...especially as I'm asking a forum of mostly guys!

But as a woman trying to break into what is a hugely male-dominated sport over here in the UK, am I dicing with my credibility as a female athlete by wearing a short kilt instead of the knee-length original? If you haven't yet seen the pics, go to my blog at www.throwingmyweightsaround.com and you will see the two different kilts - the first, knee-length one, in a post titled 'I Kilt It!' dated April 17th, and the newer, shorter one in a post titled 'Supergirl and the Killer Flamingos!', dated May 10th.

I ask because a (female!) friend mentioned it with a dubious look, and said something along the lines of 'it's all very well you wearing your little kilt and big boots and doing the flirty girl thing for PR, but you want to be taken seriously as an athlete, don't you?'

I hadn't actually thought of the sight of a 47-year-old Troll Princess with decently-clad legs as being in the 'flirty-girl' class, but it kind of knocked my confidence a bit.

What say the Great Rabble?