Mark Tucker OUTDOOR FITNESS

Mark Tucker o u T d o o r f i T n e s s s a M p l e s

OutdOOr Fitness December 201448

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97 Dec 2011-Jan 2012 outdoor fitness |

Brilliant, petulant, adoredby his teammates... Mark Cavendish

is cycling’s new superstar. Next year he’ll be in Team Sky colours with the rainbow hoops of a World Champion

OutdOOr Fitness NOVEMBER 20146

the great outdoors

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You, New & Improved

leaner lighter fitter

issue 37 JAN 2015 £4.50

tried & tested super fast road bikes+ running tights

9steps to the all new you

3 fat-burning swim sessions

9 ways to get back into running

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sleep in a snow hole!

amazing scotland adventure

heroes heroes

hoy, wiggins,farah... 25 stars

reveal theirinspirations

10 best mountain

bike trail centrestest your skills

and fitness

run the coast of

wales a reader’s year long obsession

the alps’ ultimate

seven peaks challenge

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‘shut up legs!’ how to gothe distance

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the great outdoors

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December 2014 OutdOOr Fitness 9

It looks lIke the Antarctic or Himalayas, but this is the scottish winter baring its teeth. High winds, heavy snowfall and avalanche risk in the Cairngorms National Park created unforgiving training conditions for a British team preparing for a world-first ascent of Makalu by its notoriously difficult south-east ridge.

the tri-services team, made up of climbers from the Royal Navy, Royal Marines, British Army and Royal Air Force, battled high winds and heavy snowfall as they fought their way through the winter storm in the Cairngorms. the national park is home to five of the six highest mountains in the Uk, and while these may lack the thin-air altitude of the Himalayas, they lack for nothing when it comes to a full-on winter mountain experience.

this photo, taken by Royal Marine reservist tim taylor, was runner-up in the ‘living the View’ category at the landscape Photographer of the Year Awards, run in association with Visit Britain and Countryside is GReAt.

Almost 7km higher than Cairngorm, Makalu spears the sky just 14 miles east of everest, and its summit ridge serves as a border between tibet and Nepal. the mountain’s peak soars to 27,765 feet (8,463 metres), the fifth highest in the world. Adverse weather and severe fatigue, especially among the sherpas, unfortunately thwarted the tri-services’ team’s ascent of Makalu’s south-east ridge at the end of last month.

n All the winning and shortlisted images appear in Landscape Photographer of the Year: Collection 8, AA Publishing, £25, theAA.com/shop

When Winter bites hard

Picture Tim Taylor

the great outdoorsThe Himalayas? Antarctica?

No, this stunning image shows Scotland’s weather unleashing

its worst on a group of Armed Services climbers in training

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OutdOOr Fitness NOVEMBER 20146

the great outdoors

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NOVEMBER 2014 OutdOOr Fitness 7

For walkers it’s arguably the toughest and most spectacular ridge walk in Britain, a dramatically exposed, high level hike that requires ropes for safety in places. But when the only contact with the sheer rock of the isle of skye’s notorious Cuillin ridge is two small patches of knobbly rubber, then the challenge is stratospherically more difficult. step forward local street trials cyclist, and perhaps the world’s finest bike handler, Danny Macaskill.

Despite coming from skye, biking virtuouso Macaskill had never actually been up to the ridge, but the idea of pedalling it had niggled away for years. when the chance to ride it arose, he seized it, creating a Youtube video sensation where the world class views are matched only by his world class riding skills as he jumps, hops and somersaults his way along the ridge.

Cameraman stu thomson said filming typically involved a 900m ascent up to the ridge each day, taking anything from two to four hours, so the small crew would be hiking from four to eight hours every day on top of theirfilm work.

thankfully their efforts were rewarded with blissful weather, and the seven-minute film they created had been viewed more than seven million times within five days. we can’t recommend watching the film, called the ridge, highly enough, and you can see it at dannymacaskill.co.uk

Ridge magnet Picture Andy McCandlish

the great outdoorsGetting to the top of the Cuillin

Ridge on the Isle of Skye is tough enough on foot, let alone on a

bike... but not much stops street trials rider Danny MacAskill

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OutdOOr Fitness January 201412

Words Doxxxxxiss Pictures Axxxxrray

FEATURE TYPE NAME HERES TA R T L I N Eon your marks for a brilliant month in the outdoors

Get a gripRoad bike tyres are getting wider and wider as new testing and engineering breakthroughs turn established wisdom on its headNew research by both tyre manufacturers and specialist press is challenging the long-held notion that narrower tyres pumped to higher air pressures lead to faster speeds for road bicycles.

Today, most bike manufacturers design their frames around a tyre with a 23mm tread width and 23mm profile height (a wider tyre will also be taller, which will affect the geometry of a bicycle). This tyre width has been the industry standard for about 15 years. Prior to this, most road bikes rolled on 20mm tyres, and time triallists went narrower still down to 18mm. In those days, the apparently bloated 25mm tyres were used only by long distance audax riders, or were occasionally fitted for winter training.

bike design is, though, on the cusp of change, driven by new engineering studies, fresh technology like disc brakes, as well as the rising popularity of gravel race bikes. These developments all demand wider frame clearances for wider tyres.

Initially, it was cutting edge wheel manufacturers testing their products in wind tunnels who started shouting about the benefits of a wider combination of tyre and wheel rim. Their focus was based on aerodynamics, which showed that a straight, vertical cross section between wide rim and wide tyre was more aero efficient than the traditional ‘light bulb’ cross section of a tyre bulging beyond the rim.

The new, flatter sided design does have safety complications, as it requires significantly less pressure to jump a tyre off a

rim with designs that fall outside the standard rim width to tyre width guidelines set by erTrO (european Tyre & rim Technical Organisation).

however, it is possible to stick within erTrO’s guidelines and still achieve aero benefits whilst also gaining from a host of

other advantages of wider tyres, such as greater strength, stability, safety, comfort and indeed speed. some of these gains stem from the wider tread pattern, while others arise from the opportunity to run the tyres at a lower pressure. For instance, in a lab test of 11 tyres ranging from 23mm to 28mm in width, Tour magazine in Germany found the 28mm continental Grand Prix tyres to have the lowest rolling resistance, lower even than the same model in 25mm width.

In addition, a 28mm tyre has 50 per cent more volume than a 23mm tyre, making for a far more cushioned and comfortable ride.

and the negatives? For pros, a taller tyre will be slower to react when banking into corners, although this disadvantage is more than counter-balanced by the added grip of the wider rubber. It’s interesting to note that all the teams at the city centre 2014 Pearl Izumi Tour series, whose riders race on continental tyres, opted for 25mm over 22s.

There are some minimal aerodynamic losses with wider tyres, but only when riding into a headwind, and even then the rim/tyre profile is more important than whether the tyre is 22mm or 25mm wide. Moreover, for longer distances, the comfort benefits and rolling resistance superiority of the wider tyre easily outweigh any aero disadvantages.

Indeed, while, professional riders are currently settling on 25mm tyres, with 28mm even winning a few early adopters, tyre brands are now offering race-ready models in sizes up to 32mm.

The wide boys are coming!

“tyre brands are offering race-ready models in sizes up to 32mm. the wide boys are coming!”

Under pressUreFind the optimum pressures for your tyres and improve your performance

1 For best performance, a tyre needs to run at

optimum pressure levels, dependant on the road surface, conditions and rider weight. reducing pressure means less power is needed to produce the same speed on rough roads as thetyre can deform and absorb road shockmore efficiently.

2 The wider tyre is also taller off the rim, giving

more suspension and therefore greater comfort to the rider, especially important for longsportive riding.

3 a wider tyre gives the sensation of increased

sturdiness, delivering a greater feeling of stability, and minimising the risk of

impact punctures.

4a wider tyre has more contact area with the

road to improve traction performance. what’s more, it’s in all the right places (in the shoulder area as well as the centre), whereas a narrower tyre has a longer thinner contact area, meaning less shoulder grip.

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WAnT IT nOW?a ready-made wide boy

The BMC Granfondo comes as standard with 28mm wide tyres. It was developed to bridge the gap between speed and comfort, with the classic Paris-Roubaix race over cobbles foremost in the designers’ minds.

rOllInG resIsTAnce

The graph shows the rolling resistance of different widths of tyres, depending on their air pressure. The wider the tyre, the lower the rolling resistance, and this is achieved at a lower air pressure, meaning more comfort for the rider

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January 2014 OutdOOr Fitness 13

15 new year productsEssential kit to help you train over the winter months

18sport scienceThe latest advice from the world’s research labs

20 5 things we learnt from...British climbing and bouldering starShauna Coxsey

New research is challenging the long-held

theory that narrower tyres are more efficient

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NOTE: The fill power of goose down is an indicator of its warmth-to-weight ratio and compressibility. It ranges from about 500 to 900; one ounce of 900-fill down occupies a volume of 900 cubic inches. The higher the number, the more impressive the warmth to weight ratio, although overall warmth depends on the weight of down used.

Jack WOlfskiN icEfJOrd £140A mix of 80% grey duck down and 20% feather keeps this short-length jacket toasty warm. jack-wolfskin.co.uk

alpkiT filO, £120A great value hooded jacket, with 675+ fill duck down for a fine warmth-to-weight balance. alpkit.com

ThE NOrTh facE NEW lOW prO hybrid, £220The 800 fill goose down insulation provides outstanding warmth for very little weight. Ideal as a mid-layer, it stows in its own pocket. thenorthface.co.uk

black diamONd hOT fOrgE hOOdy, £280A mix of 70% water resistant goose down and 30% PrimaLoft micro fibre sees this jacket retain 95% of its warmth when wet. blackdiamondequipment.com

bErghaus ulvETaNNa hybrid hydrOdOWN, £250 Designed for extreme conditions, this jacket has body-mapped insulation of water resistant 850 fill goose down and Hydroloft. berghaus.com

mOuNTaiN hardWEar m’raTiO £160The 650 fill insulation retains its loft even when wet, and the jacket is so compressible it stows in its pocket. cotswoldoutdoor.com

cOlumbia plaTiNum 860 TurbOdOWN hOOdEd £150Lined with reflective Omni-heat fabric (think foil blanket) this jacket adds 800 fill, water resistant down for insulated warmth even when it’s wet. blacks.co.uk

The warmth-to-weight ratio of down-filled jackets

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GoinG Down

STARTLINE winter jackets

rab aNdEs, £400Created for use in extreme cold and at altitude, this is a technically featured jacket with 800 fill hydrophobic goose down. rab.uk.com

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96 | outdoor fitness Dec 2011-Jan 2012

t h e i n g r e d i e n t s o f a

cycling world champion

Words Daniel Friebe Pictures Tim De Waele & Getty Images

He’s the fastest man on two wheels and Britain’s top sporting success story of 2011. He is tipped to become the greatest sprinter of all time. He can also be “an arsehole” – he says

so himself. So what really makes Mark Cavendish tick?


Brilliant, petulant, adoredby his teammates... Mark Cavendish

is cycling’s new superstar. Next year he’ll be in Team Sky colours with the rainbow hoops of a World Champion

100 | outdoor fitness Dec 2011-Jan 2012

mid-october to mid-november:rest, recover, relaxAfter his final race in the second week of October, also the last of the season for most of his peers, Cavendish will afford himself a rare luxury: two weeks, probably on holiday with his glamour-model girlfriend Peta Todd, with no riding at all. “In reality,” says Ellingworth, “he could take four weeks off, but most of the guys start to get a bit restless after a fortnight and feel as though their body starts to need it.”

That ‘it’ might be “a pootle to the local shops with the girlfriend” or “mucking with mates on a club-run – as long as it doesn’t add up to more than about eight to 12 hours a week.” The priorities in this period are active rest, distraction and slowly reacquainting the legs with the technique and sensations of turning the pedals. For Cavendish, the autumn will also be about establishing good eating patterns and limiting his weight gain to four or five kilos.

“It’s no secret – Cav only has to look at a cake to put on weight,” Ellingworth says. “He worries about it, and he knows he has to be on top of it this winter. That doesn’t mean doing anything fancy – just stay disciplined, don’t go overboard. In the winter of 2008-9, he got it right and won his first big race of the season, Milan-San Remo in March. The last two years haven’t been so good. He knows what he has to do.”

mid-november to mid-december: back to WorkDividing his time between Todd’s home in Essex, his own pied-à-terre in Tuscany, Italy, the Manchester Velodrome and maybe the odd trip back to the Isle of Man, this is when Cavendish turns up the volume.

“The absolute key from my point of view in this period is routine,” says Ellingworth. “You’re going to feel shit – that’s normal at

this stage – but you want to be getting up at the same time, going out training at the same time. That way you’ll see the improvement easily: you’ll be doing the same things as you were two or three weeks earlier, but it’ll feel a whole lot better.”

In this ‘base conditioning’ phase, workload will increase to between 25 and 30 hours a week and start to include some specific, if not intense, sessions and drills. “We’ll do some speed work – short, sharp sprints – as well as a bit of cadence work, some stuff on track, and a bit of general climbing. Volume is more important than intensity just now.”

Many of Cavendish’s sprint rivals will also be hitting the gym and the pilates mat. What about the Manx Missile? “I personally don’t think endurance riders like Mark need it,” Ellingworth says. “Mark’s still fast enough not to need the extra strength. The strength work he needs, he can do on the bike.”

mid-december to neW year:time managementIn mid-December, the world champion will fly to Majorca with his new Team Sky team-mates for their first training camp of the winter and his first intensive group rides. But Ellingworth says that as Christmas approaches, the big challenges may come off the road. The BBC Sports Personality of the Year ceremony on December 22 is just one of the events Cavendish will attend in recognition of his stellar season, and that could disrupt his otherwise sacrosanct routine.

Ellingworth hopes Cavendish’s recent link-up with a major athlete management agency, Wasserman Media Group, will help him avoid repeating past mistakes. “He has more people helping now, so he should be able to manage his time better. I’m going to be right on top of him – if at any time this winter, I ask him what he’s doing the next day and he can’t tell me, there’ll be trouble.

He has to plan it: if he has to fly somewhere to get an award, he needs to organise himself to fly back or get to a place where he can train the next morning.”

January:Quality and intensity While it’s not uncommon for top riders to train on Christmas Day, Ellingworth admits the festive period will be “an unstructured week.” With the New Year, though, comes another step up in the pre-season prep.

“After a training week at home, the second week in January will be our second training camp of the winter in Majorca and the start of race-pace efforts,” Ellingworth says. “We start to do what I call capacity efforts: five minutes as hard as the guys can go. We might do three of those per ride, with 15 or 20 minutes between each. We’ll also be doing threshold efforts – 20 minutes at anaerobic threshold.”

A tough week for Cavendish and his team-mates will be followed by an easier one at home, then a return to Majorca for “10 days of more hard work.” In short: “More threshold stuff, more capacity efforts, some work behind a motorbike and starting to think about bike-racing.” For Cavendish, this also means thinking sprints, and how to gel with a new group of riders charged with launching him in the finishing straight.

“In the practice drills, I usually do it so Cav isn’t the sprinter – he’s leading out someone else. That way, rather than stopping at an imaginary finish-line, he tends to lead it out for longer than he needs, because he knows someone behind is depending on him, and he likes to show how strong he is. He’ll often end up sprinting for 400m instead of the 200 he does in races. That’s obviously great training.”

end of January to mid-march:finishing touchesWhile some riders will return to race action in mid-January, Ellingworth wants to keep Cavendish in Majorca until the end of the month, working in a structured way. The Milan-San Remo race, his first major goal of 2012, will be seven weeks away.

“What his training hasn’t given him up to now, he’ll get in races in February and early March. His last race before San Remo, the Tirreno-Adriatico, is a perfect week of work for Mark. He doesn’t need to do much specific work in the mountains before San Remo. That race has hills, but is more about speed than climbing. If everything goes to plan, he’ll be hard to beat there.”

Rod Ellingworth and Mark Cavendish go back nearly a decade. Ellingworth can recall a pudgy, teenaged Cavendish bounding across the car park of the Manchester Velodrome at the end of a British Cycling coaching weekend and telling him: “Thanks – that was the best weekend I’ve ever had on my bike.” Soon after, Cavendish earned a place on the two-year residential academy programme masterminded by Ellingworth. Having himself failed to crack the continental pro scene in the late 1990s, Ellingworth saw in Cavendish a kid with the

passion he’d had in abundance, but also the talent he hadn’t. And after 20 Tour de France stage wins, multiple records and now a world title, Cavendish is more convinced than ever that his straight-talking, self-effacing coach is “the best in the world”. With Cavendish joining Team Sky, where Ellingworth has been race coach since the team’s launch in 2010, the 2012 season promises to be an exciting one for the Manx Missile. As Ellingworth reminds us, “the foundations will be laid this winter”...

Mark Cavendish the winter training regime


“The first big goal isMilan-San Remo. He’ll be

hard to beat there”

Coach Rod Ellingworthpromises the world champion will

line up for 2012 even fitter, and evenmore focused than before

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S k y h i g hS k y h i g hchallenge sky running

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Skyrunning is hugely popular on the continent, but what exactly is it, and is it

any good? As the sport finally arrives in the UK, we sent Damian Hall to find out

Words Damian Hall Pictures Mick Kenyon

Skyrunning comes to the Peak District. There may not be

much altitude here, but there’s plenty

of ascent

S k y h i g hS k y h i g h

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When I told fellow runners I was doing the Peaks Skyrace the response was universal. “oh wow, lucky you!” Followed by: “erm, what is a Skyrace exactly?” Come to think of it, I didn’t know either.

Running in high places isn’t new. People have presumably travelled at speed in the mountains ever since there were people and mountains (Scotland’s Ben nevis Race dates back to 1903). however, the modern sport of skyrunning is traced to Italian mountaineer Marino Giacometti, who started races in the Italian Alps in the early 1990s. Giacometti coined the poetic term skyrunning – which sounds like something Peter Pan or harry Potter might do – to describe a terrain where earth and sky meet.

the Skyrunner World Series has become the Champions league of trail racing, with its own brand of star athletes such as Kilian Jornet. But the series feels elusive for us mortals, with races in exotic destinations such as transvulcania and the dolomites.

Skyraces are meant to take place higher than 2,000m above sea level, and though Britain’s green and pleasant land has plenty of lumpy bits, they’re not that high. however, races that exceed 1,300m in vertical climb can also gain Skyrunner status, and four arrived here this year, including the Peak Skyrace.

I was intrigued. Would it really be any different to your average UK ultra-distance trail race? Would Kilian be there? Would there be massive crowds bashing together

those big, annoying inflatable-stick things at the finish?there’s no razzamatazz when I arrive at the sold-out

event. other than sponsors’ stalls, the casual atmosphere feels just like a well-organised fell race. talking of relaxed, I like the fact the kit list is recommended, not mandatory. Plus, the course is fully marked.

While any run of this distance (29.7 miles) is challenging, the White Peak circuit from Buxton also promises to be ‘technical underfoot’, include ‘exposed cliffs’ and involve ‘scrambling’, while the 2,000m of elevation has a muscle-burning gradient. er, maybe I’ve been a bit too relaxed? In fact, this might hurt.

on the start line there’s no loud europop, or Kilian, but everyone’s dressed like him. Competitors look slim and slick, and I find myself sucking in to avoid a muffin top over my tight shorts (they’re a size too small, honest!).

We start with a dash across a flat field then head steeply up into woods on muddy paths. We emerge – wheezing – from the trees by Solomon’s temple to the spine-tingling bellow of bagpipes, which puts hairs on end and extra pace in my stride. It’s a restless course, with precious little sustained ascent or descent on which to establish a rhythm, and we’re soon plummeting back downhill into the trees, then on roads briefly, before a stony track leads up on to Axe edge Moor.

Rather alarmingly at this stage of the race I find myself incongruously close to the front (those pesky bagpipes!), which is when my usual cloud of doubt starts taunting me. You didn’t warm up properly, you twazzock! You haven’t trained hard enough, you eejit! You didn’t even Vaseline your nips, you fool! I try to ignore this pessimistic inner

ABOVERunning along

Peak District ridges gives up big views,

to take runners’ minds off their whingeing legs

“There’s no razzamatazz... the casual atmosphere feels just like a well-organised fell race”

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voice as we tear across the moor, beautifully decked out in perfect purple. The landscape feels both intimate – so many colours and shapes – yet so big. I can see for miles across the Peak District’s latticed network of green, peaceful fields.

We dash up and down dale as if we’re in a 10K race. We gallop beside horses, only a wall between us, and they run alongside in support. The panoramas are working like a natural energy gel. But then I hit another weakness of mine: a checkpoint. Cakes, sweets and biscuits all look at me pleadingly. I know these types of carbs aren’t clever at this stage in a race, but all I see is the school tuck-shop unlocked and my hand reaches out uncontrollably to collect all it can. By the time my water bottle is filled, the other three runners are on the horizon. Gah!

I chase them up the hillside, through the heather, finally passing one of them. But my pursuit is temporarily forgotten as I’m hit by the best and biggest views yet and a technical ridge. Those idiosyncratic Peak District ridges look like a jutting row of artillery primed for a Napoleonic battle. I’d probably curse it late in the race but, still relatively fresh, I love bouncing and dancing along it, boulder skipping between heather.

The Dutch guy behind (who afterwards bemoans the lack of hills in Holland for training) leapfrogs me again as I run low on steam on an ascent, although I almost catch the lead group at an unmanned checkpoint. But, maintaining 7.30-min/miles, they’re gone again. Too fast for me. I must save energy. Gasp. We’re only halfway.

Often the course is easy to follow, if sometimes fiddly between fields. Without the lead runners to pursue,

however, my pace slows as I try to find the right way, looking for yellow and black tape and following the arrows on my GPS.

Around 20 miles in, my body, having spent the last five miles hinting at civil disobedience, fires the first shots of rebellion. My legs are sore and whingey from hip to toe, my hips are locking up, and my gluteus maximus are trying to force me to the ground for a good long sit down.

Time for the iPod. I don’t like to close off the noises around me when in nature, but when you start to go into lock down, a bit of Sigur Rós, Arcade Fire and, um, Bonnie Tyler bring more drama to the moody landscapes. The music proves both a distraction and a fillip.

Up ahead is a monstrous sight. A ridiculously steep peak, which jogs my memory of a ‘Matterhorn of the Peak District’ in the course notes. Shutlingsloe. Gadzoocks. It’s a hands-on-thighs slog-athon up the horror peak, and I blow like a whale. I had liked the idea that this new race is based on an old Five Trigs Round (Axe Edge, The Roaches, Shutlingsloe, Shining Tor and Burbage Edge), but I like that a bit less now.

Suddenly I see my familiar foes – the dastardly front three! – charging downhill towards me. I’m briefly baffled, but remember another thing from the briefing: out and backs. So it’s all the way to the top of this natural ramp, then back down the same way. It’s a cruel way to make sure the race gets its quota of climbing.

After a brief but breathless scramble, I finally make the summit. Hikers swarm around the trig and make me >> feel self-conscious. Embarrassed and befuddled, I go searching in the wrong direction for the dibber, a manual

ABOVEThe early-morning

bellowing and wheezing of

bagpipes puts competitors in

high spirits

Some check points are

unmanned and require you to

‘self-clip’, a struggle for

Damian

The Peak Skyrace packs a punishing 2,000m of ascent

challenge skyrunning

058 skyrunJKjm.indd 61 06/11/2014 16:51

39 NOVEMBER 2014 OutdOOr Fitness

Your most competitive days lie ahead, so start

preparing for a whole new set of personal bests.

We caught up with a runner, cyclist and triathlete

who’ve become fitter, faster and more

successful after passing the big 4-0h!

Words Chris Lines, Mark Bailey, Nik Cook Pictures Shutterstock, & Joolze Dymond

F I T FA ST A N D

039 fit fast40 JKjm.indd 39 09/10/2014 16:17




on a Freedivers swim extraordinary

distances and depths on one lungful

of air, using techniques that could

benefit any runner or rider. We

caught up with superstar of the

deep Hanli Prinsloo to find out more

Words Benjamin Blech Pictures Annalie Pompe & Jean-Marie Ghislain

challenge freediving



Zipping up a wetsuit and slipping into a dolphin inspired monofin, freediver Hanli prinsloo is on her way to a place she feels truly at home. Calm and focused, she takes one massive breath in – before descending with perfect grace, 60 metres to the sea floor below.

in just over 60 years, the art of freediving – “diving as deep, as far or as long as possible on a single breath of air” – has evolved into a sophisticated sport. For some, it’s a way of pushing the boundaries, from unassisted swimming to record breaking depths, to plunging into the darkness strapped to a weighted platform. For others like Hanli, the joys of the sport come from the sea itself.

“For me, freediving is a way of being part of the sea,” says the laid-back South african. “i’ve been fascinated to see what my body can do under water – but i’m a really bad competitor. i really don’t care about being better than anyone else. i love the sensation of the body in water, the lack of gravity and the ability to move in three dimensions. i long for the silence and solitude of freediving. i often find myself dreaming of being underwater on my own. There’s a beauty in being surrounded by something so big without the bustle and noise of the world.”

Hanli insists freediving is only dangerous when people push themselves “too hard”, usually having “progressed too fast.” But she certainly recognises that with the joys of freediving come many significant challenges.

as they journey deeper, freedivers are contending with the unavoidable build up of pressure in the inner ear; the physical effects of having a massive volume of water above them; and the need to propel the naturally buoyant human body underwater, while conserving valuable oxygen.

“On deep dives, you work on breathing out properly, oxygenating your blood and body tissue and slowing your heart rate. That starts with a strong inward breath,” explains Hanli. “Once you start your dive, for the first 20 metres you’re kicking to get down. Then as your body is compressed [by the pressure], you enter what’s known as freefall, where you stop swimming [to conserve oxygen] and let your new density pull you down. all the way you really have to focus on equalising the pressure in your ears. if you miss an equalisation you can’t keep going. Then there’s the mental challenge. not allowing yourself to listen to your doubts and fears. To trust in your body, your training and your ability.”

Hanli uses yoga techniques to achieve “a level of anaerobic fitness.” Starting each dive completely relaxed and well oxygenated allows her to glide through the water with maximum efficiency, conserving oxygen and allowing her to focus on each equalisation. Of course, it takes more than deep breathing to hold your breath for six minutes, while your lungs are squashed to the size of a small paper bag. For that, Hanli relies on the body “awakening its ‘inner seal’.”

There is considerable evidence to suggest that not everything freedivers have proved possible is due to training

alone. Hanli is one of many freedivers who believe in the benefits of the Mammalian Dive Response – an innate and uncontrollable reaction to the conditions of deep ocean freediving. She says it’s primarily this response that allows her to hold her breath for so long and return to the surface.

“at depth, your whole body responds in a way which you do not control,” she explains. “There’s no cue – my body just does it as i dive. Humans are definitely better adapted to water than most people realise.”

The body’s response begins immediately. as soon as Hanli’s face touches the water, her heart rate begins to slow. as she dives deeper, blood vessels in her legs and arms constrict, flushing blood back to her core so it can be recirculated to her brain. Her spleen contracts, releasing “a significant amount oxygen-rich red blood cells.” Finally, blood plasma shifts into capillaries around her lungs, cushioning fragile lung tissue as her body is squeezed by the weight of water above.

it didn’t take long for Hanli to realise that much of what she had learnt as a freediver applied to any sport where there was, “a need for aerobic fitness and oxygen.” Her freediving inspired workshops, which started with big wave surfers, have oxygenated the bodies of runners, cyclists, swimmers – and even the South african Rugby Sevens team, who after initially wondering why their coach had booked them in for a pool session with a freediver, immediately saw the physical benefits of Hanli’s powerful techniques.

Her message is simple. Whatever your sport of choice, if you want to perform at your best, oxygen matters.

“We tend to breathe quite badly, as our bodies try to do everything with the least possible effort,” she explains. “a lack of good breathing skills stops you from being properly oxygenated. With cyclists and runners, i’ve worked on increasing their lung volume through stretching. Bigger lungs will of course help when they’re competing.”

Hanli also stressed the importance of proper recovery breathing in sports where performance and oxygen are inextricably linked.

“Some of the mountain bikers i’ve worked with will finish a huge climb and then have to keep riding for the next four hours. Just like a freediver in between dives, it’s really important that they know how to recover properly.”

as someone who has pushed the limits of what we thought was possible in water, Hanli believes “overcoming limiting ideas” and shifting mental boundaries is the most important type of training for any athlete.

Yet her greatest love is coming face to face with an array of animals. “Swimming with a whale and understanding that it really is experiencing me, but without any animosity or aggression, is phenomenal,” she says. “The ocean has a wilderness of creatures we don’t really know or understand.”

Hanli uses yoga to prepare for deep

dives

Diving with whales and sharks is Hanli’s greatest love

“I love the sensation of the body in water, the lack of gravity and the ability to move in three dimensions”

challenge freediving



breathe like a freediver 1 Become aware of your breathing, whether you’re walking up stairs, or running half way up a mountain during training. Try deepening each breath and slowing down your exhalation, which will help slow down your heart rate and increase your oxygen supply.

2 Think oxygen conservation. Are you moving with maximum efficiency?

3 Build proper recovery breathing into your training.

4 Explore your limits, expand your lung capacity and access oxygen you never knew you had with some simple breath-hold techniques. Breathe in as far as you can. Hold your breath for as long as possible, and gradually increase your hold time. Breath-hold in water is always risky and can lead to blackouts or serious injury. Always practise on dry land unless accompanied by an experienced freediving instructor. 5 Relax and become aware of your breathing before each training session. A relaxed state of mind will help you focus on breathing and moving more efficiently.

6 Trust your body and believe in your abilities. Avoid thinking about the obstacles to achieving your goals. Focus instead on what you know your body can do.

7 Boost your metabolism and start your training feeling light and energised. Try eating a more plant based diet, particularly 24 hours before a training session. Freediving has led to

Hanli advising elite athletes on how to

breathe properly


Game, set and matcha

With the flavour of dried grass, this Bloom Supercharge Matcha is 85% green tea, 10% maca root and 5% guarana for a caffeinated kick. Each serving is just half a teaspoon, whisked into cold water, or

mixed with a fruit juice or smoothie. £19.80, bloomteas.co.uk

83 January 2015 OutdOOr Fitness

expert nutrition advice to boost your performance

Contents84 Diet diary

88 Breakfast swap 90 Expert

nutrition advice

Boost your energy, lose weight and combat illness with just half a teaspoon of matcha a day. If the claims seem too good to be true, there’s compelling scientific evidence behind the health benefits of this powdered green tea. Leaf tea is steeped in boiling water, so much of its goodness is discarded when the leaves or teabag are thrown away. But matcha is green tea ground into a powder, and consumed in its entirety.

the result is a drink that’s exceptionally high in anti-oxidants, which combat the free radicals that lead to most chronic diseases including cancer. a study by the University of

Oslo found green tea powder to have an antioxidant content of 1347.83mmol/100g, compared for instance to 9.4mmol/100g for blueberries, widely billed as a superfood.

as for burning fat, researchers at the University of Birmingham found that cyclists who took a green tea extract boosted their fat oxidisation by 17% during exercise.

and writing in the asia Pacific Journal of clinical nutrition, dutch researchers found that L-theanine, an amino acid found ingreen tea, “relaxes the mind without enducing drowsiness,” yet also boosts mental alertness.

the fat burning, disease fighting qualities of this green tea powder qualify it for superfood status

Matcha the day

food 88

083 food opener JKjm.indd 83 03/12/2014 16:03

Muscle building foodsExercise, coupled with the most efficient, muscle-building foods, will put meat on those bones. But to build muscle where you want it fast, follow nutritionist Gavin Allinson’s advice

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88 | outdoor fitness oct-nov 2011

beef up with grass-fed protein“beef is high in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids,” says gavin. to

that you can add protein, iron, magnesium, b vitamins and antioxidants. as a combination these form an ideal ‘beef up’ meal - providing protein and the means to convert it to muscle.

research from a number of bodies – including the university of bristol - shows that grass-fed beef has the highest levels of muscle-making ingredients.

soothe muscles with cherry juicemuscles hurt after you exercise them. sometimes that pain

can linger to the point that you’re put off exercising and potentially missing the optimum time to kick on with your building program. this is where cherry juice comes in. research published in the british journal of sports medicine found cherries contain the ideal blend of natural antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents needed to stave off muscle pain and damage after exercise. and it’s rehydrating, too.

feast on fruit for potassiumdon’t forget to take a moment to stop off at the humble fruit

bowl - paying particular attention to the bananas and almost any nuts (except those sugar-coated peanuts you get from old school sweet shops). recent research from the usda human nutrition research centre on aging at tufts university in boston says that potassium-rich foods such as bananas are crucial to maintaining muscle mass as we get older.

go to workout on an egg...well two or three eggs, ideally. “eggs are packed with

muscle-building protein and come in a very versatile form,” says gavin. two eggs will kick-start your day with around 20g of protein, though you can increase this by scrambling them with milk and adding low-fat sausages or cheese.

eat cottage cheese for low-fat caseinit may not sound too manly, but cottage cheese is an excellent

source of casein, a type of protein that takes longer to break down in the body but is just as effective in developing muscles. “it’s a great snack before bed for this reason,” says gavin. “add a dollop or two in breakfast porridge or a protein shake for an additional boost.”

choose turkey for muscle growthturkey contains a combination of testosterone-boosting nutrients,

and pound-for-pound offers the highest protein content of almost any meat. it’s a top choice for muscle repair and growth. “as a white meat it has a lower fat content but also contains nutritional elements such as tryptophan – an amino acid that encourages muscle growth while you sleep,” says gavin.

keep up the carbs“carbohydrates are essential for energy and dietary balance but can also aid muscle growth,”

says gavin. “while pasta and rice are good sources, it’s quinoa - a seed rich in amino acid (protein) - that’s one of the best for muscle development.” Quinoa comes in seed form but when cooked has a fluffy, crunchy texture with a nutty flavour.

choose fish for essential fatsoily fish such as salmon, sardines and herring contain epa and

dha. they’re not us sports acronyms but types of essential fats found in fish oils. their muscle-making pedigree stems from the fact they’re useful in the conversion of fat into muscle as well as slowing muscle breakdown and reducing muscle loss.

tuck into nutshandfuls of almonds or a generous spread of peanut butter are both great for muscle

growth because not only do they contain large amounts of protein, but also ‘good’ monounsaturated fats, vitamin e, fibre, magnesium and phosphorus. “nuts are a filling snack but they’re also packed with very useful nutrients,” says gavin.

whey to gomuscle-building protein can come from many sources. “try to get your

protein from, ideally, three sources during a meal to help get a better nutritional balance,” advises gavin.

“whey protein, in the form of post-exercise shakes, is great for growth because whey is rapidly absorbed by the body to help repair muscles.”

Muscle building foods

“Cherries contain the ideal blend of natural agents to stave off muscle pain”

Meet GAVIN ALLINSONgavin allinson is a sports nutritionist based in oxford, who works with professional sports teams and recreational athletes. a keen sportsman himself, gavin is european indoor rowing champion, preparing for an iron man in september and also competes in brazilian jiu jitsu. for sports nutrition advice and ideas visit yoursportsnutrition.com

what’s fuelling your muscle growth?

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89 oct-nov 2011 outdoor fitness |


C u r r y f a v o u r s !Much more than a winter warmer, Britain’s favourite dish can make you fitter, thinner and faster... and even add some heat

to your performance. Try these for spice and speed

ExpErts: Urban rajah: Chef (urbanrajah.com) author of Urban rajah’s Curry Memoirs (headline, £16.99)Drew PriCe: Multipower Sportsfood registered nutritionist and strength and conditioning coach

FOOD curry

086 currys JKjm.indd 86 06/11/2014 11:30


1 EnErgy InjEctIng Shaljam ghoSht (turnIp & lamb curry)Drew Price: “After eating energy-giving nutrients like carbohydrates and fats, you need to be able to unlock that energy. This is where many of the B vitamins become important. In particular B3, B6, Pantothenic acid and B12 found in lamb are important for energy production, the release of energy from food and nervous system health and function. Eat it with rice and you’ll also be getting a dose of B2 which is important for carb energy utilisation.”

Urban Rajah: “Shaljam ghosht is a marriage of earthy turnips and comforting lamb stew with the sonorous tones of juicy tomatoes.”

IngReDIents serves 4–6n 4 tbsp sunflower or rapeseed oiln 2 large onions, slicedn 5cm fresh root ginger, peeled and choppedn 4 garlic cloves, smashed and choppedn 4–6 green chillies, chopped and seeds

retainedn 1 tsp paprikan 1 tsp turmeric powdern 2 tsp fennel seeds, pummelled and powderedn 1 tbsp ground coriandern 4 black cardamom podsn 1 cinnamon quilln 3 large tomatoes, roughly choppedn 500ml watern 1kg boneless lamb, chopped into chunksn Saltn 500g turnips, chopped into chunks

InstRUctIons Taking a large lidded pot, heat the oil over a low temperature and fry the onions until blonde for around 8–10 minutes. Add the ginger, garlic and chillies and stir fry for 3–4 minutes. Spoon in the paprika, turmeric, fennel and coriander, then drop in the cardamom pods, cinnamon quill, tomatoes and 50ml of the water. Mix everything thoroughly, cooking for 2 minutes until you have the base of a sauce. Tip in the lamb, turn up the heat to medium and jumble everything up.

Cover, turn the heat down and cook for about 15 minutes. Uncover and keep the pot cooking until the sauce has dried a bit and is sticking to the lamb, then season with salt and add the rest of the water. Cover and simmer for another 30 minutes, stirring regularly. Tip in the turnips and cook for another 20 minutes until the turnips have become almost mushy.

2 ImmunIty booStIng bEEf bughElaDrew Price: “Yogurt contains probiotic bacteria, the ‘good’ bacteria that are a foundation of good gut function. Turmeric contains curcumin; an anti-inflammatory phytochemical found by research to improve gut health function and improve energy balance. The proper functioning of the gut is a vital first step on the road to absorbing the energy giving nutrients in your food and also the co-factors, such as B vitamins, that help you access that energy.”

Urban Rajah: “Prepare this a day in advance. “This method of cooking relies on the balance of water and spice. It’s an unusual way of measuring water quantities but as pot sizes vary it’s best to follow this technique.”

IngReDIentsserves 4 and then somen 1kg stewing beef, choppedn 2 medium onions, finely slicedn 3 garlic cloves, chopped n 3 green chillies, chopped n 5cm fresh root ginger, sliced into matchsticksn 1 tsp ground garam masalan 2 tbsp medium curry powdern 1 tsp ground coriandern 2 tbsp whole garam masala (2 tsp cumin

seeds, 1 tsp cloves, 2 tsp teaspoon whole coriander, 1 tsp whole pepper)

n 2 tbsp olive oil n 500g natural yoghurt, fork-whipped, you can

use a low fat option I prefer to use one with 10% fat – keep at room temperature to avoid the yogurt splitting

n Big scooped handful of chopped coriander

InstRUctIons Put the beef in a large pot and mark out 5cm above the height of the beef. Remove the beef and fill the pot with salted water up to the measured point. “Bring the water to the boil and add the beef. Do not brown the meat or you’ll screw the dish up,” says Rajah. Continue boiling on a medium heat until all the foam reaches the surface, scooping it off until the water is clear, then boil for a further 30 minutes. Throughout the process, leave the pot uncovered – you’re looking to produce an intense, reduced sauce. Slide in the onions, garlic, chilli and ginger and cook for 30 minutes on a low heat. Gently stir. Add the ground garam masala, curry powder and ground coriander and cook for a further 30 minutes. It takes a while but stick with it.

3 joInt SavIng grIllEd gIngEr chIckEnDrew Price: “The active ingredient in chilli is called capsaicin. Capsaicin attaches to the TRPV-1 receptors in your mouth to give it that ‘hot’ feeling.

“Capsaicin acts on the neuroendocrine system as a mild stimulant, increasing the production of energy and even increasing utilisation of stored body fat. ‘TRPA1’ is a receptor found on cells all-round the body that capsaicin from chili binds to, causing that spicy hot sensation. Receptors often have multiple roles depending on where they are in the body and TRPA1 is also responsible for maintenance of body temperature and pain sensitivity and is now being used as a target for pain relief, especially in cases of joint pain.”

IngReDIentsserves 4 as an appetiser or 2 as a main n 1kg chicken on the bone: legs, thighs,

drumsticksn A little olive oiln 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds, to dressn Half a lemon, to serve

For the marinade pasten 3 tbsp ginger paste n 2 tbsp garlic paste n 2 tbsp lemon juicen 1 tbsp fresh ginger sliced into matchsticksn 1 tbsp ground coriandern 2 tsp chilli powdern Salt and pepper

InstRUctIons Mix all the marinade ingredients in a large bowl, seasoning well. Score the chicken pieces with a sharp knife to a depth of 5mm and massage the marinade into the chicken.

Cover and refrigerate for a couple of hours (overnight is better). Either over charcoals or under a grill set to medium, place the chicken pieces on a rack with a drip tray underneath and grill for 10 minutes on both sides.

Remove from the heat and keep them on the rack, allowing them to rest for a couple of minutes until the juices have drained a little.

Now use the ‘drip juices’ to baste the chicken, brush with a little olive oil, scatter the ginger matchsticks on top and cook for a further 3–4 minutes. When done, scatter the toasted sesame seeds all over the chicken,covering well.

Best served hot with a squeeze of lemon juice.

086 currys JKjm.indd 87 06/11/2014 11:30

2, 4, 6, 8... who do we appreciate?

67 January 2015 OutdOOr Fitness

If you want to win, you need to get your own cheerleaders

sing your praises

get yourself fItter and naIl your next maJor event

train68

Visualisation, goal setting and self-mantra - key components of the ‘Magic Fifth’ factor endorsed by British professor of sport psychology, andy lane, as being the difference between winners and losers in sport.

as part of a new study, professor lane suggests that for triathletes, physical fitness, skill and biomechanical components only contribute to 80% of a winning formula.

“the ‘magic fifth’ or last 20% is the clincher, and that’s down to psychological factors such as motivation, confidence and self-belief,”he insists.

in lane’s study – produced as part of a stand together campaign by grants whisky – he highlights the importance of friends inmaking the magic happen and says that behind every successful athlete is an essentialsupport network.

“Family, friends and coaches help you bounce back after a loss and nurture a positive mental attitude,” says lane.

Contents68 Weightloss

workout72 Return to running

74 get swim fit

067 train opener JKjm.indd 67 03/12/2014 16:00

NOVEMBER 2014 OutdOOr Fitness 93

GEAR Performance-enhancing kit for training and events

PROMiXX 2.0, £35.99Shaken or Stirred, recovery drinks can be difficult to mix, and you don’t need the finer tastes of Bond to get fed up with lumps of powder inthe liquid.

But this new sports bottle could bring you solace (a quantum perhaps?) thanks to its high torque motor, capable of speeds of 16,000rpm, which mixes fluids and supplement powders in a bubbling vortex.

neat design touches include a scientifically engineered blunt blade to protect the integrity of micro-nutrients in food supplements, and an integrated rechargeable lithium-ion battery so you can mix your recovery drink immediately after your workout, wherever you train.More info: promixx.com

Shaken or stirred,Mr Bond?Bottle’s built-in motor lets you blend your recovery drink

Contents96 Cycle lights

100 running jackets102 Cycling jackets

104 Walking jackets

100

Into the vortex... Promixx ensures supplements are

perfectly blended

093 gear opener JKjm.indd 93 10/10/2014 08:23

Documents

Mark Tucker OUTDOOR FITNESS