By the end of 2017, Jonathan Rea was cooked.
After claiming his third-straight Superbikes world championship, the adopted Australian had no time to relax.
Closing out with a clean sweep of the series-ending Qatar meet, Rea went straight into testing and a promotional tour that would push his limits more than the tour he'd just claimed.
"So many PR and marketing activities. Just so many," he said, showing clear exhaustion.
Rea took 30 flights in a month - to Qatar, Andorra, Thailand, Japan and elsewhere to the UK - to meet all of his demands.
He knew he'd made waves by becoming the first man to win three-straight titles.
But finishing second in the prestigious BBC Sports Personality of the Year poll - ahead of Lewis Hamilton, Chris Froome and Harry Kane - was the moment that the penny dropped on his achievements.
"In the UK it's a big deal. I always watched it as a kid ... it's a national event," he said.
"The names voted behind me, I couldn't believe it. People that had incredible years. It was super cool."
Rea, who is Northern Irish and lives on the Isle of Man, has more than a passing connection to Australia.
His wife, Tatia, is a Phillip Island local and they spend summers in Victoria each year, training by cycling around Bright and Phillip Island for the season ahead.
And it's where he recharged for the season ahead.
"At the end of last season I was really tired ... I didn't want to see a bike," he said.
"I didn't really know where motivation lied.
"It was a really tough off-season ... I went home, I wanted to lock the doors and tear out my internet connection.
"But as soon as I started my training I got so motivated.
"The target is to win.
"It brings a lot of pressure but I'm ready for it."
When the tour does begin on Phillip Island on February 24-25, new regulations will be as much of a challenge to his dominance as any competitor.
The introduction of rev limits as a performance-balancing measure could see Rea's Kawasaki incrementally punished for his success.
He said his garage would have their hands full adapting to changes.
"From an engineering point of view, it's really difficult to manage that," he said.
"If suddenly we lose RPM after races, our gearbox is completely wrong and we can't change it.
"That's where it ties the hands of the engineers a little bit. I hope it won't get to that. I hope common sense will prevail."
