Hi Everyone,I hope you are staying warm and dry this rainy weekend! Just a reminder that we run rain or shine 🙂
We are covering a lot in this week’s email so try to bear with me.
This week
For the run, we will be running a total of 22 minutes, slipping in a few 4 minute blocks. Going forward, the amount of time spent running starts to increase more quickly since you have built the base you need to start to run longer. It is really important to get that second run in each week so you keep that base up and build from there. Anyone on this list who hasn’t been out running with us – now is the time to jump in before we are too far along in the program.
Big Ben
Sorry for any confusion about the date for Big Ben. I guess I wasn’t clear enough. We will be running to Big Ben in a few weeks, on 22 October, and I wanted you to mark your calendars because it will be a longer total time we are out (since we need to travel back) and it’s a big milestone for the beginner program so I don’t want any of you to miss it!
Stretching and Warm Up
I am attaching the warm-up exercises we did on Thursday so you can start to incorporate them into your Tuesday run as well. It is good to get your muscles activated and warm before we start out now that we are starting to increase the minutes we are running. I skipped the last one, the hop, because we’ve had people in the past say it hurts their knees. But it does get your glutes going for sure.
I sent this last week but I’ll send it again – for post-run, walking at the end is intended to act as a cool-down. As we have said, it is very important to stretch after the run which is why we build in that time before heading in to Starbucks/Pret. This link provides some good stretches: http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/c25k/Pages/how-to-stretch-after-a-run.aspx
Renata sent me this video to share with you – it’s in Portuguese but you don’t need to know Portuguese to understand the stretches:https://womenrunningtheworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/WhatsApp-Video-2020-09-20-at-1.35.47-PM.mp4
And Micki, the head of WRW, often does this 15 minute yoga video after she gets home from a run: Yoga For Flexibility | 16 Minute Practice | Yoga With Adriene 16 Minute Yoga For Flexibility! Make space and cultivate flexibility so that you can be available and open for life’s tasks and opportunities with more ease … youtube.com
Physio and other experts
A few of you asked about aches and pains. If you are feeling like something is hurting, please go see a professional. We have several people listed on our website: https://womenrunningtheworld.com/training/expert-help/
Victor St. Ange is the physio that many people in the running group use. He is terrific and he can do an overall analysis of how well your muscles are engaging as they are needed. The con is that he is very popular and it can take a few weeks to get an appointment. But ask to be put on the waitlist and you’ll often get a call. http://www.physionorthwest.comMany runners also swear by Christian Antonee and I believe he is easier to book on short notice. I also have personally used Soliman Laurence who is more of a massage therapist.
Tuesday Runs
We heard from several of you that the Tuesday runs have been a bit fast. This is very common with the beginner group. It is hard to keep a slow pace, but it’s important to try to do it. You will all feel better for it. If you are in the front, don’t feel the people behind you are pushing you to go faster – they aren’t! And if you’re in the back, you don’t need to try to keep up with those in the front. Run the pace that is right for you.
You should be running around a 13 – 13 ½ minute mile on Tuesdays, maybe even slower. This translates to a little faster than an 8 ½ minute kilometer. You can use apps on your phone to show your pace. Apps I’ve used in the past are MapMyRun, Runkeeper and Strava. You do not need a running watch! As a beginner, it’s nice to be able to focus on building your stamina and creating a bond with your group, not worrying or thinking about your pace and distance. Use the apps to guide your pace, as a quick check in. Also, make sure you set it to auto pause so it doesn’t calculate you standing still as part of your pace – otherwise it will show your pace as artificially slow.
If you are feeling like you don’t want to talk during the run, SLOW DOWN! Sometimes it helps to designate a person to keep the pace and you can switch off each week. Let us know how it goes!
Here is the route we did last Thursday in case you want to repeat it. Note that the starting point on the map is Barclays (our former starting point) so just adjust accordingly. Directions: Make your way to Allitsen Rd and run straight until you get to Primrose Hill. Run diagonally to the left across the park, exit, and run down the high street. Cross the bridge over the tracks and make your first left onto Adelaide. Run all the way to Swiss Cottage, cross Avenue Rd, and turn left on St. John’s Wood Park Rd. Run until you reach St. John’s Wood Terrace and turn right to get back to Starbucks.
