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In 1977 we hired our first narrowboat from Anglo Welsh at Market Harborough.From that moment our destiny was set. In 2006 we finally purchased our own brand new 57' narrowboat which we named 'Free Spirit'. Our aim is to travel the length and breadth of all the navigable rivers and canals of the UK. This will be our story as it unfolds.

Monday 12 February 2018

Not as fit as we thought!

Woke this morning to a white landscape. Temperature gauge showed an outside temperature of -3 but inside 'The Beast' a warm 19 deg. Sure pays to have an electric supply especially as the heater was left on all night. But could we leave this site this morning?? Unfortunately not, the hard standing, as well as the lane leading to the main road, was snowbound. A very icy hill would also have to be negotiated...downhill, I might add, with a stone wall across the road at the bottom. Ian's remark of "at least the wall would stop us if we lost traction" did not go down well! So the plan was to have a look round Tissington village instead and to take stock of the situation on our return.


Sunrise


Tissington Hall

And the Hall from St Marys church cemetery

Tissington has six Wells which are all dressed in May. We found three. Left is Hall Well, top right Childrens Well and bottom right Town Well

St Marys Church



So, having reached the old Tissington station and a point where the Tissington trail headed off to either Parsley Hay or Ashbourne, it was decided that a walk towards Ashbourne would be 'quite nice.'




 Only 3.5 miles, nothing compared to the miles we had walked in Australia. But one year on, two very unfit people thought the walk would be a doddle and soon found to their cost how very wrong they were!



 One mile to go before reaching Ashbourne and my left hip started to object strongly to the amount of pressure I had put it through. Finally, and with some relief, we reached a cafe by the bike hire hut. A table was found and tea and a sandwich ordered we sat enjoying the strong sunshine. The pain was all but forgotten until I I got up to leave then the pain shot through my hip like a knife. It was unanimously decided not to proceed to Ashbourne, (shame really as only .25 of a mile to go) but to turn round and start the 3.5-mile walk back. Then with 2.5 miles to go, it was Ian's turn to start limping. Confessing that his right hip had been playing up for some time we both looked like two decrepit beings hobbling along and supporting each other in case either one of us toppled. I cant tell you how relieved we were when we finally made it back to 'The Beast'. I wear a Fitbit watch and it shows how many steps and miles walked that day. I syncronising it to my phone which showed 21,304 steps and nearly 10 miles walked!  Think maybe we should have eased back into the strenuous lifestyle more slowly. Tomorrow we both expect some suffering!


Saw loads of Redwing but with only my Panasonic bridge camera, the photos come out blurred. Didn't help that I had it on the wrong setting either!





Bird feeder by the cafe

These Snowdrops are more advanced than at Langley Mill


4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I was told that I would need a hip replacement aftr an exray back in 2007.
Was recommended Glucosamine and Chondroitin which I have every day since and don't have much trouble.
However if I'd walked 10 miles I might have!
Take care now.
Ann and Keith

Ian and Irene Jameison said...

Thanks Ann & Keith, Next time I'm in a Holland and Barrett I'll purchase those. Anything is worth a try.

Alf said...

Do you use sticks ? My wife suffers, but with a pair of Nordic Trecking poles she manages a lot better, especially as she has learnt to use them "properly", without she struggles to walk far without pain, with she walks a fair way without pain might be worth trying ?

Ian and Irene Jameison said...

Hi Alf, We do have sticks with us but didn't take them as the walk wasn't planned. only decided when we got to Tissington station.

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