McIlroy enjoying the change

NATALIE SLADE

ON YER BIKE: Wellington's Kate McIlroy had her running career stalled by injury but is showing promise as a triathlete.

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A nagging Achilles injury led world mountain running champion Kate McIlroy to triathlon.

McIlroy, 28, lines up in the ITU Oceania Cup and national championships race in Wellington today. It will be her fourth triathlon.

Triathlon NZ high performance director Greg Fraine said McIlroy could finish in the top three in a strong women's field, which includes Beijing Olympian Debbie Tanner and Nicky Samuels.

Fraine has been coaching McIlroy for the past 12 months and says the Commonwealth Games steeplechaser has potential.

"To be in the front group she probably needs to be about one minute quicker in the swim," said Fraine, who also coaches ironman champion Gina Ferguson.

"She is far ahead of where I expected her to be. She has great potential and is a natural athlete.

"We're excited because she is one of the few runners who we've had switch to triathlon who can actually swim."

With national triathlon squads to be announced next month, McIlroy could be in line for the 2012 London Olympics potential group. This would open up Sparc funding for the Wellington athlete.

McIlroy is more self-effacing and wary to talk up her chances.

"Obviously, I was trying to get to the Olympics last year for steeplechase but I've had an ongoing injury." she said.

"I was trying to get my leg right to do the training I needed to get to Europe and to post a qualifying time for Beijing. But it all kind of turned to custard, my leg didn't come right.

"So I decided I needed to have a break to give my legs some time to heal and to come right.

"I've always wanted to do triathlon, so I thought I might as well see how I go over a summer of racing and review it from there."

McIlroy's best result came against a strong field in Takapuna last month when she was fourth. Today she will face her first 1500m swim on the course from outside Te Papa in Wellington Harbour.

McIlroy swam in squads as a junior for four years with Wellington coach Gary Hurring. Most recently she has been training with a Dunedin swim coach Tim Brazier, who has her logging around 25km each week.

"I've put a lot of time in the swimming, and it has improved a lot from when I started in June/July last year," she said.

McIlroy says she has enjoyed the varied training, and the Achilles has improved.

"I was running 10 times a week and now I'm running three or four times. It's just given it time to heal."

"I've definitely still got a long way to go. It's still only my fourth triathlon and I'm still learning heaps.

"I was only really doing it to give my legs a break and to get my body back in one piece. So, I'm just reviewing it after each race."

- © Fairfax NZ News