WHERE AM I TODAY & Fenland Hill Fitness

SAT 7th May 2012

HERE IS YOUR FIRST AND ONLY CLUE

Do you know where it is yet?

Well I can tell you.

PADNEY, which is between Wicken Fen and Ely.

Yes I know, what on earth is that? There are other signs with even more languages like this.
I have NO idea what it says but I think it might be something to do with driving slowly because there are children.

TRAINING IN THE FENS FOR THE CHALLENGE

This does pose it's own problems, what with the complete lack of contours.
But since I have lived here for the last God knows how many years, and done quite a lot of hills in my time, I guess I must be doing something right.

My only means really is running and cycling, and a bit of time in the gym.
I say the gym, but I mean the garage because that is where all the weights are.
Only problem with that is that Olly (no 1 son), always has far more weight on any of the bars than I can actually lift now, and if I change them he gets annoyed.

So apart from weights, I try to run at least 30 to 35 miles a week.
Cycling I split into 2 type, although on a longer bike ride, I will mix it up.

On the bike I always try and get a fair bit of off road into a bike ride, because this make it harder work. On foot, it is always off road.

If I cannot get a lot of off road when cycling, then I use two regimes.

Ride type one, is to only use the large ring at the front, which on my bike is a 44 tooth.
And then restrict the rear gears to the bottom three, which are a 14, 13 and 11 tooth.
This means that regardless of the terrain, I am always pushing a big gear which helps al lot with quads, and hill fitness.

Ride type two, is a cadence ride, where the idea is just to keep going at a constant cadence (revolutions per minute) regardless of the terrain.
For me this is usually trying to maintain about 90 revolutions, which is good as a cardio and endurance session.

The bike also save the pounding on the knees, which have been beaten up over the years, especially with Squash and Tennis.

So that is it.
If I lived in the Lakes, it would of course be very different.
Ullswater to Ambleside and back via the Kirkstone Pass and the Struggle either gets you fit as a fiddle, or kills you outright.
If I tried it now, I suspect the latter.

So today, I just did a 32mile ride in restricted big cog mode, to take in a few places of interest (to me at least ).

Looks impressive doesn't it, until you notice that the highest point is 16m above sea level.
The other thing is that Quo appears to be unable to comprehend below sea level.
And again at one point I was about -3m

I also wanted to give the NX10 another go.

I am mostly loving this camera, BUT the jury is still out regarding the challenge.

Not because I like the photos from my Optio WG-1 better, but because the Optio comes in at 165g all in, which is a 500g saving at the least, and is fully waterproof, and will GPS tag the photos, and I have 2 spare batteries for it.

I would love to take the NX10, and I will certainly take it on the Daunder in the Lakes later this month, but in order to keep pack weight to under 26lb which is my goal this year, I think it may have to be the Optio.

So, anyway, here are a few points of interest to me from today's little jaunt.

Wicken Fen (again)

A proper working Windmill at Wicken.
And not an access road or 100 tons of concrete in sight

New planting near Upware

Stretham Old Pumping Station.
This was one of the original early pumping stations for this bit of the Fens

Stretham Old Engine info click left or above for more info

After a bit of a circuit, I eventually ended up returning via Denny Abbey

Denny Abbey

View along the river at Waterbeach

Old Barge at Waterbeach.
How long before it sinks

Rape Seed fields and east Anglian skies near Horningsea

And if you missed the Hadrian's Wall post it is HERE.

And a bit of Music

And since I started on a foreign theme.
This is Conceiving You by  Riverside

One of the best bands to come out of Poland.
You should check them out!