Monday;Carlisle

Today I recced the walk that visits the stone circle and church from the village that I. will start from rather than home, and it came to 3.75 miles, about right for her group. Half a mile too short for me though, so later in the afternoon I walked down to the swimming pool and back.

Felt in an exploring mood, so drove a couple of miles, then set out on some known paths.

After a mile or so went down a path I had never been on before; delightful walking through knee high pasture, good gates. The last little stretch from a lane to a road would have cut across crop, however, so I decided to go round this little field.

Then came a stretch of road-walking to reach my objective: a green lane which was marked as a public way on the map for its second half, but not the beginning. These days if I see a lane which is not closed by a bolted gate or marked Private, or leads to a dwelling, I am inclined to try it. I had no difficulty getting to the road at the far end and as I wasn't at my most energetic I stayed on roads to get back to the start.

Decent weather, good views, 6.75 miles.

Got nearly all my steps in town shopping and getting my hair cut, but felt like a short explore so drove to another village and tried a footpath of about 1.5 miles to a village further east. Walked a mile up the road to find the start of another path that would take me back, but a few hundred yards convinced me it would require more physical and mental energy than I could muster, so had a 2 mile road walk instead, being passed by tractors transporting cut grass.

In the morning B. and I walked down to the tea shop and back for coffee. Afternoon I went to collect F. from the train station and spent 20 minutes pacing up and down the full-length of the platform. We hit a sunny spell and called in at a nearby National Trust property, where after tea we strolled around the gardens.

F. was very tired and slept in; I had itchy feet and went round the village while she got herself together.

We then embarked on a long walk round the local paths and green lanes. At one point the right of way was obstructed with a fence topped with barbed wire and a very poor step-stile. We managed to climb over by putting a pair of waterproof trousers over the wire. Elsewhere a lane was flooded but we got past by balancing on the verges.

The weather was nowhere near as wet as forecast and we stopped for coffee/lunch before the last mile or so down a heavily overgrown walled lane (think chest-high nettles and thistles).

Another circuit of the Village while waiting for the off.

We went to a remote nature reserve belonging to the RSPB. I devised a 6 - 8 mile walk around the tarn. The first half was dry, the second mostly wet. We agreed that the site would be delightful on a nice day. Saw very few birds, but then neither of us are twitchers.

Two circuits of the Village before we got under way. Then a brief stop in town which involved walking to the paper shop and Costas. Then I parked half a mile outside Keswick because I am too mean to pay parking charges, so we got more steps while seeking guide books, woolly jumpers and lunch.

How can you feel utterly wiped after a 7 mile walk that is almost flat (325')?

We were on the Solway coast in pursuit of F.'s new-found interest in ornithology. I had done this walk in April last year. Easy start with gentle descent of green lanes to Edward I monument, then across pasture to the riverside, then easy track along river followed by diversion inland on roads to avoid a large stream.

The next 2 1/4 miles was the problem. Very rough pasture, overgrown with chest-high nettles encroaching a narrow trod, sometimes very close to the water's edge. Very slow going. F. is impressively fearless in the presence of cattle. The going got tougher as the strip of land narrowed between the river and a steep wooded bank. Eventually we abandoned the official path, not sure that it had not been washed away in the floods, and scrambled up the muddy hillside, clutching at tree roots, to reach a track on the level above.

Further on we noted that the continuation of the riverside path had been closed in 2012, after the previous floods, so I was very lucky to have walked that stretch of the Hadrian's Wall path to Carlisle before.

We followed Hadrian's Wall to our start; there is no wall visible this far west, just a long green lane we were too weary to appreciate.

When we got back to the car we drove further east to an RSPB centre but oddly enough neither of us felt like doing their 2.5 mile waymarked walk across the marshes, even on boardwalks!

For a while I thought I had killed F. off with our exhausting walk yesterday but on returning from my walk round the Village I found her reporting for duty.

I thought we might do the Pooley Bridge to Aira Force route along Ullswater that I had enjoyed so much 3 weeks ago, but as we arrived at Aira Force and were walking to the bus stop we realised that we would be walking into a fresh breeze, so we decided to do it in the other direction.

So after a coffee we set out with the wind behind us. Pleasant but not the gloriously sunny day I enjoyed last time. I also thought I would have to keep turning round to get the glorious views of the head of the lake, but in fact going this way we could see the North Pennines across the Eden Valley. We also got the highest part of the walk done first, then it was mostly downhill through the hay meadows.

We arrived in time for a quick meal/black coffee and would have caught the 1450 - except there is no 1450 during the school term. Still, an hour's sit in the sunshine wasn't too hard!

Today was sunnier and warmer than forecast. We had planned a shorter, more local walk so instead of circling my village first thing I did housework until we were ready to go.

Clutching takeout coffee we slowly climbed the road that led to the farm, then by-passed it and headed off across a series of hay-meadows, crossing brooks on stout footbridges and admiring the hills above us and the Lake District hills off in the west.

I was not carrying the map so relied on memory and waymarks - one stretch I had never done, so it was pure exploration and very beautiful.

We paused awhile on a wooden bench which was put on the green verge of a very narrow, very quiet, very minor road in 2010. Then more road walking until we reached the path that led us through two vast meadows - the grass already cut - which took us to the track that ended back at the village. About 5 miles, leisurely.

Colder today and damp. Went round the village, then drove F. to the train station. Shopped in town. Parked in one place and walked across town to several food shops; far enough to get me about 7,000 steps while sticking to business.

DH and I had discussed an outing to the coast to celebrate his birthday (it's tomorrow, but I have a date with a ramble), but he opted to postpone it and rest up, so I went to town alone for a few bits and The Times. Having already wandered around town yesterday I could not bring myself to do it again, so came back with only 1800 steps.

Next up we unpacked my new rebounder. I have 2, but can't find the screw-on legs that go with them, and I could have used them back in the winter when it was icy on the roads and pavements. If I find them, the older rebounders will be donated to a charity shop.

I did a little research and discovered that rebounders have changed a bit in the last 20 years, in particular you can get bungee cord ones. I remember problems with bust springs, even though my bouncers were not by any means the cheapest, so I went for a Fitbounce Pro, not the most expensive make. It is a lot quieter and spongier than the ones I was used to. Even though my feet barely leave the mat and my legs are quite strong from walking, rebounding is harder than hill walking and at the moment 300 bounces in one session is enough.

Finally mid-afternoon I set off round the Village, but did a long extension by exploring 2 footpaths I had not done for years. Once I found the correct route out of the playground, the paths were waymarked but not much used, hence overgrowth. I made a few errors in judgement when I got to gates. Unless the arrow points straight ahead I am often uncertain whether I should be going through the gate before turning or turning instead of going through.

I don't know what the world record for sleepwalking is, but I felt like a contender yesterday. Got up with nothing in the tank; nine and a half miles of putting one foot in front of the other, too weary to keep up a conversation or appreciate the scenery. Never mind, I made it and feel better this morning. I will complete this year's 10k every day challenge, but next year I am going to allow myself a rest day each week.

Still feeling good. Main event was a stroll through the park and meadows in the Petteril Valley, Carlisle. At least half a dozen sets of around 150 on the rebounder. I bounce back quite quickly for my age!