Hi everyone,

I hope you had a Happy Halloween!  I loved your running “costumes” on Friday.  Great fun! 

On Monday, we head to the Whole Foods on the Kensington High Street via the Brompton Cemetery.  This is a good route for many reasons.  First, this is one of the first long routes that the beginner group tackles.  For all the ex-beginners, you can compare what it feels like to run 6.5 miles this year as compared to last year.  Second, we get to see the Brompton Cemetery, which is a hidden London gem.  The Brompton Cemetery opened in 1840 and is regarded as one of the finest Victorian Metropolitan cemeteries in the country.  Third, we end at Whole Foods for a gourmet coffee or treat or a chance to do a little shopping.  Finally, we’re building to running more than 6 miles in a fun way!  Please take a look at the map because we haven’t been this direction in a while.

On Wednesday we head out to The Wall.  The last time we ran to The Wall, I remembered what an important training run this is because it is one of the few times that we run for a long stretch with no stops, no traffic lights.  It can be difficult, but it’s great for your fitness.  Friday we’re back up the hill!

Keep running,

Jane

ROUTES

Monday 3 November – Whole Foods via Brompton Cemetery (6.5+ miles)

Today we’ll earn our post-run treat by ending at Whole Foods on the Kensington High Street!  Bring your shopping list if you want.

We start out the normal way to Hyde Park.  Once you enter the park, turn left and run along the east side of the park.  At Hyde Park Corner turn right and run along the south side exiting at the gate at Sloane Street.  Cross the street, take a right.  Turn left at Brompton Road (just past the tube) and take Brompton all the way (admiring Harrods as you pass) until Fulham Road.  Turn left on Fulham and continue to Brompton Cemetery.  Turn right to enter the park at the cemetery.  Run through the cemetery and turn right onto Old Brompton Road.  Turn left onto Earls Court Road. Turn right onto Cromwell Road and then turn left onto Marloes Road. Continue north on Marloes making your way through the streets to Kensington High Street.  Whole Foods will be to your right.  

Wednesday 5 November – The Wall (3 to 6 miles)

We head down towards Regents Park, then enter the canal at the Charlbert entrance and run east [left] cutting through Camden Lock Market until we run out of canal path at Islington and hit “The Wall”.  At The Wall, we turn around and head back to St. John’s Wood.  This is a great route to do a tempo run because there are no traffic lights.  But please be careful and aware of the bikes on the path.

If you run all the way to The Wall and back it is 6 miles.  But it is very easy to run half the distance if you want and turn around and head home.  As a marker, if you run to the Camden market (where we have to exit the canal path and run past the food stalls for a minute) and return home it is a 3 mile round trip.

Friday 7 November – 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. 

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

6-7miles:  The partial Heath route

8 miles:  The full Heath route

Click here for maps of all of the Heath routes.