Running beer-foot.

[El Gordo]

Good to hear from you, MLCM.

A knee that sounds like cellophane? Crikey. It sounds almost marketable. It's not a doctor you need, it's an agent.

It's one of those irrational assumptions of mine that one day we'll share a beer or two on the side of your hill, but in the meantime we, the people of the United Kingdom, demand regular bulletins. The race sounds like a great target, and I'm sure you could make it up there. Whether you'd get back down again is less clear, but you never know.

Why not write a book about it?

Treadmills are a subject slightly closer to my heart than they were a couple of weeks ago. No plans to buy one, but I joined a gym recently, and I've a terrible feeling that they may enter my training schedule, particularly when there's a big match on TV.

Could be a good solution for you. They are much easier on the joints than the road, and you can build in an incline to help prepare for the big hill. The main drawback is tedium. After a few minutes on a treadmill, you tend to question the meaning and purpose of your life. I'd suggest keeping a bottle of beer within view to remind you of the answer to such profound questions.

Good luck.