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PTO Tour Ready to be Unveiled
The long-awaited 2024 PTO tour, Vitamin D, and when to lift?
Matthew Sharpe
January 23, 2024
Good morning everyone,
I’ve spent the last couple of days visiting family in the town I grew up in, and actually did a run workout on some of the roads I trained on before my very first triathlon (over twenty years ago! 😲).
Since then I’ve been on an amazing sporting journey that has allowed me to experience the world, meet my incredible wife, and hang out with exceptional fellow triathletes like yourselves.
If you’re an experienced athlete, don’t forget to reflect on your journey to this point. And if you’re just starting, then get excited about what is to come!
In today’s edition:
📅 The PTO is finally ready to announce their long-awaited 2024 race schedule.
🌞 Why you need a daily dose of vitamin D.
🏋️♀️ And when should you be doing strength training?
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
PTO To Release Long-Awaited 2024 World Tour Schedule
What is it: According to a recent post by Pro Tri News, the Professional Triathletes Organization (PTO) announced that their long-anticipated 2024 race calendar would be revealed on January 30th.
Fans of professional racing have been increasingly frustrated with the slow rollout of the first “full” season of the triathlon startup’s flagship tour.
Talent spotting: The PTO has seen some recent wins with high-profile athletes like Ironman World Champion Lucy Charles-Barclay (GBR), 70.3 World Championship medalists, Paula Findlay (CAN)and Sam Long (USA), committing to the series for their 2024 seasons.
But iconic athletes like Lionel Sanders (CAN) have decided to skip out on the startup’s series and commit to Ironman’s revamped 2024 Pro Series.
Notably, Olympic gold medalist and recent PTO Asian Open champion Kristian Blummenfelt (NOR) has yet to reveal his racing intentions. But he is rumored to be focusing on the unprecedented same-year Olympic Gold/Ironman World Champion double.
Tempo’s take: Although it was originally slated to be released in October, it appears the cat will be finally out of the bag on January 30th. Based on what we’ve seen from the PTO in the past, we might end up seeing more of a rough schedule of approximate race locations. It plays better on social media to slowly drip information as it helps drive maximum engagement.
With only Singapore and Ibiza confirmed as race locations, we can only speculate where the 6-8 possible races will be held.
We’ve heard chatter of potential race locations in Morocco, the U.S., and “Northern Europe” (we should probably dig a little deeper 😆)
And with the shocking revelations that the PTO helped finance Super League Triathlon’s demise in Malibu, it would come as no surprise to see a race date conflict or two between the now-warring triathlon operators.
Are you excited for the 2024 PTO Tour? |
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FAVOURITES
🏋️♀️ When to lift: Strength training can be an incredible addition to a triathlete’s training plan. But is there an optimal time to lift? Not really, except after a hard run workout! [Triathlon Magazine Canada]
🏃♂️ Tips for better running: Running can be hard and unforgiving, but with these six helpful tips, which include incorporating walking into your runs (a Tempo subscriber favorite) you’ll be able to enjoy your training a lot more. [GTN]
🥵 Sensational saunas: Saunas…they’re so hot right now. Read why athletes are using them to help improve their performance by increasing blood plasma volume and helping reduce stubborn inflammation. [Canadian Cycling Magazine]
👟 Insole intrigue: Are you on the hunt for the right insole for your foot? Wirecutter recently put together a great list of insoles that can help improve stability and help prevent injuries like shin splints.
TRAINING THOUGHT
Why You Should Take Vitamin D On The Daily
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 more, and fully dialed winter gear doesn’t leave much skin to aid in 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 a healthy electrolyte balance.
😄 Improved mood: A recent review showed that increasing vitamin D intake may 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 improved 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.
REEL TIME
Triathletes definitely deserve attention though! 😆
QUICK NEWS
Renowned running: Olympic triathlon medalist Morgan Pearson (USA) and World Cup winner Hugo Milner (GBR) have qualified to represent their countries at the World Cross Country Championships in Serbia. [TRI247]
Get well Lucas: Our thoughts are with young Spanish triathlete Lucas García Picón who is currently in the ICU after a serious training accident. [Bahia Noticias]
Kuwaiti triathlete: A key member of the Kuwait Triathlon Team recently secured notable accomplishments at the Dubai Triathlon Championships. [Arab Times]
Annecy triathlon: Information is now available for this year’s addition of the Triathlon International d’Annecy. [Annecy-Ville]
YOU SAID
Tempo readers had A LOT to say about the USAT membership price increases (we love it).
Reader: So if I think I’m good enough to maybe qualify for world championships but I can’t afford the $400 platinum fee, I’m just SOOL? So basically you can buy your way to represent USA at the world champs rather than being one of the best in the country. Actually nothing more American than that now that I think about it lol smh.
Reader: AG have been cash cows for years. And USAT World Championships qualifying system was a « discreet » way to finance its budget through the AG, also because the selection system was never really about merit ( since up to top 10 in any AG could go). Now, it’s completely in the open: your money will qualify you. Then, we are surprised that Triathlon remains a small sport, a niche sport!
Reader: Soon enough, those rising prices will keep all the young athletes away from the sport and that will long term diminish revenue even more. Don't get me wrong, I am not poor, but sometimes I feel like the price of this sport is getting over my limits. We are not all limitless.
Reader: If the platinum fee of $400 includes the cost of your entry then that's great and stop complaining. If not, then it's too much. In Canada we pay an admin fee, plus the entry fee and our team uniform, which don't look near as classy as yours do.
Tempo: cc: Triathlon Canada
Reader: I thought this was a good idea, I am not sure why all the negative pushback. It provides everyone with a price point, and it still provides an affordable option for a yearlong license. Everything is more expensive than 5 years ago, USAT needs to increase its revenue somehow, it has not updated its pricing for a long time. I see tiered pricing systems everywhere, from Netflix to Costco, and as long as there are more benefits for a more expensive product, I believe it to be justified.
Reader: I’m based in Wales and am a member of Welsh Triathlon - £81 per year - this covers race license, eligibility to race for both the Welsh and the GB teams, public liability insurance, legal cover and more. USAT prices seem very steep!
TEMPO EXCLUSIVE ARCHIVE
After recent deaths during races - how safe are triathlons?
Training in the heat? An expert tells us how to do it right.
How this athlete balances start-up life and triathlon training.
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