When Colin Fennelly announced he was definitely stepping away from inter-county hurling with Kilkenny last year, his wording was unequivocal.
The four-time All-Ireland winner, who had sat out the 2021 campaign, put it succintly in November: "I have had enough."
But given that the 32-year-old remains a key cog in the Ballyhale Shamrocks machine, there's been no hibernation.
Indeed, the heavily-decorated full-forward is going for a sixth AIB All-Ireland club hurling winner's medal - and a three-in-a-row - when he and his team-mates take on Waterford's Ballygunner at Croke Park on Saturday.
But given the decision to step away from inter-county, Fennelly has been benefiting physically from no longer having a twin focus.
"It's a lot more relaxed. I think with county, you're a lot more conscious. We do the same amount of training and the same amount of gym with both Ballyhale and Kilkenny but it's the things outside of it," Fennelly explains to RTÉ Sport.
"You don't have to watch your sleep as much, you don't have to watch your diet as much and it's those small key things.
"I think there's a lot more pressure when it comes to Kilkenny then when you're playing - you think a lot more about it - you get tired and overwhelmed from it all and certainly since I've finished, it has been a lot more relaxed and enjoyable.
"But that's what comes with playing with Kilkenny. You're at the top and you're there to be dragged back down as much as possible from other teams.
"We were at the top for long enough and that time ran out I suppose."
The same goes for Ballyhale when it comes to rivals trying to get the better of them. The reigning All-Ireland champions got to the decider the hard way.
St Rynagh's were only overcome after extra-time in the Leinster semi-final while a superb late goal from a free by the irrepresible TJ Reid edged them past St Thomas in the last-four of the All-Ireland series.
Small details have played a part in pushing them through such as Reid's revelation that soaking his hurl in a bucket of water the previous night gave it more weight and consequently helped him power in that winning free into the Thomas' goal.
"I think TJ goes into a lot more detail than what we would," Fennelly quips to RTÉ Sport.
"Talking to Joey (Holden), he puts vaseline on his boots at the moment so the water doesn't seep in but maybe he just needs to buy a new pair of boots.
"Everyone has their small things but I don't think I look into it as much as the lads do but again, I'm a lot closer to the goal, I don't have to hit the ball as far or do as much as the other lads do. I'm lucky enough that way."
Victory over a Ballygunner side he knows will not give an inch, would be even sweeter for Fennelly and co given it's coming in Ballyhale's 50th anniversary year.
But all that is being put to one side for the next couple of days leading into Saturday's 3pm throw-in.
"Even the last meeting we had with the club, we were just going through the information and just what the club has done and people do ask us how many (All-Ireland's) we've won and it is great and we do encourage to talk about what we've done because that's what we're doing it for, to enjoy it and to relish those moments," says Fennelly.
"But certainly, when you're coming up to another All-Ireland final, you can't focus on it because they're so hard to win and me talking about what we've won in the past or what we've done won't mean anything for Sunday.
"People are talking about the 50th anniversary of the club as well. Again, it's fantastic for the club but again it's not going to win us an All-Ireland final, so our focus is just on that game and everything else is just nice talk in the background."
