Hello Runners!
A great big welcome back to everyone– or if you’re new to London or to WRW, a very warm WELCOME!  I’m so excited to see you all, and meet some new runners as well, in just a few days!

Our first official run of the year will be this Wednesday, August 28, at 8:15am, meeting in the courtyard next to Barclay’s Bank (corner of Wellington and Circus Roads in St John’s Wood).  Right now it looks like it will be a gorgeous day, but we run rain or shine.  For those new to the group, please don’t be overwhelmed by the numbers (or the volume) with so many of us getting back together for the first time all summer– we’re a very friendly group and we’re thrilled that you are joining us!  I will wear my bright orange hat on Wednesday so you can’t miss me– please come say hello if it’s your first day!

In the next few weeks these emails will cover a lot of information, but I think there’s no better way to start than with these basic reminders:

Take care of yourself.  You deserve it!  Stretch.  Don’t go too fast or too far, too early.  Get sleep.  Make sure your running shoes are working for you.  If you have a question, ask the women you are running with– they have loads of general knowledge about everything from art galleries to zip cards!  And if you are injured, we can steer you toward an expert for help.

Take care of each other.  This is what makes our group so great!  Welcome the new runners and ex-beginners (remember how nice it was when someone welcomed you!) . As always, be encouraging and supportive of the women around you.  Notice if someone is having a hard time– an encouraging word or a distracting conversation can really help!  Make sure no one gets left behind at a traffic light or in unfamiliar territory.
Remember that WRW is really just a group of friends who like to run together. We have a lot of experienced runners in the group, but we are not professionals. We can offer general wisdom about training (stretch! be gradual in increasing your mileage! slow down on the long runs! and… stretch!).  But it’s crucial that if something is bothering you, little or big, you should seek out professional advice from an expert. Or if you are new to running or new to running longer distances, you may want to see an expert to make sure you are healthy and OK to tackle this challenge.

Running this week.  Wednesday we will keep it simple and do a loop in Regents Park (see below for maps/directions)– so no worrying about directions or traffic lights, and it’s close enough to home that it’s easy to cut it short or walk a bit if need be.  We’ll see you at Starbucks for a post-run coffee!  Friday we’ll jump right in to head up the hill to Hampstead– there are lots of options on distance, see the map below for links to the hill route details on the website.  If you’re not quite ready for a hill run, there will likely be others doing a flat route, so just ask around when we meet up at Barclay’s.

Easing back into running.  If you’ve taken some time off this summer, you’ll be in good company– there will be plenty of us working our way back into running.  But there will also be some women who are training for fall races or have been racing over the summer, so don’t be tempted into running further and faster than you are ready to!  Our route-masters have given us routes with flexibility on distance.  The important thing is just to get started with the group now, while we’re all getting back into it together.  Your legs and lungs will come back quickly, but the longer you wait, the more difficult it will be.  Even though the start of the school year can be very busy, you’ll be glad you took a little time for yourself!  

If you are recovering from an injury or returning to running after a very long time, we are pleased to say that Tamar Brooks will be leading a Ramp Up group again this fall for all paces.  Ask anyone at Barclays– or wait for the “bench stand” announcement (that’s me, standing on a park bench) to help you immediately connect with this group.  Otherwise, we tend to be pretty flexible about pace groups for the first few weeks each year, but we will start to fall into groups fairly soon.  In the meantime, please look out for the new runners who may need help finding the right group– and for those new to the group, just ask anyone and they will either have an answer, or point you to someone who does!  Watch this space over the next few weeks for more information on pace groups, and for introductions of the amazing people who keep WRW running.  

Tuesday – Thursday Beginner Group.  The first day for the 2019-2020 Beginner group will be this Thursday 29 August. Our beginner group is for true beginners, women who have never run before.  The program starts out with one-minute intervals at a very slow jog, so is not appropriate for anyone who is able to run even a mile or two.  Please help us spread the word about our beginner group– it’s really helpful if beginners can find their way to us sooner rather than later!  ASL’s SCOOP event, which is how many new families find out about WRW, is not until September 7 this year, so if you know (or meet!) anyone who is interested in the beginner group, have them email us at [email protected].  Amy Grace and her fantastic lineup of coaches are all set to give another lucky group of brave beginners a fun and life-changing experience! 

Shoutouts and Announcements.  It’s a little early to have anything to shout out about, but I have to send out kudos to a group of WRW runners and alums who ran the San Francisco Half Marathon at the end of July!  Huge congratulations to these ladies for the race, as well as for their strong finishes (which an inside source– not one of them– kindly shared with me).  We are so proud!
Bjorg Fridbjornsdottir (2nd in age group, 1st in age year)
Shan Mercer (6th in age year)
Carmine Najjar (3rd in age year)
Kathy McMahon (4th in age year)
Maureen Fossum (8th in age year– finished with Mee)
Mee Lee (8th in age year– finished with Maureen!)
Poornima Guruprasad (16th in age year)
Alysia Hoyt (8th in age year)

Enjoy the holiday weekend everyone, and thanks for bearing with me through a long first e-mail.  Can’t wait to see you all and start another year of running adventures with you!  It’s going to be a great year!!

xx Micki

ROUTES

Wednesday, 28 August – Regent’s Park Inner/Outer Circle (5 miles)

From Barclay’s head down Wellington Road to the traffic circle at Lord’s Cricket Ground and bear 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 Outer Circle 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 Barclay’s for a stretch before heading to Starbucks.Note – you can make this a 4 mile run by cutting out the inner loop.

Friday, 30 August – The Heath
Come on, you know you can’t wait to get back up that hill!  There are multiple mileage options below, and the link will take you to all the maps. 
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.

Good morning, runners!

How can the end of the school year have come so quickly??  Congratulations to all the proud moms/relatives/friends of Seniors who graduated from ASL yesterday!  I hope you had wonderful celebrations surrounded by family and friends!  And congratulations and well wishes to ALL of you marking end-of-year milestones this month– whether kindergarten or university, and whether for a child, another loved one, or for yourself (yes, some of us have been working hard back in school between runs!).  We should all be so proud of each other, and of all we accomplish, and all we help others to accomplish!

Running this week.  We only have two official runs this week:  Monday to Big Ben and Wednesday to Regents Park.  We’ve kept it familiar and fairly local to help out with busy schedules this week.  Route maps and descriptions are below as always, and of course, if you’re out for a run on Wednesday, you might want to take a turn into the gardens and see what kind of gorgeous is happening there. 

Summer running.  Friday begins our summer schedule– the default is to meet at Barclays at 8:30 and plan a route with whoever else turns up.  But as you’re all well aware, WhatsApp has changed our running lives, so if you haven’t already, I would encourage you to join the Summer Running WhatsApp group to help keep you in the loop on who’s running where and when in London this summer.  Here’s the link to join:  xx .  And wherever you find yourself this summer, I hope you will find a way to fit running into your life in whatever way makes you happy!  But don’t worry– we always have people who come back in the fall at every fitness level, and there will be time to ramp up if running was not part of your summer plan, or if things didn’t go to plan!

Shout-outs and Announcements.  While people are pretty busy with other things this time of year, I do know that Kate Ballbach and her running-inclined family ran a variety of races (10k to half-marathon) at Dorney Lake this weekend.  Well done, Kate and family!  And I do apologise if there are others I’m not aware of– always so happy to give a shout out to any women running the world, so keep us posted!

Beginner Running Group, 2019-2020!!  Please let us know ([email protected]) if you hear of anyone who would like to join the Beginner’s class of 2020.  As anyone who has been through this program knows, it can be an amazing, life-changing experience!  Just a reminder that the program is for people who have truly never been runners before.  It starts out with one-minute intervals at a very slow jog, so is not appropriate for anyone who is able to run even a mile or two.  Our regular M-W-F group can help people who have been runners before ramp up and return to running.  We’ll be working on organising our groups over the summer, and will hopefully ‘hit the ground running’ in August/September.

Well, dear runners, this is a wrap for the 2018-2019 year.  This will be the last e-mail until August– our first official run for next season will be August 28.  While it makes me sad to say goodbye for the summer, I can’t wait to hear about everyone’s summer adventures come August.  And to those moving on to a new chapter, our very fondest and best wishes go with you.  We will always have a connection, and the more we scatter around the globe, the more true our name becomes– we are Women Running the World.  Love to all of you…

xx Micki

ROUTES

Monday 10 June – Big Ben (4 miles)One last run down to our favourite, if completely hidden, landmark before we head out for the summer. We head to Hyde Park via the usual route: 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. Run along the eastern edge of the park to Hyde Park Corner, under Wellington Arch and down Constitution Hill. Run along the edge of Green Park, past the Victoria Memorial and cross The Mall at the traffic light. Run down The Mall and enter St. James Park. Run over the bridge across the lake and out of the park, turning left onto Birdcage Walk and down into Parliament Square to Big Ben. Those running four miles will take the tube back to SJW from here. To keep the good times going, you can also make it about a five mile run by turning back at Big Ben and running back through St James Park to the Green Park Tube Station, then tubing it home.

Wednesday, 12 June – Regent’s Park Inner/Outer Circle (5 miles)
We know people want to get back to get ready for the kids to get out of school so we are keeping it close to home for our final official run.
From Barclay’s head down Wellington Road to the traffic circle at Lord’s Cricket Ground and bear left onto Prince Albert Road. Run to the pedestrian crossing where we will cross and head to the OuterCircle. Turn right and run on the inside of the circle past Winfield House which will be on your left. Continue around the Outer Circle 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 Barclay’s for a stretch before heading to Starbucks.

Friday 14 June – The HeathSchool is officially out, but that won’t stop us from running up that hill (Kate Bush anyone??).

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.

Happy weekend, Runners!

It’s hard to believe it’s the second May Bank Holiday weekend, and we’re just a couple of weeks from summer break.  This past week was full of highlights, though, with lots of sunshine, and great destinations inside and outside of London: the Chelsea in Bloom displays, the iconic Sights of London run, and fun destinations planned by various pace groups (10’s to Brighton, 8’s to Dover– see stunning photos on WRW Facebook page!).  Once again, thanks to Tamar Brooks for lending us her talents and time– her gorgeous photos from last Wednesday’s Sights of London run can be viewed here: https://www.icloud.com/sharedalbum/#B0aG6Mn9863FCU .  And a big thank you as well to Magali Kivatinetz for planning our Leavers’ Coffee at The Gate– I think everyone really enjoyed the new venue (even though we hate to say goodbye to our friends who are moving on).  

Running this week.  Monday is the bank holiday, so there is no official route planned.  Meet up at Barclays at 8:30, or set up a meeting time/place via your WhatsApp groups.  Wednesday we are planning the Notting Hill route, which starts out along the canal running west, before looping through Notting Hill and Paddington and back to St Johns Wood.  And Friday, we will head to Borough Market!  Note that this is a change from the planned adventure run… we’ve decided that it’s just a bit too much for everyone to take the extra time both to prepare and to run the new route in these last couple weeks of running.  We will trial run the route over the summer and maybe schedule it for the fall.  In the meantime, it’s always a pleasure to run to Borough Market, right?  Maps and directions for Wednesday and Friday can be found below.

Spring Kit Pickup!  The special order of WRW kit– the tanks and half-zips we ordered around the time of spring break– have arrived!  Pickup will be Thursday morning from 8:15 to 10:00 at Marissa O’Malia’s house.  Please plan to pick up and pay for your kit at this time!  If you are unable to make it at that time, please make arrangements with a friend to help you out (it’s way too busy this time of year to have to chase people down for their items!).  Pricing will be as in the winter order, £25 for tanks and £50 for half-zips.  Unfortunately, the ever-elusive black hats did not ship.  We will leave the order in place and notify those who ordered when they do arrive (but it may not be until the fall).  Another enormous thanks– to Carol Bertolino and Marissa O’Malia for making this happen.  We truly appreciate it, ladies!  (And special thanks to Carol’s husband and ‘friend of WRW,’ Mike Bertolino, who went out of his way to get the kit to us– and who you may also remember as our ‘Italian Barista- extraordinaire’ from race kit distribution day!)

Shout-outs and Announcements.  Congratulations to all the ladies who ran the Hackney Half last weekend!  I’m so sorry that I missed two of our runners in my shout-outs last weekend:  Sharon Lemberger and Katherine Greig!  Great job, ladies!  And kudos again to Julie Bataille, Laura Beal, Meredith Snizek, and Maureen Scheckel.  Great race representation for WRW, and another highly successful cheering outing for the pink hats, as well!  WRW alum Rekha Kumar will be running her first marathon next Saturday, June 1 in Singapore!  Good luck, Rekha!!

If you would like to be included on the Summer Running WhatsApp group, please follow this link to join:    .  The group can be used to informally coordinate meet-ups and running plans in London for whoever is in town during the summer months.

Beginner Running Group, 2019-2020!!  Please let us know ([email protected]) if you hear of anyone who would like to join the Beginner’s class of 2020.  As anyone who has been through this program knows, it can be an amazing, life-changing experience!  Just a reminder that the program is for people who have truly never been runners before.  It starts out with one-minute intervals at a very slow jog, so is not appropriate for anyone who is able to run even a mile or two.  Our regular M-W-F group can help people who have been runners before ramp up and return to running.  We’ll be working on organising our groups over the summer, and will hopefully ‘hit the ground running’ in August/September.
Have a wonderful long weekend, everyone!  I know it’s such a busy time of year, but I hope you get the chance to squeeze in at least a few more runs over the next few weeks!  It’s a glorious time to be running in our city, and these last few weeks together are really the sweet spot in our year– enjoying the friendships and the joy of running together after our year of training.  See you out there!
xx Micki 

ROUTESMonday 27 May – BANK HOLIDAY
For anyone in town, meet at Barclays at 8:30 and plan a fun route on your own.

Wednesday 29 May – Notting Hill – 6 miles
Start out heading west on Circus Road, turn left on Grove End to St John’s Wood Road and go west, turning left on Cunningham then right on Aberdeen to work your way to Blomfield Rd.  Run along the sidewalk all the way down Blomfield to and across the Westbourne Terrace bridge.Turn right after the bridge, follow the sidewalk along Delamere Terrace, and join the canal path heading west at this point.  Run to the Ladbroke Grove exit then run down Ladbroke Grove to Elgin Crescent and make a left. Cross Portobello Road and continue on what is now Colville Terrace until it meets Ledbury Road where we turn right and then left at Westbourne Grove. Run down Westbourne Grove to the top of Bishop’s Bridge, then left down the steps into Sheldon Square (across from the Paddington Station entrance). Stay along the canal to where you entered, then run back on Blomfield to SJW and Starbucks. 

Friday 31 May – Borough Market – 6 miles
Let’s mix it up with a destination run to Borough Market, official address 8 Southwark Street SE1 1TL. Grab a coffee at Monmouth or Rabot, and do a little shopping before catching the tube at London Bridge station back to SJW. Don’t forget your Oyster/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!).

—————-

Hello Runners!
Such an eventful running week, with great routes and great sights– it was hard to narrow down the photos.  So I didn’t!  (Except that actually, I really did– there were so many good ones!)

Running this week.  This week, we will start with a Monday run to Sloane Square and beyond for the “Chelsea in Bloom” event, in which shops in the neighbourhood go all out with floral displays during the week of the famous Chelsea Flower Show.  The route is flexible on distance, so you can run anywhere from 3.75 to 7 miles– and you might want to add a loop in the Sloane Square area to see more of the floral displays (see event map).  Wednesday is the annual Sights of London run and Leavers’ Coffee in honour of those runners who are, well, leaving us.  This is a special run– we all more or less stick together (though PLEASE be mindful of other pedestrians and traffic!!), and we stop frequently for big group pictures at some iconic spots along the way.  The total distance is less than 5 miles, and we will stop at least 4 times, so do come out, even if you haven’t run in a while.  We’ll end at Trafalgar Square, then tube back to St Johns Wood for the Leavers’ Coffee at The Gate (formerly Delisserie) at 87 Allitsen Rd (NW8 7AS)– a big thank you to Magali Kivatinetz for organising our breakfast in the new venue!  Even if you can’t join us on the run, please stop by the coffee to wish our leavers all the best on their new adventures.  We should be arriving between 9:45 – 10 am.  And finally, Friday we will run up the hill as usual, but then carry on to Finsbury Park via the Parkland Walk, for the 7-mile run to Happenin’ Bagels.  All maps and directions can be found below, as always.

Shout-outs and Announcements.  The Hackney Half is tomorrow (Sunday) morning beginning at 9am, and we have a few WRW runners representing!  Great good luck to Julie Bataille, Laura Beal, Maureen Scheckel, and Meredith Snizek!  Extremely well done, ladies, to be motivated and disciplined enough to run a half marathon at this busy time of year!  That said, the markers on our Save the Date board are dwindling.  We’re planning one more adventure run, and another old favourite to Brick Lane before the end of the year.  But every running day is a good day– so come out as often as you can!  Also, if you will be in London for any part of the summer and you’d like to be added to a Summer Running WhatsApp group, drop us an e-mail ([email protected]) with your mobile number and we’ll start getting that set up in the next couple of weeks!

SAVE THE DATE
Friday 31 May – NEW Adventure Run – Dollis Hill to Hampstead
Monday 3 June – Brick Lane

Looking forward to seeing you all out on a run, or two or three, this week!  I can’t promise we’ll have the gorgeous, sunny days we had last week, but there will certainly be friendship, laughter, photo opps and coffee– and wait, you had me at ‘friendship’!  Enjoy the rest of your weekend…
xx Micki

ROUTES
Monday 20 May – “Chelsea in Bloom” Sloane Square/Embankment/Westminster-Green Park – 3.75 – 7 miles
The “world class alternative floral art show” Chelsea in Bloom is on this week only, in the streets around Sloane Square, and our route takes us through the heart of the neighbourhood.  Check out this map of the exhibits if you want to take a quick detour or two to see more displays!
Everybody starts out to Hyde Park, taking the usual route: west on Circus Road, left on Grove End, all the way down to Seymour Place to where the road ends. Right on Seymour, across Edgware, left on Stanhope and enter the park. At the silver orb, turn left and run down to the southern edge, following the path to the right before it leaves the Park. Run to the large gated exit (Albert Gate) before the tall ‘One Hyde Park’ complex, cross Knightsbridge and turn right on Knightsbridge, then a left onto Sloane Street after Harvey Nichols. Follow Sloane St until it ends at Sloane Square.

3.75’ers: at Sloane Sq, take the Tube home!

6.33’ers: continue past Sloane Sq down Lower Sloane St/Chelsea Bridge Road to the Thames. Turn left on the Thames side of Grosvenor Rd and run along the embankment to Westminster Tube – you’re done!

7+’ers: continue left on Birdcage Walk, cutting through St James Park to the Mall, then left on the Mall towards Buckingham Palace, crossing before the circle to reach Green Park. Run up to the Green Park Tube on Piccadilly St and head home!

Wednesday 22 May – Sights of London/Leavers Coffee — 4.75 miles
This is a great run!  Even if you haven’t run in a little while – come along!  We run as a (BIG!) group and we wait for everyone at the lights so we can stick together.  (If we get separated we’ll wait for everyone at the photo points.)  The total distance is 4.75 miles and we stop often.
We’ll stop for group pictures at:– Hyde Park Speaker’s Corner– Buckingham Palace– Big Ben– Trafalgar Square

We head to Hyde Park via the usual route. 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’ll stop at Speaker’s Corner for the first picture! Run along the eastern edge of the park to Hyde Park Corner, under Wellington Arch and down Constitution Hill. We’ll stop in front of the gates of Buckingham Palace for the second photo! Run past the Victoria Memorial down the mall and enter 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 for our third photo! Turn left on Whitehall and run to Trafalgar Square for our fourth picture. Then we’ll take the Bakerloo Line from Charing Cross station to Baker Street to switch to the Jubilee and back to SJW.  Our coffee is at The Gate (formerly Delisserie) 87 Allitsen Rd, St John’s Wood, London NW8 7AS

Friday, 24 May – Finsbury Park (Happening Bagel) via Highgate and Parkland Walk – 7 miles

For this run we start up Fitzjohn’s as if we’re going to the Heath, but pass the Heath entrance and continue up Spaniards/Hampstead Lane into Highgate. Turn left down Southwood Lane (the road next to Gail’s) and go down the hill, then veer to the right (not a hard right turn!) onto Jackson’s Lane. Continue down Jackson’s to Archway Road and make a right, then a relatively quick left onto Holmesdale Road. Run a short distance on Holmesdale and the entrance to Parkland Walk will be on your left. Follow the path to Finsbury Park, cross over the train tracks, turn right and run along the western edge of the park and exit onto Seven Sister’s Road. Happening Bagel is across the street, Costa is to the right, and Finsbury Park Station is further down on the right (on the Piccadilly and Victoria tube lines).

Hello Runners!
Welcome to May in London… where our runs might be soaked in summery sunshine, or they might be pelted with icy raindrops and the occasional hailstorm.  Hopefully we’ll move more toward the former in the weeks ahead, but last Wednesday’s run to Covent Garden was sure cold and wet.  Good thing we found a warm place to stop for giant bowls of coffee and blankets!

Running this week.  Monday we are going on an Adventure Run, the ‘Country Run’ from Virginia Water to Windsor.  Meet at SJW tube station at 8:15 if you are joining!  This one requires a commitment– don’t plan to be back before noon– but it should be well worth it if you can spare the time (and right now the weather forecast is looking good).  If you are not able to take the whole morning, meet up as usual at Barclays and there will likely be others to run with.  It would be a great day to run any of our Hyde Park routes.  
For those going on the Adventure Run, please be prompt in meeting at the tube station, as we are trying to make an 8:50 train from Waterloo.  To save time on the way out, a couple of runners will be going to Waterloo early to purchase enough train tickets for everyone running.  The total cost for train travel will be £21.20, and Oyster Cards/contactless will not work on this journey.  (So it would be great if you are able to bring cash– or get it in Windsor– to repay the ticket-purchase team).  If you are joining us from somewhere besides St Johns Wood, please let us know you are coming so we can look out for you and include you in our count.  If you don’t let us know ahead of time you will be joining from elsewhere, please do purchase your own train ticket– one-way to Virginia Water– as we won’t have included you in our final count.  Our return from Windsor into London will be into Paddington station.  Complete directions for the run are included below, along with photos and extra maps.  Sue, Carolyn P. and I will keep an eye on this e-mail address should you need to reach us that morning.  A huge thank you goes to Erin Roth, who created this run and then went out to walk it and take photos so we won’t get lost in the countryside!
Wednesday we will keep it a little more simple, doing the Regents Park Inner and Outer Circle.  (We were early for the roses last time we did this, but it might be worth the detour into the gardens to see how they’ve come along since then?).  Friday we will go up to the Heath again, for more of the gorgeous green and the thrill of the hill!  Alternatively, there is a 9 am rehearsal for the Trooping of the Colour on Friday, so some may prefer to head for a place along the Mall or by Buckingham Palace to try for a preview of the troops on parade.

Announcements and Shout-outs.  We’ve heard of a few runners who will be taking on the Hackney Half next Sunday, May 19th (watch this space for shout-outs next week).  I’m not entirely sure there are still places available, but if you want to try to sign up, the link we were given for discount spots (£55) is  https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/hackney-half-marathon-2019-run-for-team-rsbc-tickets-46799150519 and the code to use is RUNWITHRSBC (Royal Society for Blind Children).

The Sights of London/Leaver’s Coffee will be next Wednesday, May 22.  For those who haven’t done it before, this is a different kind of run.  We try to run more as one group (minding our fellow pedestrians, of course!) to some of London’s iconic sights.  We stop frequently for photos, and we end at a cafe (this year it will be The Gate, a new restaurant on Allitsen Rd, just off the SJW High Street) for one of our WRW coffees and a chance to honour and say goodbye to those who will be leaving London this summer.  Don’t miss it!  (And bring tissues…).

SAVE THE DATE
Wednesday 22 May – Sights of London/Leaver’s Coffee
Friday 31 May – NEW Adventure Run – Dollis Hill to Hampstead
Monday 3 June – Brick Lane

This can be a crazy-busy time of year, but do come out and run whenever you can!  The routes are fun, everyone is relaxed about pace and distance, and we’re all just enjoying each other’s company and this running thing we do together.  It is, in fact, a great time to try running with different people– and a great time to welcome someone new into the fold.  Stay open and welcoming, as always, because you never know who may become your next new running bestie!  Getting out there now is also a great way to make sure we head into the summer in shape and ready to keep running wherever summer plans take us.  It really is a pleasure to run with you all– I can’t wait to see you out there this week!
xx Micki  

ROUTES

Monday 13 May – ADVENTURE ‘COUNTRY RUN’ – Virginia Water to Windsor – 7.4 miles
Travel: SJW Jubilee line to Waterloo (10 minute journey), Waterloo train to Virginia Water (8:50am, 41 minute journey), total outbound travel about 1 hour. Return from Windsor & Eton Central Station to Paddington (30 or 40 minutes journey).
Pricing: tube fare + £21.20 (£10.60 one way to Virginia Water + £10.60 one way from Windsor to Paddington)
Exit the Virginia Water train station and turn right, taking the stairs up to Christchurch Road.

CAREFULLY cross the road and turn left. Stay on Christchurch Road (be sure to take the correct exit off the roundabout at .8 miles) until you come to the T-junction at a traffic light. Turn right and immediately cross the A30 at the traffic light. This is a very busy road so please use caution!! Continue right down the A30 for a very short distance and turn left into the Virginia Water Lake car park, then follow the walkway through the Visitor Centre.

Turn right at the lake on the paved path and follow this paved path along the lake, past a totem pole and across an intersection.

You will see Obelisk Pond on your left, and as you come up the path past the pond turn off at the dirt path on your left.

Stay on the dirt path, over a bridge with stone benches, and then up a straight, grassy path with a huge field on your left. Continue to the end of this path and turn right through the large white wooden Cumberland Gate.

Continue on this paved path, past houses on your right, and past other paths turning off. Continue through the intersection with pink buildings on your left. Go straight to pass through the black metal gate into Windsor Deer Park.

Follow the main path here as it winds through the park. You will come to a low stone bridge (see below); just after the bridge you will run up the grassy hill towards the grand statue of King George III, known as the Copper Horse. King George III was monarch during the American Revolution and father to 15 (!) children, who later in life suffered from mental illness. His dissolute son George IV commissioned this statue and inscribed on it “the best of fathers” despite the fact that father and son apparently despised each other.

Take in the view then head straight down the hill for 2.5 miles until you reach the gates of Windsor Castle. On the way you’ll pass through a large wooden gate and cross a busy road — take care!

At the castle gates, turn left onto Park Street and continue onto the High Street. You’ll pass a statue of Queen Victoria, see the castle walls on your right, and on the left is a passage called Jubilee Arch which leads you to the train station.

Lots of options for food and drink – your choice!

If you prefer a longer run, there are many options once you reach Windsor Great Park. Take your phone and explore! Here is a link to the park website with more information: http://www.windsorgreatpark.co.uk/en

Wednesday, 15 May – Regent’s Park Inner/Outer Circle (5 miles)
From Barclay’s head down Wellington Road to the traffic circle at Lord’s Cricket Ground and bear left onto Prince Albert Road. Run to the pedestrian crossing where we will cross and head to the OuterCircle. Turn right and run on the inside of the circle past Winfield House which will be on your left. Continue around the Outer Circle 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 Barclay’s for a stretch before heading to Starbucks.

Friday 17 May – The Heath
It’s Friday and you know what that means!  Choose your favorite hill route or try a new one!
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 Route6+ miles:  The partial Heath route OR the Reverse Heath route OR Pergola route7.5 miles: The Highgate route
8 miles:  The full Heath route
Click here for maps of all of the Heath routes.

Hello Runners,
Happy Bank Holiday weekend!  I hope you are enjoying the extra time relaxing, playing, traveling, adventuring– or doing whatever makes you happy (did someone say ‘running’?)I spent a bit of yesterday combing through photos posted on WRW Facebook group page and adding a few to our WRW archives.  The ones above show some of the best aspects of this group– how we support each other, cheer for each other, and know how to have fun!  Hats and pom-poms, bright and witty signs, and screaming… you ladies are absolutely THE best!  There were so many Milan pink hats out cheering on that marathon course last Sunday, it literally lifted us through the race– so from myself and Sue once more, a really heartfelt thank you to all who came out to cheer, as well as to the many more who sent notes and thoughts before and after the race.  

Running this Week.  Monday is a bank holiday, so holiday meet-up time at Barclays is 8:30 for anyone in town and wanting to run.  We officially start the week with a run to Covent Garden on Wednesday.  The 5.5-mile route loops through Hyde Park, past Green Park, then straight down the Mall to Trafalgar Square before cutting through to Covent Garden for a finish at Le Pain Quotidien. See below for full directions.  And Friday we will go up to the Heath, where things are sure to be in bloom– the Highgate route is suggested, partly for the flowers at Kenwood House, but all our Heath routes should be nice this week.  And note that if you were following the ‘Save the Date’ section closely– we’ve moved the Dollis Hill adventure run from this Friday to later in the month, just to spread the fun across the calendar.

I hate to mention it, because no one really wants to think about it… but the Sights of London and Leaver’s Coffee is coming up in a couple of weeks (May 22).  We already have enough goodbyes to say, but it seems like there are always a few that come up right at the end of the year.  If you suddenly discover you are leaving London– even if it’s the day before the coffee– please do let us know, so we can celebrate and give you a proper send-off.

SAVE THE DATE
Monday 13 May – NEW Adventure Run – Windsor – expect earliest home time is noon
Wednesday 22 May – Sights of London/Leaver’s Coffee
Friday 31 May – NEW Adventure Run – Dollis Hill to Hampstead
Monday 3 June – Brick Lane

Enjoy this bright day in London, or wherever you are this weekend!  See you soon at Barclays…
xx Micki

ROUTES
Monday 6 May – BANK HOLIDAY
For anyone in town, meet at Barclays at 8:30 and plan a fun route on your own.

Wednesday, 8 May – Hyde Park to Covent Garden (5.5 miles)
We start from Barclays, run down Circus Road and turn left on Grove End/Lisson Grove. Cross diagonally at the light to run along the west side of the street. Cross over Marylebone Rd (now you’re on Seymour Pl) and run until the road ends. Turn right on Seymour St, cross Edgware Rd, and turn left at the next street (Stanhope Pl). Cross into Hyde Park, cross over the Carriage Rd and enter the park.

Turn right at the silver sphere after entering the park. Cross over N Carriage Rd and turn left just after the Italian Gardens. Run along the water (it turns into the Serpentine) and turn right at the end to run along the southern edge of the park. Turn right to run out of the park at Hyde Park Corner and follow the direction below.

At Hyde Park Corner, run through Wellington Arch and along the southern edge of Green Park.  At the end of the park, keep running straight down The Mall (do not cross the street as we do when we are going to Big Ben) until you come to Trafalgar Square.  Run along the far side of the square, past St Martin-in-the-Fields.  Turn right onto St. Martin’s Place and then left onto Chandos Place.  When it ends, turn left and enter Covent Garden.  We will meet at Le Pain Quotidien which is next to Shake Shack.

Friday 10 May – The Heath
If it’s a beautiful day, why not try the 8 mile Heath run?  The flowers should be blooming at Kenwood House – take advantage of spring in London!   And if it’s raining, just run from Barclays to Starbucks.  Just kidding! 🙂

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.

Hello Runners!
It was great to be back in London and running with you this past week.  Aren’t the parks just gorgeous right now?  I expect we will see more Spring glory on our routes this week.  The photo above, from Jess Browne, is a couple weeks old, but it was too good not to use here!

Running this week.  We start off the week with a favourite Adventure Run– the Richmond to Hampton Court Palace route.  Please note– departure is from Finchley Road and Frognal Overground Station at 8:30!  We’ll take the 8:41 train to Richmond (about a 30-min trip), start the run there, and follow the winding Thames Path for about 8 miles to Hampton Court Palace.  It really is a beautiful run!  If you don’t feel like doing 8 miles, you can always pull off at Kingston-upon-Thames (where we cross the bridge) for 6 miles.  But if you go on to Hampton Court Palace, meet at the Tiltyard Cafe, through the gardens, for coffee and a snack.  We take a train back to Waterloo from the Hampton Court train station.  Full directions can be found below.  For the rest of the week, we’ll keep it more local, with Kensal Rise on Wednesday, and up to the Heath for the Highgate route (or your choice). 

Shout-outs and Announcements.  It’s a big weekend for races!  Barbara Jones is running the very hilly and challenging Balmoral 15-mile Trail Run on Sunday afternoon.  Sue Wheeler and I, along with WRW alums Kate Worrell and Susan Malandrino, will be running the London Marathon tomorrow.  I have heard that some ladies are going out to watch and cheer– if you are interested in connecting with the group, just reach out to your pace group leaders, who should know the plan.  And, getting personal for just a moment, Sue and I both want to thank you all for all the good wishes and incredible support over the last weeks– you all are simply the best!

SAVE THE DATE
Wednesday 8 May – Covent Garden
Friday 10 May – NEW Adventure Run – Dollis Hill to Hampstead (tentative)
Monday 13 May – NEW Adventure Run – Windsor
Wednesday 22 May – Sights of London/Leaver’s Coffee
Friday 31 May – Borough Market
Monday 3 June – Brick Lane

Enjoy the rest of your weekend, everyone!  Looking forward to seeing you all out on the routes next week!
xx Micki

ROUTES
Monday 29 April – Hampton Court Adventure Run (8 miles, or option of 6 miles)

We will meet at the “Finchley Road and Frognal Overground Station” at 8:30 for the 8:41 train to Richmond. We will arrive in Richmond around 9:15 to start our run. You can take a bus up Finchley Road to the station or take the tube to Finchley Road, turn left and walk up to the Overground Station.

Leave the Richmond Overground Station, cross the road at the traffic lights and go straight through the narrow Old Station Passage. At the end, turn left on Little Green and follow straight past the Richmond Green until taking the left fork onto Friars Lane. Follow Friars Lane as it winds down to the river path.

Now we stick to the river path along the Thames for the rest of our run. We will pass the grand red brick Ham House on the left, and eventually join Lower Ham Road. Keep right at the fork at Canbury Gardens, staying with the river just to your right. As you approach the center of Kingston you’ll run under a metal railway bridge; continue along as close to the Thames as possible until the next bridge, called Horse Fair Bridge. 

At the bridge you have two options — turn left into Kingston to stop at 6 miles, or cross the bridge to continue to Hampton Court Palace for 8 miles.

6-mile route: Go up the stairs on the near side of the Horse Fair bridge and turn left into town. Follow the road to the Kingston train station.

8-mile route: Go up the stairs on the near side of the Horse Fair Bridge and cross the bridge. Turn left at the end of the bridge onto a very pretty path called Barge Walk, which follows the river all the way to Hampton Court Palace. Once we arrive at the Palace, take a few snaps, and if you can stay for a coffee, we’ll meet at the Tiltyard Cafe, a restaurant on the Palace grounds with lovely outdoor space (and indoor too in case of inclement weather!). Cross the courtyard in front of the palace and then walk past the rose gardens to the cafe; no need to pay the Palace entrance fee.

Head back to London via Hampton Court train station. To get there, cross over the Thames on Hampton Court Bridge and the train station will be on your left. Be sure to check your travel sites to confirm the options for the trip home. There are usually local and express trains that go into London Waterloo.

Wednesday 1 May – Kensal Rise (5 miles)
This route takes us along the canal to the west. Please be aware of bikes along the canal and form a single file whenever you hear someone call out ‘bike!”.

Start out heading west on Circus Road, turn left on Grove End Road, then right on St John’s Wood Road at the traffic light. Then turn left on Cunningham, right on Aberdeen, and cross Maida Vale to the right side of Blomfield Rd. Stay on the right side of Blomfield Road as you run parallel to the canal. Turn left at the second bridge over the canal (at Westbourne Terrace Road), turn right just after the bridge, follow the sidewalk along Delamere Terrace, and join the canal path heading west at this point. Run to the Ladbroke Grove exit. Here we turn right and run over the bridge along Chamberlayne Road to Harvist Road. Turn right on Harvist, which turns into Brondesbury Road, and take that to Kilburn High Road/Maida Vale. Turn right and follow Maida Vale to Hall Road where you turn left and run back to Starbucks. If you want to shorten this route, run west on the canal and turn back at your desired half-way point.

(The two mile mark is at the point on the canal when the Westway motorway is over our heads.)

Friday 3 May – Highgate (7.5 miles)
Head up Fitzjohn’s, as usual, and continue past the Hampstead Tube and Whitestone Pond to stay on Spaniards Road.  Do not enter the Heath at the normal entry point, but stay on Spaniards Road as it wraps around the outside of the Heath, past Kenwood House and past The Bishops Road where Spaniards Road turns into Hampstead Lane.

Continue on Hampstead Lane as it edges around the outside of the Heath in a gentle rise until you reach The Grove, where you turn right. [The Grove is a pretty, tree lined street just before the Highgate roundabout.] Run to the first right turn, a lane called Fitzroy Park with a traffic barrier across the road. Pass around the traffic barrier—this is fine! And continue down the road, past lovely homes and a famous allotment on the right side. This road curves downhill to the left and takes you to the entrance of the Heath on your right side, near a set of bathrooms and just before Merton Lane to the left.

Enter the Heath, run past the loos (on your left) and take the path to the left as it runs along the model boating pond, the men’s bathing pond and a third pond. When the sidewalk dead ends, take a right to run along the exercise fields and running track. Exit the Heath past the paddling pool, crossing over the bridge onto Constantine Road. Take a right, running past South End Rd/Fleet Rd, past the Royal Free Hospital and cutting up the path to the left just past the Royal Free’s entrance driveway to take a short cut to Haverstock Hill. Go left on Haverstock Hill, crossing at the pedestrian stoplight to the other side, then turn right on to Belsize Avenue. Stay on Belsize Avenue (its name changes to Buckland Crescent) to Fitzjohn’s where you turn left to run towards Swiss Cottage Library, then scoot over to St Johns Wood Park Road and back to Starbucks.

Click here for maps of all of the Heath routes.

Hello Runners!
I hope you’ve had a wonderful break!  If you’ve been away, you might have been pleasantly surprised– as I was– to find everything leafy, green and blooming when you returned to sunny London.  It really makes me anticipate the great runs we have planned for the rest of the spring!  The new Adventure Run we squeezed in just before break– to Finsbury Park via Alexandra Palace and the Parkland Walk– was a hit with those who could make it.  Thanks to the Routes team for all their hard work, and to Tamar for the photos above.

Running this week.  Monday is a bank holiday, so there is no official route, but our unofficial meet-up time/place is 8:30 at Barclays for whoever is in town and wants to run.  Or check your pace group WhatsApp or e-mail to find running buddies and decide your route.  Wednesday is our official return, and we are heading to the Benugo in St James Park, via Hyde Park.  Come for coffee and a catchup if you have the time!  On Friday we’ll run to Borough Market, which is (literally) always a treat.

Shout-outs and Announcements.  Hopefully anyone who wanted to was able to get their order in for the special kit items Carol Bertolino and Marissa O’Malia organised for us.  A big thank you to both of them for taking time out of their Spring Break to get that sorted and place the order for us!

SAVE THE DATE.  We have some new “adventure runs” coming up this spring.  These really fun routes require extra time to get trains out and/or back to our destinations.  Mark your calendars now, and join us if you possibly can!  As the end-of-year calendars fill, we also wanted to give you a heads-up on other favourite runs ahead.
Monday 29 April – Adventure Run – Richmond to Hampton Court Palace
Wednesday 8 May – Covent Garden
Friday 10 May – NEW Adventure Run – Dollis Hill to Hampstead
Monday 13 May – NEW Adventure Run – Windsor
Wednesday 22 May – Sights of London/Leaver’s Coffee
Friday 31 May – Borough Market
Monday 3 June – Brick Lane

Enjoy the rest of the holiday weekend, and Happy Easter and Happy Passover to all who celebrate!  I honestly can’t wait to get back to running with you this week!
xx  Micki

ROUTES

Monday 22 April –  Easter Monday
Check your What’sApp groups and meet at 8:30 to choose a route.

Wednesday, 24 April — Hyde Park to Benugo Cafe in St James’s Park — 5 miles
Let’s gather at Benugo after running Hyde Park to swap April Break stories!

We start from Barclays, run down Circus Road and turn left on Grove End/Lisson Grove. Cross diagonally at the light to run along the west side of the street. Cross over Marylebone Road, onto Seymour Place, and run until the road ends. Turn right on Seymour Street, cross Edgware Road, and turn left at Stanhope Place where we will enter into Hyde Park.
Turn right at the silver sphere after entering Hyde Park. Cross over N Carriage Rd and turn left just after the Italian Gardens. Run along the Long Water/Serpentine, with the water to your left. At the end of the Serpentine bear right then left to run along the southern edge of the park. At Hyde Park Corner, cross the road to run through Wellington Arch and down Constitution Hill, along the southern edge of Green Park. Cross The Mall at the traffic light, enter directly into St James’s Park. Run down to the water and turn right, looping around the water until you come to the bridge on your left. Cross the bridge over the water and take a right, ending up at the Benugo Cafe.

Friday 26 April – Borough Market (6 miles)
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. Bear left to 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!).

Hello Runners!
Don’t the colourful hat pictures make you happy?  Thanks for making us the brightest, most cheerful thing on London’s streets last Monday!  Thanks to those who sent us photos or posted them on the WRW Facebook page!  I think sharing glimpses of our runs really helps keep a connection amongst the different pace groups.

Running this week.  Monday we are trying a new Adventure Route– which is what we generally call a route that we have to take a train or tube to the start of.  This one is a gem:  starting further north than we usually venture, at Alexandra Palace and following the north section of the Parkland Walk to connect with the south section we take on the Finsbury Park run.  Jane has written detailed instructions below, and a group of volunteers pioneered it Friday– leaving chalk marks and ribbons for us to follow (if it doesn’t rain too much!).  PLEASE NOTE that we will be meeting at 8:30 at the Finchley Road tube station (see details in ‘Routes” section below).  The run is 5 miles, and it is a tube ride home from Finsbury Park, so we should likely plan to be away from SJW until at least 11am.  If you can’t afford that much time out Monday morning, meet at Barclays as usual and decide on a route with the other runners you find!  Wednesday we will do the Camden/Mornington Crescent/Regent’s Park loop for another 5 miles.  And Friday we are up Fitzjohn’s again for the beautiful Heath Pergola run.  Full instructions are found below.

Shout-outs and Announcements.  Bjorg Fridbjornsdottir is running the Berlin half-marathon this weekend.  Go Bjorg– we’re cheering you from afar!  

A big “Well Done!!” to the Class of ’19 former beginners who trekked up the Hill for the first time last Friday!  We’ve really enjoyed seeing you out with us on the M,W,F runs!

We shared the sad news of Julienne Callaway’s passing in a separate e-mail this week, but since that time a local memorial has been planned (by Courtney Muoio and Mary Holtze) and we wanted to share the information about that with anyone not on our Facebook page. It is planned for next Wednesday, and all are welcome:  “We will gather on Wednesday 10 April (rain or shine) at 6:30 pm at the top of Primrose Hill. Everyone brings a flower to hold and leave once we depart. We will encourage people to share memories of Julienne. We will then segue to The Queen’s Pub, 49 Regent’s Park Road, to grab a drink (at everyone’s own expense) and toast her. Simple and casual, exactly as Julienne would want!”

The week of 15 – 19 April will be both Spring Break for ASL and Half-term for British schools (and I know they are on half-term this week, too!).  We will not send out an e-mail or formal routes for that week, but stay in touch with your WhatsApp group and/or meet at Barclays at our holiday time of 8:30 to run whatever routes you decide.  Mix it up, have fun, and enjoy watching spring overtake London!  I’ll send out the next e-mail on the weekend of April 20-21.  Meanwhile, here’s a look ahead for the rest of the spring…

SAVE THE DATE
Friday 26 April – Borough Market
Monday 29 April – Adventure Run – Hampton Court
Wednesday 8 May – Covent Garden
Friday 10 May – NEW Adventure Run – Dollis Hill to Hampstead
Monday 13 May – NEW Adventure Run – Windsor
Wednesday 22 May – Sights of London/Leaver’s Coffee
Friday 31 May – Borough Market
Monday 3 June – Brick Lane

Looking forward to another great week of running together, and hoping everyone has a great holiday week.  See you at Barclays!
xx Micki

ROUTES

Monday 8 April – NEW ROUTE – Alexandra Palace to Finsbury Park via Parkland Walk (5 miles)

Meet at Finchley Road tube, to depart at 8:30. Take the Metropolitan Line East to King’s Cross, switch to the Piccadilly line East to Wood Green. Transport for London estimates this to be an 30-35 minute trip. (As you follow the route, look for Dinae’s chalk “WRW” and navy ribbons to mark the trail along the way!)

After you exit Wood Green tube station, you need to follow Station Road which is the road directly in front of you. Cross the street in front of the station and follow Station Road, staying right at the roundabout, which becomes Buckingham Road. You will pass the Alexandra Palace overground station. At the T-junction with Bridge Road, turn left and cross the bridge (car and pedestrian bridge) over the train tracks.At the end of the bridge, turn left and follow Bedford Rd which becomes South Terrace and leads you directly into Alexandra Park. Follow the sidewalk along South Terrace (climbing a hill – the views are worth it!) and passing in front of Alexandra Palace. After you pass Alexandra Palace, the road turns downhill, look out for the bus stop in front of you, just after a car park (see below). You need to cross the road here and follow the path that leads away from the bus stop and parallel to the car park. Along the way you can also follow the sign for Little Dinosaurs.

Follow this path, you will run through a metal tunnel (see below) and then the path loops around and under the road. 

After you cross under the road you are entering the Parkland Walk North section. Run the Parkland Walk North and enjoy the views along the way. At the end of Parkland Walk you come out alongside Muswell Hill Road and are looking for the entrance to Highgate Wood on your right. You are on Muswell Hill Road very briefly, so don’t miss it. See below for the entrance to Highgate Wood. 

Once you are in Highgate Wood, turn left and follow the path (bear left at every opportunity and run with the road to your left) to the end of the park, you will exit at the Gypsy Gate. When you exit the park, turn right and cross Muswell Hill Road at the next pedestrian crossing light. After crossing the road, turn right and run to Archway Road. At Archway Road, turn left. You’ll be running with the shops on your right and fence, trees, Highgate station on your left. Following Archway, passing Gonnermann antiques (this is where we usually cross the road in the Happening Bagel route) and taking the next left on Holmesdale Road. Run down the hill and look for the entrance to Parkland Walk South on your left. Follow the path until the end. At the end, turn left, cross the train tracks and enter Finsbury Park. Once you are in Finsbury Park, turn right and follow the path along the outer edge of the park until you end at the Finsbury Park gate on Seven Sisters Road. Happening Bagel is across the street and Costa Coffee is to the right on your way to the Finsbury Park tube station.

Wednesday 10 April – Camden Lock/Mornington Crescent/Regent’s Park (5 miles) 

We have adjusted this route to keep to the less travelled and less polluted streets. 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. Take the first right turn onto 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 left 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, cross the Broad Walk at the ornamental fountain and head along the path with the Zoo to our right. Turn left onto the Outer Circle, past the Avenue Road exit, and right at the second exit (where we usually enter for the canal or park). Run up Charlbert Street to St John’s Wood Terrace, make a left, and head back to Starbucks.

Friday, 12 April – Heath Pergola (6.3 miles) 

As spring arrives in London, it’s a great time to visit the Pergola in the Heath!
Head out from Barclays 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.” Here are pictures of the trail:

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).

As always, the other Heath routes are always an option:
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.