Hi everyone,

Thanks for another good week of running!  Over the next month we have some interesting routes to get comfortable with a 6-7 mile distance so that by mid- November to mid- December we can build to 8 miles.  (As always, we’ll have ways to shorten or lengthen most of our runs.)  In general, always bring your Oyster card.  It takes a bit longer to do a destination run, but it’s fun and much more interesting than always looping back to St. Johns Wood.   

On Monday, we head out the canal to the (famous) Wall but then we exit the canal and run through Farringdon all the way to the Embankment.  We follow the river to the Embankment tube (6 miles), Westminster tube (6.5 miles) or to Green Park tube (7.5 miles). Wednesday we do our classic Notting Hill run and Friday we’re back up the hill.  (Amy, our fantastic webmaster, is running in Amsterdam so this email won’t be on the website until early next week.  Let me know if you have questions about the Monday route and I can send you a more detailed map.)

Good Luck Racers!

We have a big group running in Amsterdam this weekend.  Julie Clark, Darcy Fautz, Maureen Fossumm, Amy Grace, Poornima Guruprasad, Mee Lee, Holly Bell Stevens and Meg Stone are running a half marathon.  Lesley Gallagher and Stacey Towfighi are running an 8K.  Good luck everyone!

Congratulations Paula!

Paula Mitchell finished the 250 Km Atacama Crossing with flying colors!  She was the 6th woman and 45th overall finisher out of 160 runners who started the race.   The first 5 women finishers were in their 20ies and 30ies so Paula also won her age group as well.   The mileage was nothing compared to the harsh conditions – heat in the day, freezing at night, running on sand, and up steep sand dunes, through rivers and over salt flats that we so sharp they could cut through your shoes.  WOW!  Paula, we are SO PROUD of you!  What a triumph!

Congratulations Tammie!

Tammie Perdue ran the Royal Parks half marathon last weekend and had a great race.  Well done Tammie!

Need some inspiration?

I read the following short article by Mara Yamauchi, who is known as the second-fastest British woman runner behind Paula Radcliffe and took 2nd place in the 2009 London marathon.  She talks about ten benefits of running – it is a simple list but a good one.  I love this quote, “You always feel better after a run than before you set out.”  Click here for the article.

Keep running,

Jane

ROUTES THIS WEEK

Monday 20 October

Canal/Farringdon/Embankment/Green Park(6-7+ miles)

Again this Monday, choose your distance as this route has options.  Everybody head out the canal to “The Wall”.  Exit the canal and turn right at the top of the exit onto Muriel/Rodney Street.  This will turn into Penton Rise, then King’s Cross and eventually Farringdon Street. 

4.5 milers:  Continue along Farringdon Street until Clerkenwell Road.  Turn left onto Clerkenwell and then right onto Turnmill Street.  Farringdon tube will be on the right – you’re done.

6 milers:  Stay on Farringdon Street all the way to the river.  Once you hit the Thames, turn right and run along the embankment.  When you reach Embankment tube station,  take the tube home. 

7.5 milers:  Continue along the embankment until Westminster.  (If you take the tube from Westminster, you’ll have run 6.5 miles)  Turn right onto Westminster Bridge Road and continue onto Birdcage Walk.  Cut through St James Park towards The Mall.  Turn left onto The Mall and then right onto the path just past Clarence House.  Run the path up and then take the tube home from Green Park.

Wednesday 22 October

Notting Hill (4-6+ miles)

Start out by 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 and run to the Ladbroke Grove exit then run down Ladbroke Grove to Elgin Crescent and make a left.  Continue to Ledbury and go right and then left at Westbourne Grove.  Run down Westbourne Grove over Bishop’s Bridge and down the steps into Sheldon Square [across from Paddington Station].  Go back along the canal and out where you entered, then run back to Starbucks. 

You also have the option of a shorter run by not getting off the canal. Run half the distance you want, turn around and head home. As a rule of thumb, the two mile mark is the Westway overpass.

Friday 24 October – The Heath (4-8 miles)

We run up the hill on Fridays–it’s tradition! It is hard, but you’ll feel great when you are finished. If you are not up for a hill run yet, no problem, just let us know.  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. If you have trouble running up, think about how easy it will be running down!

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.