Brighter Days - Winter Sun
Some days are just full of hope, good news, happy vibes and make the world seem smaller, full of love and like the good guys might actually win.
It might be the early morning sun on my trip through the park to work. It could be the giant number of endorphins gathered on yesterdays run. It might just be that this Monday is a winner and I'm a stupidly lucky lady. Either way - it's days like this that remind me why you have to keep trying, challenging yourself and putting yourself outside of your comfort zone.
Yesterday, my friend and trainer Vicky helped me through my longest running session.. ever. Not just a "this year" distance, but an "all time ever in my life", longest session of 28km / 18.6 miles. Whatever you want to call it, I managed to get around through a mixture of run, walk, chin wag, coffee break - but all in all, we got around. Am so glad to have made it to this stage and am feeling loads happier and confident that its realistic to be able to reach the full Marathon distance by April.
So last night I was a bit sore, but today I got back on my trusty stead and headed out on the icey cycle path to work. I had a hard but good session with CLC, pushed hard, encouraged and felt good at the end, but one email has brightened up my day, like a lightning bolt dancing around.
I have had an ongoing theory of 'if you don't apply, then you don't get the chance'. Most of the time this just means that you get to sit, wait and hope, then sigh the inevitable sigh, when you read the words "sorry you've not been successful on this occasion".
When the application came back today, with a big old 'YAY!', I had the biggest grin. I re-read the email a few times, to make sure I was actually reading it correctly, then progressing to an O. M. Frickin Gee - the remainder of my day was a bit of blur. Ending with full on singing aloud on the bike ride home, this has been an amazing day and I'm so glad to be in a position where the past year and all efforts I have made to get better, fitter and happier are finally paying off.
So I am very, very pleased to accept a bursary place, on the Winter Training Camp in Girona, this coming January. Organised by the Adventure Syndicate, who describe themselves as an extraordinary group of cyclists who happen to be women, the training camp will be led by Lee Craigie and Emily Chappell for daily rides through the foothills of the Pyrenees.
This is going to be a 100% dream week for me, with massive thanks and extreme grinning. It will come in the 12th month of a really tough year and I am so very grateful of the chance to participate and give a little something back to the team, for enabling me to join them.
Keep pedalling homies - You never know where your journey will take you xx
