ULTRA DISTANCE runner Natasha Fraser has never felt better.
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The Ballarat athlete will represent Australia next month as she returns for another go at the IAU 50 kilometre World Championship in Doha, Qatar.
Fraser managed to finish just outside the top 10 in the same event last year, despite suffering leg cramps as a result of extreme temperature.
Fortunately for this year’s runners, the race has been pushed back to December 4, allowing for cooler conditions.
Fresh and ready to go, Fraser believes she now has no excuses.
"I’m feeling fitter than I have ever felt,” Fraser says.
“It's perfect, really, going over there (Doha) at this time of year. The change of month is fantastic – basically it is their winter.”
Since Doha last year, Fraser has made significant changes to how she prepares.
Part of that was securing running coach Stephen McMahon, who is the husband of Fraser’s physiotherapist Kylie.
The results so far have been very encouraging.
At the Melbourne Half-Marathon in October, Fraser took five minutes off her personal best, recording a time of 83 minutes and two seconds for the 21.1km race.
Recently, she completed her final block of high mileage training - up to 140km per week - which included an eight-lap, 40km circuit of Ballarat’s Victoria Park.
The determined athlete claims she is far too stubborn to not push herself to the limit.
“Once I decide that I’m going to do something, I always follow through,” Fraser says.
“When you are given the opportunity to represent your country, you never back down.”
It’s been a long journey for Fraser, who turned to running when she was bullied out of high school.
She reveals that running was her saving grace.
“I lost all my confidence. I drank, I smoked – basically anything I could do to hurt myself.
“Running showed me how to rebuild my life. It showed me that life was worth living.”
Fraser will leave for Doha next Monday.