Hi it's July now and I just got back from the IAU World trail championships Connemara National Park Ireland.

Here is my report.

Heather Foundling-Hawker runs again for Great Britain, after a early start, 5am, the athletes of 20 participating countries line up at the start at Kylemore Abbey,running in open moorland, peat bogs, incorporating four ascents two of Diamond Hill 442 meters high in fog n mist, then expansive panoramic views of the twelve Ben mountains, n Kylemore lough later to be encountered in the 50 mile trial race.

Carrying a safety whistle, windcheeter jacket, umpteen sweets in hand, the teams of up to six set off 3 members to count.
Heather finished the grueling climbs and depths of peat bogs as 3rd team member home, enabling the GB team 4th position - just missing out on team Bronze.

"it was awe-inspiring and horrendous - I fell over 26 times spectacular skids in the peat bogs returned covered in midges smelling like a bog bug, but loved every moment , even the descent of Benbaun mountain summit of 729 metres having to find little orange markers to locate the route , as the major medals had been won by the French n Italians respectively, The helicopters n marshals in the form of army men in orange jackets had been withdrawn thus leaving a handful of us on the mountain to negotiate our way home, with out the aid of map n compass, or route map this proved pretty tricky. Heather after coming to T junction unmarshalled n choosing the wrong direction heather had to wait until the Spanish team came off the mountain to follow them home.
In hindsight the marshals should of all stayed until all the athletes had finished the race -after all we all completed within the time limit to attain a world finishing standard in fell n mountain trail running.
The views were spectacular, people really warming, memories will truly be impressed upon me literally.
I was like a big kid running in and through a postcard. I can see why it's called the Emerald isle, the Connemara green marble is not only really hard, yet beautiful a very precious humongous National Park.
Channel 4 filmed with a view to air as a trail race run documentary later in the year.

Heather's next travels see her compete in the Trans de Gaule 18 stage foot race 1150km across France starting at Roscoff in the north and finishing at Gruissan de plage in the south in two weeks time.