Black Friday? Spare a thought for a trio of South Otago athletes and others taking part in one of New Zealand's most gruelling events today.
Jolene Barclay, Craig Gordon and Simon Cullen will break new ground when they contest the epic 244km two-day journey across the mainland in the annual Coast to Coast.
Barclay and Gordon are racing the inaugural tandem section, while Cullen, contesting the event for the first time, will compete for a two-day individual title.
The trio will rest tonight in the remoteness of Klondyke Corner, before resuming tomorrow on their way to the finish at New Brighton Beach.
Barclay will have partner Shane Heka and teenage son Bailey Heka as members of her support crew.
Meanwhile, Gordon had little time to celebrate his fourth wedding anniversary yesterday, as he headed for Kumara.
Barclay and Gordon agreed that, as they had the support of their respective partners throughout the year, Valentine's Day was just another day.
''What more could I ask for than to have Shane support me in this?'' Barclay said.
''I couldn't do this without Shane's time and patience.''
Gordon (36), a Balclutha police constable, will compete in the Coast to Coast for a sixth time.
Barclay (34), a Balclutha kindergarten teacher, will make a second visit after finishing second in the two-day women's team section with Geraldine Duncan last year.
For Barclay, the opportunity to contest the new tandem section was too good an opportunity to turn down, as she needs to conquer some demons, particularly the 33km alpine run and 70km paddle down the Waimakariri River.
Juggling work and family commitments, Barclay and Gordon trained throughout last winter.
They and Cullen (33), a farmer, all committed to the event in November.
''Being single gives me more time for training,'' Cullen joked.
The introduction of a tandem team section was too good an opportunity for Barclay and Gordon to miss, with Gordon in particular seeing the merits that such a section will provide in the event.
''It's a great idea. It keeps people like Jolene in the game and creates an opportunity to compete alongside someone to gain the confidence to carry on and do it one day as an individual,'' he said.
Gordon views the tandem section as a possible introduction for young athletes to get involved in the Coast to Coast.
The event required sacrifices in regards to training and forward planning, he said.
''I come from the Steve Gurney school of logic with it,'' Gordon said.
''Prior planning prevents p...-poor performance.''
With this in mind, Gordon and Barclay have teamed up with Cullen and combined their support crews into one group for added assistance at the crucial transition points.
Although all three have familiarised themselves with the course, all agree that it is always an ''on the day thing'' and you have to expect the unexpected.
Gordon said the key to competing in tandem was communication.
''We're each going to hurt at some stage. So it's a matter of pulling one another through it.''
