Hello Runners!
I hope you’ve had a relaxing weekend and are finding ways to stay social as things keep changing.  I keep thinking how lucky we are that we are already accustomed to doing so much socialising out-of-doors on long runs.  We’ve got a head start on adjusting to this phase of our Covid reality, and a ready-made outdoor social group!

Tier 2 Restrictions and WRW. 
The good news is that the new government rules don’t change that much for us.  We will continue to meet and run in groups of 6 or fewer, but we should put even more space between groups at meetup, to make it clear to onlookers and passersby that we are following the rules!  This was meant to be the week we started slipping destination runs back into the mix for those comfortable with public transport.  But since Tier 2 rules ask people to stay off of public transport unless necessary, we will continue to offer looped routes for now.

Running this week. 
Monday we are doing a new and improved Notting Hill loop (just under 7 miles) that incorporates the iconic pastel houses in the neighborhood.  This route does use the canal, so please pay attention to spacing between our 6-packs, and also give space to other pedestrians and bikers on the canal (take it to single file if needed!).  On Wednesday, we will swap the two ‘Frieze Tag’ routes we used last week, with 8s and 10s doing Camden/Mornington Crescent, and 9s and 11s doing the Primrose Hill/Regents Park run.  And Friday will be ASL School Conferences, so check in on your Whatsapp groups to see who is running.  Even though there is no official run on Friday, I’m sure everyone who can get out there will want to run up the hill as usual 😉

Looking ahead. 
Next Friday, October 30, we will do some variation of our traditional Halloween Run.  As always, costumes are welcome and encouraged, though by no means required!  Meanwhile, we continue to pay close attention to our Covid reality, and we’ll be ready to add in some of our fun destination runs and social events the moment it becomes possible.  For now, your fabulous Routes Team is planning to go back to the maps to try to tweak and twist us some fresh loop options, and we’re keeping an eye on the training calendar we’ve used in past years.  

Have a great week, everyone, and enjoy the time we get to spend together!  Take good care of yourselves– physically, mentally, emotionally– and please reach out if you are feeling like you need some support.  As always, we are here for one another.  One of the unexpected things about this group is that while we may start running to make ourselves stronger, we end up making each other stronger.
xx Micki

ROUTES

Monday, October 19 – Notting Hill Pastel Loop (6.9 miles)
RunGo link:  https://routes.rungoapp.com/route/F114naRal5
All groups head out the same way, so please be mindful of spacing between 6-packs, and be sure to give other canal users plenty of space.  From the top of Church Gardens, run down Wellington Rd and right onto St John’s Wood Road, passing Lord’s Cricket Ground on your right and the LJS Synagogue on your left. Turn left on Cunningham then right on Aberdeen to work your way to Blomfield Rd. Run along the street sidewalk until you turn left to cross the Westbourne Terrace Road bridge. Turn right after the bridge, follow the sidewalk along Delamere Terrace, then join the canal path heading west at this point.

Run to the Ladbroke Grove exit then run down Ladbroke Grove to Elgin Crescent and make a right, then the first left onto Rosmead Gardens, then left again onto Lansdowne Rd. At the end of Lansdowne turn right onto Kensington Park Rd, then left on Westbourne Grove. Run down Westbourne Grove to the top of Bishop’s Bridge, then left down the steps into Sheldon Square (across from the Paddington Station entrance). Stay along the canal to where you entered, then run back on Blomfield to SJW and Starbucks.

Wednesday, October 21 – ‘Frieze Tag’ via Mornington Crescent or Primrose Hill
Swapping routes from what you did last Wednesday…
8s & 10s pace groups – Camden Lock/Mornington Crescent/Regents Park (5 miles)
Head to the canal going eastbound to Camden Lock, where we cross the small, cobblestone bridge, exit the canal and turn right onto Camden High Street. Take the first right turn onto Jamestown Road and then the first left onto Arlington Road. Run straight down Arlington Road, make a slight right onto Mornington Crescent, follow it around and turn right onto Hampstead Road. At the first intersection, turn left onto Granby Terrace and the second left onto Stanhope Street. Continue down Stanhope until we reach Trinton Square. Turn right and run between the office buildings at Regent’s Place, past the nice fountains, to the end of Trinton Street. Use the pedestrian crossings to cross Osnaburgh Street and Albany Street. Head left to the intersection of Euston Road, where you take a right and run briefly along Euston Road. At Park Square East, turn right through the gates towards Regent’s Park. We enter the park at the Outer Circle intersection and follow the paths on the east side of the park to take in the Frieze sculptures, cross the Broad Walk at the ornamental fountain and head along the path with the Zoo to our right. Turn left onto the Outer Circle, past the Avenue Road exit, and right at the second exit (where we usually enter for the canal or park). Run up Charlbert Street to St John’s Wood Terrace, make a left, and head back to Starbucks.

9s & 11s pace groups – Primrose Hill/Regents Park (5 miles)
From the Church Gardens (rather than Barclay’s as shown on map) start out as if we’re headed for the Heath, running a short way down the High St, then right on Allitsen, left on Townsend, right on Acacia, and then left again at Avenue Rd.  Use the zebra crossing just a short way up Avenue to cross over and run down Elsworthy Rd until you see a small road on the right that ends in the entrance to Primrose Hill park.  Once in the park take the path that angles to the left, then bear right at the first fork and left at the second.  This will take you up for a fantastic view from the top of Primrose Hill.  After you’ve caught your breath, take the path that goes down on the right (if you are looking out toward London), then curve around to the left at the first split.  Follow this path all the way down the hill to the crossing at Prince Albert Rd.  Cross at the zebra and head straight into the park via the bridge and across the Outer Circle (NOT a zebra, please note!).  In Regents Park, take the path that angles to the left, running behind the zoo.  Cross the Broad Walk by the fountain and continue across on the path that heads toward, but not all the way to, the perimeter of the park.  Follow this to the far corner, zig-zagging as you like to see the sculptures, and then turning right to run along the southern edge of the park, inside the fence.  Continue to follow this around  the boating pond to run across the little bridge at the far end of the pond, then bear right to follow the contour of the pond to its end.  Continue on the same path until it meets the diagonal path that runs behind the zoo (the same one we ran in on).  Turn left to follow that to its end and then turn left onto the Outer Circle and follow it for a short distance to the crossing at Charlbert.  Exit the park and take Charlbert to St Johns Wood Terrace to finish at our Starbucks/Pret corner of the High Street.

Friday, October 23 – ASL Parent/Teacher conferences– no official routes … but here are the links for the Heath routes, because you know you want to run them!  Please continue to use our Elsworthy Rd and Thurlow Rd routes into the heath, so we can keep as much traffic as possible off the Fitzjohn Avenue pavement.  For specific directions on these routes, consult the WRW London group page on the RunGo app.