An Ironman Goldrush Goes Bust

Good morning everyone!

I'm back into some decent training for the winter, and I've already picked up my first little injury. Nothing crazy, just a tight quad. Need to spend some quality time with the foam roller 😨 Hope you're all staying healthy in your early season prep!

In this edition we've got,

• A look at the economic, and social impact of the now-canceled Ironman Alaska 🐻

• Why you need to be taking Vitamin D this winter 🌞

• And what causes cramping? The answer in this infographic may surprise you 🦍

Thank you 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 Alaska's Goldrush Boom Goes Bust

What is it: Although the inaugural edition of Ironman Alaska, held in the state capital, Juneau, was somewhat controversial, it was also highly acclaimed by athletes and community members. And it also had an extensive economic impact as reported by The Juneau Empire.

During the summer quarter, which was when the Ironman was held:

• The city's hotel bed tax revenue was $1.36 million - the highest ever, and $500,000 more than originally anticipated.

• The sales tax revenue was $2.3 million more than anticipated.

Why it matters: According to Liz Perry, President and CEO of Travel Juneau, "The decision to cancel the race was not mutual," and "strictly a financial decision."

• Given the clear financial boon to Juneau, it is apparent that the Ironman group was only considering it's financial impact.

Tempo's take: It's disappointing that Ironman unilaterally cancelled their event, but not surprising. Although the race was somewhat isolated, and there were issues around athlete accommodation, the athletes who did compete were ecstatic with their experience.

The Juneau community also welcomed the athletes with open arms. A local bike shop owner was disappointed with the decision saying, "we met a lot of really great people and we had a lot of fun, so we are certainly bummed.”

Here's to hoping for a return for a one-of-a-kind race experience!

NEWS

🏁 Pristine racing: The city of Evian, France will host a new event in 2023, the "Evian Triathlon." Along with the full "lé-man" (Ironman) distance, Olympic and sprint distance events will also be on offer. But don't be Evian-spelled-backwards, with almost 12,000 feet of climbing this race will be anything but easy. [Tri-Today]

🏰 Open moat swimming: The 2023 Castle race series, which hosts triathlons and other events at castles across Ireland, France, and the UK, has partnered with WPA as the series' official health insurance partner. The partnership goal is to promote activity and a healthy lifestyle, especially for children. [Endurance.biz]

🏆 Who will win: The first-ever Global Triathlon Awards are fast approaching. Best athlete, rookie of the year, and outstanding tech product are just a few of the awards that will be handed out on January 20th at the Palais de la Mediterranee in Nice, France. [World Triathlon]

👏 The Wright choice: Triathlete and coach Dayne Wright was one of three recipients of a significant Jamaican Olympic Association scholarship. The goal of these scholarships is to empower coaches and provide them with opportunities for overseas development. Congrats Dayne! [Jamaica Observer]

TRAINING THOUGHT

Vitamin D For Thee

Vitamin D is great for endurance athletes (and humans in general), but in the northern hemisphere, it's a tough time to get it naturally. The sun is at its lowest, athletes are training indoors a lot, and fully dialed winter gear prevents any kind of natural production.

Fortunately, Vitamin D supplements exist! And here's a few reasons why they're great for triathletes:

🦴 Bone health: Vitamin D is critical for the absorption of Calcium.

• Given the constant stress on bones from training, athletes need all the calcium they can get!

• Calcium is also an electrolyte, so increased Vitamin D can help maintain electrolyte balance.

😄 Improved mood: A review showed that increasing Vitamin D intake might be a factor in regulating mood and lowering the risk of depression.

• A 2020 review found that those experiencing negative emotions who received vitamin D supplements noticed an improvement in symptoms.

• A different study found that low Vitamin D levels were a risk factor for anxiety and depression.

🏋️ Stronger immune system: Research has shown that the active form of vitamin D lowers the damaging inflammatory response of some white blood cells.

• It may also boost immune cells' production of microbe-fighting proteins.

Are you an expert in Vitamin D, nutrition, or any other field? And would like your thoughts featured in The Tempo? Fill out this form and we will be in touch shortly!

FAVOURITES

🤷 Dehydration or strength: It’s the age-old question for triathlon and endurance athletes, what really causes cramping? Well, according to this awesome infographic from Yann Le Meur, it might be due to skipping leg day. [YLM Sport Science]

⚕️ Probiotics FTW: Can your gut biome make you race faster? Maybe! A recent study in Nature showed that there could be a link between gut health, dopamine response, and enhanced exercise capability. Throw another Kombucha in the cart. [Trail Runner]

💦 Sweat tech: A personalized patch for tracking your sweat? Prof Roozbeh Ghaffari, CEO and co-founder of Epicore Biosystems is working hard to build one. Find out how on this illuminating episode of Fitter Radio, which also includes a chat with sports science expert José L’Areta, who discusses “within-day energy availability." [Fitter Radio]

⭐ Succès fraternel: Y a-t-il une recette miracle chez les Coninx? Probablement non, mais peut-être quelque chose dans l'eau qui peut explique le success de triathlete Léa Coninx et de son frère, médaillé d'or olympique, Dorian. [Le Dauphine]

COMMUNITY QUESTION

Have a burning question about triathlon or Ironman? Want to share a racing tip? Let us know and it could be featured in the newsletter.

Are you racing this weekend? Or any epic training sessions? We'd love to hear about them! Send us your photos or a race recap, and we will feature them in next Tuesday's edition!

TEMPO QUIZ

Not so much a quiz, but a thought experiment, if you were in charge of Ironman, where would you want the next World Championship? Kona? Nice? Other?

Reply with your response and name and we'll include it in the next email!

EXCLUSIVE TEMPO INTERVIEWS

• Scott Tindal on eating properly for Ironman training.

• Always stay present: An interview with triathlete Martín Ulloa

• For triathlete Stefan Daniel, patience is key

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