Starting the new year as I mean to go on...

It's New Years Eve 2019, just a few hours away from the beginning of a new decade and almost my 50th Birthday! 😳

Social media is filled with posts today about the 10 year challenge, showing pictures of people at the beginning and end of this decade; overweight vs slimmer, more hair vs receding hairline, dark hair vs grey hair, unfit vs fit... well I pretty much cover all of those - apart from the receding hairline!! 🤣

A lot has changed for me over the last 10 years, I've gone from spending every weekend out with my bow shooting at unmarked 3D field archery events, which has taken me all over the UK, as well as abroad shooting at Internationals, to spending all my free time mountain biking. 

I can't get enough of being outdoors and the forest has always been a magical place for me whether it's shooting a bow over unmarked distances at 3D animals or riding my mountain bike, walking my dogs and generally getting muddy!

The biggest difference for me from 2010 to now is my fitness, eating habits and being healthy, inside and out.  I take my fitness and nutrition very seriously these days and am proud of what I have achieved this year with weight loss through the Ketogenic lifestyle, mountain bike training and being more focused, both mentally and physically.

In my job supporting those affected by brain injury, I've run Mindful Meditation and Wellbeing workshops and have tried to change my mindset for the better, removing as much negativity from my life as possible, being more self aware and I will work hard to continue that in 2020 and beyond.

The new year will see me racing Enduro and some Endurance XC for the first time as part of Sherwood Pines Cycles Team and I already have a number of races booked.

1st March - Cannock Winter Classic XC
29th March - PMBA Enduro round 1 at Gisburn
16-17th May - Boltby Bash Enduro 
20-21 June - Mountain Mayhem 12 hour night race (solo)
6th September - PMBA Enduro round 5 Kirroughtree
18th October - Hopetech Womens Enduro Gisburn 


I have a few other 'maybe's on the radar, depending on money and whether I can find someone to share driving with etc.

29-31st May - Tweedlove Enduro, Scotland 

I may try and do some of the Southern Enduro series and some mini downhill events as Forest of Dean etc.

As well as the racing, I will continue to train using the MTB Fitness program, I am currently following the 12 week plan but there is also an Advanced 16 week plan. Training consists of weekly weights sessions, indoor interval sessions on my Proform TDF 5.0 bike using Zwift.

I am returning to commuting to work on my hardtail, which I plan to convert to a singlespeed! It's only 6.5 miles to work with a little bit of elevation but every second in the saddle is time well spent and I'd much rather be riding in than sat in the car in traffic every day 😖

So 2020 is full of exciting stuff, lots of bike time, lots of fun out on the trails with my hubby, lots of focus and hard work.

Happy New Year 🤘

It's been a while...

I am officially rubbish at blogging!

I haven't updated this blog since July 2018 I think? Not because there hasn't been anything interesting happening but because I thought no one was interested in an overweight slightly unfit nearly 50 something woman, mucking about on a mountain bike (falling off quite a lot too) and doing the odd obstacle race.

However, that's changed, considerably actually! 

2019 has been a pretty awesome year, discovering the Ketogenic lifestyle 5 months ago, and in doing so losing a ton of weight (not literally) becoming fat adapted so I have loads of consistent energy on the bike, no more peaks and crashes from sugars and carbs which has made a massive difference to my riding.

Buying a bloody awesome mountain bike in the summer, a 2019 Intense Primer Expert 29er, a huge investment for me and going up a frame size, going over to a carbon frame, it really is the dogs danglies and has taken my riding to a new level, faster, more confident!

Finally biting the bullet this year and entering the Hopetech Women Enduro where I discovered my mojo, which just happened to be hiding in a bush in Gisburn Forest...  

I had soooooo much fun, pushed myself way out of my comfort zone, loved every minute and wanted to do more so off the back of all of that, I've signed up to a few Enduro and XC events in 2020 - more about that soon.

As it happens, I turn 50 in 2 weeks and I decided a few weeks ago that turning 50 warrants me going out in 2020 and giving it a shitload of GNAR 🤘 on my fabulous new bike and newly found fitness and mojo.

And here's the best bit, I've joined the Sherwood Pines Cycles Race Team💚🖤 representing the team in the Grand Veteran Women's class (under British Cycling), which is pretty cool eh!

So given everything that's going to happen in 2020 it made sense to revive this blog and who knows, someone might actually read this now 😊