#newyearnewme..#newchallenges..

January has been hard! It has been tough to go out running, I could say it was the dark evenings but the evenings were dark in December too and didn't bother me as much. The group meets every Monday evening and for the first time ever I have been tempted to ring and not go, or I'm hoping everyone else feels the same way and we skip that week . But we don't and we head out.. Also, what's annoying me is my legs are heavy they won't lift off the ground and my pace is gone back.. but that's it moan over. I am looking at it as a temporary blip and looking forward to longer brighter evenings..

To counteract these dark evenings,  we have been meeting on Saturday mornings the girls do Cardiac Hill in the Killarney National Park these steps are high, get the heart rate going and the views are breathtaking as you go up and at the top (see below). Also, there is a nice trail run on the way down. 

I have been taking advantage of these mornings by getting a bit of a run in and doing the Torc steps which are tough,  #naturesstairmaster as I fondly refer to them but not as steep or high up in the mountain.. It keeps me sane and I look forward to the coffee and chat afterwards. #Smallpleasures. (2015 is a big hashtag year)..

the girls are somewhere at the top!!

The first run of the year is nearly here,  I am looking forward to doing the  local 10K 'Run for our Angels' on the 8th February, I say looking forward to...what I really mean is I will be doing it while trying not to let the panic of running in a crowd or race consume me. But I know the route well enough so the plan is to smile and enjoy..

For those that have looked at this blog before, you will have read about Brenda Doody an amazing woman who I met in January 2013. During 2014, her family had to deal with a serious illness but in 2015, she has set a goal to run 12 marathons in 8 months throughout Ireland, which just writing it seems incredulous, you can follow her journey while she marathons around Ireland on her blog http://brendasmercymarathonchallenge.blogspot.com.

Truely inspirational.

Bernie will be doing one or two of the marathons with Brenda, one or two of the other girls might do one marathon, (ANNA... nudge, nudge...).  There's also talk of a relay marathon which I maybe a part of, if not I will be cheering, supporting and doing anything I can to help them achieve their goals. #2015Bringiton..