New Year Reflections....

So like most I am sitting down on December 31st reflecting on the end of the year.. well what can I say about 2021?...

Well in a lot of ways this has been a momentous year... by this time last year no one had been vaccinated against Covid19, and now as we enter 2022 most of us have not only had 2 jabs, but a booster as well.. However the fight rages on..

As I write this blog my middle son Nick is isolating after testing positive for Covid a couple days ago, thankfully he has not been too poorly with it, and for that I am so grateful as he has only had 1 jab.

Covid aside, This year has been momentous in many other ways. My first born Julien has gone to Uni and is loving it, he is currently studying Maths at Warwick University and my second son Nick is doing an apprenticeship in carpentry and Is working harder than any boy I know at 16.. 40 hour weeks labouring hard and loving it... I am proud beyond words of these two boys who are now men, they have both come so far on their own journey and have grown into incredible young men who when I talk about them I can't help but beam with pride. Pride aside, Let me tell you that the anxiety that has come with the growth of my older two children and what it means to let them out in the world and trust them to be safe and remember who they are and who they have been brought up to be is the hardest thing I have ever done..

As you might already know I finally managed to accomplish a goal that felt like a bloody long time coming.. See previous post about my ultimate race.. Ironman Austria. This time last year I was regrouping from the disappointment of not becoming an Ironman in 2020 and looking at starting the training again. All that hard work and sacrifice finally paid off though and we smashed this goal and did it with a massive smile!!! I leave 2021 an Ironman.

In addition to Ironman I also managed to take part in a few other events. Outlaw Holkham middle distance Triathlon, which was a very tough day in the office and a lot of lessons learned.. swiftly followed by Yateley 10km a mere 3 days later... It hurt!

I did Endure 24 where I ran 20 miles in 24 hours, and got to do it with some amazing people but best of all my littlest two, George and Lauren came with me for the weekend and we made some special memories!

Speaking of amazing things George and Lauren accomplished, the two of them absolutely amazed me and their Dad when they climbed the whole of Scafell Pike in the Lake District this year.. this was no mean feat by any stretch for two kids aged 7 and 9 climbing the highest peak in England at a elevation 978m!!!

Now as you may already know about me, I do not come from a swimming background, in fact I only learned how to swim for my first triathlon, a small local triathlon called the Try a Tri. So having said that this year saw me swim my furthest ever distance at the Henley Half Marathon swim which was 5km of constant swimming in the River Thames. It was a great event, and actually enjoyed it!!

I completed the Red Bull time laps, a 24 hour relay race with 3 other badass female athletes in some of the worst weather conditions you can ever imagine.. but we laughed in the face of nature and came in at second place overall female team which is phenomenal and I am so proud of us especially as the only all female team at the event! (other competitors were competing virtually... don't even get me started on that!)

Finally before a well anticipated rest I ran the Virtual Boston Marathon while I was in Canada, you can also read all about this eventful Marathon.. it was definately one I won't forget in a hurry.. and for all the wrong reasons...

All in all not too bad for a year where we were locked down for the First half...

So what does 2022 hold? Well I am completing my Triathlon coaching qualification with Ironman University, with the view of supporting others to their triathlon or fitness goals whatever that might be.. I am also doing my Level 4 qualification in Nutrition, which will add another element of the support I can provide to those who might want a hand with their nutrition be it weight loss goals, fitness goals or all the things in between! I am so excited about these because I myself have started from absolute ground zero on both of these fronts, and so If someone can benefit from my journey and I can help them on theirs, then that is all the more worth it!

In terms of race goals, I have decided to take a step back this coming year and focus on middle distance and less in terms of triathlon.

As a family we have some things going on which require my attention and presence here at home, which unfortunately Ironman training does not lend itself to when your juggling children with additional needs whilst also navigating full time work.

It was a hard call and required a lot of soul searching and honesty with myself. I spoke it through with my coach, and husband and although both were supportive of me trying to still complete another full distance this year as I had already agreed to do The full Lakesman Tri in June, when it came down to it it just wasn't the right time for my Family and I had to be brutally honest with myself and admit when it was time to take a step back to ensure that I was here which is where I need to be right now. At least with the middle distance training, I can still do what I love, stay fit and healthy both physically and mentally but I will be here to help manage the increasing needs of my children and help them navigate things that are challenging them and us right now. Sometimes the events we train for aren't the hard part, sometimes the hard part is not doing the things we want to do for those we love.

So having said that I have set my sights on Outlaw Nottingham middle distance in May, Prudential Ride 100.. New course.. Very exciting!! and Ironman 70.3 Weymouth, which will be my first sea swim event... so very scary, but super excited for another challenge!!

As Ever I wish whoever has read this and continues to follow and support me all the health and happiness as we go into this New year!

*When the coaching goes live I will post more here.. so for anyone who is interested make sure you drop me a line either on here or on any platform we might have each other and let me know what you would like so I can compile a list and contact you as and when all is live. I intend to keep a small client list so as to not compromise myself or the support I can give to my athletes.. *