Hello everyone!

Well done on Thursday getting through those 2 minute running intervals with apparent ease.  We are so glad so many of you were able to run together on Tuesday.  It’s great to start to set that routine early on.
So for this Tuesday, as for last week, repeat what we did this past Thursday based on the training plan we sent out last week.  

Welcome to those of you just joining us.  I hope you can make the run this Tuesday.  Just look for the group at the entrance to the church gardens and introduce yourself.  This is a very friendly group and they will take care of you!  

Changes to the Latest Guidelines
The changes to the guidelines mean we need to be extra diligent about breaking into smaller groups for the run.  The coaches aren’t there on Tuesdays to monitor so we need you all to be constantly aware and helping each other follow the rules.  I know it can be really easy to be chatting away and forget – I do it more than I should admit.  Please try to get into smaller groups as soon as you can inside the park, staying 8-10 meters away from each other.  I know this is not the greatest for group bonding and I’m really sorry about that.  Hopefully the UK can get this latest increase under control quickly so we can relax a bit more.  Please be on the lookout for new beginners and welcome them!
Weekly Reminders:

• Always bring a mask for the initial meet-up
• Stay socially distant when you are first meeting up
• Break up into groups of 6 or fewer for the walk and run as soon as you can within the park
• Please be extremely mindful of others on the sidewalk and in the park – do not run/walk more than 2 abreast

What’sApp Group
Thank you to Sue for setting up the What’sApp group!  This makes it easy to connect with one another if you can’t make a Tuesday or Thursday run.  For example, if you can’t make a run, you can send out a message and see if someone else might be around to run with you another time.  This is just for you guys – the coaches don’t need to be on it.  Here is the link to join if you are not already on it:

This Week
This week we will be adding one 3 minute interval running interval to our two minute ones.  It is absolutely essential we keep the pace very very slow so we don’t allow our heart rates to get too high, both for psychological reasons (so you don’t feel exhausted and worn out when you finish, and start hating it) and for physiological ones (as most of you haven’t run before, you need to give your bodies time to adjust to keep injuries at bay).  Please let us know if anything is hurting.  Most aches and pains can be quite easily addressed early on – it’s continuing to run on an injury that causes bigger problems.  We have a list of professionals (physios, osteopaths, etc.) that our runners use that we can share with you – just ask!

A note on the pace – I had said in an earlier email that you should be running at a pace where you can talk comfortably.  This is true, but that doesn’t mean you need to be talking all the time.  It is perfectly fine to not be talking – I just want to make sure you CAN talk.  Otherwise, you are going too fast.

We will not be doing much street running just yet, but please make a point of being very careful at the few road crossings we do have – it is very easy to just follow the person in front of you out onto the road without checking for cars or bikes, so please be careful! 

Gear/Shoes
For shoes, as I mentioned previously, if you can wait to get new shoes, please do.  As we start to increase running time, your gait will start to develop and it will be better to go to a store to be fitted for proper shoes after your body has had time to develop that gait.  I ran in cross-trainers for the first 4 months when I was a beginner.  However, if you don’t have any sort of appropriate shoes then go ahead and get some!

I noted before that you don’t need to go buy any gear yet.  However, a few of you may want to get a running belt so I’d thought I’d share my opinion.  First, a running belt choice is really individual.  I have purchased at least 5 over the years and I keep coming back to the cheap one I bought when I was a beginner.  This is the current version of what I have although you’ll have to get it from a third party seller on Amazon.  https://www.amazon.co.uk/Karrimor-Unisex-Audio-Belt-Black/dp/B00SJ14CYM/ref=sr_1_2?crid=3FAC1AWMVK7GZ&keywords=karrimor+audio+belt&qid=1567680746&s=gateway&sprefix=karrimor+audio%2Caps%2C128&sr=8-2
This other one is fairly close to it  https://www.amazon.co.uk/Befekt-Gears-Waterproof-Sweat-proof-Adjustable/dp/B07Q9PZ3TN/ref=sxbs_sxwds-stvp?keywords=karrimor+running+belt&pd_rd_i=B07Q9PZ3TN&pd_rd_r=1292ac68-678a-4ef8-b296-e6d3eff20b7f&pd_rd_w=oznXy&pd_rd_wg=buQsq&pf_rd_p=7dc56c0d-8a5f-4d97-9143-7233b106859a&pf_rd_r=H3VB8XV6VER7G83PRTCZ&qid=1567680547&s=gatewayhttps://www.amazon.co.uk/Karrimor-Unisex-Audio-Belt-Black/dp/B00SJ14CYM/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1536333617&sr=8-4&keywords=karrimor+running+beltThe reasons I like it:

• it has 2 pockets so if you pull your phone out of the bigger one, you don’t have to worry about your keys or money or whatever being pulled out at the same time because those can go in the smaller one
• the belt is not stretchy (some people really love the stretchy belt (Spibelt is the popular brand) but I don’t, maybe because I got used to the non-stretchy one)
• it doesn’t soak up sweat like the kind that some runners like – the FlipBelt
• it’s cheap so if you don’t like it, you don’t feel like you’ve wasted too much money

For a belt that holds water bottles, this is the sort of thing I have https://www.amazon.co.uk/Karrimor-Unisex-Bottle-Belt-Black/dp/B00SJ12WNU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1536334083&sr=8-1&keywords=karrimor+bottle+belt
I can tell you, though, that every runner will have her favorite belt for various reasons so it often comes down to trying one and if it doesn’t work, trying another.  And people often try to buy running tights that have side pockets that will hold everything you might need.

Also, if you go out to a store to check out running belts, it might be a good idea to also get a pair of running gloves.  It will start to be chilly in the morning and you will want something that doesn’t soak up the sweat.  This is not a necessity certainly, but just wanted to put it out there.
Finally, if you are on this email list and have decided to not join our group, please let me know and we will take you off the distribution.  Otherwise, it is certainly not too late to join us!

Enjoy the warm weather and we will see you on Thursday!
Your coaches