At the recent Ironman South Africa, you broke your own World Record – before the race, did you have a feeling you could do that – were you aiming to break it?
Not until 4k from the end of the marathon did I even realise the world record was attainable. I didn’t go into the race expecting to get near the record; it’s not a particularly fast course and the road surfaces are sub-optimal on the bike. If you look at the splits historically, most of the men run about three hours, and the women around 3:15-plus. I went into it thinking the course record could be broken, but nothing else. Obviously, that changed 4k from the end when I realised what the cumulative race time was.
I eat, sleep and breathe triathlon; every ounce of my being is geared toward being the best I can be on a particular race. However, it’s early in the season for me – my main goal is Kona (the Ironman World Championship), and I don’t yet know where my top-end speed might be yet.
Chrissie’s kit
Clothing: Tyr Tyr are my clothing sponsor and swimwear, and wetsuit sponsor. I’ve been using them since before I started triathlon. The Tyr Hurricane wetsuit is the best wetsuit on the market bar none, and they have some great new race kit made with carbon, which is super-lightweight, breathable, really thin and dries really easily. That’s what I race in, the Tyr Carbon collection.
Bike: Cannondale
I’ve been with Cannondale for over two years now. I used to be in a team that used Cervélo, but since I left that team I have been with Cannondale. I ride the Slice and I’ve broken three World Records on it and won one Kona.
Shoes: Brooks
I train and race in Brooks. I’ve been using them for four or five years, and now I’m fortunate enough to be sponsored by them. They supply me with custom-made racing flats. In support of the Jon Blais foundation, Brooks gives $25 from every sale, which benefits the charity. I love it when sponsors align their interests with my philanthropic goals.
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www.activinstinct.com
What do you do to recover?
When I finish a race, we’re whisked off for drug testing very quickly. It’s important to hydrate immediately, to restore the electrolytes with an energy or electrolyte-rich drink afterwards. I crave salty, fatty food afterward, and feel hungry within a couple of hours of finishing. Then I eat pizza, burgers, chips… anything I can get my hands on to satisfy that craving!
I aqua run when I go back into training rather than running on the road, but it doesn’t take long to go back into full training – it takes perhaps two weeks.
Sleep plays a big part in recovery as well.
Do you have a weaker discipline in the triathlon, one that you have to focus on more?
A successful triathlete is consistent across all three disciplines. That’s what I am trying to attain, consistent improvement. There’s no point in being a super biker if my run suffers. Your bike training has to make you a stronger runner and that’s what some people forget – your bike setup needs to enable you to run. They set the bike up so it’s aerodynamic and everything, but if it doesn’t mimic your run style it’s going to be very difficult to get off the bike and run a marathon.
Like any athlete, I have areas I need to work on. I’ve worked very hard on my swimming and seen real improvement. But I don’t prioritise that over the other two; we make sure the sessions, I do are quality, and enable me to work on any weaknesses.
However, training doesn’t just comprise swim-bike-run, and total conditioning. Unless you take an holistic approach to training, I don’t think you can ever fulfil your potential in its entirety.
Who are your heroes, who inspires you?
Jon Blais. He’s who I roll for at the end of every race I do. I roll across the finish line in memory of him. I never met him, but he is one of the most inspirational people, and someone I credit all of my victories to. He was an elite level age group triathlete and in 2004, he contracted motor neurone disease. There’s no cure for that disease, it’s a guaranteed killer; yet in 2005 he raced the World Championships in Kona while suffering from this terrible disease. He died in May 2007, the year I won at Kona, and I met his parents there. They told me his story, and asked if I would be an ambassador for the foundation
CHRISSIE WELLINGTON: THE ESSENTIALS
Born: February 18, 1977 Turned professional: 2007
Ironman World Championships: 2007, 2008, 2009 Height: 170cm Weight: 60kg
Ironman World Record Holder: 8:33:56, set at Ironman South Africa in April 2011
that Jon had set up. Of course, I said yes, and I promised them that from that moment on, every race I did I would roll in memory of Jon. His courage, strength and determination have been a real inspiration for me.
When I was racing in Port Elizabeth on the way to the world record, around 3k and 17k into the run, I wasn’t feeling good; when that happened, I thought of Jon; if someone like Jon can complete an Ironman, I sure as hell can conquer the little problems I might be having at any given time in a race.
http://ironman.com/ mediacenter/an-obituary-written-by-jonathan- blazes-mother-mary-ann.#axzz1K4u1Omjw
The people I look up to and draw strength from aren’t sporting celebrities – it’s my parents, my grandparents. They’ve inspired me, rather than a famous sporting star.
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