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 Barclays and introduce yourself. This is a very friendly group and they will take care of you!
What’sApp GroupIf you’re not yet on the What’sApp group, here is the link to join:
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!
Finally, as a rule, we ask that you not wear headphones when you are with the group (unless you are using them for the timing intervals or a route). The strength of the beginner program is the bonds that are formed as you run so we want everyone to be present and connected with your fellow runners. Please feel free to talk to any of the coaches about this if you have a concern.
Gear
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. Unfortunately, my same one is no longer available but this other one is fairly close to it (although it appears to be on backorder at the moment):https://www.amazon.co.uk/Befekt-Gears-Waterproof-Sweat-proof-Adjustable/dp/B07Q9PZ3TN/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=befekt+gears+running+belt&qid=1631365333&sr=8-5
The 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
This one might be similar: https://www.amazon.co.uk/GORWRICH-Waterproof-Adjustable-Sweatproof-waistpacks/dp/B07XNX296N/ref=sr_1_6?dchild=1&keywords=befekt+gears+running+belt&qid=1631365333&sr=8-6
For a belt that holds water bottles, this is the sort of thing I have https://www.amazon.co.uk/
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. Maybe ask the coaches this week which belts they like and why.
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.
SJWWC Meeting
Next, the first St. John’s Wood Women’s Club meeting is this Tuesday (14 Sept) at 9:30 am at St. Mark’s Church, 114 Hamilton Terrace NW8 9UT. If you are not already a part of this club, I encourage you to come to the meeting to see what it’s all about. It is a great way to do fun things in and around London with minimal effort and planning on your part! It is completely acceptable to show up in your running gear so it could be fun for you all to do your run and head over together. If you have any questions about it, feel free to send me an email. You can also check them out at www.sjwwc.org.
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!
See you on Thursday,
Your coaches