As set out in previous weeks, the coaching team is continuing to encourage Eagles to return to the previous norm of intervals / hills sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays evenings and some Mondays at 10am.
In view of the government decision to delay step 4 on the roadmap, the coaching team has decided that it would be worth doing pilot sessions which take into account some of the relaxations already permitted in step 3 as well as taking into account our experience of offering sessions under Covid 19 restrictions.
Osterley track
We are offering track sessions at Osterley track on Tuesdays 13 July and 27 July. These track sessions will be an alternative to the Lammas intervals sessions offered on some Tuesdays. While Osterley is operating under Covid 19 restrictions, Eagles has booked exclusive use of the track for one hour from 7pm as the facility will close at 8pm and is asking attendees (including those who already have a track pass) to book in advance and pay a non-refundable track fee of £3.15. Osterley has recently advertised that its facility will be open up to 10pm from 5 July. However, the booking arrangements under Covid 19 restrictions are still on the hour: starting track at 8pm feels late while the current numbers do not justify booking exclusive use for 2 hours.
Numbers
As the limit on social gatherings outdoors is 30 in step 3, we have decided to increase gradually the number of athletes permitted to attend each training session; if no concerns are raised by the public and the numbers are found to be manageable, numbers will be increased in the following week of pilots.
Social Distancing
We will continue to maintain social distancing at club training sessions (at Osterley track, this will involve running in lanes 1, 3 and 5). However, the use of cones to define lanes in the parks has been of mixed benefit - defining only a running lane and an overtaking lane means that the person overtaking may get close to the person they are overtaking if they are watching the cones rather than the other person; whilst defining a lane in the middle to ensure social distancing will create a confusion of cones. The pilots of not defining lanes and, instead, simply asking people to maintain social distancing when they overtake has worked well, particularly because not using cones has allowed a much larger area to be used which in itself helps with social distancing.
Eventbrite
As previously advised, we have also modified our eventbrite arrangements so that those co-ordinating the sessions can access the attendee lists themselves allowing Eagles to book closer to the time of the session subject to availability. The coaching team, however, reserves the right to cancel the session the day before if there appears to be insufficient interest in any particular session so it is still to your advantage to book the session when you know that you can commit rather than waiting until the last moment. Remember that individual coaches commit to offering sessions sometimes as much as two weeks in advance.
And a reminder of the arrangements
Intervals and Hills for the booking period Mon 5 to Thu 15 July
The following sessions had spaces at the time of writing and this is the second advertisement. Please feel free to book even if you have booked or attended another session in the period Mon 5 to Thu 15 July (please click on links to see separate events on Eventbrite). Please note that while the admin arrangements have been changed to allow people to book closer to the time of the session, the coaching team reserves the right to cancel the session the day before if there appears to be insufficient interest in any particular session:
Tue 6 July PILOT 7.30pm to 8.30pm Lammas Park - intervals (booking deadline 5pm on the day) https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/pilot-tue-lammas-intervals-6-jul-tickets-161387326839
Thu 8 July PILOT 7.30pm to 8.30pm West Walk - hills (booking deadline 5pm on the day) https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/pilot-west-walk-hills-8-jul-tickets-161387385013
Mon 12 July PILOT 10am to 11am Lammas Park - intervals (booking deadline 8am on the day) https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/pilot-mon-lammas-intervals-12-jul-tickets-161387515403
Tue 13 July PILOT **7pm to 8pm** Osterley Track - intervals (non-refundable track fee of £3.15 per person, booking deadline 5pm on the day) https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/pilot-intervals-at-osterley-track-13-jul-tickets-161387627739
Thu 15 July PILOT 7.30pm to 8.30pm West Walk - hills (booking deadline 5pm on the day) https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/pilot-west-walk-hills-15-july-tickets-161387760135
Please read the instructions
Ealing Eagles is normally a very sociable running club with an informal and relaxed approach to our training but we know many members have missed being able to train together during lockdown. The Eagles Coaches and the Committee have worked behind the scenes to see what we might be able to offer while minimising the risk of Covid-19 transmission. This has involved the setting up of a Covid 19 team, and the writing of a Covid 19 plan, risk registers and risk assessments to identify Covid 19 secure environments.
It also means that your access to coached sessions might involve different arrangements and certainly more admin than we would like. SO PLEASE READ THE INSTRUCTIONS.
Meeting points may be different from normal (particularly at West Walk) so that the meeting arrangements can more easily satisfy the requirements for social distancing so please read the instructions which say where you should meet.
It’s a pain to have to book sessions and what should you do if you can’t make the session and have to cancel? The cancellation instructions are set out on the relevant Eagles webpage and have now been added to the information you get sent when you book. There is an option to cancel via Eventbrite if you have an account - if you don’t have an account (or aren’t sure), please email coaching@ealingeagles.com Please don’t offer your place at the session on Facebook as all attendees need to answer various questions before they attend the session.
In a club of over 800 members with a limited number of spaces on intervals / hills sessions, we want to give as many people as possible the chance to take part in an intervals / hills session. We are therefore offering the sessions in two week booking periods and members are asked to book only one session when the sessions are first advertised. If places are still available for any session a week after this first advertisement (as notified in your News from the Nest email), then members will be allowed to book a second session in the booking period to encourage all places to be taken. (If this all sounds confusing, please feel free to check arrangements by emailing coaching@ealingeagles.com). Please don’t think that all the sessions look exciting and so book more than one session at the same time - this will simply result in you being sent to the back of the queue so that you only get a place if there are spaces left after the booking period has closed.
Don’t worry if there’s a problem - we all make mistakes (and the mistake may be in the original instructions for which apologies in advance). However, it will help your coaching co-ordinator and reduce the total amount of admin if you try, as far as possible, to read and follow instructions.
How we’re mitigating Covid-19 risks
The Eagles Coaches and the Committee have been working behind the scenes to see what we might be able to offer while minimising the risk of Covid-19 transmission. This has involved the setting up of a Covid 19 team, and the writing of a Covid 19 plan, risk registers and risk assessments to identify Covid 19 secure environments.
How you can safely participate
The demands of Covid-19 planning to allow us even to attempt to offer any training sessions together with the size of the club means that we will need to ask people:
To book a session in advance.
To supply your contact details for track and trace (and also in case a session needs to be cancelled or arrangements changed)
To answer a pre-activity health questionnaire included in the booking – and not to book or attend the session if you are not able to answer the questions positively
To note and follow arrangements set out by the co-ordinator to enable social distancing during the session including overtaking lanes where offered.
To treat members of the public with courtesy which may include slowing down or even stopping in your training if a member of the public comes too close to the area being used for the Club session.
Not to socialise together before or after the session
More details of the questions, notes and disclaimers are set out in the appendix.
How to book a session
We are aiming to offer intervals / hills sessions on a regular basis, subject to the availability of co-ordinators as well as changes in Government, London, Local Authority and England Athletics guidance, which can change at short notice.
The sessions will be booked via Eventbrite - the link for each event is set out above. Tickets are limited and issued as one per booking. For sessions from 7 June, we hope to make the deadline for booking (subject to availability) to be closer to the day of the session.
To enable as many members as possible to attend a session, we will be offering the sessions in two week booking periods and members are asked to book only one session when the sessions are first advertised. If places are still available for any session a week after this first advertisement (as notified in your News from the Nest email), then members will be allowed to book a second session in the booking period to encourage all places to be taken. (If this all sounds confusing, please feel free to check arrangements by emailing coaching@ealingeagles.com).
And finally, we ask that you do not go to a session meeting point if you have not been able to book a place. It will not be possible for you to join at the session. Your presence may mean that the session is not Covid 19 secure.
If you have any questions, please contact coaching@ealingeagles.com
How to cancel a session
If you do book a session but then decide that you are unable to attend, there are two preferred ways for you to cancel.
If you are able to cancel on Eventbrite yourself, that releases the space as soon as possible in case someone else can book it and will automatically inform the club that you have cancelled.
However, as that may require an Eventbrite account - the alternative is to email coaching@ealingeagles.com (messaging Wei Hei Kipling on facebook runs the risk of the message being overlooked and emailing info@ealingeagles.com adds an extra step in requiring the email to be forwarded to coaching@ealingeagles.com ).
Please don’t make a private arrangement with someone else or offer your place on Facebook as all attendees need to answer various questions before they attend the session.
Please also note that it will not be possible to refund track fees if you decide to cancel a track booking.
Appendix
During the booking, the pre-activity health questionnaire will ask you to state:
"I do not display any of the typical symptoms of active Covid-19 infection (fever, cough persisting more than 4 hours, loss of taste and smell, etc - pls check official guidance for details)"
"I have not tested positive for Covid-19 in the last 7 days"
"I have followed all social distancing guidelines set by the government or appropriate for my occupation for the last 7 days."
If this changes, please could you contact coaching@ealingeagles.com asap. If you can not meet the disclaimers above you should not book a session.
In addition, the following disclaimers and notes will apply regarding the intervals / hills sessions offered by the Club – if you are not willing to accept these disclaimers and notes, please do not book a session.
.a. I agree that attending this session is done so at my own risk.
b. I understand that the session may be cancelled at short notice if no-one is available to co-ordinate the session or if the risks at the time of the session are considered too great.
c. I will arrive dressed to run.
d. I will keep to a minimum what I bring to the session. I will make arrangements to look after my own valuables (keys, card, phone) and will not expect anyone else to look after them.
e. I intend to follow all social distancing guidance with anyone who is not a part of my own household during the Club’s intervals / hills session – so no physical greeting, hi-fiving or supporting one another during stretches etc.
f. As well as following the social distancing guidelines between people, I will not touch with my hands anything belonging to anyone else (including any cones) and will not share drinks, snacks or hand sanitiser.
g. I will note and follow arrangements set out by the co-ordinator to enable social distancing during the session including overtaking lanes where offered.
h. The session will be taking place in a public area and I will treat all members of the public with courtesy which may include slowing down or even stopping in my training if a member of the public comes too close to the area being used for the Club session.
i. If I show symptoms of Covid 19 within 48 hours of attending the session, I will inform the Coaching co-ordinator on coaching@ealingeagles.com