|<<    <<     JUNE     >>    >>|

June 2014

04:00 02/06/2014 Sunday night...

I've just been for a walk. The first time since the last entry in February when I've been for a deliberate walk in walking boots. 10km. 2 hours and 8 minutes. And I am exhausted. So unfit!

But, it feels good. And I enjoyed it. I intend to do more.

Just to keep all my readers up to date on that knee operation, well I went along for the op, starved of both food and drink since he previous evening, as per instructions, got undressed and into one of those backless gowns they give you, got into my allocated hospital bed, was visited by the surgeon whom I had not actually met before and who drew a blue arrow on the knee in question, had a brief conversation with him, and decided that this operation may not be so useful for me after all. I then got dressed and went home.

A strange experience in a way, but I don't regret my decision. I don't think my knee has gone out of position once since then in fatc, although of course I have got into the habit of never bending my knees fully. I decided that before having an operation I would do what I could to mitigate the symptoms myself. The main thing is to lose some weight, which I have not managed to do at all, although I haven't put much more on either. I don't think it would be sensible to have an operation until I have tried first losing 20% of my body weight, and have gone from 15 stone back down to 12 stone. This knee problem did start after putting on weight after all. I'm not saying losing weight will cure it but it's got to help.

On my walk tonight I started thinking of Sanddfloegga - the mountain I failed to climb a couple of times in the last few years. I thought perhaps it would be nice to try again this year. Late August/early September again. Walking practice now would be good training for that, as my weight now (100kg?)is about the same as my 'normal weight' (85kg?) plus a rucksack. So I can start 'training' now without a rucksack, and as I start to lose weight I can start carrying a rucksack on the walks.

OK, OK, I was trying to avoid committing myself, but OK, I will try to walk 10km every day for a month at least - see how it goes. Until the end of June.

00:49 16/06/2014 Sunday night...

Update: not quite been walking 10km/day, but I've done a few walks lately. That first walk (June 2nd) wiped me out for days. A week later I then climbed a hill in Malvern with a friend to celebrate his birthday. A few days later walked 10km through fields and along rivers/canals near my home with another friend, and then last night did another solo 10km road walk.

Strangely, the walks/climbs with friends, although at least as long and arduous as my solo road walks, have left me much less tired. I guess when I'm walking alone I probably push myself a bit harder.

So, 10km every day...? Not doing that yet, but I am walking quite regularly. The main thing is to keep going with it and not give in to laziness.

TOP                      NEXT >>