I can't believe that we're coming to the end of February and already I've competed in 9 races! The good thing is that the majority of them have been 10k or less, and with being shorter races - most of them cross country - they've really helped to build a little strength, speed and stamina over the weeks. I'm starting to feel fitter and stronger and after what seems like a very long time, my confidence has finally started to return. Of course the other thing that has given me a new lease of life was turning 40 last week. Looking back to when I first became a lady veteran 5 years ago - or "master" as they call us these days - I was running at my best, and moving in to another age category gave me the motivation to chase new records and set new goals. Now I've moved up into the LV40 category, that excitement and anticipation has returned, and I'm eager to get out on the trails and roads to see how I fair over the next 5 years. My first test c...