The endurance athlete has three races lined up, beginning this weekend with the two-day Red Bull Defiance in Wanaka.
"You’ve always got to make the most of the races you get in New Zealand, so you just cram them in there," Currie (30) said.
In two weeks’ time he will race the Coast to Coast, an event he missed last year after unsuccessfully attempting to make the New Zealand Olympic triathlon team. He will then race the Ironman New Zealand in Taupo on March 4.
That left him with a short turnaround, although he was hopeful he would manage.
"You’re always fit, but it’s hard because you don’t train as hard as what you race. So when you go out there and race 11 hours at a high intensity it has an impact.
"There is three weeks between Coast to Coast and Ironman. So I normally find the first week I’m really tired, two weeks I’m starting to feel a bit better, then the third week I’m feeling back to normal."
This weekend he would race in a two-man team with American Josiah Middaugh. It had been several years since Currie had raced with a partner, although he did not expect it to be too different. The duo had developed a good rivalry and were looking forward to completing the 150km course together.
Winning back the Coast to Coast title remained his key goal, while reaching the podium at Ironman New Zealand would be a bonus. He had only raced one full Ironman before and was exploring the option of whether it was a path he would go down.
"For me now it’s finding what I can do and what I really enjoy. So if I pull off Ironman New Zealand and I do enjoy it and have a good result I’d love to follow the Ironman dream.
"But I also know I make a living out of racing and full distance Ironman can be really tough to chase financially. You can only do two or three races a year, so if you don’t perform in those races you don’t get paid.
"Whereas with Xterra or half ironman you can pull one off a month or a couple off a month. Then if you have a bad race you can step back up the next month and get back into it. Whereas full ironman is a bit more cut-throat."
He did not see ironman as the next step, just a different challenge to the endurance races he did at present.
"When you compare it to the likes of the Coast to Coast it’s maybe 10 or 11, even 12 hours’ duration. You would say the Coast to Coast is longer and harder.
"So [the ironman is] just finding out how to ride your bike for 180km well and get the most out of it. Whereas in the Coast it’s going for 12 hours but you’re breaking up the disciplines and it’s a bit different that way."
