Cromford

Making the most of some Spring sunshine, I decided it was time to try the Cromford to High Peak Workshops walk. It's not far - just over 2 miles there and back - it's flat, and I'd hoped for tea at the midway point , but last time I tried it I was left exhausted. 

It's a pretty walk especially on a sunny Spring day (on a hot Summer afternoon there can be pesky flies) with geese and ducks bobbing on the water, celandines coming into flower beside the towpath, and blue sky above.

The first half to High Peak Junction proved quite easy but unfortunately the snack kiosk wasn't open so I had to survive without refreshment. 

Returning was slower and involved more sitting down but it was a nice day so there wasn't any hurry.

I was starting to get hungry by now so very relieved to find that the cafe at the Wharf was still open and serving 'lunch' despite it being after 3 o'clock.

Re-fuelled, I felt I had the energy for a little more meandering so headed across the road to Arkwright's Mills - mainly for the purpose of seeing the newly refurbished water wheel that will provide hydro-electricity for the shops and visitor centre

 

There and Back at Cromford

My younger daughter came home a few weeks ago - back when October was still warm and sunny - and wanted to go out walking in Derbyshire. As I'm still not good on uneven footpaths or long distances we chose to head to Cromford and walk along the towpath towards High Peak Workshops.

The sky looks rather dark and moody in my photos but the weather was nice and surprisingly

 warm for October.

I didn't expect to make it the whole way - but I did! It's only a couple of miles but I haven't been walking long distances this year so it felt like quite an achievement.

 

And we saw a stegosaurus lurking on the opposite bank. Apparently it's been there quite a while but I've never noticed it before!

Not a nice walk at Shipley Park

I've been avoiding my usual walk at Shipley Country Park for a while - actually the whole of this year since I fell down the stairs. It starts with an uphill walk, not particularly steep, but quite long, and I didn't think my ankles could cope with either the up or down of it.

Last week though I felt brave enough to go. I've been walking further when out and thought I'd be okay. I was wrong.

The tarmacked hill was difficult, but the slippery path under the trees on Horsepool Hill was really troublesome with me struggling at times to keep my balance. It had rained in the morning and the leaves and beechmast one way then the other. 

Even having reached the flatter section at the top of the hill, I didn't feel comfortable. I've been choosing absolutely flat, well surfaced paths for the last few months, and this wasn't really either. Normally I wouldn't have a problem, but my legs were tired, and my ankles had had enough.

 If you go up though, you have to come back down, and this puts a different sort of strain on ankles. So, all in all, not a happy afternoon. I obviously need more practice at hills but gentler ones first.  

Suddenly it's Autumn

From a last burst of summer heat we've descended quickly into full-blown autumn.

On my daily local walks, I've noticed leaves turning yellow, and with the least breeze they seem to be piling up along the edges of paths. 

Nights are drawing in, accentuated by dark, wet evenings, and we'll soon be at the solstice, heading rapidly towards winter.

 

Cool Breezes - and reaching 10k again - at Carsington Water

Summer's surprise return return (after a lack-lustre August) stopped me in my tracks. Hot weather is fine if you're by the seaside, and can easily chill down in the water; not such fun if you're inland, and hiding from the heat behind drawn curtains.

It did seem a shame though to stay home, so off we went to Carsington Water. No swimming here as it's a Severn Trent reservoir but there are seats and picnic tables overlooking the water, and often a breeze (or howling gale) blowing across the dam. 

My intent had been to sit a while, take a short walk under the shade of trees, sit some more, then head home for a late lunch. BUT ... that reliable breeze was blowing and walking along the dam a little way seemed so tempting; then a little further, and a little further. 

People were out in yachts or windsurfing trying to catch that breeze, and after days of oppressive heat it was so pleasant that I walked a little more, with lots of stops on seats, till it seemed more sensible to go forwards than back and to carry on to the visitor centre for lunch.

The Mainsail restaurant has a balcony with marvelous views over the water, but wasps soon forced us inside.

Being midweek and out of holiday season we had a choice of tables so picked one with as glorious a view, although reflections in the glass look like UFO lights signalling beyond the far hills.

I'd hoped to try the scrumptious looking cakes, but my chosen salad wasn't the light meal I'd expected, so cake must wait for another visit.

After a leisurely meal it was time to head back. It's 2 km across the dam from visitor centre to Millfields car park, so the round (or, at least, there-and-back) walk was twice the distance I've managed since my last accident, but the route is well surfaced and virtually flat, with plenty of seats for a short rest. 

Actually the return trip proved easier and less daunting than the outward one, probably because the end was in sight. I was delighted to have reached that magical total of 10,000 steps for the first time since the beginning of June, and I'm hoping it's onward and upward (with lots of stops for lunch and cake) from now on

 

Onward and whatever ...

I've mentioned this year's catalogue of setbacks to my health and fitness before  and I've decided that now is the time to start getting moving again. It's a third time lucky thing, I hope, with no more setbacks to come but starting out seems harder than I imagined it would be.

After the last trouble with my knee, I felt absolute rest was needed - so at times during June I was barely doing 500 steps a day. A lot of catching up was needed!

By the end of July I'd decided that a more constructive and structured plan than 'walk round the garden a lot' was needed. I started adding in short walks from my front door. There's a convenient circular route of 900 steps which I attempted first, and found exhausting. But I did it again, and again, and soon started making it a little longer. 

I got my weekly step-count up to 15,000, then 20,000. Onward and upwards. Maybe.

I've been trying over a longer period of time to get my average daily step count over the year back up to pre-pandemic levels. Last year, with a lot of effort in November and December, I managed to get that figure up above 4,000. With this year's level so far standing at 2,500, I worked out that I need to do an average of 7,000 steps a day to reach last year's mark. I doubt I'll get there, but you never know ...