triathlon Archives -

Emma Pallant’s top tips to run stronger

From building the foundations to developing strength and increasing intensity, get ready to combine the tools you need to run stronger. In partnership with Digme Fitness, check out HOKA athlete Emma Pallant’s top tips below. You’ll be stronger, conditioned and ready to test your limits.

Running is very much like dancing…

In terms of rhythm, if you are rigid and stiff, you won’t be able to flow, so mobility is a super key part to your running. Relax and feel the flow, then your mobility work will be able to functionally get involved in your running.

Be alert…

When you’re doing your strength training, if you aren’t thinking about the right movement patterns, then you don’t build those neuromuscular channels. Take time to do your gym training. Do it when you’re fresher and find it easier to concentrate too, then it will be so much more beneficial.

Get the right muscles to work…

The easiest way to get the right muscles to work is to fire them up before you head out. Activation doesn’t take that long, but it can make all the difference to good running form, to prevent injury and increase speed, so invest that little bit of time pre-run to get into good habits.

The best runners run from their hips…

But this means you need really good core engagement. Injuries mainly come from overloading the lower limbs, so combine a good strong core with good muscle protection over the legs, then you can spend more time running.

Get out of the grey…

The ‘grey zone’ of training is that uncomfortable pace that people do so much of their training in, but where the real benefits don’t lie. The real benefits come from the balance of running easy and hard. The really nice, easy runs help you get into good habits, which then allows you to do the super-hard key sessions to the best of your ability, unlocking the speed that will keep pushing up your VO2 max.

Run your easy runs easy and focus on efficiency…

The more efficient your style, the less energy you waste, the faster you go and the more fun you have. So really slow things down and feel your running when you run easy. Check for dead spots and eliminate any areas throwing you out of pattern.

Take intensity to the next level…

Now the fun begins. When you are well conditioned, you can let loose and start to love the pain. Learn to embrace and teach your body to hold a hard rhythm and pattern when it is hurting the most. Intensity is a lot about breathing out the pain and being strong in the mind.

Test your limits…

The deep, dark place in training is the place of growth. Now you can find your limits, record them and keep coming back to challenge them. Sometimes you will win, sometimes you will lose, but never give up. Failure is only quitting. Not getting through a current limit just means you have to come back and try again.

Photo credit: @thatcameraman and Activ’Images

Time to get together at our elite athlete weekend

It was a case of sun, sea and all things HOKA ONE ONE last weekend as more than 50 of our elite athletes came together at our annual training camp in Mallorca.

Our annual HOKA elite athlete weekend is the one opportunity in the year when our athletes from across road, trail and triathlon can come together to learn more about the brand and each other.

Hotel Viva Blue on the north-east coast of the Balearic Island was the choice of venue for the third year in a row as the HOKA family took advantage of familiar trails, good weather and fantastic opportunities to train.

The weekend kicked off with a group run by the lake, with trail specialist Marie Perrier leading the way alongside HOKA legend Ludo Pommeret and German marathoner Frank Schauer.

Our athletes learned more about Time To and the inspiring stories behind the people featured, including Sam Holness and Sophie Power. As well as learning about the patented elements that go into every shoe we build, the entire team was introduced to the latest HOKA products and exciting innovations.

New athletes, including triathletes Anne Reischmann, Thomas Davis and Elliot Smales, were exposed to the story behind HOKA ONE ONE. They heard how radical change often comes about in trying to solve a simple problem – and how redesigning a shoe that helps an athlete tackle 100 miles in challenging conditions can actually help all runners perform.

Breaking out of the classroom – and on to the track. Some of our athletes, including Manon Genet, Arnaud Guilloux and Lucie Lerebourg, headed down to the local track on Saturday afternoon to put in the kilometres before settling down to watch the US Olympic Marathon Trials and HOKA NAZ Elite athlete Aliphine Tuliamuk’s success.

Teamwork makes the HOKA dream work. It’s Time to Fly.

Photo credit: James Poole

World-class athletes join strongest-ever team

Ninety of the best triathletes, trail stars and road runners in Europe join forces with HOKA ONE ONE for the 2020 season.

Our 2020 roster promises to be our strongest yet as we add 14 athletes to the team, including a number of established stars.

Download the full list of 2020 HOKA ONE ONE EMEA athletes

German triathletes Anne Reischmann and Carolin Lehrieder, Dutch favourite Tessa Kortekaas and UK athletes George Goodwin, Elliot Smales and Thomas Davis are all partnering with the brand for the first time in 2020.

A host of internationally-renowned athletes have also put pen to paper for the year ahead, including 2019 Transvulcania ultra-winner Thibaut Garrivier and UTMB legend Ludovic Pommeret; IRONMAN champions Joe Skipper and Emma Pallant; French triathlon stars Denis Chevrot, Arnaud Guilloux and Kevin Maurel; plus the world-famous Patrik Nilsson.

Triathlon

No fewer than 53 international- and national-class athletes combine to make up our latest triathlon stable. In addition to those listed above, existing athletes that have signed with the brand include 2019 IRONMAN Sweden winner, Boris Stein, Kona finalist, Els Visser, and 2019 IRONMAN Wales winner, Simone Mitchell.

They join current IRONMAN Hamburg title holder, Susie Cheetham, two-time Kona podium finisher, David McNamee, 2019 IRONMAN Barcelona runner-up, Laura Zimmermann, the former IRONMAN 70.3 Nice winner, Manon Genet, and the ever-lasting Eneko Llanos.

Young talent

Our triathlon team welcomes up-and-coming Brits, George Goodwin, Elliot Smales and Thomas Davis.

For George, the 2019 IRONMAN 70.3 Staffordshire winner: “I’ve consistently had some of the fastest runs in 70.3 races over the last season and I feel HOKA can help me make more gains in this discipline and when I move up to full distance.

“It will be a bonus to enjoy the extra cushioning when needed and switch to a more stripped back HOKA shoe for faster training sessions.”

Elliot, who recorded the fastest debut IRONMAN time for a British athlete at Barcelona last year, says: “I’m excited to be signing with a brand that considers the subtle differences between the needs of triathletes and runners, whilst providing great products for both.”

New additions

Another, more established British name will also be officially wearing HOKA for the first time next year.

“You only have to look at the HOKA team roster to see how many high-profile athletes are training and racing in the shoes,” says 2019 IRONMAN Lanzarote winner Nikki Bartlett, who now laces up in HOKA.

“I’ve been testing HOKA shoes for about six months now, and the range of choice is incredible,” adds Bartlett, who will also aim to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games as a Guide, with Alison Peasgood.

Also teaming up with HOKA for the first time is rising German star Anne Reischmann, who, shortly after signing, said: “I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity HOKA gives me as a young triathlete to be part of a team that features so many superstars in our sport!”

Fellow German triathlete Carolin Lehrieder is another new addition to the HOKA team for this year. “I’m proud and excited to join the very accomplished team at HOKA,” says Lehrieder, who took top-spot at IRONMAN Italy last year.

“The variety of shoes the brand offers makes it easy to find the appropriate shoe for everyone’s individual needs. HOKA feels cushioned and comfortable, yet fast and dynamic!”

Current IRONMAN Malaysia champion Tessa Kortekaas is another athlete who will be lacing up in HOKA in 2020.

“I’m proud and happy to be part of the HOKA team and hungry to keep improving on my marathon performance,” says Tessa.

“For sure, 2020 is going to be an exciting year and I will be fully focused on the IRONMAN World Champs in Hawaii. There it’s going to be my #timetofly.”

Trail

We have also bolstered our trail team for 2020, increasing our stable of athletes to 25 off-road runners across EMEA. New members of the team include German athlete Andreas Schindler and ultra-trail specialist Peter van der Zon from the Netherlands.

Schindler and van der Zon join an impressive list of trail athletes who have either re-signed with the brand for 2020 or continued on multi-year deals. Such stars include last year’s TDS winner Audrey Tanguy, former UTMB champ Ludovic Pommeret, French national team runner Nicolas Martin as well as the in-form Thibaut Garrivier, who finished second in the most recent CCC race.

Ahead of another big year, Garrivier says: “I’m really happy to re-sign with the HOKA family for 2020. My schedule will include some big marathon-distance events earlier on in the year, like Zegama and Mont-Blanc, but I’ll also be taking my learnings from ultra-trail into the Ourea 250km and CCC at UTMB – a perfect way to enjoy the whole HOKA range!”

Road

Featuring athletes who specialise in half marathon, marathon, cross country and track disciplines, our HOKA EMEA road team boasts 11 high-performance stars from the UK, France and Germany.

Spearheaded by the likes of 2:12 marathoner Benjamin Malaty from France and 2:16 marathon runner Frank Schauer from Germany, the HOKA road team incorporates several established road runners who continue to boost the brand’s reputation.

One athlete who continues to do just that is the current Mountain Running World Cup holder, Andrew Douglas, who re-signs for 2020.

“It’s been a real privilege to be supported by HOKA over the past few years, so it was a no-brainer for me to re-sign for 2020,” said the Scottish-based Douglas.

“I’ve been a big fan since I wore my first pair of Cliftons back in 2015, and HOKA have impressed me each time they bring out their innovative new designs and grow their range, which as someone who dabbles in road, cross country, trail as well as my main discipline of mountain running, it’s greatly appreciated to have such a variety to benefit from!”

Download the full list of 2020 HOKA ONE ONE EMEA athletes

Photo credits: James Mitchell, PEIGNÉE VERTICALE, Jacky Everaerdt (Activ’Images), Getty, Tyler Shaw and Huw Fairclough

HOKA fan Frans meets challenge head on

When life throws you the unexpected, you have to try and stay positive and meet the challenge head on. Frans van Zweden was training for his first triathlon when he received the news that he had cancer. Find out how Frans managed to beat cancer and became a triathlete with the unparalleled support of his family and friends.

It was autumn 2015 when my group of friends decided to start training for a triathlon. We had all cycled and run for years. Doing this in combination with swimming felt sort of ‘heroic’ and a sprint distance felt quite trainable. We registered for the first sprint distance available.

When spring arrived, we trained as triathletes. I started to feel stronger yet weaker at the same time. I broke my best times but I needed a lot of sleep during the day, felt constantly hungry, ate like a maniac and still lost weight. Something felt wrong, but I didn’t know where to look.

Life-changing moment

At one point, when I couldn’t look forwards on the TT bike because of neck pain, I went to see a doctor. He felt some sort of ‘coffee beans’ in my neck and redirected me to a specialist. Three weeks later, just a week before my first triathlon, the results were in. I had cancer. My first question?

“Can I still take part in my triathlon this Saturday?”

“Frans, do you know what I just said?”

“Yes, of course, but we’re gonna get that fixed. Can I join the race?”

Now we can smile about it, but what was I thinking? It was cancer, not the flu. But in my life, there are only solutions, no problems. Everything is fixable. It didn’t take long to see that this was serious and needed to be treated as so. My family and I were about to start a whole different race, and it was not a sprint distance.

Becoming a triathlete

That Saturday, we raced. No one knew what was going on. I wanted to tell my buddies, but only after finishing. We had a great experience, it what such a blast, pure, without anybody else knowing what was going on. We needed more. But for me this was probably going to be my last race for a while. I dropped the bomb. We hugged, we cried and we became friends for life in an instant.

After some more tests, we found out I had Hodgkin Lymphoma, which had spread to my chest. There was a good chance of survival, if the chemotherapy did the job. The process would take approximately eight months to finish. How was I going to survive these treatments? How would I be able to take care of my family? How sick was I going to get? Was I able to run, bike, swim or even walk? I could at least try, right?

I bought new running shoes, the HOKA ones I saw professional triathletes run on and a beautiful new bike. I was going to swim, bike or run every day until the start of my chemotherapy. Every day my friends were there to get me out of the house and to train with me. This group became larger and larger. Triathlon made it easy for people to connect with me in this difficult time. Not the hard ‘one on one’ conversations, but just riding, running or swimming, enjoying the basic things in life.

Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t always easy. There were days when I was really feeling sick or extremely tired from the chemotherapy. I took it day-by-day. My treatment sort of felt like very long interval training, broken down into bite-size pieces. Hard efforts but with just enough rest.

Defeating cancer

Eventually rest periods became shorter and intervals longer as I progressed in my chemotherapy. Finishing my challenge became hard. Friends kept coming but it became harder to get me in my shoes or on my bike. Going to the pool was already too much effort. Eight months later, I didn’t skip a day. My head felt strong but my body was not able to run and bike for more than 15 minutes.

In November 2016, my treatment came to an end and I had defeated cancer. I had achieved my biggest challenge in life so far. I made friends for life. I changed. I’m still living life for the moment, not knowing what lies ahead. But if you can be happy even if your life is at stake, happiness seems to hide in simple basic things.

In 2016, I did my first triathlon and survived cancer. Exactly one year later in the same event, I stood at the start again together with my friends. One year later, I ran my first marathon. Now, three years later, I still compete, finishing my first half-distance triathlon in five hours and knowing there is much more in the tank.

I surprise myself every day. Family and friends who supported me through the hard times are keepers, making me feel alive every single day, even when the earth is about to crumble.

Photo credit: Frans van Zweden

Yvonne bids farewell to long distance triathlon

HOKA athlete Yvonne van Vlerken bid farewell to the world of long distance triathlon last weekend after an illustrious career. With a record 17 sub-9-hour long distance triathlons under her belt, silver from the 2008 IRONMAN World Championship and friends and memories she wouldn’t change for the world, Yvonne reflects on her long distance career after signing off with victory at Challenge Almere on Saturday.

Long distance racing, you have been my everything for the past 20 years, ever since I first saw those heroes racing Challenge Almere two decades ago.

My dreams of triathlon, and especially long distance racing, all started in the Netherlands. I looked up to the stars from back then, like Cora Vlot and Bert Flier, and decided that long distance racing is what I wanted to do too.

I then started chasing my dreams of becoming a little star in this crazy sport.

Early years

I had a great relationship with my first coach, Frank Senders, and today until I rest my head, I will be forever grateful for what an amazing job he did with me in those first eight years of my career. These years set me up for a beautiful career in long distance racing.

Every single year, I would ask Frank if I was ready yet to do my first long distance race, and every single year I got the same answer.

“No, Yvonne, you are not.”

In 2007, finally, I received the answer I wanted to hear. I raced my first long distance race at Challenge Roth in 2007 – and won. I was more than ready and so hungry to see what I could do. Almere followed two months later and the rest, well, is history.

Final chapter

Last weekend I raced my 45th long distance event and with that, this story and this chapter in my life has come to an end.

It’s hard to put into words what this sport and in particular long distance racing has given me. It has changed me as an athlete and as a human being. Each of the IRONMAN or Challenge races I have done has their own story, each has been a result of hard work and determination.

It hasn’t been all glory, it wasn’t easy by all means. I have suffered horribly as everybody does in this sport and over this distance. I’ve pushed my body over and over again, but I’ve always raced clever.

Words of advice

I never won with huge leads as I wouldn’t go all-out if it wasn’t necessary. This is one of the many reason that my career has been so long, so stable and so successful.

It doesn’t matter if you win with 1 minute or with 20 minutes, it is all soon forgotten and the only thing that matters in the end is who won.

I think I did a good job and couldn’t be prouder of what I’ve accomplished. But all good things have an end and, for me, it’s time to close this chapter.

I know I could keep up this level for some more years and win some more races, get some more sub 9s, but it’s time to say thank you to my body, to heal and to pamper her.

I decided to have my final, farewell race at Challenge Almere in the Netherlands, where it all began. It feels good, a dream came true to be able to deliver on race day, and leaves me at peace.

Photo credit: Eagle Fotografie