LSE Run Club Wk - 2

I was a warm start to Week 2 of LSE's Summer School Run Club. LSE have organised these Wednesday night runs across the summer for the students attending the LSE Summer school. This week we had 8 lovely runners turn up and run a whopping 11.1km (6.90miles for those Mile minded.) around London. Our runners this week had travelled from China, India, Germany, Hong Kong and America.

We started off the night with a dynamic warm up in Lincoln's Inn Fields before heading off on our long run. Our route first took us over the Stand onto Waterloo Bridge. We had wanted to go down onto the river by Embankment here, but the stairs were blocked off so we ran over the bridge to Southbank instead. Dodging the pedestrians kept us on our toes until we'd passed the London Eye and Aquarium. Here we headed back over the river to Parliament Square. From here we went on to reach St James Park. This park has a nice straight section along the side, so we used this bit to practice relaxing our shoulders enabling our arms swing.

At Bucking Palace we stopped for a group photo and saw one of the royals leave the Palace in a police escort. After this, we practiced leaning from the ankles when we ran up the side of Green Park. At The top of Green Park we left Rachel to have a rest whilst the rest of us ran over to Hyde Park. This route took us up past the rose garden and along the Serpentine on our right, the over the bridge (giving us a great view of The Mastaba, art piece by Christo). Whilst in Hyde Park we added a bit of endurance for the front runners. Every time the whistle blew they had to turnaround and sprint to the back of the group.

Once we were back at Green Park we picked up Rachel and headed towards Piccadilly - then we had to traversed through the busy crowds in Piccadilly Circus and Leicester Square. Then finally it was on to the last leg up Long Arch Road past Covent Garden and back to base.

Great effort from all on a very warm and long run.