We did it. We made it. We survived 2020, but what a rollercoaster it was.

January seems like a century ago, but I thought I’d do a quick round-up of what went on this year. Nevertheless, 2020 wasn’t a year for achievements, but a year for looking what we have around us and getting through each day. If you’ve been around my blog a while, you’ll know it’s more of an open journal that I can look back on, so that’s all this blog post will be. Maybe it will give you something to read since we’re all stuck at home this New Year’s Eve.

Mallorca at the start of a Pandemic

In March I found myself on a plane to Mallorca. I was a plus one to RAF Cycling’s annual training camp. I’d not exactly trained, but was excited to be back on the open roads around Puerto Pollenca. Cycling crazy mileage daily and soaking up the rays. Not having been back to Mallorca since Ryan had to stop cycling, there were a few tears at the top of Sa Callobra, but it meant a lot to get up the climb again surrounded by so many amazing people. We quickly realised we’d never get a holiday like that again in Mallorca as with what was about to kick off in the world meant many holiday makers never got there. It’s a holiday for the memory vault that’s for sure. I pushed myself beyond what I thought was possible, but more about that in Surviving my First Training Camp.

I mean, I also want to remember how competitive I got with some German’s at Bingo. Lucy was getting that Prosecco, even if I had to show ID to actually get it.

House Move in Lockdown

We thought 2020 would be the perfect year to move house, and looking back now it was. However, at the time it was beyond stressful with solicitors not wanting to do their job but still wanting to get paid. Moving was still a godsend as our new house made lockdown so much easier. We’ve found our ‘forever home’ so I’m loving making it more cosy one room at a time. I think it’s what they call ‘adulthood’ now I’m getting excited about the delivery of things like tumble dryers and vacuum cleaners…ha.

Building Ventilators

It’s where my blog writing started to take a bit of a back seat I think. The pandemic wasn’t showing any signs of easing and I was working 12 hour shifts making ventilators instead of aeroplanes. I only did it for a month, where as others were doing it for much longer. It was a humbling thing to have done and something I hope the country never finds itself having to do again. So we’ll just keep washing our hands and hope for the best.

He Put A Ring On It

I mean…I can’t really not highlight this can I. Ryan put a ring on it. Ha. It caught me completely off guard and I’ve already gone into turbo wedding organisation mode aha. But let’s face it, I’ve had it planned since I was about 16 when I was a Wedding Photographer Assistant. I’ve seen more Weddings than the average 24 year old haha.

Paddleboarding on my Birthday

Something that’s been on my bucket list for a while, I went paddle boarding with XT-SUP. It was everything I thought it was, despite highlighting just how many little muscles there are in my legs and core ha. Fingers crossed it’s not too long till I can get back on the water.

My First 100 Miles

With racing one hold, I was finding myself turning to other goals to keep me focussed. Well, probably more sane than focussed really. I’m just better in myself if I’ve got a fitness goal to work to. I had 6 weeks of furlough ahead, so the plan was to ‘train’ to complete a 100 mile bike ride. But then it was announced Wales would be ‘opening’ again, so I suddenly found myself doing the 100 mile bike ride that weekend before the road were full of caravans. 8000ft of climbing and 100 miles later, Ryan had a very tired Lucy… Read more in My First 100 Mile Bike Ride.

A Full Lap of Swimming

Paddle boarding brought more benefits than I first thought it would. After paddle boarding down the River Dee I also gave it a go around Alderford Lake, which highlighted the fact Alderford isn’t all that deep near the edge all the way round. Meaning the next time I went swimming there, I finally swam more than to the island in the middle and back. It might not be much to some, but it means I can hopefully just ‘go’ swimming now and not be so anxious about it.

Lucy’s Life and Bikes Kit

With the hope of starting a regular women’s ride locally, I got in touch with No Pinz to create the Lucy’s Life and Bikes Collective cycling kit. Maybe 2021 will let those rides actually take place…

Then Work Kicked Off…

New Year’s Resolutions are normally things I make, but quickly fail at. Yet my resolutions for this year were a little different. To get a job in engineering and start an engineering degree. Technically I already had a job in engineering, manufacturing aircraft wings, but since I was 15 I’ve always wanted to be an ‘engineer’. Kicked off by watching Leena Game take Audi to victory at Le Mans and being the first female race engineer to do so.

I’d be lying if I said it was a fabulous year with everything that happened above. The truth is I hit some pretty low points. I thought the pandemic was going to write off any hope of changing jobs or doing a degree and people who had trained me up left due to redundancies. I was stuck in a rut that felt impossible to get out of. After sending a CV to a job advertised on the board in work, things went from zero to 100 rather quickly. So much that I start an aeronautical engineering degree in January and a new job. I don’t talk about work much on here, but I talk about being a STEM Ambassador and never doing anything about it. So I guess this is the start of my small attempt to show what careers girls can follow if they really want to. I’m lucky to have grown up around some pretty bad ass women, which is something I’ll always be grateful for.

2020 has been tougher than I ever thought possible, but focussing on the positives is what pulls me through. So that’s what this blog post was. An escape from the doom and gloom holding on to the slightest hope we can go back to normality soon.

Have a good one,

Lucy x

Some of my favourites…

A Trip to Anglesey

Musicians in Lockdown: Cara Hammond

Musicians in Lockdown: The Howl and the Hum

Training as a Female Athlete (my most popular post this year)

Cycling to Work: What’s In My Bag?