Hi Everyone,

I hope you had a good recovery week.  I’m looking forward to seeing everyone and getting back to running.  We’ve only five weeks to the half marathon!  This week our long run is the Battersea Park Loop.  The entire loop is 10 miles but there are many options to do a shorter loop or take a tube home if you are not up for the full 10 miles after our recovery week.  As a reminder, looking ahead we have the following long runs:

Feb. 24 – Battersea Loop, 8-10 miles

March 3 – Canal west to Greenford destination, 10 miles

March 10 – Big Ben loop, 8 miles

March 17 – Kew Gardens destination, 11 miles

March 24 – Green Park loop, 6-7 miles

March 30 – RACE DAY

New Running Shoes

If you’re thinking about getting a new pair of shoes for the race, now’s the time to do it.  You want to make sure you can run in the shoes at least a few times before the actual race.  The same applies for the clothes you’ll wear on race day.  Make sure you test everything first.  You don’t want to get to the middle of the race and realise that something is rubbing or annoying you.  Who knows what the weather will be on race day – it could be warm, mild or cold.  That’s Europe in the spring!  Plan to bring race clothes for all temperatures and we’ll decide that morning!

Spring Races

Some of the women in our group are signing up for some fun races this spring.  

The Color Run – London.  This looks like a super fun 3-mile run in Wembley Park on Sunday June 1st, 2014 at 3pm. Jen Cohen is putting together a team – email her at [email protected] if you are interested in joining the team.  Click here to check out the website.

We Own the Night.  This is a women’s 10K run, Saturday 10th May 2014 after dark.  Some of our runner’s ran the race last year and said it was a great experience.  Click here to check out the website.

Keep running!

Jane

Click here for the interactive routes on our web.

ROUTES

LONG RUN – 10 miles – remember this is your slower paced run

Monday 24 February

Battersea Loop

We head out to Hyde Park, along the eastern edge of the park, and down Sloane Street to Sloane Square the usual way.  We continue through Sloane Square, down Chelsea Bridge Road, and over the Chelsea Bridge to the south bank of the Thames.  We will then turn right into Battersea Park and run along the south side of the Thames to the Albert Bridge, where will will cross back over the Thames.  WE will turn right again and run along the north side of the river back to Chelsea Bridge Road, where we will turn left and run back up through Sloane Square and back to Hyde Park.  We will turn right and run down Knightsbridge to Hyde Park Corner, then left long the eastern edge of the park to the exit at Upper Brook Street and back to Starbucks the usual way.

TEMPO RUN

Wednesday 26 February

Regent’s Park Tempo Diamonds

We are continuing with our focused tempo running on Wednesdays.  This week we will do ‘diamonds’—they are fast but also fast to be done with so give them a try!

 

Head over to Regent’s Park, the normal way [down Wellington Road, left at the SJW Church roundabout, cross the zebra crossing before the High Street and enter Park at the Charlbert Entrance].  Enter the Park and veer to the left path.  When you reach the first intersection with the other sidewalk, it is time to turn on your running jets.  You will run hard for 1 minute, then recover by running slowly for 3 minutes; then run hard for 2 minutes and recover by running slowly for 3 minutes; then run hard for 3 minutes, recover run slowly for 3 minutes; run hard for 2 minutes, recover run slowly for 3 minutes and finally run hard for 1 minutes, recover run slowly for 3 minutes.

 

The ‘diamond’ looks like this:

            1 minute hard                      3 minutes jogging recovery

            2 minutes hard                    3 minutes jogging recovery

            3 minutes hard                    3 minutes jogging recovery

            2 minutes hard                    3 minutes jogging recovery

            1 minute hard                      3 minutes jogging recovery

 

If you need to extend the amount of time for the jogging recovery, that’s fine, you can jog up to twice the amount of the hard run time [so 6 minutes max recovery jog for the 3 min hard run]

 

This type of running is best down within the park so you don’t have to contend with driveways etc.  If you find you need more mileage in Regent’s Park, just keep looping however you see fit.

HILL RUN  The Heath

Friday 28 February

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 Runners,

It’s recovery week!  Yeah!  Everyone gets a little mini-break from running next week.  It’s important to “clock your vacation time” from running.  Giving your body a week to rest and recover has huge pay-offs.  Psychologically you’ll be itching to run the following week (hopefully!) and your body will thank you for the break.  If you are not able to run at all next week – no worries.  It will be OK.  If you have access to a treadmill, try to get in 2-3 runs of no more than an hour.  If you are staying in London, come out and run with the group.  There are other people in town and wanting to run.  Email Kathy McMahon, [email protected], she is organising the London group next week.  Run no farther than 6 miles or no longer than 60 minutes (whichever comes first.)  Ideally you would run 6 miles (or 60 mins) once next week then add in another 2 runs of shorter distances 3-5 miles.  Avoid speed/tempo work and consider running flat on Friday.  We’ll leave the route selection up to you, but consider going somewhere fun!

Have a fabulous break and I look forward to seeing you Monday 24 February!

XO

Jane

Hi everyone,

It’s been another rough weather week in London, but we managed to sneak in our runs before the afternoon rain.  That’s some good incentive to get out and run at 8:15 because you never know what the rest of the day will bring.  Monday was an especially good day because we had a fantastic turn-out for the 9-mile Embankment loop.  For a few runners, that was the first time they had ever run 9 miles – well done!

This week we have the famous 9-mile run to Canary Wharf.  It looks like most of the group has migrated to doing the long run on Monday.  This is an important training run because most of the run is non-stop along the canal.  Remember to watch your pace – don’t be tempted to go too fast.  There are two tricky sections when we’re off the canal but I’ve added detailed description below and pictures so all the groups should feel comfortable doing the route.  Plus, there are great bragging rights that come from telling your family and friends that you just ran to Canary Wharf!  (For those of you who know the route well, please note that I simplified the route in Angel.  Make sure to take a look at that section.)

On Wednesday, we’re going to try a new type of tempo workout – Fartleks!  Make sure you read the description below.

Keep up the good work everyone! and keep running!

Jane

ROUTES

Monday, 10 February—Base Conditioning Run

Canary Wharf!  9.3 miles (with shorter options)

Section One – Canal to the Wall

(The route starts out as the The Wall route – if you need a shorter run consider running to the Wall and returning which is a 6-mile route.)

A few of you have said that you hate running down Wellington Road, so lets run past Panzers and turn right down Cochrane Street to the High Street and cross Prince Albert Road at the SJW zebra crossing.  Run along Prince Albert Road to join the canal at Charlbert Street.  Run along the canal for approximately 3 miles until the canal pathway ends at the famous “Wall.”

Section Two – Angel Roads

We need to run through the Angel neighbourhood until we can re-enter the canal path.   At the wall follow the ramp up to Muriel Street.  (This is a good place to wait for your pace group.)  Take a right and then an almost immediate left up a path that winds between the apartment buildings.  See the picture below for the entrance to the path.

Keep going straight on the path and it will become Maygood Street.  When you get to the intersection of a main road (Barnsbury Road) turn right.  Run until you make the second left onto Chapel Market.  (There is a metal archway saying Chapel Market and a zebra crossing at the intersection.)  Follow Chapel Market until the end.  (NB:  There is a public Ladies Room at the end of White Conduit Street, which intersects with Chapel Market at the euphorium bakery.)  Turn right at Liverpool Street to the major road Upper Street.  Cross Upper Street and turn left.  (NB:  Angel Tube Station is to your right if you are going home from here.)  Make your first right at Duncan Street (Jack Wills shop at the corner) and follow until the end.  The entrance to the canal path will be directly in front of you.  Go straight along the canal (NOT a sharp right turn.)

Section Three – Canal to Limehouse Basin

We run for about 4 miles following the canal path to the Limehouse Basin.  We exit the canal path at the wire looking bridge – see picture below – and take the brown brick steps up to the left.

Section Four – Limehouse Basin to Canary Wharf

At the top of the brick steps, go straight.  At the Limehouse Gallery and Bronze Age shop turn right.  Run along the water until you reach the second metal foot-bridge leading to a park.  Cross the bridge and run through the park.  (You’ll see that the way we have gone in the past is blocked so we need to make a slight detour.)  When you reach the road (Narrow St.), turn left and run past the Dunbar Wharf and make your first right on Three Colt Street.  Run until you hit the water again and turn left.  Run with the water on your right until you see the long flight of steps next to Royal China – see picture below.  You’re almost there!  Only a third of a mile remaining!

Run up the steps and straight ahead, through the small park to India Drive and then veer slightly right along Cabot Square.  You’re heading for the big sky-scrapper building in front of you.  Stop when you see the sign for the Canary Wharf DLR Station at the ‘mall’ entrance on the South Collanade.  We’ll meet at the Starbucks inside the building on the right, next to the DLR station.  After a much earned coffee, we’ll head to the Canary Wharf Tube station [Jubilee Line] and tube it home to SJW.  Congratulations!

 

Wednesday, 12 February—Tempo Track Sprinting and Fartleks

Time for more tempo training—this week we incorporate Fartleks, which are short sprint bursts interspersed into the run.

Head down to the Regents Park Outer Circle the normal way [down Wellington, left at roundabout, cross zebra before the High Street, enter outer park at Charlbert] but do not go into the park, instead turn left on the outer circle and run slowly to the track.  Run ONE lap at the track, gradually increasing your speed.  Now, time to really run!

Do a timed one mile on the track [4 laps in the middle lane is pretty close] or you can set your watch to give you a one mile interval. Run this mile at about 80-85% of your maximum capacity.  If it were a scale of 1-20 [where 20 is a level of intensity that you could do for 1-2 seconds before you collapse], your timed mile should be a 16-17 [yikes!].  After your timed mile, jog another lap, slowly, around the track to recover, then continue to run slowly over the Regents Park.

Now, we’ll do about a 15-20 minute group Fartlek session.  This is how it works:  break into groups of 3-5 runners based on your sprint pace—the fastest group needs to be in front.  Separate each group by a couple of minutes before you start running again.  Someone in each group identifies the ‘run-to’ point [a bench, a rubbish can, a particular tree, etc] then counts down 3,2,1, ‘GO!’  Everyone in that group runs as hard as possible to the established ‘run-to’ point.  The distance of each fartlek should be different—mix up longer legs [maybe 200 meters] with shorter legs [maybe 20 meters].  You can do the loop outlined in the map below or just pick your own path until you’ve done about 15-20 minutes of fartleks.

Now, jog back over to the track and do ANOTHER timed mile to try to meet or better the time you had from your first timed mile.

Run, walk or crawl back to Starbucks and enjoy a much-earned coffee and chat!

Here’s an interesting tidbit—supposedly you can take a timed mile trial number and multiply by 14 to get a predicted half-marathon time.  We’ll test that theory out at the end of March!

Friday, 14 February—Happy Valentine’s Day!!!

No ASL today

It’s time to LOVE the Heath!

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 Everyone,

It’s official!  The Met Office has announced that southeast England had the wettest January in 100 years!  I think the majority of that rain fell during our tempo run last Wednesday!   Thanks to all of you for being so dedicated to running even in all this bad weather.   I know it’s hard.  We’re in the crucial part of our training – only 8 weeks to the race.  Try to block out the time in your calendar to run.  Even if the weather is bad, I promise you’ll feel good when you finish!

This week for our long run we have a 9-mile loop east along the canal through Farringdon to the Embankment and back to St. Johns Wood.  There are a few points along the route where you can tube home if you would like to do a shorter distance and build to our 9-mile run to Canary Wharf next week. We’ll be back in Hyde Park for tempo work as well.  

Looking ahead – Remember the long runs are KEY!  

Feb. 3 – Canal, Farringdon, Embankment loop, 9 miles

Feb. 10 – Canary Wharf destination, 9 miles

Feb. 17 – ASL break (4-6 miles)

Feb. 24 – Battersea loop, 8-10 miles

March 3 – Canal west to Greenford destination, 10 miles

March 10 – Big Ben loop, 8 miles

March 17 – Kew Gardens destination, 11 miles

March 24 – Green Park loop, 6-7 miles

MARCH 30 – RACE DAY!

GERMAN RACE UPDATE

Hills during the race?  There seems to be some rumours going around about the hill profile during the German race.  The best way to describe the course is that it’s rolling hills, gradually up and down, with 3 medium hills at 3km (1.8 miles), 11km (6.8 miles), and 18 km (11 miles).  From looking at the route map, our estimate is that for each medium hill there is a climb is 30-40M over 1KM.  

So what does that mean?  From Swiss Cottage Library to Lyndhurst Road is a 32M climb over 1KM with an average 3% gradient.  We believe this is the best example for the 3 medium hills during the course.  From Belsize Lane (near the flower shop at the base of hill) to the Hampstead Tube is a 45M climb over 1KM, which we believe is a bit more difficult than the 3 hills on the course.  If you’ve been running every Friday up to the Hampstead Tube stop or all the way up the hill to the Heath you’ll have had lots of practice doing hills that are more difficult than the race course.  

PLEASE NOTE!  There is a hill map on the race website but it is very confusing because the half-marathon route is on the same map as the marathon route.  If you take a look at it, the top dark blue line is the marathon route (which does have a few huge hills).  The lower light blue line is for the half-marathon.  The good news is that after the hill at 18km (11 miles) the last part of the race is basically downhill.    Please know that we studied the hills before we chose this as our race for the year and we have complete confidence that the course is not too difficult for our group or the beginner group.  

Tips for Hill Running:  Many people tend to look down and hunch over when running uphill.  Try to resist this urge because you won’t be able to breathe efficiently.  One tip from Paula is to turn your palms upward when running uphill.  Turning your palms upward forces your shoulders back (which opens the breathing passages) and brings the body into a more compact position (instead of flailing arms.) 

Tips for Breathing:  Maureen Fossum has some tips for breathing during our tempo and speed work.  When you’re working hard, remember to focus on your breathing and try to maintain fewer deep breaths instead of taking many shallow breaths.  Maureen suggested using your steps as a guide.  For example, try breathing in for 4 steps and out for 4 steps.  If you are working hard, you may need to breathe more often, maybe breathe in for 2 steps and out for 2 steps, or even 1 step each.  By focusing on deep breathing you’ll give yourself more oxygen but you can also distract yourself from how you’re feeling.  (Your mind is a powerful tool during the difficult parts!)

That’s all for now!  

Keep running!

Jane

ROUTES

LONG RUN

Monday 3 February or Wednesday 5 February

Canal/Farringdon/Embankment Loop – 9 miles (remember this is your slower paced 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.  Stay on Farringdon Street until you reach the Embankment, turn right on the Embankment and run along the Thames for about a mile.  When you reach Northumberland Avenue (At Embankment Tube Station) make a right and run up through Trafalgar Square, onto Cockspur Street and then onto Haymarket. Take this to Picadilly Circus and turn right onto Regent Street.  Run on Regent Street, which turns onto Portland Place, to Marylebone Road.  Run on Marylebone to Allsop and make a right, Which turns into Park Road.  Follow Park Road along the west side of Regent’s Park back to Starbucks the usual way.

TEMPO RUN

Monday 3 February or Wednesday 5 February

Hyde Park Tempo Triangle

Head down to Hyde Park the usual way at a very gentle pace.  Once you reach the park pick up the pace a bit around Speaker’s Corner, and then run very fast down to the SE corner of the park. Jog slowly around the corner while you try to bring your heart rate back down to a recovered rate. Once you reach the straightaway, run hard again to Carriage Road.  Slow down to a recover rate again as you cross over the bridge and up to the path, where you will turn right and run hard along the diagonal back to Speaker’s Corner.  Jog very slowly back to SJW or, even better, hop on the bus or tube from Marble Arch. If you are not doing tempo work, you can do this run at a regular pace (if you go back to SJW it is about 6.5 miles).

HILL RUN  The Heath

Friday 7 February

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]