September...

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

After a couple of weeks stewing and festering, I've bitten the bullet and got back on the treadmill. However, before you raise a glass and cheer, it's been back on the treadmill not to run, but to walk. Whoopee doo you may say, but I have in fact uncovered something rather profound. I have discovered that by hitting the "mountain climb" program and setting off at a brisk pace, I get an amazing work-out with all the sweat and wheezing and cardiac arest business that I got from running, but without the shins, knees and arthritic toes flaying into me with knives and needles and other assorted general mayhem.

Even better, I found I get an incredible runners' high - the secret it seems is to let the treadmill program slowly ramp you up to a ridiculously steep ascent (which would be impossible if I was running), maintain the pace, and then revel in the apparent ease as the incline reduces in the second half of the program - a slope which hurt on the "way up" but which then seems virtually flat (but isn't) in the latter stages. The result is a glorious feeling of achievement, an absolute ripper dose of endorphins and no joint or muscle pain. And a brilliant work out that doesn't actually take that much longer than a decent mid week run.

I'm not a complete sell-out, I mean convert, but it gives me hope that this new found enthusiasm for hill climbing may give me the muscle tone needed to alleviate the pressure on the joints and which may enable some future running.

It does generate an incredible thirst however...

Luckily I have the answer to that problem too