Ironman: Bozzone steeling himself for shift to full event

Terenzo Bozzone says the key to making the transition is knowing his limitations. Photo / Supplied

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Terenzo Bozzone is determined to prove his girlfriend wrong when he races over the full ironman distance for the first time.

Bozzone, the world half-ironman champion, debuts with the big boys in next month's New Zealand Ironman Championship in Taupo.

He does so with some trepidation but is determined he will not put any pressure on himself by making hare -brained predictions.

Twice world junior duathlon champion and twice junior world triathlon champion, Bozzone capped his step up to the half ironman distance with his win at November's World Half Ironman Championship in Florida.

That win, he says, was the culmination of a fun time - including victory in the New Zealand Xterra Championship - he had as he put the disappointment of missing Olympic selection behind him.

Now he is the new boy on the block preparing for the 25th NZ Ironman in Taupo on March 7.

Asked what the hardest part of stepping up from Olympic distance (1500m swim, 40km cycle and 10km run) to the Ironman (3.8km swim, 180km cycle and 42.2km run), Bozzone said: "I guess the biggest learning curve is to do my own race. When I went from Olympic distance to half-ironman I went from racing for two hours to four hours, now it is eight. After I missed out on Olympic selection my coach John Ackland and I sat down and talked it through.

We agreed missing out was probably more mental rather anything physical.

"I have to learn from that," said Bozzone. "Sure, I still want to be near the front of the race but at the same time I have to say to myself these are my limits. My girlfriend reckons I won't be able to hold back and that I'm going to get caught in the moment. I hope she is wrong."

The out and back swim leg along Taupo's lakefront does not faze Bozzone who has, like many of New Zealand's best, honed his swimming skills under former national coach Mark Bone.

The distance of the double out and back cycle leg to Reporoa rather than the undulating course itself, is a different story.

"I have been to Taupo and watched the race five times so I know what it is like. I have also been down there a couple of times recently and ridden 120km of the course," said Bozzone. "While there are no really big hills, it is a testing course."

While he reckons he could run a stand-alone marathon somewhere between 2h 20m-2h 30m, he is not so confident in predicting a time at the end of an ironman.

"But," he says, "if I'm going to be competitive I'm going to have to break three hours."

Last year only five runners managed that, led by Cameron Brown's 2h 49m 36s. Third-placed Kieran Doe was 11th-best with 3h 05m 47s.

"It is important I run at an even pace. I don't want to walk home," said Bozzone, displaying a more measured approach than those impetuous early days when he simply cleared out to run away to world championship triumphs.

"I have watched Cam Brown many times and have learned that to be the king of racing you have to be consistent. I watched the whole race [the World Ironman Championship] in Kona last year and realised how important it is to pace yourself."

As world half-ironman champion, Bozzone gets an automatic start in Kona this year.

Bozzone, born in "Johannesburg, New Zealand," has had plenty of encouragement as he embarks on the next phase of his career. He trains in the pool with Brown and continues to ride and run with long-time friend Doe.

That friendly rivalry could be put to the test on March 7. "We will have to wait and see what happens," said Bozzone.