It's 7am, dewy and very, very fresh at the running track at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra.
The long day is just beginning for ambitious race walker Rachel Tallent.
"Getting up in the morning is probably the hardest part and then the rest of the day just flows, because I enjoy everything that I do."
But as training progresses, it's good to know even Olympians are human too.
"A lot of whinging today", she laughs.
Tallent walks four mornings a week, runs on most of those evenings and does gym and swimming sessions up to six times a week.
She says the goal is to beat her 20 kilometre personal best time of 91 minutes 32 seconds.
"To be competitive in Rio you've really got to crack that 90 minute barrier. I took almost three minutes off my PB this year at the nationals. We've found a much better training program that suits me personally, so it's just about continuing working on that."
Tallent completes 20 laps of one kilometre intervals and stops for a feedback chat with one of her AIS coaches, former race walker Daniel Coleman.
Over a week, Tallent walks about 85 kilometres as part of her training.
But the session doesn't end there.
Next it's to the gym where she'll do sets of squats with around 60 kilograms of weight on her shoulders.
Growing up on a farm, Rachel was always an active kid - much like her brother, London Olympics gold medallist, Jared.
Coach Coleman says the younger Tallent is no less ambitious.
"Jared's biggest strength is his consistency. Every major championships he's gone to he's been able to perform and you see that in Rachel now. She turned up to national championships and there were a lot of girls there who had the qualifier and were going for that first place but Rachel was the one that held her nerve and came out on top at the end."
Tallent receives considerable support at the AIS but there's no such thing as a free ride.
"You've met Rhys but my name is Rachel, I'm going to be one of your tour guides as well ...."
Tallent works at the AIS tours office and is leading a group of visitors to the institute through one of its many training facilities.
She also works in the physio department.
It's a busy life, Tallent quips, with a single goal.
"To crack that 90 minute barrier would be probably a dream come true. It would mean that I put everything out there and tried my best."
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