A Little Life Update | Autumn ’22

Well, Happy New Year everyone! I was sat here wondering when I’m due to write my Winter 2023 update when I realised I started but never finished my Autumn 2022 update. I have no idea where the time went…

In my previous lil life update, I spoke about feeling like I was ‘on the road to burnout’. However, I realised that really, there was a deeper issue than just work and overwhelm; I just didn’t feel ‘right’… at all. In those moments, I made a decision to make sure I got the help and support I needed, and not to wait for a New Year before taking action.

I’m gonna fill you in on all that stuff in due course, as I dive into female physiology, hormones and training a bit more on the blog.

But in the meantime, go grab a cuppa and a few biscuits, let’s catch up?!

Running

I had a really great Autumn of running to be honest. I trained pretty well for Royal Parks Half Marathon at the start of October which included a short trip up to Inverness to run the Loch Ness 10k. After the half marathon though, I needed a lot more rest than I had imagined I would.

So I focused on recovery, then on building back up while thinking about what I wanted to achieve for my personal running goals in 2023. During November I took part in Running For Justice with my fellow adidas runners LDN coaches where between us we ran 10k every day for 30 days.

“As an inclusive community it is important for us as coaches and captains to outwardly show that we are fighting for the rights of our community and wider by leading by example and having open discussions around racial injustice topics.” 

Coach Deo

I contributed 3 runs to the month (after a holiday in the first half of November) and decided that when I’m back on form (in 2023) I’d love to contribute on my own.

I also made it my goal to complete the Leadership in Running Fitness course before the end of the year, which I had started in April of 2022. I managed to film the content I needed with the help of a fellow coach and submit it, in time to even get my registration card before the New Year.

Then on the very last day of 2022, I completed my 50th parkrun – one of my 2022 goals – and my most active parkrun year with 25 events attended in total.

Ideas For 2023 Running Goals

As it’s January, I might as well start thinking about what I would like to achieve over the course of the year. As well as potentially taking part in Running For Justice again, here are some more things I’m considering:

• consistent weekly mileage (10mile average weeks in January / February)
• train for a 5km / parkrun pb
• hit 25x volunteering at parkrun
• complete the Coach in Running Fitness qualification

Cycling

Autumn meant the return of our chilled out indoor Zwift meet-ups on Saturday mornings which have either served as my workout for the day or been the perfect post parkrun cool-down and catch up with friends.

In November, my Cycling UK’s 100 Women in Cycling 2022 feature went live. I was really excited to share that (and did prematurely share in my previous life update, oops) – I’m in the Cycle Influencer category. My Beyond CC Co-Founder, Alison Wood, is also featured in the Community Champion category along side 98 other women doing their bit in the world of cycling.

News also broke this month (January) that the one stop shop for women’s cycling – VeloVixen – is no more. The news honestly hit me hard; VeloVixen have been a big part of my journey on two wheels since we discovered each other in 2014.

I really hope to see the business come back in some shape or form, and I know this isn’t a goodbye to Liz and Phil, more a ‘see you later’. The picture below is from one of the many photoshoots I did with VeloVixen over the past couple of years.

2023 Cycling Goals Ideas

Here are some cycling specific goals I’d like to achieve in 2023:

• ride abroad (Mallorca, Costa Brava / Girona or Lanzarote)
• complete level 2 roach cycling coach award
• complete RideLondon 100
• PB my 10mile time trial time
• training for the 2023 cyclocross season over the summer
• lead 8 Breeze rides

RECENT FEATURES:

• I wrote a piece about warming up for issue two of the official parkrun magazine. You can pick up a free copy from your local event or pay postage and have one shipped directly from the parkrun website.

What’s Coming Up?

Although I’ve started the year with my traditional cold, I’ve committed to RED January. However, I’m not running everyday; I’m focusing on some movement or active recovery especially while I’m feeling under the weather.

Other than that, I’ll be firming up my goals for the year as shared above and taking action to make them happen.

How was your end of 2022?! Any exciting plans coming up over the next few months?!

Make sure you hang out at the Smoothie Bar with me; join my email list below for more behind the scenes updates.

Elle