Ride London Volunteers

Cycling Eagles we need you!

With the ballot places for Prudential Ride 100 being announced this week we are looking at suppling a volunteer team for the event for those that weren't successful but would still like to be a part it!

If we volunteer as a group, we will all be assigned a role where everyone can be together in the same location which will make for a great day.

Also if we can get 10 or more people we could potentially get a guaranteed entries into the 2018 Prudential RideLondon 100-mile event or other rewards for the club.

It's just a matter of interest at the moment but if you are keen please make yourself known so we can give a rough number to the organisers of people we can supply over the weekend, the dates are 28-30 July 2017.

More info on the event can be found at https://www.prudentialridelondon.co.uk/about/faqs/ (copy and paste into browser!). 

Get Involved - Volunteer for your Club

Ealing Eagles Running Club is entirely run by volunteers. You all know that, but did you know how many volunteers it takes to keep the club running (pun absolutely and unapologetically intended!)?

Well, there are 7 committee members for a start. Then two club runs every week, which each have a leader and two tail runners. That's 13. We then have coached sessions on a Tuesday and Thursday, so that's two more. Plus the Improver's sessions, which are commonly two additional coached sessions a week. That takes us up to 17. We also have 4 club members who manage the Junior section and two cross country captains. Plus the person who collates all the club champs information. Plus Mr. Kit, the fabulous Piers Express.

That's a bare minimum of 25 volunteers needed each week to keep this club of over 700 members going. That's over 1,000 opportunities to volunteer every year, most of which are filled by the same small group of amazing regular volunteers. 

And that doesn't even count the additional volunteers we need for the Juniors and Beginner's sessions. It doesn't include the 10k committee, or the team who arrange the Gunnersbury summer league. It doesn't include captains for events like the Welsh Castles or the Green Belt. It doesn't include the people who bring the tea urn and cakes to events. And it doesn't include all the club coaches who work behind the scenes putting together training plans and meeting with their coachees in their spare time. 

If you can, please consider getting involved on a voluntary basis with the club. There are loads of things you can do - these include:

• Run leader for club run - check out the schedule under the training section on the Eagles Nest and just add your name! You just need to turn up on time, welcome new people, make the weekly announcements, and lead some stretches at the end (or ask a pal to do that). More info under 'volunteer roles' on the Eagles Nest. Please note if you would like to be a run leader, send us a quick email to info@ealingeagles.com so we can add you to the email list and the Google sheet we use for new members and announcements.
• Tail running - even easier - you just need to add your name to the same schedule as above, turn up on time, and run at the pace of the slowest runner for the short or long club run. You get a nice chat and an enormous sense of well-being from helping people along. 
• Volunteer with the beginners - Wei Hei runs the beginner's like a well oiled machine, but she can't do it on her own! Volunteers are always needed so that different groups can run at the same session. If you're not sure what it's all about email us or offer to run with the beginners at parkrun first to get an idea of how it works. Again you get that chat and the pleasure of helping someone on their way.   
• Eagles 10k - you can volunteer to help organise this event, or volunteer on the day as a marshal or a water station attendant, or lots of other things! 
• Coaching - the club offers support for members who would like to support the club by achieving the recognised LiRF and CiRF qualifications. Volunteers are also always welcome to assist the coaches at specific sessions. Contact coaching@ealingeagles.com if you would like to help or are interested in gaining a coaching qualification. 
• Juniors - the juniors section meets on Monday evenings and still needs volunteers. Is Monday your rest day? There you go then! 

To volunteer for any of the above roles, register your interest by emailing us at info@ealingeagles.com. Other opportunities for specific events come up all the time, so keep an eye out on the newsletter and Facebook. 

Run, Eat, Sleep, Repeat

Why do I do this to myself?  It is a question I have been asked a few times lately.  People wonder why I need to run so much when it leaves me so tired all the time and often not as cheery as I could be.  I feel like I have a responsibility, and it is motivating in a way that I have to write about my training because I need to have some training to write about.  Just don't expect me to be jolly about it all the time.

Week 3 - 70 miles

I started my third training week feeling like I was getting back into the groove.  I started it off Monday with one of my favourite runs for training, though not one that's on any plans that I've seen.  I go from work along the canals to Primrose Hill, run up it three times as fast as I dare and then run back again.  Tuesday I was supposed to do track but I was on a course the other side of London and it seemed like the last thing I wanted to do afterwards.  One thing marathon training does is make me feel guilty for being tired.  Some outside force seemed to want to redress the balance, however.  On Wednesday, I ran to work on the most treacherous winter morning I have experienced, where the pavements were white with ice and I needed to watch my footing the whole way.  I realised near the end that I had left my wallet and home and I needed it for a work social event.  The only thing for it was to run home again lunchtime to get it.  On the homeward leg I was sweating with a hat and gloves on and then I was cold going the other way after I took them off.  It shows what difference covering up the extremities makes.  After that, I had money for the evening but it left me so shattered that I didn't enjoy it at all.  

It left me with a low on Thursday that I could only cure by running again.  I did my tempo route, happy that on the fast section I was getting back towards normality, if not quite good form yet.  Friday I was determined to get back the track session that I had missed.  I was tired before my run to work and even more tired afterwards, so I really had to force myself to do it.  The Linford Christie Stadium is conveniently near to work and I can do my warm up jogging there.  My training plan said to do 1000m reps but with only 200m recoveries.  That was not nice.  With not enough rest in between, each one steadily wore me down until I gave up after six.

Sunday I joined Harry, James L, Santry and Rob for a long run.  After all the races I did last year, I am now reluctant to get up early on a weekend for running.  I'm glad I did though, not least because it was timed well for the weather.  We went over Barnes Bridge and to Richmond Park, doing a loop back through the middle and bits of it I didn't know, then through Mortlake and along the river to Kew.  In Richmond Park there were a ton of runners, and the tracks are nice and soft for training at this time of year.  It was an enjoyable route and a great run.  It was good to have company.  It is a bit different running with others because you can't just fall into your own pace anymore.  Perhaps that is a better way of doing it, to improve your natural pace rather than rely on it.  It was 16.5 miles when we got back to Ealing Green and I could hardly not do the extra two to put my weekly total above 70, which happens to be the distance back home.  It felt good to get my first proper long run done, though I was feeling sore and thought I should take it a bit easier the next week.

Week 4 - 61 miles

The dull tiredness diminished and I started getting a bit antsier.  I preferred it the way it was before.  I upped my food intake with whatever rubbish I felt like eating and it made me a bit more energetic.  Eating a lot compelled me to run and vice versa, turning the whole thing into a real addiction that eclipsed my other vices.  At least I was starting to feel I had regained a bit of strength in my legs so it felt like it was going well.  

I like to start the week with a bit of cross-country on the Scrubs, which is getting muddier all the time.  I have found it enjoyable even on tired legs.  Tuesday is track, this week at the Linford Christie again, and I find the longer, more endurance-based marathon training sessions to be completely exhausting but beneficial.  Wednesday is longer, slower stuff to recover.  Thursday was time to try something quicker again, but I felt soreness around my right hip where I had my problems before.  My body was telling me no, but I still would have gone if it wasn’t for a colleague that wanted to go for a run with me, so I had a short gentle one instead.  The way I see it, doing the training properly isn’t following the plan to the letter, it’s knowing when to ease off.  I had got carried away and forgotten that.

It was time to test my parkrun chops after a long absence.  I was still mostly asleep when I got to Gunnersbury Park and the only thing motivating me to get round was the prospect of going back to bed.  I blew up after a mile or so, my shins screaming at me because I hadn’t warmed them up properly, but my hip felt fine.  I finished in 19:20, nowhere near a good time for me but OK I guess as the first one in a while.  For me, the only way to get fast at parkrun is to do parkruns.  The last run of another tiring week was my first 20 miler of the training.  I did it in a simple and boring way by running up the canal for 10 miles then going straight back again.  The canal is bleak at this time of year and a bit featureless at the best of times, so the miles felt really stretched out.  It was harder to keep the pace in the last quarter but I kept even splits.   I finished up shattered and hurting all over.   I had a sports massage afterwards that was as painful as anything.  All my muscles were stiff and sore, and it proved what I had suspected, that I had become tense physically as well as mentally.  If I’m going to stay injury-free, I need to keep my limbs loose, so I need more of the stretching for which I struggle to find the motivation.

The training so far has been difficult and draining but I get reward in thinking that I’m getting closer to being someone that can finish a marathon, and hopefully in a good time as well.  I'm not on as much of a downer now that I'm getting used to it.  I don’t want to let the club down, but I know I need to be careful.  In hindsight, maybe I shouldn’t have gone from zero miles to 70 in three weeks.  It feels a bit more fun when it’s a learning experience.

So Good I Ran it Twice

It is with no small sense of relief that I announce the accursed hamstring injury as being no more.  The strange knee pain is also gone, thanks to some good advice from physio Michelle Tanner and some tough love with my ITB.  The Achilles Tendinopathy is no longer a problem either.  I can’t afford another injury because I’ll end up spending so much time on preventive exercises there’ll be no bloody time left to run.

But I am running and enjoying it too.  I’m sticking to coach Jesal’s plan because that’s the general idea with plans.  Jesal and I agree a few adjustments every couple of weeks based on the feedback I provide (normally over a hot beverage somewhere in Ealing Broadway).  This has led to things like going for a time at the forthcoming Cambridge Half rather than just running it at training pace.  Last week totalled 24 miles with my long run a particularly exciting one.  More about that in a moment.

I have also taken to colouring in my plan as I complete each training session.  Whilst I say ‘colouring in’ there are no crayons involved, the Fill Color (sic) button in Excel does the trick.   I do this for two reasons: firstly there’s great satisfaction in seeing a visual representation of my progress, and secondly I just like colouring things in.

In my efforts to fit my life in around marathon training (as oppose to the other way round) different days of the week have taken on different meanings. Currently Mondays mean rest, Wednesdays cross-training and so on.  Whilst this will change around to provide some variety as my plan progresses, for most of us ballot winners and others in marathon training Sunday will always mean the long run.

Those of us on Strava need only glance at our Flybys to see just how many people are out there getting the long miles in on a Sunday morning. For me this has meant incorporating the Sunday morning ten mile club run into my training.   Until now my club runs had more or less been limited to the ‘long run’ on Monday and Wednesday evenings.  However, I am now a big fan of this Sunday morning run too and I’m likely to remain in regular attendance after I’ve recovered from the marathon.

As you can see from this picture it attracts a good number of Eagles (some particularly eager Eagles had already set-off (fled the nest?) before Catherine Mulrenan kindly took this picture). The route takes in Walpole, Lammas, Gunnersbury, Syon and Blondin parks, plus a wonderfully scenic stretch along the river – where everyone bemoans the uneven terrain and the fact that ‘it goes on forever’.  It’s true, we do and I’ve said it myself.  But I love it really.

Even if you are adding miles to the beginning or end of the run (and it’s often both) there is still a good ten miles where you can chat to other Eagles.   On the few runs I’ve now attended the conversation has included: injuries, underwear, getting enough sleep, tooth ache, people’s bottoms,  holidays, coaching, alcohol, Donald Trump, weight loss and the new Train Spotting film. Oh, and running.

Recently the conversation came round to ‘things people have said to you whilst you’re running’.  It seems these range from the tedious ‘Ello darlin' to the more offensive that I won’t repeat here. 

I was recently subjected to a rather bizarre outburst whilst running along Northfield Avenue.  I passed a teenage girl who appeared surgically attached to her mobile.  She looked up momentarily as I passed her by, and with a look of utter revulsion shouted: “Uurrrghh!”

I thought this was a bit harsh.  I may not look my best towards of the end of a run (how many of us do?) but surely this was a bit strong?  Perhaps she was just reacting to something on her phone.  I will keep telling myself that.

I couldn’t make last week’s Sunday morning club run.  However, I wasn’t too tearful because the reason for my absence was a trip to New York City.  This meant my Sunday morning run was two and a bit laps of Central Park (13 miles – the first ten at training pace and the final three at marathon pace).  I’d never been to New York before, but was hoping for better encouragement than that afforded by Northfields’ adolescent smartphone addicts.

Central Park is a great place to run.  Rachel joined me for the first few miles to give me both encouragement and helpful directions – though if you’re following ‘the six mile loop’ it’s almost impossible to get lost.  Rachel’s VLM top got a lot of impressed looks and she became convinced that people started to consciously improve their form upon seeing the words ‘London Marathon’. I’m not sure what they made of my Eagles’ top.  I’m hoping they thought it was an American Eagle and so rather liked it.

There were a lot of runners in the park and my Strava Flyby looks like a swarm of bees, with over 120 people on it.  It seems I also ran through a segment called ‘horse shit alley’ which sounds a lot worse than it is.

Despite the high number of runners in the park, there is a large amount of space and no bottlenecks anywhere.  I also noticed that non-runners always give way to runners, which is very nice of them.  There are a couple of hills to challenge you too, and I was half way up one and facing a headwind when my Garmin told me I’d completed 10 miles and it was time to up my pace.  Nonetheless the last three miles felt good, probably helped by the joy of running in such great surroundings.  By far the best bit was getting to mile 13 to find Rachel waiting for me with drinks (note bottom left of picture!).  Now that’s how you finish a 13 mile run in Central Park, and it was also a great finish to another week’s training.

Next week Osterley track and the streets of Ealing may not seem quite the same as Central Park.  Though to be fair, there’s bound to be a bit less horse poo…

Cross Country Double Weekend : 11th & 12th February

The final cross country league fixtures take place this weekend with the Eagles in a position to win promotion or silverware in both leagues so it’s vital we get as many runners out over the two days as possible.  Even if you don’t score in an Eagles team you still make a vital contribution by pushing other clubs’ runners further down the classification.

Saturday 11th - Met League Cross Country - Alexandra Palace

Venue: Alexandra Park, Alexandra Palace Way, London N22 7AY. The start is close to park entrance by junction of Park Road, Muswell Hill and Alexandra Palace Way.
Note: there are no toilets at the course.

Race HQ: The Pavillion, North Middx Cricket Club, Park Road, London N8 8JJ

There are changing facilities and showers at race HQ.

HQ to course walk time: 1.25km, approx 15 mins

Course description: A mainly flat open course but with one long, steep hill (run more than once by the senior men and women) up to the Palace. It normally gets very muddy, especially on the hill, so spikes are essential if you want to make any progress uphill!

Timetable
12.45pm - Under 11s – 1500m
12.55pm - Under 13 boys – 3000m
1.00pm – Under 13 girls – 3000m
1.20pm – U15 boys/17 men – 4000m
1.25pm – U15 girls/U17 women – 4000m
1.55pm – Senior / U20 women – 6000m
2.35pm – Senior / U20 men – 8000m
Transport

Public transport
The best route from Ealing seems to be the tube to Finsbury Park (Piccadilly line / Central line then Victoria line) followed by the W3 bus to Alexandra Palace)

Car Parking:
Paddock car park at the western end of the park is adjacent to the start / finish. Entrance on Alexandra Palace Way. Do not park at the Cricket Club.

If you raced any of the previous Met League races this season, please remember to bring your race number with you to wear. If you have lost your number, or haven't yet raced a Met League fixture this season, you will need to collect your race number. Please make sure you have your EA license with you.

Please arrive at least 30 minutes before the start of your race and look out for the Eagles flag.

You must run in an Eagles top.

Listening devices such as I-Pods are not allowed on safety grounds when competing.

Post race: After the races, trophies will be awarded in all categories at Race HQ. and a few other clubs are going to The Mossy Well, 258 Muswell Hill Broadway, which also serves food.

Sunday 12th - Sunday League - Royston

Venue: The event will be hosted by Royston Runners and will be held on Therfield Heath, Royston.

Race HQ: The Heath Sports Centre, Baldock Road, Royston, SG8 5BG. The sports centre has good changing and showering facilities.

Please note that there will be portaloos onsite for runners to use. Please use these rather than the toilets in the Heath sports club as they struggle to cope when used by large numbers of people.

Race details
Start: 10:30am

Course: Both women and men will run approx 5.5 miles. There will be one small lap and two large laps. The course is mostly across open downland and is very hilly. Watch out for rabbit holes! It is suitable for spikes, studs or trail shoes.

All entries are taken on the day. Also, please wear an Eagles top.

Please note that all muddy footwear must be removed before entering the sports centre, especially spikes.

There will be an end of season presentation in the Heath Sports Bar after the race.

Travel
Parking is available at the Heath, but is limited due to other sporting activities taking place. Please arrive early. Car sharing is recommended.
A car sharing google doc is available via https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1LU1IJEraZYX-iPnP0L6hiS4_Vfkx3Qs6gq0BqGaps8Q/edit#gid=0

Green Belt Relay 20 - 21st May!

Now recruiting!

An epic weekend of running, covering 220 miles around London, 22 stages, 2 days and 11 runners per team.

This is a great chance to see the countryside and get in some trail running. You'll run a stage each day, from 7 to 13 miles across all types of terrain. It's fantastically friendly, finishes with drinks and a BBQ and the runners have all had a great time over the last couple of years.

When not running the teams tear around between the stages encouraging everyone and trying to get everyone to their start line on time. The event starts at 8.30am on Saturday, and we won't be returning to Ealing until 7/8pm that night, before making an early start on Sunday morning to leave Ealing and continue the race. The event finishes in Kingston at around 6/7pm on the Sunday. 

Runners of all paces are welcome to sign up, the organisers only ask you can average around 10min/mile so that the marshalls can go home at a decent hour.

The club will pay for the race entry, but we are expecting there to be a small cost per runner of around £30 for transport, a bit of food/drink, and incidentals. Any spare will go towards food and beer at the barbecue on the Sunday! 

We're entering three teams, so there are only 33 places, but we've always needed to use the reserves in the past, so please sign up even if there are a few names on the list.

The sign up spreadsheet is here, don't worry about your 10K time, it's just so we can try to make the teams roughly even:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1-k1KByhwfzgd0tLypoA2jKALeJ186HJGGx_-b81neTU/edit#gid=0

A few  pics from last year: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ealingeagles/search/?query=green%20belt%20relay

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/greenbeltrelay/?fref=ts

REMEMBER Please copy and paste the links into your browser! 

Marathon Blog 3 - A Quarter of the Way There!

It is hard to believe that a quarter of the training plan has gone. Pleased to report I had another fab fortnight. 

One of the biggest highlights of the last two weeks was the Boxhill Fell race. This was my third time doing it. I love this race so much. It is in the most beautiful part of the country. It's challenging yet stunning and so much fun! I wasn't fast but I enjoyed it all. This is my favourite photo at the finish with Liz and my boss/friend from 'Run Mummy Run. ' 

The rest of my training has been and pretty much gone to plan. My strength is definitely increasing again, which I am delighted with. I even managed my fastest parkrun since at least August on the weekend. 

As for the rest of my news, I love track and although I always approach it nervously I finish feeling awesome! I struggle a lot with running after work and do wonder how I will cope when the midweek runs increase but I am continuing to live by my rule of one run at a time and so far so good. All runs ticked off at the pace and speed I was aiming for....that's a pretty big success in my book! 

Sunday I ran with the club. I can not say how important the support of the club is. It really does help knowing there are people around and rooting for you. Even better is when someone has arranged coffee at the end ( thanks Sophie!) I had actually been really dreading that run. It was my first 12 miler in a long while and although I found the last mile and a half hard I did it and felt good :-)

The next fortnight is a big one for me, the miles continue to increase ( particularly the midweek ones) and I get to go to the meet the experts day ( can't wait for that!) I mentioned in my first blog I had been pretty ill last year. Well in ten days I go back to my consultant and although I think everything will be ok there is always that thought of what if?  So fingers crossed that goes well and then it will be full steam ahead! 

Thanks for all of your support. Still super excited! 

5k Time Trial - 7th Feb

Ever wondered how fast your 5k time is on a track? Well now's your chance!

On 7th Feb at 7:30pm at Osterley Track we will run the first Eagles 5k time trial. 12.5 laps against your fellow eagles. This will be a group start so plenty of people for you to pace yourself against and chase. Set a time on the 7th and then try and beat it again at the next event in March.

Details will be included on a Facebook event for these sessions, and on the weekly training information on the website.

Coached Sessions with Mara Yamauchi

Last summer we were very fortunate to have a special intervals session with Olympic Marathon Runner Mara Yamauchi.

This event was a great success and the Ealing Eagles have invited her back this year, this time for a bit longer! This is another step up for the club to now have such an accomplished athlete within our ranks to help support you in your running goals.

Our first session with her will be on February 14th at Osterley Track.

Interest in this event is expected to be high and we can only have limited numbers so we require people attending this session to sign up in advance. To do so please email coaching@ealingeagles.com with your name and your current rough 5km time.

Please do not turn up to this event on the day if you haven't emailed first.

Eagles Coaches are also invited to spectate to learn from her as well as ask any questions you may have. Please also email to indicate if you would to spectate.

Middlesex Masters Cross Country Championships 19th Feb 2017

Sunday, 29th January, is the deadline for entries to the Middlesex Masters Cross Country Championships on 19th February 2017.

Please note the age requirements:
Ladies - 35 and over
Men - 40 and over

Race HQ will be at Berkeley Fields, Berkeley Avenue, Greenford, Middx, UB6 0NZ – numbers are to be collected here. No changing or shower facilities. Athletes should come to the event ready changed. Toilets in the clubhouse. No spikes to be worn in the clubhouse.

Race details are as follows:
10.30am : Men 40-59 (9km approx)
11.15am : Men over 60 and all women over 35 (6km approx.)

If you would like to run, please e-mail chair@ealingeagles.com 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.

One of the conditions for entering runners to this event is that the club must provide a marshal. If you are able to marshal on the day, please e-mail chair@ealingeagles.com

Full details can also be found on the event page on Facebook. 

Running & The January Blues

To repeat what I said last time, this has really felt like starting from the beginning again.  I started off ill and unfit and also, unfortunately, still a bit injured.  Just from sitting on a plane I got the tightness down the inside of my leg that, when it really hits, makes it a challenge even getting out of bed.  Then there was the issue of motivation.  I had come from three weeks of mostly sunny tropical days to a cold, dark and dreary British winter.  I know from experience that this can be literally depressing.  I decided I had to run not only because I needed to try my best now I had signed up for this, but also because it seemed like to only thing I could do to escape the downer that I was in.

Week 1 - 25 miles
I was willingly enlisted by Santry to run in the Met League cross-country because I had always had something else on whenever he asked before and I felt like there was no excuse this time.  I happen to work right next to Wormwood Scrubs and beyond that I have the Paddington arm of the Grand Union Canal, so I have plenty of options for lunchtime runs, which at least give me a bit of daylight.  I decided to ease myself back into running by doing some cross-country practice on my own where the soft ground would hopefully be better for my still-sore leg.  On the Monday of the week after should have started my 16 week training plan, I put my trail shoes on and did just one circuit of the Scrubs slowly.  It wasn’t as much of a quagmire as it usually is at this time of year.  On Tuesday I did two circuits, feeling slightly better.  I rested Wednesday because I didn’t want to overdo things.  Thursday I ran the 5.5 miles to work, which I am never speedy at because I take a backpack.  Friday lunchtime tried my 1/3.5/1 mile tempo run, except the fast section wasn’t very fast at all.  That might have had something to do with trying the night before to get back into something else I had missed out on over Christmas: drinking.
  Saturday came and it was cold and terrible.  There were little bits of snow on the ground in Trent Park.  It was at least in the afternoon but it still wasn't very warm.  The icy air sliced into my lungs while I gave the best I could muster for two laps and 8km through constant thick mud that didn't give me any traction at all.  I was only able to watch while countless other runners passed me.  My leg got sore but it wasn't too much of a problem.  I'm not going to blame my failure to invest in spikes; I just wasn't good enough.  I know that if Santry beats me, I've got a lot of work to do with my training.  It wasn't pleasant but it felt like just the shock I needed to show me how hard I needed to push it.

Sunday, the weather was miserable so I rested.  I wasn't that keen yet.

Week 2 - 52 miles
With my leg successfully tested, it was time to start putting some miles in.  The next Monday I did nine miles along the canal and also ran home.  Tuesday I ran to work despite feeling a little unsure about my leg again.  Stretching during my lunch break seemed to do me the world of good.  I still fail to stretch enough even though I know it can go really badly for me if I don't.  After work, I went to Osterley track to see if I felt OK enough to do the session that my training plan suggested.  I managed 4 x 1600m at almost the target pace.  My leg was fine but I was way underdressed and even at 6 or so it was so cold that the frost was already falling.  At the end I was pleased with my run but also frozen.  For Wednesday the training plan said run 8 miles.  I did not follow my training plan.  It says I should run pretty much every day and my body knows I shouldn't do that.  I need rest days and if it means filling in the miles on other days, then so be it.  A little groggy on Thursday, I did cross-country again and then just did the run commute on an icy Friday morning. Running to work seems like a slightly cheating way to get the mileage up.

 On a bright but bloody freezing weekend I was struggling to get out for my first Sunday long run.  It didn't help that it was supposedly still -3 at 9 o' clock.  I was feeling quite comfortable at home but I managed to get myself out at midday and I didn't regret it.  With long sleeves and gloves making it bearable, it was actually really pleasant.  I ran down the canal to the river, going west to Kew Bridge, along the other side to Richmond and then through Syon Park back towards home.  It turned out to be about half marathon distance; perhaps not as far as I should have gone, but it felt like enough.  I was energetic and kept a constant pace throughout.
I think it is definitely going OK so far.  I hope the rest of my training goes well because I am kind of on my own here.  If I had asked for a coach, I'm not sure I would have wanted to do what they told me.  The thing I'm going to do differently this time is always do long runs slowly.  Not getting injured is more important than getting close to the magic three hours.  I would definitely recommend avoiding alcohol but personally I'm enjoying my not-dry January too much.  There are much better months to give up drinking.

Box Hill Fell Race - by Sam Pearce

Saturday 21st January saw the 2017 edition of my most least favourite event of the year (more on this later), the Box Hill Fell Race. Organised by the wonderful South London Orienteers, it is one of only a handful of events in the south of England run under Fell Racing Association rules. The course is categorised by the FRA as 'BM', which means it is between 10km and 20km in length with no less than 25m ascent per kilometre, though according to my Garmin the total climb over the 12.3km course was well over 600m – equivalent to a whopping 37 reps of West Walk!

Like all good 'fell' races, competitors are subjected to a healthy mix of rough terrain, mud, hills, and some more hills. As an added bonus for this year, there was even a fallen tree blocking the path half way down a speedy descent, which I can't help but feel rather captures the essence of fell running: Moving quickly across whatever nature puts in your way. You'll not find aid stations stocked with the latest sports drinks and energy gels here – you'll not even find a bottle of water at the finish unless you brought one with you – this is no-frills running at its finest.

Sliding out of bed on a freezing Saturday morning, I wondered what the day had in store - I know the trails around Box Hill well and run there regularly, but I'd never visited in such cold temperatures and was concerned parts of the frozen course might be seriously sketchy. Arriving at the start after signing in, shedding some layers (one degree? That's vest and shorts weather, lad), and jogging the mile or so from race HQ, it became apparent that we were going to have to tread very carefully in places. The churned up muddy ground was frozen solid, and a layer of ice covered the many steps that would take us the 130m up to the viewpoint within the first kilometre.  But at least the sun was shining, and the few areas of open grassland we were to cross had thawed enough to give those with the most grippy shoes the opportunity to make up some time. 

The course has remained largely the same for the 36 years since the race's first edition, with only the start and finish being moved in 2015 at the behest of the National Trust. After rising to the famous viewpoint from the start at river level, runners plunge straight down the bank and onto a long undulating traverse of the North Downs' southern escarpment. A truly horrid death-march back up to the ridge sets the legs on fire, but there is a little respite as the course heads north into the woods behind the village of Box Hill itself. Another steep but mercifully short ascent follows, before we fall again to cross Headley Road to climb Mickleham Down. 

Then the fun really begins. We turn left to begin our journey back towards Box Hill, and negotiate  the descent of the notorious 'suicide steps': 182 of the muddiest, slipperiest, most uneven, and steepest quad-busting wooden-fronted pain makers that the south east has to offer. The gradient reaches 40% in places, and if the leg muscles had any strength left in them they'll be jelly by the bottom. 

Only two climbs left now. The long drag up to Juniper Top, heart pounding, down the flint track (hurdling the fallen tree), across the Zig Zag Road, and one final tortuous push back to the viewpoint before heading back down the steps to the river, and the beautiful respite of the finish funnel. Two years ago in the mud I could sprint this and jump two steps at a time, but today I am reduced to the most delicate of totters, faced with the very real possibility of a face-full of icy mud and a week off work.  

Sixteen Eagles cross the finish line of the 18 who started. On the way home I am mortified to hear that two of our flock have badly hurt themselves en route and had to go to hospital – get well soon Becky and Jessamy. Special mentions go to John Foxall, our fastest Eagle on the day finishing in 44th place with an excellent time of 67'11”, and to Jennifer Watt who finished first in the F40 category by more than a minute despite missing a turning near the end and running an extra 400m! I finish in 105th place in a time of 75'57” with a PB for the course, and later that day I upload my data to Strava and discover that my heart rate averaged 170 – only 13bpm off my max. HR of 183 and well into the red zone.

So that's why it's my most least favourite event  – I suffer more than on any race in the calendar, and dread it in the lead-up to race day, but I can't stop going back and hope to run it for many years to come. I still can't walk properly despite 55 hours having passed since finishing, but next January can't come round quick enough.

Club Championships 2017 - 2018

We are starting to look at the Club Championships for 2017 - 2018 so if you have any feedback on this year, any suggestions for next year or any races you think would be good ones to include then please email Heidi on race@ealingeagles.com.

We like to support local races, ideally organised by other running clubs where possible, but all suggestions are welcome!

For those not familiar with Club Championships please check it out on our website as all the details including rules and this year's races are on there!

Club Champs Info

The Silence of the Hams

Over the last couple of weeks I’ve read a few Facebook comments and spoken to several people about the Eagle’s London Marathon blogs.  As the Eagles are the best and friendliest UK club (I’m assuming that’s now the UKA’s official line) it will come as no surprise to you to learn that all comments were encouraging and very supportive. 

There is a however a re-occurring theme.  Whilst the good and the inspirational blogs are welcome, people also want to read about when things are not going so well.  Put bluntly, if us ballot winners have a crap week, you want to know about it.

I understand this.  It is not born out of some sadistic, voyeuristic streak, if anything the corollary holds true and it comes from somewhere altogether more humanitarian.  We all have bad weeks, difficulties and setbacks and sometimes it is easy to think we’re the only ones that do.   So sharing these problems serves two purposes: it provides an opportunity for empathy, understanding and support and it reassures others facing similar issues that they’re not alone. 
So with this in mind I selflessly decided to knacker my hamstring.  OK, so I didn’t actually decide to do it.  Whilst I’ll admit finding blog material can be a challenge I draw the line at self-harming.  It happened spontaneously very near the end of an eight mile run.  Odd timing but there you go.

“Oh dear,” I said.  “This is not ideal.”  Actually I swore like a trooper, an act that is ill-advised outside the local primary school, but I digress.

So what to do?  Rest, ice, compress, elevate and try not to panic.  I hoped it was not too bad and would improve with a few days’ rest.  And improve it did, to the point where a gentle ‘test jog’ was thought agreeable.  Alas things were still not quite right (though much improved) and further rest and a trip to the physio was now deemed advisable.

My physio – the wonderful Michelle Tanner – confirmed what I had only hoped; it did not appear to be a muscle tear but just a minor pull.  It should be fine with a little more rest and few gentle exercises at home.  

Fortunately this happened very early on in training which means there’s both time to rest and still train sufficiently.  I actually sustained this annoying little injury at the very end of December, but thought I’d save it for blog number two.  (Blog number three is already in pre-production and by April you’ll have the blog equivalent of a really crap box set.)

As I write this it would appear things are better and I have resumed training.  However, both Michelle and my coach – the equally wonderful Jesal Thakker – have advised laying-off the track and the hills for two more weeks just to be on the safe side. Some alternative, hamstring-friendly sessions are planned instead. So there we have it, my second blog and already an injury to report, but fortunately only a minor one.  

Whilst I’m certainly not qualified to advise anyone on injury prevention, this did remind that many of us spend much of our time on avoiding injuries.  Why else would anyone choose to use a foam roller?  I have come to the conclusion that that foam rollers, along with trigger balls should be classed as instruments of torture under the Geneva Convention.   In my book they’re up there with waterboarding and Justin Bieber as things no one should really have to endure.  However, over the next 13 weeks I shall be utilising them all. (I am of course referring to foam rollers and trigger balls; it’s very doubtful that endless repeats of ‘One Less Lonely Girl’ will lead to any bio-mechanical improvements.)

This week’s training finished with the Eagles’ Sunday morning club run.  An enjoyable ten miles in the winter sunshine, spent in the splendid company of Lucy, Elizabeth and John (pictured).  
Anyway, that’s enough rambling from me. So until blog number three, I wish you all plenty of injury-free running.

Oh, and I had to Google the Justin Bieber song.  Honestly.

Trent Park MET League - by Kieran Santry

Whilst the Eagles were make the long journey on the Piccadilly line to Cockfosters, Ben Rawsthorne was out on the course and put in a fine performance in the U13 race, a massive well done to Ben for continuing to run MET without any other clubmates there to run with or support him. Having Ben run the course first was great as he provided us with great advice on the course and shoe selection. Thanks Ben.

A smaller than usual ladies team took on a tough 6km course. 

Marion Bolster was first Eagle lady across the line, Emily Schmidt made the journey from Oxford to represent the club, the effervescent Sue Park was next home (does she ever not smile in a race?). A late addition to the team was Nicola Phelan and she impressed the crowd with a strong sprint finish up the final hill.  Jess Hood finished just ahead of Lisa Snell and ladies team skipper Sarah Mack.

These results maintained the ladies mid table position in division 2. The vet ladies were third in this fixture but most importantly it keeps them top of division 3 and on course for promotion. 

Bright sunshine greeted the start of the men’s MET league 5 mile race at Trent Park.

A strong turnout of 18 men made our way to the start line. Is it just me that loves the gun going off at the start of a Met league race? I’m there watching the gun and it still frightens the ‘bejaysus’ out of me when it goes bang!

Then the usual surge as everyone fights to get into position. Testosterone levels elevated, deep mud, elbows flying, elite athletes, veteran runners (one man over 80),  crowds cheering, tree roots, and 3 slippery bridges to negotiate, you've got to love a bit of XC. This was the first proper muddy XC of the Met league season. Cam proclaimed on the tube journey to Cockfosters that he hadn’t seen enough mud in the UK but this surely made up for it.

Two twisty turny undulating laps and a long uphill finish sorted the men for the boys at this race. The ladies now smug after their run were out on the course to roar us on, ably assisted by Ellen, Skye (booing) and Dante.

Jose once again was the first Eagle home in 122nd place overall but he had to fight hard for it this time as the ever improving John Foxall was on his back going up the final hill and came in a mere 3 seconds behind him. Colin Overton is coming back to his best and was next Eagle home. Tom Easten, yes you read that right made his Met league debut (after a lot of nagging!).
He promised to finish in the top 150 but narrowly missed that by one place! In fairness he was wearing trail shoes not spikes so we won’t be too hard on him this time. Briaín O‘Dowd continued his improved form and romped home next although he did mutter something about doing a heavy hills session two days beforehand, Phil Evans  is the dark horse in the men’s team and had a storming finish.

Mr Santry had to be content with 7th place. New boy Stephen Ralston found the pacing tough and went out a bit too hard and suffered for the last 4.5 miles but you are only as strong as your last scorer so this was a particularly impressive Eagles debut. Remember his name this boy will improve.

Chris Lambert was in soon after Stephen and help to push other team scorers down the table. We welcomed back Sam Pearce who is returning to form after doing a lot of heart rate training over recent months. 

Cam Easton was loving all the mud. Dominic Wallace helped the Vets team move up the table with his fine finish. Paul Peasegood finished strongly just in front of the Met league ever present James De Vivenot.

Neil Enskat showed off his trade mark finish climbing the last hill, Paul Dodoumou continues to show form at xc while Baljit was pleased with his performance on this gruelling course. Nigel continues to defy his years with another strong run.

After a group warm down it was off to the ‘Cock Inn’ (I’ll spare you the not very appropriate jokes!) for a few pints of ale and porter and a race debrief. A massive thank you to our Chairman Thom Martini who organised everything on the day and was out on the course shouting abuse (I mean encouragement!). It was great to see the team spirit in the men’s team, some who rearranged holidays, post-phoned flights, cancelled dates and some even interrupted marathon training to come and be part of the team!

The team results are out and we managed to consolidate our 2nd place position in the league and more importantly narrowed the gap on the league leaders Highgate ‘C’ from 225 points to just 36 points.

Highgate ‘A’ are top of Division One and are going for a record 5th win in a row, Highgate ‘B’ are second in Division 2 narrowly behind our good neighbours ESM so they will be gunning to stay top of our division and complete the clean sweep across all three divisions.  In fact we even get a mention on their website! They mean business at Ally Pally.

So it all boils down to the last fixture at Alexandra Palace on the 11th of February. Start sharpening those spikes!

Job Vacancy at Up & Running

The folks at Up & Running in East Sheen are looking for a new colleague - please see the information below:

Juniors Volunteers - We Need You!

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.

Night Run at Osterley - Special Offer

The National Trust at Osterley Park are holding their annual NightRun event on 11th February. Ed Hewison, as an Eagles member and the Outdoor Activities Development Officer at Osterley, has arranged a discount for us! 

You can get 20% off online entry using the code EALINGEAGLES - just go to:

https://race-nation.com/night-run-series-osterley-2017

Please copy and paste the link into your browser! 

The NightRun team are also looking for volunteers to be tail runners, marshals, and various other jobs on the night - if you can help please email edward.hewison@nationaltrust.org.uk.

It's a really fun event - look what a good time these Eagles had at the NightRun in 2015! 

Just remember to wear a head torch....and watch out for potholes. And cows. 

Harry's Blog 2!

Now with less than 100 days to go this is my second blog. Heidi Vickery has very kindly offered to coach me, but I’m not sure I’m the best trainee (coachee?), and I’d like to make it clear the following doesn’t quite follow her suggested training plan, and please don’t take it as. I did say, rather like Eric Morecombe, I intended to do all the training runs in the plan, just not necessarily in the right order, given my busy family life. In hindsight I’ve used this as an excuse to let myself be seduced by new running challenges, I’ve rather crashed headlong into the training, so please do not take this as good example. 

I took the opportunity of being off work on the 2nd of Jan to go for a long daytime run stretching out the furthest I had ever run to 26k, partly due to getting a little disorientated in Chiswick as it got dark on the way back. The Wednesday club run and a set of 800m intervals at a very frosty Perivale track on Thursday night were to plan. James Linney had tempted me on the Saturday into a long run incorporating Richmond Parkrun. Somewhat predictably I got carried away and ended up going hard round the Parkrun, and paid for it on the way home. I should have taken it easy the next day, however I had agreed to taxi my daughter and her friend to and from netball training on the Sunday morning in Hillingdon, and with two hours to kill I decided to run up and down the canal in the Colne valley and top 100k in a week.

With sore legs and a ticking off I aimed to take it easier the following week starting with a dawn run into work along the canal to Paddington on Wednesday. On Friday I used to the opportunity of working from home to do some hill reps up West Walk in the daylight. All to plan so far, but Sunday was looking very wet for the long run and James Linney had scoped out a run this time incorporating Fulham Parkrun for the Saturday. It was a bit further than in the plan, but I could not resist exploring a new stretch of the river, bagging a new parkrun and most importantly the company on a long run. I took it a bit easier on the 3 lap parkrun - it’s a quick course, but look out for the chicane on the back straight - but I felt the hills again at Kew Bridge and once again I struggled up the hill to Ealing. With a couple of minor detours and the extra distance to my house, it was so close to 20 miles that I added that ‘Garmin extra’ 200m even though I was shattered.

I wasn’t worried about sore muscles, but in the afternoon the side of my right knee suddenly became painful. It subsided the next day, and was fine when I ran round Greenford on the Monday while my daughter was swimming at Gurnell, but it was a wakeup call. So this week I’m cutting back a bit and taking it a bit easier. Now that it is past the date the ballot place can be transferred due to injury, I’ve need to look after myself and listen to my coach. However the key for me is keeping the training varied by running new routes, running with others and taking on challenges along the way. I am aiming to enjoy the training as all part of the experience I’ve been so lucky to get.

Welsh Castles Relay - Announcement!

Teams Entered - Time to register your interest

Hi Eagles, just to let you know that as per previous years we have just entered two teams (Open and Ladies) for Welsh Castles Relay 2017. The event will be taking place 10th and 11th June (also allow 9th June for travel).

We know many of you are interested in running this year and we’d like to start gathering interest. Whilst it is a very competitive and popular event, at this stage we’re just looking for expressions of interest on this google doc: 

https://docs.google.com/…/1MiMjh09bibT5tloeVaNNySWO83…/edit…

(Please copy and paste the link into your browser!)

Don’t know what Welsh Castles Relay is? Watch last year’s video and read on…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2JeWK1SatI

Ealing Eagles are now regular attendees at the very prestigious and long running Welsh Castles Relay Race. The event usually takes place the first weekend in June and the Eagles enter both Open (Mens) and Ladies teams. Each team has 20 runners.

Each team covers 200+ miles in total in 20 stages over two days scaling the length of Wales, from top to bottom; starting in Caernarfon on Saturday morning and culminating in Cardiff late Sunday afternoon. Stages vary in length, between 8 and 13 miles and range from bumpy, to hilly, to virtually upright!

A true team competition, its great fun and a very popular event. Often referred to the ‘the closest thing to the Tour de France on legs!’ In 2016, we won our first trophy, with the Ladies Team taking an amazing 2nd place!

For further info go to http://www.welshcastlesrelay.org.uk (again, please cpoiy and paste into your browser!)

TEAM SELECTION
- Initial registration opens in January each year and teams are selected by WCR in early March. We have never been turned away yet, but it is an extremely popular event and we are lucky to have been invited each year we have entered.
- The Eagles teams are selected mid-late April, after the London Marathon but you need to start thinking about your entry now, if you want to make the team.
- This is the most competitive event the Eagles enter and has us competing amongst some of the best amateur runners in the country. This means we have to select our fittest and fastest runners – although we often need a few reserves to fill in at the last minute, so worth showing interest, even if you think you might not make the team. 
- Selection is done by the Team Captains, Kieran Santry and Jennifer Watt and is based on Spring (Jan-Apr) Half Marathon and/or 10 Mile times, including Garmin links from training. If you got a great time in January, but the Captains think you aren’t in shape nearer the time, watch out(!) you still might not make the team.
- You can increase your chances of being selected if you are able to confidently drive a 9 seater mini-bus to/from Wales and throughout the weekend. However, you won’t be required to drive on the day you run.
Hill Training – is key for WCR success, so we’ll be running some additional hill training sessions for WCR hopefuls and anyone else who wants to join. The Hills and Beers sessions were popular last year, so we may bring them back.

Good luck everyone!