While you’re still sleeping or just rising, Burns will probably be in a great deal of pain.

He is competing in the 2010 Warrnambool Foreshore Triathlon.

While the word athlete used to sit nicely next to his name, he virtually has to earn the tag again.

“The last three months I’ve had no formal training at all,” he said.

“I’ve pretty much had the last six months off.

“This is the first time that I haven’t been race fit in the last five years.”

His break started in October before the Melbourne Marathon, which was going to be his first marathon.

“But I never got to do it because I had an infected cut on my foot and a chest infection,” he said.

“Eight months of training went down the crapper.

“I needed a bit of a break though because I lost my motivation a little bit. Now I’m ready to go again.”

While he is ready to go, he doesn’t hold high hopes about Sunday’s triathlon.

“I’ll just be making up the numbers this year,” he said.

“Kris McCartney will win unless he gets a puncture or something.

“Then Travis Greening and Rohan Creed have been training for the iron man, which is six weeks away, so they’re doing some serious ks at the moment.

“I’m just trying to get fit again so I can have a crack (at the Melbourne Marathon) this year.”

The 22-year-old’s first triathlon was in 2005, when he competed in a Gatorade Series race in Sandringham.

“It was pretty painful but I was pretty much hooked,” he said.

“I’ve done four half iron mans and a few half marathons.

“A shorter triathlon hurts more because you’re trying to go faster whereas the half iron mans, you suffer for a long time.”

Burns will need to endure the agony of a 400-metre swim, 18-kilometre ride and five-kilometre run on Sunday.

“Running is my strong point,” he said. “At the moment I’m doing probably 80 to 90 kilometres (a week).

“My training’s been pretty laid back.

“I’ve just been doing a bit of running and some surfing.”

Burns is the vice-president of Warrnambool Triathlon Club.

“This course is probably the best we’ve put together,” he said.

“We’ve got full road closure for the bike leg, which will make it a lot safer and the run leg is a bit more picturesque with the Lake Pertobe rail trail.

“We’re also swimming with the shore on people’s right.

“Most people breathe to their right, so it will make it a bit more enjoyable for the ones who are having a go for the first time and are a bit nervous about the swim.”