Drama at WTCS Abu Dhabi

Good morning everyone,

We’re going to be at Clash Miami this weekend. If you’re going to be around the race we would love to meet up IRL!

In today’s edition:

• Weekend race recaps including the fast and furious WTCS Abu Dhabi 🏎️

• Veterinary surgeon student and pro triathlete? How Kaylee Slade does it 🤯

• And, is there an ideal run technique? 🏃

Thank you for being here.

-Matt Sharpe, newsletter editor

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RACE WEEKEND

Early Season Form at WTCS Abu Dhabi, Ironman South Africa, and Ironman New Zealand

World Triathlon WTCS Abu Dhabi - Men’s Race

The men dove into the azure-blue waters of Yas Marina all hoping to make a strong opening statement for their 2023 campaigns. A small group headed by Vincent Luis (FRA), Jamie Riddle (RSA) and Henri Schoeman (RSA,) did their best to hold off the hordes behind.

The breakaway was short-lived, and soon a group of 52 athletes were motoring their way around the track. Notable absences in the bunch were Olympic Medallist Hayden Wilde (flat tire) and Ironman World Champion, Gustav Iden.

• On lap four current world champion Leo Bergere (FRA), Roberto Sanchez-Mantecon (ESP), and Riddle took a flyer and tried to make something of the ride.

Unfortunately, their efforts were for naught, and the whole squad rolled into T2 together for an exciting and intriguing run.

The opening mile looked like a major marathon, with a massive group of athletes running tightly together. But up the first hill, a small lead group formed with Olympic medalist, Alex Yee, Tyler Mislawchuk (CAN), Manoel Messias (BRA), and Vasco Vilaca (POR). With less than a km to go, Yee went into overdrive and cruised into the finish for the W. Vilca took second, while Messias finished strong in third.

• Full results: Get the full race list of results here. 

Tempo’s take: This race had good action from start to finish. Before it started we figured there was no chance of a breakaway, but the swim leaders made it happen…at least for a bit. Although the turns look tight on an F1 track, the course flowed and wasn’t ideal for a breakaway with such a small swim gap. In future races, and with the right firepower, expect the group to stay away.

Women’s Race

There was a noticable absence of the current World Champion, Flora Duffy. However, the women’s field was still stacked with plenty of WTCS medalists, and those hungry for their own medal.

The swim was shaken up by speedster Sophie Coldwell (GBR). Although she did start before the gun, she took advantage of the clear water and pressed hard through the swim. Exiting the water was a small group that included Coldwell, Vitoria Lopes (BRA), Taylor Spivey (USA), Summer Rappaport (USA), Beth Potter (GBR) and Lena Meissner (GER).

The lead group worked exceptionally well together during the bike and established a significant gap over the large and chaotic chase group. They hit the run with an insurmountable 44 second lead.

Halfway through the run, it was a battle of the Brits with Coldwell and Potter running shoulder to shoulder, setting up for an incredible finish. But in the end, Potter was able to gap Coldwell and opened the season with her first WTCS win. Coldwell settled for silver, and Spivey finished strong in third.

• Full results: Get the full race list of results here.

Tempo’s take: With her running pedigree as an Olympian for Great Britain in the 10,000m, Potter is always a threat when it comes to a foot race. She did well to put herself in the mix out of the swim, and she pushed hard on the bike to ensure she had the best chance to win on the run. A very strong all-around performance to take the win.

We’re already stoked for the next round in Yokohama. With Flora Duffy, Taylor Knibb, and potentially Jess Learmonth making her return, the pace at the front of the race will be turned up to 11.

Other Races

Ironman South Africa

Women: A shortened swim had the athletes onto the bike quickly and flying to the finish. Lara Philip (GER) dominated to take the win and an early slot for the Ironman World Championships in Kona.

• 🥇 Lara Philip (GER)

• 🥈 Fenella Langridge (GBR)

• 🥉 Penny Slater (NZL)

Men: Pre-race favourtie AListair Brownlee pulled out just before the event which left the field wide-open. Leon Chevalier took the opportunity and ran away with the title.

• 🥇 Leon Chevalier (FRA)

• 🥈 Bradley Weiss (RSA)

• 🥉 Mathias Petersen (DEN)

Ironman New Zealand

Women: After overcoming a six-minute swim gap on the bike, Els Visser (NED) ran away from this field to take the win, and her spot on teh start line in Kona.

• 🥇 Els Visser (NED)

• 🥈 Hannah Berry (NZL)

• 🥉 Rebecca Clarke (NZL)

Men: Mike Phillips (NZL) and Braden Currie (NZL) had a kiwi battle for the ages. With Phillips pulling away from Currie in the final stages of the run to take his first win at IMNZ.

• 🥇 Mike Phillips (NZL)

• 🥈 Braden Currie (NZL)

• 🥉 Jan Van Berkel (SUI)

GIVEAWAY

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Entering is easy. Just head over to our contest page, sign-up, and refer at least one friend to The Tempo.

Enter the contest today. The more people you refer, the greater your chances of winning!

FAVOURITES

🏃 No perfect run: Is there a perfect run technique? According to this infographic from Yann Le Meur, probably not. This easy-to-digest breakdown of a study on running form and running economy leads to some interesting and simple conclusions. [YLM Sport Science]

💩 A crap workout: Athletes from the Kendal Triathlon Club stepped up when they went for simultaneous run/pickup trash, also known as ‘plogging.’ In three miles they managed to pick up over 260 pieces of litter, of which a huge majority was dog poo! [The Westmoreland Gazette]

💓 All heart: Kim Dolan was an Ironman and self-described “exercise fanatic.” But after being diagnosed with a rare genetic condition, her heart was under serious duress, and she needed a device to keep her heart pumping. But after undergoing a successful heart transplant, she’s now back on the bike, doing what she loves. [CBS News Boston]

HOW THEY DO IT

Future Animal Orthopedic Surgeon, and Current Pro Triathlete: How Kaylee Slade Does It

For some, attending veterinarian school to become an orthopedic surgeon would be enough. But for first-year pro triathlete Kaylee Slade, it’s just what she does between workouts. And somehow, Kaylee and her partner Brian also have time for their own YouTube channel. Kaylee only took up the sport in 2021, and it’s mind-blowing just how she does it. She’ll be making her pro debut this weekend at Clash Miami, good luck Kaylee! 

Study O’Clock

4:30 am - 6:30 am: My body is programmed to wake up at 6 am, but with exams coming up, and a surgery lab taking up most of my time, today called for more waking hours and more caffeine!

The alarm greeted me at 4:30 am, and I started studying for an upcoming anesthesia exam with help from a quad shot of espresso. There aren’t many supplements I believe in, but caffeine is definitely one of them. I also start off the day with around 250-400 calories mostly carbs, mostly belVita’s.

Quality run workout

7:00 am-8:30 am: My first workout of the day is a quality run, and it’s strength-oriented with plenty of hills! I’ll warm up for about four miles before jumping into the main set. Today it’s four rounds of 5x30-second hill reps with a jog down the hill as recovery. These are fast efforts but not all out. My focus was on keeping a high cadence with a strong push-off. No point in focusing on pace, just hitting each rep hard.

This was my first strength-based run workout this season. Shocking the legs and lungs back into hard efforts is never easy, and I felt these hills! I try my best to start each hill at a manageable pace and build throughout. Ultimately, I want to finish my last few reps stronger than my first. Cooldown is 2 miles at a zone 1 heart rate to finish out the workout. This session took about 80 minutes in total. For training this long, I don’t typically consume calories. I make sure to refuel within 15 minutes of completion to help replenish my glycogen stores for the remaining workouts of the day.

Breakfast

8:30 am-9 am: I go through eggs, way too many eggs. And given recent egg prices, Brian and I almost built a chicken coop over the holidays! We like Famous Dave's bread for organic carbs, salted butter, and eggs for breakfast. While all electrolytes are important, salt is key, and I focus on incorporating that while cooking to avoid cramping and to help keep performance sharp.

Read the full article and learn:

• Why Kaylee wants to become a surgeon,

• Her nutrition hacks for a busy schedule,

• And how she’s improved her swimming in such a short time.

THEY SAID

“I’m alright now, I went to the hospital and got some lidocaine to numb it and some antibiotics. It was crazy, not really sure how I finished!”

- Chase McQueen from the USA after finishing on the podium while dealing with a pre-race Stingray attack.

EXCLUSIVE TEMPO EXPERT ANALYSIS

• Scott Tindal on eating properly for Ironman training.

• Simple strength training for a breakthrough Ironman.

• The four most common nutrition mistakes with Registered Dietician Meghan Stock.

• Performance psychologist Alex Auerbach on why you should celebrate the small wins.

Are you an expert and would like your thoughts to be featured in The Tempo? Fill out this form and we will be in touch shortly!

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