Competing at the Paralympics is relatively easy, according to Kurt Fearnley.
It's the next three months that will prove the real test.
The Australian wheelchair racing champion is bracing himself for weeks of pain, discomfort and mental anguish as he prepares for his fifth and final Games in September in Rio.
But knowing it will be his last has provided added motivation.
"I think it's been a real positive for me," he told AAP on Tuesday.
"This is the most-painful part of the preparation.
"If you've done this three months' build-up, racing in the end is relatively easy compared to the discomfort you're enduring before the Games."
With limited competition, it's not about staying fresh for one day but dragging yourself out of bed every day to put in the hard yards.
"You have to train more than 5000m to try and win a 5000m race. You need to do more than 42km in a day to win the 42km in Rio.
"It's trying to put the discomfort through your muscles so that, when that same pain is there in September, you don't feel as bad."
It's also the time when Fearnley will have a clearer idea about whether winning a fourth gold medal is a reality or pipe dream.
The 35-year-old won silver in the men's 5000m at London in 2012, but bronze in the marathon - of which he was champion in Beijing and Athens.
"Right now, you have a certain expectation but, over every single day between now and September, those will head in whatever direction the training pushes it in," he said.
"You know at any point in time you may win a race, but you know just as easily you may be second, third or fourth.
"I feel happy, confident, I've had some good marathons in the lead-up and now it's just three more months to dig in and see whether I can increase from a podium to top of the podium."
Share
