Multisport: Lawn takes tough lesson on to Hawaii

Jo Lawn hopes to better her fifth place in last year's Hawaii ironman. John Cowpland / Getty Images

Auckland triathlete Jo Lawn believes a bad experience earlier in the year will stand her in good stead for Sunday's Ironman world championships in Hawaii.

Lawn, 31, finished a career-best fifth in the scorching heat in Kona-Kailua on Hawaii's Big Island last year, and has her sights set on improvement in the 3.8km swim, 180km cycle and 42km marathon event.

This year she tried going from her third straight victory in Ironman New Zealand to race Ironman Australia four weeks later.

While she enjoyed her fastest ever swim and bike in Australia, the effects of completing two Ironmans in full competition within four weeks took its toll on the run.

"I got tested mentally like never before. It would have been so easy to give up on the run. I had already qualified for Hawaii," Lawn said.

"I had to dig deep, deeper than before, to finish.

"It was the 25km mark on the run and I thought that Hawaii was a long time away and what the heck if I pulled out. This sport is all about the mind. And you can never, ever give up."

She finished fourth and learned more about herself.

While she will never attempt two ironman races so closely again, Lawn learned more about the power of the mind.

There is no race that tests an athlete more than the cauldron of the black lava fields of Kona-Kailua.

"People come to Hawaii for holidays because of its beauty. In the middle of an ironman, believe me the Queen K is not a beautiful place.

"I'm thinking only about the job ahead of me - looking at my speedo, taking in nutrition and focusing."

The Queen K was the affectionate term for the Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway that stretches virtually 90km from Kona to the turn at Hawi - in heat up to 35C, with the infamous trade winds that blow to 80km/h.

Lawn has focused on training without exhausting races for the past five months, mostly in her adopted training base in Boulder, Colorado.

"You have got to be mentally fresh coming in here."

Lawn knows that between her and victory is Swiss mother Natascha Badmann, who is chasing her sixth title in eight years. Behind Badmann was a group of experienced stars led by evergreen Canadian Heather Fuhr, 37 - one of the top contenders again this year.

But there was a pack of well-performed athletes in their prime including Lawn, nine-time Ironman winner Lisa Bentley from Canada, rising Australian star Kate Major, a four-time winner, Athens Olympic gold medallist Kate Allen, super-strong Swiss Karin Thurig and top Americans Joanna Zeiger and Karen Smyers.

Lawn will be joined by compatriot Karyn Balance, 33, from Christchurch.

The race starts at 6am Sunday (NZ time).

- NZPA