End of 2021

 I know some people have really suffered during Covid but for me it has been about making the best of what we can do. I have missed my ski holidays and would love to visit family in Australia and New Zealand but in the meantime.... Also life is what you make it! Go out and seek adventure- locally or afar, cherish what you have and those around you. I have loved seeing more of family in the UK and really loved becoming and Gran ma.

Review of the year... Managed lots of indoor climbing- Stockport and now Preston Wall is back open.

All sorts of new challenges= Frozen Accumulator in January (left me a bit broken), Dales Skyline backwards (a wonderful day out)

, Brennand Watershed (solitary exploring and seeing nobody for hours), Turfing on a bike in February and managing 1st in UK/3rd in World,

recently our first turf event and now also planning one. Street O returned and so far 5 events and back in pubs for the social part.

I enjoyed a wonderful day on Lady Anne's Way for my 60th birthday- great support from Bob and Chris allowing me to complete the 100 miles in under 24hrs. An escape to France and Italy for the summer in the van- lots of climbing in the sun, my first big fall, two long races with podiums- GRP and TOR.

Runfurther had a race series and we only lost two races in the end- I ran at The Spire, Lakeland 5 Passes, Pennine 39, 3Towers Ultra virtual, Round Rotherham, Yorkshire Trod. Also races Lakeland 100 and LM42.

Lots of podiums and PBs. It has not all been perfect but looking at the positives makes me happy.

Strava stats are interesting too. I never do much to a plan except where I have entered a race or decided to do a challenge. I run when I want to and that's it as far as training goes.

Strange to see cycling as my top sport but I guess that is down to the hours that I bike turfed in February and also quite a few rides since both turfing and around the Fylde with Bob. No surprise that longest race and that with most elevation was TOR.

I spent 283 days active- not sure what I did on the remainder or whether I just forgot to log anything. September was my month with fewest active days but I did little leading up to the TOR and not much immediately after it either.

Total distance was over 11,000km but it seems to combine bike, run etc. Total elevation was 146,392m but again think this is bike and run- although most of my biking is fairly flat so running will have added most of this.

Total time was 1433 hours with March having the highest total. 103 climbing activities logged., 293 rides and 741 on foot/runs.

Last race of the year was the fabulous Tour de Helvellyn. It never disappoints and this year the weather was kind. As usual we travelled up the night before and as Bob was helping we were lucky enough to park on site. A quick chat and registration on Friday evening saw me retire to the van for food and an early bed. It was cold with all vehicles coated in frost by morning. My guts woke me early but after a few chilly visits to the portaloo I felt OK.

This race doesn't have a mass start so after a quick kit check I was good to go. I had tried to leave early enough to maximise the daylight but late enough that the Patterdale CP would be open. As I set off up the lane out of the village it was light enough not to need my torch. As I crossed Askham Common the sunrise was superb and the moon was still up too. There were amazing temperature inversions for much of the morning.

The ground was mixed with some bits a bit firm but no ice in the places I dreaded it like Boredale and then the steps down to Side Farm. I am slow enough on those in good conditions and right wuss if it is icy. A quick panic when I couldn't see the CP at Side Farm was soon sorted as I rounded the corner and spotted a tent on the track. It must have opened early as I only passed one early starter a long way up towards Bell Cottage. I should have stopped to take a pic of the mist over Ullswater but was in race mode. I had a lovely surprise in the village as I met Carmine just as he was about to take his accordion up Helvellyn for a winter carol sing a long. It wasn't long before I arrived at Stu's bridge and headed off to Sticks Pass. No snow this year and no rain either. Faster men were now starting to come past and I was able to shout well done to Caspar, Lawrence and others. A nice grassy descent lured me into faster running and then a face plant! Luckily no harm done although no doubt it amused Andy F who was just behind me. I was slower down the steep bit and then along the rock strewn path towards Swirls car park very slow with the sun in my eyes. It gave me a chance to chat to Matt before he blasted off once we hit the forest track. I grabbed food from my drop bag at Swirls and jogged off eating along the track. I knew I would need energy for the climb up to Grisedale Tarn.

Raise beck was easily crossed and climbed although I did feel very sorry for John Bamber aka Santa sitting in the cold shade there. A silly mistake a loss of concentration saw me on a higher trod than necessary and I then had to drop to the tarn outlet. I then made a good decision though and went down the grassy trod in the valley- for me this is much more runnable and faster than the pain rocky path. I was soon back in Patterdale and stomping back up to Boredale Hause.

I made it down the other side without mishap and although the lane had some icy patches it wasn't bad that early in the afternoon. Up until now I had been first lady but I knew it wouldn't last. The faster ones who had started later came past me just before Martindale. I managed a quick chat with Cat before she trotted on. Kirsty also appeared and was not going much faster than me. In the end we sort of ran together with each of us pushing the other to keep up the pace and me shouting directions as I knew the way. It pulled me along nicely and it was good to be of help. The run back across the common is a favourite of mine and Lowther Castle was soon in site. Rory came past me like a train as we dropped off the fell- he will have started ages after me.

It was my 5th T de H and I realised I could get a PB (not bad at 60). It pushed me to race hard over those last few miles and the reward was 7hrs 41 A great way to end the year. Lots of soup, bread, cake, tea, coffee and beer followed and many chats with friends.