Confused!

I am confused... admittedly, at my age it doesn't take a lot, but some people just aren't helping. Last week I had physio on my knees. Steve the physio said I had chondromalacia patella (pigeon toed kneecaps) and gave me exercises to do, saying I would be as right as rain in 2 weeks (next Monday). I've even practiced saying chondromalacia patella until I can do it without having to concentrate. As my knees are still somewhat stiff, I went back for more physio today and to make sure I'm on the right lines. This time I got Caroline who said that it was nothing to do with chondro-wotsit and how on earth could he tell by just looking and that my problem is the way I walk - I overpronate. I saw this same Caroline last year when I did something to my ankle. I had worked at the Ashes in Cardiff, standing for 12 hours a day on concrete for 5 days on the trot and afterwards one of my ankles got very sore, not entirely unreasonably. She said then it was the way I walked, despite me never having problems before (or since) with my ankles.... I'm not entirely convinced she knows what she's talking about...

Anyway, today (apart from being surprised that I had no more problems with my ankles) she said again it was this overpronation thing and that if I went to the triathlon shop down the road (yay, there's a TRIATHLON SHOP!!) they could 'measure my gait' and find me shoes to correct my 'problem'. So I went. Yep, they have a running machine attached to a video camera. I was put in 'neutral' trainers (they don't correct your feet either inwards or outwards!) and ran for a bit on the machine. My knees hurt. The bloke analysed my gait and said it was one of the straightest he had seen - no overpronation going on there then. Hah! He also mentioned that I might suffer from outer thigh strain as I was so straight. Nope, not had that one.. He tried to sell me some Very Expensive trainers but I like the ones I've got, so I bought a Very Expensive vest top instead. Note to designers: Black, black or black is not a colour choice. Do women triathletes not wear pink? Or yellow? When I am the Olympic gold medal winning triathlete (getting a little ahead of myself here) I shall bring out my own range of triathlete gear (or whatever its called) in Anything But Black.

So I'm confused. I now have three conflicting bits of advice about feet, knees, trainers and the way I walk. I shall persevere with the exercises and then go and see my pals Malcolm and Neil at Running Bath (it's a running shop in Bath - cool name or what?) who I know will give me impartial advice - I knew them in a previous life when we all did sewing things.... And if I have to spend gazillions on new trainers, I'd rather they had the money...

I may be walking the final stage of the triathlon...