KEY POINTS:
At last some relief from the sweaty slog of training for New Zealand Olympic triathlete Sam Warriner. But only because it's her birthday.
Warriner turned 37 today and was rewarded by her coach with a easier day's work at her steaming hot base on the Korean island of Cheju.
It is a welcome present in the middle of a gut-busting preparation that has seen the Northland teacher channel all her energy into the Beijing Games race on August 18.
Her determination to improve on the 18th placing at the Athens Games four years ago has seen Warriner transform her life into one giant swim, cycle and run to China.
Consistent form - she hasn't finished worse than eighth in any race this year - has seen her climb past Australian Emma Snowsill to second in the world rankings behind Portugal's Vanessa Fernandez.
But Warriner is experienced enough to know how little those rankings mean in a year where all her rivals are targetting one event.
"I'd love to bring a gold medal home to New Zealand and I feel if the cards fall my way, I could do it," she told NZPA.
"But 50 other girls want it as much as me and have probably trained as hard as me.
"It's like a lottery really. At least 25 of us will believe we've got a chance and then there's 10 of us who actually can win."
She was the first of the six-strong New Zealand contingent to arrive in Cheju and has ploughed through humidity levels of about 85 percent - well above the 65 percent expected at the Ming Tomb Reservoir course north of Beijing.
"Because of the conditions, the winner could well be the person who's looked after themselves the best," she says.
"The humidity is a big thing here. When you sweat, the sweat doesn't come off you."
Along with the physical element, Warriner doesn't discount the importance of mental preparation.
She is a devotee of the books of American sports psychologist Terry Orlick and openly admits she is prone to panic when things aren't going her way.
She spent her last few weeks stressing about the Chinese visa requirements for partner Stephen Bradley, who has accompanied and trained with her through Europe and beyond this year.
One excerpt on her own website outlines Warriner's at-times fragile thought process.
She had just seen the competitors' list for the final World Cup race in Austria two weeks ago.
"It was the first time that I felt scared about the Olympics and the other girls," Warriner wrote.
"So Thursday was all about practising my mental techniques to bring me back to the now.
"I also had to trust the programme and my coach... after I'd gone to bed at 8.30pm and slept right through to 6.30am, it was all good again."
She was third at Austria and not happy with her finishing run speed, even though it was the likely outcome after a huge block of training.
Bradley's presence has been essential as Warriner has found it hard cutting herself off from friends and family for long periods this year.
A repreive came when she spent four "wonderful" hours in transit at London's Heathrow Airport last week.
There she caught up with England-based mother Jennifer, sister Nicola, niece Grace and nephew Jack.
"They made me a birthday cake and brought me presents. That's pretty special because you forget the kids are growing up fast and you don't realise how much you miss your mum."
For now it's back to the stifling heat of Cheju, and a positive thought for Hampshire-born Warriner that she will return to England for a holiday after the Games - hopefully with some metal around her neck.
"I'm doing something that is my dream and I've wanted to do it since I was a youngster," she said.
"You only get one or two opportunities in your chosen sport and there's very few people who get to go to an Olympics.
"I've enjoyed the journey, I'm lucky that my partner has been here to share it with me and I'm the fittest I've ever been in my life."
- NZPA
