Warriner toughens up for Big Easy

Whangarei triathlete Sam Warriner will face her demons head this weekend in New Orleans.
After spending the past few weeks toughening up - physically and mentally - in San Diego, Warriner is ready for whatever is thrown, or blown her way as she takes on the New Orleans 70.3 tomorrow ( NZT).
It will be the first time the 38-year-old has contested the half ironman distance of a 1.9km swim, 90km bike and 21km run course in the 'Big Easy'. The biggest incline on the mainly flat course, is likely to be the bridges of the Mississippi, but the wind in past years has dictated race tactics and is something Warriner will be wary of.
"Training here in Borrego (San Diego) has been going well ... We've been really focusing on being able to run fast off hard bike rides. It's not difficult with the wind here, it's always blowing but one of my training partners, Kate Major, has warned me of the winds in New Orleans so it's something I'm prepared for," she said.
Three weeks ago, Warriner raced in the Oceanside California 70.3 but was still feeling the effects of a recently broken wrist during the swim leg.
After Oceanside, she went to Borrego Springs  to train with coach and former World No1 Siri Lindley, where the emphasis has been on gaining strength back in the wrist - and on the mental side of racing.
"I have no pain at all in my wrist now. When I first got to camp I was still wearing the brace I was given, but I haven't felt I've needed it for about two weeks now. My swimming is improving every day. When I arrived at camp I was doing my 200s on 2m 40s, I'm now consistently swimming them at 2.28 and I still feel there's a lot more improvement to come," she said.
At the Oceanside event, Warriner was not able to capitalise on the extra work she had invested on her bike leg over the past few months, as her slower swim leg meant she got caught up with the pack, which was hard to break free from.
With some of her swim strength back, she is hoping to break away from the bunch at New Orleans, so she can then attack the bike leg, without having to worry about others coming along for a free ride in the strong winds, she said.
Mental strength plays a huge part in any sport, so Warriner has spent a lot of time one-on-one with her coach, chatting about her challenging past 12 months.
"I have been carrying a lot of emotional baggage with me about breaking ribs last year and then the wrist this year.
"Siri feels I take a lot of that baggage into races and it's stopping me from letting go and just giving my best effort.
"The focus tomorrow in New Orleans will be to run free and just focus on the now, if I can empty my mind and just let the body do its thing.
"The times I've been producing in training point toward a good result," she said.
Warriner will be joined by fellow Kiwis Terenzo Bozzone, Bryan Rhodes, and Graham O'Grady in the elite ranks at New Orleans, but her main competition will come from Netherlands' Yvonne Van Vlerken, along with top ironman performers Dede Griesbauer and Linsey Corbin from the US.