• Howick and Pakuranga Times

IN HIS STRIDE: Cameron Brown is in the final stages of preparation for his tilt at an 11th New Zealand Ironman title in Taupo. Times photo Bruce Nicholson.

MULTISPORT racing legend Cameron Brown has a love-hate relationship with the Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain Ironman New Zealand course at Taupo he’s conquered a world record 10 times.

“I’ve done the course so often I know what to expect,” Brown told the Times, at his Dannemora home ahead of his title defence on March 3. “Especially every little hill and where the pain is going to come.”

The 39-year-old has either won or been runner-up in his 12 consecutive appearances since the event has been staged in the King Country, and the desire to be first across the line hasn’t diminished.

“It always helps when there are young guys talking it up,” he says.

“There’s a really fast guy this year, Marino Vanhoenacker, who is a very good athlete, so there’ll be some fireworks out there.

“He, and [three-time runner-up] Terenzo [Bozzone], will be a handful. It definitely makes you push more in the last few weeks.

“You can’t slack off, have to be on top of your game and be getting everything out of training.”

While an intense battle will be waged over the 3.8-kilometre swim, 180km bike ride and 42.2km run, the uber-professional Brown won’t be engaging in any dogfights.

“You put a poker face on. If you’re ranting and raving then you’re losing energy. It’s not like a boxing match where you slug it out beforehand. You try and get in their heads another way by not showing anything.”

He’s similarly hush when quizzed on special rituals he has prior to the race, or mantras he repeats to himself over the eight-hour slog.

“Mum’s salmon pasta the night before,” is all he’ll reveal.

“You’re always focused during the race. If the mind wanders for a bit you might lose a couple of kph in speed, so you’re always thinking about cadence on the bike and position on the run.

“Some people have messages taped to their bike, but I’ve got everything up here [points to head] I need to think about.”