The Advance appears to be astonishing value

Zone3, the cutting-edge British triathlon brand, today announced the new addition to its hugely popular wetsuit range, the Advance. Available for both men and women, it is the first performance wetsuit for under £100 on the market. The wetsuit, with its affordable price-tag enjoys all the benefits of a higher end wetsuit, not scrimping on performance, comfort or looks. It is the perfect suit for novices or those not wanting to spend too much, but still keen to get the most out of their swimming.

The Advance, with an RRP of £99, is based on the design of some of the other Zone3 wetsuits, which have some of the highest rated reviews on the market. Subtle changes to the material and thickness of the suit has enabled the cost to be kept down and gives great value for money.

2012 is a momentous year for the UK and with an elite triathlete, James Lock, at the Zone3 helm it is keen to make sport more accessible to all by offering a complete range of wetsuits, from the World’s most exclusive – the MMXII – to the world’s most affordable performance suit – the Advance.

The Advance wetsuit, predominantly aimed at those new to the sport, comes with great flexibility around the shoulders and arms for a comfortable and energy efficient swim. This is key to the novice, who will be grateful to save energy over longer distance swims or races. It also has a ‘core support system’ built in which gives extra buoyancy on the torso and thighs to help maintain streamlined swimming and increase efficiency. The thickness of 2mm around the shoulders and underarms, 3mm on the chest and upper back and 4mm on the torso, legs and side panels to give you a great balance and natural feeling swim.  In addition, 70 per cent of the wetsuit used Zone3’s ‘SpeedFlo’ coating which minimises any drag through the water, increasing speed and improving durability. The remaining 30 per cent is made from a fully rubberised smooth skin neoprene.

The men's version, showing the panelled construction, SpeedFlo coating and quick release panels

The wetsuit also comes complete with the Zone3 trademark Pro-Speed Cuffs on the lower legs and a high quality YKK downwards zipper to help increase speed of removal; another area novice triathletes need to get to grips with in Transition 1. It is fully stitched and glue bonded increasing flexibility and comfort.

James Lock, founder of Zone3 says:  “Wetsuits are usually one of the more expensive purchases triathletes and open water swimmers make for their sport. The swim sets your race up and struggling with cheaper wetsuits can have a negative effect on the rest of your race. However, novice or not, some do not want to spend the money on top of the range wetsuits, but nor do they want to end up with something that is sluggish, inflexible and hinders their performance. The Zone3 Advance is the perfect balance between price and quality. We’ve worked hard to ensure the Advance contains all the features required for an enjoyable swim; from flexibility to buoyancy to being able to get it off quickly. And looking the part is just as important.”

The women's advance gives a different fit specifically for ladies

The Advance wetsuit is also available to hire via the Zone3 website. You can hire the wetsuit for various periods, from one week to the whole season and should you wish to keep it at the end, you have the chance to buy it. See www.RaceZone3.com for more details.

Zone3 wetsuits, worn by novices to professionals, have already achieved multiple 10/10 reviews and ‘Top Value’ awards.

Those interested in purchasing an Advance can find more information at www.RaceZone3.com. Price: £99. It is available from May 21 2012.

Crowie is known for his hard work and down to earth nature

Craig Alexander is a five-time Ironman World Champion. He’s won three medals at full Ironman distance, plus two at 70.3, and is the only athlete to have won the Ironman and 70.3 world titles in the same year. Add six Australian long-course titles and two-dozen half Ironmans, and you can start to see why Dave Scott, another multiple world champion, has this to say: “Craig Alexander is the first true men’s champion the sport has seen in years.”

When Alexander won the Ironman World Championship for the third time last October, he also took the title of the oldest man to win it at the age of 38. He set a new course record by beating Luc Van Lierde’s 15-year-old time, crossing the finishing line in 8:03:56 – 12 seconds ahead of Van Lierde’s 8:04:08. Alexander was already a two-time Ironman World Champion, winning in 2008 and 2009, and then just losing in 2010 to fellow Aussie Chris McCormack.

However, with that third win in 2011 he became part of a very special club with only Dave Scott (six victories), Mark Allen (six victories) and Tim DeBoom (three wins) having equalled or bettered his total. In light of his achievements, let’s look at Alexander’s training regime to shed some light on his secrets of success.

WORK ETHIC
Great Britain’s Julie Dibens trains with Alexander in Boulder, Colorado. “He is a real character,” she says. “I have spent a fair bit of time with him over the last few years. He is very particular in his Kona build-up, and is the hardest working triathlete I have ever seen. What impresses me the most is his power of recovery. He can put in some huge training sessions, day in day out, week after week.  Many athletes’ bodies would give out after about 10 days – if they even made it that far. On the training front Alexander is very diligent in what he does and importantly he believes in what he does. He will stick to his plan and not let anyone or anything get in his way. He will keep to his own speed and not let anyone else affect his goals.”

AGE AND TRAINING
At 38 years old, Alexander has got used to the question, “how long can you go on?” He started triathlon relatively late after playing football and worked up through Olympic distance to half-Ironman to Ironman distance, so he feels he isn’t ‘wasted’ from doing too many long races.

Dibens says: “Alexander is the hardest trainer around; he averages around 30 hours each week with a high of 45 hours coming in his two high-volume phases each year. A typical week might be around 20-25km of swimming, 400-800km on the bike and up to 100km of running. He also uses the classic HIT (high intensity taper) going into major races, dropping off volume but maintaining intensity. Much of his distance training is done alone, although he will use and work with groups if it suits him, particularly when aiming for shorter distance events.”

As if he needed them, further accolades come from four-time Ironman world champion Chrissie Wellington: “Crowie is the consummate professional and family man. I have the utmost admiration for him, his philosophy and everything he has achieved. I couldn’t think of a better person to share the World Championship stage with.”



This article was originally published in Triathlon Plus magazine. Save time and money by having every issue delivered to your door or digital device by subscribing to the print edition or buying digitally through Zinio or Apple Newsstand.

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Start logging your sessions and planning routes now!

Our free online triathlon training diary system has been in the works for some time and is now hungry for your training miles and stats!

You can use TriRadar.com Training Zone to…

TRAIN using one of our plans, create your own or hit the road or pool on the spur of the moment to get closer to race goals, personal bests or burn calories. Create routes or search for other users’ nearby to allow easy logging later.

UPLOAD to your free Training Zone account via your Garmin and Polar devices, Nike+ or log your sessions using the easy-to-use online system, adding as much or little detail as you want. Your sessions are stored in your personal diary.

ANALYSE your totals by a range of parameters including activity, session type and time to see changes in body composition, track improvements and spot trends. You can even see how you compare to the rest of the Training Zone Community.

OTHER FEATURES INCLUDE

• Easily find race event by search or map system
• Login with Facebook
• Specifically tailored for triathletes
• Log body metrics and sleep patterns
• Set goals to work towards
• Tally equipment distance
• Update your community profile
• Download exclusive plans from Triathlon Plus
• View Training Zone all-time records and leaderboards

Current TriRadar.com members can simply log in to the new Training Zone section of the website here using their sign-up email address and password. New users can set up an account in no time by visiting training.triradar.com and begin logging your way towards getting fitter, stronger and faster for free.



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The team at SportPursuit – the UK’s first sport flash-sales website are offering £500 worth of sponsorship as they launch a new competition on their Facebook page with this great prize up for grabs. Unlike most sponsorships, it is not just designed for those that are competing to a high level – it is a competition that is open to all athletes, at any level, in any sport.

To enter this fantastic competition, applicants just need to tell the team at SportPursuit exactly why they deserve to win using the following link SportPursuit Sponsorship. Entries should be as creative and unique as possible – to win, you want to stand out from the crowd! All entries will be opened up for viewing on the SportPursuit Facebook page and it will then be up to the public vote to decide the five finalists. These entries will then be passed onto the team at Sportpursuit, who will select the overall winner.

Jess Shirling, Marketing Manager at SportPursuit, said: “We are launching this competition to find a sports star that really deserves the sponsorship, and wants it the most. It doesn’t matter if you come first or last – we want to open this up to anyone who takes part and trains with huge amounts of passion and dedication.”

Shirling adds: “Be it that you are embarking upon an event, a big challenge or an adventure –we want to hear all about it!”

Voting opens on Friday 18 May 2012 and it will be possible to enter up until Tuesday 22 May 2012 when the competition closes. The winner will be announced on Monday 28 May 2012 and presented with their prize. The four runners up will also receive £50 prize towards their sponsorship fund.

So what are you waiting for? Ready, Set, Go!

For more information about SportPursuit and to find out more about their fantastic range of sports brands go to www.sportpursuit.co.uk or visit their Facebook page www.facebook.com/sportpursuit.


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Female winner, Kim Shaw, storms the run

Set in the beautiful grounds of Stowe House over 300 competitors had registered for the inaugural Stowe Triathlon on Sunday 13 May. The event attracted first timers, families, elite and world champion age groupers from across the UK.

First out of the lake was Andy Bourne from Trisport Epping, but was beaten to transition after a punishing run up from thelake. First out on the bike was Ian Mackerness from Team Trisports, with David Glossy from Phil Corley Blue Tri only seconds behind. Mackerness maintained this lead on the bike but the grueling hills on the run route around Stowe Gardens saw Glossy take the lead to win with a time of 02:13:14, with Mackerness second with 02:15:13, and Dan Blackburn from Oxford tri third in 02:15:41

In the Ladies race Caroline Crawford from Cirencester was first out of the water but a blisteringly quick bike section from Jo parker (Team Milton Keynes) and Kim Shaw (Team Cherwell) resulted in Parker being the first lady out onto the run but the hills were too much for Parker as she was overtaken by Shaw who won in a time of 02:36:01, with Parker a close second in 02:36:46, and Crawford third in 02:40:52

Race organiser, John Tanton, said: “The Stowe Triathlon offers a high quality, competitive and safe race set in beautiful grounds and truly spectacular surroundings. Very few races in the country offer such a stunning and inspirational race setting. Attractions include trade stalls, sports therapy, and a 15 piece orchestra playing over transition on the North Lawn of Stowe House.”

Comments from the event included: “I thought the event was fantastic. Loved the course, never a dull moment. Couldn’t have wished for a better setting and scenery, and as it happens weather – we were lucky on that front. Organisation was perfect, and very very supportive. Atmosphere at transition, water station and finish was very good.”, and “just wanted to say today’s event was brilliant!  The setting is spectacular and the course was really interesting and the number of competitors spot on! Bring it on next year!”



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Shiplake College is a beautiful venue for triathlon

The Henley Sprint and Try a Tri Triathlons are returning for a fourth year to Shiplake College, Henley on Thames, on Sunday 27 May 2012. Located only 2.5 miles outside of Henley, the college is set in 45 acres of beautiful rolling Oxfordshire countryside and is the perfect venue for an early summer triathlon.

There are two race distances on offer – the Sprint which consists of a 400m swim, 28km cycle and 5km run and the Try a Tri ‘beginner’ race which is made up of a 300m swim, 14.5 km cycle and 3.2km run.

Both of the swims take place in an open-air swimming pool, and the bike routes follow an undulating out and back course with a good selection of rolling hills. The run course then follows through the picturesque village of Shiplake and the surrounding countryside with a spectacular finish at the college in front of the pavilion.

Martyn Edwards, Event Director for F3 Events said, “We are really looking forward to returning to Shiplake College to host these events. The Try a Tri event is perfect for those that are new to the sport and want to give it a go for the first time. The distances are shorter than your average sprint, making them a good option for people that are not yet fully race confident. We are aware that there will be a lot of people completing their very first triathlon and this means that the organizing team will be on special hand to help out athletes throughout the day.’ He continues, ‘The events are also a great opportunity for the more experienced triathlete to warm up for their big events later in the season, and will form part of the same route used by our Henley On Thames River Triathlon which takes place in August.’

Both events will be chip timed and there will be prizes for 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd in each gender category. There are a number of facilities on site including showers, toilets and refreshments, offering a perfect opportunity to go on and spend the rest of the day enjoying the sights and sounds of Henley and the surrounding area.

To learn more information about both events or to find out how to enter, then visit www.f3events.co.uk


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Orca Equip
£215
www.orca.com

The equip’s blue arms echo Orca’s top-end Alpha suit of a couple of years ago. The fully coated neoprene and impressively flexible shoulders are welcome at this price point, as is the comfortable, low neck. Buoyancy is good for slighter athletes with 2-5mm front panels correcting sinking tendencies well. The catch panels cover the entire forearm but made the elbows feel a little stiff, distracting from a natural stroke. The legs also have a stiffness to them, but this helped in producing a smooth and efficient kick. Getting out of the suit is easy thanks to super stretchy calf panels, but our female testers would have appreciated some more girl-friendly styling. We found Orca suits tend to come up small, so make sure you try on before you commit.

Verdict
A good suit that performs well for the price and has high-end looks too.
Performance 3/5
Value 5/5
Overall 4/5


Xterra Vortex
£265
www.xterrawetsuits.co.uk

Xterra’s vector Pro suit is worn by more Ironman and 70.3 athletes than any other and its little brother, the Vortex, is no slouch either. The suit is fully coated for hydrodynamics and the 1.5mm arms take care of shoulder flexibility, allowing an unencumbered stroke. Buoyancy from the 5mm front/3mm back is really positive for sinky-legged swimmers; tipping you forward slightly to glide over the top of the water, and allowing for an easy kick. The lined interior and stretchy neck keep things comfortable, even during sighting when swimming over long distances. Simple catch panels had no extra feel against the water for us, but the suit was fast and comfy. However, the sizing came up large on our testers and the looks are a little basic.

Verdict
A comfortable, flexible, fast and highly buoyant suit at a great price.
Performance 4/5
Value 5/5
Overall 4/5


Zone 3 Aspire
£265
www.racezone3.com

Zone 3’s mid-level suit offers stunning performance at a very good price. The fit is slim with tight wrists that keep water out and a low, unobtrusive neckline. The ends of the legs, which are made of stretchier neoprene for a fast exit, didn’t seem to make as snug a seal, though speed seemed unaffected by this. Shoulder flexibility is astonishing at this price point with no noticeable restriction. Buoyancy is impressive, with 5mm neoprene to the knees raising the legs and supporting the core without getting in the way of swimming naturally. The catch panels had no discernable ‘feel’ against the water, but didn’t hurt pulling the suit off quickly. A close second to the HUUB in speed, flexibility and comfort, at just over half the price.

Verdict
If you want a high-end performing suit at a low-end price, there’s none better.
Performance 4/5
Value 5/5
Overall 4/5

Triathlon Plus Value Award issue 41


2XU T:3 Team
£280
www.2xushop.co.uk; www.wiggle.co.uk

This entry-level wetsuit, available exclusively through Wiggle, offers many of the benefits – and the cool looks – of 2XU’s higher-end models. The shoulders are flexible enough to allow the arms to swing freely, which is partly down to the stretchy, uncoated material under the arms. All testers found the neck a bit restrictive at first, but quickly got used to it. The torso, with Velocity Strake grooves designed to help forward tracking, feels strangely stiff at first, but the suit is superbly buoyant and two of our testers who are prone to ‘snaking’ found it kept them on the straight and narrow and helped control body rotation. It feels completely different to the other suits here, and comes highly recommended for weaker or new swimmers who’ll love the support.

Verdict
A buoyant, supportive and fast suit, great for beginner triathletes or weaker swimmers.
Performance 4/5
Value 4/5
Overall 4/5





K-Swiss Blade Max Glide
£95
www.kswiss.com

These training shoes from K-Swiss feature the company’s trademark Blades, which give a springy toe-off as they flex and create an almost entirely flat, relatively wide outsole that adds stability on impact. This extra support, coupled with comfy heel tabs, anti-chafe sock liners and decent cushioning makes them a good choice for those neutral runners – or slight overpronators sick of chunky arch supports – who want a solid pair of shoes to run on and on with. Better on the mid and forefoot than the fairly rigid heel, the Blade Max Glides offer a reassuringly stable run that can be a bit clunky for heavier foot strikers but runs better at speed.

Verdict
A decent, stable pair of everyday shoes without manhandling supports.

Performance 3/5
Value 3/5
Overall 3/5


This review was originally published in Triathlon Plus magazine. Save time and money by having every issue delivered to your door or digital device by subscribing to the print edition or buying digitally through Zinio or Apple Newsstand.

You’ll find loads more triathlon gear and kit reviews in triradar.com’s Gear section

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Vincero Design Edge 16 Bottle and Mount
from £33.99
www.ison-distribution.com

The Edge 16 bottle cage is radically different from anything else on the market. Rather than a standard cage to clamp your bottle in place, Vincero use a diamond shaped carbon fibre mount with a high-powered magnet moulded inside. The dedicated bottle has a slotted section and magnet bonded to it. It’s massively secure, as good as any lightweight carbon cage. Getting the bottle in and out is a quick pull upwards and relocating it is simple too as the magnetic pull helps it locate easily. The cage is one of the lightest on the market at just 16g and we were surprised that our 500ml bottle weighed just 75g, even with its magnetic insert. Where the Vincero really scores though is on small frames where standard cages can be a squeeze and how the bottle requires less movement to free it. We only needed about an inch of forward movement to free our bottle compared to at least three or more to remove a bottle from a standard cage. The bottle is really high quality and has a pressure valve rather than a standard nozzle. Bottles are available in 500ml and 750ml for £6.99 and £7.99 respectively. The mount is available on its own for £27.99, up to a twin mount pack with 5 bottles for £84.99.

Verdict
Radically different bottle fixing system that works really well.

Performance 3/5
Value 3/5
Overall 3/5


This review was originally published in Triathlon Plus magazine. Save time and money by having every issue delivered to your door or digital device by subscribing to the print edition or buying digitally through Zinio or Apple Newsstand.

You’ll find loads more triathlon gear and kit reviews in triradar.com’s Gear section

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Roger Witz Barnes storms to victory (Photo: eventphotos.co.uk)

The Wilmslow Triathlon, which took place on Sunday 13 May 2012 for the sixth year, proved yet again its popularity with 520 triathletes registered. As has been tradition for the last few years the weather conditions were favourable and the event attracted lots of spectators and supporters to the Wilmslow Leisure Centre to see some great performances in the pool and on the road.

The popular sprint distance triathlon around the leafy town of Wilmslow and Cheshire is aimed at novices and experienced athletes alike, seeing beginners as well as GB athletes Paul Davies and Roger Witz Barnes amongst the competitors. The event started with a 400m swim in the 5-lane, 25m indoor pool at Wilmslow Leisure Centre followed by a picturesque, mainly flat 23.8km cycle ride in the Cheshire countryside through Ashley and Mobberley villages and a 6.2 km run.

Roger Witz Barnes from Manchester Tri Club was the favourite to win and he made it a hat trick of wins after dominating from the start in all disciplines and delivering a fantastic performance in a time of 01:05:41, with leading times across all three disciplines. Club team mate Paul Skipper finished 2nd in 01:10:39 closely followed by Daniel Carr in 01:10:48.

After coming second for the last two years Dominique Searle from Tri UK finally claimed the well deserved women’s title in 2012. Coming out of the water as the second fastest she made up time in the cycle and claimed the fastest cycle and run times in the women’s field, securing the win in a time of 01:15:49. Second place was taken by was Kate Ritchie from Manchester Triathlon Club in 01:23:03 followed by Nicola Mapes in 01:23:36.

A new run route meant that both Witz Barnes and Searle claimed inaugural course records.

Amongst many inspirational athletes, 17 year old Bryn Davies stood out in the 17-19 age category, with his impressive time of 01:14:39 and overall 13th position making him one to watch for the future.

Simon Hill, race organiser commented: “I’m proud that we have delivered another great race in Wilmslow, blessed with sunshine and ideal weather conditions for this triathlon. A huge thank you to everyone competing and supporting; and to all those involved in making the Wilmslow Triathlon a success, which includes the marshals from England U-19 Lacrosse, Handforth Girl Guides, Poynton Lacrosse Club, 6th Wilmslow Scouts and Alderley Edge Explorer Scouts as well as the BTF Referees and Manchester Medical Services.”

Sponsors of the Wilmslow Triathlon 2012 included Garmin, Clif Bar, Pool Mate, Accelerade, and Athlete Matters.

Results (provisional):
Sprint Distance: 400m swim, 23.8 km cycle, 6.2 km run

MEN

1. Roger Witz Barnes (Manchester Triathlon Club) 01:05:42
2. Paul Skipper (Manchester Triathlon Club) 01:10:39
3. Daniel Carr 01:10:48

WOMEN

1. Dominique Searle
2. Kate Ritchie (Manchester Triathlon Club) 01:23:03
3. Nicola Mapes 01:23:36.

CLUB

1. Manchester Triathlon Club

The full results are available on http://www.xtramileevents.com/results.

The Wilmlsow Triathlon is the first event in the Xtra Mile Events Sprint Series, the other events in the race calendar are Buxton Triathlon (8 July), Leeds Xpress Triathlon (29 July) and Macclesfield Triathlon (12 August).

The next Xtra Mile Event on the calendar is the Llandudno Sea Triathlon on 23 June. Go to www.xtramileevents.com for further details and to register for any future events, like the Facebook page www.facebook.com/TriathlonUK and follow Xtra Mile Events on Twitter @Si_XtraMile .


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