London again

I'm stating to think I'm trapped in some kind of Sisyphean nightmare. All I do is run, after which I wash my kit. Repeat ad nauseam. It's getting boring to be honest.

Or maybe it's more Promethean, given the occasional work-outs I give my liver?

Anyway, this week's outing was back on very familiar ground - I can't get away from the fact that I'm a North Londoner at heart. My long run was 23 miles, a lengthened version of my loop around the central parks. The extra diversions were up to Hampstead Heath (around the route of my family's Sunday morning walk, where we'd often see Michael Foot RIP) and through Golders Hill Park, where I have early memories of the ducks, sculptures and bandstand. And maybe some llamas? Then back into Zone 1 past the Holly Bush - they do a great hot spiced apple vodka drink at Christmastime - and also my old flat on Frognal. The other extension to the usual route was to do a whole lap of Hyde Park.

Life isn't all miserable though - the run was sandwiched between two of the best meals I've had for some time. The first was at the newly-opened Bistrot Bruno Loubet in the Zetter Hotel - exceptionally well-executed posh peasant cooking (book now before the reviews start coming). The second was after I got my friend Jonny to do my pre-MdS medical sign-off and ECG in Hammersmith, at Indian Zing, which serves up an excellent biryani. Whilst I'm admittedly bored of running, it's good to see that I can still continue to derive vast pleasure from a decent meal, no matter how many I've had before...