After days of putting his body "through a wringer" former All Black captain Richie McCaw was looking forward to a week of the worst kind of food to recover from the gruelling GODZone race in Rotorua.
McCaw and his three isport teammates came across the GODZone finish line in second place on their mountain bikes yesterday after travelling 666 kilometres together on foot, bike and kayak.
It's the world's largest expedition race involving teams of four mountainbiking, trekking and paddling 666 kilometres taking anywhere from four days to a week to finish. This year's event unfolded in Rotorua where 47 teams took part.
McCaw's team finished second, more than nine hours behind the winning Avaya team of Nathan Fa'ave, Chris Forne, Sophie Hart, and Stu Lynch.
McCaw told First Up the event is so tough that he has questioned himself over why he takes part but has concluded: "It's the challenge that goes with it. It's actually standing on the finish line now after having gone through all sorts of questions about whether you can get there, all those sorts of things that keep me going and this race certainly gives you that."
He has endured five days with hardly any sleep, involving more than 100km of running and walking and another 550km of biking and kayaking and expects it will take at least six weeks to recover.
His feet are "pretty sore" but he is pleased he got though the event without any blisters. "Just in general the whole body feels like it's been through a wringer but it'll come right."
He said the scariest time is at the start when competitors know that it will last a week and are uncertain if they will make the finish line.
"I think when I reflect back on the days you had of playing [rugby] - it's a bit like that before the kick-off of a game. You don't know how the game's going to go; you've got 15 guys trying to stop you.
"It's probably an extreme way to have a bit of that."
The physical and mental demands of the race can't be compared to any other sporting pursuit, and in understated fashion he said: "It takes a bit out of you."
McCaw said being able to compete at a high level in endurance events has taken five years of training, building a base to get up and down hills and bike with a pack on. "It's just putting time in and I think that's something I enjoy doing. I get into it as much as I can and you sort of build a base that can hopefully see you through."
When McCaw retired from rugby he weighed 108kg, he has shed 10kg while building up for endurance races and has lost another 3 or 4kg during his latest event. "I guess even at that weight compared to some of the guys that are 70 or 80kg it's a bit extra with 20 kilos on the back with the pack. It makes the old joints hurt a bit."
After such a gruelling event, treats became a hot topic in the final hours of the race and a pie on the finish line was a moment to savour.
"It's unbelievable how good a pie tastes but you crave salty, fatty horrible [food] - probably the wrong kind of food. You give yourself a good week of treating I think because there's a fair bit to replenish."