Last week we reported that Chrissie Wellington was in Boulder, Colorado with her new coach Simon Lessing getting to know the lay of her new training land.
But what does switching coaches mean to the two time Ironman World Champion's future? We're not about to look into the crystal ball.
But Brad Culp, the editor of triathlete magazine, knows both athlete and coach, and has some insightful thoughts on the subject.
On his Blog he writes:
"I have to admit I was a bit stunned when I heard Chrissie had left Camp Cliff to train under the recently-retired Simon Lessing. I've heard a lot of talk since this news broke--everything from, "Her career is doomed", to, "She'll beat Crowie at Kona next year." OK, maybe that's a bit embellished. My take? Chrissie will set a new course record in Kona next year and go on to win as many more titles as she seems fit (which I'm guessing is about three)."
He goes on to say:
"There are only two things that can stop her (Chrissie Wellington) from winning four or five more world titles: 1) Injury; and 2) Losing speed as she gets older.
I think Simon's less-but-just-enough method (if that's indeed how he trains Chrissie) is ideal for her. And, if she incorporates a bit more speed training than she has in the past, who knows how low that Kona record can go. "
You can read all of his thoughts on the subject HERE.