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Latest news from Tri247
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Horseman Extreme: are you tough enough?!
We recently put together our mammoth look at new events in 2012, highlighting some of the most interesting new additions to the racing calendar that have caught our eye this year, by region.
It appears that we already have a new addition for 2013 making an early pitch for its inclusion in that article this time next year. It also leaves us thinking; if triathlon is the new golf, and Ironman is the new marathon... is 'extreme' the new normal? Welcome to the Horseman Extreme Triathlon.
Alongside Celtman!, Norseman and others, MAMIL (Middle Aged Man In Lycra...) has never had it so good!
Endurancelife have forged a strong reputation for hosting tough challenges in inspiring locations and the Horseman Extreme Triathlon is no exception!
The Horseman Extreme Triathlon will be a welcome addition to the world's toughest and most spectacular long distance triathlon races. This epic event will take place for the first time on the 14th September 2013 against the stunning backdrop of Dartmoor National Park in Devon.
Dartmoor is an area of outstanding natural beauty covering 400 square miles, and is the biggest and wildest area of open country in southern England. It was one of the first National Parks to be designated in Britain in 1951.
The recent blockbuster movie 'War Horse' was filmed on location on the moor. The director, Steven Spielberg, said: "There's no place like it in the world…I have never before, in my long and eclectic career, been gifted with such an abundance of natural beauty as I experienced filming War Horse on Dartmoor”.
Endurancelife director Andrew Barker said: “If you're a triathlete seeking a flat course to clock your personal best then this event is not for you. If, however, you thrive on challenge and adventure and want a memorable experience in a truly inspiring location then this is going to be irresistible. Anyone who has spent time on Dartmoor will know how challenging both the terrain and weather can be and this is very much part of the attraction. The Horseman Extreme Triathlon has been designed to inspire and ignite the adventurous spirit in every triathlete. The Horseman Xtreme Triathlon (HXTRI) is guaranteed to be an epic adventure from start to finish.”
For those intrigued by the choice of name for the challenge, please visit the event website to discover why!
Distances
Swim 3.8km lake swim (Roadford)
Bike 180km road bike with 3700 meters + of climbing
Run 42km mixed terrain run
Total distance 226km
Booking is now live and the places are filling fast. Book now to take advantage of the early bird entry fee.
More information www.hxtri.com or ring the organisers on 01548 853524.
Stay up to date on Facebook www.facebook.com/hxtri
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Review: 2XU Xform thermal compression
There's little danger of Jenny, our regular Ironman athlete, ever being mistaken for an extra from Tron (sorry Andy...) but she's long been a fan of compression gear. Trouble is, in winter it tends to be a bit on the chilly side so what would she make of the 2XU thermal range?
As a user (and lover) of merino wool socks and baselayers I have to confess that I did wonder just how warm 2XU's new thermal compression top and tights were going to be. Made from 80% nylon and 20% lycra, the tights come from the Xform range which is designed for active use and recovery. I have to say that they are the best fitting and most comfortable compression tights that I've tried so far. The fit is definitely an improvement over the previous Elite model - it's longer in the leg to start with, which is the way I like them - and although they are described as thermal you don't cook while exercising.
The long-sleeved top is great to wear on a cold run and works well on the bike too. It's not warm enough for me (but I feel the cold really badly) and I'm tending to wear a second thermal layer on top of it at the moment to get the extra insulation under my regular bike top but others may find it's plenty warm enough. The compression fit makes it snug and comfortable as the bottom layer - it just doesn't seem to work if you put a thermal baselayer underneath.
So until the weather warms up quite a bit these two are definitely on top of the kit pile and it will be interesting to see if the rest of the new PXR compression range lives up to the promise of these items.
I've also been trying out the recovery stockings which are an absolute must for anyone training hard and needing to recover for the next day. Much less compressive than a conventional compression racing sock and covering both upper and lower leg, unlike a calf guard, they can be worn under regular jeans or even leggings to get in that recovery benefit while you're at work and nobody need ever know.
Thanks to Mike Martin for sorting out the kit for us: the Xform thermal tights are £95, the Xform long sleeve thermal top is £85 and the Refresh stockings are £40.
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Weekend preview
We have the distinct feeling that things might be a bit chilly this weekend. And with a trio of off-road events planned there's more likely to be snow on the ground than mud... Nice!
The weekend opens with the fourth race in the Asics Off-Road Series, the TuffMan, taking place at Pippingford Park near East Grinstead where there's an 8k trail run and a full-on 8k, 13k, 4k off-road duathlon through the woods. After Richard Stannard's second place at the WildMan he'll be looking to regain control of the leaderboard while Kate
Robson's dominance of the women's races to date will face it's toughest challenge yet as the course is more XC style than the first three.
Also going off-road on Saturday is the Mud N Madness 7.5k run at Stubbers Adventure Centre near Upminster but the second of the Edinburgh RC Winter Duathlon series is definitely tarmac-based (although that might be snowy too!).
Sunday brings us the choice of two distances in Votwo's USN Dorney Duathlon which, as the name suggests, is based at Dorney Lake. Online entry is available at for the races at www.votwoevents.co.uk up until 1300hrs on Friday or you can enter on the day at the venue.
The first of Exeter Tri's Earlybird Aquathlon Series is set to take place at Dawlish Leisure Centre while for those seeking the less comfortable option there's the Wadenhoe Quadmire Duathlon which is decidedly off-road and also offers the option of a quad for anyone fancying a quick kayak.
Overseas there's action in the southern hemisphere with Briatin's Liz Blatchford taking part in the Gatorade Queensland Tri Series at Caloundra where Australian eyes will be on Emma Jackson who's looking to make her mark as part of her campaign to secure a place on the Australian London 2012 squad.
FULL WEEKEND RACE LISTINGS
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