Test driving my new off-roaders

Yesterday I took delivery of a fabulous new pair of Innov8s. They're multi-terrain trainers and, with a 10-mile fell run next week, I wanted to see how grippy they are.

So, I took them for a canter to Regent's Park and Primrose Hill this morning. They fared very well in the mud and I feel confident they will glue me to Dartmoor for next Saturday's wild night run.

However, I fear they were less well suited to Finchley Road and the four or five miles I did on London's pavements.

It was fine while running but I've just got out of the shower and now my right foot is throbbing and I can hardly move.

Reminds me of the time I decided to walk home from Soho in my bare feet (just before the Brighton marathon). They actually felt okay while walking. It was when I got home and sat down that they started to glow like hot coals. They were sore for days!

Anyway, I've been foam rollering my newly tender foot and am hoping it'll ease up in a minute. Plan to drag it to the pub for a roast dinner and see if that helps. It'll help my tum, if nothing else.

On the plus side, I managed just under two hours of running and felt okay (foot aside). This bodes well.

Stats (according to Strava): 10.5 miles; 1.48.42; 10.21 minute/mile

Pic: New shoes that are not new anymore.

There's always time to enjoy the view

I left the house at 9 am this morning and returned four hours later. I'd packed my rucksack for the trip: swimming stuff, purse, phone etc as I'd decided to run to Regent's Park and, after several laps, would head back to the heath for a swim.

I got as far as Primrose Hill.

On such a beautiful morning, it seemed a shame not to sit down and enjoy the amazing view over London. Unfortunately, once sat down, it was difficult to get up again. So I didn't. I stayed on the bench, chatted to a small dog, then phoned a friend.

Suitably rejuvenated, I wandered into Camden for a coffee and a blueberry muffin. And after an hour of magazine reading, I was ready for the walk back to Hampstead. Well, the walk to the tube anyway.

I still had good intentions to go for a swim. The pond was a 30-minute walk away, so I went for the second-best option. The nearby leisure centre.

That's when I discovered that getting into lukewarm water is no easier than getting into cold water. In fact, when I emerged 20 minutes later, I was freezing.

What's lovely about swimming on the heath is that when you get out, you feel nice and warm. Or, at least, you think you're nice and warm because the water is so blooming cold. It's one of things that makes swimming at the pond such a joy.

There was no joy at the leisure centre.

It was packed and I nearly got run over by an old lady. She had a very aggressive stroke that created a sonic boom every time her hand hit the water. Several times I had to take evasive action to avoid her fist impacting with my head. It was so terrifying I got out. That doesn't happen at the pond.

(Stats: 2.5 miles; 25.53 minutes; 10.21 minute/mile. Swimming: 20 laps; 500 metres/0.31 miles; 20 minutes; 64.30 minute/mile (really??!!!))

(Pic: A lovely spot for a bit of a sit-down.)