysed the Speedwear Concept at the Boardman Performance Centre’s wind tunnel in Evesham under the watch of Boardman’s head of science and technical development, Jamie Pringle, and it posted very impressive results at the 0° yaw angle (simply, the direction of wind on the bike) especially, figures that put it ahead of many £200+ tri-suits we’ve tunnel tested. For £25 extra, Bioracer also sell ‘Aero Tube’ calf guards for those searching out every possible watt reduction and a wealth of custom kit options.
It’s the lack of pockets that’ll divide opinion, however, and is something we saw in last issue’s Ironman tri-suits test in the form of the Orca RS1 Dream Kona. So is it worth the fuel-carrying penalty for the aero gains and enhanced, non-wetsuit swim hydrodynamics?
In our separate wind-tunnel tests at the Silverstone Sports Engineering Hub conducted by Stephen Roche (thebiketailor.co.uk), adding two energy gels to each of the Huub DS tri-suit’s back pockets in the tri-bar position while riding at 45km/h added 31:08secs at 0° yaw angle or 46.42secs at 5° yaw to a 180km Ironman bike leg, which is certainly something to be considered by the elite and top, top-end age-group long-course whizz kids out there.
For many (definitely this back/midpack triathlete), however, we’d rather have the option of using pockets on the run and in training, even if we don’t utilise them on the bike leg when racing. So, personally, we’d prefer to use the Speed Concept for short-course racing only, but there’s much to admire here for the multisport speedsters out there and anyone racing non-wetsuit swims.
Verdict: lacking pockets, but a speedy, smooth and swim-friendly suit 85%
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Buy from www.bioracer.com
For athletes for whom a conventional Ironman just isn’t enough, a group of the world’s toughest long-distance events have joined forces to create the new Extreme Triathlon Series.
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Launched today (1st June 2020), the Extreme Triathlon Series (XTS) consists of five truly tough events in Europe and South Africa, including the Austria Extreme, the Czech Republic’s Winterman, Stonebrixiaman in Italy, Pirene in the Spanish Pyrenees (pictured), and South Africa’s Knysna Extreme.
“Each event is unique in itself, with varying terrain, scenery, distances, challenges and characteristics but with one common feature across them all – they are all focused on the athletes’ experience, with a family atmosphere,” say the XTS organisers.
When an athlete completes all five races within the three-year period, they’ll become an XTS athlete. Athletes who complete the challenge will also get an XTS shirt, bag and a free ticket to one of the participating Extreme triathlons in the series. Their name will also be listed on the Extreme Triathlon Series Wall of Fame.
The series joins the Xtri World Tour (Norseman, Celtman and more) on the extreme iron calendar, with the XTS organisers saying they’re open for more events to become part of their series.
The current races and next dates are below, with the total elevation gain of the bike and run legs listed.
Winterman (Czech Republic, 11 October 2020) – 3.8KM Swim | 180KM Cycle | 43KM Run – 4,700m gain
Knysna Extreme (South Africa, 21 November 2020) – 5KM Swim | 174KM Cycle | 50KM Run – 3,800m gain
Pirene (Spain, 26 May 2021) – 3.8KM Swim | 177KM Cycle | 40KM Run – 6,500m gain
Austria Extreme (Austria, 26 June 2021) – 3.8KM Swim | 186KM Cycle | 44KM Run – 5,800m total elevation gain
Stonebrixiaman (Italy, 3 July 2021) – 3.8KM Swim | 180KM Cycle | 42KM Run – 7,050m gain
For more information, head to the XTS’ website and social media pages.
Website – www.xtri-series.com
Facebook – www.facebook.com/xtriathlonseries/
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YouTube – www.youtube.com/channel/UCoU-Zg4WB6bqsFhRxrXF3KQ