Hi Beginners,

You were awesome today!  I love the Big Ben run and it was so much fun to run it with you today!  I have attached the photos which were taken on my phone.

Syma, Bonnie and I want to make sure that everyone is getting the emails and we would also like to get a clearer idea of who is continuing to run with us each week.  Some of you weren’t able to join us at Bonnie’s house for coffee a few weeks ago so may not know that registration for the Germany half marathon is open.  I realise that many of you don’t want to commit to running that distance.  It is hard to think about running so far, but I know we can all do it if we continue to follow our schedule.  The year that I joined the beginning running group I didn’t sign up for the half marathon until mid-January — it wasn’t until then that I thought maybe I could do this.  But we are worried that this half marathon will fill up (it is smaller than some of the others), so it is important that you register in the next few weeks.  You don’t have to make plane or hotel reservations until later.  All of the information about the half is on www.womenruningtheworld.com under the March Half-Marathon tab.  Please feel free to contact Syma, Bonnie or me if you have any questions.

Can you please respond to me and let me know the following:

1. Name

2. email address

3. Which of the following best describes you?  a – have already signed up for the half; b – plan to sign up for the half but not sure if I will actually go; c – don’t want to sign up for the half, but want to continue running with the group; d – no longer running with the group, please take me off the list; e – I am finding this program to be quite easy and would like to talk to someone about going faster; f – fill in your own description!

One other note — I have heard some of you talking about meeting on Saturdays for a third run.  The description for this run is on the New Runner Training Program:  from the website click on the Beginner tab, then click to see the entire six month program, then click on ‘Link to file:  Beg-2013-14.pdf ‘.  The second page of the pdf file gives more detail on the runs.

If you notice that someone is omitted from this email list, please forward it to them.  We don’t want to lose anyone!!

Many thanks!!

Betsy

Dear Beginners,

You all did me proud, tackling street running very well last week!  You are certainly ready for the Big Ben run.  As you figured out, this whole street running deal is actually not so bad – you manage to get a lot of rest at the lights!  I still want you to be vigilant at the crossings though – it is so easy to just follow the person/group in front of you across the road without checking if it is clear.  Sometimes, even if the light is green for pedestrians, a bike will come along not bothering to stop at the red light, so please continue to be vigilant!

This week, we will run to Big Ben – our first destination run!  Please bring your Oyster cards – we will be getting the tube back to St John’s Wood from Westminster.  There are a couple of coffee shops by the tube station, but they tend to be small – we can decide when we get there whether or not we just head straight back here for coffee, or grab one in the Westminster area.  I will also get a group photo with Big Ben in the background once we all get there.  This is one of the favourite runs for the whole group – and one we tend to do time and time again, so now you will all be able to say you did it!

I look forward to seeing you all next week,

xo Syma

Dear Beginners,

Well, that was another great run from all of you last week – you deserve a huge pat on your backs, especially as you had one running interval that was 2 minutes longer than it should have been – I apologise for that!

This week we will be doing a little more street running – Betsy has planned a route to take us through Marylebone as well as into Regents Park.  This is to prepare us for yet more street running next week when we go on our first destination run.  Betsy will be away, but Paula Mitchell, who set up this whole program, will be joining us for the run.  Take the opportunity to meet her and chat with her while you run, or at coffee – she has run several ultra marathons all over the world, but has always taken time to run with each and every group of runners that make up Women Running the World and in fact, in the past few halves, has insisted on running with the slowest of the beginner runners, coming in last for most of the races.  She is extremely inspiring!

I look forward to seeing you on Thursday,

xo Syma

Dear Beginners,

Congratulations on another great run last week!  You negotiated the canal beautifully, and managed to run the intervals without any trouble!  Well done!  Kudos also for organising yourselves into groups for the other running day – when you can’t run on the Tuesday, you are working out what other day you can run – I am so happy to see you taking your training seriously.  As we coaches say, it is so important that you run at least one other day in the week – I know some of you notice the difference when you miss the second run for whatever reason.  Keep up the good work.

On Thursday we will be running 4 minute intervals (is it possible that only a few weeks ago, you were struggling with 60 seconds?)  I look forward to seeing you then.  Incidentally, any of you on the list that have decided that you don’t want to continue with the running for whatever reason, and wish to be taken off the list, please let me know so I don’t clutter up your inbox. 

x Syma