2015: A Year To Remember

Hello again,

So another year has almost come to an end and when I was thinking about writing a blog post to summarise my experiences and adventures in 2015, the saying ~A picture paints a thousand words~ came to mind. 

Here are my a thousand words and then some in the form of pictures. 

British Athletics Cross Challenge-Cardiff

Welsh Cross Country Championships

British Inter-Counties Cross Country Champs

A run along the coast path at St Davids with Dad

The forest tracks in Mid Wales are perfect for 
mountain running training

Buttermere 10 Mile Trail Race

British Athletics Mountain Running Training Camp
in Betws-y-Coed

My last ever Mini London Marathon and with it my highest ever placing: 4th

Luke hitching a ride on a deer

UK Inter-Counties Fell Running Champs

British One Mile Road Championships

Ullswater

A perfect day for a long run

GB Trial for Euro Mountain Running Champs

Natural Swimming Pools at Porto Moniz, Madeira

The Team GB team at the Euro Mountain Running Champs

Junior Girls at Euro Mountain Running Champs, Madeira

On the top of Pen-y-Fan

The view from the summit of Pen-y-Fan

1500m 

A Welsh sunset

A damp hill session in the trees

A speed session

A post-run cool down in the sea

Fish and Chips at the seaside

Another Welsh sunset

GB World Mountain Running Championships trial race

Toby examining my Walsh fell shoes

Team GB at the World Mountain Running Champs

A jog along the sea front in Llandudno

Start line at WMRC

Feeling very tired after finishing 5th at the WMRC in beautiful 
Betws-y-Coed

Team GB junior girls post race at WMRC

Earning team silver at WMRC

One of the best things about mountain running is the amazing people you meet along the way

A very sleepy Toby

A bike ride around the lanes of Mid Wales

Touch-down in Italy

The Walsh PB Elites on tour in Italy

A stone in my shoe, resulting in a very painful and disappointing race

The British Girls at Trofeo Vanoni

The finishers of Trofeo Vanoni in Morbegno

A fab high terrain trail running weekend in the Keswick area

My Dad and I enjoying a long run around the area of Keswick

Fantastic scenery for trail running

Running to the summit through the snow and ice covered bogs during a long run at the trail running weekend

Racing at the British Athletics Cross Challenge in Liverpool

A windy long run around the hills of Mid Wales

A long cycle ride around the Elan Valley Dams

2015 has been a year to remember. A year of many ups and a year of some downs as every path in life should have. A year where many precious memories have been made and a year where I have learnt more about myself and life on this amazing planet that we live. The ups have allowed me to appreciate life through the wonderful experiences that I have had the privilege of being a part of, whilst the downs have also allowed me to fully appreciate the good times when they come along and made me more determined to reach success and whilst being happy along the path that life takes me. 
As always I would like to thank, Norman Walsh UK, The Metropole Hotel and The Ron Pickering Memorial Fund for the support this year.  Without the support, I am sure that 2015 would not have been as rewarding and meaningful.
Furthermore, I would like to give thanks to my family and friends that have made the year memorable by being with me every step of the way. Without you, I would no doubt not be where I am today.

Finally I hope that you had a very Merry Christmas and wish you all a Happy New Year.

2016...

~The best way to predict your future is to create it~ Abraham Lincoln

See you in 2016,
Heidi x

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Summer Round Up and Gallery

Hello again, 

I think that the phrase ~Blink and you'll miss it~ is suitable for this Summer holiday. I cannot believe how fast it has flown by! Now as the Summer activities are nearly over and I have time to blink I thought that I would write a blog post to bring you all up to date with what I have been up to.

Competitions that I have competed in over the Summer:

29th July~Welsh 3000m Track Championships/Cardiff  (1st) 
I was the only athlete in my age group in this race so I was guaranteed the Gold medal but I had a good race with the senior women and finished in 2nd place overall and was just outside my personal best which I set a week earlier.

1st August~Welsh 5km Road Championships/Bryn Bach Parc (1st)
I was looking forward to running this race as I thought that I would be able to run a fast time.  However the wet and windy weather meant that this was not possible but I ran a strong sensibly paced race to overtake the leader in the last 2km and come way with the overall women's win. (Race report here)

15th August~Welsh 800m Championships/Newport (3rd)
This was my first and last 800m race of the 2015 track season and I perhaps expected a bit too much of myself. It was definitely a shock to the system after mainly training for mountain running this Summer. However now that I look back on this race I'm glad that I was quite close to my PB and picked up a bronze medal in a race that I wasn't really training for. The important race was a week later......

22nd August~British Athletics Trial for the World Mountain Running Championships/Betws y Coed (1st)
After winning this race I have now been selected to run as part of a really strong British team at the World Mountain Running Championships held in Betws y Coed on September 19th.  I'm very excited to compete at this event especially as it is a home World Championships and can't wait to see what September brings! (British Athletics report here)

My Summer in pictures:

Selfie with my brother Luke before the Welsh
3000m champs in Cardiff

Homemade yummy bagels 

A fresh pair of Norman Walsh PB Elites after being brought to life
on a hilly run around the hills of Mid Wales

My first and only 1500m of the track season before the Summer
Holidays began

Piano Practice

Sunset @ 9pm on 30/07/15

Toby had that Friday feeling!

A  false start at the start of a 5km
road race at the Welsh Athletics Championships!

Winning the Welsh 5km Road Championships in very wet
and windy Bryn Bach Parc

Amazing views from the summit of Pen y Fan

A bit windy at the summit of Pen y Fan with Dad

Two pairs of Norman Walsh Trainers
at the summit of Pen y Fan...

....and my favourite pair of Norman Walsh
at Swansea Bay

Speed session on that well know
athletics track in Llanyre village

Post run cool off at the Welsh Coast with Luke

Fish and Chips at the seaside

The best sunset of the Summer 

I discovered Heidi Chocolate 

Toby's sunbathing spot was taken over by my Norman
Walsh Fells shoes

800m pain faces

Forest Reflections 

At the GB trial for the World Mountain
Running Championships

And finally...

That's the round up of my 2015 Summer. Looking forward to the next adventure ahead!

~There is no certainty; there is only adventure~ Robert Assagioli

Until next time,

Heidi