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March 13, 2021 |
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Mercury levels in the seafood supply are on the rise, and climate change and overfishing are partially to blame, according to a new study. Scientists said mercury levels in the oceans have fallen since the late 1990s, but levels in popular fish such as tuna, salmon and swordfish are on the rise.
According to a new study by Harvard University researchers in the journal Nature, some fish are adapting to overfishing of small herring and sardines by changing their diets to consume species with higher mercury levels. Based on 30 years of data, methylmercury concentrations in Atlantic cod increased by up to 23% between the 1970s and the 2000s. It links the increase to a diet change necessitated by overfishing.
But overfishing isn’t the only contributor to higher mercury levels in fish. Climate change — and the rising ocean temperatures that come with it — means fish are more active and need more food to survive. Consuming more prey means consuming more mercury. The study also found that mercury levels in Atlantic bluefin tuna have increased by an estimated 56% due to seawater temperature rise since 1969. Climate change “is not just about what the weather is like in 10 years,” said lead researcher Amina Schartup. “It’s also about what’s on your plate in the next five.”Scientists said human exposure to methylmercury — the compound created when mercury enters the ocean — is especially risky for pregnant women, as it has been linked to long-term neurological disorders when fetuses are exposed in the womb. It is considered a major public health concern by the World Health Organization. “It’s not that everyone should be terrified after reading our paper and stop eating seafood, which is a very healthy, nutritious food,” senior author Elsie Sunderland told Reuters. “We wanted to show people that climate change can have a direct impact on what you’re eating today, that these things can affect your health … not just things like severe weather and flooding and sea level rise.”Since the late 1990s, mercury concentrations have declined overall following increased regulations and decreased coal-burning power plants. In 2017, a global treaty was introduced to reduce mercury emissions.But mercury levels in fish have not fallen as expected. The treaty failed to account for overfishing’s massive effects on marine ecosystems or climate change’s impact on the diets of fish. So, much of our current seafood supply actually contains more mercury than before.
According to a recent report by Australian climate experts, the world’s oceans will likely lose about one-sixth of its fish and other marine life by the end of the century if climate change continues on its current path. If the world’s greenhouse gas emissions stay at the present rate, that means a 17% loss of biomass — the total weight of all marine animal life — by the year 2100. But if the world reduces carbon pollution, losses can be limited to only about 5%, the study said. But our regulations against mercury pollution could be weakening under the Trump administration. In December, the Environmental Protection Agency targeted an Obama-era regulation credited with helping dramatically reduce toxic mercury pollution from coal-fired power plants.In the U.S. coal power plants are the largest single manmade source of mercury pollutants. As coal combustion emits mercury into the atmosphere, the ocean absorbs it, converting it into methylmercury. The EPA proposal argued that savings for companies were greater than any increased perils to safety or the environment.The carbon we release into the atmosphere has a direct correlation to the toxins that end up in our food supply. Methylmercury levels increase when an animal eats its prey — accumulating in larger doses as it goes through the food chain. So when a human consumes tuna, for example, it is also consuming all of the mercury consumed by its prey, all the way down the food chain. According to the study, about 80% of exposure to Methylmercury in the U.S. comes from seafood, and 40% from tuna alone. Scientists said stronger regulations are needed for greenhouse gases and mercury emissions in order to keep our fish supply healthy and thriving.
March 13, 2021 |
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It’s not often swim, bike and run makes football play second fiddle, but there are more spectators here for the inaugural Dubrovnik Triathlon than attended the Croatia v England international – 400 miles north along the Adriatic coast in Rijeka – the previous evening. And given this is a football-obsessed nation whose national team reached the World Cup final, it’s a victory to be celebrated for multisport. (We can gloss over both who they beat in the semi-final and that this recent encounter was played behind closed doors.)
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Triathlon is a new sport in a city famed for its Old Town. Named a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1979, its siege by Serbian and Montenegrin soldiers became a focal point during the break-up of Yugoslavia in the early nineties, but having taken a pre-race trip inside the medieval bulwarks, I can report it’s now deluged by up to 10,000 tourists a day, disembarking cruise ships to roam its ramparts.
Part of the attraction is the baroque, renaissance and gothic architecture, but it’s also the phenomenon that is Game of Thrones, the fantasy television drama that was filmed here. Given I’ve never watched a second of the show, my pop culture references end here, but at least it’ll save you from laboured puns being crowbarred into the race report, such as Game of Triathlons (attempt a faux European accent and switch ‘ons’ for ‘owns’).
On to a less hectic affair than the Old Town – the race – and a sprint or standard distance option, starting from Gruz Harbour, with a transition zone neatly slotted between moored luxury yachts. It’s a 2pm start and the untriathlonly time is virtue of the organisers being given a one-hour window between the aforementioned hulking cruise liners docking and setting sail. After that strict deadline the port is back open for business, so there’s significant motivation to make the swim cut-off.
SCRIPTED DEBUT
The area is trying to carve its own niche in activity breaks. There’s a half-marathon here in April that finishes on the Stradun – Dubrovnik’s most famous limestone-paved street in the Old Town – and 60 miles away in Kotor, Montenegro, the Ocean Lava middle distance race takes place in May. It’s not a tricky place to get to and here we’ve 15 different nationalities, many from former Yugoslav republics, plus a scattering of Brits.
For a first-time event, it almost feels scripted. The weather is blissfully mid-20s, and the harbour water 21 degrees, making it just cool enough for novices (or those hellbent on winning) to wear a wetsuit. The bike course follows the coast to the small village of Komolac, and is both the prettiest dragstrip imaginable and seemingly the only flat stretch of road in the region. The run is out and back along the harbour edge where the most taxing element is keeping count of your laps.
As I’m about to plop in for the deep-water start, I try to recall the last time I undertook a standard-distance triathlon. My fumbling excuse is that my time has been better served agonising over topics for my 220 Triathlon column, although that’s probably best left for others to judge. Conclusion: “It’s been a while – and it’ll take a while.” And so it plays out.
The two-lap anticlockwise swim is rather too pleasant – not a jellyfish in sight (take note as an alternative race option for next year, Daniela Ryf). About 60 people have signed up for the standard distance, a similar number for the sprint, plus a handful of relay teams, and both the water and opposition are calmness personified. My only gripe is with the toddlers’ swim caps provided, as the silicon dome pings from my bonce about midway through the first lap, striking another blow to marine welfare.
Out on to the road bike (I’ve borrowed from the organisers) in 39mins (including T1, I’m sure it was long), I spend the majority of the four laps daydreaming at the scenery, reading the derrieres of tri-suits and wondering how they’re pronounced (my straw poll of waiters confirms the Croatian language is brutish to grasp), and hoping I’ll overtake someone who isn’t on a mountain bike. The tranquillity is occasionally broken when some lunatic on a TT bike and deep-dished wheels comes whooping past (my one piece of serious advice would be to pack a TT bike if you want to compete), but they pretty sharply bugger off into the distance anyway.
Returning 1:24hr later, I head out for a fairly uneventful run, where the sun beats down and I have to pass the finish gantry 11 times (yes, I just worked it out), before I can actually jog under the arch in 45mins for a less-than-competitive 2:49:32 and just sneak into the top 30.
CRUISES, COFFEE AND CRAP CANNONS
My race aside, the Dubrovnik Triathlon has a lot going for it. No matter how many risk assessments are undertaken, first-time events are fraught with the potential for unforeseen hiccups. It’s compounded when a venue is not au fait with triathlon, and judging by the motorists in the town, it will be a while before a cycling culture takes off.
Yet enthusiasm – and Dubrovnik has a two-year-old 20-strong tri club getting behind it – can go a long way. It also helps when you bring in John Lunt and Co, the team behind the successful Brighton and Hove Tri, with Lunt formerly triathlon course manager for the London 2012 Olympics. So, while I’m sure there are a few teething issues, they’re well-hidden and certainly no disasters.
It isn’t just the finishing chute where the red (ok, blue) carpet has been rolled out either. There’s a familiarisation swim at Banje Beach the morning before the race – the reward being free coffee and doughnuts bigger than lifebuoys – and a triathletes’ reception in Sponza Palace in the Old Town in the evening where a welcoming British consul informs us it’s British week in Dubrovnik, although the Beatles tribute act crooning in the main square in front of a London bus was already a slight giveaway.
Post-race there’s an awards party offering a bellyful of pasta and apple strudel, a few tunes and a live stream of the Ironman World Championship, jellyfish and all, on the big screen. Then it’s all aboard for a cruise around the bay at 9am the following morning in a replica 16th-century Karaka, which, for all intents and purposes is a pirate ship with crap cannons, air-conditioning and cappuccinos.
TICKS THE 2019 BOXES
Given there are so many options on the racing calendar, does Dubrovnik deserve its place on your itinerary next year? There are races that offer a calm wetsuit-optional sea swim, there are others that provide closed bike courses that are flat and safe for novices, and still more that provide a scenic backdrop.
You can also find affordable races (£65/£50 for the standard/sprint distance) within a two-hour EasyJet flight of the UK, where you have a choice of accommodation from luxury hotels to affordable AirBnBs, and some also offer plenty of cultural options when you strip off the Lycra. But a destination that ticks all those boxes is a challenge, and that’s where the Dubrovnik Triathlon wins out.
The late Lord Bryon called the city the Pearl of the Adriatic. It’s less known that he’s also credited for starting the modern age of open-water swimming in 1810. I’ve a feeling that if he were still alive today, the legendary poet would be first in the queue to slip on his race belt… because this is one event you Don Juan a miss.
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March 13, 2021 |
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Nearly 73,000 wildfires have decimated the Amazon rainforest this year, a record amount for an ecosystem that produces a remarkable amount of Earth’s oxygen. From celebrities and politicians throughout the world to locals, frustration and mourning continues to mount over the amount of man-made devastation in the Amazon.
Brazil’s space research center INPE has reported a recent 84% increase in forest fires from the same period in 2018. NASA satellite images showed the smoke all the way from space. It traveled to nearby cities and those even thousands of miles away such as Sao Paulo, Brazil.Environmentalists say humans are the root cause of the Amazon fires — not wind or heat. The surge has coincided with the arrival of right-wing Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who critics feel has emboldened farmers and ranchers to clear land to create pastures, therefore speeding up the rate of deforestation.
Despite no evidence, Bolsonaro blamed nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) for the fires again Thursday, BBC News reported. He also said there aren’t enough resources to fight the fires, but stated the government is investigating.How to help the Amazon rainforestThe Amazon is the largest rainforest in the world and vital to combating climate change. In the aftermath of the wildfires, several organizations have stepped up to assist in aid or other ways to help save the Amazon. The following organizations have been rated 4 out of 4 stars by Charity Navigator, a non-profit that evaluates financial health, transparency and accountability in charities.Amazon Conservation Team fights climate change, protect the Amazon and empower indigenous peoples. Amazon Conservation Association accepts donations and lists exactly what your money goes toward –– whether it’s planting trees, sponsoring education, buying a solar panel and preserving indigenous lands.Donate to the Rainforest Trust to help buy land in the rainforest. The organization has saved over 23 million acres and counting since 1988. The Rainforest Foundation is committed to making sure donations made reaches projects such as supporting environmental defenders, indigenous advocacy organizations and deforestation monitoring.
March 13, 2021 |
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They have multiple established kayak, bike and run races in Ireland, but now the Quest Adventure Series race organisers have confirmed their first UK race for 2019.
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Quest Wales will be staged in the surroundings of Snowdonia National Park, and challenges athletes to trail run, bike and kayak their way across the mountains of North Wales.
Set for Saturday 8 June 2019, Quest Wales is targeted at all fitness levels and abilities, and athletess have the option of three scenic routes; 25km Challenge, 42km Sport or 53km Expert.
– The 25km Challenge consists of: 8km road bike/1km kayak/6km run/10km road bike.
– The 42km Sport is: 6km trail run/13km road bike/1km kayak/11km trail run/11km road bike.
– The 53km Challenge is: a 6km trail run/13km road bike/1km kayak/11km trail run/15km road bike/7km run.
Kayaks are provided as part of your entry fee and bikes are available to hire at an additional cost.
Oliver Kirwan, Race Director at Quest Adventure Series, says: “Even if you’ve only done a 10k previously, you can do this! Just bring your sense of adventure and we’ll provide the atmosphere and an unforgettable experience. A lot of our participants sign-up as part of a team and adventure races are a great excuse to plan a weekend away with friends and like-minded people to work hard and then, play hard too.”
Quest Wales is part of the Quest Adventure Series which encompasses a number of one-day adventure races across Ireland in Killarney, Kenmare, Glendalough and Achill, which attracted over 8,000 participants in 2018.
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Entries for Quest Wales start at £68.00 and you can register at https://www.questadventureseries.com/race/quest-wales/
March 13, 2021 |
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British Prime Minister Boris Johnson suffered a major defeat in Parliament on Tuesday night as rebellious lawmakers voted to seize control of the Brexit agenda. The prime minister immediately said he would call for a new general election.
The 328 to 301 vote cleared the way for Johnson’s opponents to introduce a bill Wednesday that would prevent Britain from leaving the European Union without a deal October 31.The cross-party rebels are determined to prevent a “no-deal” Brexit because of fears it would gravely damage the economy, and the vote came hours after Johnson suffered key defections from his party, losing a working majority in Parliament.
On a day of high drama and acerbic debate in the House of Commons, lawmakers returned from their summer recess to confront Johnson over his insistence that the U.K. leave the European Union on October 31, even without a withdrawal agreement to cushion the economic blow. Many shouted, “Resign!”In total 21 Tory members of Parliament — including a number of ex-cabinet ministers — joined opposition parties to defeat the government, BBC News reports.A new general election would take Britain’s future directly to the people for a third general election in four years.Earlier Tuesday, two other prominent Conservatives signaled their intention not to seek re-election rather than bend to Johnson’s will. Former Cabinet minister Justine Greening and former Foreign Office Minister Alistair Burt also signaled their intention to stand down.Jeremy Corbyn, leader of the main opposition Labour Party, lambasted the weakened Johnson and accused him of “riding roughshod” over the constitution in order to crash Britain out of the EU without a deal.”He isn’t winning friends in Europe. He’s losing friends at home. His is a government with no mandate, no morals and, as of today, no majority,” Corbyn said.
March 13, 2021 |
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Humans have long known that it’s inadvisable to mess with Mother Nature. And, as a group of researchers from the Russian Geographical Society just learned, it’s also apparently inadvisable to mess with a mother walrus.
The scientists were aboard a Russian Navy tugboat known as the Altai on an expedition to the Franz Josef Land archipelago in the Arctic Ocean this week right before the unusual human-animal interaction occurred. They boarded a small rubber landing craft and were en route to the shore to study its flora and fauna when a female walrus attacked, sinking the vessel.”During the landing at Cape Heller, a group of researchers had to flee from a female walrus, which, protecting its cubs, attacked an expedition boat,” the Russian Military’s Northern Fleet said in a press release.
The Russian military appeared to be flying a drone above a group of walruses on a nearby beach to take scientific photographs, which may have spooked the animal, igniting its maternal defense instincts. A gallery posted by the Northern Fleet following the incident shows images of walruses gathered on the Franz Josef Land.And, while the attached report makes no mention of a navy boat sinking, it does note that “serious troubles were avoided thanks to the clear and well-coordinated actions of the Northern Fleet servicemen, who were able to take the boat away from the animals without harming them.”According to National Geographic, walruses near the Arctic Circle can weigh in at as much as 1.5 tons, reaching between 7.25 and 11.5 feet – twice the size of a human. And while these animals are not naturally aggressive, they will use their massive tusks to defend themselves from larger predators.
March 13, 2021 |
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The new 70.3 race is to take place on October 27 2019, and athletes will take in many of the famous monuments and landmarks historic Marrakech is famous for, including the Medina of Marrakech, the Bahia Palace, the Madrasa, the Koutoubia Mosque and Minaret, the Jemaa el-Fnaa Square and the Majorelle Garden.
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“It is a dream come true that the iconic and internationally acclaimed competition, the Ironman 70.3 triathlon, will be held for the first time in the Maghreb by Morocco,” said Simo Azelarab, President of NAPECO and event organiser. “This event is sure to attract athletes from across the globe and will inspire Moroccan athletes to compete in one of the most personally-satisfying endurance challenges in the world.”
The triathletes will begin their race with a single-loop 1.2-mile (1.9 km) swim in Lake Lalla Takerkoust, before embarking on the 56-mile (90 km) cycling course, which winds through the Berber village of Tahanaout and the green meadows of the Ourika Valley with the snow-capped Atlas Mountain peaks as a backdrop. The two-loop 13.1-mile (21 km) run takes place in the heart of the Red City where athletes will pass historical monuments such as the Koutoubia Mosque and Minaret.
The race concludes in the iconic Circuit International Automobile Moulay El Hassan, providing a never-to-be-forgotten finish for those racing in Marrakech.
“Marrakech is one of Morocco’s most memorable experiences. It shines by its exceptional cultural and natural heritage,” added Azelarab. “Visitors can either immerse themselves in the history of this city through its various monuments, palaces, museums and wonderful gardens or discover its various avant-garde and cosmopolitan places. October in Marrakech is also a month of blissful equilibrium after the heat of the summer, leaving idyllic racing conditions for the athletes.”
The Ironman 70.3 Marrakech triathlon will offer 30 age-group qualifying slots for the 2020 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship Taupō, New Zealand taking place on November 28-29, 2020.
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Visit www.ironman.com/marrakech70.3 for more information.
March 13, 2021 |
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After 157 days at sea and 1,792 miles of swimming, 33-year old Ross Edgley today became the first person to swim around the UK coast — breaking several world records into the bargain — and 220 were there to share the moment with him.
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Finishing on 4th November, the swim has had some highs and some lows that really captured the world’s imagination – most of us will by now be familiar with the horrors of salt tongue, jellyfish attacks and zombie feet – as well as amazing records broken, the sealife that has swum with him, the famous ‘banana count’ and (perhaps most memorably) Edgley’s irrepressible enthusiasm for an endurance event many believed was impossible.
True to form, the finish was nothing short of spectacular and today 220 Triathlon were lucky enough to join 300 open-water swimmers who took to the water to meet Ross 750m from the shore in Margate and bring him home as part of a flotilla of swimmers.
The swimmers (most in wetsuits, but some in skins in the 11 degree water!) met Ross alongside his boat and crew and with an appearance from the Red Bull Matadors display team, an emotional group made their way to the finish on the beach in Margate, where Ross swam the final few metres ahead of everyone else to individually finish his world-record swim alone and make his way on to dry land for the first time in 157 days. There, hundreds of supporters met him including Ironman triathlete Lucy Charles and SAS: Who Dares Wins’ Ant Middleton, both of who advised him during his training.
Ross Edgley exits the final swim of his world record swim around the UK coast. Image: 220/Gavin Parish
Once out of the water we managed to grab a hug and 10 minutes with Ross to find out how he’s feeling at the end of his epic journey:
220: Why did you decide to finish with 300 other swimmers?
It was just nuts, wasn’t it? This is why the open-water swimming and triathlon community are so special – and maybe it’s something about Britain as well – but if you said to anyone else in any other sport “it’s Sunday morning, there’s this guy swimming in to shore, you’ve never met him before, but do you want to get up and swim with him? It’s going to be really cold…?” they’d probably say no! But in this sport everyone was like: “Sure!”
We had guys in skins out there, we had some amazing Channel swimmers with us and we had the Royal Marines guiding everyone in… It’s hard to explain how I felt in that moment but you were there, you saw it! I had to remove my goggles at one moment, I got so choked up.
That was the best way for the swim to finish as well. Having everyone there, that massive group hug in Margate when we were all clambering all over each other… I couldn’t have asked for anything else. It was the best way to end and it was just amazing.
220 Editor Helen Webster joined Ross as part a group of 300 swimmers for the final swim into Margate. Image: 220/Gavin Parish
220: Has that sense of community been important in this challenge?
It was never my moment and it was never an individual sport. From the outset this was a team effort. For example with the salt tongue, my tongue was literally falling apart and the community of open-water swimmers and triathletes helped with advice and help! It was really nice getting that support – they’d say “oh wetsuit chafing, here’s what I’d do”, or “your tongue is falling apart? Here’s a homemade remedy”.
220: How are you feeling now you’ve completed the swim and are back on dry land?
I like to talk and it’s nice to see people! I’ve had the company of minke whales and dolphins and they don’t talk much! I met one lady today who was going to swim the channel but she’s been diagnosed with cancer, so is going to get treatment and try again next year – hearing stories like that is just amazing.
When you do something like this it brings people together, just the crazy nature of it. I don’t know why! It just brings the very best people together. There’s one person that came all the way from America! We asked him if he had any family in Margate, but he was like: “nope. I’m just here for the swim!” He came from America and is flying home tonight, that’s just amazing. I had to be pulled away from him, I would still be there with him and with everyone else taking selfies!
220: What else helped you get through the swim?
The team too, for sure. Me and Matt got quite choked up last night. The sense of humour that you develop to try and get through something like this is quite something. Last night we watched the sun set and we were talking about how he’d bought 5kg of Vaseline with him for the swim… So much lube… and I’d said we were never going to need it all, but we got through 4kg! That’s the statistic from the swim that I’m most proud of!
Towards the end he’s putting Vaseline on my neck and helping me into my wetsuit and I just whispered “I’ve never really been chafing, I just like these moments together…” and he’s just rolling around in stitches laughing. There was this constant weird sense of humour, that you will only get when you do things like this. Open-water swimmers will understand, it just bonds you in strange ways!
Ross with Ironman pro Lucy Charles. Full interview with Lucy to follow online later this week! Image: 220/Gavin Parish
220: Now you’re on dry land, what are you most looking forward to?
I just want to be warm! The Great British Swim strips you back to your most basic human needs. I haven’t been warm in 157 days so now I just want to be toasty. I wouldn’t mind sweating, I mean, I haven’t sweated in 157 days! People ask if there’s anything else and I’m like “no, just warmth!” I’ve got socks on now and that feels nice! It sounds cheesy, but I just want family and friends – and to be warm. Barbeques too, maybe. I missed out on a summer of barbeques…
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To read the full interview with Ross Edgley where he opens up more about finishing the Great British Swim, how his body has been affected and what his next challenge will be, check out issue 359 of 220 Triathlon, on sale 29th November 2018.
Lucy Charles talks Ross Edgley, Kona 2018 and the magic powers of chocolate brownies…
March 13, 2021 |
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The happy throng: Swimmers get ready to escort Ross over his last mile – 220’s Helen is in there somewhere…
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Swimmers leave him to make the final yards on his own as the realisation he has actually done it, sinks in.
Those final magic moments as @RossEdgley completed the #GreatBritishSwim
March 13, 2021 |
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Click:hollow block machine
Ross Edgley completed the Great British Swim on Sunday 4th November, conquering a world record-breaking challenge that saw him swimming 1,792 miles over 157 days. There to meet him at the finish line was Ironman Hawaii 2018 silver medallist Lucy Charles, who had given Ross some swim tips during his epic adventure! We took the chance to catch up with Lucy, as well as to collect a very special 220 Triathlon competition prize. Read on to find out more…
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220 Triathlon: You gave Ross some tips during his challenge – what were they?
He’s just amazing isn’t he! I used to swim the 10km and that felt like a long way – two hours of swimming – but he’s been swimming 12 hours a day! I don’t know how you prepare for that. I mean physically it’s tough, but I can’t even comprehend the mental side.
I tried to give him some tips, but I’m no mega-ultra swimmer! I always say anything to do with swimming is about staying relaxed. It’s about keeping your mind relaxed, about letting it wander and think about stupid things – like what you’re going to eat when you get out! He’s certainly been eating a lot on that swim as well, which is good!
220 Triathlon: Was this swim going to be won or lost based on controlling the mind?
Yes. If it had been me I would just try not to think about how far was left and just to be in the moment, to hopefully think about other things. It’s about keeping your stroke rate nice and relaxed and like I said, I think I would just be food motivated! I’d be thinking ‘when I get out I can eat that massive brownie’!
I actually went to the Red Bull centre and I knew some of the guys were heading from there to see Ross, so I packed up some homemade brownies for them to take up to him to help him out a bit! A few more calories! I don’t know how they managed to fit all the food he needed on the boat, let alone how he ate it. He was eating a lot of bananas and I heard at one point he requested Big Macs – you’re probably craving everything during a swim like that!
Lucy chats to Ross following his epic swim challenge. Image: 220/Gavin Parish
220 Triathlon: What technique advice did you give Ross?
The best benefit you can get as a long-distance swimmer is from the wetsuit, so it’s about making use of the wetsuit and the kit to help you, to get that extra buoyancy. I don’t actually kick my legs now when I swim, it’s about just letting your legs drag and trusting the wetsuit to give you that buoyancy. You burn more calories if you kick too much, so just keep them relaxed.
Ross had some shoulder issues as well, so it’s about managing that. I heard he had a good physio who helped him, but god knows what pain he must have been going through. I had shoulder injuries when I was swimming more distance, but I never did that kind of mileage in a day! I think Ross actually benefited from going without sleeves on his wetsuit at one point as that would have given him that mobility back in his shoulders.
I just can’t imagine what he must have endured and what muscle strains he must have picked up though! Then there was the wetsuit rubbing, the jellyfish stinging, god knows what else!
220 Triathlon: As a fellow open-water swimmer, were you surprised by the affects on his body?
Oh god yes! Things like the salt on his tongue for example… I wouldn’t even have thought of that and it happened really early on! Then there was the chafing on his neck and he was wearing wetsuits day in day out aggravating it. I mean, you can get quite a bad chafing in a triathlon even doing a short swim but when you’ve got that every day… He’s got the nickname rhino neck and with good reason!
I think he’s immune to jellyfish stings now as well. I’m not actually a big fan of the sea believe it or not, my thing is to get in and get out as quick as I can so I don’t see the things swimming about! He’s far braver than me!
220 Triathlon: How are you feeling after your amazing result at Kona last month?
I couldn’t have been happier really! If someone had said to me ‘you’re going to do an 08:36’ I’d think I’d have won by 10 minutes – so to do an 08:36 and still come second… I couldn’t have done anything more!
This year we were so lucky with the conditions, too [Lucy set a new women’s swim record]. Next year we might have crazy winds and god knows what in the sea, so that definitely helped. I think it will be difficult to beat the swim time again. The run might be possible though, that’s the part of the race where the conditions don’t affect things too much. I think if I’m going to improve it will be on the run section.
I feel like I’m still quite young in this sport and there are ways we can still improve so hopefully next year we can go one better! I haven’t been in the sport that long, but even in that time the standard of the women’s racing has improved so much, it’s great to see.
The bike was a big change this year [Lucy rode the new Specialized Shiv] and I think it definitely benefited my race, because you can carry so much nutrition on the rear of the bike now. On the latter part of the race I’d saved that so I didn’t have to use aid stations which helped.
I’m with Roka now, too. Last year I tested swim skins by a few brands as I didn’t have a sponsor and the Roka was the one I really liked, so having that definitely helped as well!
220 Triathlon: Where can we see you racing next?
I’m having a bit of downtime now! I’m getting married! But I think Ironman South Africa will be my next race in around April time. So I’m looking forward to that one!
Read our swim finish interview with Ross Edgley by following the link here.
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Lucy Charles presents 220 with the signed swim skin one lucky reader will win! See link below… Image: 220/Gavin Parish