Cold makes Church faster

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 10, Issue 485, 11 May 1993, Page 5

Cold makes Church faster

Capt Sue Church believes the Waiouru weather is responsible for her faster running times in triathalon compet'itions. Capt Church was the first woman home for the Army in the recent TriService Sprint Triathalon held in Wellington. Her time put her in second place overall. "My running got much

better in Waiouru. Waiouru has some quite nice tracks and there's nothing else to do!" she said. Capt Church is a natural athlete, playing hockey and cricket at school, then developing her rowing skills at University. She was selected for the New Zealand Universities team for three years and achieved a third place in the Premier Eights.

Moving to Waiouru was the end for her competitive rowing and the boost for her increasing interest in triathlons. "Training is really dictated by the weather. If it's too cold I go to the pool and I've used the gym's indoor cycle trainer. I would do two disciplines a day, maybe a run and a swim

one day and then swim and bike ride the next. I try to really vary it," said Capt Church. "My swimming has gone downhill. In Auckland I used to got to swimming club three or four times a week. Here there is no one to train with. Although there are other individuals they don't have a set time

and it's difficult to coordinate activities. Although she is leaving the region Sue vows that we haven't seen the last of her. "Now it's the skiing season - I probably prefer competitive skiing to J triathlons .and with living ' in Waiouru my skiing has got heaps better!"