Tracks & Trails catches up with Emma Attwood - our Torq competition winner!

Emma, it was great to have you with us for a week's trail running in Chamonix! How did you find out about the competition?

I'd previously looked at the Tracks and Trails website and thought what a fantastic holiday it looked. It was a dream holiday that was financially out of my reach. I follow both Tracks and Trails and Torq on Facebook, and so when I saw the competition on Torq I had to enter!

I guess it was a surprise to discover out you'd won - how did it feel?

I was ecstatic, I couldn't believe it, and although I had email contact with Julie, I didn't quite believe it and kept in mainly to myself until it was officially announced on the Torq Facebook page. I really didn't' expect anything like this to happen to me!

Did you know what to expect?!?

I was expecting lots of running in beautiful scenery, and was hoping to learn lots of new skills to improve my running.

How did it feel taking part in all the different activities?

The week was so much more than I could ever have imagined. The team that Julia has put together were outstanding. All were incredibly generous with their time and knowledge. I have learnt so many new skills, gained so much knowledge. And the runs that we went on were truly spectacular. The scenery was like nothing I've ever seen. And on top of this I have made some fantastic new friends. 

So, what's changed about your running after the trail week?

I am so enthused about my running, and have already put lots of what I learnt into practice. I have improved my nutrition and am really enjoying my food. I'm incorporating the running skills that we learnt into my routine and making sure I give more time to stretching. I thoroughly enjoyed the yoga classes and will continue with this. I have a heart rate monitor that I've never really know how to use properly but the session with Neil explained about heart rate training, so I will definitely put this into practice too. With my new map reading skills, I'm hoping to never get lost on a run again. And I will take away fantastic memories that will stay with me for a lifetime!

Thanks Emma, and happy running this summer!