Hi all,

For those who celebrate, I hope you had a Happy Thanksgiving!  Thanks to everyone who ran to Happening Bagel last week.  It was fun to have all the groups together.  I really enjoyed the run, hope you did too.

I know this is a busy time of year and making the time to run can be a challenge.  Please, please try to keep running consistently.  It is the best way to avoid injury.  This week we return to some of our standard runs – Hyde Park, Notting Hill and the Heath.  This offers many options in terms of distance and we can loop back to St. John’s Wood.  (Looking ahead, the following week Dec. 9 or Dec. 11, our long run is to Wembley or Wembley Park, which is a great training run.  We head west out the canal for almost the entire run.  But you will need to build a little extra time in your schedule for the tube home.)

GERMAN TRIP UPDATE

Your response to the half marathon trip to Germany has been amazing!  We have an over 20% increase in our numbers since last year – as I write this it looks like we have 85 women going to Bad Durkheim.  This is very exciting but it also means that the logistics of managing the trip are more complicated.  Please help us out by reading the emails and doing what we ask from you.  We’ll be collecting money next week 4 – 6 December at Pret.  Please look out for an email early in the week with all the details.

Keep Running!

Jane

ROUTES

LONG RUN — Hyde Park—always versatile! 6 or 8 miles, your choice:

Monday, 2 December for the 9s and 10s

Wednesday, 4 December for the 11s and 12s

Click here for all of the Hyde Park interactive route maps

Start:  Everybody starts the same way… head west on Circus Road, turn left on Grove End Road and follow south as it becomes Lisson Grove.  Cross over Marylebone Road and continue on Seymour Place until the end.  Turn right and cross over Edgware Road and then take the first left on Stanhope Place to enter Hyde Park at the intersection with Stanhope Place. Cross into the Park—you’ll see a silver orb just inside the park.

6 Milers: upon entering the park, turn right at the silver sphere and run until you meet N Carriage Road where you turn left.  Run down to the Serpentine, crossing over the bridge then left to run along the Serpentine. At the end of the Serpentine, turn left again and make your way to the eastern edge of the park before exiting at the Upper Brook St/Animals in War exit.  Continue along Upper Brook Street to Park Street, turn left, take it to Park Road and into SJW.

8 Milers: follow the 6 mile run but do not turn left at No Carriage Rd, instead cross over [this is tricky, be careful] and follow until you reach the large broadwalk where you turn left.  Run past Kensington Palace (on your right) and take a left to run along the southern edge of the park towards Hyde Park Corner, then turn left on the eastern edge and exit at Upper Brook St/Animals in War exit as above.  Take Upper Brook Street to Park Street [left] to Park Road and home to SJW.

TEMPO RUN – The Wall

Wednesday 4 December for  9s and 10s

Monday 2 December for  11s and 12s

6 Milers: Run South on Finchley/Wellington Road to the SJW Church Roundabout, follow the sidewalk to the left and cross Prince Albert Road at the crosswalk just beyond the SJW Church.  Continue east and enter the canal at the Charlbert entrance.  Run east [left], cutting through the Camden Lock Market until you run out of canal path at Islington.  Touch the canal boat tunnel wall—this is The Wall!—then turn around and re-trace your steps back to SJW.  When you come of the canal at Regents Park, take Charlbert to Allitsen to SJW High Street to Starbucks.

3 Milers:  Start as above but when you reach the Camden Lock Market, turn around and head home.

Notes:  This is a great time to do a faster ‘tempo’ run.  Be very aware of bicyclists who commute on this canal path.  Move into single file lines whenever someone yells out ‘bike!’

Friday 6 December – The Heath

It’s Friday again, so everyone up Fitzjohn’s.  You can pick your distance and whatever you choose, there will certainly be someone else interested in running that distance.  All of these routes are on the website.

In addition, every week there are a group of women who prefer to do a flat run.  We can help make sure that you find each other.  

4 miles:  A great way to ease into running the hill.   Run up to the Hampstead tube station and back.

5 miles: The Betsy Route

6-7 miles:  The partial Heath route

8 miles:  The full Heath route

Click here for maps of all of the Heath routes.

______________________________________

Website:  https://womenrunningtheworld.commm

Facebook Group:  Women Running The World (request to join)

Email: [email protected]

Hi all,

Due to the American Thanksgiving holiday, many of our runners are out of town or unavailable to run on Wed/Thur/Fri so we’ll do one, combined group long run on Monday.  We’re running to the Happening Bagel Bakery (LOVE that name!) in Finsbury Park via Highgate and the Greenbelt.  This is a great run and we don’t do it often because the first part takes us up the hill in Hampstead, which we usually do on Friday.   The first part is the hill, but the second part is beautiful as we run through a stretch of woodland.  If you’ve never done this route before I strongly encourage you to give it a try.  (If I can’t twist your arm to try it, you could always do one of our other Heath routes.)

We’re not setting routes for Wednesday and Friday.  If you want to run, show up at the usual time and as a group you can decide where you would like to go.

IMPORTANT – Race deadline is here!

If you are considering going on the half marathon trip to Germany you need to register for the race before next Friday Nov. 29 AND let us know by emailing Patricia Shelton at [email protected].  The race is filling up so you must meet this deadline.  Also, if you had originally signed up for the race, but your plans have changed for whatever reason, please let us know as well.  We’re trying to get an accurate count so we can calculate the per person bus costs.   Click here to go to the race information page.

IMPORTANT – German trip money collection Wed – Friday 4-6 December

On 4-6 December, we will be collecting money for the race registration, hat and bus costs.   We’ll also be handing out the WRW t-shirts to those who ordered one.  Please plan to meet us after the run on one of those days in the basement eating area of Pret.  We’ll follow-up early in December with the exact costs, once our attendance numbers are set.

ROUTES

Monday 25 November

Happening Bagel via Highgate and Finsbury Greenbelt (7 miles)

As we said above, this is the only organized route we’ll have this week.  There will most likely be folks running Wednesday and Friday, but since it’s the Thanksgiving holiday break, everyone can just show up and figure out their routes and distances together.

For this run we start up Fitzjohn’s like we’re going to the Heath, but pass the entrance and continue up Spaniards/Hampstead Lane to Highgate.  Cross the street at the big intersection and go down Southwood Lane and at the bottom of the hill veer to the right onto Jackson’s Lane. Continue down Jackson’s to Archway Road and make a right, then a relatively quick left onto Holmesdale Road.  Run a short distance on Holmesdale and the entrance to the Finsbury Greenbelt will be on your left.  Follow the path to Finsbury Park, cross over the train tracks, turn right and run along the western edge of the park and exit onto Seven Sister’s Road.  Happening Bagel is across the street and we will go to Costa for coffee. We will take the tube home from the Finsbury Park Station.

Hi all,

The weather is changing – we had a few “crisp” days this week.  It’s a good time to stock up on your cold-weather running gear including hats and gloves.  We started the Friday run saying it was a cold day and ended it saying it was a beautiful day!

Our long run this week takes us to Putney (with 6.5 and 8.5 miles options).  I love the part of this route where we run in Battersea Park along the Thames.  We’ll run past the stunning London Peace Pagoda.  The Pagoda was a gift in 1984 by the Nipponzan Myohoji Buddhist Order to promote peace.  This group has been building pagodas all over the world since 1947.  As we run by, make sure you soak in this off-the-beaten-path London landmark.

GOOD LUCK RUNNERS!

We have a large group of runners participating in the San Antonio half-marathon on 17 November.  A few London-based runners and many runners who are no longer in London will be meeting up in Texas. Good luck goes to Betsy LaMaster, Colleen Crescenti, Diane Schlinkert, Dorrie Marks, Julie Hersh, Kathy McMahon, Lisa Hill, Lynn Gilbert, Michele Mandel, Paula Mitchell, Peggy Ford, Randi Paul-Heskins, Becky Lindon, Mee Lee, Christine Galiardo, Traci Tipple and Jill Granader. Have a fantastic time!  Enjoy the race and each other!  We’ll say a toast to you at our pub crawl on Saturday night.

Diet and Nutrition for Runners

A big thank you to Sunny Brenneman for compiling the following section about general nutrition.  Take a minute to read it because it has great information.  It was a good reminder for me on the areas where I know I can improve.

A balanced healthy diet for runners should include these essentials: carbs, protein, fats, vitamins, and minerals. Not just for optimal health but also to help keep you strong and feeling good before, during, and after runs. Although everyone is different,  here are some basic guidelines on what you should be eating and why throughout the weeks as you build mileage.

Carbs: about 60% of total calorie intake. Carbs are the best source of energy for runners for both quick and long-lasting energy. (Whole grains, pasta, rice, potatoes, veggies, whole grain breads).

Protein: about 15-20% of your calorie intake. Protein keeps you full longer, more importantly is essential for repairing tissue during training. Runners (esp longer distances) should consume .5 to .75 grams of protein per body weight. Aim for ones low in fat and cholesterol such as meats, fish, low-fat dairy, poultry, whole grains, and beans.

Fat: about 20-25% of calorie intake. Your body uses fat for fuel. We all have enough stored fat to cover more than 1,000 miles – as long as we don’t break into a jog. As soon as you start to run, your body switches to carbs for fuel. When it comes to the fats you consume in your daily diet, the type you eat – rather than the amount – is key. Stick to food low in saturated fat and have omega-3’s; nuts, oils, cold-water fish are all good sources. Experts recommend about 3000mg of omega 3 fat/day.

Vitamins: important to keep optimal health as you add mileage! Exercise can produce free radicals which can damage cells and cause you to be more prone to sickness. Vitamins C, E, and E are antioxidants and can neutralize free radicals. (More on this in the coming months). Of course, when possible, it’s better to get your vitamins from whole foods rather than supplements.

Minerals:

Calcium: essential to prevent osteoporosis and stress fractures in runners. Your goal should be 1,000-3,000 mg per day. Sources include: low-fat dairy products, calcium fortified juices, dark leafy vegetables, beans, & eggs.

Iron: you need this nutrient to aide in delivering oxygen to your cells. A diet poor in iron can make you feel weak and fatigued. Women should aim for 18mg/day. Natural sources include lean meats, leafy greens, nuts, shrimp and scallops. ( I hear dark chocolate is a great source too!)

Sodium and other electrolytes: small amts of these minerals are lost through sweat. Electrolytes are usually replaced by a healthy diet, but excessive workouts (typically runs longer than 90 minutes) may cause a need to replace them. If you find yourself craving salty foods, it may be your body telling you to get more sodium. Sports drinks and pretzels after a run can help rebuild those electrolytes.  Running longer than 90 minutes? Try incorporating a gel, sports drink, pretzels or some other source of sodium during your long runs.

(from various sources including Runners World, Womens Fitness, Womens Running)

Reminder – Pub Crawl this Saturday 16 November, Primrose Hill

This year, we’re not running between pubs – we will do a true crawl – so wear your normal clothes and bring your significant other.  It’s a great night with lots of laughs and Kelli says that all finishers get a major award.  The general schedule is 4:30 – The Queens, 5:30 – The Pembroke, 6:15 – The Lansdowne, 7:45 – The Princess of Wales and 8:45ish – The Albert.  A big thanks to Kelli Montanaro for organizing!!

New Offer – The Lilac Room

Thanks to Bonnie Bandeen who got WRW runners a 20% discount (for the first two visits) at her favourite local nail salon, The Lilac Room on Boundary Road. Bonnie says, “They use high quality products and are clean and professional so I like to support this business, run by women. In addition to manicure, pedicure, waxing, facials, they also do nice massages (!!) and other beauty treatments.”

That’s all for now!

Keep running,

Jane

Click here for the link to the interactive routes.

ROUTES

Both the standard and gradual training programs have 6 miles for the long run this week.  Many of our regular runners are comfortable doing the longer mileage so we are keeping a longer option in.

LONG RUN – Putney High Street – 8.6 miles or 6.5 miles @ Sloane Square
Monday, 18 November for 9s and 10s
Wednesday, 20 November for 11s and 12s

We’ll start out with our usual trek to Hyde Park, turning right along the southern path until we get to the One Hyde Park complex [the uber expensive flats], where we’ll turn left, passing through to Sloane Street and running south all the way to the Thames [keep an eye out for some great window shopping!].  We’ll cross the Thames at the Chelsea Bridge and turn right into Battersea Park, running along the river to the Albert Bridge.  Turn right, crossing over the Thames again and head to King’s Road.

***If you want to have a 6.5 mile run, turn RIGHT on King’s Road and run to the Sloane Square Tube station to take the Tube home.***

For the 8.6 mile run, turn LEFT on King’s Road and run through Chelsea, Parsons Green, all the way to its end at Fulham High Street, turn left, crossing the Putney Bridge and run to the Starbucks on the left hand side of the street [past Fulham Bridge Road].  Stop, stretch and stay for a coffee!  We’ll take the train home from the Putney Station to Waterloo, then transfer to the Jubilee Line to SJW.

TEMPO RUN – Kensal Rise – 6 miles
Wednesday, 20 November for 9s and 10s
Monday, 18 November for 11s and 12s

The beginning of this run takes us along the canal to the west.  Please be aware of bikes along the canal and move into single file whenever you hear a ‘bike!’ shout.

Start out heading west on Circus Road, turn left on Grove End to St John’s Wood Road and go west, working your way to the canal entrance on Blomfield.  Enter the canal heading west and run to the Ladbroke Grove exit.  Here we turn right and run over the bridge along Chamberlayne Road to Harvist Road. Turn right on Harvist, which turns into Brondesbury Road, and take that to Kilburn High Road/Maida Vale.  Turn right and follow Maida Vale to Hall Road where you turn left and run back to Starbucks. If you want to shorten this route, run west on the canal and turn back at your desired half-way point.

(The two mile mark is at the point on the canal when the Westway highway is over our heads.)

Friday 8 November – The Heath

It’s Friday again, so everyone up Fitzjohn’s.  You can pick your distance and whatever you choose, there will certainly be someone else interested in running that distance.  All of these routes are on the website.

In addition, every week there are a group of women who prefer to do a flat run.  We can help make sure that you find each other.  

4 miles:  A great way to ease into running the hill.   Run up to the Hampstead tube station and back.

5 miles: The Betsy Route

6-7 miles:  The partial Heath route

8 miles:  The full Heath route

Click here for maps of all of the Heath routes.

______________________________________

Website:  https://womenrunningtheworld.commm

Facebook Group:  Women Running The World (request to join)

Email: [email protected]

Hi all,

Thanks for tackling the new routes last week and looking at the map ahead of time – we had some good feedback.    We have another new long run route this week.  Continuing on the window shopping theme, we’re taking the canal through Farringdon which has a stretch along Oxford Street.  I know that street running and dodging the pedestrians can be a drag sometimes, but it is important practice for race day when you’ll be dodging other runners.

IMPORTANT – German Trip Deadline

We heard from the race director that the German Wine Road half marathon registration will likely fill up in December.  (There are so many benefits of running in a smaller race, but one of the drawbacks is that they often book early.)  In addition, the bus company and restaurants are requiring us to confirm numbers.  SO…if you’ve been on the fence, now’s the time to decide!  We need you to register for the race and email Patricia Shelton at [email protected] before Friday Nov. 29.  This will give us a chance to tally our final numbers and costs before we collect money for the non-hotel part of the trip during the first week in December.  All the trip details are on the website www.womenrunningtheworld.com.  The good news is that by committing early, it will inspire you to train properly through the winter.  We hope you’ll join us!

Gels? Carbs? Nutrition?

Nutrition is a hot topic these days and it seems every day there is a new expert with a new view.  Carbs are good one day and bad the next.  How do you sort it all out?  Over the next few months, we’re going to tap into the experience and knowledge of our group and offer some guidance on general nutrition, pre and post run food options, hydration, mid run/race fuel (gels) and supplements.

A few runners have said they are feeling flat after an 1 -1.5 hour run and wondering if they should take a gel.  The rule of thumb is mid-run fuel intake should generally begin around 80-90 minutes into exercise unless exercise is high intensity.  At that point your tank may be empty and you’ll need to top up to keep going.  If you’re flat after 1 hour, a gel is probably not the answer.  Other things to consider are wearing a water belt so you can keep hydrated during the run, eating a light breakfast (too much food in the morning can divert energy to digestion), and eating a good post-run snack that has about 50g of carbohydrates and 10g of protein such as a small latte and a yogurt.  You could also try a sports drink instead of water during the run.  For mid-race fuel we tend to prefer gels because you won’t know the sports drink concentration that is offered during a race.  But if you just need a lift around the 1 – 1.5 hour mark during a regular training run that might help.  (When we do our long pre-race training runs you’ll want to switch back to water and a gel so you can mirror what you would actually do in the race.)   More on all these topics in the upcoming weeks!

Pub Crawl – Saturday 16 November

After some very scientific research, the pub crawl will now take place in Primrose Hill.  Stay tuned for a email in the next few days with all the details.

Barre Class

One of our new runners, Jillian Connell, wanted to pass along that her friend is opening a new Barre studio in Mayfair.  Classes are very popular and effective for strengthening legs and core.  Check out the website www.barrecore.co.uk.

ROUTES

LONG RUN – 6 or 8 miles

Monday 11 November (9s and 10s)

Wednesday 13 November (11s and 12s)

Canal to Farringdon Loop

If you’re doing the standard training program, you have 8 miles on the training schedule for your long run.  The gradual program has 6 miles on the schedule for the long run.

Head out the canal to “The Wall” and exit the canal.  Turn right at the top of the exit onto Muriel/Rodney Street, which will turn into Penton Rise, then King’s Cross and, eventually Farringdon Street.  When you reach Holborn Viaduct (about mile 5) turn right.  This will turn into Oxford Street, which you will take all the way back to Baker Street, and make a right.  Run up Baker/Park and back to Starbucks. If you want to shorten this route to six miles, you can hop on the tube at either Tottenham Court Road or Oxford Circus stations.

TEMPO RUN – up to 6.75 miles

Monday 11 November (11s and 12s)

Wednesday 13 November (9s and 10s)

Notting Hill

If you are new to the route, we leave Barclays heading west to Lisson Grove/Grove End, then wind our way down to the canal.  We follow the canal for a couple of miles then head south along Ladbroke Grove until turning on Elgin Crescent then zigzag over to Westbourne Grove.  We then run east to join the canal near Paddington and continue on to St. John’s Wood. If you are looking for something shorter, you can make this route an out and back on the canal and just turn around at your desired halfway point.

 

Friday 8 November – The Heath

It’s Friday again, so everyone up Fitzjohn’s.  You can pick your distance and whatever you choose, there will certainly be someone else interested in running that distance.  All of these routes are on the website.

In addition, every week there are a group of women who prefer to do a flat run.  We can help make sure that you find each other.  

4 miles:  A great way to ease into running the hill.   Run up to the Hampstead tube station and back.

5 miles: The Betsy Route

6-7 miles:  The partial Heath route

8 miles:  The full Heath route

Click here for maps of all of the Heath routes.

______________________________________

Website:  https://womenrunningtheworld.commm

Facebook Group:  Women Running The World (request to join)

Email: [email protected]

Hi All,

We made it through the London hurricane!

It’s a new month and time for some new routes.  We have new routes on the schedule for both the long run and the tempo run this week.  For the long run, with December only a month away, it’s a perfect time to do some window shopping!  We have two separate long run routes this week for 6 and 8 miles and both allow you to be distracted by the beautiful London shops.  For the tempo run, we hit the canal and our local parks.  This one looks fun!  Please take a moment to read the email and look at the maps.  The more people who are familiar with the route, the easier it is for everyone.

If you are training for the spring half marathon, now is the time to make sure you have a good base of mileage so you are ready when we begin to add the longer runs in December and the new year.   If you’re following the gradual training schedule you have long runs of 7 miles the weeks of Dec. 9 and 16.   (The training schedules are posted on the website if you want to look ahead to the winter training plan.)

Congratulations!

Holly Bell Stevens ran the Amsterdam Half Marathon on October 21.  Great job!

HATS – Spring Half Marathon Trip to Germany

We’re putting in the order for our popular running hats on Monday.  If you know you’re going on the trip, please email Patricia Shelton ([email protected]) with your travel details so we can keep track of our numbers.  We’re trying our best to avoid a shortage of hats, but we also want to avoid being stuck with expensive left-overs.  We’ll offer the hat to the first 85 women who email Patricia with their travel details.  She needs to know your race number, flight numbers, hotel room preference (single or double) and roommate if known.  If you haven’t made your travel arrangements yet, but you are planning to go to the race, please let her know that.  The deadline to register for the race is early December.  Come join us!

Walking group

The walking group is off to a good start.  If you’re an injured runner or taking a break from running for any reason, they would love you to join them.  They meet MWF at Starbucks at 8:15 with an 8:30 departure.  The group plans to do a 4 mile walk in about an hour, so they’re not a strolling group.  The goal is exercise, with a little less stress on the body.  Please email Raquel Grosman if you are interested or would like more information at [email protected].

Reminder – Pub Crawl Saturday November 16

This is a very fun event for runners and their significant others.  We have run between pubs in the past, but this year we will take it down a notch and do an actual crawl.  We will visit a selection of the best pubs in Belsize Park and try some of the finest local lagers.  Extensive research will soon be underway for this, so if you have any input, please e-mail [email protected].  We’ll meet at our first pub at 4:30, so get your sitters lined up!   More information to follow…

Keep running!  (unless there is a hurricane)

Jane

ROUTES THIS WEEK

LONG RUN – 6 or 8 miles

Monday, 4 November (9s and 10s) or Wednesday, 6 November (11s and 12s)

It’s a NEW month so let’s do some NEW routes!

8 Miles:  Sloane St/Victoria Stn Loop

Head the normal way to Hyde Park and along the east [left] side to Hyde Park Corner.  Turn left on the Carriage Drive and exit left out of the park, across Knightsbridge and head right to Sloane Street.  Follow Sloane St south to Pimlico Street and make a left.  Continue left onto Buckingham Palace Road, then left again on Grosvenor Gardens [near Victoria Stn].  Head back up to Hyde Park, exit at the Animal War Memorial onto Upper Brook Street, then left on Park Street and follow this home as it changes names, all the way to SJW Starbucks.

6 Miles:  Hyde Park/Bond Street Shopping

Start with the full group and run to Hyde Park, following the east path to Hyde Park Corner.  Cross through Wellington Arch into Green Park and run across the northern edge of Green Park, exit the park and continue on Piccadilly to New Bond Street, where you turn left.  Take New Bond Street to Oxford Street, then zig zag left then right onto Marylebone Lane.  Take this until it meets with Marylebone High Street and continue to Marylebone Road, make a left, then a right at the light [York Bridge] and enter left into Regents Park just beyond the Ring Road.  Follow the path along the lake, then exit by the Mosque onto Park Road, take a right and head to Starbucks.

FAST RUN – Camden to Regents Park – 6 Miles

Monday, 4 November (11s and 12s) or Wednesday, 6 November (9s and 10s)

Another new route, this one just a tad over 6 miles.  Everybody give it a try!

Camden Left to Regents Park

Head down Wellington Road, left around the roundabout and cross over the crosswalk to the other side of Prince Albert Road.  Head down to the Canal Path and run until the Camden Market.  Take the RIGHT crossover over the Canal at Camden Market and make a LEFT onto Chalk Farm Hill Road.  Take this road north, past Adelaide, past England’s Lane to Belsize Grove [before the Belsize Tube Stn] and make a left.  Left again on Belsize Park Gardens.  Take this all the way to Primrose Hill Park.  Enter the PH Park and follow the north side path until it ends; make a right and continue to the Ormonde Terrace entrance, make a left and zig zag to the other side of the park and back to the main entrance on Prince Albert Road.  Exit PH Park, cross Prince Albert and go across the bridge and across the Ring Road into Regents Park.  Follow the interior path alongside the Zoo and as it curls onto the Broadwalk.  Go right and follow the Broadwalk to just beyond The Honest Sausage.  Make a right onto the main path and take it across the park, exiting at the Charlbert entrance.  Head up to St Johns Wood Terrace, make a left and head to Starbucks.

Friday 8 November – The Heath

It’s Friday again, so everyone up Fitzjohn’s.  You can pick your distance and whatever you choose, there will certainly be someone else interested in running that distance.  All of these routes are on the website.

In addition, every week there are a group of women who prefer to do a flat run.  We can help make sure that you find each other.  

4 miles:  A great way to ease into running the hill.   Run up to the Hampstead tube station and back.

5 miles: The Betsy Route

6-7 miles:  The partial Heath route

8 miles:  The full Heath route

Click here for maps of all of the Heath routes.

______________________________________

Website:  https://womenrunningtheworld.commm

Facebook Group:  Women Running The World (request to join)

Email: [email protected]