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 http://www.ealingeagles.com/this-weeks-training (link also sent to you with email newsletter) for more details and for any changes or updates.
** Monday and Wednesday 7.30pm club runs **
The summer club run routes go through the parks which mean that we cannot continue to use them when the parks close earlier with the darker evenings. Therefore, from Monday 2nd September, we will be using the winter club run routes, still 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.
** Forester club run on first Wednesday of the month **
On the first Wednesday of the month, the club social will be taking place at the Forester’s and so both club runs will start on the other side of Northfields Ave from the Forester’s at Occupation Road W13, West Ealing with a bag drop at the Forester’s.
The Forester long club run (7.5k / 4.7miles) will be the same as the normal long club run route but meeting and finishing at Occupation Road. You can see more details of the route here.
The Forester short club run (5.5k / 3.5miles) will follow the long club run route along Warwick Road but will turn right on Ascott Avenue (so cutting off the section along the north circular), drop down to Popes Lane and then follow the long club run route around to Occupation Road and the Forester’s. You can see more details of the route here
** Hill Sessions on Thursdays 7:30pm **
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.
The main location for Thursday Hills has in recent years been West Walk for which meet West Walk off Hillcroft Crescent However, as the top half section/middle part of West Walk has had no lights for several weeks in September, it is possible that the hill used for this session will be Park View Road on the EHM route for which meet on the corner of Woodville Gardens and Park View Road (at the bottom of the hill) at 7:25 so we can start at 7:30pm sharp. The situation is being kept under review.
** Tuesday Track at 7.30pm**
Tuesday 7.30pm sessions will be at Osterley track (120 Wood Lane, Isleworth, TW7 5FF).
Steady pace or easy training runs are done at an aerobic pace, i.e. not too out of breath. This builds up the heart, lungs and legs but will not adapt the body fully to run at a faster race pace. Interval training trains up the different energy systems used in racing at different distances. These energy systems range from anaerobic running at mile pace or faster to ½ marathon training run at around threshold pace using the Frank Horwill 5 pace system system (used by Seb Coe etc). To race at any distance you need to do intervals at race pace and faster and slower than race pace sessions. Also most club runners do a variety of distances and need sessions to train for these.
Each week will be a different session lead by a qualified Eagles run leader. Track fee of £3.05 (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.
** Daytime sessions **
Mondays at 10am
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. The sessions are likely to revolve around Introduction to the Mile (in Lammas Park), intervals (various locations) and hills (in Hanger Hill Park or West Walk).
Thursday mornings Go for a Run
The 10am slot on Thursdays will be a run / walk programme for nine weeks starting on 10 October. There have been various discussions about what length run might be offered before or after the 10am session (or indeed at the same time as the run / walk programme if there are more than enough volunteers) so please check arrangements each week. Other sessions will be offered before and after the completion of the run / walk programme.
Tuesdays and Fridays at 10am
Tuesdays and Fridays 10k at 10am –self-led runs of 10k / 6.2miles on a route taking in the local parks and the canal - please check the relevant Facebook group for arrangements.
** Sunday 10 miles **
9am Meet Ealing Green Informal 10 mile (16.1k) self-led run taking the route through the parks to the river, along to Richmond and back via Syon Park. Because of refurbishment works on Richmond Lock Footbridge scheduled until the beginning of December 2019, you will need to cross the river at Twickenham Bridge which is the next bridge along – a diversion of about 0.5mile (0.7k). Please shout up on Facebook if you are planning to do a long run and would like company (or indeed if you would like to do this run at a different time).
** Cross-country XC **
The benefits of XC are set out in this article. https://www.startfitness.co.uk/blog/importance-cross-country-running/
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.
In view of the number of XC races in the Eagles calendar http://www.ealingeagles.com/cross-country which are themselves good training for running generally, there are currently no plans to add specific XC training sessions this term though the situation will be kept under review.
** 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 7 December https://osterleypark10k.co.uk/.
More details are out in the article Improvers or the next step after 5k and the first sessions will be as follows:
Mon 30 Sep 10am Introduction to the Mile in Lammas Park and meet for a workshop afterwards probably at FarmW5 to plan your training
Weds 2 Oct 7.30pm join the Forester club run and meet for a workshop afterwards at the Forester’s to plan your training
Club members in general may like to note that there will be a 10k training run on Saturday 23 November meeting at 10.15am ready to run at 10.30am (timing to allow people to practise fuelling for Osterley 10k). 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.
** 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 nine weeks starting Wednesday 9 October at 6.30pm or Thursday 10 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 (145 people graduated through the run / walk programme in the period October 2018 to July 2019) 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
GUEST COACH SESSIONS
Ealing Eagles is very fortunate that we can access coaching input from guest coach Olympian Mara Yamauchi to add to the sessions offered by our Eagles coaches. Arrangements for sessions agreed with her will be advertised when they have been confirmed. Watch this space.
** Endurance Q&A with Mara for experienced runners on Wednesday 20 November **
Are you an experienced runner with a question for Mara on increasing endurance and smart marathon training? There are limited spaces for members to join the coaches / run leaders for a Q&A with Mara on increasing endurance and smart marathon training. Please email coaching@ealingeagles.com by 13 November with your question if you would like to attend.
This event is NOT intended to cover marathon training for first timers - we are organising an inhouse workshop suitable for first timers in January 2020
** Mara Long Run for *** 1:30 to 1:45 pace HM runners *** on Sunday 24 November **
Mara has agreed to lead a long run of possibly ten miles or more on Sunday 24 November for Eagles currently able to run a half marathon comfortably in a time in the range of 1:30 to 1:45. The session will target women wanting to compete for places in the women's Welsh Castle Relays team and will also be suitable for others (including men) of a similar pace.
Please note that this Mara long run will be aimed at people in the 1:30 to 1:45 HM range and so have not previously had a proper chance to take part in a Mara long run for sub 1:30 HM runners. Anyone at the faster end of the sub 1:35 HM range (of previous Mara long runs) may not find it so useful as it won't be targeting people of that pace and may be asked to go on a notional waiting list depending on demand. We also want to give precedence to women wanting to compete for places in the women's WCR relay teams.
Please email coaching@ealingeagles.com by Sunday 17 November if you would like to attend so that we can review numbers and work out how the session needs to be organised.
** Mara’s drills ** on Tuesday 3rd December at 7.30pm and Wednesday 4th December at 10am **
Have you ever wondered about the drills that you're often asked to do at the beginning of many track and other coached sessions and wanted to know what to do in your own training?
Mara will be leading sessions at Osterley track focusing on running drills on Tuesday 10 December at 7.30pm and Wednesday 11 December at 10am as your track with Mara events for the end of the year (so the actual running will be limited to warm-up and cool down)
Suitable for mixed abilities as everyone will be staying in the same area. If you would like to come, please join the fb event pages (click on links above) or email coaching@ealingeagles.com by Tuesday 3 December to give us some idea of numbers.
Please also note that there will be no coached session on Tuesday 3 December at 7.30pm (you should be having a rest after Perivale 5 or before Osterley 10k) as available coaches and run leaders will be taking part in a session with Mara focusing on leading and using drills in training sessions.