Good morning, Runners!

For those of us just back from Berlin, welcome back to ‘real life’!  We missed all of our running friends who couldn’t make it to Berlin, so it’s good to be back!  I’m looking forward to seeing our WRW packs back out on the London streets.

Running this week.  It’s a short week for official runs, given the Monday travel day.  Wednesday we’ll follow the tradition of taking an easy, 4-mile run through Hyde Park to the Kensington Whole Foods (or Ole & Steen, across the street).  If you ran the half marathon on Sunday– especially if you ran for time– take it easy on Wednesday and consider it a recovery run.  Have a look around at spring erupting in Hyde Park, take some photos, and enjoy your coffee.  A loop back to St Johns Wood is always an option if you are pressed for time.  Friday is not the first Friday of the month… but we’re going to act like it is and do our Borough Market run this week, anyway.  

Shout-outs and Announcements.  Welcome to the Beginners Class of 2022!  We had six women run the half this weekend as beginners, and they crushed it!  As always, it was so much fun to cheer them in!  In addition, one of the beginners did her first half marathon here in London at the London Landmarks Half!  As these ladies, who have just realised how strong they actually are(!), join the group in the next week and beyond, please give them a big welcome and help them get acclimated to our big, noisy, fun Monday-Wednesday-Friday group!

An important general reminder, for all who ran the half-marathon, is to take care of yourselves.  Rest your bodies, take care of any niggles, stretch, get some sleep, eat well, and keep replenishing your fluids!  Bask in the glow of a goal achieved!  This is WRW-proclaimed ‘self-care week’– sandwiched between the Berlin Half and Spring Break family travel.

Your WRW team will get to work preparing the annual video, more photos, and Melissa Kay’s tearjerker of a Leaver’s slideshow to send to everyone as soon as we can.  And on that note, please let me give her a heartfelt shoutout for curating and creating the slideshow– in the rush at the end of the Sunday celebration, I neglected to give her credit for that!  We would not have had this WRW tradition in place this year if she had not stepped in and taken it on– so thank you, Melissa!

Looking ahead.  Next week is ASL Spring Break, so we will not publish official routes, and there will be no email this coming weekend.  The e-mail will be back the following weekend, April 16-17, and though that following Monday is a holiday, we are planning to drop a fun route in your box for the day.  Meanwhile, here are a few runs to mark down on your calendars for the spring: 

April 11- 18:  ASL Spring Break, and no official WRW schedule
April 25:  Olympic Park via the canal (9 miles), or Coal Drop Yards via the canal (5 miles)
May 9:  Hampton Court Adventure Run (8 miles)
May 16:  Alexandra Palace Adventure Run (5 miles, to Finsbury Park finish)

If this seems short (abrupt, even), it’s all in the name of getting the routes and news to you!  It’s also because my heart is still too full to process, much less write about, the weekend experience and all of you amazing ladies– those who were in Berlin AND those who couldn’t make it.  You know me well enough to know by now there will be more to say.  But meanwhile… enjoy the week!
xx Micki

ROUTES

Monday 4 April – Travel day back from Berlin!
All others meet at the Church Gardens for a route of your choice.

Wednesday 6 April – Whole Foods S. Kensington via Hyde Park (4 miles)
RunGo:  https://routes.rungoapp.com/route/RXWvNqu3yx

This route heads to Hyde Park in the usual way. Start heading west on Circus Road and turn left on Grove End 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 left to enter Hyde Park at the intersection with Stanhope Place. We will then run to the left, heading towards Hyde Park Corner, but before we get to the corner we will head off to the right and run along an inner path towards Carriage Drive. Here we cross the road and continue on Flower Walk until we reach the south west corner of Kensington Gardens. We can cross Kensington High Street at Kensington Church Street to get to Whole Foods, which will be directly in front of us, where we can enjoy a coffee together and do a bit of shopping!

Friday 8 April – Borough Market (6 miles)
RunGo:  https://routes.rungoapp.com/route/6U5vDjwEEA

We can grab coffee at Monmouth or Rabot Estates before doing any shopping and catching the tube at London Bridge station back to SJW. Don’t forget your mask and your contactless card! We start by heading to Hyde Park via the usual route. Head west on Circus Road, turn left on Grove End Road. At the corner of St. John’s Wood Road and Grove End Road, cross diagonally at the light and continue south on Lisson Grove. Cross over Marylebone Road and continue south on Seymour Place until it tees into Seymour Street. 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. Run along the eastern edge of the park to Hyde Park Corner, under Wellington Arch and down Constitution Hill. Run past the Victoria Memorial, cross The Mall at the light and turn right at the grand wrought iron gates into St. James Park. Run over the pond and out of the park, turning left onto Birdcage Walk and down into Parliament Square to Big Ben. Continue past Big Ben and cross Westminster Bridge. After the bridge turn left down the stairs to run along the Thames until the river path ends after Southwark Bridge. Just past Southwark Bridge, head right and then a quick left to go into a short tunnel that puts you onto Clink Street. Make a right on Stoney Street to get to the market (and Monmouth Coffee or Rabot Estates!).

Hello Runners!
A week in the sun!  We had some dazzling runs this week– and Monday may have been the most perfect running weather we’ve ever had for our run to Kew Gardens!  Of course, I do realise that ‘perfect running conditions’ is a pretty subjective notion, so if you were missing the rainy cold from some previous years’ pilgrimages… well, don’t worry, I’m sure we’ll get more of that running weather in coming weeks!  But this week it was wonderful to see so many of you hanging out after the run at Kew, and to hear the cheers as successive waves of runners rolled in.  Congratulations on a great run!  Next year we should probably warn the village when our invasion is about to happen!

Running this Week.  It’s Race Week for everyone going to Berlin!  That means we take it pretty easy this week on the official runs.  Monday we have a flat 7 miles to Tower Hill.  This is the by-now familiar Borough Market run extended along the Thames to and across Tower Bridge to finish at the Tower of London.  (Have a look around as they may be working on the Superbloom project, filling the moat with wildflowers in honor of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee– and we have a return run scheduled for June!).  On Wednesday we will take the Regents Park Inner and Outer Circle route for a relaxed 5 miles.  Friday is travel day for many runners going to Berlin, as is next Monday, for return trips.  If you are in London, organise running buddies and routes via the Whatsapp chats.  If you are new to the group and not yet in a pace group whatsapp chat, just let us know, or tell the pace leaders you’ve been running with.  We want everyone to be able to stay connected!

Shoutouts and Announcements.  Thanks again to Magali for organising our coffee last week at Regents Bar and Kitchen.  It was great to have some time to hang out with everyone on the terrace!  If you were there, you already know that kitmaster Marissa has managed to procure a small stash of navy WRW running hats, which are available for £25.  Email Marissa to purchase.  Thank you also to Carmine Najjar for stepping in as substitute kit rep for the day last Wednesday!

Once again, if you haven’t already done so, please let Melissa Kay know TODAY if you will be leaving London at the end of the school year.  As much as we don’t like to think about it, we do want the chance to give some love to our “leavers” at the half marathon celebration.  Don’t miss the chance to be included.
And finally, a really important announcement and shoutout.  Most of us are aware that Ukrainian refugees are flowing into Berlin in great numbers, even as we prepare to travel there for our event.  Jennifer Egsgard stepped up to search out what avenues might exist for us, as individuals, to consider helping with the crisis.  Along with Shannon Ashton and Marissa O’Malia, Jennifer has put together an information sheet on how we can help, with websites, contacts and instructions for financial or in-kind donations for the refugees in Berlin.  The information sheet is included as an attachment below. Thank you to these ladies, for their big hearts, and for doing this important legwork!  

Looking ahead.  Next week is travel and recovery week for those who’ve just run in Berlin.  The regular e-mail will not arrive on Sunday, but on Monday.  See the schedule below for what’s in store for the next couple of weeks, and some highlights beyond: 
Monday, April 4:  most Berlin runners return later in the day.  There will be no official WRW route, but use your whatsapp to make a plan!
Wednesday, April 6:  Easy-paced 4-mile route to Whole Foods Kensington.  Some runners may prefer to rest another day, and others can easily lengthen the route in the park.
Friday, April 8:  Borough Market ‘first-Friday’ run.  Even though it’s not the first Friday.  Maybe April Fools didn’t count??
April 11- 18:  ASL Spring Break, and no official WRW schedule.
April 25:  Olympic Park via the canal (9 miles), or Coal Drop Yards via the canal (5 miles)
May 9:  Hampton Court Adventure Run (8 miles)
May 16:  Alexandra Palace Adventure Run (5 miles, to Finsbury Park finish)

Happy Mothering Sunday to all the Moms in the group!  I hope your people will find a way to celebrate you today (and help make up for that rude loss of an hour’s sleep last night!).  Whether or not you are a mom, and whether or not others celebrate you today, you are all extraordinary women who nurture and care for the people in your lives– including each other.  I hope you will take a moment to acknowledge that about yourselves today, and maybe even to spoil yourself a little bit!

I’ll see you in the park tomorrow for a beautiful run to one of London’s iconic sights– we really are so lucky we get to run in such an amazing backyard!  Enjoy the rest of the weekend…
xx Micki

ROUTES

Monday 28 March – Tower Hill (7 miles)
RunGo: https://routes.rungoapp.com/route/eckLcQj4pf
Today we will be running across, along and back across the Thames, and in and around some of the oldest parts of London. The sights will be stunning! If you don’t want to do the full 7 miles, you can simply end at Borough Market for 6 miles, or stop at Westminster for 4 miles.

We start off as though we are running to Borough Market— down Grove End and into Hyde Park, under Wellington Arch, along Green Park, through St James Park and towards Big Ben then across Westminster Bridge. At the end of Westminster Bridge, exit left down the stairs and run along the Thames Path past the London Eye, Royal Festival Hall, Blackfriars Bridge, Tate Modern, Shakespeare’s Globe to the Golden Hinde, admiring all the landmarks as you trod past. Follow the walkway to the right of the Golden Hinde and at the junction with Southwark Cathedral, turn sharp left and follow Montague Close, passing through the tunnel. You are now on Tooley Street. Shortly, you will see a Legible London standing road sign for Tooley St/London Bridge (photo below) – turn left and go through the passage to meet up with Queen’s Walk/Thames Path. Turn right onto the walk. Continue on the Thames Path past the HMS Belfast, City Hall and Potters Fields, to Tower Bridge. Climb the stairs up to the Bridge (don’t go under the Bridge), then run across Tower Bridge (the views!), continuing past the Tower of London (more views!) until you reach the stairs down to Tower of London Park. Take the stairs down and follow the paved path along the park. Just past the park is a junction in the path-turn right to run in a tunnel under Tower Hill Road, past part of the original London Wall and up to the Tower Hill tube station. Now, think of all the history you’ve witnessed in just 7 miles!

Wednesday 30 March – Regent’s Park Inner/Outer Circle (5 miles)
RunGo:  https://routes.rungoapp.com/route/BoeFK1Khvv
From the Church Gardens head down past the church and turn left onto Prince Albert Road. Run to the pedestrian crossing where we will cross and head to the Outer Circle. Turn right and run on the inside of the circle past Winfield House which will be on your left. Continue around the OuterCircle until you reach the traffic light at intersection with York Bridge. Turn left and proceed to the Inner Circle. Run one complete loop of the Inner Circle and back out across York Bridge where we will take a left and continue on Ulster Terrace which is part of the Outer Circle. At the next large intersection take a left and continue on the Outer Circle, heading north back towards the Zoo and Camden. Pass the entrance to the Zoo on your left and continue to the bridge at North Gate which we will cross to reach Charlbert Street. Run up Charlbert Street until St John’s Terrace where we turn left and run back to the High Street for a stretch before heading to Starbucks or Pret.
Note – you can make this a 4 mile run by cutting out the inner loop.

Friday 1 April – route of your choice if you’re not heading off to Berlin

Check in with your pace group to see who is around to run!

Hello Runners!
What a gorgeous few days we have had!  Hope you are out enjoying that sunshine this weekend– and we hope to carry some into the week ahead.  It has been amazing to be out in London as the flowers are bursting everywhere and we are hitting some of our favourite destinations.  Even with the Saharan dust-cloud/mud-rain on Wednesday, we got in a great run on the canal and lots of amazing street art viewings– and photos.  Stick together, ladies, we are just hitting our stride and getting on to the best part of our running year!

Running this Week.  Monday is our capstone London run of the year– the much-anticipated 11-mile jaunt to Kew.  This route runs through Hyde Park and Kensington, then follows the Thames from Hammersmith all the way to Kew, crossing on the Barnes Bridge.  From Hammersmith, this path should look familiar to many of you, as it was the first part of last year’s route for the Hampton Court Half Marathon (which, for newcomers, we did as our own WRW event under covid restrictions, in small groups on subsequent days!).  If you are not training for the marathon but you’d like to join for part of the run, you could arrange to meet your group at Hammersmith and run the 5 miles on to Kew, or run the 5+ to Hammersmith and tube home.  

Wednesday is another big day, as we have the WRW Pre-Race coffee!  We’ll take the 5-mile route through Camden Lock and Mornington Crescent into Regents Park for a small loop before stopping at the Regent’s Bar and Kitchen for socializing, celebrating, and taking care of some pre-race business (but note that ALL WRW runners are welcome, not just race attendees!).  Finally, Friday we’ve scheduled an old favorite 5-mile Heath route:  the Betsy.   Take a look at the maps and directions in the Routes section below for all of the navigation help you’ll need for this week!

Announcements.  For everyone traveling to Berlin for the half marathon, look out for a trip-specific email coming in Monday or Tuesday, with all the information you’ll need for the weekend.  Sue has been working incredibly hard to put together all the details and keep current on the latest updates for you.  Seeing it all pulled together truly makes it feel real and exciting!!  One general note here to be sure we’re reaching people who have had to drop from the trip:  the last date for canceling your hotel room with a refund is Friday, March 25th.  You can do this directly with the Marriott via the information in the confirmation e-mail you received from them. 

As mentioned above, the WRW Pre-Race Coffee will be Wednesday after our run (from 9:30, so time for a stretch in the sun if you arrive earlier!) at the Regent’s Bar and Kitchen.  Note that this is for all runners, whether you are going to Berlin or not.  Thanks to Magali Kivatinetz for organising the coffee once again!  We look forward to socialising, sharing important race updates/reminders, and welcoming this year’s Beginners into the general WRW fold (be careful not to freak them out with scary race stories!!).   Food and coffee will be set up inside, but we also have a great space outside if the day is fine!  

Navigating our group dynamic now that there are no Covid regulations is tricky.  We are all a community, and a rapid spread of cases through the group at this point could be catastrophic to people’s plans, even if the health implications are not as threatening as they formerly were.  Please use your own good judgment with regard to group gatherings; for example, consider taking a lateral flow test just to be sure you’re not inadvertently exposing the group at coffee on Wednesday– especially if you feel ‘off’ or have had any exposure ahead of Wednesday’s gathering.  We are not here to nag or police– we just want to try to keep all of our friends healthy and able to travel for the race (healthy always, obviously, but particularly coming into the race week!).  If you happen to test positive at this point, there is time for you to recover and attend the race.  But the person who may be exposed this week may well not recover in time to make the race they’ve been training for all year. 

Finally, please let Melissa Kay know ASAP if you will be leaving London at the end of the school year.  As much as we don’t like to think about it, we do want the chance to give some love to our “leavers” at the half marathon celebration.  Don’t miss the chance to be included.

Training note.  Just one word this week:  Tapering!  That’s what begins after Monday’s Kew run.  For the next 12 days before the race, we get to back off of aggressive training and let our legs rest and build up some energy for race day.  We’ll still run enough miles to maintain our fitness, but these should not be hard miles!  Don’t worry– if you’ve done your training according to plan, then you’ve banked you need.  You are ready to run the half-marathon!  The easier two weeks before the race will ensure you don’t go into it tired and depleted.  Other things to think about during this time include getting good sleep, eating well and hydrating steadily and sensibly.  Expect your appetite to act like you’re still running the big miles– and go ahead and indulge it (but with the nutritious stuff!).  It’s also a good idea to take a break from strength training if that is something you regularly do (and certainly don’t start now if it’s not!).  You’ll be surprised how much extra energy you’ll find in your legs!  (Disclaimer: if you are a serious fitness person or working with another trainer, you will have your own needs and plan).  Mantra for the days following Monday’s run:  Embrace the taper!

Shoutouts.  This weekend is a big one for WRW achievements… on Saturday, four ladies ran the Centre of the Universe 50k ultramarathon– which is an event with a self-designed course of 50k anywhere in London to end at the Camino Ultra official finish line in Hackney.  Big congratulations to Anna Zlateva on her first ultra, which she did solo and unsupported(!) and to Miki Neant, Sarah Nicoli, and Kelly Willis on their big finish on a route that began at Hampton Court.  An additional shoutout to Marissa O’Malia and Bjorg Fribjornsdottir for being their support crew and for providing us with a scouting report for tomorrow’s run along the Thames (trail is in good condition, not too muddy!)  What a gorgeous day for a lot of miles!  
And this morning, another gorgeous one, we had a big crew head out to do the Hampton Court Palace Half!  Congratulations and well done to Laura Beal, Jess Browne, Clementine Drackett, Abby Khatiblou, Clare Missin, and Katie Zolnierz on completing ‘live and in person’ the race that became our virtual WRW half marathon last spring.  I believe there may even have been a celebrity sighting at this one (see below)!

Looking ahead.  We’ll share some save-the-dates next week– your routes team has some great things in store for the Spring!  But in the meantime, just to set your expectations if you haven’t been through a WRW destination race with us yet: 
Monday, March 28:  Tower Hill (7 miles)– taking it easy, as this is taper time for Berlin runners!
Friday, April 1:  many Berlin runners depart, so check your whatsapp to see who is around!  Route will be Heath or Borough choice. 
Monday, April 4:  most Berlin runners return later in the day.  There will be no official WRW route, but use your whatsapp to make a plan!
Wednesday, April 6:  Easy-paced 4-mile route to Whole Foods Kensington.  Some runners may prefer to rest another day, and others who didn’t run Berlin can easily lengthen the route in the park.
Friday, April 8:  Borough Market ‘first-Friday’ run.  Even though it’s not the first Friday.  Maybe April Fools didn’t count??
April 11- 18:  ASL Spring Break, and no official WRW schedule.

Okay, that’s it!  I am SO excited to hit the Thames Path with you all tomorrow!  Enjoy this beautiful day, everyone.  See you in the park tomorrow morning!
xx Micki

ROUTES
Monday, 21 March – Kew via Barnes Bridge, 11.2 miles
RunGo:  https://routes.rungoapp.com/route/3vGe1fClDw

Bring your Oyster or contactless card and wear running shoes that you don’t mind getting muddy if you have them! 

You’ll feel exhilarated on our 11 mile run to the “kewt” village of Kew. We start out the normal way running to Hyde Park. Once in the park, we’ll turn to the left and run down the main path as we normally do, to Hyde Park Corner. Here we turn right to follow South Carriage Drive all along the south side of the park. We’ll exit the park at the Broad Walk, turning right onto Kensington High Street and continuing for about two miles until we reach the Hammersmith Tube gyratory. Run counter clockwise towards the left, ending up on Queen Caroline Street from which you turn right onto the St. Paul’s Church green. Run along the edge of the green, heading towards Hammersmith Bridge (which is closed to all traffic and pedestrians for repair). Turn right at Rutland Grove and a quick left to head to the river, then turn right on Lower Mall to run west along the Thames.

Keep the river to your left — mostly it will be visible, but sometimes there will be houses in between you and the river. After 2 miles, as soon as you pass two boat houses in quick succession, you will come to a Barnes Bridge, a railway/pedestrian bridge. Climb the bridge stairs and use the pedestrian access to cross the river to the south bank of the Thames, then continue west along the river for another 2 miles.

We will leave the Thames Path at Kew Bridge, see photo below:

Run UNDER the bridge and then turn left, past a couple of tiny shops and garages. Run through the small parking lot until you see the stone steps leading to the top of the bridge.

At the top of the steps turn right towards town (not back over the river!) and run along this road [Kew Road] for about a third of a mile until you reach a 3-way intersection, where you will veer right and follow Kew Road along the boundary wall to Kew Gardens until you reach the first main pedestrian entrance to Kew Gardens, the Victoria Gate. Across from Victoria Gate is Lichfield Road (sign posted on the left-hand corner). Follow Lichfield Road straight into Kew village. Starbucks is on the left where we’ll all meet up to celebrate this epic run!

Wednesday 23 March – Camden Lock/Mornington Crescent/Regent’s Park – WRW Coffee (5.15 Miles)
RunGo:  https://routes.rungoapp.com/route/3Oz5Lz9hEF

Head to the canal going eastbound to Camden Lock, where we cross the small, cobblestone bridge, exit the canal and turn right onto Camden High Street (alternatively, turn right just at the bottom of the bridge and go through the opening between the buildings to get to Arlington Road). At the first intersection with Jamestown Road take a right after crossing Jamestown Road and then the first left onto Arlington Road. Run straight down Arlington Road, make a slight right onto Mornington Crescent, follow it around and turn right onto Hampstead Road. At the first intersection, turn right onto Granby Terrace and the second left onto Stanhope Street. Continue down Stanhope until we reach Trinton Square. Turn right and run between the office buildings at Regent’s Place, past the nice fountains, to the end of Trinton Street. Use the pedestrian crossings to cross Osnaburgh Street and Albany Street. Head left to the intersection of Euston Road, where you take a right and run briefly along Euston Road. At Park Square East, turn right through the gates towards Regent’s Park. We enter the park at the Outer Circle intersection and stay on the path on the far right (east side) of the park. After you cross Chester Road, take a left on the second path and follow it, keeping toward the boating lake and running around it all the way to York Bridge, where we will turn left and run to the Inner Circle. Cross the road, turn left, and run the short distance to the cafe.

Friday 25 March – The Heath Betsy (5+ miles)
RunGo:  https://routes.rungoapp.com/route/dkhuleD0zF
Let’s get one last hill in before we head to Berlin.  Named for the runner whose favorite route this was, The Betsy is a shorter option that leaves out the second hill after you reach the tube station in Hampstead.  At the top of Fitzjohn’s, cross over towards the station and turn right.  Take the first left down Flask Walk and continue straight until you reach the Heath.  Enter the Heath and run until you intersect with the wide path.  Turn right and run down the path, curving to the right.  Run the wide path as usual but don’t turn left to run up Parliament Hill. Instead, veer right at that juncture and follow the trail across the ponds. After the ponds, the trail veers left and shortly after there is an opportunity to take a right turn on the intersecting trail that heads towards E. Heath Rd (taking you next to the fields used for the Art Fair, parking etc at different times of the year). Cross E. Heath Rd at the pedestrian crossing, then run on Downshire Hill Rd to Haverstock Hill. Turn Left on Haverstock Hill, running home the usual way (turn right on Belsize Ave, left on Lancaster Grove, right on Crossfield, right on Adamson, then cut through the Swiss Cottage public area by the Hampstead Theatre, turning onto Fitzjohns to St Johns Wood Park Rd to St Johns Wood Terrace and then to Starbucks).

Or if you want something different:
<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+ miles:  The partial Heath route OR the Reverse Heath route OR Pergola route
7.5 miles: The Highgate route
8 miles:  The full Heath route

Hello Runners!
I hope it’s been a good week for everyone!  Whether you spent it in London, the Alps, or the Maldives, hopefully you managed to take a little bit of down time (but not too much!) for our recovery week. 

Running this week.  This week we will ease back into our long run training schedule with a not-quite-9-mile route around Hyde Park and Regents Park on Monday.  Yes, despite ASL still being on break, we do have an official route and we will meet in St Johns Wood Church Gardens at the normal time– 8:20 for 8:25 departure.  If you’re not training for the half-marathon, this is a great one to join the group for, as it’s easy to customise to whatever length you are up for.  On Wednesday we will take in the Primrose Hillzzz for the 5-mile intervals and hills combo– getting our hills done early because the end of this week is the first Friday of the month, and we are off to Borough Market (6 miles)!  Full instructions and maps are in the Routes section below, as always.

Shoutouts and announcements.  Though it seems like forever ago, we don’t want to miss a shoutout to all who ran the London Winter Run 10K two weeks ago today.  There were over 50 WRW runners in the race, representing us across most of the age categories.  Congratulations and a big well-done to all who showed up and ran the race– you are amazing!  Additional shoutouts to those for whom it was a first-ever race.  And a couple of special shoutouts– to Kelly Willis, who won her age category, and to Miki Neant, who was the 9th-place overall female finisher!  It’s also worth a shout to the small group who followed that 10K with a London Landmarks virtual 10k last weekend, for which Laura Beal designed this fun ‘local landmarks’ route.  Great job, ladies!  

For anyone who is running their first race, first half-marathon, or who just wants some extra advice and discussion about the race, we are planning an information/Q&A session for next Wednesday, March 9 immediately following the run (around 9:30).  We will grab coffee and walk over to Devy Schoenfeld’s home at 16 Blenheim Rd.  Thanks to Devy for hosting us!  ALSO– a reminder to those running in Berlin:  please complete your Race Directory google form!  Jen Iannazzo is creating the handy little photo book for all 160 of us– no small task!– so we need to get her the information asap.

A fun social, non-running, evening event will round out the March 9 activities– the WRW Pub Quiz at the Warrington in Maida Vale!  Big thanks to Morgan Lintz for organising us!  All are welcome to this event, but please RSVP here so we can keep a headcount for the pub.  Further event details are in the evite.  

Save the dates.  Following are some key runs and events coming up– be sure to mark your calendars so you don’t miss them:
Monday, March 7 – Canada Water run (10 miles).
Wednesday, March 9 – race tips info session after run (around 9:30) at Devy’s house –
Wednesday, March 9 – WRW Pub Quiz at the Warrington!! (details here)
Monday, March 21 – Kew Gardens run (11 miles)
Wednesday, March 23 – Pre-race Coffee (after run, in Regents Park) 

I don’t know about you, but a week away from running and the group makes me all the more antsy to meet up and hit the pavements together!  Looking forward to seeing you all out there this week– and hoping we get some of this gorgeous sunshine for tomorrow’s trip around the parks.  Enjoy the day, everyone!

xx Micki

ROUTES

Monday, 28 February – Hyde Park with Regent’s Park Extension (8.9 miles)

RunGo:  https://routes.rungoapp.com/route/n8Lunvp4jD
Begin with the usual route to Hyde Park, turning right at the silver sphere once you enter the park. Cross over N Carriage Rd and keep going until the very end of the park, then turn left (south) to run down toward the palace. Before the Palace take another left to run around the front, and then turn right after the Palace to take in the last corner of the park.  Follow the path on the south side of the park all the way to and across South Carriage Drive, continuing all the way around the perimeter to exit at the Animals in War Memorial.  Cross the street onto Upper Brook Street, then turn left on Park St, crossing onto the right side of the street. Proceed about a mile and keep an eye out for the Windsor Castle pub on your right, shortly after which you will turn right down a path called Kent Passage into Regent’s Park. Turn right just inside the park (or stay on the Outer Circle if you like), then take a left at York Bridge, another left into the Inner Circle, and left through the gate after the big gated driveway marked “The Holme”. Follow the path straight across the park to exit at Charlbert St and head back to Starbucks.

Wednesday 2 March – Primrose Hillzzz  (5 miles)
RunGo: https://routes.rungoapp.com/route/rCmIF5iIyY
We’re combining hills and intervals this week with Primrose Hillzzz, the zzz for the zig zag hill repeats that are sure to get your hearts pumping and glutes working! We’ve doctored the usual start of the run to give us a little more warmup distance in Regents Park before tackling the first hill.

Head out from St Johns Wood Church Grounds to enter Regents Park by the Mosque. Run straight into the park and turn right after you cross the bridge, following along the water to the end of the lake and then curving around to the right to join the Broad Walk. Turn left and run to the fountain, and then go left to run the diagonal path alongside the zoo. Say hello to the camels, look for the tigers, and carry on out the park at the path that leads across the Outer Circle to Primrose Hill. Once in Primrose, take the first path on your left, run up past the entrance from St Edmund’s Terrace and continue up until the path forks, taking the path to your right all the way up to the top. Enjoy a brief moment taking in the view and then head down the left path all the way to the bottom corner of the park (corner of Albert Terrace and Prince Albert Rd). Run along the bottom of the park, past the Children’s Playground, Cafe and outdoor gym to where you entered the park. Repeat this loop two more times (or more if you like!). On your final loop run back up to the St. Edmund’s Terrace entrance and turn left out of the park. St Edmund’s Terrace will become Allitsen Rd and will take you back to St John’s Wood High St. Turn right and head back to Starbucks.

Friday 4 March – Borough Market  (6 miles)
RunGo:  https://routes.rungoapp.com/route/6U5vDjwEEA
It’s First Friday so let’s do our Borough Market run! We can grab coffee at Monmouth or Rabot Estates before doing any shopping and catching the tube at London Bridge station back to SJW. Don’t forget your mask and your contactless card! We start by heading to Hyde Park via the usual route. Head west on Circus Road, turn left on Grove End Road. At the corner of St. John’s Wood Road and Grove End Road, cross diagonally at the light and continue south on Lisson Grove. Cross over Marylebone Road and continue south on Seymour Place until it tees into Seymour Street. 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. Run along the eastern edge of the park to Hyde Park Corner, under Wellington Arch and down Constitution Hill. Run past the Victoria Memorial, cross The Mall at the light and turn right at the grand wrought iron gates into St. James Park. Run over the pond and out of the park, turning left onto Birdcage Walk and down into Parliament Square to Big Ben. Continue past Big Ben and cross Westminster Bridge. After the bridge turn left down the stairs to run along the Thames until the river path ends after Southwark Bridge. Just past Southwark Bridge, head right and then a quick left to go into a short tunnel that puts you onto Clink Street. Make a right on Stoney Street to get to the market (and Monmouth Coffee or Rabot Estates!).

Hello Runners!
Happy Sunday, and happy London Winter Run-day!  I don’t have a count on how many WRW runners are taking part in the Cancer UK 10k in London today, but good luck and well done to all!  We can’t wait to see the photos start rolling across our Whatsapp chats!  

Running this week.  We’re off on an adventure Monday– along the canal west past Wembley and all the way to Greenford (9.6 miles).  The stretch past Wembley is very rural in parts, and you will actually feel like you’ve left London behind. This is an excellent training run with no traffic lights, so we’ll get the chance to do some continuous running.  Watch your pace – don’t be tempted to go too fast!  Remember long, slow runs are the best way to build fuel. This is also a good route to try out your gels (see training note below).  We haven’t run this one in a few years, so we are hoping the photos of the exit and the steps in the Routes section below will still be recognizable!  The important thing is to look for the numbers on the bridges, we’re exiting at bridge number 15 – NOT 15a– don’t be fooled.  Full directions are, of course, in the Routes section below, and we tube home from Greenford (it’s on the Central line).  
If you don’t have time for the Greenford jaunt and return trip, you could reprise any of the longer loops we’ve run (Battersea to Big Ben, perhaps?).  We have 7 weeks until race day, and our training calendar does have another 9, 10, and 11-miler scheduled.  Also, if you ran the 10k today (Sunday), you might want to flip your long run day to Wednesday, and do either an easy shakeout on Monday (maybe the bonus route we’ve also included below) or take the day off.  

After going that far afield on Monday, we’ll stick to Hyde Park on Wednesday for our old favorites– the Tempo Triangles (full directions in Routes section below).  These are another form of Fartleks, which is training-geek-speak for “periods of fast running intermixed with periods of slower running” and translates from Swedish as “speed play!”  So don’t forget to have fun with these!  Use the slow jog recoveries as a chance to regroup with your pace group, who will have spread out during the fast interval.  Give lots of high fives and encouragement, and practice your finish line smile and ‘victory arms’ on the last one!  If you’re not doing tempo work, it’s easy to adapt this one, just run to Hyde Park with your group, do a loop in the park, and either meet them near the silver sphere at the end of the tempo work, or back in St Johns Wood for coffee.  And finally, Friday is Runners’ Choice in Hampstead Heath.  Huddle up with your pace group and pick your favorite route before heading off on February break.  

Training note.  Another thing to think about as we continue with the long runs is what type of fuelling you’ll use during the race. This is different for each runner, but most of us will use some kind of gel or chew during a half marathon.  The rule of thumb passed on by WRW founder, Paula Mitchell, is that after about 80-90 minutes of running you’ll have used up your natural fuel sources and you’ll need to top up the tank with something. That’s based on the type of running most of us are doing– if someone is running a marathon at a 6 min/mile pace, their fueling needs will be different!  For most of us, taking a sports gels or some sports gummies or beans at around the 7- or 8-mile mark is the simplest place to start.  If needed you can take a second one 35-45 minutes later, but don’t be tempted to take one any sooner than that!  If you’ve never used these before it is crucial that you try it out during some of our long training runs to make sure they don’t upset your stomach.  Some people prefer gels (GU, Huma, SIS, Clif), which have a consistency of jelly or frosting; and some people prefer blocks or chews (Clif bloks, Jelly Belly Sports Beans), which are similar in consistency to a gummy bear or jelly bean. You can find a selection in most running stores and, of course, online.  Talk with other runners in the group if you need suggestions (and sometimes it’s a good idea to split an order online rather than everyone having to buy a case of them).  Dates are also a good natural alternative, though they can be a little messier to carry.  Again, talk to other runners in the group for suggestions.

Shoutouts and Announcements.  As mentioned, a big shoutout to those toeing the line for the London Winter Run 10k this morning!  I hope you are having a fabulous time and a great run!  Pre-race photos have begun to filter in, but I know there will be more to come with medals and big smiles!  Further afield today, Rebeca Ernrooth is running a marathon relay in Greensboro, NC– so a shoutout to her, as well!
Next week (Feb. 21-27) we will take a recovery week (aka, ASL February Break).  There will be no e-mail and no official routes.  Our training schedule includes a few shorter runs if possible during the week (a 6-mile Monday, and another 4 and 4-6 miles).  It’s great if you can get these, or any running in, but don’t worry too much if you can’t– when you get back to London your body will be wanting to run!  And at that point we will have five weeks of training to get ourselves primed for the Berlin Half.  Another event to look forward to in that timeframe is a fun, new social event organised by Morgan Lintz– pub quiz night for WRW (Big Thanks, Morgan!!)! 

Mark your calendars for these events you won’t want to miss:
Monday, March 7 – Canada Water (10 miles)
Wednesday, March 9 – WRW Pub Quiz at the Warrington!! (details to follow)
Monday, March 21 – Kew Gardens (11 miles)
Wednesday, March 23 – pre-race Coffee after run

That’s it for today, runners.  Happy “Galentine’s Day” to all of you!  (I googled it, and it’s not just a Parks and Rec episode anymore– Cosmo calls it “the only good fake holiday on the calendar”)!  It’s meant to be a February 13th celebration of friendship in all its forms, so I’ll celebrate all of you today!  And whether in observance of Galentine’s or Valentine’s… check out the little gift we’re including at the very end of this e-mail:  the Heart London run created by alum and route creator extraordinaire, Janelle Meyer– just in case you want to let your feet do the talking!  Looking forward to seeing you all out on the pavements this week!
xx. Micki

ROUTES

Monday 14 February – Greenford (9.6 miles)
RunGo:  https://routes.rungoapp.com/route/xkmeg978iC
We start out the regular way to get on the canal path at Maida Vale heading west. We’ll then run along the canal for about 8 more miles until we exit the canal at Oldfield Lane which is the next exit after Greenford Road.  We’re looking for the following bridge which is pretty plain but does have a small black “15” in the center.  

Just underneath the bridge there are steps leading up to The Black Horse Pub.

At the top of the steps turn right and run along Oldfield Lane which is a fairly industrial area until you reach the Greenford Station on the right just under the railway bridge.  Tube home via the Central Line.  If you want to stop for coffee, food or the bathroom, there is a little place with the great name of the Friendly Cafe just past the station on the left.  (If you want fancy coffee, turn left at the railway bridge instead of going under, and follow the road until the next intersection where there is a mall with a Costa Coffee.)  Note that after Covid and our 4-year hiatus from this route, there is no guarantee these coffee places are still there!  But we have faith in our collective ability to find coffee and restrooms!

Wednesday 16 February – Hyde Park Tempo Triangles (fartleks)
RunGo:  https://routes.rungoapp.com/route/yMDh08Ketw
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 (approx 0.5-mile interval). 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 (approx 0.8-mile interval). 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 (approx 0.45-mile interval). Jog very slowly back to SJW or, even 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 run back to SJW it is about 6.5 miles).

Friday 18 February – Heath – runner’s choice
It’s Friday so up the hill we go!  Hills are a great way to build strength and stamina.  If you haven’t done them in a while (or ever!), just take it slow.  It’s a great feeling to make it up to the top!

<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+ miles:  The partial Heath route OR the Reverse Heath route OR Pergola route
7.5 miles: The Highgate route
8 miles:  The full Heath route
Click here for maps of all of the Heath routes.

**AND FINALLY…one last bonus for Valentine’s Day…  Alumnae and former Routes Team member Janelle Meyer left us this lovely Heart London run.  If your running schedule is out of sync because of Sunday’s race, this might be a good alternative run, and a nice way to send love to all those connected to you on Strava or other run trackers!
Heart London – 6.2 miles
RunGo: https://routes.rungoapp.com/route/6sUSs0e3AI

Hello Runners!
What a joy to run with you all this week!  Even though it was cold, it was so much fun to get back to our classic Canary Wharf route, and to see so many of our newer runners experiencing it for the first time.  Extra kudos to the groups who had to creatively manage their schedules to get the trip in on Wednesday.  The Primrose Hillzzz were just as much fun as always, as we all circled the hills together.  And finally, oh my goodness, what a fantastic ‘bonding’ experience for all those runners who made it to Borough Market through a very soggy Friday!  
Running this Week.  This week we’ll step down our Monday mileage just a bit with an 8-mile trip through Holland Park to Green Park.  This is a really great route, but do be careful those first two miles on the canal if, as expected, it rains today and is near freezing tomorrow morning.  An easy alternative route we’ve used in the past if necessary on icy days is the full 8-mile Hyde Park route.  On Wednesday we will continue mixing in a weekly tempo session.  The route follows the Regents Park Outer Circle, with a two-mile segment at faster than our race pace.  See the Routes writeup below to calculate your target pace and get the landmarks for your start and stop points (and don’t forget to cool down with an easy jog!).  If you are not doing speed training (no worries!), just do the route at regular pace, or even add a trip around the Inner Circle when you get to York Gate.  And Friday we have a changed-up Heath route, through Golders Hill, into the Pergola, and back out to finish with the regular route through and back from the Heath.  Check in with your Whatsapp group for alternate times if the ASL Parent Teacher conferences mean a change in your running schedule.

Looking ahead/training notes.  A reminder that next Sunday, February 13 is the Cancer UK London Winter Run 10k.  I know that many runners are planning to participate, so look to your Whatsapp chats if you’d like to connect with a group, or reach out to your pace group leader (or here) to help you connect.  There are still spaces in the race if you want to join in!  A note from some who have registered and already been through the event notes– there will not be water available on the course.  So do bring your own hydration if you are running it.
We have some great runs planned for the next few months.  Some of our favorite race-prep destination runs take a little more time out of our days, so mark your calendar for these (slightly epic) WRW pilgrimmages:

Monday, February 14 – Greenford (9.75 miles)*
Monday, March 7 – Canada Water (10 miles)
Monday, March 21 – Kew Gardens (11 miles)
* optional swap of Monday/Wednesday runs the week of Feb 14 for those running the Winter Run 10k on Sunday

If you are running the Berlin Half at the beginning of April, or another race anytime soon, this is a good time to start thinking about your personal goals for the race.  Do you want to run it comfortably and finish feeling strong?  Do you want to hit a personal best or a target time?  Are you planning to run with a friend, or alone?  Your answers will affect how you think about your remaining weeks of training.  For example, if you are going for a personal best, you’ll want to keep up with all the tempo training.  If you are thinking of running with a friend, you will want to begin to talk together about goals, pace, and how you will respond if one or the other of you is feeling stronger on race day.  Please keep in mind as you think about these points, that all of us within the group– even within a pace group– may not be on the same page about goals, pace, and where running fits in our lives.  The beauty of WRW is the way we support each other every time we lace up our shoes– no matter our running experience, speed, or plans.  
And… speaking of lacing up shoes, think about the timing on replacing your running shoes, and any other essential gear, between now and the race.  The rule is ‘nothing new on race day’ so be sure to plan ahead!  
Okay, somehow I always end up saying more than I meant to.  If you’re still reading, thanks, as always, for bearing with me to the end!  Have a wonderful Sunday, and I will see you in SJW Church Gardens in the morning for another great run together.
xx Micki

ROUTES

Monday 7 February – Holland Park to Green Park (8 miles)
RunGo: https://routes.rungoapp.com/route/uKxwpqhOoZ
We start out the same as our traditional Notting Hill Route: Circus Rd to Grove End, to St Johns Wood Rd to Cunningham, to Blomfield to the Canal, going west past the Westway to Ladbroke Grove. Once on Ladbroke Grove, run south all the way until it ends at Holland Park Avenue. Cross Holland Park Avenue, take a right and then a left on Holland Walk, just past Aubrey Road. Holland Walk is a pedestrian way. Run up Holland Walk until the first entrance into Holland Park on your right, opposite the Duchess of Bedford Walk. Run into the park and then turn left on the Broad Walk which goes the length of Holland Park. Just before it ends at Kensington High Street take a left onto the quiet Phillimore Walk. Follow Phillimore Walk, which runs parallel to Kensington High Street, until you reach Hornton Street, where we take a right and then a left onto Kensington High Street. Continue on until you reach Kensington Gardens, where you enter it at the junction with the Broad Walk, just before Palace Gate Road. Take the Broad Walk to the first path on the right which turns into South Carriage Drive. You’ll run past The Albert Memorial and cross West Carriage Drive at the light. Continue on South Carriage Drive all the way to Apsley House/Hyde Park Corner. Cross over Piccadilly and run under Wellington Arch, then cross at the light to run along the path to the left of Constitution Hill, the same route we take in going to Big Ben. At the Mall, turn left to run to the easternmost path of Green Park, turn left and run by Lancaster House and up to Green Park Tube. After some striders, you can hop on the tube, or head across Piccadilly for Starbucks or Joe and the Juice in Berkeley Street.

Wednesday 9 February – Regents tempo run – 1+ mile warmup; 2 mile tempo run at sub race pace; 1 mile cool down
Head to the outer circle of Regent’s Park, taking the normal way to the Charlbert entrance. Turn right to pass the US Ambassador’s house (Winfield House) and continue past the mosque to York Bridge (this is where we sometimes turn left to run the inner circle). At this point pick up your pace, as the “tempo” part of the run begins (see guidance below). Stay on the Outer Circle and keep a sub-race pace back to the Charlbert entrance area (push yourself just past it to the second driveway of the Ambassador’s house for the full 2 miles). Ease into the wide entrance area and have a little recovery jog until your group is all gathered again. Consider a nice and easy cool-down just inside the park, then take an easy pace back to the St Johns Wood High Street for stretching, followed by coffee. 

Note that the tempo part of this run should be sub-race pace. Remember this is 2 miles, not 13, so it should be faster than race pace.  Everyone should be aiming for about 30 seconds faster than your race pace. If you are not sure of your race pace, this might be an opportunity to begin to gauge it. Below are suggested times, but these are just general guidelines. Please adjust if these are too fast or too slow!
For the 8’s – 7:45-8:00 per mile
For the 9’s – 8:45 per mile
For the 10’s – 9:55 per mile
For the 11’s – 10:55 per mile
For the 12s – 11:55 per mile

Friday 11 February – Heath Golders Loop – 7 miles
We’re exploring another part of the heath today! Head up Fitzjohn’s as usual BUT cross the road at the pedestrian crossing (opposite Oriel Place on the right and before the Tesco on the left) and backtrack a bit to turn into Church Row. Follow Church Row all the way until Frognal where we turn right and then quickly make a left onto Redington Road. Follow Redington Road as it curves around to the right until reaching the T junction with West Heath Road, where we turn left. Cross West Heath Road at the zebra crossing, continue left until you make a right onto a wide dirt path. There are many options of looping the whole park and seeing the zoo or the deer enclosure but for now we will cut straight through the woods, crossing a few paths, almost to the other side. Take a sharp right near the edge of the wooded area and some buildings. After the path curves to the right, take the first left and head uphill towards the pergola which will be on our right. We run out Inverforth Close, head right on N End Way back up to the roundabout where we cross to enter the heath at the usual Friday entrance. Run down the main path towards Parliament Hill but bear right at the bottom past the ponds and out to Downshire Hill. At the end of Downshire Hill, turn left down Rosslyn Hill and right on Belsize Ave to head back to St John’s Wood the usual way.

Hello Runners!
What a great job everyone did this week!  Each of our official routes had an element of challenge to it– navigating something new, running hard on the track, or taking an extra hill.  That deserves a big ‘well done!’ at the very least!  And no matter which routes any of us ran, bravo to us all for being out there (in the cold, again!) putting in the miles and enjoying our time together.  What an incredible group of women!
Running this week.  Monday we will do a 9-mile route that runs down through Hyde Park and Sloane Square, then on across the Thames for a scenic lap around Battersea Park before crossing back over the river and running along it to Big Ben.  If you are not quite up to 9 miles, you could route yourself to the Pimlico underground station, which would give you about 8 miles, or you could shorten or skip the loop of Battersea Park.  (As you can see in the schedule below, we have another 9-mile run in the queue for next Monday, so you will get another chance soon!).  Wednesday we go back to interval training, with the pyramids in Regents Park.  See the description in the Routes section below for full instructions.  If you are feeling strong, feel free to add in another 3-minute interval at the top of the pyramid.  And finally, Friday we head back up the hill to the Pergola for 6.3 miles.

REMINDER!!!! WRW Kit Distribution and Collection is this TUESDAY.  We are so excited for the big annual shirt/race hat reveal!  If you ordered 2021-22 WRW kit items last fall or you are signed up for the Berlin Half Marathon, you received an e-mail this week with details for pickup and payment day.  Please read the e-mail closely and plan to come to the pickup location at the appointed time.  And if you have any questions, do let us know!

Shoutouts and Announcements.  The ballot opens Tuesday (January 25) for entry into the Royal Parks Half Marathon to be run on October 9.  Though it can be hard to get a spot in this one, many of our runners have run this ‘home course’ through all the parks we regularly run in, and the race always gets rave reviews.  You can also still register for the Cancer Research UK London Winter Run 10k to be run Sunday, February 13.  A WRW alum reached out this week with a connection to the Michael J. Fox Foundation, which has some spots available (with fundraising requirement) for the London Marathon on October 2, 2022.  See here for the application information.  Last but not least, Kitmaster Marissa O’Malia has come through for us again with Lululemon extending us a 20% discount for this weekend in the Marylebone store (and possibly online).  If you didn’t see the coupon, check your pace group whatsapp chat again, or reach out to one of your pace group leaders for the code and coupon.
This week we’re sending a shoutout to someone nominated by her pace group friends for some extra grit in getting her training done… kudos to Tanya Sinha, who has been training for the last month in India, with some of her runs having to be around and around (and around) the garden because of local Covid restrictions.  Way to keep it going, Tanya!  We’ve also had Miki Neant and Kelly Willis continuing to race with their Surrey League XC team last weekend.  And a group of 10s– Clare Missin, Clementine Drackett, Katie Zolnierz and Abby Khatiblou– ran their first independent half marathon of the year last Sunday.  I’m very sure I’m missing kudos for some noteworthy runs; but as always, please let us know if you or someone you run with deserves a shoutout– for any reason!  

Training Notes.  Last week we gave you links to Paula’s advice on slowing down for your long run (easier said than done sometimes, but it’s really, really true!)  Just to reinforce all of that, here is a training pace calculator from running coach Luke Humphrey.  (Our usual go-to calculator from Runners’ World seems to have been taken offline– for those of you accustomed to that one).  If you put in a past race time (5k, 10k, half or full marathon) or the time you would like to run in our half marathon, it will calculate the optimal pace range for various types of training runs.  For our training plan, the most important one is the long run, and I will be the first to admit that I don’t slow down as much as advised on these long runs– which may also be true for many of us.  But the point of sharing this is not to prescribe what pace anyone should run, but just to emphasize that we are, indeed, meant to slow down for our long runs.  In addition to the physical aspects of building up mitochondria to improve our body’s ability to fuel for endurance, one nice psychological benefit of slowing down is that it also takes some of the ‘scary’ factor out of longer runs for those who are training for their first half or who haven’t done a lot of long runs yet.  As long as we are not fighting off injuries or other complications, we can do more than we might think we can if we just slow down!

Save the Date.  Whether you are planning to run the half or not, we have some great runs planned for the next few months.  Here are some upcoming dates for your calendar:
Tuesday, January 25 – WRW Kit pickup and collection for kit and Berlin trip
Monday, January 31 – Canary Wharf (9 miles)
Sunday, February 13 – London Winter Run 10k
Monday, February 14 – Greenford (9.75 miles)*
Monday, March 7 – Canada Water (10 miles)
Monday, March 21 – Kew Gardens (11 miles)
* optional swap of Monday/Wednesday runs the week of Feb 14 for those running the Winter Run 10k on Sunday

Can’t wait to see you out running this week, as well as at race and kit pickup/payment on Tuesday!  Keep getting out there– nothing chases away the January doldrums like a nice run with friends!  Enjoy the rest of your weekend.
xx  Micki

ROUTES
Monday 24 January – Battersea Park to Big Ben (9 miles)RunGo:  https://routes.rungoapp.com/route/eZjBUWocao
Let’s keep that race training going!  This route is a mash up of a few runs and includes a loop of Battersea Park.

Start out from the church gardens to Hyde Park, along the eastern edge of the park, and down to Sloane Street the usual way.  Continue through Sloane Square and down Chelsea Bridge Road, and over the Chelsea Bridge to the south bank of the Thames.  Turn right into Battersea Park and run along the outer perimeter of the park.  The park paths will meander some but that’s the fun of running in a park!  Once you make your way around the park and back to the Thames, run along the river path back to the Chelsea Bridge.  For the final part of the run head back over the bridge and run along the north side of the Thames along the Embankment all the way to Big Ben and the Westminster Tube Station. 

Wednesday 26 January – Regents Pyramids interval training

Continuing our tempo/interval training, this week we will do ‘pyramids’—they are fast but also fast to be done with so give them a try!

Head over to Regents Park, the normal way.  Enter the Park at the Charlbert Entrance and veer to the left path.  When you reach the first intersection with the other sidewalk (or when you feel properly warmed up– take more time if you need it!), 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; and then start back down the pyramid, running hard for 2 minutes, recovering for 3 minutes and finally running hard for 1 minute, and recovering for 3 minutes before doing an easy cool down in the park and back to the High Street.  If you are feeling strong, consider adding in a second 3-minute hard run and 3-minute recovery at the top of the pyramid!

The ‘pyramid’ 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

Please use the recovery time to circle up and reconnect with your pace group, as everyone will do the hard run at different paces.  This kind of workout is much more fun if done as a group, and it can be demoralizing to those at the back of the group if they are trying to catch up to the rest of the group during the recovery time.  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 done within the park so you don’t have to contend with street crossings or driveway entrances, and the workout is about progressing up and back down through the intervals rather than about the actual route– so just keep looping in the park however you see fit until the intervals are done and you’ve gotten a good cool-down run.

Friday 28 January – Heath Pergola (6.3 miles)RunGo link:  https://routes.rungoapp.com/route/soXpd8ec3K/edit

Head out to Avenue Road, then up Fitzjohn’s per all the Heath routes.  Continue past Hampstead Tube Station all the way to the roundabout just beyond Whitestone Pond. At the roundabout, use the pedestrian crossings to cross counterclockwise over to New End Way to Jack Straws Castle (now a personal training gym) and continue past the parking lot entrance and past the bus stop to turn left onto a small street called Inverforth Close. A short way down, there is a trail to the right with a green barrier gate and a sign that says “The Hill Garden.”
Follow this trail until you come to an entrance on the left for “The Hill Garden and Pergola”, enter it and go to the right around the big bushes. You will see a beautiful reflecting pool. Run alongside it and up the stairs-you are on the Pergola! Run or walk the length of the Pergola.  Don’t forget to look at the beautiful views, admire the flowers and take a pic or two. Please be considerate and don’t run if others are walking the Pergola. When you have finished with your Pergola time and reached the far end, take the stairs down and turn left to run on the wide trail back to New End Road, turning right to run by Jack Straws Castle and crossing left at the pedestrian crosswalks by the roundabout to put you back on the standard Heath route. Turn left from the crosswalk and then right to enter the Heath. Run the wide path as usual but don’t turn left to run up Parliament Hill. Instead, veer right at that juncture and follow the trail across the ponds. After the ponds, the trail veers left and shortly after there is an opportunity to take a right turn on the intersecting trail that heads towards E. Heath Rd (taking you next to the fields used for the Art Fair, parking etc at different times of the year). Cross E. Heath Rd at the pedestrian crossing, then run on Downshire Hill Rd to Haverstock Hill Rd. Turn Left on Haverstock Hill, running home the usual way (turn right on Belsize Ave, left on Lancaster Grove, right on Crossfield, right on Adamson, then cut through the Swiss Cottage public area by the Hampstead Theatre, turning onto Fitzjohns to St Johns Wood Park Rd to St Johns Wood Terrace and then to Starbucks).