I arrived in Cairns last night ready to compete at the Oceana Championships. I am loving the warm and muggy weather as it reminds me of my home town ‘Alice Springs’. I will spend the next 9 day’s here before departing for Delhi on the 30^th.

I competed at the all stars meet in Sydney a week ago. The atmosphere whilst competing was fantastic, definitely put a spring in my step. It had been a long time between races so the first hit out is always a little scary. Although my time was not fantastic this was the first race in a while and I came away with a huge amount of confidence as I was very pleased with most of my race.  I feel very confident and expect dramatic improvements in my next couple of races here at the Oceana Games before departing for Delhi.

I recently made a big decision to quit my job as I was finding it quite difficult being a remedial massage therapist, balancing my training with my work. So decided to prioritize and focus my full attention on training,  at least until the Commonwealth Games are over anyway. So I have been enjoying the past month of being a full time athlete, which has definitely proved to be a great decision as I felt a huge amount of relief and training improved instantly.

Anyway better leave it there for now as my coach ‘Tony Fairweather’ is telling me to get to bed.

Pirrenee Steinert.

I have officially become part of the Commonwealth Games team since I wrote to you last. To my delight I will represent Australia in Delhi as part of the women’s 4x400m relay team.

I have had a fantastic season. I can’t say that it has gone exactly to plan but I am definitely very proud of what I have achieved thus far this season.

After commencing my season with a PB performance of 52.81, I was left feeling very about the season ahead. I was also very optimistic about achieving an A qualifier to earn my own individual 400m spot for the Commonwealth Games.

Due to a few personal reasons, the lead up to Nationals was a real battle and this showed in many of my lead-in races. However, together with my coach, Tony Fairweather, we managed to pull things together and perform when it mattered most.

I was absolutely over the moon with my performance at Nationals. I felt I performed under pressure and produced a new PB of 52.78 taking home the silver medal.

Right now I am back into heavy training and racing the odd 400m here and there to work on my race plan in preparation for the Commonwealth Games and beyond. After an annual performance assessment with my coach we are set to prepare for the upcoming season with plenty to work on in training. The fact that my coach and myself believe that I have a lot to work on is a real confidence boost, as it makes me hopeful of significant improvements J

Although there is still so much athletics to be raced in 2010, I can’t help but be excited for the following season. I am looking forward to breaking up the typical athletic season with a highly anticipated trip overseas. I look forward to experiencing the overseas athletic scene and competition in hopes of inspiration, personal growth and development as an athlete.

I am also busy seeking a financial sponsor for myself so I can afford to be a full time athlete and ensure that I give myself every opportunity to be at my best for the lead up to the London Olympic Games and beyond.

I guess I can say that the experiences both good and bad that I have encountered during my athletic career thus far have served me very well. The Olympic Games is only 2 years away and together with my coach, Tony Fairweather, I intend to prepare myself to the best of my ability during this time. Thanks to all the up’s and down’s from the past I feel I have a pretty clear picture about what exactly I need to do so that I am the best possible athlete that I can be, come the 2012 Olympic Games.

Pirrenee Steinert

2010 NSW CHAMPS WOMEN'S 400M FINAL

I had a great introduction to my racing season with a win in the women’s feature sprint race at the famous Bay Sheffield in SA. The Bay Sheffield is always a great event to be apart of. Having a win in my home town in front of family and friends was amazing.

Steinert

Pirrenee Steinert & Caitlin Willis Berlin World Champs Interviews August 2009

© 2009 The Runner's Tribe, all rights reserved. Published Tuesday August 18, 2009

Brought to you by Edward Ovadia who is in Berlin with official IAAF accreditation covering the championships for Runnerstribe.com

Brought to you by Edward Ovadia who is in Berlin with official IAAF accreditation covering the championships for Runnerstribe.com

The Berlin Olympic Stadium is by far the most impressive I've ever seen.

Everyone knows the story - it's the stadium where the 1936 Olympics were held under Hitler's watchful eye; and where African American athlete Jesse Owens dominated, much to Hitler's distaste. The question of whether Hitler refused to shake Owens' hand or not continues...

But the history aside, it's simply stunning. Being out of the city, it avoided the Allied bombing during World War II, and the original stone stadium remains standing. It was redone for the World Cup, but they cleverly kept much of the original stone where possible, and they have integrated the new and the old brilliantly.

Walking up to the stadium, you're greeted by huge stone pillars, and brick work surrounding the stadium. The steps, much of the stands, and the everything apart from the seats are made of the original stone, in a fashion very reminiscent of the Colosseum.

Then there's the blue track. Sometimes it's nice to be different, and blue suits the stadium so much better than the pale orange we're used to. Sitting next to the green grass just makes it even better, and there's no doubt the colours will make fantastic television.

It's what makes this stadium unique and so different to the others that makes it special. The history, but also the aesthetics make it an inspiring place to be, as an athlete or as a spectator.

 

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'Hills are speedword in disguise '
Frank Shorter

Pirrenee Steinert & Caitlin Willis Berlin World Champs Interviews August 2009

© 2009 The Runner's Tribe, all rights reserved. Published Tuesday August 18, 2009

Brought to you by Edward Ovadia who is in Berlin with official IAAF accreditation covering the championships for Runnerstribe.com

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