Andy only took up endurance racing 2 years ago, Tony has been racing for… well probably longer than Andy has been alive! David is 8 years younger than Tony and 6 younger than Peter. (So if Dan cycles in an easterly direction how tall will Peter be at 4pm)

Only Dan and Tony have done the full Ironman thus far, but Andy has completed the cycled length of France and David across the UK. There are a fair smattering of pre existing conditions the Health Insurance Industry would probably decline to cover but drive and commitment is palpable.

So how have they progressed over the last 4 years at the Sprint distance:
750m swim, 20km cycle and 5k run.

However this is the shorter of the distances normally undertaken. For the uninitiated there is the Olympic distance which is basically double the distances, then the Long Course of half Ironman 70.3 and the big mamma The Ironman.

Combine the fact that different courses will generate different times due to conditions and course difficulty.  So the first comparison would not reflect the stamina and endurance required for the longer distances. Here the experience of preparation, tapering, training balance of endurance and core strength will be influencing factors. SO cross comparison is not really clear cut.

Then again we have little in the way of statistics to work on above distance this except for Tony:

So we need a more scientific way of evaluating the likely outcome of the Team Russell podium.

Football! Well I am told it is the answer to everything… so lets see.

On the current Premier League results:

Dan would head the premiership of the four with strong performance in all three disciplines, David in Second feeling the away part of the game impacting his performance and Tony third with lack of direction during training from ever changing Managers and Peter feeling sick as a parrot.

but the season is only half played,

So more science is needed… last year.  This would have seen David top the league with Tony in his wake but keeping his lead after a strong swim leg over Dan, and Peter feeling sick as a parrot.

It could be that this science has some merit, after all if we were talking about 2010/11 Then we would have seen Tony the experienced (fanatical) competitor steeling the lead with David on his heals with barely a whisker between them and Dan chasing, and with Peter feeling sick as a parrot.

But there is respite for the most interesting season 2011/12 and here we see David, Dan and Peter whipping the experience with youthful exuberance, and Tony left for dust.

So what will it be?  Training hard work, preparation, nutrition, kit and conditions or the “science” of football?