Another Ironman Axed for 2024

Good morning everyone,

Well, it was quite the race for me this weekend. I ended up third but was disqualified due to a technicality. It was a tough pill to swallow, but a good reminder to fully understand the competition rules…even if they don’t always make sense 🤷 So take it from me, be sure to zip up your race suit before you finish!

In today’s edition:

• 🪓 Another Ironman event gets the axe in 2024.

• 🧗‍♀️ Do you have a hilly race? Here’s how to train for it.

• 🥛 What liquid is best for hydration? Definitely not water!

Thanks for being here.

-Matt Sharpe, newsletter editor

Have a triathlete in your life who can't stop swimming, biking, or running? Fire this off to them. Forwarded from a friend? Sign-up for free. 

ONE BIG THING

Ironman Mt. Tremblant Discontinued For 2024

What is it: As reported by Triathlon Magazine Canada, Ironman and event organizer Evenements Sportifs Mont-Tremblant have agreed to discontinue Ironman Mt. Tremblant, and in 2024 there will be no full-distance event held in the resort town.

• The Ironman 70.3 and 5150 events will still be held as scheduled sometime in June 2024.

• This follows a trend of full-distance consolidation with Ironman Coeur D’Alene reverting to a 70.3, and the discontinuations of Ironman Tulsa and Waco.

Tempo’s take: This isn’t necessarily surprising and probably reflects a structural shift in consumer choice and tastes. Ironman simply has more competition in the longer endurance event space with the rise of gravel cycling and trail running.

• The novelty of these events is reminiscent of Ironman’s rise at the expense of marathon events. Of course, marathons are still around and thriving, but they are more concentrated and focused on iconic events like Boston, London, and Fukuoka.

It could be an easy playbook for Ironman to follow. But do they have any of these iconic events with rich histories? 🧐😜

Do you want to partner with The Tempo and almost 7,000 awesome and engaged triathletes? Respond to this email and we will get back to you!

TRAINING THOUGHT

Hilly Race? Here’s How to Train For It

GTN put together a great video with tips on training for a hilly race. If you’ve got some mountain (or mountain-seeming) climbs, here’s how to prepare:

Train the muscles: Riding, especially out of the saddle, puts different demands on various muscle groups.

• Seated climbing is more quad-dominant and can also put more strain on the back muscles.

• Climbing while standing recruits more glute and calf muscles, ones you will need when the run comes!

Focus on technique: While climbing seated, it’s better to sit a bit further back in the saddle to generate more leverage. And always keep your arms relaxed while climbing, save that tension for your legs!

Big gear hero: Training big gear intervals helps recruit more of your muscle fibers, which helps make them more fatigue resistant when you need to race up a hill. We recommend anywhere from 55-to-75 RPM for intervals and mostly stick to seated work due to the intense strain on the calf muscles while standing.

Check out the full video from GTN here.

YOU SAID

Last week we asked what you thought about Ironman’s “extended slot allocation policy” that sees previously unqualified athletes receive an opportunity to attend Kona and Nice.

Here’s a sample of your incredible answers!

“I can argue it both ways. The fast men and women are still vying for the top spots. What I think having more slots does is let’s really good athletes access the world champs if they have an off day. This enhances the pointy end of the field overall and THAT makes it more competitive. The people who are just trying to finish in time at WCs qualified as the rules stated and their presence helps fund the event. I do think an unintended consequence of The split is that now Roth will be the new ‘Kona’. Mark my words. Lol”

Matt: Lots of athletes have off days at critical events. This gives them an opportunity for redemption. And deffs marking those words!

“I had spent nearly 30 years trying to qualify for Kona. I finally accomplished this by winning my age group at Chattanooga last fall. I paid $1,500 to go to Kona. I was very disappointed when the men's race was moved to Nice. When given the choice I elected to go to Nice over deferring to 2024 because of my age. Earlier this year and even though I was already confirmed to Nice, I received an email offering me a slot to Nice. So, if I had deferred to 2024, I could have gone to both WC's. I have always believed the WC was for the very best triathletes. When I won, I felt it validated my status as an Ironman triathlete. Now that they are basically giving slots to anyone willing to pay cheapens my accomplishment. In the end, I'm excited to race Nice but will be done with IM after that.”

Matt: Yeah, that is absolutely brutal, given the incredible journey to get to that point. For folks like yourself, you should definitely be offered a spot in 2024 as well!

“They’re not giving away slots… women raced and earned slots… it’s just a different distribution system to prior years. I’m sick of the language around the idea of these slots not being rightfully earned by the women who choose to accept the offer. I’m also not blind to the notion that Ironman wants to fill the pier (and their coffers) but don’t make the women who accept these slots feel bad for doing so!”

Matt: Yes, it’s not fair to slot-shame people who put in an honest effort to compete.

REEL TIME

Yes, doing an Ironman is exhausting. So we can probably excuse IM Lake Placid winner Joe Skipper for thinking the interviewer wanted a handshake! 🤣

notanotheraveragejoe

View more on Instagram

FAVOURITES

🚴‍♀️ That PTO life: It’s PTO US Open week, and the pros are getting ready to lay it all on the line in Milwaukee. Check out the latest video from That Triathlon Life where we get an inside look at Paula Findlay’s key training for the event! [That Triathlon Life]

👩‍🏫 Do you need a coach: Whether you want to push further for the second half of the season, or create significant growth for your 2024 season, an experienced coach can help you get more out of your training investment. Do you need a coach? It depends - but you probably do! [TMT Coaching]*

🏆 Gentle’s journey: Australia’s Ashleigh Gentle is a PTO, WTCS, and World Champion, and although she’s enjoyed recent success, it wasn’t without heartbreak. The PTO, WTCS, and World Champion almost quit the sport after a devastating Olympics. Check out this profile on her incredible triathlon journey. [Triathlete]

🥤 Drink better: Is water what’s best for hydrating? No, according to sports scientist Asker Jeukendrup. Milk, apparently, is better! Check out this blog on how various drinks stack up against each other for their hydrating properties. [My Sports Science]

*Sponsored post

TEMPO EXCLUSIVE ARCHIVE

• Why Tom Bishop said “F$@K it” to his previous path. 

• Expert analysis: Hot out? Here’s how to train in the heat.

• Kaylee Slade: Pro triathlete and future orthopedic surgeon.

LATEST EDITIONS

• Ironman can’t give away World Championship slots.

• British Triathlon axes high profile race. And super shoes for super training.

• Do your hobbies count as training?

Thanks for reading to the end. If you enjoy the Tempo, we have three things you can do to help our community grow:

1. Share the Tempo with your friends and family on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Every person you refer will win prizes (coming soon!)

2. Forward this email

3. Follow us on Instagram