Fast Group runners – please read this before Monday morning’s run. Otherwise there will be lots of confusion!!!! To read online so you can see the maps, click here. If you’re not sure which group you’re in, email me and we can sort it out.
Hello Runners,
Just as soon as everyone figures out what’s going on, I’m going to change things up a bit. I think I’ve done enough preaching about doing the weekly long run at a slow pace – I’ve pleaded my case based on my own personal experiences and even brought in the big guns of Runners World to no avail. Ladies, this is fine. I’m serious – this is one of the things I love about our running group. Everyone makes their own decisions and is responsible for their own training. Both Mid-level groups are working out very well pace-wise. We’re running fun places and everyone seems to enjoy the routes and pace. The Fast Group isn’t working out as smoothly. The pace range is too extreme. There’s no way we can keep runners together and it’s really not fair to try. The ladies wanting to run long at a fast clip shouldn’t be burdened by those who are trying to rein in their long run pace and vice-versus. The quick pace of the front of the group is creating a wake that is sucking in some of the ladies wanting to control their long run pace. So, how about this as a solution????? I think it’s easiest to break that group into two sections – for now we’ll call the faster-paced group the Fast Group Speedsters and the controlled-pace group will remain the Fast Group. We have marathon and half-marathon trainees in both sections so I’ll lay out routes for each of you. Sometimes the routes will be the same between groups but often they will be different. I’ll be running with the “pace-controlled” group so those of you in the speedy-section need to study the route maps.
In the weekly emails, the routes will be laid out by groups:
Fast Group Speedsters – Marathon trainees
Fast Group Speedsters – Half-marathon trainees
Fast Group – Marathon trainees
Fast Group – Half-marathon trainees
Mid-level I (Sherry, we will work out your route each week)
Mid-level II
Garuda Gym contacted me last week offering some discounts on sessions/classes for our runners (valid until 30 April). I don’t know of this gym but some of our runners go there. They teach the Garuda Method. For a link to their website – click here.
Routes this Week
Monday, 18 February
Fast Group Speedsters – Marathon Trainees (13 miles for London and Stratford-on-Avon runners, 14 miles for Paris runners):
Three Parks (13 miles) – This is an efficient way to get your 13 miles done and you’ll have the opportunity to stretch your legs as most of the route is park running. Head down to Hyde Park via Lisson/Seymour. Do the north, west and south boundaries of Hyde Park (notice SW corner on map) then head into Green Park. Run to Buckingham Palace then into St. James Park. Do the full perimeter of St. James then head northwest up the steep hill in Green Park towards The Ritz. From there run back to Wellington Arch and cross over into Hyde Park. Run towards Speakers Corner exiting at the War Animal Monument. Follow Baker St. all the way to Regents Park. Do a near-full perimeter of Regents Park exiting at the mosque and finishing at Starbucks in SJW. Paris Marathoners, if you are running with this group just add a mile in Regents Park to get to 14 miles).
Fast Group Speedsters Half-Marathon Trainees (9 miles on your schedule):
Two or Three Parks (9 miles) – Option #1
This is an efficient way to get your 9 miles done and you’ll have the opportunity to stretch your legs as most of the route is park running. Start with the marathon trainees and then you have two options – you can do the Hyde Park loop then add Green Park then head back to SJW via Baker/Gloucester (see map #1) or you could hang with the marathon trainees for the first 8.7 miles of their run and run. You would then Option #2
finish at Marble Arch. To the right is the map for the marathon trainees in the Speedster group. Where they head towards the US Embassy on Brook St., you carry on north to Marble Arch. Take a tube/bus/cab home from there.
Fast Group Marathon Trainees (13 miles for London and Stratford-on-Avon runners, 14 miles for Paris runners):
Finsbury Greenbelt to Westfield Mall Stratford (13 miles) – This is a great route. We don’t do it often because it involves running up to Highgate (and we do hills on Fridays). With most of our runners recovering last week, we should be OK to head up the hill on Monday morning. The route goes up Fitzjohns, on to Highgate then across the Finsbury greenbelt to Finsbury Park. From there, we head east to the river Lea then south to Hackney Wick then through the Olympic Park to finish at either the Stratford station or Westfield Mall. I love this route – it’s a little bit of everything. There are long stretches of non-stop running along the greenbelt (which is gorgeous if you haven’t been there) and the river Lea, then some street running thrown in for good measure. I’ve never run through the Olympic village to finish at Westfield Mall (or the station) so it may be a bit of an adventure for the last mile. Paris Marathoners – if you run this route you can easily pass Hackney Wick by 1/2 mile and turn around the meet us at the station to increase the route to 14 miles.
Fast Group Half-Marathon Trainees (9 miles on your schedule):
Finsbury Greenbelt to Clapton (9 miles) – This is a great route. We don’t do it often because it involves running up to Highgate (and we do hills on Fridays). With most of our runners recovering last week, we should be OK to head up the hill on Monday morning. The route goes up Fitzjohns, on to Highgate then across the Finsbury greenbelt to Finsbury Park. From there, the marathoners will head towards the river Lea and you will continue down Clapton Rd. to the station. It’s a bit fiddly to get home from Clapton so if you need to be back earlier – consider running the Fast Group Speedsters Half-marathon Trainees route (it’s a loop back to SJW or a finish at Marble Arch and quick commute home); however, you’ll miss out on a great route. The Finsbury greenbelt is spectacular.
Mid-level I – (6 miles tempo or mid-paced on your schedule):
For those of you training for the half-marathon in Bratislava, I would consider only doing two more tempo/speed sessions, then in March allow your body 3 weeks to “cool-down” for the race. It’s the best way to avoid injuring yourself before the half-marathon. For anyone who’s been injured, it’s a good idea to just do a mid-paced run instead of tempo/speed work.
Notting Hill (6.5 miles) – I think most of you know this route now but there is a map to the right. It’s a nice mix of canal and street running (with some window-shopping opportunities thrown in!!!!).
Notting Hill (6.5 miles) partial tempo run – If you want to try a bit of tempo work, but love the Notting Hill route – then do both!!! Jog to the canal, once you get there, run hard until the Ladbrook Grove turn-off (where we exit off the canal). From there, run a steady pace for the rest of the route and enjoy the streets of Notting Hill.
Western canal tempo run (any distance) – If you want a more intense tempo work-out than the one above, jog down to the canal, do your tempo work on the canal, turn around and do tempo work on the canal back to Maida Vale. From there, jog back to Starbucks in SJW to cool-down.
Mid-level II – (9 miles long run on your schedule):
Hyde and RegentParks (9 miles) – This is an extremely efficient 9 mile run. Head down to Hyde Park via Lisson/Seymour then do the full perimeter of the park. Notice the cut-out that is required in the SW corner of the park. Exit Hyde Park at the War Animal Monument then head north up Baker St. to Regents Park. Do a near-full circumference of the Inner Loop then head back to Starbucks via Charlbourg.
Wednesday, 20 February
Fast Group Speedsters – Marathon Trainees
Fast Group Speedsters – Half-Marathon Trainees
Fast Group – Marathon Trainees
Fast Group – Half-Marathon Trainees
For those of you training for the half-marathon in Bratislava, I would consider only doing two more tempo/speed sessions, then in March allow your body 3 weeks to “cool-down” for the race. It’s the best way to avoid injuring yourself before the half-marathon. For anyone who’s been injured, it’s a good idea to just do a mid-paced run instead of tempo/speed work. All four of these groups could do some version of Notting Hill. If you want a mid-paced run, enjoy the regular route. If you want to incorporate tempo work, you can do that on the canal then finish the route or stay on the canal doing an out and back run for a higher intensity session.
Notting Hill (6.5 miles) – I think most of you know this route now but there is a map to the right. It’s a nice mix of canal and street running (with some window-shopping opportunities thrown in!!!!).
Notting Hill (6.5 miles) partial tempo run – If you want to try a bit of tempo work, but love the Notting Hill route – then do both!!! Jog to the canal, once you get there, run hard until the Ladbrook Grove turn-off (where we exit off the canal). From there, run a steady pace for the rest of the route and enjoy the streets of Notting Hill.
Western canal tempo run (any distance) – If you want a more intense tempo work-out than the one above, jog down to the canal, do your tempo work on the canal, turn around and do tempo work on the canal back to Maida Vale. From there, jog back to Starbucks in SJW to cool-down.
Mid-Level I – (9 miles tempo or mid-paced on your schedule): Send me your vote for which route you prefer. I’ll tally the results and let you know what the route will be. If you don’t vote, you aren’t allowed to complain (and that’s no fun!)!!!!
Canary Wharf (9 – 9.5 miles) – The route for Canary Wharf is below. It’s a near non-stop run along the canal to the east. We would take the Jubilee line home. We would probably arrive to Canary Wharf around 10:00 and it’s a 30 minute tube ride back to SJW.
—- OR —-
Kensal Rise Cemetery and canal (9 miles) – This is not the most scenic route, but it’s efficient. It’s a loop down to Maida Vale then out Harrow Rd to the Kensal Rise Cemetery. We would carry on to Wood Lane, cross back over the canal then run along the towpath back to SJW.
Mid-level II – (6 miles tempo or mid-paced on your schedule):
Most of this group are not interested in tempo work (which is fine!!!!). The Notting Hill loop gives you about the right distance and is an interesting route.
Notting Hill (6.5 miles) – I think you all know this route. It’s out the canal west then exiting at Ladbrook Grove to run up to Notting Hill. We usually then head east to Ledbury then jig-jag to Westbourne Grove to run back towards Paddington Station. Drop down to the canal at the basin (near the Starbucks on the canal) and head back towards SJW along the water’s edge then run along St. John’s Wood Rd then Grove End Rd. to Starbucks.
Friday, 22 February
On Fridays, everyone goes up the hill to Hampstead and/or the Heath. If you ran the hill on Monday on the Finsbury greenbelt route and are “hilled-out”, feel free to organize a flat route for whoever is interested. There may be runners who’ve recently been injured (and aren’t running hills) interested in joining you.
Happy Running,
Paula
