There will be opportunities over the next few months to do different types of training. With evening sessions on Mondays to Thursdays, sessions during the day midweek, the Sunday ten miler and the occasional Saturday session, hopefully there will be something for all members of the club to join. A summary of the sessions is set out below but please keep an eye on the list of sessions for the week (link also sent to you with email newsletter) for more details and for any changes or updates.
** Preparation for Cross-country XC **
The benefits of XC are set out in this article.
The undulating terrain and hills means you are using more muscles than in any other type of running, in turn strengthening the legs. The uneven ground stabilises lower leg muscles and develops them into great ‘shock absorbers’, whilst the changes of pace help improve the cardiovascular capacity of runners. Furthermore, contrary to some suggestions which state cross-country running increases the chance of injury, if done properly it’s arguably less stressful on the leg joints as the impact from the earth tends to be much less than on other surfaces.
There are plenty of XC races in the Eagles calendar
The first few track sessions in October will focus on change of pace to mimic XC. In addition, one more Saturday session has been arranged.
Saturday 6 Oct XC preparation including opportunity to try out spikes 11am meet outside Greenford Library which is near Ravenor Park Entrance.
Session will be all grass. Warm up then 3 x 1 undulating mile. 90 secs recovery Interval.
Course runnable in road shoes but good opportunity to try out spikes.
** Run / Walk programme **
The club offers a run / walk programme free to the local community to progress people from not running very much to running 5k or more without walking breaks (so that they can join the evening club runs). The next run / walk programme will be for eight weeks starting Wednesday 3 October at 6.30pm or Thursday 4 October at 10am.
Healing Eagles are very welcome to join for part or all of the run / walk programme if they have been advised to do some run / walking and would like some company. Please email beginners@ealingeagles.com to check the level at which the programme is operating when you are thinking of joining.
The run / walk programme attributes its success (125 people graduated through the run / walk programme in the period October 2017 to June 2018) to the support and encouragement provided by the volunteers. If you are happy to run at a relatively gentle pace (7 to 8min/k or 11 to 13min/miles though some people will be faster and a few may not be so fast) and encourage beginners while doing so, then please think about contributing to the club and the running community in this way. Running at a more gentle pace is also a good way of working on your own running form (running gently does not mean running lazily or sloppily). For more information, please join the volunteers facebook group or email beginners@ealingeagles.com
** Improvers **
Improver sessions are for people who are able to run 5k and want to continue running, in particular for those wanting to increase their distance to 10k for Osterley 10k on Saturday 8 December https://osterleypark10k.co.uk/. For more information, please see the article The next step after 5k
Club members in general may like to note that there will be a 10k training run on Saturday 24 November meeting at 10.20am ready to run at 10.30am (timing updated 15 Nov 2018). The route is a there and back course along the river so faster runners may have to run the first section at a pace slower than their normal pace (or double back when they get to junctions) but can then run the return section at their own pace.
** Monday and Wednesday 7.30pm club runs **
Over the autumn and winter period, we will be using the winter club run routes meeting at Ealing Green with a choice of two distances (3.75miles / 5.5k or 4.75miles /7k) but avoiding the parks. Please see the club run route page for the route details.
HOWEVER, please note that the offer of these sessions requires the availability of volunteers to be leaders and tail runners. The coached sessions require input from qualified coaches / leaders or experienced runners but anyone who is willing to help out and run at a gentle pace can tail a run (and make use of the time to have a recovery run, to work on your running form and to get to know other people in the club). If you have made use of the club training sessions, please play your part in making the club training sessions possible.
** Hill Sessions on Thursdays 7:30pm West Walk **
Training on hills
· prepare you for the hills in a race;
· build muscle (improve leg strength while still working aerobically – strength = speed); and
· teach your body to run fast when you’re struggling for oxygen (if you did that type of speed work in winter on track – short reps – you would pull a muscle).
All standards are welcome – everyone stays in the same place. Meeting place is West Walk off Hillcroft Crescent
** Tuesday Track at 7.30pm **
Tuesday sessions at 7.30pm in the darker months are based at Osterley track (120 Wood Lane, Isleworth, TW7 5FF). Track fee of £3.00 (discount for Eagles so please bring proof of membership – EA card or confirmation email from club) payable at reception before coming on the Track. Lockers available for a refundable £1. Bring a bottle of water, a snack for afterwards and enough layers to keep warm when you're not running. All standards are welcome – everyone stays in the same place.
To give the Tuesday sessions some focus while still retaining the mixed ability feel, Mara has been asked to provide input on three different areas and the Tuesdays after each Mara session will retain the same focus while including variations. Mara will be offering sessions at Osterley track on the following Tuesdays
· Tues 2 Oct 7.30pm - change of pace to prepare for cross-country
· Tues 30 Oct 7.30pm - focus on running form to include longer drills session and then shorter track session
· Tues 27 Nov 7:30pm track: pre-Christmas fun session possibly to include relays with 7pm intro to track suitable for Improvers
In addition, Mara will be offering a daytime track session on Wed 14 Nov 10:30am track: focus on running form to include longer drills session and then shorter track session with 10am intro to track suitable for Improvers
To give us some idea of numbers, please email coaching@ealingeagles.com or join the fb event if you wish to attend any Mara session.
** Daytime sessions **
The 10am sessions on Mondays are being arranged to accommodate both new Improvers who are currently at the 5k level and more advanced daytime Eagles. Either there will be a choice of sessions at different places or both groups will meet in the same place with a choice of options. Many of the sessions will involve hills (see comments on hill training above)
The 10am slot on Thursdays will be a run / walk programme for eight weeks starting on 4 October. There have been various discussions about what length run might be offered before or after the 10am session so please check arrangements each week.
Tuesdays and Fridays 10k at 10am –self-led runs - please check the relevant Facebook group for arrangements.
Mara will be offering a daytime track session on Wed 14 Nov 10:30am track: focus on running form to include longer drills session and then shorter track session with 10am intro to track suitable for Improvers To give us some idea of numbers, please email coaching@ealingeagles.com or join the fb event if you wish to attend this Mara session.
** Sunday 10 miles **
The route of the self-led Sunday ten mile run is through the parks to the river, along to Richmond Lock and back via Syon Park. Please shout up on Facebook if you are planning to do this and would like company.