Hi all,
As usual, GREAT JOB with the run on Thursday.  I know as we get to the last segment or so it starts to feel hard, but you all are pushing through and making it happen and we are so proud of you!  I have a bunch of little things to discuss this week so read on…

Prague
By now, you should all have had the email with the hotel and race registration information as well as the email for us at WRW to help with our planning to see who is planning to come.  We only have a certain number of hotel rooms, and we are going to cap our total WRW attendance at 120 due to restaurant capacity, so even if you’re not fully sure about the race, I would recommend reserving a hotel room.  You have until 15 January to cancel it with no obligation.  I just wouldn’t want you to realize in 3 weeks that you actually CAN do this (which I KNOW you can, but I get that it can take some time to convince yourself) and then have to go on our waitlist if it fills up.  Please talk to any of the coaches if you’re feeling unsure.

Here is the link again – please fill it out ASAP if you haven’t yet –

London Winter 10K
I heard from a couple of you that you’ve been hearing about the London Winter 10K.  In the past few years, many beginners have done this race.  This year it is on Sunday 9 February 2020. This is NOT mandatory.  However, it can be a good intermediate goal and is also a good way to experience what race day feels like.  By race day, you will have run 10K on our Thursday runs so it will not be a stretch for you in terms of distance.  However, it’s important to treat it like a training run and not like a race.  We will talk more about it as the day approaches if some of you decide to run it.  It is a fun race!  I’ve heard that it might sell out so if you all can get motivated, you should go for it and sign up!  https://www.londonwinterrun.co.uk

This Week and Future Runs
We have a jump up in time intervals this week but don’t be nervous – you can do it!  You are all doing so well.  If you are worried about the time, or feel tired during the run, just slow down.  We’re not in a hurry!  

Question for you all – how do you feel about destination runs versus loops back to SJW?  We have some destination runs that are just about the right length for us.  I’d love to use them, but I want to be sensitive to your time since it will take longer to get back home.  So can you let me know what you think?

SAVE THE DATE
We will do our annual Holiday Lights run on Thursday 5 December.  This is a very special run – we will leave at 6 am and run down to Oxford and Regent Streets and see the London holiday lights in all their glory.  You can make it back home by 7:15 if you have a shorter run (last year, the group split and those who wanted the full run for the week went a little longer).  I want to give you enough time to make arrangements with your family if you have younger kids.  This is a run that is not to be missed!
Also, it sounds like Pia may be making a plan for the following week – 12 December – for a holiday celebration.  It’s not final, but wanted to put it out there so your calendars don’t fill up.

Adding A Run on the Weekend
I know some of you have started adding in an extra run on the weekend.  This is the time for all of you to start doing that if you haven’t already.  This will really help you continue to build your stamina and will make the runs during the week easier.  In general, you don’t want to run a longer segment on the weekend than we are doing during the week – so if you ran next weekend, it shouldn’t have segments longer than 10 minutes.  The run should be no more than 30-35 total minutes including walk time.  Pay attention to your pace, too, so you don’t go too fast.  Your muscles have been building so you can add that third run, but we don’t want you to push too much and get injured.  As we run longer segments, it will become more important to have that extra run on the weekend so the longer runs during the week aren’t so tiring.

Eating Before the Run
Some of you have asked about eating before the run.  In general, it is good to have something in your stomach before you run, but not too much.  The key for all of you is to experiment.  A little later, as we are running for longer, I will send a long, information-packed email put together by WRW’s founder, Paula, on the science and theory behind what to eat before and after a run.  But I don’t think we need that level of detail yet.  For now, you should be trying different things to see what works for you because everyone is different.  Personally, I usually have a yogurt or a banana along with coffee and whole milk.  It’s enough to keep my stomach from grumbling and will give me a little energy, but won’t sit like a lump.  I know other runners like oatmeal or a smoothie or maybe half a bagel with cream cheese.  The important thing is to have something.  As we start to run longer, you will need a little more energy and it’s good to start trying things now.
Also, many of you will experience an increased appetite as a result of this training.  That is normal.  Many runners will say they didn’t lose a pound when they started running.  Usually it’s because you’re hungrier with increased activity levels, so you eat more.  Generally, women don’t lose or gain weight in training, but they have more energy, they can eat more and often digestive issues disappear.  Plus, your body composition will change as you build your muscle.Let us know if you have any questions about any of this!

This Week – Halloween
As it happens, our run falls on Halloween this year.  If you’re up for it, let’s have some fun and wear some fancy dress (as they say here).  I may try to plan a route to see some Halloween decorations in the neighborhood – I’ll see what I can come up with.

See you all on Thursday,
Amy