Chrissie Wellington - Great English Sportswoman and few know of her

even the word "ironwoman" just sounds wrong!

ive always thought that "gentleman" sounded a bit **oty!

I didn't know her name, but I knew that the winner of ironman was english.

Also know Alistair Brownlea, probaably the best triathlete in the world. English.

few have heard of him either.

Just 90 seconds behind the Men's winner is truly staggering. I didn't know
that.

Just 90 seconds behind the Men's winner is truly staggering. I didn't know
that.

Just 90 seconds behind the Men's winner is truly staggering. I didn't know
that.

Just 90 seconds behind the Men's winner is truly staggering. I didn't know
that.

You can say that again!

amazing stuff, well dome her!

Yes indeed 90 secs ahead of the mens winner in 2008 european championships is amazing. She wonther first World Ironman championship in 2007 in her first year as a professional!!!! That is ridiculously amazing....

To think 99% of people havent heard of her is just wrong. It is wrong when you think we know of the athletes that compete in 400m etc... but not one thats world best at 2.4 mile swim, 112m bike and then a marthon!!

shirley the girls contest will be over a shorter distance?

ie blokes cycle 30k women cycle 20k ?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ironman_World_Championship

Exactly the same distance for all 3 legs of the triathon as the men.

I trained for and did a triathlon in 2007, was good fun ~(including the training) and have taken a passing interest in the sport ever since. My bro in law does them too and managed to qualify for team GB at the world champs in vancouver last year, he is super fit. It is defo becoming a more popular sport in this country, certainly as a participation sport, and to a lesser extent as a sport that is covered in the media.

It is a dream of mine to do an ironman,but It will take at least 6 months hard training.
Separately, I have done the 2.4 mile swim in a pool and I have run 3 marathons, was quite serious about doing the english ironman a few years back and went down to dorset to do the bike. I managed 1.5 laps of what should be a 3 lap course. The hills are just agony, don't know how those tour de france people do 6 hours of climbing in the alps. I take my hat off too them. Biking defo not my thing, only chance is if you fork out a lot of money on a top notch bike, but still....

I hope Chrissie at least gets a mention at sports personality of the year in december.

?

Sorry, q wa to blackjacking and to be fair, wa largely answered.

then i take my hat off to her, amazing jeans

But in reality Pos dont you think she deserves so much more than a mention. Surely she has more guts and determination than all the more media focused sportswomen. I mean Tennis, football, rugby etc... they get all the limelight for better pay and she does all this and nobody knows..

Ironman/woman is amazing show of fitness and mental toughness. I take my hat off

Well done too Pos for getting involved in that, I can barely swim so thats my downfall as well as being 2/3 stone overweight!, but the running and cycling i could have a go at, but would sink in the sim after about 2 mins... :(

yep she deserves more than a mention. but just a mention is the most she can hope for, and I hope she gets it.

When I was training for my triathlon (it was 1k swim in serpentine, 10k run round hyde park and 60k bike in paris next day, so not a proper one really tbf, was more o a charity fun thing) I got in the pool with no experience of swmming, though Icould do front crawl I did 400m and it took me 12 mins. I looked on the internet and got advice (even my missus turned out to be an expert and was my "coach") and stuff an within a few months I could do 4000m in 95 mins. I found it all quite addictive, and once you find your "pace" it is quite easy just to keep going and going. I think Chrissie prob could do 4000m in half that time!! Biking by far the hardest imo.

At least you can put your feet down on the floor if your knakcered on the bike or stop for a sit down on the run. Unless my feet can touch the floor when im doing the open water swim im fecked :(

You must be in very good shape mate to have even attempted the charity triathlon, i mean if i tried it with training i still think id struggle to complete.

reckon you'd be surprised at what you can do bjk. I'm prob 2 stone over my fighting weight now, was 1 stone over at the time. running and swimming i just found if I plod along at my "pace" which isn't particularly quick, then I can go for a v.long time. If I try and keep up with people who are a lot fitter and quicker then I won't last long simple as that. I found i v.addictive too, did most of my running on a treadmill, constantly watching those numbers and working stuff out calculating what pace is required to do my target and all sorts. It really brought out the nerd in me.

a lot of people could do no worse than look at your first statement there mate..

too many tgry to do too much much too quick.. i was the same with swimming, i dontthink people realise just how hard it can be even at a decent pace... once i found my rhythm.. same is with running.... i was ok.

i agree, its probably all in the pacing... but i think Chrissie wellington has her Pace off to a tee!!

minority sport - Tom Cruise

:D

Yeah it is a minority sport but still deserves major recognition when we have so many under achievers

FAO Bjk...

There was a big two page article in the Telegraph about Wellington this week, I think it was on Thursday. Can't find a link too it unfortunately. She is thinking of taking part in cycling for the 2012 olympics. Telegraph covers triathlon quite well, James Cracknell appears to be their resident expert on the sport.

Don't forget Bella Bayliss (nee Comerford) too. She won the womens this year just as I was on lap one of the mara. barely off my bike.

(Lanzarote, I should say, not Hawaii, but it's about the same difficulty and similar terrain).

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/triathlon/6599308/Ironman-world...

160/180 for spoty.

accordng to the article she is on the shortlist. It will at least give her some coverage. Never know with a decent media campaign she might sneak in the top 3. But unlikely tbh.

Certainly a far more worthy champion than say zara philips who was world and european champion in a minority sport.

I thought Mrs Thatcher was the Iron Lady