CRISTINE FARINAS

Since my first ever trip to the Lake District last year, I've been looking forward to going back. Lake District is now officially my favourite vacation place in the UK because this World Heritage site's picturesque landscapes remind me of one of my favourite countries- New Zealand. I am blessed that J's family go there every year and therefore, I get to tag along and experience this magnificent place. We were blessed with a good weather this year, unlike last year when it rained almost the whole time that we were there. Good weather only meant more time spent outside exploring the  stunning sceneries of the Lake District. Our first adventure was to the top of the Stickle Tarn in Langdale. I wanted to go up there mainly to pay tribute to my favourite chef ,   who sadly passed away at the London marathon in April. With the support of J and his parents, I was able to fulfil this. The trail to Stickle Tarn started easy but became challenging very quickly. The more o

The 28th of May was the day I decided to finally join an official race again after my challenging  Winter Run in February 2015. I was basically inspired when I joined hundreds of runners in London to #FinishForMatt in April. That experience was strangely uplifting because I found myself amidst passionate runners who came together that day to pay tribute to a man most of us never knew. It was then I realised that I could actually join a race on my own and that it will be okay. S o without any second thoughts, I registered for the Vitality 10,000 a few days later. I chose the Vitality 10,000 to be my first official race in 2018 because I am a Vitality member and the event was where I normally run so it was convenient for me. I left our flat 30 minutes before the start time thinking that it was only about 10 minutes walk, only to be told that my normal route was closed and that I had to walk all the way to Green Park via Piccadilly Road. With a hint of panic, I ran to the venue so