My Favourite Trail Running Routes in Newcastle and Gateshead

I will admit that I only really got into trail running when I got slightly bored of running the same 5k near my house that was pretty much just through the streets near my house. You can read a bit more about that over on my review about the ADIDAS WOMEN'S TERREX AGRAVIC BOOST GORE-TEX SHOE.

This blog post is going to tell you about 3 of my favourite trail running routes and 4 routes that I would love to try out soon. Some of the routes have set route that has become Park Runs or race routes and some of them are routes I found online or just created on my own. I will say that I am not a professional runner and these routes are just routes that I really enjoy doing. 

1.       Newburn to Wylam 10k Route (Here)

The Newburn to Wylam route is a beautiful route that was originally part of the wagon way up in the north east.  The route goes along the river and heads up to Wylam Bridge. When on the Newcastle side you want to make sure that you take the route that is further away from the river as this is the trail route not the pathed route. The route is flat and is very simple to co-ordinate around. The Wylam side of the route is along the river and is beautiful. The route works out at around 10K and is a very simple loop. You can go either way depending on how you feel. This route is not got any lighting so is definitely a day time route.

2.       Rising Sun Country Park (Here)

I recently did this route after taking part in the These Girls Can Park Run takeover. I have to say this is one of the most beautiful routes that I have done. The route is a 5k and like the Newburn to Wylam is a simple route. If you go along to the park run which is on every Saturday the route has Marshalls at a number of locations to keep you on route. Once you’ve done the route a few time you could definitely do this alone. The park is has not lighting so again like main trail running routes you would have to run it through the day or early morning.

3.       Benwell Dene/Denton Dene

This route I made on my own, the route starts on Scotswood road and leads up to Benwell Dene which is than a straight route up to Denton Dene which you can then follow up towards Broadway Primary School. This route is not all trails but I still thought it would be a good one to attach as the route if you do just 1 way is around 2.5 miles but there and back is 5 miles. The route is maybe not the most beautiful route and is unfortunately not all trails but for being in the middle of the city you can’t really go wrong plus if you’re new to trail running this is route could be a good route to try out.

I’m definitely on the look out for more trail runs to do in Newcastle and Gateshead

Bucket list of 10K I want to try in the North

Below I’ve listed a few other trails that I’m looking forward to trying out in the New Year when the days start to get a bit lighter. Even tho these trails are listed as races you could definitely do the route whenever you want.

Gibside 5K Park Run (Here)

Gateshead 10k Trail (Here) 

Kielder 10K (Here)

Derwent Park (still trying to find a route)

I hope you enjoyed this post and gives you a few ideas of where you could maybe go running and mix up you running routes. If you going to start trail running do take a look at my review on the Adidas women's terrex agravic boost gore-tex shoe that will be great for starting your trail running journey.

Time Out

Photo Credit: Melissa Marshall & Nicole Marshall

Ever felt like your brain is running but your body is walking? Yep, that is me to all the time. 

I've been away from my blog for a little while for no other reason that my life is pretty busy. I started a new job, I joined a blogging team and I got my first car, all in the space of 2 months. I took a break from my blog when I started my job, with the hope that once I got into a routine, I would be able to get back into with a good schedule. That didn't happen however as my new job doesn't really have a routine. 

In April/May I joined a blogging team which is now disbanded but when I looked back I always felt like I was pushing out blog posts at the last minute and wasn't really enjoying what I was writing. Not because I hated the blog post but because I would write them in a hour then have to send them off. I'm one of them people who hates disappointing people and that why saying no is something I find hard but I also started to feel guilty because I found time to write for that blog but not for my own. 

Online, you see bloggers all the time feeling guilty when they take a break from their blogs or even if they miss putting out one post on time. Why do we do this to ourselves? Why do we start something as a hobby and fall in love with it but than the hobby becomes something you start to question. I love my blog it's given me opportunities to do things I would never had got to do before my blog but juggling my blog and job became something of a chore isn't of a love. 

That is when I thought about making TIME OUT moments in my life. These moments are simple things like walking my dog, going to the beach or going to a beer and cider festival at the local pub. Stepping away from the stressful places and technology. My plan is to try and do time out moments at least 3 times a week. Theses moments give me time to think, relax and even just go somewhere new. 

One of them time out moments was a little trip to Gibside which is part of the National Trust. Gibside is a stunning 18th century landscape garden and haven of nature. Gibside is like the Georgian version of grand design. With the Palladian chapel, stable block and the once grand hall there is no piece of Gibside any photographer wouldn't love to see through a camera lens.  

If you hadn't guessed from the picture above that I have an adorable King Charles Cavalier called Oscar so you can imagine that walking through Gibside was like a dream come true for him but it was also some great to spend time with my sister Nicole (who now also has a blog if you want to check it out here). I turned off my phone and walked around the grounds just leaving society and the bad things happening around the world outside the fenced area. 

I'm hoping that with these time out moments in my life blogging will become more of a regaular things again but I'm not going to make myself feel guilty for having that time to myself. Looking after ourselves is just as important as looking after others.

Do you have your own time out moments or maybe you have something you do to de-stress? What do you when you feel guilty about taking a blogging break?