This week, FAST Running returned to Australia’s fastest track — the iconic AIS — for a session unlike any other: time trials with purpose.
But this wasn’t a race.
It wasn’t about medals.
And it definitely wasn’t about beating someone else.
It was about each athlete meeting themselves on the track.
5 Degrees and Focused
With the mercury barely pushing 5°C, this wasn’t your average training night. But at FAST, we know that great outcomes come from great preparation — so we extended our warm-up with extra movement drills, progressive activations, and layer-upon-layer of cold-weather gear to protect hamstrings and mindset alike.
You don’t chase personal bests by being casual about the cold.
You earn the right to run — and our squad did exactly that.
Not Racing. Just Measuring.
For some athletes — like Florence, who hadn’t time-trialled or raced in years — the AIS session was a stepping stone into the more serious end of track and field. It was less about proving something and more about learning something:
Where am I right now?
What are my cues under pressure?
How does my body respond when the lights are on?
For others, it was a mid-winter checkpoint. A moment to see whether the strength, bounding, and sprint mechanics from the off-season are translating into speed and rhythm.
Why We Do Time Trials
Time trials aren’t just about the stopwatch. They’re a powerful tool to:
- Assess technical progress under semi-pressure
- Refocus training goals with real data
- Build competition readiness without the emotional overload of a race
- Rehearse race-day habits: warm-up, call room prep, mindset shifts
Each athlete walked away with honest insight and a clearer idea of what comes next.
Start Where You Are
The biggest takeaway? Everyone starts somewhere.
You don’t have to be “race fit” to step on the track. You just have to be curious, coachable, and willing to reflect.
At FAST, we’re not just building sprinters — we’re building awareness, resilience, and a relationship with performance that lasts. Our AIS time trials weren’t the finish line. They were the first checkpoint.
“Track and field can be intimidating, especially when you haven’t competed in a while,” Brendan said, “but this felt like it was for me. Just me. Not anyone else.”
That’s the power of a good time trial: it shows you where you are without judgment — and opens the door to where you could be.
Back to Work
With personal benchmarks now set, our athletes return to training with sharper focus and fresh motivation. The track gave us answers — now it’s time to do something with them.
Here’s to speed, self-awareness, and the next time we line up.
— FAST Running | #RunningExcellence | #OwnYourTrack
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