The skin on Neil Jones' feet is relatively new but in six days' time he will be punishing those feet again.
It has only been five weeks since Jones returned from the gruelling six-day Primal Quest adventure race in Utah where athletes pushed their bodies beyond the extreme in temperatures exceeding 45C.
But yesterday the Whakatane man was re-packing his bags and today flying to Sweden to take part in the fourth Adventure World Championship.
At his Taneatua home yesterday Jones was putting methylated spirit on the bottom of his feet to toughen the new skin that had grown over the blisters gained in Utah.
"I couldn't train for the first three weeks when I got back because my feet were such a mess but here I am heading off again," Jones laughed.
One of the country's best adventure racers and arguably one of the oldest, Jones is joining back up with his Merrell/Wigwam team of Robyn Benincasa from America, Jeff Mitchell and Ian Edmond from Christchurch to once again take on the best.
Merrell/Wigwam placed a creditable third at the Primal Quest Race after leading most of the way but Jones admits the race almost got the better of him on a couple of occasions.
"There were definitely a few of moments during the Primal Quest that I thought this is my last race - but I guess not."
He admits to finishing the event in a pretty bad way but says it was largely due to the heat.
"As I've got older the weeks in between races is more appreciated and although it has only been five weeks, I would prefer an eight week break."
But on August 16 Merrell/Wigwam line up in Hermaven, Sweden with 33 other teams including Nike Powerblast and Golite/Timberland who finished first and second respectively at the Primal Quest.
The competitors will face glaciers, fords and high mountains along the remote border area between Norway and Sweden but, according to Jones, it all sounds a lot better than 45C.
"There is apparently only two hours of darkness over there so I am hoping that will fool us into thinking we don't need as much sleep," Jones said.
He said the glaciers reached down to the ground in some parts of the race.
"As long as it doesn't get too cold at night the race temperature should be pretty good."
This is the second season Merrell/Wigwam have been racing together and Jones reckons the athletes are all well aware of each other's strengths and weaknesses.
"Of course everybody gets tired and sometimes you have to take what one of the team mates say to you with a grain of salt but that's all part of the game."
As the teams specialist navigator, Jones has a lot of responsibility placed squarely on his shoulders during a race.
"About three days before an event starts you have to have pretty much everything figured out.
"What you are going to do at each checkpoint, how much water you are going to carry, your food has to be packed into six-hour bags and the correct equipment needs to be stored but there are still decisions you are forced to make along the way," Jones said.
"The wrong one can cost a few hours."
He says many people still believe adventure racing is a relay event and were not aware team members had to remain within 100m of each other throughout the race.
"You have to be able to get on with the team. At the start of a race you can always pick the teams that will pull out before the end of the event by just watching them interact with each other."
Jones said it was a good team mate that encouraged everyone to eat even if they were not hungry and sleep, even if they did not appear tired.
"I'm hoping we do well at this event and I'm staying positive that my feet will handle it."
After the world event Merrell/Wigwam has another race in Brazil - but not until November.
"I'm looking forward to the break and, at my age, its one race at a time," Jones laughed.
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