#FitB4Fifty Brathay 5k

I was lucky to win two entries to the inaugural 5 km race at the Brathay Marathon this month. We had to be there very early due to parking. It did mean that we got to watch the 10 in 10 marathoners set off on their 10th marathon in 10 days - can't imagine how they do it! Then they started walking the marathoners to the start and we followed in a long colourful crocodile:

Whilst the marathoners started off on their 26.2 mile journey around Windermere we were corralled next to the road. It meant that we could just about cheer them on:

Then it was our turn to hear the gun and head off up the road towards Hawkshead. It was a good mix of runners of all ages and abilities that ran up the lane. Unlike the marathoners we were turned off the main road and into Skelwith Fold Caravan Park. This turned out to be a twisty, turny part of the route with a lot of uphill... luckily lots of the residents were lining the roads to cheer us on. It was a relief to reach the halfway mark at the end of the park which meant that it would be down hill for much of the rest of the run.

#CountryKids A trail run to Easedale Tarn

As part of Great Landscapes Week The Friends of the Lake District have been laying on all sorts of free activities from basket weaving and bushcraft to yoga and trail running. When I saw that there was a taster trail run to Easedale Tarn that my son was allowed to take part in I quickly signed up! We met up in the centre of the village and met up with the trail leader, Wayne from Jogging Pals, to get a briefing and do a warm up. Then we headed out through the village and the grounds of Allan Bank:

There was very much an emphasis on the social aspect of the run as that is the main part of the ethos of Jogging Pals. The two 10 year olds led the way like a pair of mountain goats whilst the rest of us came along more steadily as we were chatting as we went. Every so often we would pause so that everyone had a chance to recover and regroup:

The boys were a lot more sure footed and fitter than the rest of us as we tackled the increasingly steep and rocky trail up the mountain side: