Rollerblading in the park

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How hard was it? Having not bladed since my daredevil pre-teen years, I thought this time would be just as easy as before. I was disconcerted by the recovery drill —you must learn to fall on to your knees and get back up again — but no sooner had I regained my balance then I quickly moved into the "scooter skate", putting my quadriceps and gluteal muscles to the test.

Here the aim is to improve your balance by putting weight on the gliding foot and pushing along the ground with the other. I then found I could happily get up to a good speed and the chances of stopping without crashing into the pavement were minimal thanks to the heel brake-stop.

The idea is to make a precise scissor shape with your legs by bending the right, extending it slightly and smoothly pushing down on the brake until you come to a controlled halt. I eventually achieved the desired effect but only to shouts of "Bend your knees and stop looking down." Much improvement needed.

Calories burned? 442 in 60 minutes.

Ready for more? While I'm miles
away from skating the Berlin inline marathon, I feel confident with the basics and have trained in the park every other weekend since. Clearly practice is the key.

Try it out: Any time, any London park. £35 for one hour's private tuition, £15 for a one-hour group lesson. Book online at www.londonskaters.com Victoria Stewart