<?xml version="1.0"?><rss version="2.0"><channel><title>Women - Tri247</title><link>http://www.tri247.com/index.html</link><description>Latest women articles from Tri247</description><item><title><![CDATA[Ladies novice triathlon training days]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.tri247.com/article_6606.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Women&rsquo;s triathlon brand Trigirl has teamed up with the experts from thetrilife.com to bring you training days closer to where you live. All four events are now open for bookings:


	Brighton 27th of March
	Cambridge 11th of April
	London 17th of April
	Sevenoaks 24th of April


These novice training days are aimed at ladies looking to take part in their first triathlon race this season. Covering all three disciplines as well as mastering transitions the days include a pool session, a track running technique session, bike fitting and bike handling. These training days give novices the confidence they need to succeed at their first race. The cost for a full day of professional coaching in small groups is &pound;58.

Enthusiastic triathlete and founder of Trigirl, Patrizia Victor, is organizing these events to appeal to women who like to be coached in a relaxed atmosphere. &ldquo;Women generally train differently from men. They set themselves different goals and they participate in triathlon for different reasons than most men do. I therefore believe that a women specific training day can offer more focused coaching to female triathletes.&rdquo;

For more details and to register for a place visit www.trigirl.co.uk/training  email info@trigirl.co.uk or call 077 3484 6978.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Sheactive Every Woman’s Duathlon Series]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.tri247.com/article_6603.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[The Every Woman&rsquo;s Duathlon is in its third year and attracts over 1,500 women of all ages, shapes, sizes and fitness levels and in 2010 there are four venues to choose from, so wherever you live there&rsquo;ll be one not too far away. The series starts in May so there is plenty of time to get yourself involved:


	Cotswolds Country Park, Cirencester - 23rd May
	Bucklers Hard, New Forest - 12th June
	Bristol Downs, Bristol - 26th June
	Bushy Park, Hampton - 4th and 5th September


Whether you&rsquo;re a seasoned pro or a complete beginner to running and cycling, there&rsquo;s plenty of time to improve your fitness and distance. And, if you don&rsquo;t have a bike, don&rsquo;t panic &ndash; you can even hire bikes and helmets at the event itself! Races cost just &pound;32-&pound;36 so it&#039;s not expensive.

For more details, visit www.everywomansduathlon.co.uk and go to Challenges or call 07930 624 453

]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Moffatt out of WCS opener]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.tri247.com/article_6600.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Reigning Dextro Energy ITU World Championship Series champion Emma Moffatt of Australia has announced that she will sit out the Mooloolaba World Cup on March 27 due to a broken shoulder. The break occurred when Moffatt crashed her bike while descending a wet hill in the Gold Coast hinterland of Australia two weeks ago. 
&nbsp;
&quot;I didn&#039;t think anything was broken at the time, but a week later things weren&#039;t improving so I had an MRI and that showed a couple of breaks in the humerus head,&quot; Moffatt said. The prognosis for the 25-year old is that her shoulder will heal completely without surgery, although she will be forced to take approximately six weeks off of swimming.
&nbsp;
&quot;At this stage I have ruled out Mooloolaba and then I&#039;ll reassess what races I&#039;ll do when I get an update on how it&#039;s healing,&quot; Moffatt added. &quot;I&#039;d still love to race the [World Championship Series] opener in Sydney but I will just have to wait and see how my shoulder progresses and see where my fitness is at.&quot;
&nbsp;
The seven-race Dextro Energy ITU World Championship Series kicks off in Sydney, Australia on April 11, finishing with the Grand Finale in Budapest, Hungary on September 11. Moffatt won four Championship Series races last year to take home the inaugural title ahead of Lisa Norden of Sweden and Andrea Hewitt of New Zealand.
&nbsp;
For more on the Dextro Energy ITU World Championship Series visit http://wcs.triathlon.org]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Ladies Novice Camp]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.tri247.com/article_6589.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[There are still spaces available for anyone wanting to come on the fifth Women&#039;s Novice Camp in Tidworth on April 10th - 11th. Contact Janet Whiting (jan@whiting1.plus.com) to find out more about the weekend.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Colette O'Neill: Tuff(Wo)Man Duathlon report]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.tri247.com/article_6545.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[After yeterday&#039;s report from Jim McConnel, Colette O&#039;Neill provides a ladies perspective from the Merrell TuffMan Duathlon which took place on Saturday.

I turned up at the stunning venue  of Pippingford Park for the Merrell Tuffman Duathlon, to be greeted by a sharp  wind and a light drizzle, enough to reconsider my choice of minimal kit for the  10k / 16k / 5k off road duathlon.  Having  missed the Merrell Mudman two weeks previously due to a spell with the Norovirus  bug, plus starting a new job, as well as a  couple of weekends on a Level 2 coaching course, I wasn&#039;t best prepared.  Luckily I didn&#039;t know quite what I had let  myself in for &amp;hellip;
Greet fellow competitors at registration, including Colin  Dixon and Jim McConnell.  On the start  line, glance round to spot less predominant female faces, and exchange anxious  smiles for reassurance.  Race nerves  starting to fizz before the off, then the stampede begins.  Grassy downhill stretch feels good but then  hit rougher muddy ground and see at least four competitors lose their shoes &amp;ndash; have  I tied my stud laces tight enough?  Jump  a stream and land in muddy puddle, my leg has disappeared as it is so  deep.  This is a real proper cross  country run!  Long drag of a hill coming  up, head down, ignore the heavy breathing behind me, focus on controlled  effort.  Make it to the top at last, turn  and wind down through the trees, letting go downhill while dodging a wiggly  stream.  Reach the clay, fight it from  sucking my feet down, reminds me of The Grim.   Up the hill again, head down, can see transition.  Push uphill past transition towards lap two,  doing my best to look good for anyone watching.   One lap down, warmed up now, into a rhythm.  Know what to expect, second lap feels easier,  stronger uphill.  

Keep working into T1, fumble with camelback, too warm now  for extra layers.  Jump on steed for the  unknown bike course and push upwards in battle with soggy grass slope.  My biking is strong, right?  Reach the woods and OMG, my lack of MTB  training rears up to bite my bum.  This  is a right proper off-roady course!   Slippy, slidy mud on adverse cambers with bumpy surprises are all over  the shop.  Technical focus and concentration  on full power.  Scary moments keep heart  rate high; Nearly slip sideways down into river; just avoid over-the-bars as  stopped sharply in tracks by thick mud at bottom of slope; forced to hug a  number of tree trunks; then my fave - the steep downhills.  Slide down one holding bike and avoid  competitor tumbling down as he does the same, then big crash as another  attempts to cycle down. Gather at the top of other and notice warning sign -  first aid cover in attendance.  Too steep  to cycle down, too steep to carry bike down, so let it go solo.  Wow, my trusty steed sails down gracefully  and parks against a tree &amp;ndash; impresses the others as well as me!  Then I follow, (snow)mudboard-stylee.  My head throws toys out of the pram and  decides wants to stop after lap one, but talk to self and agree to carry on.  Confidence builds on second lap and momentum  carries me through.
Into T2, legs are buzzing now, ready for the 5km off down  the hill.  Watch says 2hrs 40 mins, this  is some race.  Then uphill - legs seem to  be inebriated despite no alcohol this year.   Not far to go, share gel with grateful comrade, then see the finish in  sight.  End with a smile, despite  everything!

A big congrats to all who took part in the final counterpart  of the Humanrace offroad series, especially the ladies.  A beautiful location for a challenging but  fantastic race.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Pedal it Pink in 2010]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.tri247.com/article_6366.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Breast Cancer Campaign&rsquo;s women-only cycle ride, Pedal it Pink, sponsored by Santander, is set to take the nation by storm in 2010 with three events already announced and more to follow.

The first Pedal it Pink of 2010 will take place in Lee Valley Park, Essex/Herts, on Sunday 28 March.  So if you have a &lsquo;get fit goal&rsquo; for the New Year this is a perfect event to enter to help motivate you to keep training.

Following the success of the very first Pedal it Pink, which took place in Liverpool in spring 2009, the event will return to Sefton Park on Sunday 18 April 2010, with hopes of being an annual challenge in the city. 

Olympic cycling champion, Victoria Pendleton is an ambassador of Pedal it Pink and took part in the first Liverpool event with her mum. She said: &ldquo;I really enjoyed the event, it was refreshing not to ride on a road for a change. It was so good to see so many women out there supporting such a great cause and everyone was really supportive of one another, clapping and cheering each other on.  What a great way to spend a sunny Sunday afternoon!&rdquo;

Pedal it Pink has a variety of cycle routes to choose from so there is something to suit all abilities. Beginners can opt for the 5k Family Lap (which is also open to the men and children in your life) and those wishing to push themselves that little bit further can select either a half (13.1miles) or full (26.2miles) marathon distance. At each event, all routes will be completely enclosed within a park, so it&rsquo;s safe, traffic-free and suitable for all existing and aspiring cyclists.

Each year 45,500 women and 300 men are diagnosed with breast cancer in the UK. Although it is the most common cancer, thanks to research funded by charities such as Breast Cancer Campaign, around 80 per cent of women diagnosed today will be alive in five years&rsquo; time.  

Samantha Gold, Senior Events Manager at Breast Cancer Campaign said: &ldquo;We are delighted to announce the new 2010 dates and venues for Pedal it Pink.  Our first year was such a huge success with over 1,200 ladies pedalling away in pink to help the charity to fund vital research into breast cancer. 

&ldquo;We have raised over &pound;100,000 so far through Pedal it Pink and would like to encourage you to help us continue to add to this amount by joining us for the 2010 events.  Not only is cycling a great way to stay fit but the challenge of the event is sure to make it a fun day out for friends and family with all proceeds going to a very worthwhile cause.&rdquo;

Further Pedal it Pink events are planned for 2010 including one up North and another further South, as well as a repeat of the Nottingham event, which will take place at Holme Pierrepont on 17 October 2010. Details of these events will be available on the website as soon as they are confirmed.

If you would like to register for one of the Pedal it Pink rides and help put the brakes on breast cancer, please visit www.breastcancercampaign.org, email pedalitpink@breastcancercampaign.org or call 020 7749 3700. 

Cycling is a great form of cardiovascular exercise, which helps to burn fat and if done regularly contributes to a healthy lifestyle.  Cycling is also great for toning leg muscles and can burn up to 500 calories an hour. ]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Interview: Daz Parker]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.tri247.com/article_6250.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Our interviews of late have been all about World Champions, and this week&#039;s interviewee is no different, except... this athlete definitely is a bit different. Daz Parker, who is coached by Julie Dibens, made up for a disappointing race last year (although by most people&#039;s standards fifth in the world wouldn&#039;t be that bad), to win this year&#039;s women&#039;s XTERRA Age Group World Championships. Daz only took up triathlon two years ago and in her first year won the overall ITU Age Group Sprint World Championships. And all this whilst working as one of the UK&#039;s top stunt women! I caught up with Daz to find out more about this rather interesting and inspirational athlete.

  

AE Congratulations Daz, what a year - it&rsquo;s just two years since your first triathlon and you&rsquo;re already a World Champion, did you expect such a fantastic result in Maui? 

DP No, but I badly wanted to better my time from a disappointing result last year (I came fifth in my age-group). My aim was to train hard all year and leading up to the race, get loads of mountain biking in and go to Maui two weeks before to acclimatise. I never imagined I could win it!

AE The overall winner, Julie Dibens, played a big part in your result; what&rsquo;s it like to be trained by a multiple World Champion?

DP Julie has been coaching me for two years now and she&#039;s helped me achieve results beyond my wildest dreams. Just six months after we started the training I won the 2008 ITU Age Group Sprint World Championships. Now this year I&#039;ve won the Age Group XTERRA World Championship title, so who knows what I can achieve next year. I think it is partly because she is able to push herself to the limits and so I feel I can too because she&#039;s such an inspirational athlete and coach.

AE What was it that enticed you into the world of multi-sport events just over two years ago?

DP I was swimming in Masters competitions which I loved and I kept getting comments that I should do triathlons - I actually knew very little about the sport at the time. I was already training three different sports a day to gain my stunt qualifications and I really didn&#039;t feel that I had the time and commitment to train for both.

I guess though, that it all started a few years into my career (as a stunt woman) whilst swimming at my local gym. One of the instructors told me about a mini triathlon that was taking place there and suggested that I should have a go, the incentive being a brand new Trek race bike for the winner. Cut a long story short I did it, won it and got the bike, however it sat in my living room for two years collecting dust.

I eventually succumbed to my partner and friends relentless pressure to at least do one and looked into some proper races. After so many years my time had come to try this &#039;new&#039; sport out.

AE How did you find your first race?

DP In 2007 I began searching on the web for sprint races. I had the bike already right? Sprint distance seemed ideal but with it being late/mid season it meant I could only enter the Porthcawl race in Wales. I hadn&#039;t swam in open water in a wetsuit before so it was really daunting to me. It was pouring with rain, and as soon as the gun went off I was immediately dunked under water and swum over. It threw me completely and I slowed down into breast stroke. I eventually scrambled out of the sea, jumped (well slid) onto my race bike up the first hill and CLONK, the chain came off.

It seemed a very long time for me before entering a rain sodden transition. I pulled on my now drenched trainers and slipped into the run. It seemed I was running backwards, I hadn&#039;t done any runs off the bike so I struggled big time. I was getting slower and slower until the end of the race and I was now very cold, wet and beaten up. I think I came tenth overall, which was irrelevant, I&#039;d had my first experience of triathlon and I liked it nonetheless. I remember thinking should I do another? A week later I was on the start line...

AE So now you&#039;ve got the bug what are you most enjoying about triathlon at the moment?

DP I love to work towards a goal and push my body to extremes. I am fascinated how the body works and how much you can get from it. How it adapts and how strong it can get. I have definitely found from racing XTERRA that it is the most exciting racing yet, I love the adventure, the unpredictability of the terrain and the crazy wacky athletes who are racing with you. It is true when they say it is the &#039;family&#039;. ITU races seem quite conservative in comparison. Nevertheless I still like to get on my fast TT bike!


AE From reading your blog it sounds like you lead a pretty manic life; what does a day in the life of Daz Parker look like?

DP Manic! My problem is I enjoy too many things and want to do them all in a day! I end up having to zoom from one place to another, so I need to organise my day almost militaristically. One day is never the same as another. If I&#039;m filming I have to be in a certain place which is fine, but if I&#039;m not I have several other jobs that I do around London. One day for example I&#039;m swim coaching in the City and then North Finchley, and then it&#039;s straight into the West End to work backstage on the show &#039;Blood Brothers&#039; - not forgetting the two training sessions I fit in every day as well. I did have to give up some other work as it all became too much.

AE You originally studied drama and then went on to gain a 2:1 BA Honours in Theatre Studies, so where did the idea of combining sport and drama come from?

DP After taking my degree I was at a loss to know where to go next and it certainly wasn&#039;t acting. I got into competitive swimming straight after my course finished and wanted to find a job that merged the two disciplines, a friend suggested stunts, informing me at the same time that it was near impossible to gain entry as it was a &#039;closed shop&#039;. That of course gave me my next challenge... 

AE What&rsquo;s been your most terrifying stunt role?

DP Well it probably was my first stunt after getting onto the stunt register. I had a great deal to prove. The job was a passenger in a car that swerves off the road and into a lake. I had to wait for the car to fill up with water and sink to the bottom and do an action sequence before trying to escape through the window only to be pulled back by the driver. It was all fine until the second take when they replaced the windscreen. We did the same sequence except this time the window came off and shattered in one piece enveloping us, and the car flipped upside down. I just remember pushing the broken windscreen away form my face and seeing the  water full of blood. We eventually had to be rescued by the scuba divers. At least Kerry Fox was grateful (I was playing her double), she was ready with the rescue remedy! 

AE You&rsquo;ve recently been cast in two Doctor Who episodes; tell us about your latest TV role?

DP I had just got back from Hawaii and I got the phone call that was music to my ears. I can&#039;t divulge too much info as I am under contract not to give too much away. But what I can tell you is I play a Salarian - lizard type creatures who are female centurions. Needless to say there were a fair few pyrotechnics, laser gun action, some backwards flips and stair falls, which saw me ending up on the bad side of the sonic screwdriver! It was great to at last be part of such an iconic show. 

AE Injuries tend to be fairly common for athletes, but as a stunt woman you surely must have already suffered your fair share of injuries?

DP Mmmm you would have thought so, but ironically I have sustained more serious injuries when out on my mountain bike - broken ribs, gashes to the elbows, knees and dislocated fingers. I reckon my stunts are much safer as we have to wear protective pads (costume allowing) and everything is well rehearsed and planned. But saying that, if things do go wrong they are pretty catastrophic. I jump on my bike and leave the rest to fate, taking more chances and perhaps push beyond my own skill levels, inevitably ending up over the handle bars and out - no protection definitely equals more injuries.

AE Do you think because your daytime job consists of constantly putting yourself on the line, both physically and mentally, that it makes training for triathlon seem pretty easy?

DP Yes, though I had trained pretty hard to get onto the stunt register for nearly five years together with three jobs. I think I had to find a high tolerance of pain and mental strength, likewise in my triathlon training I have the ability to dip into this resource. In my job the worst thing you can do is whine about an injury you have just sustained, in fact the first thing you do after the stunt is ask, &#039;how was the take?&#039; even if you are bleeding and in pain. It is ingrained in you not to show pain. I think you can put it in a box and deal with it later. Same as triathlon - &#039;pain is temporary, winning is forever&#039;.

AE I would imagine that as a highly skilled stunt woman your biking skills have got to be pretty good, haven&rsquo;t they?

DP I guess that is why I have naturally moved more into off-road racing. I find it mentally and physically challenging, but also can bring my diverse skills to the race having trained to cope with whatever is thrown at me, with the versatility of the terrain and natural obstacles to navigate.

AE How does the buzz of winning a race compare to that of the buzz of say leaping into a moving plane or jumping off a ten storey building?

DP Wow, I was pondering on that thought just the other day. I can stay high on a stunt for a week sometimes if it is a big one, ie; falling from the first story house through a greenhouse glass roof - that one stayed with me for a while. Hawaii and the Worlds was another that stayed with me for a while. I seem to only get that buzz if I win though, funny that!

AE Ok, so you&rsquo;ve fulfilled your dream of becoming a World Champion, and a life long ambition to appear in Doctor Who, so what next for one of Great Britain&rsquo;s leading stunt women, and now World XTERRA Champion?

DP In the short term going pro for XTERRA racing. In the long term I aim to achieve the next adrenalin fix: the next goal, the next achievement in life. I would love to say I was to embark on an astronauts journey, but that may not be realistic! I think my next dream would be something no one has ever done before... any ideas?

AE Now that&#039;s a good question for our readers; if anyone has any ideas do let us know and we&#039;ll pass the message on to Daz.
 
]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Girls on Bikes -  women only cycle sessions launched in Nottingham]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.tri247.com/article_6240.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Absolute Triathlon  Club in Nottingham are launching a series of  training sessions specifically designed to encourage more women to participate  in the sport of triathlon.&amp;nbsp; 
The first of these initiatives  will be a monthly bike ride with the initial one taking place on Sunday  December 6th, leaving at 9.30 am from Ramsdale Golf Centre in  Calverton, Nottingham.&amp;nbsp; The ride will be led by two highly  experienced and qualified triathlon coaches and all abilities are welcome  including complete beginners. The club are keen to point out that you do not  need a racing bike or any specialist equipment apart from warm clothing and a  helmet to take part neither do you need any previous experience.
Although triathlon has previously  been considered a male dominated sport the number of women becoming members of  the British Triathlon Federation has grown over the past few years and women  now make up 30% of their membership base, there is also an increasing number of  women only events taking part all over the country.
Absolute Triathlon Club has  responded to requests from women wanting to join the club but hesitant due to  the perception that triathlon is only for the super fit.&amp;nbsp; Steve Lloyd, Club Coach said &amp;ldquo;We recognise  that often women feel intimidated by joining our weekly club ride so I want to  reassure any woman wanting to attend the ladies only session that it doesn&amp;rsquo;t  matter if they are a complete beginner, also mountain bikes are acceptable,  this is about getting started and having a go&amp;rdquo;
Triathlon is a great way of developing all round fitness due  to cross training across the 3 disciplines, triathlon is also good for weight  loss, toning and increasing aerobic fitness, it&amp;rsquo;s also an incredibly friendly  and social sport.
Jayne Lloyd, Club Secretary commented &amp;ldquo;Joining our women  only club ride means that you will be supported, encouraged and motivated by  our coaches as well as learning some essential skills including safety, what to  wear and basic maintenance including puncture repair.&amp;nbsp; It&amp;rsquo;s also a great way of making new friends  and getting fit.&amp;rdquo;
The bike session will last no more than two hours and this  will include a short workshop and breaks, the cost is &amp;pound;3 per session and women  are advised to pre-book as places are limited.
For further information please contact Jayne Lloyd on 0115  9607912, e-mail Jayne@absolutetriathlonclub.co.uk or visit the club website at www.absolutetriathlonclub.co.uk ]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Interview: Georgie Rutherford]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.tri247.com/article_6201.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[With all the hype around Julie Dibens getting her second World Championship title for GB, another outstanding result hasn&#039;t quite got the recognition it deserves. Age-group athlete Georgie Rutherford finished tenth overall at the 70.3 Championships in Clearwater and became World Champion in the 25-29 age-group. Her time of 04:15:52 was just over 16 minutes slower than Julie&#039;s world record breaking time of 03:59:33 and was evidence of just how far she&#039;s come this year.

Georgie doesn&#039;t get a lot of time away from triathlon as she also works for British Triathlon as a regional programme manager. Her job entails, amongst many other things, working with schools to help get more children involved in triathlon. At just 25 years-old Georgie has found a great balance between her work life and her training and after last weekend&#039;s result I somehow feel that we will hear a lot more about her in the years to come.



AE Georgie what a great race congratulations

GR Thank you! It was a bit of a shock actually

AE Did you not anticipate such a great performance then?

GR I knew my training had been going well, particularly my running, but I don&#039;t think I realised just how sharp I&#039;d got myself. It was the first time I&#039;d raced at the 70.3 World Champs and only the second time over that distance so my biggest fear was the bike. I was worried about whether I could hold my concentration and race hard for the entire 90km.

AE Well you obviously did manage very well because you had a storming bike, but you had been getting some top tips from a rather well known 70.3 athlete?

GR Yes I had! Julie Dibens had kindly been giving me some tips on key sessions I should be doing via email, which helped a lot. The whole thing was quite nerve racking, but the adrenalin does take over, I knew I&#039;d trained well and I just had to get on with it. I decided it was the last race of the season and I wanted to kill myself and make sure I&#039;d given everything when I got to the finish line.

AE Had you actually set yourself a goal before the race?

GR My own little goal was to win my age-group, but when I got to Clearwater and started looking at last year&#039;s times I realised they were a lot faster than I thought they would be. I really thought my chance had gone as I thought there was no way I would get anywhere near the time I would need to win. During the race I had no idea I was going that quickly, the swim had been such a battle so I thought my time there would be really slow. I gave it everything on the run and just thought if I go as hard as I can, what will be will be at the end of the race!

AE The race was made quite a lot tougher for the age-group athletes because of a last minute decision to change the location of the swim start?

GR Yes it did make it tougher because the new location was so small they set us off like a time trial race - one at a time - so we were all a little bit like lemmings bobbing in the water.

AE How much did that affect the race do you think?

GR Well there was definitely some confusion - I had guys running up to me saying which wave is this and realising they&#039;d missed their wave. When I&#039;d found out that they were starting the race like that I realised that it was literally going to be a pure time trial and that I would be racing on my own. We&#039;re used to starting with 90 or more athletes in the water so it was certainly different. 

AE How much time apart was there from one athlete to the next?

GR There was literally two seconds, which made it hard because although a mass start can be tough this was harder as you felt like you were constantly swimming over the top of people.

AE And what was the bike like.

GR Well for the first part of the race it just felt like you were weaving in and out of people the whole time. It wasn&#039;t until around 20km that I actually felt like I was racing and could put my head down.

AE Did you have to make many changes in your bike position to race over the longer distance?

GR Yes I did, but I was really lucky to have a great bike fitting session with John D at VeloMotion back in early September. He worked really hard on making sure I was in the optimal comfort position on the TT bike, which was very important for me and my success in the race. John opted for a comfort fit as I was so concerned about staying in the aero position for 56 miles, but it worked a treat and together we felt amazing on Saturday.

I also used the heat chamber with the Sports Science Department and their masters students at Teesside University for the three weeks leading up to the race to prepare for the humidity which, without doubt, was a very important part of my preparation for the race.

AE Does your age-group World Championship gold medal performance now make you want to go and give pro-racing ago?

GR Yes it does. The two races are just so different; the pros have complete clear water and open roads. Our race is really busy. It&#039;s the same course obviously, but the bike course for us was just stupidly busy so I&#039;d like to race pro just to have the opportunity to have the space to race really hard.

AE It seems as if your life is all about triathlon as your work is also to do with triathlon isn&#039;t it, do you ever feel like you need a break from it all? 

GR Yes. Especially when I started my job as a regional programme manager - I did question whether it was a wise move or not. But then I realised it was the perfect job for me right now. Before this job I was working for IMG in London, where none of my colleagues understood me. I felt like a bit of a weirdo and I suppose I forgot about the love of triathlon. But when I started this job and started bringing new people into triathlon and realising how little options there were in schools with regards to triathlons, I just thought this is great because I can make a difference. When I&#039;m doing my training it&#039;s just about me, but when I&#039;m at work it&#039;s about everyone else and all my energy goes into other people, which I think is a good balance.

AE How do you manage to fit in a very busy job with all your training?

GR Well I guess I&#039;m the same as any other age-group triathlete really. I swim four times a week in the mornings before work. I run on my own most of the time and I do that in the evenings. Sometimes I fit a session in at lunchtime and I get my bike mileage in on the weekends. An average week for me is around 15 to 16 hours training.

AE Have you ever thought about going full-time?

GR Not really. I actually really enjoy my job, it&#039;s brilliant. I get to bring new people into the sport and have the opportunity to help other people develop in the sport, which is fantastic. My work keeps my mind stimulated and active, which I wouldn&#039;t necessarily get if I was training as a full-time athlete.

AE As you mentioned earlier you&#039;ve primarily raced over the standard distance, but after such a great result last weekend, which proved you&#039;ve got plenty of talent, would you like to become more competitive at short course racing and perhaps look to move up to the elite ranks?

GR Yes I would definitely like to give it ago, I know I can go faster, but I guess I just haven&#039;t really given myself the opportunity yet!

AE And what about Ironman?

GR Oh definitely not yet, not until I&#039;m at least 30! It&#039;s tough enough keeping my concentration for 90k - I don&#039;t know how I would manage for 180k!

AE So what are your plans for next year?

GR I&#039;ll do some cross-country and fell running over the winter and a bit of mountain biking. In 2010 I&#039;m going to look more seriously at the British Triathlon Super Series and give some of the drafting races a go and see how I get on. The reason I never seriously looked at doing the drafting races before was because I felt my swimming just wasn&#039;t good enough.

AE Having swum when you were younger (until the age of 12) surely it&#039;s something that shouldn&#039;t be too hard for you to improve because you&#039;ve got the basic technique there?

GR Absolutely! For the last two years I&#039;ve been based at the same place and I&#039;ve been swimming with a club four times a week. I think the consistency has really paid off as my times have improved a lot and now I&#039;m quite comfortable holding 1:15s for my 100m reps.

AE It certainly has paid off because you now call yourself a  World Champion. On a final note, how did it feel coming over the line knowing you were a World Champion?

GR Well I didn&#039;t actually know I was a World Champion because there were still a lot of girls behind me who hadn&#039;t finished because they&#039;d started after me. I was back in my hotel room with my brother when I found out I&#039;d won. He was online watching all the live results and said I think you&#039;ve got it!

AE What a way to find out you&#039;ve become a World Champion?

GR Yes it was pretty strange, but that&#039;s OK, because the result is what it is even though I didn&#039;t get to appreciate it when I came across the finish line! 
]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Chrissie Wellington wins Sunday Times Sportswoman of the year award]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.tri247.com/article_6117.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Last night Chrissie Wellington was named as the 2009 Sunday Times Sportswoman of the year - a momentous occasion for both Chrissie and triathlon. 

This wasn&#039;t an easy award to win as Chrissie was up against some tough competition including: World Heptathlon Champion, Jessica Ennis (runner-up) and World and Olympic cycling Champion Victoria Pendleton (third). We think most would agree though, that no one deserved to win this award more than Chrissie and it&#039;s fantastic to see her incredible achievements recognised by winning this prestigious award.


To read the full Times report click here.]]></description></item></channel></rss>