My Top Nine Videos on YouTube

This was the year my YouTube channel finally got some momentum thanks to my filming of fell running! It is such a shame the rules of making money changed just as it was taking off as I would have a steady little income from it... I need to boost my subscribers to match the views and then I can earn some pennies *blatant beg*

Meanwhile here are my top nine videos by views from the last 12 months:

1) 3 Peaks Fell Race on Pen Y Ghent

My son and I hiked part way up to film the brave souls setting out on this year's 3 Peaks Fell Race the marathon with mountains:

2) Grasmere Sports Senior Guides Race

I was working as a steward at this year's Grasmere Sports so missed my son's fell race. I did get out in time to film the Seniors with commentary by the legendary Pete Bland:

3) Anniversary Waltz and Teenager with Altitude descent from Cat Bells

My son again helped me to film the final descent of these races from side of Cat Bells. A stunning day to cheer on the runners as they headed for home:

Reasons to be Cheerful: Running, hills and sunshine #R2BC

We have been so busy creating memories and enjoying the wonderful weather that I am a few days later joining in with Michelle on Reasons to be Cheerful this week! It has been a pretty happy week for us.
1) Hiking up Pen Y Ghent

I have already blogged about our wonderful hike up Pen Y Ghent to film the 3 Peaks' Race. How can views like this on a sunny day not lift the spirits:

2) Kendal Colour Dash

Being part of a community fund raiser brought smiles to lots of our faces:

3) Social Running

A friend of mine realised that there a lots of ladies in the area who sometimes could do with a companion on a run. So she started a Facebook group and 3 of us met for a run at Sizergh Castle. I will be writing a full post about it but these were our smiles at the end of 5 km:

4) Elections

We had a full local council election this time and with a controversial issue over a free "car park" being returned to common use it was going to be a closer one than in previous years. I was relieved that the people I voted for got back in as they have done a lot of work for the town.

#CountryKids at the Three Peaks Race on Pen Y Ghent

This weekend my son and I headed off to Horton in Ribblesdale in Yorkshire to film one of the most iconic fell races the Three Peaks Race. It is known as the marathon with mountains:

The Three Peaks Race traverses the famous Yorkshire Dales mountains of Pen-y-ghent, Ingleborough and Whernside is one of the oldest, most famous and best organised fell races in Britain. 

First run in 1954, the Race covers 37.4 kilometres with 1608 metres of ascent and descent over the most rugged and spectacular countryside in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, taking competitors to a height of 723 metres above sea level. 

The men's course record is held by English international Andy Peace of Bingley Harriers, who completed this gruelling challenge in 2 hours 46 min. 03 sec in the 1996 race. 

The women's record of 3 hours 9 min 19 sec is held by English international Victoria Wilkinson in the 2017 race.

After about a 50 minute drive we arrived at the race start:

As soon as we arrived we met another fell running family from Kendal who were also planning on watching the race from the side of Pen Y Ghent. This was great for my son as the 2 other boys were only a year younger than him. We set off along the well trodden Pennine Way. For folks hiking the 3 Peaks Challenge they were being sent a slightly different way to make it a circular walk:

It was a beautiful day to be walking between dry stone walls on undulating terrain. We were glad we weren't running along it like the racers would be: