Dear Runners,

Another great run this past week, and this was a hard one, so well done!  You all managed the canal beautifully, and ran the inclines without complaining!  They may seem small, but as you have discovered, running them is tough!  The good news is that when you run flat having run a little incline, it feels so much easier!

Next Thursday, we have another destination run, so be sure to bring cash and an Oyster card with you.  We will run down to Hyde Park, zig zag through it and head towards Whole Foods in High Street Kensington.  We can go upstairs and have coffee there, while those of you who want to shop can do so!  We will be doing one 11 and three 12 minute intervals, for a total running time of 47 minutes!  I know a few of you feel as though we are going at a slow pace, but it is essential that we keep it this way, so as to prevent injury, as running time and mileage increases.  There will be plenty of time later on to increase the speed – let’s just get used to running almost continuously, I am so excited about all your enthusiasm and would just hate to see one of you injured!  On that note, please, please take the time to stretch after your runs!  Consider buying a foam roller to use to roll the sides of your thighs so as to avoid an IT band injury.  I know a couple have complained of pain on the outside of your knees – that is most likely due to a tight IT band, and rolling constantly will loosen it up.  Believe me, I have had various minor injuries, and most of them arise from not stretching enough – don’t do what I do and wait till you are injured before you start to stretch!  Also, don’t ignore any nagging pain hoping it will go away (another Syma special).  Invariably it will get worse, and may cause other problems.  We have physios and osteopaths we can recommend to you.

Ok, enough nagging, see you all on Thursday!

Syma