Mow Cop Hill Race, BM (and a nice cup of tea).

Six weeks after my knee op' the consultant told me I could start running again, but not to "go mad".  I ran a few short exploratory runs, then three miles of mixed road and solid trail.  All seemed well so I tried my first off road run the weekend before Mow Cop.

Mow Cop Hill Race, 6.5 miles, 1200' (FRA category BM), 12/04/15
The Met. office gave out weather alerts for the area as there was a good chance of severe winds.  The organisers called for mandatory hat and wind proof top and recommended full body cover be carried, quite right too.  As I was none too confident about finishing I had already packed a wind proof top, Mistlite pants and a micro fleece jacket anyway.

The pre race briefing

 The pre race briefing was rather comical, we were warned that straying off the path in one area might result in us being impaled on spikes in the ground and that avoiding a stile elsewhere could mean becoming ensnared in barbed wire.  This caused one wag amongst the starters to ask if we were being auditioned for a Japanese game show.  I doubt if anyone was unduly worried, the event has always been well organised, well marked and well marshalled so we were unlikely to go astray.

We were soon away and off up the slope from the village hall to the playing fields, I adopted a relaxed pace near the back, I had no intention of stressing my knee.  As we arrived at the quarry there was a fair gap between me and the runner behind.  This allowed me a photographic opportunity where we entered the quarry instead of the usual one while in the queue at the exit.

 Mow Cop Quarry

My feet seemed to find their way on the uneven ground, I had expected a bit of proprioceptive failure due to my long time out of things.  This welcome news emboldened me a little and I picked up a few places as we exited the quarry and on the trail past the Old Man of Mow.  Confidence is useful in the woods alongside Congleton Road/Mow Lane, though this year the ground wasn't that slippery and I just enjoyed the running.

Soon we were on the short section on Mow Lane then off again and into the boggy field past Limekiln Wood.  I made good progress here, passing a few people while skimming the bog on tufts of grass.  This sort of fun has to come to an end and, after a charmed run for about two thirds of the bog, my luck ran out and I went in and over.  From here on, until near the end of the race, I ran close to and occasionally chatted with (I think) Samantha Calvert, bib 98

The following fields, where the sticky mud lives, were fairly dry this year.  The pretty descent along the stream down to the lane was also less slippery, just as well as reflexes and proprioception were tested again by a sudden encounter with a fallen tree.  I took it easy on the following downhill road section, and ran on the verges rather than the tarmac to minimise impact forces.  Then came the uphill slog over fields, after leaving Yew Tree Lane, and the steep ascent up through Hanging Wood. Strangely, the path through the woods was the most churned up I have ever seen it.

A well wrapped finisher (Christopher Pimblott, M50 , bib 4).

Samantha and I were still running at a similar pace as we came out of the woods onto the skyline and then round the Old Man.  From where  the real descent to the finish starts, by the folly, I adopted a relaxed pace to 'humour' my knee.  Indeed, in what was only a mile to the end Samantha pulled more than a minute ahead of me.

A nice cup of tea.

While it had been fresh, no severe winds had made themselves felt.  Race over, I caught up with a few of the people I had met on the course.  We chatted over a nice cup of tea and extravagant quantities of the superb home made cakes on offer.  I noticed that just about every plate I saw featured more than one slice, the only sensible solution to the problem presented by wide choice.

The prize giving followed.  First placed Lady, Olivia Walwyn, broke her own record for the course by more than two minutes with a time of 00:48:49, a truly impressive performance.  Second places for both sexes were won by veterans and two MV60s were home in less than an hour.  

My thanks to the organisers and marshals.  I enjoyed myself tremendously as I have each time I have taken part.  There is something so reassuring and timeless about this kind of event with hills, streams, fields and forest, village halls, tea and home baked cakes, friendly banter, muddy legs and the smell of liniment.  If you are around next year do take part (and tell your friends about it as well).

I was happy with my own run, I felt like a runner again and nothing hurt more than it did when I started.  As it turned out I was only a minute slower than my previous worst time (though I had run 26 miles the previous day on that occasion).  Last year's Mow Cop was my first and last event of 2014.  Here's hoping that the op' has worked and that there is more to come in 2015.

Into the unknown, an everyday story of ordinary arthroscopy.

A third year of knee injury well under way, and there was still no hint of a date for an op' from the NHS.  It has been a good few years since we've had a winter like this one with snow on the hills and long periods of settled weather, missing out was more than I could bear.  I decided enough was enough and I raided my retirement savings to fund arthroscopy for medial meniscus tears myself.  Once I had made this commitment I felt deep regret at not having done so back in June when my injury was finally diagnosed after engaging the services of Nuffield Health.

Two weeks later I was standing apprehensively outside the Nuffield hospital in Clayton at seven thirty on a gorgeous crisp morning, with a few essentials in my ancient Hot Ice rucksack.  I was soon in my room, processed, then on a trolley headed for the anaesthetist with an arrow drawn on my left leg.  The anaesthetist stuck a tap in the back of my hand then plumbed me in to the sleepy stuff.  He warned me of a slight sensation of cold and told me to think of somewhere I liked to be.  Of course I imagined myself running, peacefully, effortlessly through a quiet, misty, frosted landscape, a smile came over my face and I drifted into unconsciousness.

Above:  Frosty early morning scene, a few weeks ago on my local route.  It was a scene like this one that I drifted into as I drifted out of consciousness.

I came to a while later, I felt as if I had woken from a nap, but was rather more refreshed than I would be from a natural sleep.  I was not at all hazy and knew instantly where I was and was rather relieved to note that I could feel my leg and that there was no sensation of pain.

I was soon back in my room and was at last allowed to eat, the sandwich I was given didn't touch the sides.  The consultant visited me and told me that the procedure had gone satisfactorily.  He showed me a photo of the inside of my knee in which the debris that he had removed could be seen.  He also pointed out the arthritis to the surfaces of the knee joint which he said was no more than was to be expected at my age and that it was was OK "considering what you do".

I was then visited by a physio' who asked me to perform a few simple movements.  She said that I would be given a sheet with the exercises on it then told me her department would be in touch in a few days.  She left and I started to do a few of the leg raises while I waited for my 'discharge papers'.  I had been advised to take it easy so I stopped after 70 straight leg raises, about half the number I would repeat for several sets ordinarily.

The nurses brought my 'Going Home' pack (including a video of the op), took the tap out of my hand and gave me instructions on managing dressings and so on.  I then phoned my lift, dressed and went to sit outside in the winter sun while I waited.  I read my book and did a few more leg raises, only about thirty this time due to the extra weight of my boots.  I got out the pack I had been given to check what other exercises I should be doing.  I read that I should do five leg raises, five times a day, oops!! 

Later that day the knee was still pain free and my mobility was restricted only by the bulk of the dressings.  This surprised me, I had expected swelling and pain.  I took it easy, just watching films and the like, but could stand up long enough to prepare a meal and manage stairs with ease (though one at a time in descent on my very steep Victorian stairs).  Later, as I undressed at bedtime, I realised that I was still wearing the electrodes they had attached at the hospital.

I was very impressed by the efficiency of Nuffield's organisation and care up until I was discharged from the hospital.  Getting a physio' appointment was another matter.  I was not contacted within the specified time or within the next week.  I phoned as I had been advised to do in that eventuality.

I was answered by a machine that instructed me to phone an 0845 number to make an appointment.  The mention of 0845 makes my blood, and that of all right thinking people, boil, there was worse to come when I rang the number.  After an automatic prelude, routing and call queue with awful electronic music, I was connected to the appointments operator.  This operator advised me that they could not make appointments for post op' physio', this needed to be arranged with the hospital.  He connected me to the hospital.  The hospital front desk answered, I stated my business.  The receptionist advised me that they could not make appointments at the front desk and put me through to the physiotherapy department.  I was answered by the machine telling me that to make an appointment I had to phone the 0845 number!

It took me most of the morning to break this loop of organisational incompetence.  No email address is given on the Nuffield web site and no one answers the 'Contact Us' message service (they still haven't two days later).  Eventually I got the hospital front desk to email the physio' dept. and ask them to ring me at work on my mobile. 

After this frustrating day I visited my mother in the evening.  She told me that mail for me had been delivered to her address that day,.. curious.  I opened the letter, it was from the NHS inviting me to attend an appointment on the previous Wednesday!  The letter had been sent with an incomplete (wrong) address.  That they had sent the letter to my mother's address (almost) instead of the one that I registered with the NHS twenty odd years ago and to which they have sent all previous correspondence for the last two decades, beggars belief.  I was speechless.

I wrote back politely and explained that I would be unable to keep an appointment for the previous Wednesday, that they had sent the letter to the wrong address and that it was not necessary to make another appointment as I had now decided to fund my operation myself.  I asked that they correct their records and confirm that they had done so.  I am still wound up about this two days later, a two year wait for this nonsense.

The dressings are now off my knee and the incisions are pretty much healed.  The knee is creaky though it allows day to day use, it doesn't hurt unless stressed.  It feels pretty much like it did, during 'so-so' phases, before the op'.  I hope that this is due to residual swelling from the surgery and that it will pass.  I suppose only time will tell, from what I have heard I should be able to run on it in another ten days.  Here's hoping, I need some stress relief urgently.

Thanks to the team at Clayton on the day, the two nurses and the anaesthetist were kind, caring, reassuring and efficient without ever being patronising, well done boys.  Thanks also to my sister Sandi for getting up at 05:30 to get me there on time and for getting me home afterwards.  For the team - an everyday story of ordinary arthroscopy, for me -  a singular day of extraordinary  importance.






 

This, that, Macc' Forest and Shutlingsloe, Axe Edge Moor and the other.

Still no sign of a date for my knee operation.  I am trying to make the best use of the limited mileage that the injury will stand while avoiding traveling long distances to run for a short while.  I do miss my all day runs, particularly now.  I do not know if I genuinely prefer running in winter or whether it is just association with excellent past runs (and the fact that many areas are often quieter).

Macc' Forest and Shutlingsloe 
Although I feel it is barely worth the drive to the Peak District if I am only going to run a few miles, I do sometimes treat myself.  Macclesfield Forest and Shutlingsloe is accessible and it is easy to pack the ascent in.

Left - Heading down to the reservoir from Shutlingsloe.  Right - The atmospheric path from the bridleway to Forest Chapel.

A loop from Standing Stone car park taking in Shutlingsloe (round then up from the south, down northward into the forest), the Forest Bridleway and Forest Chapel makes for an atmospheric run of around seven miles which is easily extended.  Ascent is a little less than category A by my most common variation.  Taking in Tegg's Nose gets the length up to nearly nine miles and the ascent even closer to 250' per mile.  I do find the descent from Tegg's Nose on the paved bridleway tough on the old bones though.  I used to run it frequently, as part of my old, 'standard' ultra training route.

Axe Edge Moor 
Late December saw me abandon an attempt at the Macc' Forest run.  The area was heaving with people and continuous roadside parking from Langley to Standing Stone car park (and beyond) had caused serious traffic problems on the narrow roads.  I drove past Standing Stone car park hoping to find somewhere quieter and ended up on a layby off the A54 at the side of Axe Edge Moor.  The moor was well off my map so I had to play it carefully and stick to evident paths, I tried to remember my route in order to retrace it, but I was fairly certain the distinctive imprint of my Walsh's would help me find my way back.

 Looking south east(ish), Axe Edge Moor close to the start of my run from the A54 layby.

The breeze was very light, the sun shone and a moon was just visible in the blue sky, all this and a stunning snowscape.  This was one of those runs that I will remember for a long time. 

I took the Dane Valley Way through Danebower and Reeve-edge Quarries to Orchard Farm where I left the Dane Valley Way heading towards Knotbury.  A start in Cheshire, through Derbyshire and into Staffordshire.  Originally, I had planned to run for 45 minutes then go back.  I was turning back on myself here and there as I found my way about so I decided to run for an hour instead, I was sure my way back would be truer and quicker.  I checked my watch after what seemed no more than ten minutes and I had been out for fifty!  I had been enjoying myself so much that time had just whizzed past.  I ran for another ten minutes then reluctantly turned back.

Stunning snow covered landscape and a clear blue sky.

There were few places where I could not see the route before me so finding my way back was fairly easy.  There was a confusion of paths in one hollow, but sure enough I could find my own stud pattern to guide me.

Though I doubt that ambient temperature had risen above freezing all day, the radiant heat of the sun had softened the knee deep powder on the last part of the path back.  This bit became much harder work than it had been on the way out, either because of the melting or because I was less fresh.  The snow was no longer too cold to melt on my shoes either and my feet, which had been dry so far, got quite wet.  They only had to put up with it for a few minutes though so had no time to get cold.

I got back to the layby in exactly one and a half hours so my out-back compensation guess was spot on.  I put on a jacket, dealt with frozen laces and then found my sandwich.  I put my warm hat on, but it was so hot I took it off again.  It was perfectly comfortable to let my bare feet dry in the sunshine before putting on shoes and socks for the drive home.  A truly memorable run to end 2014.


The other 
I am keeping my mileage down to a very frustrating 25 miles a week or less.  That seems to be as much as my knee can stand.  My consultant confirmed that it is OK to run providing it does not cause pain.  I am interpreting that as - 'mostly' does not cause pain, because while the occasional landing or twist does sometimes hurt, on the whole ordinary day to day use may hurt as much or more.  Tension in my quads when running seems to stabilise my knee and attention to foot placement and avoidance of twisting helps.  All the same, upping my mileage does seem to cause delayed onset pain and I do not want to risk months without running again.

I am experimenting with the proportions that make up my weekly mileage.  My longest long run since last winter has been just under 15 miles so far.  I am also running only three times a week to maximise the rest period between runs.  Though both walking and running were painful a few months ago, walking, even 20 miles or so seems entirely comfortable now (provided I start pain free).  I am trying to fit long walks into my general schedule in the hope that it will help to maintain fitness at as near pre injury levels as possible.

I am still struggling to keep my weight constant, I have now cut around 7000 calories a week from my diet!  I seem to be thinking about food all the time.  A time when it seemed impossible to eat enough feels like something I must have dreamed.

Staffordshire Moorlands Challenge Walk

I decided I would do the LDWA Staffordshire Moorlands Challenge Walk as part of my walking 'campaign'.  This turned out to rather more challenging than I had expected.

I managed to get hold of the secretary for my consultant's NHS practise.  Three months ago the consultant recommended arthroscopy to treat a meniscus tear, stating that I should be given priority due to the eighteen months that the condition had gone undiagnosed.  The secretary could not give me a date for the 'op, but told me that there were no free slots in the surgeon's existing schedule until 2015.  That was a bit of a blow and once again I considered paying the three grand plus for the surgery myself.  However, as I am now getting some use out of the knee, I am more inclined to wait a little longer.

I have done a couple of easy going twenty mile walks without incident recently, so my thoughts turned to something a little more demanding.  The LDWA Staffordshire Moorlands Challenge seemed to fit the bill at just over twenty miles with around 3000' of ascent and moorland terrain.  There are plenty of road crossings which, I thought, made the route safer for me with my present doubtful physical reliability.  It was a misty old morning when I arrived at the car park in Oakamoor, the forecast was 'changeable'.  I pulled on a thin sweater and wind proof and was on my way at a few minutes past nine.  I was soon warm enough to remove the extra layers and was comfy in a short sleeve 'T' for the rest of the day.

Still pretty misty at East Wall Farm.  Stay sharp if you take the waymarked path left instead of going straight on here.  The detour is only a few tens of metres and the stile to rejoin the track comes up pretty quickly.

The walk up through woods to Hawksmoor Cottage then down through woods to East Wall Farm was straightforward and uneventful.  At the farm the waymarked path departs from the right of way.  I took the waymarked path to 'be polite'.  Unfortunately I missed the stile to take me back onto the Staffordshire Way and continued East for a while before alarm bells started to ring.  I retraced my path and found the stile without too much trouble.  The extra distance covered and the time lost was not great, but as it turned out, a theme for the day was starting to develop.

I enjoyed the next section, from the farm to Kingsley Holt, enormously.  The route follows the Churnet for about three quarters of a mile before heading uphill through fields.  There was enough fog to give everything a romantic look without reducing visibility so much that it was a nuisance. 

The short road section at Kingsley Holt was above the mist which is still pooled in the Churnet valley.  The depth of the valley can be gauged by the fact that Bolton's chimney in Froghall, the tip of which is just visible in this photo, is 100m (328ft) tall.

Navigation out of Kingsley Holt was straightforward until after the woods at Banktop.  There, the path was not always evident on the ground.  I tried to head downward where I could and eventually ended in a field with a ford in front of me.  I looked about and found Whiston Bridge a little further left.

The level crossing on the old railway, between the bridge and the steep and overgrown 'path' up to and through Ochre Wood. 

There was no clear path on the ground up to and through Ochre Wood and the overgrown section (shown as open ground on the map) was anything but straightforward. There were a number of ways that had some wear, however they often dwindled into nothing, came to a halt at a fence or ended up veering off in another direction.  After several retries I managed to stitch together a route through and was glad to leave the steep overgrown area behind for a gentler slope through fields to the road.

 Leaving the road behind to head northwest for Froghall Wharf, the route surprises by going right underneath part of a bunch of quaint stone built cottages, fortunately there was a waymark here.

 Quaint stone built houses on the route out of Leys, the path goes right past the doorsteps and under the arch.

There is a very steep slope immediately behind the cottages and it is hard not to fall down it.  The surface is little more than leaf mould on mud anyway and even this has been mangled by 4 X 4s.  This hazard out of the way, a sharp bend in the road is skirted and the path then continues down to Froghall Wharf.

Still some mist and a weird light at Froghall Wharf, a little less than five miles behind me.

The wharf is around five miles into the walk and so, as I headed away towards Harston Rock, I decided it was time for a sandwich.  I was dismayed to find that it had taken me two and a half hours to get this far.  This was an hour behind what I thought was a conservative estimate of one and a half hours.  I had not been slacking when moving, so the time had been lost in navigational dithering and path finding.  As there were many navigational decisions yet to come I picked up the pace to compensate as I did not want to be out after dark.

I grew quite wistful as I passed Harston Rock, I never did climb 'DNA'.  I think I may have made a navigational error after exiting the woods due to my inadequate way marking of the map.  This would not have lost me any time, it was just an alternative path.  I was unaware of any error until I looked at the route (drawn solid rather than way marked) at home afterwards.

The way from Cotton to Hoften's Cross required care to link a web of paths, a lot of time was spent looking at and orientating the map and taking care not to miss a junction.  Some stiles were difficult to see due to vegetation and paths were sometimes invisible on the ground.  Despite this, this section went fairly smoothly.  I failed to take a photo of the tumulus above

Hoften's Cross, I thought I would get a better angle as I walked up the road.  In fact the tumulus became progressively more hidden and I missed my chance, I did see some good donkeys though.

Gorgeous donkeys on the short section along the A52 at Cauldon Lowe.

The route from Hoften's Cross, past Wardlow Quarry and Weaver Hills was straightforward, although I could really crack on here the distance was not great enough to make up a lot of time.  The trig point of 'The Walk' making ninety degrees with the path marked ten miles, time for a sandwich and time check.  I was still making poor time but had completed the last five miles in two hours so was in with a chance of getting back before dark if I could keep it up.

The next section, to Stanton, was again characterised by some overgrown stiles and few traces of paths on the ground.  While navigation was not difficult, it was necessary to keep the map orientated and 'follow your thumb' most of the time.  I almost walked into a drystone wall whilst trying to carry on walking and study the map for the next turn.  I did have to make a detour to avoid cows with calves in one very long and very inescapable field.  Typically, the detour would have added nothing had I taken it in the first place rather than having to walk back to pick it up.

Saint Mary's church signals one's arrival into Stanton.

The minor road is followed out of Stanton before peeling off south east to follow Ordley Brook.  There is a finger post from the road so despite the very overgrown start to the track it is not too hard to find.  The route follows the valley bottom so I could at last just follow my feet for a couple of miles.  This was especially welcome as I was off the edge of my map for a while.  After the overgrown start, the going was not too bad and I ran pretty much all of this section.  The sound of shotguns in the poorly lit woods added urgency to my footsteps!

Top of the path running down to Ordley Brook.  There were many such obstacles to progress during the day.  At least this overgrown path had a finger post. The physical effect on progress was minor compared to the wearing nature of the constant challenge to navigational confidence.

I was soon on Guisley Lane, then on a short section of footpath to Upper Ellastone with its Balwen Mountain Sheep (black and white sheep that look like sheep dogs), Grade II listed (St Peter's) church and lychgate.  Ellastone is about three quarters of the way round the route so it was time for another sandwich.  I had lost more time on the way to Stanton, but had more than made up for it from Stanton to Ellastone.  I was now on course to finish in about eight and a quarter hours, well behind my original estimate of six hours, but good enough to quell worries about darkness falling.  I allowed myself a short break while I ate, the only break of the day.

Above - The Grade II listed St. Peter's Church in Upper Ellastone.  Below - The St. Peter's lychgate.

I headed out of Ellastone, it was not long before I was walking along Prestwood Lane and off the bottom of my printed map.   I had pencilled a few notes "follow to Quixhill Lane then take path and head NNE for Churnet Valley".  This had seemed adequate when my memory of the complete map was still fresh.  I did remember the general lay of the land, but Prestwood Lane seemed longer than I expected and my confidence started to waver.  I kept going and the sharp bend in the lane with an obvious path to the right eventually appeared, phew.  I also dithered a little in the valley when I got there as I could not remember how much ground I had to cover before I walked back onto the map.  In the end I remembered that it did not really matter, I only had to follow the river.

I relocated myself at 'The Sprink' the first feature at the bottom of my map.  The challenge route follows the river rather than the railway path and I think this is probably the more pleasant way to go.  This valley section allowed quick progress to Alton and another line of notes at my map's margin.  I found the route without problems despite feeling a bit of a panic that my notes would not be enough.  Further on though, I regretted not taking more care when I failed to pick up the path again after coming down to the road.  This resulted in a mile more tarmac than was necessary on the way back to Oakamoor.

 Oakamoor and the road home (photo' taken in the morning, not on my return in the evening).

Despite the early fog and later haze obscuring the more distant views this was a pleasant walk.  Tree lined valleys can be lovely, but can get boring if not broken up,  this walk provides the necessary variety (in the last Churnet section, the valley is broad enough to see more than just the next tree anyway).

I was eight hours and forty five minutes on this route.  I took comparatively few photographs, nearly all the time over my six hour estimate was used up navigating and path finding.  Navigation was not particularly difficult, there was just so much of it to be done.  Those who do not have to change/don spectacles every time they need to look at a map closely, then change/remove them again to see ahead, may have an easier time of it.  Some stiles and paths took quite a bit of dithering to find, many were overgrown/not evident on the ground.  I get the impression that I may have been the only person to use some of these paths in quite a while.

There were a good few fields with cattle.  I stuck to the periphery of these fields to allow escape (excepting one noted earlier), this would also have lengthened the route somewhat.  As it happened, at no time did any cattle show much interest in me which made a pleasant change.  I get the feeling that cattle are less curious about/threatened by walkers than runners.

In retrospect I would have left more time to enjoy this route as well as to navigate it.  There are views that are best enjoyed by stopping and turning round (particularly the extensive views north from the Weaver Hills).  I suppose investing in an extra sheet of A4 wouldn't have been a bad idea either, but the route so 'almost' fit one double sided print!

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.

Because I can.

When anyone asks me why I run, and a short reply is expected, I always answer "because I can".  I have always enjoyed my runs, except maybe for some of those short runs fitted around work that just keep one fit for the real running.  Watch a dog tearing about and woofing for the sheer joy of being free and you will understand what I mean.

I saw the consultant again after my MRI scans, the scans confirmed his (and the Nuffield physio's) initial diagnosis.  I have tears to the medial meniscus of my left knee.  Unfortunately this will require surgery to sort out.  I do feel some relief in knowing that this diagnosis is demonstrably correct.

I spent £60 on the Nuffield physio appointment, £200 on the consultation and £300 on the MRI in the belief that the previous physio and my GP had failed me.  Money well spent as it turns out, even if I should not have had to spend it.  The consultant is referring me back to the National Health Service in the hope of saving me the £3020 fee for the knee arthroscopy.  He is of the opinion that the wait should not be too long, as he will emphasize that I had the injury for some time (between 18 and 24 months) before it was diagnosed .  Either way it will be he who performs the procedure.

If I do not get an appointment fairly soon I will probably find the money.  Three grand is a vast sum to me, but I cannot think of many things that would improve my quality of life more than an early return to the fells.  I am also looking forward to being able to eat as much as I want with impunity.  I have had to moderate my food intake much more than expected to keep my weight constant.


Getting it right

I missed a lot of running due to my injury, last year.  I have missed  even more, so far, this year.  Whether it was three months abstinence, the fact that I am older and appreciate stuff more or the careful long run planning, I don't know, but I have enjoyed what running I have done this year more than ever.  One only has to read the relevant blog entries to know that this is not a rose tinted retrospective view.

It's all uphill

"I wish I were as cocksure of anything as Tom Macaulay is of everything." -  William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne.


Here we are, well into June and I am still not back on the hills¹.  At least some fairly lightweight walking is now possible, I've even had the odd canter for a few hundred metres on straightforward paths.  As my GP wasn't going to refer me further (and my attempts to change practice have been fruitless so far*), I decided on finding another physiotherapist.  The aim here was to find a physio' that could refer me on if necessary.  This has meant making a commitment to pursuing general private health care on a 'pay as you go basis', not a decision I was too sure about.

The Nuffield physiotherapist questioned me thoroughly then did a thing called "an examination", GPs might consider adopting this practise.  She  told me that physiotherapy was not going to help me and referred me to a consultant.  Her diagnosis was that the problem was a 'healed' cartilage injury, probably the one I sustained about eighteen months ago, and other injuries due to compensation.  It was for this kind of candid appraisal that I chose an integrated health service.  Call me cynical, but I believe it less likely that a 'stand alone' physio' would admit that they couldn't help (and I have the bills to substantiate this belief).  She thought it likely that surgery could help.

Managing the odd five miles of walking if I take it steady - Shacklow Bone Mill on the River Wye.

My appointment with the consultant was on the 24th.  He examined me, concurred with the physio's diagnosis then sent me for an MRI that afternoon to confirm that surgery is warranted.  At the end of the MRI scan I was given a disc to take back to the consultant.

At all times, my experience has been of a punctual, competent, efficient, polite and generally well run service.   This impressed me, what impressed me more was that resources were sufficient for the job, but no money had been wasted on that which would be superfluous.  The last point was particularly important to one who was  spending more money in a day than at any other time in his life, except when a car had needed replacing.

My next appointment with the consultant is on the first of July.  There are only two possible outcomes from this meeting, I learn that surgery is not going to be beneficial or that surgery might be beneficial.  If surgery will help, I will have to decide whether I am prepared to spend the major portion of my life savings to be able to run again.  For once I am pretty sure about something - wouldn't you be?


¹ For first time readers - Pain in my left knee is preventing me from running, my GP has told me that my varicose veins are the culprit.

*It may be possible for me to change from the worst surgery in the area to the second worst.  Moving house to get into the catchment area of one of the better surgeries would be much more expensive than paying for my own op' (though would have benefits in the long run).