By David Di Somma
From Saturday, Richie McCaw will be Rookie McCaw.
At 35-years-old and having retired as the most capped player in rugby union history (148 Tests for the All Blacks), the current New Zealander of the year will dip his toes into a very different world.
The Godzone adventure race that starts in the Nelson area on Saturday will see teams of four race continuously for 530 kilometres. It's a non-stop expedition race that involves hiking, biking, kayaking and a lot more besides. The fastest could be finished by Wednesday while the slowest could take a week.
The course and the details of the event are a closely guarded secret until the day of the race.
McCaw will race for the Kids Cure charity along with Rugby Players Association boss Rob Nichol, former Blues player Ben Meyer and adventure racer Sarah Fairmaid.
There is talk they could potentially be top 10 finishers. The whole team must remain within 100 metres of each other at all times.
The race will test McCaw like he's never been tested before. 80 minutes of rugby - no matter what the level - is a lifetime away from taking on a marathon event like this.
One of the curses for the competitors is the lack of sleep. They call it the "Sleep Monster" and it can bite you anytime. It makes normally rational people do crazy things. Anecdotally there are stories about some athletes turning on and even assaulting their own teammates, believing they are the enemy. There have been instances of people falling asleep while they were still riding their bikes.
If you are cranky after a bad night's sleep - can you imagine what it's like to survive on a couple hours sleep a day for five days while traversing all sorts of terrain rain, hail or shine?
Just how McCaw and co bare up after a few days will be fascinating to see.
McCaw will be well prepared and, as we have all seen many times, he is not one to set himself up to fail. He's been training hard for months and has had to up-skill in all sorts of areas, including kayaking.
He says he saw the race from afar during his playing days and maybe thought it was worth a try some day. That day is nearly here. McCaw and his teammates will talk to media on Friday evening before the race begins and we will see what the All Blacks legend is made of in a very different environment.
Newshub will feature regular updates on the Godzone from Saturday through to its conclusion.
Newshub.