Don't try this at home

I really can't recommend my current training strategy.  I have done virtually no training for Beachy Head later this month.  In this case, virtually no training is not a failure to prepare, it is a considered and deliberate strategy.  Three months ago the consultant I saw recommended me for knee arthroscopy and put me back in the care of the National Health Service.  Since that time there has been no communication from anybody.  I had asked the consultant I if it was safe to do any running.  He answered that if there was no pain, I was not doing any harm.

No pain, no harm sounded encouraging, except that I found I could do little without pain.  Eventually I was able to run a little, then after a couple of weeks the pain returned.  After much rest I can now run a little again, I don't push it.  By some quirk of mechanics I have found that even when I feel pain on normal walking, I am often OK striding purposefully.  A plan began to form, the time limit for Beachy Head Marathon is a generous nine hours.

Looking north from Macclesfield Forest, Tegg's Nose on the right.

I felt that I could probably walk fast enough to complete a marathon in nine hours, though it is more than twenty years since I did any serious walking.  As I had a bit of time off last week, I thought I had better see if I my walking bits still worked.  A twenty, a ten then another twenty mile walk caused no problems at all.  I did the twenties in six hours, without making any effort, including leisurely sandwich stops and some tricky path finding.  Unlike when running, my finishing pace is considerably quicker than my starting pace.  I should be able to walk Beachy Head in around seven hours (provided I finish at all), I will run some if I can.  I am keeping my running to the bare minimum, just a bit of jogging to keep fit really.  I did allow myself seven miles round Macc. Forest and over Shutlingsloe last week.  It was fantastic to be on the fells again after a five month absence, I was almost in tears.