On the limits of self-deception

[fivemack]

To convince myself that there was nothing wrong with my left knee, and because the sky was blue and the sun warm, and to try to blow away the mathmo's-block that's been afflicting me at work for the last two weeks, I decided to walk to Ely.

This raised five issues:

• The walk to Ely is essentially twenty-five kilometres along a meandering raised flood-defence bank


• Except that it's been rerouted and five kilometres of it are now a straight line through a series of uninteresting fields, so there isn't even the hope of herons


• The last place you can get a drink is Cleyhithe, about six kilometres in, and I hadn't brought a water-bottle


• A strong and other-than-warming wind blew essentially from the direction of Ely for the entire day, though this did mean there were some kids in sailing dinghies clearly having enormous boom-swinging fun practicing tacking just downstream of Bottisham Lock


• My left knee is not in fact as excellent as could be hoped for, and after 25km I found it was quite painful to walk up Castle Hill to go home; more specifically it's quite painful to bend the knee for the first few degrees from straight if I've put any weight on it. Does anyone know a good Cambridge physio who takes non-sporting patients?
  

I got to Ely, trains to get back existed (their absence has been an annoying common factor of many of my trips to interesting places too far to round-trip on foot or by bike), I'm back home now; it was a rather pointless trip to Ely since I got there at seven, well after the cathedral closed to visitors.

I weigh about ten kilos more than I'd like to, which cannot be good for my knees, but know of no calorie-burning exercises which don't significantly involve the knees; can any of my readers help me on that?

I think I'll have a nice hot bath now.

Comments

[rezendi.livejournal.com]

no calorie-burning exercises which don't significantly involve the knees

I've run into that problem myself. Swimming, maybe? It does use the knees, but at least it's no-impact.

"Waving your arms around violently" is less fun than it sounds.

[randwolf.livejournal.com]

Swimming is an aerobic exercise which does not involve weight bearing; unfortunately it is not very good for weight loss. Often people who can't tolerate full weight can tolerate partial weight; stationary bicyles and rowing machines can work in that situation--it depends on the particular injury. As someone who's dealt with a lot of injuries over time, I'd say that since walking and biking are so important to you, I agree that seeing a doctor or PT is sensible; you need a diagnosis--weight loss, yes, will help, but 10 kilos is probably not going to make that much difference. In the USA sports orthopedists and therapists are better for such things; people outside of sports medicine are apt to give up before patients are fully healed, leaving them substantially disabled.

[fivemack.livejournal.com]

I can tolerate my weight - after all I got to Ely - but somehow feel that exercises that put uncomfortable weight on a known-defective bit of me are other than wise unless I've got a professional opinion that that's the right way to make the knee better. Biking even quite long distances has in the past not been too bad for the knee, I'd probably have biked today except that my bike needs servicing - it used to be unable to get into top gear, I forced it and now it can't get out of top gear and makes a weird squeaking-metal noise when I turn the pedals.

Swimming definitely leaves my knee feeling as if I've used it, though that may be a good sign.

[randwolf.livejournal.com]

"Tolerate" in this context is a term of art; it means able to use without further injury. First aid in this case is anti-inflammatory treatment, either with medication (if you tolerate it--the current US recommendation is a low dose of aspirin to kill pain and a high dose of naproxen sodium to reduce inflammation any abdominal pain or low blood pressure symptoms, stop it) or with ice packs (apply for 15 minutes three times a day). And, as you say, get it examined; there are different treatments depending on the nature of the injury or illness.

[stephdairy.livejournal.com]

There's a slightly manky pub in Upware, I think it is. I like walking to Ely, and try to do so at least once a year or so.

(S)

[fivemack.livejournal.com]

I saw that, but was unfortunately on the wrong side of the river, and there are no bridges between Bottisham Lock and Dimmock's Cote ... there's a sign at Clayhithe indicating that one should get onto the correct side of the river because there is no bridge between Bottisham Lock and Upware, but I read it as saying that I should be on the left-as-the-river-flows-Elywards side, and the pub is on the right-as-the-river-flows-Elywards side. So I walked from Bottisham Lock to Ely on the left side, and it looked to me as if the route on the right side might be straighter: is it?

There's something resembling a pub called the Fish and Duck about a mile and a half beyond Dimmock's Cote on the left side, but it's shut.

[stephdairy.livejournal.com]

I don't know about straighter; I've never walked on the west side of the river. The path follows the river except for a small stretch from just before Upware to after High Fen Farm. This includes one very muddy field (pretty much regardless of the conditions of the rest of the path).

(S)

[lisajulie.livejournal.com]

Here in the USA, there's something called "water walking" where one wanders up and down a pool with the water at about 1.5 meters (mid-chest level ($FSV of chest)). It doesn't feel terribly cardio, but it really does give one a work-out in a way that doesn't put a strain on lower limb joints.

If such a thing is available, try and find a partner to do this with. Wandering up and down for an hour on one's own is much less fun than doing it with a friend. I was lucky - when I did it last, an old friend was also doing it - and he is a professional story-teller. This made the hour pass like minutes.

Also here, water aerobics offer some of the same benefits.

[papersky.livejournal.com]

It is entirely possible to swim without using more than three limbs, though it does take some practice. I have also lost weight swimming, but you have to do it a lot. Last summer I was swimming 20-40 lengths three or four days a week and that worked. This winter I have only been swimming twice, and that definitely didn't! (But I hate my hair freezing worse than I hate being a fat unfit lump.)

The best way to get physio is to go to the doctor and say "There's something dodgy about my knee, I think I need physio." Then in about 3 months when you get to the top of the list, you'll have tons of it -- and you can then keep doing the exercises for ever afterwards whenever it goes wrong again. Having said that, do not do any physio exercise for something similar but not the same. I have done something different to my back, and trying the exercise was a mistake to the point of anguish.

[(Anonymous)]

don't snack again.
or get to know someone who has more problems than you to make yourself feel better.

[sphyg.livejournal.com]

I've often thought of doing that walk, but getting the train to Ely and walking back would seem easier (like travelling South feel slike going downhill). Buy a knee strap, take some paracetamol and rest your knee for a week (pottering round is OK). If it doesn't feel netter seek prfessional help. As people have said, swimming and cycling are non-weight bearing. As for weight loss, eat balanced meals and substitute snacks for water/fruit/veg.

[pm215]

Canoeing?

[tombee.livejournal.com]

Hmm. Given your location, had you considered punting? From my dim recolloection you can essentially choose which leg to ptu weight on when pushing off and it does the arms and back a treat as well.

Of course for the full effect it is vital not to moor the punt at Granchester and wander creamteawards.