I am not a thrill seeker. I usually steer clear of roller coasters, excessive speed and unnecessary risks.

So when I planned to meet Jo Carol Hayes at Maine Indoor Karting in Scarborough, my husband, Jon, asked me if I was going to get in the driver’s seat of a go-kart.

“I doubt it,” I told him.

You can imagine my surprise when I found myself signing a liability waiver and being escorted to a small room to watch a training video. As I listened to the man on the tape go over the proper way to put on a neck brace and helmet, I started to wonder if I had gone temporarily insane. I was going to put myself into a machine that can go up to 40 miles per hour after a training session that lasted a little bit longer than it takes me to pull on my socks and lace up my walking shoes. Still, I was determined to experience it.

My newfound confidence lasted until I got into the waiting area by the track. Had I been able to go directly to the go kart, I would have been fine. However, I had to wait for two heats before I got the “all clear.” I watched as the cars went zooming by, passing each other and taking the turns tightly.

I started to sweat. I rationalized that it was because I was dressed in full racing gear. Deep down, I knew it was nerves. Yet, when my heat was announced, I got into the kart and pulled my helmet visor down. After a few last minute instructions, the green flag came out and the cars in front of me pulled away.

There was no backing out now – mostly because there’s no reverse in a go-kart.

My foot pushed hard on the gas and I immediately banked off the side of the pit. Not the best start, but I righted the cart and headed down the first straightaway.

Within the first 60 seconds of my eight-minute heat, I learned a great deal about go-karting:

• The karts may look small, but they really move! The end of that first straightaway came up awfully fast, which led me to my next lesson.

• Go-karts do not have power steering. I did know this before starting my race, but steering still took a little practice to get down. It’s work to get the kart around the turns. Eight minutes may not seem like a long time, but maneuvering through a nine-turn course by using your arms and body is tiring.

• Go-karting, while fun, is inherently competitive. Whether it’s friendly competition against the other drivers or your own urge to get around the track as fast as possible, even a novice racer like me didn’t like it when other cars passed me. It’s easy to get caught up in the speed and excitement of racing. I was no speed demon but by my last two laps my foot was pushing the gas pedal pretty hard. Then when I hit the curves, the brake got a good workout, too.

For the record, I came in last in my heat and was lapped twice by most of the other karts. I pulled my kart into pit row, praying that I wouldn’t confuse the brake with the gas and hit the kart in front of me.

Once the engine was turned off, I stepped awkwardly out of the car. Jo Carol got out of the car in front of me and turned around.

“Well, Marie?” she asked. “What did you think?”

My hands were shaking, my head ached slightly and the sweat was trickling down my back. I took a deep breath and pulled back my helmet.

“It was great!” I replied. The funny thing was I meant it.