It's not what you expect to see in the backblocks of Moorooduc on the Mornington Peninsula. Slowly, Australian athletics' golden girl picks herself up, finds her feet and lifts her head. Her face lights up with a smile, Gary Ablett having just pushed her to a new personal best.
"Well done,'' Jana Pittman gasps. ``It's great to have someone to run with.''
The Moorooduc hills are the hardest session on Pittman's intensive training program and come around every three weeks.
The young Cats were invited by Pittman's coach Phil King to experience the pain of training that goes into being the best in the world.
"She spewed seven times last time she did them,'' King says to the boys when they arrive.
"She absolutely hates it - it's diabolical for blowing your body apart.''
Before the August world titles, Pittman named them the Pechonkina Hills, after the Russian hurdler who loomed as her toughest rival.
When the golden girl first arrives yesterday, there is an exchange of glances between the players.
The normally bubbly 21-year-old is all business. There is no chit-chat.
Her focus is on the task ahead and three goals - the Australian record, world record and Olympic gold medal.
King says she treats the session like a battle, the hills her bush torture chamber.
"She should lighten up afterwards,'' he says.
The hills are two dirt roads leading off a T-intersection.
The hardest one is deceptive because it is more of a gradual climb, but after walking up it, the boys know they are in for a tough run.
King says the Cats are among few outsiders to experience the pain of the hills.
They are the same hills where he trained his wife, Debbie Flintoff-King, before she won the Olympic gold in Seoul in 1988.
"I hope it helps them to become great athletes in their own right,'' he says.
After being organised into groups, the sprinting begins.
Ablett just pushes ahead of Pittman to come home in 52 seconds.
Joel Corey, Steve Johnson and James Kelly also pass the world champion.
Nearby, King nods in admiration.
"That was a sensational run,'' he says. ``I expected them to beat Jana, but that was great.''
Pittman says she is a bit embarrassed, she doesn't like to be beaten.
"Some of the guys were the same speed as me which was great because I usually train on my own or with people that run faster than me,'' she says.
"They really pushed me along.''
After the four gut-wrenching 350m sprints up the hills, the boys gather together, a little light-headed.
Ablett shies away from the cameras to do some stretches.
"I guess I wanted to beat her,'' he says afterwards.
"But after that second run I thought `What did you do that for?', because I had pushed myself to the limit and had two more runs to do.''
Kelly says Pittman's training regime is inspirational.
"It has made me realise that if we want to catch up to teams like the Brisbane Lions, we have to raise the bar,'' he says.
