Well, I have to say I am disappointed that it looks like we can\u2019t run in larger groups until 29 March. \u00a0For our currently scheduled destination runs in a couple of weeks, we might try to get a little creative, depending on how you all and the coaches are feeling then. \u00a0As much as we treasure our runs with you all individually, we miss the energy, connections and dynamics of the group and can\u2019t wait to see you all together again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I hope you had a good break week and are ready to get back into increasing our distance!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This week, we reach another milestone where the scheduled route is running to Big Ben\u2026 and back! \u00a0Remember when it was such a big deal to run to Big Ben? \u00a0And now you are running there, with no walk breaks, and coming all the way back. \u00a0Incredible!! \u00a0This is just a half-mile increase from your pre-break week run so not too much stress \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you are not currently up to 8 miles for this week and aren\u2019t sure what you should be doing, let me know or work with your assigned coach for the week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This week – gels<\/strong> I\u2019m going to copy the information I sent last week about gels:This week we are going to try gels on the run. \u00a0\u00a0Gels are basically carbohydrates to give your body some extra fuel during the race. \u00a0For the most part,\u00a0we train in a way to teach our body to use fat as a fuel. \u00a0Fat is easier to access as an energy source and requires less fine-tuning in terms of timing\u00a0carb intake during exercise. \u00a0Our bodies have about 1000-1200 \u201ceasy access\u201d calories available which will get most ladies about 10-11 miles\u00a0(depending on their weight and fitness level). \u00a0After that we will use gels (carbs) to fuel that last 2-3 miles of the half-marathon. \u00a0We, your coaches, will\u00a0tell you when you should take the gel. \u00a0We will plan to use them on our longer runs going forward so we get used to taking them \u2013 we don\u2019t want\u00a0anything \u201cnew\u201d on race day to throw us off! \u00a0Hopefully, we can get us coaches organized enough to each have a few gels to bring next week for you to try. \u00a0It\u2019s a little trickier to coordinate this year! \u00a0The idea is to try different flavors and brands\u00a0and decide what you like (it may be helpful to keep the packet if you like it so you remember it). \u00a0Then you can buy some either online or at running\u00a0stores. \u00a0In general, gels don\u2019t taste great but they will either give you a boost after about 6 \u2013 8 minutes or, if you\u2019re like me, they will keep you from\u00a0losing energy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some of the gels we have are called isotonic and have more liquid so you may not need water with them. \u00a0Others are more like the consistency of jam\u00a0and you\u2019ll want water to wash it down. \u00a0So\u00a0please please bring your water with you<\/strong>. \u00a0We will also try to have some Shot Bloks and energy jelly beans if you want to try those. \u00a0Some people like the Shot Bloks which are chewy rather than jam-like. \u00a0Note that half a package of Shot Bloks (3 pieces) is equivalent to one gel. \u00a0This is a very individual thing – some people like fruity flavours, some like chocolate, etc. \u00a0Jess claims she likes running long distances so she has an excuse to eat the chocolate and caramel gels! \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/womenrunningtheworld.com\/beginners\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/11\/BigBen4mi.png\")
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