Jo Lawn won Ironman New Zealand for six years running
before making the gutsy move to spend the year developing
a new pedaling technique and a different run pacing
strategy. Photo courtesy Joanna Lawn
Jo Lawn has set the Ironman World Championships in her cross-hairs this year like never before, sacrificing smaller victories for her overall success in Kona. The freckle-faced Kiwi finally relinquished her six-year winning streak at Ironman New Zealand to fellow Kiwi Gina Ferguson (now Gina Crawford) this March because she had been developing new training techniques that would not come of age until October. Specifically, Lawn has been consciously moving away from the gear-mashing speed that she developed in her pre-triathlon cycling days in favor of high-cadence pedaling. Riding at a higher cadence saves leg muscles for the run, but it takes the body a long time to develop the aerobic capacity to ride among the top women. Lawn's neuromuscular system hadn't matured in Taupo, but she has had an entire season to learn to pedal like a hummingbird since then, and is expected to be in peak shape for the Ironman World Championships.
Likewise, Lawn admitted to Slowtwitch that her running endurance in New Zealand wasn't up to previous years because she had been working on pace-specific work rather than long, slow distance prior to Taupo. Now that Lawn has had a full season to build endurance at her new Ironman pace, she will be in dangerous form at the pointy end of her peak.
Lawn expected little out of her race in Kona last year. While completing her Ironman build-up in France, an insect bite on her leg became infected and developed an abscess down to the bone. Things only got worse from there, as the French doctors administered a general anesthetic that threw Lawn's entire system for a loop. Lawn turned up in Kona in 2008 fighting an infection and with an open wound on her leg whose dressings required constant attention. "[F]or me hygiene and health were at the top of my list. Working out and preparing for Kona wasn’t too far from the bottom of my list," Lawn explained to Slowtwitch. With her body and mind drained, the Kiwi aimed only to finish; and finish she did in 9:45:33. Her effort was good enough to earn her 15th place of 54 female pro's.
Lawn's dedication to see Kona through despite poor health earns her points for toughness as well as sportsmanship. After all the bad luck that Lawn has had in Kona in the past, everything seems to be going well this year. Jo has been equal parts patient and ballsy by putting all her eggs in the Kona basket this year, and it looks like luck is finally on her side for a breakthrough race.
Joanna Lawn's Statistics
Nationality: New Zealand
Pro since: 2001
Career highlights:
- Six-time Ironman New Zealand champion (2003-2008) including the course record in 2008
- Three-time New Zealand Long Distance Champ (2006-2008, plus an age-group win in 2000)
- Five-time top-ten finisher in Kona
- 1st place Quelle Challenge Roth 2006
1st place 3000m Pursuit at the New Zealand Cycling Champs 1997
What she rides: Cervélo P4
Sponsors: Bonita Bananas, Thompson’s, TYR, Cervélo, Profile Design, Zipp, Uvex, Retul, Oakley, Asics, Red8, Sunreal, Body Smart, ISM, Timex, Huka Falls Resort
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