Today’s run was a quick climb up to Castell Coch and through Fforest Fawr to try out my new shoes.

I’ve been running in the Salomon Sense Ride 4 for a few weeks and to be honest, I don’t love them. They felt really stiff at first and took 50 miles to bed in. I’ve got used to them and there are things I like but I wanted to try something else for longer runs.

I’m buying cheaper, older shoes to get used to different brands and models so I picked up the HOKA Challenger ATR 6.

They’re described as a “hybrid” or “commuter” shoe and are supposed to be suitable for trails and tarmac.

I’ve been wearing them in the house for a few weeks and they feel good. After a few hundred yards running through the village I had a smile on my face!

They feel a lot more “plush” than other shoes I’ve had and I’m interested to see how they perform on the hills and longer routes.