KEY POINTS:
New Zealander Cameron Brown is raring to contest this weekend's Ironman world championships in Kona, Hawaii, after a virus forced him out midway through last year's event.
Brown said today his build-up had gone well, and he was now into "taper mode", freshening up before the race on Sunday (0545 NZT)
"I left France on September 17 and spent the last 10 days in Austin, Texas, getting used to the warm weather," he said.
"Austin was great, the heat and training conditions were very similar to Kona, lots of rolling terrain for biking and running."
Brown finished eighth in the 2006 Hawaii Ironman, but was forced from last year's event 120km into the cycle, the first time he has ever pulled out of an Ironman race.
Brown had struggled with a virus during the week and although he thought he had got rid of it by the time he started the race, the virus eventually took its toll.
This year, Brown has put together some impressive results leading into the Hawaiian event, including a comprehensive win at the Auch international triathlon in France in early September.
He won the relatively low-key event in one hour 49 minutes 39 seconds, opening up a 4min break on the field after a strong bike leg on a hilly circuit and was unchallenged on the 10km run.
Brown was also encouraged by his fourth in an Ironman Europe triathlon in Frankfurt, Germany in July. He clocked 8hr 08min 29sec, his fastest ever Ironman, significantly quicker than his winning time at the same race two years ago.
Brown said his preparations in Hawaii had been hampered slightly by some less-than-ideal air quality.
"Kona has been suffering from vog, which is like fog, but caused by volcanic eruptions going on over the other side of the island.
"Every day around midday, the haze sets in and so does the humidity which will make running along Alii Drive even harder. It seems to just hang around the city but as soon as you head out of town on the bike course the sun comes out and it's a beautiful day."
- NZPA
