Malibu Triathlon Loses Key Appeal

Good morning everyone,

I’ve been pretty tired since my race last weekend in Michigan with lots of lingering soreness and fatigue. So I’ve been trying to listen to my body and take it a bit easier, which…isn’t always easy! That just means I’ll have a bit more time to put my feet up and watch some big races this weekend.

In today’s edition:

• 🚳 Critical Malibu Triathlon permit appeal denied by planning commission.

• ⛽ How should you fuel a rest day?

• 🏃 And what is the best way to pace a triathlon?

Thanks for being here.

-Matt Sharpe, newsletter editor

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ONE BIG THING

Malibu Triathlon Appeal Denied

The race will be canceled unless a last-minute appeal is approved by the Malibu City council.

What is it: Last week it was reported that the 38th edition of the Malibu Triathlon, an event that hosts over 5000 participants and is scheduled for October 1st, could be canceled. The cause - a critical underpass used for the course has been flooded and become home to an endangered species, the Tidewater Gobi.

• Due to this disruption to the course - and a slow response from relevant authorities, Super League Triathlon was not able submit their revised race course in time, and were denied a temporary use permit for the event.

On Monday, the organizers and owners of the Malibu Triathlon, Super League Triathlon made an appeal to the Malibu Planning Commission to have their temporary use permit granted.

• The meeting featured desperate pleas from Malibu community members, Triathlon community members, and stakeholders from the pediatric cancer Center at Children’s Hospital L.A.

• Many community members voiced their concerns about the future of the event and the million’s of dollars it raises annually for children’s cancer research.

Tense vote: After all the concerned parties had a chance to speak, the 4 members of the planning commission took the all-important vote.

• Commissioners John Mazza, and Kraig Hill both initially voiced their support for the event. But ultimately voted to deny the temporary use permit due to Super League not providing an amended course in time.

• Commissioners Skylar Peak and Jeffery Jennings both noted the importance of the event to the community, and Children’s Hospital, and voted to allow a temporary use permit.

• With the vote deadlocked at 2-2, the previous denial was upheld.

What’s next: Super League has one more opportunity to appeal directly to the City Council on Monday, September 25, which is five days before the first day of racing is slated to take place.

Tempo’s take: This is all an incredibly unfortunate situation. Super League obviously made a mistake in not submitting the amended race course in time. And they need to own that.

• But to have politicians grandstanding on a technicality is incredibly disappointing. The new course is approved by all the relevant L.A. County authorities, including the sheriff’s office. Even the Malibu city manager was in favor of the race proceeding.

This year’s event alone will raise over a million dollars for Children’s Cancer Research and is an incredibly positive community event with a storied history.

It’s also unclear whether the temporary use permit applies to just the age group race, or also to the Super League Championship series event.

• Here’s to hoping the city council makes the correct and rational decision.

FAVORITES

💩 Seine sewage: After a disappointing cancelation of the swim at last month’s Olympic Test Event in Paris, authorities are saying that they’re bringing in more stringent water quality monitoring, but will it be enough? [Inside the Games]

🥇 Champion training: 120-mile bike rides, 5,000-yard swims, and a ton of strength work. It all added up to success for professional triathlete Alice Alberts. Check out this Instagram post which goes deep on the training she did to win. [NVDM Coaching]

⛽ Fuel your rest day: We’ve seen how athletes fuel for big training days. But what about rest days? Pro triathlete Eloise du Luart takes us an informative and honest look at how she fuels for a rest day (the pancakes look great!). [Eloise du Luart]

😎 Oakley advantage: From skydiver to sky-high success. As a cofounder of Oakley Sunglasses Jim Parnell has seen everything and more in the world of eyewear and endurance sports. Check out his interview on the Stupid Questions podcast and learn more about the evolution of performance sunglasses. [Stupid Questions with Seth Hill]

STUDY TIME

Pacing Strategies from the Fastest-Ever Ironman World Championships

The study: Recently published in the journal Nature, this study looked to determine which split is most important in an Ironman triathlon.

The method: The authors took all the split times available from the 2022 men’s and women’s Ironman World Championships and split up between 1-10th, 11-20th, and 21-30th overall. The following were analysed:

• Split-by-split speed,

• Pacing strategies (positive split, even split, or negative split)

• Pacing variability (relative change in pace)

Conclusion: One of the key findings was that the top ten athletes exhibited faster cycling and running times compared to slower counterparts 🙄

• Different pacing strategies emerged between men and women with men showing more negative pacing (faster second half) and women showing more even pacing.

• There was no difference in pacing variability between all groups on the bike.

• The top ten men and all the female performance groups ran a slight positive split while the men from 11th-30th place tended to have much more of a positive split 💥💥💥

Tempo’s take: Definitely some interesting takeaways from this study. Based on the splits female athletes race more measured and controlled, while the men tend to go harder at the end of the bike, but then often pay for it on the run!

• In an Ironman pacing well is so important, and this study reiterates that.

It’s a bit flawed as there are no swim splits to consider…but we all know swimming isn’t that important in Ironman 🤣

REEL TIME

If you do an Ironman, you are a big deal!

adventure.moore

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QUICK NEWS

Yorkshire challenge: The Yorkshire Dales will play host to a new long-course triathlon next year. The event will see upwards of 3,000 competitors compete in the countryside around Nidderdale. [BBC]

New CEO: Triathlon Canada named Lawrence White as their new CEO. He was previously the director of Alpine Canada for 15 years. [CBC]

Louisville returns: Ironman was a staple in Louisville, Kentucky from 2009 to 2017. And on August 8 2024 it will return as a 70.3. [WHAS]

Hall of Fame: World Triathlon has announced the 2023 inductees into their Hall of Fame. Siri Lindley (USA), Ivan Rana (ESP), and Loreen Barnett (CAN) are among those included. [World Triathlon]

RACE WEEKEND

World Triathlon Series Grand Final - Pontevedra, Spain

Men’s race

Who will win: It’s a tight battle between Alex Yee (GBR), Hayden Wilde (NZ), Vasco Vilaca (POR) and Leo Bergere (FRA).

• Last year in Abu Dhabi the French team worked together to help Bergere win the world title. We’ll be watching for more of that this weekend.

Watch live: Saturday, September 23rd on triathlonlive.tv, 17:20 CEST

Go deeper: Pre race preview

Women’s race

Who will win: It’s a two-up tussle with Beth Potter (GBR) and Cassandre Beaugrand (FRA) looking to take it to each other on the run.

• After a loss to Potter on home soil in Paris, Beaugrand will be looking to bounce back.

Watch live: Sunday, September 24th, on triathlonlive.tv, 16:45 CEST

World Triathlon Para Championships - Pontevedra Spain

Who will win: in the Women’s PTVI, hometown hero Susanna Rodriguez (ESP) will be looking to make a statement.

• In the men’s PTS5 Canada’s Stefan Daniel will be looking for a sixth world title.

• The American trio of Hailey Danz, Melissa Stockwell, and Allysa Seely will no doubt have another fierce battle in the women’s PTS2

• And we expect Lauren Parker (AUS) and Kendall Gretsch (USA) to have another epic showdown in the women’s PTWC.

Watch live: Saturday, September 23rd, on triathlonlive.tv, 9:00 CEST

Go deeper: Pre race preview.

Ironman 70.3 Augusta

Women’s race

Who will win: It’s an all-Canadian battle between Paula Findlay and Tamara Jewitt. This will comedown to an exciting run and probably in the final kilometers!

Watch live: Sunday, September 24th, on Outside Watch, 6:00 AM EST

Men’s race

Who will win: It’s a rematch between last weekend’s Michigan 70.3 1-2 Jackson Laundry (CAN) and Lionel Sanders (CAN). They’ve been bantering back and forth online. But Trevor Foley (USA) might just end up spoiling the party.

Watch live: Sunday, September 24th, on Outside Watch, 6:00 AM EST

TEMPO EXCLUSIVE ARCHIVE

• How this athlete manages start-up life and triathlon.

• Nail your Ironman training nutrition. 

• Why this performance psychologist wants you to celebrate the small wins.

LATEST EDITIONS

• Iconic Malibu Triathlon in jeopardy.

• The future of training is wild.

• Massive success at first Ironman World Championship in Nice. 

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