After seven weeks in Hawaii preparing for the one race left to do on her bucket-list, Whangarei's Sam Warriner is beginning to feel like a local.
After qualifying for the top 30 female field for the Ironman World Championship at Kona, the 2011 Ironman New Zealand winner based herself at Kona to get used to the course and conditions ahead of her debut at the renowned event tomorrow morning.
She is hopeful her newly-acquired knowledge of the 3.8km swim, 180km cycle and 42km run ironman course, and climate pays off during the event.
"Training has gone really well - I'm happy with where I'm at ... I know where I want to exit the swim, I've ridden the course more times than I care to remember. I actually did four laps in eight days back in August - that's 800km of riding in a week. I've spent around seven weeks here ... so I feel I know the course and what's needed on race day," Warriner said. While a lot of competitors have flown in only days before the race, Warriner personally preferred to know fully what she was getting into and prepare accordingly, hence her lengthy stay in Hawaii.
There is no doubt in Warriner's mind that tomorrow's race will be the hottest and potentially the toughest one she has competed in.
"The wind here really does make conditions brutal. There can be times on the bike course that you feel you're going backwards and all the training you've done has been a waste. You need to be mentally strong enough to know that as long as you're going forwards, you're winning."
The World Triathlon Corporation kicked off a new qualification process this year, and as a result, only the top competitors will contest the Worlds meaning Warriner needs to be at her very best if she is to claim a podium finish at Kona during her first year of racing the ironman distance, after switching from Olympic distance.
"If I spent my time worrying about who could potentially beat me I'd be a wash-out on race day, the field is just that good. I have my race plan, I intend to gamble everything and leave all I've got here in Kona. Over and above that, who knows what will happen out there."
However, Warriner said she was feeling great - a little nervous and excited - but she had tapered well, and was energised.
"I haven't had the luxury of regular massage and stretching for so long as I spend months on the road travelling to races. Dawn Burke my good friend and masseur surprised me and booked herself a ticket to Hawaii and she's been here the whole time with me. I've had massages and stretching every day. I feel I have the elasticity back into my muscles that I had years ago and I'm running a whole lot better because of it too," she said.
With elite athletes Cameron Brown, Jo Lawn and Warriner racing, and 37 age group athletes and their families, the support for the strong Kiwi contingent was huge in the birthplace of long-distance triathlon - Ironman Hawaii has been held annually since 1978.