You’re fabulous!  I asked you last week to consciously think about your individual training programs for Lisbon and Boom!  Like magic,  you’ve done it!  Thank you.  For those of you who are new to the running group, this will be our last week of a “normal” schedule.  The two weeks over the holidays are a bit more relaxed and a ton of fun.  The groups continue to meet at 8:15am at Starbucks.  We’ve found that is easier than trying to communicate a change in time.  Someone always misses the message and ends up sitting at Starbucks waiting for people to show up!  Of course if that time doesn’t work for you, arrange yourselves separately.  I’ll send out some basic route suggestions next weekend that will cover us for two weeks.  We usually have a mixed group of runners so we settle on a mid-range pace and enjoy getting in some mileage.

Also I wanted to let you know that I was not selected to run with the Olympic torch.  Truly, I’m not disappointed.  To me it was just as much of an honor to be nominated as it would have been to actually run with the torch.  You ladies were so sweet to think of me and take the time to write the nomination letter.

Monday – Canary Wharf (9.5 miles)  Everyone loves this route and it will feel great to leave town on a high note!

• Distance Runners (10 miles on your schedule) – so either run to Starbucks, run around in circles at Canary Wharf, or just do the 9.5 miles and call it close enough!
• Pace-setters (8 miles on your schedule) – Your call.  Mile End (on the Central Line) is 7.5 miles or you could do “The Wall” plus a bit of mileage in Regent’s Park or Primrose Hill or you could just go for it and join us all the way to Canary Wharf.
• Flex-runners (10 miles on your schedule) – You’re flexible!  9.5 is close enough to 10!
• Mid-level (7 miles on your schedule) – I would suggest “The Wall” with an extension.  Run to “The Wall”, turn around and run back to Camden market.  Come off the canal there and run up Camden High Street (NW direction toward Belsize).  When you get to the Chalk Farm tube station turn left on Adelaide Rd.  Run to Swiss Cottage then come down St. John’s Wood Park to Starbucks.  That route would be just under 7 miles.
• EBR – Your mid-distance run this week should be 5 miles.  If you are wanting to do it on Monday, you could consider running to “The Wall” which is 6 miles or just turn around a bit early if you want to stick to 5 miles.
• Gentle Runners (5 miles on your schedule) – “The Wall” or if you want to stick to 5 miles, turn around where the railroad tracks cross over the canal – that’s 2.5 miles from Starbucks so 5 miles round-trip.

Tuesday – Ease Back into Running (8 miles).  Wow!  We’re getting up there!  Last week’s run was amazing.  Everyone did extremely well.  This week we’ll be running one of my favorite routes up to the Finsbury Green Belt.  We will do a little loop in Finsbury Park to get the mileage we need.  It’s a tough run up to Hampstead then on to Highgate, but it’s worth it.  The green belt is beautiful.  We’ll finish at the bakery, grab a coffee and pastries (they also have great pita bread) and head home on the tube.

Wednesday –

• Distance Runners (6.5 miles on your schedule) – How about the Hyde Park/Green Park/Home through Mayfair route?  Lisson Grove/Seymour down to Speaker’s Corner in Hyde Park then straight down to Wellington Arch.  Cross the big round-about into Green Park and run down to Buckingham Palace, then up the hill to the Ritz then cross Piccadilly St.  Go north on Half Moon St. then left on Curzon then right on Audley.  Audley turns into Baker St. so take it all the way back to SJW.
• Pace-setters (6 miles on your schedule) – same as Distance Runners
• Flex-runners (6 miles on your schedule) –  same as Distance Runners
• Mid-level (10 miles on your schedule) – What do you think about running to Kew?  This is a lovely route and it’s mostly flat.  I thought about suggesting the Finsbury green belt then over to the river Lea, but that’s a tough run getting up there.  This will be our longest run this year so I think Kew might be a better option.  Is everyone happy with that?
• EBR – Your mid-distance run this week should be 5 miles.  If you are wanting to do it on Wednesday, you could follow the Distance/Pace-setter/Flex-runners but come home from Green Park instead of running all the way back to SJW.
• Gentle Runners (8 miles on your schedule) – We have a few options – (1) You could run behind the mid-level group but come off the river at Mortlake (precisely 8 miles) and train back into Waterloo.  Mortlake is about 1/2 mile past Barnes Bridge rail station (which sits just beside the river).  You stay along the river past Barnes Bridge rail station for about 6 minutes of running.  Turn left just before the Stag Brewery and in about 150 meters you reach the center of Mortlake.  The station sits near the middle of the village.  (2) If Mortlake sounds more complicated than it’s worth, the entire route around Hyde Park and back to SJW is 8 miles.

Friday – Everyone up the hill!

• Distance Runners (8 miles on your schedule) – We can decide on the day whether people prefer the old route or the new route.  No worries!  Both are 8 miles.
• Pace-setters (7 miles on your schedule) – Either route can be shortened to reduce the mileage.
• Flex-runners (8 miles on your schedule) – Either route can be shortened to reduce the mileage if you’re not wanting the full 8 miles.
• Mid-level (5 miles on your schedule) – The Betsy Route is a great 5 mile run.  Let me know if you need an route description.
• EBR – Your mid-distance run this week should be 5 miles.  If you are wanting to do it on Friday, you could follow the Betsy Route into the heath.
• Gentle Runners (6 miles on your schedule) – The extended Betsy Route works or you could do the regular Betsy Route but instead of cutting through Belsize on your way home keep running straight down Haverstock Hill to Adelaide Rd.  Turn right on Adelaide, run back to Swiss Cottage then turn left on St. John’s Wood Park and finish at Starbucks.

Happy Running!

Paula