Subscribe Today!IT Issue 4, 2008
features
36 Creating a Champion
Four years ago, Chrissie Wellington was a 20-something-year-old British government employee who’d never heard of triathlon. Today, she’s the best female iron-athlete in the world. What happened from the time she met coach Brett Sutton to the moment she crossed the line first at the 2007 Ironman Hawaii is a fascinating tale of psychological and physical development, engineered and executed by one of the most controversial coaches in multisport history. By Timothy Carlson
45 Generation XX
Faster, younger, fresher—that’s what everyone wants, right? And that’s exactly what women’s triathlon is getting, evinced by the recent charge of new names and bright-eyed faces who continue to control races of all distances on the multisport map, including Kona. But what does it mean for the sport? Better watch out, eager chaps, or you may get beat by a bikini. By Adrianne Kroepsch
50 Fallacies of Fit
So you don’t need a bike fit. Heck, you don’t even care about bike fit. No, wait, you got fit three years ago, and everything’s still rolling. Or maybe you fit yourself, and damn, did you do a fine job. If this sounds like you, turn here. If not, still turn here, because professional bike fitter Tim Troha has much to uncover about the biggest misconceptions and newest revelations in the field of fit. By Tim Troha
57 Becky Lavelle
Last December, elite triathlete Becky Lavelle’s twin sister shot her 7-week-old son, then turned the gun on herself. Months later, Lavelle grapples with the tragedy of her sister’s death and shares how she’s turning unbelievable heartache into a beacon of hope. By Timothy Carlson
departments
the basics
06 Editor ’s Leter
08 Mail
10 Tripod
82 The 4th Leg
13 news
A widening lawsuit against Hammer Nutrition could mean sweeping changes for the supplement industry and the athletes who pop the pills; Stop! Don’t throw out that energy bar wrapper—send it to Clif Bar, help the environment and donate money to the charity of your choice; pro triathlete Kristy Gough is killed in a California cycling accident. By Timothy Carlson
29 Gear
Power—everyone’s doing it. And everyone’s getting faster. Don’t be the only sucker on the block without one of these high-tech power meters that make training with specificity a snap. We show you the five best units for every bike and budget. By Melaina Juntti
training
64 dave scot
66 joe friel
68 water log
70 bike talk
72 runing life
74 nutrition
76 at the races
Al-Sultan and Granger say selamat datang to 2008 with fast wins at Ironman Langwaki; first-ever XTERA winter world championship showcases stacked fields of athletes from all disciplines. By the Editors