Hi everyone,
It sounds like you had a great run on Thursday. It seems the exercises were a little tricky for our big group to do but I am hoping we can keep trying for a couple of weeks to see if we can make it a little more smooth. I am including the list with a graphic on this email so you can try them on Tuesday as well. Maybe it will be easier once we know them more? Let’s give it a try.
This Week
As you know, this week we are going to Megan’s house after the run to have some social time over coffee and pastries, hear a bit more about the race and hear from former beginners who have gone through the program. I know some of you may not be able to stay and that’s fine – just let us know if you have any questions. Megan’s address is XXXX. We will end the run on the high street so we can get coffee and head over to her house. We should be getting there around 9:30.
For the run this week, we are starting to increase our running increments, doing 4 and 5 minute segments.
Running Next Week
Next week is ASL’s October break and many of the group may not be around for the Tuesday run. But not all of you are ASL and not all may be going away, so please reach out to each other to see who is available to run and when. If you are away, try to get one run in between this Thursday and next Thursday, even if it’s just a few 4 or 5 minute intervals. Don’t worry about keeping track of how many intervals – just get out there and run/walk for about 35-40 minutes if you can. We want your legs to get used to running on a regular basis. And if you’re traveling, use it to explore where you are!
For next Thursday, we have our run to Big Ben so clear your calendars for this beginner group milestone!
Running Kit
I know there have been questions about recommended gear for running and where to buy it. First, know that you don’t need to run out to buy things unless you want to (always good to have a shopping excuse!). My beginner year I bought super cheap stretchy cotton yoga pants at Sports Direct (for literally less than £10 each) and a super cheap running belt (that I still use) and then bought things like shoes and running tights when I went back to the states at Christmas. I was also not convinced I would last at this running thing beyond Christmas so was reluctant to buy running tights that I would never use again.
The coaches recommend you consider the following gear to get you through the training season:
Rain jacket – it does rain here and it’s not going to stop us. You want one that is breathable if possible (although again, I got by for almost 3 years with a super cheap not-breathable lightweight waterproof shell). They can be very expensive but this one isn’t and is similar to one I got a few years ago:
Baseball cap – good for keeping light drizzle off your face, helping with sun, taming your hair; does not need to be an official running cap – just something you are comfortable in
Thermal layer/light fleece – I have two weights of fleece. As we get into colder months, the heavier fleece is all I’ve ever needed for a warm layer for running.
Running gloves – again, I have two weights of gloves for various temps. You just want something form fitting that won’t soak up sweat
Ear warmer band and/or warm hat – I have both of these because if it’s really cold, I want a full hat but sometimes I just want ear protection. Any wool or fleece hat that isn’t floppy is fine.
Running belt – I discussed this in an earlier email but will copy what I said then here in case you missed it:
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 (and what Linda just bought at Sports Direct, so you can see it in person on her!) https://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+belt
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
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.
Places to buy:
Runners Need (both in store and online) for clothes, gear and shoes (they do gait analysis)
Wiggle (online only) for gear
Asics store on Oxford St for shoes (they do gait analysis)
London Designer Outlets by Wembley (Asics, Nike, New Balance Adidas are all there) for better prices
Sports Direct/Lillywhites (not a great experience but can get cheap stuff there)
Amazon
