These are the places that trick me into moving more than from desk to kettle. Mostly east, mostly reachable between clinics, all firmly in the ‘good for me, hurts a bit’ category. Some are for actually doing sport, some are for watching other people do it while I pretend this is cross‑training. Anyway...
My ongoing attempt to understand the offside rule happens here. Nice mix of noise and nostalgia; feels like medicine for a long week, even when the football isn’t exactly pretty.
Closest thing I have to a second surgery. Pool, gym, track, endless kids’ swim lessons in the background. Good for a pre‑clinic swim if I’ve slept like a responsible adult, which is rare.
Bouldering, coffee and laptops everywhere. Feels like half of Walthamstow is either on the wall or writing a screenplay. Great if you like the idea of falling in public and calling it training.
Abercrombie Road, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London E20 3AB
London
You either feel inspired cycling where Olympians rode, or mildly fraudulent. I lean towards fraudulent, but the road circuit and hire bikes make it hard to talk yourself out of a proper spin.
Marshgate Lane, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London E20 2ST
London
Big, shiny and slightly confusing to get out of after events. Good for the occasional match or athletics meet when you want the full ‘this is definitely not Brisbane Road’ experience.
Handball, basketball, a bit of everything, sometimes esports if you fancy cardio via adrenaline alone. Nice size: big enough to feel like an event, small enough that you can still see.
Old‑school local that leans heavily into live sport and loud opinions. Good if you like your football analysis with extra volume and very committed refereeing from the bar.
TheLysts
