Shame, it's a gorgeous day for a walk

It looks like a fabulous morning. The sky is mostly blue and there's enough sunshine to warm the earth that's finally ice-free after a long cold spell. Even better, I'm just beginning a few days holiday.

But my injured foot still hurts and I've decided to rest it for longer. It wasn't right when I began the long trek around Rutland Water on Monday and I was probably foolish for pushing it hard for such a long time.

I drove to Leeds yesterday and walked the campus of the University during an open day (it's one of my son's preferred choices). The foot held up reasonably well but the dull ache didn't go away. I don't think I did much further damage but it probably didn't help in the recovery. It's still slightly swollen and the pain hasn't really diminished.

So today I've put a call into the doctor and booked an appointment for Monday. I haven't yet bothered my GP with my plans but a friend did suggest that a check-up would have been wise. Never mind, now I'm injured and I need some advice.

I really want to be fit in a week's time, when I'll be setting off for a three-day walking spree. The idea is to take all my kit and to see what it's like to walk day after day. I have noticed that my recovery time from long walks is improving; just a couple of months ago it would take me a week to get over a ten mile hike and now I can feel recovered from 15 miles in a couple of days. Still, that's a long way short of the stamina that I'll be needing in a few week's time.