I first visited South Africa in 1999, as a fresh-faced university graduate dressed in flip flops and dubious coloured beach shorts, embarking on a two year global traveling adventure. Sport comprised dancing all night at music concerts and exercising my drinking arm by sampling all the local grape derived beverages. I travelled for a month with a Brazilian (girl, not the beauty treatment) called Aline, an Australian named Luanne, and a South African called Jude. With her unbridled passion for the natural world, it was Jude that changed my outlook on life, encouraged me to be introspective, identify my own individual passions and aspirations, and have the confidence to pursue those dreams. And that, I realised, was in international development.…

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I have been vocal in my repeated calls for a stronger, more rigourous, coordinated and consistent anti doping programme within triathlon. Hence i welcome the recent steps that have been taken to address this issue by the sport’s various governing bodies and the increased media coverage that has been dedicated to this important issue.

Improved testing, coupled with openness, transparency and continued dialogue, regarding the policy and process, is crucial. In this regard i have decided to publish the full list of anti-doping tests that have been conducted on me since I became a professional in 2007. The information will be published on my website  - www.chrissiewellington.org/drug-tests  - and will include: date of test, location, type of the test (blood/urine/blood passport),…

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Yesterday i had a great 45 minute steady (!?) run with one of my old friends, and super marathoner, Lucy – who i met back in 2003 when i was training with the legendary coach Frank Horwill. We headed to Richmond Park, which is a stones throw away from both our houses. Richmond Park is a haven of tranquilly amidst the noise and chaos of London, and never ceases to lift my soul, even on a dull, rainy day. The Park changes each day and with the seasons – the sight and smell of spring is particularly heartwarming – as the landscape is coming alive with new growth, as well as athletes eagerly preparing for the triathlon season and the…

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As I have said in some previous musings, one of the things that lifted me back up after the disappointment of not racing the World Championships in Kona was one of my favourite poems – ‘If’ by Rudyard Kipling. Reading ‘If’ over and over again, gave me the confidence to trust in the difficult decision that I had made but also to take responsibility for my actions; to immunise myself against others’ negative thoughts and opinions; to try and act with dignity and integrity especially when that Kona curve ball hit me square on the forehead, and to always continue to dream, but never allow that dream to totally control me. So after leaving Hawaii I headed back to Boulder,…

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I contracted my fair share of nasties during the time I spent travelling to far flung, and decidedly unsanitary, places around the world. I have had rabid dog bites, infected leech wounds, and more bouts of Giardia than Mohammed Ali had in the boxing ring. I have learnt to read my body pretty well and listen to the signals that it gives me. Spending half my waking hours with my backside attached to a toilet (toilet is maybe not the most accurate description. Hole in the ground, encased within porta potty style structure might be more accurate) whilst in Nepal was enough to signal the repeated Return of the Giardia Parasite (sounds like a low budget remake of a Star…

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On Saturday I had one of the hardest decisions to make of my life – whether or not to toe the start line of the World Ironman Championships. In the end I didn’t race. But before I try and explain the decision that I made I want to start off with a huge congratulations to the amazing Mirinda Carfrae. Her performance on Saturday was nothing short of remarkable. She truly is a worthy World Champion.

So many thoughts are going through my head at the moment, and it will take time to sift through them all. I’d like to quickly elaborate on how I felt leading into the race and why I took the decision that I did. I started…

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So here we are, less than 2 weeks away, and I am sitting at LAX en route to the Big Island. All of the hard work (training wise at least) has been done, the next few weeks are about making sure I don’t undermine my fitness, getting a bit more rest and recovery and most of all enjoying the build up to the biggest endurance race in the world. Instead of biting my nails down to small tiny stumps, I try to focus my mind (and mouth) on the things I love about racing at Kona and being on the unique, beautiful and enchanting island of Hawaii. Here are just some of them………….

• The entire population of Hawaii seems

…

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Timberman 70.3 is held on the shores of beautiful Lake Winnipesaukee, in New Hampshire. Despite having raced there in 2008 and 2009 I still a) cannot pronounce Winnipesaukee and b) have absolutely no clue as to how the Lake got its unpronounceable name. I therefore decided to undertake some research. A few googles later I was enlightened. The Legend of Lake Winny-pes-ow-key goes a little something like this….”Many moons ago on the northern shore lived a great chief, Wonaton, renowned for his courage, and for his beautiful daughter, Mineola. One day, Adiwando, the young chief of a hostile tribe to the south, hearing of Mineola, paddled across the lake and fearlessly entered his enemy’s village. Her father was away, and…

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My first trip to Bavaria was almost 20 years ago. About the same time that Mark Allen was conquering the lava fields. I was at school. I had never even heard of Mark Allen. I was more interested in Marky Mark from New Kids on the Block. I wore stone washed jeans and tie die shirts. The traditional Bavarian costumes – lederhosens for the men and dirndls for the women – were not high on my list of fashionable attire. Never did I think I would come back to southern Germany, as a dirndl wearing triple world champion. But this is exactly what happened.

Last years Challenge Roth was one of the most special days of my life.  And returning…

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