Duggan has produced promising results from two competitions in recent weeks, winning the senior figure over-35 class at the South Island championships then placing second in the same division in the weekend's Central North Island championships.

Now, though, she's preparing for the nationals, which are on this weekend in Wellington, and she wants to go one better than her second placing last year.

"(At the Central North Islands) I was competing against my usual rival who beat me in the nationals last year," Duggan said.

"It was really close competition and I looked better than her in the lower half. I'd lost 1kg since the last competition, so my legs got leaner.

Who knows, I could turn around and beat her at the nationals." With only a week between big competitions, this week Duggan would be eating a lot of ? four chicken breast meals a day and two egg whites ? maintaining her cardio workouts and drinking plenty of water at the start of the week, then phasing that out as the competition drew closer.

"Even though I am on a low-carb diet my energy levels are usually really good," she said.

"They have been exceptional this year so I must have my diet right. I don't get weak and tired." Duggan's husband, Thomas Duggan, also placed second in the masters over-40 division in the Central North Island champs but will not compete in this weekend's nationals.

Invercargill Rede Frisby, first in his division at the South Island championships, missed the Central North Island champs through illness, but said he was now "raring to go" for nationals this weekend.