LCC RUNNERS: Hyde Park Foundation Session [~1km] BEGINNERS
Details
Welcome back to LCC's Trail Running Club! This is our beginners' session in which we'll be training from the ground up, building strength and endurance in line with the NHS-approved Couch to 5k programme.
Beginners' training sessions are all about what's right for you, so we won't be following a fixed route or a set pace. We'll aim to do around 1km, alternatively jogging and walking, based on how we feel. Everyone is welcome no matter how little running you've done in your life so do come along and invite your friends, we'll be making sure no one gets left behind.
There are toilet facilities in Hyde Park which cost 20 pence (£0.20) to access; contactless payment cards are accepted but cash is not. If you haven't got a card but need the loo, don't worry, we got you.
I'll also be bringing plenty of water along with me, so if you forget yours, fear not. I've got a few spare bits of kit as well - if you would like a running sleeve to put your phone in or a pouch belt for keys and things, just shoot me a message on here ahead of time!
Our standard bit of info about our running group and why it's good is provided below:
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Humans evolved to run and sprint; no wonder then that when we do it regularly (within moderation and with plenty of rest days), our brains as well as bodies thank us. Running has recently been shown to improve neuroplasticity, heal brain damage in affected individuals, and foster better mental health including elevated mood at rest and enhanced task-switching ability. Doing all this in nature, as opposed to busy London roads dodging commuters and street cleaners, also helps deliver the well-known benefits of time spent in nature to mood, anxiety levels, cognition and memory. All these things matter a great deal in an age where burnout and exhaustion are a constant presence either in our own lives or those of the people we care about [who you should totally invite along]. It matters especially for people trying to eke out a percentage of their time and mental capacity for transformative social and political organising: the better we feel, the more we'll be able to do.
In a nutshell, running is great for you and you should do it. Trail running is even better. Best of all is doing all this with a supportive group of comrades, especially one which includes knowledgeable folks who can provide some structure to what can be a puzzling sport to get started with if building up to something, like a 10k or half marathon, is your goal. Part of our running group's programming will be building a series of events aimed at building people up, slowly but surely, towards specific goals, using progressive programmes similar to the NHS's Couch to 5k system.
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Take care and see you on the trails!