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

[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.