NATASHA Fraser is considering introducing new elements to her training as an ultra marathon runner.
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The changes are aimed at having her in peak condition for the 50km World Trophy Final under lights in Doha, Qatar, later this year.
As well as expecting to have to cope with hotter conditions than she is accustomed to in Ballarat, Fraser will also have to change her body clock to be ready for an evening event.
“I usually train in the morning.
“I’ll have to do more training at end of the day,” she said.
“And I will need to do some acclimatising.”
This will be the second time she has contested the world 50km event.
She finished eighth in Italy two years ago after winning the Australian title.
Fraser, 26, automatically qualified for the world cup when she completed back-to-back national open women’s 50km ultra titles in Sydney in September.
“I’m pretty stoked,” Fraser said in relation to the announcement that Qatar would be the venue for the world event.
“It’s going to be an awesome experience.”
Although the Qatar trip is not until September-October, Fraser is already getting the miles into her legs in readiness.
She showed she was on track by taking out a 43km marathon from Walhalla to the summit of Mt Baw Baw, passing over several peaks, as part of the Brooks Trail Run Festival at the weekend.
Fraser also won a 1.4km uphill event to be crowned “Queen of the Mountain” .
She said it was the first time she had tackled the marathon, which took competitors along narrow bush tracks and regularly over fallen trees in a steeplechase-like event.
As well as win the women’s division, she was sixth overall in five hours, six minutes.
“It was very different.
“I really enjoyed it. The scenery was spectacular.”
Having already contested the Two Bays Trail Run 56km ultra marathon between Dromana and Cape Schanck in January, Fraser might only contest one more major event before Qatar, the Great Ocean Road Marathon in May.