Catherine's VLM Blog Two

Two weeks in, one eighth done and starting to feel real! 

I cannot quite believe it's two weeks in already and (touch wood) so far so good. Still feeling lucky and feeling blessed. The support I've got from everyone already is unbelievable. A big shout out in particular to Mark Yabsley and Angela Duff. Two fantastic partners in crime!  

My pre-plan started with the New Years Day Serpies 10k and I loved it. I ran with Angela and we chatted our way round. An ideal confidence booster at the beginning of the journey! 

Already I have found I'm adapting the plan to fit life (and to fit my long run in with Angela's!) I've also found that although not fantastic (which wasn't a surprise) I have not been as truly shocking at pacing as I suspected I would be! Ok again that may well be a bit down to Angela but my lone 6 miler on Wednesday ended up with 5 of the 6 being only one second difference in pace per mile! I impressed myself! 

I love the fact that this is a totally new challenge. A big, inspiring, huge challenge but I think I needed a new goal to help get my mojo back. When you lose a lot of fitness and do a distance you've done before it's easy at times to feel despondent you are nowhere near your PB...and believe me I am nowhere near! But now I have nothing to relate to. This is new and it's awesome. In a way although it's a huge undertaking, I almost feel less pressured (she says knowing it is early days!) 

The next few weeks see me fell running (best race ever) and equalling and going past my longest ever distance (14 miles ran two years ago.) I feel really positive about it all, helped by a great planning session with Mark!

Each time I start a long run I may feel daunted but I know I've got this. 

Perseverance, a plan, support and friendship...four essential ingredients in this marathon malarkey. 

Two weeks in...still loving it! 

Met League Cross Country - Trent Park : Saturday 14th January

Venue: Trent Country Park, Cockfosters, Enfield, London EN4 0JZ (please note; because of its size, Trent Park has several different post codes. The one given is the most appropriate and closest to the Cockfosters Road entrance to the Park).

Race Headquarters: Located just beyond “Go Ape”, on the left hand side of Lime Avenue.

Changing facilities: There are no dedicated changing facilities but there are male and female WCs adjacent to the Cockfosters Road entrance car park.

Showers: No showers available.

Course location: The start / finish area is adjacent to the race HQ.

HQ to course walk time: less than a minute

Course Description: Very undulating course on open, rough, lumpy park land. Liable to be soft underfoot throughout. Some exposed tree roots in places, especially along woodland section of course. Suitable for spikes.

Public Transport: London Underground – Cockfosters station is the northern end of the Piccadilly Line. The station is 300 metres to the south of the Cockfosters Road entrance to Trent Park (approximately 5 minute walk). Turn right out of the station, walk north along Cockfosters Road, past the BP Garage (with M&S).

We will be meeting at the front of the eastbound platform at Acton Town at 11:45am, leaving at 11:50am, to catch the Piccadilly Line to Cockfosters.

Parking: Parking is available but is likely to be very limited. Given the proximity of Trent Park to Cockfosters underground station, use of public transport is therefore strongly recommended.
The main car parking facility is at the Cockfosters Road entrance to Trent Park. Alternatively, parking may be available at a private car park close to the Southgate Hockey Centre at the top of Snakes Lane (post code EN4 0PS).
PLEASE NOTE: While both of these car parks will be marshalled, we do not have the resources to constantly monitor the number of spaces available at each one. Therefore, those driving to the event will need to decide which car park to park in and be prepared to drive to the other if the first location is full. Please note this will involve a journey of 2 miles. Please ensure you leave plenty of time in advance to allow for this and follow the directions of the marshals.
Cars must not be parked on any of the roads within Trent Park.
Trent Park closes at sunset, which will be at approximately 16:20. The gate at the Cockfosters Road entrance is usually closed at this time.
UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD DRIVERS PARK ON THE SURROUNDING ROADS. Anyone parking in local roads will risk damaging our ability to hold future events at this venue.

Directions from major roads:
Cockfosters Road (A111) entrance; approximately two miles to the south of Junction 24 of the M25, on the left hand side, or just over half a mile to the north of the junction of the A111 and A110 (Bramley Road), on the right hand side (sat nav EN4 0JZ).

Snakes Lane car park; located to the north of the A110 Bramley Road/Enfield Road, almost directly opposite Oakwood underground station and close to Trent Park Golf Club (sat nav EN4 0PS).

Timetable:

12:45 Under 11 Boys and Under 11 Girls (1,500 metres approx.)
12:55 Under 13 Boys (3,000 metres approx.)
13:00 Under 13 Girls (3,000 metres approx.)
Not before 13:20 Under 17 Men and Under 15 Boys (4,000 metres approx.)
Not before 13:25 Under 17 Women and Under 15 Girls (4,000 metres approx.)
Not before 13:55 Senior/Veteran/Under 20 Women (6,000 metres approx.)
Not before 14:35 Senior/Veteran/Under 20 Men (8,000 metres approx.)

Please ensure you wear a white Eagles top.

If you have not run Met League before this year or did not pre-register, please make a note of your EA number ( https://myathletics.englandathletics.org/licencecheck/ )

 

Marshals needed for XC on Sunday 15th January in Watford

In the past we have assisted Watford Joggers at the Cross Country event at Cassiobury Park by providing marshals.  As we don't host our own event other clubs who do host rely on clubs like us to help out.

We have been asked by Watford Joggers to provide 10 marshals at their event on Sunday 15th January.  At the moment only three people have volunteered so if anyone else is free can you please comment on the Facebook post or email race@ealingeagles.com.

The race starts at 10:30 and is approx 5 miles so it would be expected that you'd need to turn up around 10am and be available for a couple of hours.

If you need to do a long run that day why not run to Watford and someone who is driving can take some warm clothes for afterwards?!!

Thank you Eagles!

Jenny Baker Book Event 24th January

We run for lots of reasons - to get fit, to challenge ourselves, to eat more cake. But did you know that running could also be a secret weapon that equips you to deal with the challenges that life throws at you?

Come and be inspired by two women who found running helped them through life-changing illness and then get their lives back afterwards.

Louise Breckon-Richards is an actor who lost her voice, and therefore her livelihood and her means of creative expression. Training for the London Marathon helped her cope with the trauma as she waited to see experts and have surgery, not knowing if she’d ever be able to sing again. She has turned her story into a play, Can You Hear Me Running?, which ran at The Pleasance in London to great acclaim in 2016. 

Jenny Baker is an Ealing Eagle who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015. She set herself the challenge of running to all her chemotherapy sessions, seven miles along the river to Charing Cross Hospital. Those runs started as an act of defiance and denial but became a source of life and hope, enabling her to rewrite the story of what was happening to her. Her book, Run For Your Life, about running and cancer was published on 1 January 2017 by Pitch Publishing. 

Louise and Jenny will talk about their experiences and there will be an opportunity to ask questions. Copies of Jenny’s book will be available on the night.

This event is planned for Tuesday 24th January at 7.30pm, at the New Inn. 

Marathon Training for VLM - Blog One!

Wow....to think three weeks ago I had no idea I might be running VLM and now I'm gearing myself up to start training next week. Who would have thunk it?!

As most of you know I've had a year of bad health and this is going to be a massive challenge BUT it is a challenge I am totally delighted to be given a chance to complete....thank you so much EAGLES X

Just a bit of background for those who don't know me. I started running v slowly in March 2013. Up until August 2012 I had been hugely overweight and knew something needed to change. I started dieting and walking. After losing three stone I decided to start to run. By run I mean I did couch to 5k on my own down streets I thought were quiet enough to ensure no one would see me! Eventually I ventured to parkrun and from there met Nicola Miller who introduced me to the Eagles ( though it took me another few months to get the courage to go to club run) ... However from that point it was history.

To begin with I had a wonderfully smooth ride, PB after PB and I was loving it. The last two years unfortunately have been a mixed bag for me which included four operations and I got whooping cough. My times are hugely slower than they were but I'm back! 2017 is going to be my year and even though my goals are very different from what they would have been if I had got a place two years ago, I am going to smash this marathon!

As well as running I'm a mum of four. Two of them join me at parkrun and all four of them ran Summer league for the Eagles this year making me a very proud mum! They are very excited that this year they will be coming up to VLM to support their mum running it!

I'm excited and I'm really nervous. It's huge but it's amazing. I have so much to do. My diet needs an overhaul and I need to build my strength right back up. I am so lucky to have Mark Yabsley agree to coach me and I know how much expertise we have in the club to call on....so thanks in advance!

I start on the 2nd with a rest day and then it's game on!

Andy's First Blog!

It hardly seems possible but it’s already over two weeks since our Christmas party, where a chance encounter with a Kinder Egg container has shaped the next four months of my life.  That was a wonderful night, and my incredible good fortune was enhanced by the many good wishes and congratulations I received.  Thank you.

So as 2017 gets under way, and a frenetic December social calendar gives way into a rather more sober January, I was reminded of why I got into this running business in the first place. 
The slow but steady expansion of the stomach is a plight familiar to many a man who awakens one morning to find himself progressed well into the disquieting epoch that is his mid- forties. There is the dawning realisation that no longer being in your thirties comes at a price. That price being worse hangovers, mysterious random twinges and the ever-expanding midriff.

I find all gyms tedious, and many pretentious, so I gave running a go instead.  Like so many others I started with a ‘couch to 5K’ and was a little doubtful it would be the right exercise for me.  But much to my surprise I enjoyed it and started to notice real progress fairly quickly.  Running became addictive, but a good, healthy addiction.  

Before long I discovered Parkrun and started to notice Eagle vests everywhere I ran.  I’m not sure how many times I visited the old website before I finally joined the club and apprehensively headed to the ‘Eagle bench’ one Monday evening.  But I needn’t have worried – everyone was very welcoming and friendly.

It’s now over three and half years since that couch to 5K started me off, and running is now so much more than an alternative to the gym.  It is new friends, a running community, volunteering, and the excitement of receiving race packs.

And now it’s about starting training for my second marathon.  I ran Edinburgh in 2015 and it wasn’t exactly brilliant.  An old knee injury flared up at mile 20 meaning the last six miles were painfully slow – quite literally.  I hobbled across the finish line at 4 hours 30 minutes.   

I’m hoping for a lot better in London, but injury prevention will be a very important consideration for me.  I don’t fancy another Edinburgh. 

However, I need to find something to write about in the weeks ahead, so I’ll leave details of my less than arduous relationship with the foam roller for a future blog.

For now it’s a big thank you for the opportunity, and the best of luck to my fellow ballot winners, and all other Eagles with marathons and races this year. 

No doubt I’ll see you out there…

This Running Blog Does Not Feature Any Running...

Week 0 - No miles

I've done a fair bit of running in the last few years but I hope 2017 is going to be a new start in more ways than one. Winning a London Marathon place in the club ballot was the best Christmas present that I could have hoped for, and it will mean the fulfillment of one of my major running goals. I think this will give me my mojo back just when I need it. When it is done, I may never run a marathon again.  This time should be enough to tell me if I can ever achieve a sub three hour or if I should just let that go. I don't feel quite so bothered about that any more, anyway. Running doesn't consume me in quite the way that it used to.

I have always considered myself to be a little on the heavy side for a long distance runner and I think I would do pretty well if there were such a thing as weight grading. I knew that in the tropics there are many viruses and bacteria that help you lose weight quickly, so while in Sri Lanka I got one of each. The weight I lost from two days of not being able to eat at all plus a few more of having very little food is the equivalent of running a fair few miles I think. Having had both a viral respiratory infection and a high fever, I have been strongly advised not to start running for another week. I will be starting my training after a month off running.

The good news, for my training at least, is that I have neither the money nor the annual leave to go away anywhere in the next four months, or even to be able to do anything vaguely exciting enough to distract me from running. I have had trouble finding the dedication to put the necessary training into a marathon, which is probably why three out of four of them have been a disaster in one way or another. It definitely wasn't a good idea training for one at the same time as doing a half marathon challenge, for example. I don't think it's a coincidence that my only good marathon - which I actually won in 3:07- was after a summer when I had done no long races.

My training this time is going to be mostly boring, so I hope that I can find enough to blog about. It's going to be mostly solo runs, mostly local because I travelled way too much for races last year, and definitely no overstretching myself. What I can say is that I'm going to be as dedicated as I can be, and I'm going to give this one my best shot by doing it the proper way this time. I feel very privileged to be running such a big race on behalf of the club so I'm going do as well as I possibly can.

Good luck to my fellow ballot winners and to everyone else that will be training for a marathon in the next few months. Thanks very much to everyone in the club for making me feel like I really lucked out joining the Ealing Eagles. If I had not joined, I wouldn’t have signed up for even one marathon.

So, no running this week. Probably not much next week as well. It means I've got somewhere to

build myself up from.

Harry's First Blog

When I received the confirmation email with my number, 22396, it suddenly became all the more real; barring injury, I was running the 2017 Virgin London marathon. I had lucked out with the final ‘Charlie Bucket’ Ealing Eagle ballot place, and I would get to run as an Eagle in the black and white vest, though it would mean turning my hand to blogging for the first time. I’ll first give a bit of context.

My running journey started thanks to Kelvin; I couldn’t pass up the chance to run in the first ever Ealing Half Marathon in 2012.  Shortly after that half marathon, I heard about Parkrun for the first time, andI thought it was just a brilliant concept.  I remember the last three miles of that first half as absolute agony, but was proud to have scraped in under 2 hours, and set myself the challenge to up the training and beat the time the following year. This continued year after year, and in 2015 I decided I needed the help of the running club that used to run past the end of my road as I picked up my children from beavers. After 3 months I even managed to take part in a club run. It worked, and wearing the vest for the first time in a race and getting cheered on by strangers was emotional.

Buoyed with beating my time for the 4th time at the EHM I started entering other events, the Twickenham 10 miler, the Serpie’s New Year’s Day 10k and for the first time I continued to run regularly through the winter. I got to know more Eagles and many would talk about the Welsh Castles Relay experience. I didn’t think I would fast enough to make the team, but I also thought I might never be as fit again, and it motivated me to redouble the training. I was overjoyed to make the team, and it didn’t disappoint. Not just the race, but the way the whole event leads to new friendships. The picture is me just after the end of my leg; my expression says it all. Even spending 17 hours on the Sunday very slowly making back to Ealing with a broken minibus showed what a friendly club this is.

It wasn’t that long ago that I couldn’t imagine running further than a half marathon. Before I get accused of sandbagging, back in my youth I wasn’t a bad rugby player; I wasn’t the quickest, strongest or most skilful, but I had what football pundits would call ‘a good engine’ and as a flankerI would tear about for 80 minutes trying to get to every breakdown first. But running for 3 or 4 hours is quite different, and I am now a few years older.

So what changed? Well this year at the EHM I managed to run a negative split and finish strong for the first time, high fiving children in the last mile, and in record time. I’d upped the training, and run two other half marathons either side of EHM, and despite my concerns and various aches and twinges, the body had held together. I even managed to run slightly further than 13.1 miles in a training run. With a newly acquired Garmin and Strava account, and now familiar with terms like ITB, plantar fasciitis, maranoia and shit-stop, I was finally considering myself – whisper it –  a ‘runner’. I’d enjoyed taking part in different races – relays in the summer evening in Richmond park, the mayhem of a cross country start, the world famous West Walk half marathon, – and found myself reading and listening to the marathon exploits of other eagles enviously.

I still strap my knees up, and my feet were sore at the end of my longest ever run on Monday of 26k, but no-one said it was going to be easy. If I don’t try I’ll never find out. My training plan needs to fit round family life, which means some early mornings and running up the Grand Union canal while my daughter has netball training. So far it is going well, with a new 5k and 10k PB at the Serpie’s Last Friday of the Month and the New Year’s Day race this week. I’ll keep you posted.

Feedback for the New Year

2016 has been another great year for the Eagles and we're sure 2017 will be an even better one.

Having said that, we're sure most people have an idea or suggestion that could improve the club in some way in 2017.

If you have got an idea, no matter how small, please comment below or, if you prefer, drop an e-mail to Thom at chair@ealingeagles.com. 

Our only request is that you are realistic and bear in mind the restrictions the club must work within financially and logistically - e.g. building a club house with a 400m track in Lammas Park would be great but not really viable (at the moment)!

Festive Season Training!

Please note that over the festive period (w/c 26th December and w/c 2nd January), we are not guaranteeing run leaders and tail runners for Monday and Wednesday club runs, or any coached sessions as all our leaders and coaches have Christmas commitments as you would expect!  

Therefore please keep an eye on Facebook to see who wants to run so that you can make arrangements, and if you do go to the Green at the usual times, please be aware there may well be fewer runners than usual as everyone is busy tucking into leftovers or playing with their new toys. 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from everyone on the committee!

London Marathon Ballot Winners!

And we have our winners! 

The successful Eagles taking the four club ballot places for the 2017 London Marathon were drawn out of the hat at the Christmas Party on Saturday. And the winners are.....

Catherine Mulrenan, Andy Mahony, Chris Lambert and Harry Claxton! 

The reserves are Jesal Thakker and John Barry. 

Well done to the winners and a big thank you to all the entrants for all they have done for the club over the past few months as part of their ballot entries. 

Catherine, Andy, Chris and Harry will be writing training blog diaries which will appear on the website as they come in. 

Good luck everyone! 

Juniors Volunteers Wanted!

A small but dedicated team led by Kelvin Walker, Jennifer Watt, James de Vivenot and Lisa Dumais have been running the first ever Junior Eagles sessions for the last couple of months.

It has been a huge success so far and they want that success to continue.

For that to happen they would love some more volunteers.

The 'Running Jumping Throwing' sessions run on Mondays in Elthorne Park at 7pm and an endurance running session is currently being trialled on Wednesdays in Lammas park from 6:30 (so you can still do club run!).

If you would like more information or to sign up regularly or ad-hoc please contact any of the Juniors leaders, or contact the Eagles Coaching Coordinator (Ben Cale) on Facebook or at coaching@ealingeagles.com.

Daytime Training Opportunities

The majority of weekday club training sessions take place in the evenings but it is clear from Facebook posts and the popularity of the Thursday day time beginners’ sessions that there is scope to offer options for training at other times, during weekdays, particularly during school hours.

The following training options will be offered to club members for a trial period from January to March 2017.

Improvers Course Mondays at 10am
Have you completed the club beginners programme or otherwise able to run 5.5k?

Currently running at or willing to run at a pace of 8min/k (parkrun 5k in 40mins)?

Want to run faster and further?

Improvers is a 12 week course starting on Monday 9 January which will aim to progress Eagles from running 5.5k to running 10k and to provide an introduction to speed work. There is no requirement to attend all the sessions but you will make most progress if you do and you will also be expected to do “homework” outside the Monday sessions as part of a training plan for 10k. The length of the sessions will necessarily depend on the distance being run that day but you should allow from about an hour to 1 ½ hours. Most sessions will meet at Blondin Park with a bag drop at The Fields, 295 Northfield Ave and there will be occasional socials after some of the sessions.

More information will be provided in a Facebook post each week.

For those who would like a target race, there is a 10k race on Saturday 1 April in Richmond Park – entry fee £18.70 (inc admin fee). It is well-organised but unfortunately does not provide a discount for club affiliated members. https://thefixevents.com/run-richmond-park-5k-and-10k-race-4-2017

Daytime Osterley Track Fridays at 10am
“Track” may sound hardcore but it is one of the easiest sessions for people of different paces to join in together because everyone stays in the same place rather than being strung out in a continuous run.

Come along and do that intervals session in your training plan; try out track sessions suggested for Tuesday track; or simply come and find out what it’s all about and get some ideas for your own track sessions from one of the more experienced Eagles there.

Meeting time and place Fridays 10am at Osterley track, Osterley Sports & Athletics Centre, 120 Wood Lane, Isleworth, TW7 5FG. There is a Track fee (£2.80) payable at reception before coming on the Track. There are also lockers available for a refundable £1.

More information will be provided in a Facebook post each week.

National Cross Country Championship Entries

We are now taking entries for the National Cross Country Championships which take place at Wollaton Park, Nottingham on Saturday 25th February 2017.

Under 17 Women Championship (5K) at 11.00 am
(Ages 15 & 16 years as at 31st August 2016)

Under 15 Boys Championship (4.5K) at 11.25 am.
(Ages 13 & 14 years as at 31st August 2016)

Junior Women Championship (6K) at 11.45 am
(Ages 17, 18 & 19 years as at 31st August 2016)

Under 13 Girls Championship (3K) at 12.15 pm
(Ages 11 & 12 years as at 31st August 2016 (11 years on the day of competition)).

Under 17 Men Championship (6K) at 12.35 pm
(Ages 15 & 16 years as at 31st August 2016)

Under 15 Girls Championship (4K) at 1.00 pm.
(Ages 13 & 14 years as at 31st August 2016)

Junior Men Championship (10K) at 1.20 pm
(Ages 17, 18 & 19 years as at 31st August 2016)

Under 13 Boys Championship (3K) at 2.05 pm
(Ages 11 & 12 years as at 31st August 2016 (11 years on the day of competition))

Senior Women Championship (8K) at 2.20 pm
(Age must exceed 20 years as at 31st August 2016)

Senior Men Championship (12K) at 3.00 pm
(Age must exceed 20 years as at 31st August 2016)

If you would like to run, please e-mail chair@ealingeagles.com by Sunday 8th January 2017 with the following information:
Full name
Date of birth
EA number

Do Some Good With Your Old Shoes!

Have you got an old pair of trainers which you no longer need? Do you need an excuse to buy a new pair?

Ealing Soup Kitchen are in desperate need of more pairs of trainers for their clients. Unfortunately foot health is a big problem for homeless people, and a good pair of shoes can make a huge difference to someone in need.

Ruth Dixon Del Tufo, owner of one of the best names in the club and general all around good egg, will be at the social next Wednesday at the New Inn with a bag to collect in any old shoes you want to donate.

As they are for people to walk in, not run, they don't need to be in racing condition, but please make sure they haven't got the soles hanging off or holes in - the idea is to help people keep their feet warm and dry. Please tie them in pairs by the laces as that will make life easier for Ruth and the people at the Ealing Soup Kitchen. 

Go on, do someone a good turn this Christmas with something you no longer need but could make a massive difference to them. 

And Merry Christmas! 

Met League XC Information - Wormwood Scrubs - Saturday 3rd Dec.

Race times - 
1.55pm - Senior Ladies : 6km
2.35pm - Senior Men : 8km
(Please see course maps below)

Location - Wormwood Scrubs, W12 0HU
There are toilets, showers and changing rooms available.
Hot drinks and refreshments will be available in the TVH clubhouse by the track.
Wormwood Scrubs is a 15 mins walk from East Acton station
(Please see map below)

Meeting Point -
The juniors will have been running earlier in the day and will have set up a flag tarp so please look out for this.
If you can please try to arrive 30 mins before your race starts so we can ensure that numbers are distributed in good time.

If you have not run Met League before, or indicated that you might be running on Saturday, please make a note of your EA number as we'll need this for the declaration sheets.

Finally, please remember to bring a WHITE Eagle top and safety pins.

Middlesex Masters Cross Country Championships

The Middlesex Masters Cross Country Championships will take place on Sunday 19th February at Berkeley Fields, Berkeley Avenue, Greenford, Middx, UB6 0NZ

Please note the age requirements:

Ladies - 35 and over

Men - 40 and over

Race details are as follows :-

10.30am : Men 40-59 (9km approx)

11.15am : Men over 60 and all women over 35 (6km approx.)

Athletes should come to the event ready changed as there are no changing or shower facilities. Toilets in the clubhouse. No spikes to be worn in the clubhouse.

If you would like to run, please e-mail chair@ealingeagles.com by Sunday 29th January with the following information:

Full name

Date of birth

EA number

Mobile number if you would like the time sent to you by text

Whether county qualification is by birth (B) or residency (R). Residency qualification is obtained by having nine months continuous bona fide residence in the County immediately prior to the date of the race.

London Marathon Ballot Deadline Looming!

Below is all the information regarding the London Marathon ballot.

IF YOU WISH TO APPLY FOR THE BALLOT PLEASE EMAIL RACE@EALINGEAGLES.COM CONFIRMING YOU MEET ALL THE CRITERIA, YOU AGREE TO THE CONDITIONS STATED BELOW, AND PROVIDE THE DETAILS OF YOUR POINTS.  THE DEADLINE IS THURSDAY 1ST DECEMBER 2016.

As affiliates of England Athletics, Ealing Eagles receives a number of places for the Virgin Money London Marathon (VMLM) each year. These places are available to members via a club ballot.

BALLOT CRITERIA

Members who wish to enter the club ballot for places in April 2017 must meet following criteria at the time of the ballot (Dec 2016):

• Be a fully-paid member of the Ealing Eagles Running Club since the start of the membership year of the ballot (1st May 2016)
• Be an England Athletics member (for those who run with more than one club, you must have been a first-claim member with the Ealing Eagles from 1st May 2016)
• Have been a member for at least 12 months as at 30th November 2016
• Have been entered and rejected from the public ballot (proof of rejection required)
• Have not won a VMLM place via the Ealing Eagles club ballot in the last three yearly ballots
• Are not eligible for a Good for Age entry, which can be guaranteed directly with the VMLM organisers
• Did not run in the previous years VMLM (i.e. 2016)

POINTS SYSTEM

This year, we are trialling a points system relating to being an active participant of the club. Below are the categories which you can earn points in. You can earn points from any or all of these, we only ask that you volunteer at least twice.

• Tail Run (1pt each, max of 5pts) - It is the tailrunners responsibility that their tailrun is recorded on the website and to contact the committee to request that the schedule is updated if they step in at the last minute
• Volunteer at Ealing Eagles Sessions/Events (1pt each, min 2pts, max 10pts) - For example Ealing Eagles 10km, 10/20 mile training runs, beginners groups, leading or assisting at coaching sessions, Summer League, XC, etc.
• Compete in Summer League, XC Sunday or Met League (1pt each, max 5pts)
• Compete in Club Championship Events (1pt each, max 5pts) - Excluding Summer League and XC Sunday or Met Leagues
• Compete as an Ealing Eagle wearing the club vest in any other race (1pt each, max 5 points) - Excluding parkrun

For the 2017 ballot, the qualifying period is 1st May - 30 November 2016, therefore a minimum of 8pts (including 2 volunteer points) is required to qualify.

For the 2018 ballot, the qualifying period is 1st December 2016 - 30 November 2017 and a minimum of 15pts (including 2 volunteer points) will be required.

Members must also agree to the following in advance of winning a ballot place:

• Pay the VMLM entry fee
• Continue to be an active participant in the club training sessions, especially the longer Sunday runs throughout the period leading up to race day
• Write a short news article or blog for the club website every 2 weeks during the marathon training and once after the race
• Wear an Ealing Eagles vest on race day (high-fives to the cheer squad are optional)

EALING EAGLES CLUB BALLOT ENTRY FOR VMLM 2017 CLOSES AT MIDNIGHT ON THURSDAY 1st DECEMBER 2016

IF YOU WISH TO APPLY FOR THE BALLOT PLEASE EMAIL RACE@EALINGEAGLES.COM CONFIRMING YOU MEET ALL THE CRITERIA, YOU AGREE TO THE CONDITIONS AND PROVIDE THE DETAILS OF YOUR POINTS

Eagles Christmas Party!

Get your tickets to the hottest party in town! 

Take a look in our newly created social events shop, and buy your tickets now for the Eagles Christmas Party 2016! 

The party this year will once again be at the Union Bar at Chiswick Park and there will be fun, food, music, dancing, and booze. 

Tickets are £25 each and will be on sale until Sunday 11th December - make sure you get them before they all go! 

Junior Section Volunteers Wanted

A small but dedicated team led by Kelvin Walker, Jennifer Watt, James de Vivenot and Lisa Dumais have been running the first ever Junior Eagles sessions for the last couple of months.

It has been a huge success so far and they want that success to continue.

For that to happen they would love some more volunteers.

The 'Running Jumping Throwing' sessions run on Mondays in Elthorne Park at 7pm and an endurance running session is currently being trialled on Wednesdays in Lammas park from 6:30 (so you can still do club run!).

If you would like more information or to sign up regularly or ad-hoc please contact any of the Juniors leaders, or contact the Eagles Coaching Coordinator (Ben Cale) on Facebook or at coaching@ealingeagles.com.