Well, that’s that. As soon as it began the fun winter series of 5 races has come to an end. The time has certainly gone by in quite the flash!

Reflecting on the last of the CityTrail series in Lublin, there’s a feeling of mixed emotions.

On the one hand, I’m really sad that it’s over.

The CityTrail races were so well-organised, with a fantastic atmosphere and a great community of runners, (even if it’s incredibly difficult to think about speaking in Polish when you’re shattered running!). It’s always bittersweet when something you’ve looked forward to and enjoyed so much comes to an end.

On the other hand, there’s a feeling of determination and motivation.

For sure, I didn’t achieve all the goals I had set for myself, I know that I gave it my all on the race days but the inconsistency in training, makes me feel a little bit like I’ve let myself down. There were some challenges along the way, including outside influences (a combination of the whole life thing plus a bunch of illnesses) that affected my performance, but I didn’t let that stop me from giving it my best shot. I know I wanted to PB over 5km but it wasn’t to be.

Who knew kids could bring so many germs?

Yesterday’s race was definitely the hardest of the four that I managed to make it to (with only one missed due to being stuck in a snowstorm on the motorway). But I pushed through, and I’m grateful for the experience. It’s moments like these that remind me why I love running so much – it’s not just about the physical challenge, but also the mental toughness and resilience that it builds.

Whilst the winter has been incredibly inconsistent, there were definitely some highlights. Despite the weather, I do really enjoy running in the snow.

There was also a little treat in getting to go for an early morning run on the streets of the old town of Istanbul, being there only for a very short while, it was a great way to get out and see at least some of the sights!

We’ve now had a couple of days in double figures, which means, spring is springing and running just starts to feel a little nicer.

That means, now, it’s time for us as a team to look ahead, we’re excited for what’s to come. Yeah, we can’t wait to be back at the CityTrail series next year, and we’re already thinking about how we can improve performance. The big change will be that maybe the kids might come along – who knows, maybe they’ll catch the running bug too!

But for now, it’s time to focus on health and well-being. A combination of spending time with TrainAsOne and fighting tooth and claw for some consistency needs to come together if we want to tackle the Warsaw Marathon in just 28 weeks. There are a few other little things in between that we’re working towards too.

So we’ll be putting in the work, trying to stay disciplined, and stay motivated.

We’re ready to take on this challenge, and looking forward to sharing the journey with all of you.

Let’s do this! 💪🏃‍♀️🏅