Hello runners!
Well done to everyone who ran to Greenford last week! We had a huge turnout and it was fun to tackle the challenge together. This week we’re running east on the canal and then exiting to run through Farringdon to the Embankment and then winding our way back to St. John’s Wood. The Farringdon stretch can be very crowded, but think of it as good practice for dodging other runners during the race. On Wednesday we’re back in Regents Park for our last tempo workout of the year and Friday we head up the hill. If you’re feeling the mileage in your legs, it might be a good time to schedule a sports massage. And as always, make sure you stretch!
Kew Gardens, 23 March
Looking ahead, for most of us the following week will be our longest training run of the season – 11 miles to Kew Gardens. Make sure you have water and gels for that run. This is the perfect time to test out a water belt or whatever you plan to use for water during the race.
Long run after break?
For those of you really pushing for personal best time during the race, you may want to do your longest run on the week after the break, probably Wednesday 8 April because Monday is a holiday. However, that assumes that you’ll be able to run over the holiday. You don’t want to come back after a week off and go straight to running 11 miles. We’ll put two route options in the email for those weeks. Talk with the other women in your pace group and let me know if you have any questions.
Keep running,
Jane
ROUTES
Monday, 16 March – Canal/Farringdon/Embankment Loop (9 miles)
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.
Wednesday, 18 March – Regent’s Park Tempo Diamonds
We’re continuing with our focused tempo running on Wednesdays. This week we will do ‘diamonds’.
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.
Friday, 20 March – 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.
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
7.5 miles: The Highgate route
8 miles: The full Heath route
Click here for maps of all of the Heath routes.