The 30-year-old Wanaka-based multisport athlete heads into the Xterra Pan American Championships coming off a calf injury that saw him miss the Ironman 70.3 World Championship two weeks ago. It was the first time he had missed a race through injury or illness and while disappointment lingered, he remained optimistic ahead of this weekend.
''Things seem to be going good. I had my first hard run today and all seems to be back to normal,'' he said from Utah when contacted by the Otago Daily Times.
''I've had a solid few months of training before the calf tear so I'm hoping that fitness is still there.''
He described the course in Ogden, Utah as ''tough'', with most of it being above 2000m. It would be his last race before his final block of training for the Xterra World Championships in Maui, Hawaii, on October 23. That event will see him compete in a 1.5km swim, 32km mountain bike and 10.5km trail run against about 800 other athletes. He hoped to be back to his best by then, but acknowledged things do not always go to plan.
''I will head back to Tahoe next week for a four-week block of training before heading to Maui,'' he said. ''I will be putting it all into this block and hoping it pays off.''
After the World Championships, Currie plans to return to Wanaka for a week before heading to China to race. He will also race in Australia at the Cross Triathlon World Championships a week later and then return to New Zealand to see what is on for the summer.
''It has been a big year for putting myself out there and, yes, there has been some flops, but also some good times.
''It was gutting not to get to race the Ironman 70.3 worlds two weeks ago but you can't do much when you're injured.
''For me, it is now about looking after myself and making the rest of the year count.''
