Calling all first aiders!
We are currently looking for club members who are qualified first aiders, and who would be willing to act as designated first aiders at club activities (such as any future track nights, or Club Champs events like the mile races).
If you have a valid first aid certificate and would be happy to lend us your skills in this way, please email info@ealingeagles.com and let us know.
Thanks!
Don't forget that you only have a short window to pre-order a T shirt or long sleeved top from the kit shop. We are keeping these orders open for a couple of week and will then order what has been requested. These will take 6-8 weeks to arrive, as they are newly designed items so the printing has to be set up.
We can also order ladies crop tops for anyone who would like one, however these are made to measure so if you would like one please send us an email to info@ealingeagles.com and we'll be in touch.
We will be meeting in Lammas Park at 1pm to take the annual club photo. Please arrive on time as we may be taking people away from EHM volunteering duties for a few minutes and would therefore like to make things as quick as we can!
After the picture we will take some flowers to Andrew Carter's memorial, which is also within Lammas Park.
We continue this week with our new winter routes. Please make sure you listen to the run leaders at the start of the club run sessions and remember to wear your hi vis apparel as it's now getting dark by the time we set off.
Check Facebook for further details on all our training sessions, or email info@ealingeagles.com if you have any queries.
Monday: 7.30pm Club run, using the winter routes. Meet at Ealing Green with the option of either 3.75 or 4.75-mile run routes. **Please note that due to fading light in the Autumn and Winter months we request that runners wear hi vis clothing**
Tuesday: 7.30pm No Tuesday session this week as the coaching team take a quick post-EHM breather!
Wednesday: 7.30pm Club run, using the winter routes. Meet at Ealing Green with the option of either 3.75 or 4.75-mile run routes. **Please note that due to fading light in the Autumn and Winter months we request that runners wear hi vis clothing**
Thursday: 7.30pm Hills with Richard - please check Facebook for the details closer to the day.
Sunday: 9am 10-mile informal club run setting off from Ealing Green. Please check Facebook to see whether this will go ahead/possible pacing groups, and please note there is no tail runner.
**This route can also easily be made into an 8-mile run by meeting the runners at the entrance to the park on South Ealing Road at approximately 9.10am**
We need to enter teams for the SEAA Cross Country relays, at Wormwood Scrubs, by Friday 7th October.
The event takes place on Saturday 22nd October with start times detailed below:
2:00pm : Senior Women - 3 stages x 3.5km
2:30pm : Senior Men - 4 stages x 5km
(Seniors are classed as aged at least 20 on 31st August 2016)
We will be submitting squad lists which we then need to confirm on the day.
If you are interested in running, please e-mail chair@ealingeagles.com with your name, date of birth and England Athletics number.
NB - We cannot submit your entry without these.
Please be aware the first Sunday League fixture is the following day.
Tribeca Studios, Ealing's group fitness studio, is launching Yoga for Runners on Saturday 8 October at 2.30pm.
As Ealing's best running club, they have asked if Ealing Eagles would like first priority access to the class. Even better, if you've never been to the studio, you can do the class for free!
Register your interest at hello@tribecastudios.co.uk by Saturday 21 September.
This offer will be limited to 30 spaces and it will be on a first come first served basis.
The team from Tribeca will also be down to speak to us at the next club social on 5th October, so if you have any questions about the benefits of yoga for runners, you can ask them all about it over a pint!
The Tailrunning schedule for September and October is looking a bit thin on the ground folks! Please have a look and see if you are able to volunteer to fill up the gaps.
Tailrunning is a popular way to volunteer and we ask all members to do this a few times each year. As the tailrunner for club run, you will be expected to:
To volunteer to tailrun, head to the Tailrunning Schedule in the Training section to choose your dates!
We continue this week with our new winter routes. Please make sure you listen to the run leaders at the start of the club run sessions and remember to wear your hi vis apparel as it's now getting dark by the time we set off.
Check Facebook for further details on all our training sessions, or email info@ealingeagles.com if you have any queries.
Monday: 7.30pm Club run, using the winter routes. Meet at Ealing Green with the option of either 3.75 or 4.75-mile run routes. **Please note that due to fading light in the Autumn and Winter months we request that runners wear hi vis clothing**
Tuesday: 7.30pm EHM hills/undulations, meeting at the bottom of Park View Road.
Wednesday: 7.30pm Club run, using the winter routes. Meet at Ealing Green with the option of either 3.75 or 4.75-mile run routes. **Please note that due to fading light in the Autumn and Winter months we request that runners wear hi vis clothing**
Thursday: 7.30pm Hills with Richard - please check Facebook for the details closer to the day.
Sunday: As today is EHM day, we don't recommend that you use the usual 10 miler route as you will be a bit in the way around Lammas Park....and anyway you will all be running or volunteering!
**This route can also easily be made into an 8-mile run by meeting the runners at the entrance to the park on South Ealing Road at approximately 9.10am**
***EAGLES! EHM NEEDS YOU!***
EHM is fast approaching and is now less than two weeks away!
Sandra and Kelvin are still looking for volunteers for the day itself, and also for help with a huge array of jobs in the run up. There are lots of opportunities for everyone to NOT let the club down!
Race Day Volunteers
Firstly, they are still looking for volunteers for the day itself. Please go to www.ealinghalfmarathon.com/volunteer if you want to be part of this amazing event on the day!
Help in the Run Up
There are also lots of jobs which need doing in the run up to the big day. PLEASE NOTE that these jobs are less formal and the way to volunteer for these jobs is to find the PINNED FACEBOOK post from Sandra and comment on it - it is at the top of the Eagles Facebook group feed and will stay there until further notice to make it easy to find.
Jobs needing doing on the run up include:
If you are unsure of whether you are available, you can just pop down to the park at any stage as there will be plenty that needs doing.
Please remember we will do a club photo sometime on Saturday 24th at Lammas Park, so if you want to come to that you might as well lend a hand!
Come on Eagles, we all love EHM and know how much work goes into organising it - so lend a wing and don't let the club down!
On Sunday we will be hosting our annual long training run. This year it will have options to run everything from 3 miles up to 20 miles, in and around pretty Osterley Park. The lapped course will have a number of marshalls and a water/feed station.
We will all meet outside Osterley House at about 8.55am to take a nice photo on the steps of the house.
Please remember there will be no storage, you will need to look after your own clothing etc
There will be a number of people on hand to guide you around and look after your water station, but please do take a look at the course map, just so you know where you are going.
If you need to do a distance in between 5, 10, 15, or 20 miles there is a small two mile lap and of course the one mile park run lap available.
Its in a great location, its close to home, and it would be nice to get a really good turn out, so whether you fancy doing 5 miles or 15 miles, come down, join in, be part of it, and fly with the Eagles.
At this month's social this year's XC (Cross Country) Team Captains, Sarah Mack and Kieran Santry, gave everyone a flavour of what you can expect from the upcoming XC season.
Whilst you may remember running around the school field (or if you went to my school, the local streets!) in a dubious definition of what cross country is and used the opportunity to sneak off for a fag or some sweets, then you're in for a surprise - there is much more to it than that!
For a start, there is tea and cake!
As a club we participate in both the Met League (which takes place usually on Saturday afternoons) and also a popular Sunday League (which takes place on Sunday mornings). Both are open to any and all members of the club, regardless of age or ability. Both leagues will start in October and run through to February.
In 2016 our brilliant ladies team were promoted to the second division. This year it would be great to get more ladies out there, including veterans (ladies 35 or over) and also to get a full men's scoring team out at all of the fixtures. In the Sunday League, we brought home trophies for the ladies veteran team won their division and the ladies A team, and we would love to build on this success in the 2016/2017 season. The distance can vary for the fixtures but they are typically a maximum of 5 miles or 10k.
Running cross country for the club is a great way to get into the mix with scoring in a league, because everyone that completes their respective race, no matter what position they finish, scores for their club. The points scored are calculated after each fixture. After the final fixture the league results are totalled up and the winners are crowned.
The fixtures for this season are:
Sat 15 October - Met League : Claybury
Sat 22 October - SEAA Cross Country Relays : Wormwood Scrubs
Sun 23 October - Sunday League : Chestnut
Sat 12 November - Met League : Stevenage
Sat 19 November - London Cross Country Championships : Parliament Hill
Sun 13 November - Sunday League : Grovelands
Sat 3 December - Met League : Wormwood Scrubs
Sat 10 December - SEAA Cross Country Masters & Inter Counties Championships : Horspath Track, Oxford
Sun 18 December - Sunday League : Willian or Stevenage
Sat 14 January - Met League : Trent Park
Sat 28 January - SEAA Cross Country Main Championships: Venue TBC but probably Parliament Hill
Sun 15 January - Sunday League : Watford
Sat 11 February - Met League : Alexandra Palace
Sun 12 February - Sunday League : Royston
Sat 25 February - English National Cross Country Championships : Wollaton Park, Nottingham
So plenty of opportunity to get your spikes or trail shoes out and come and join us at XC this season, and you too could be standing in the snow in a park in Watford, covered in mud and eating cake.
Why wouldn't you?
As you know we have recently moved to a new kit supplier with Piers distributing the kit to members.
We'd just like to give everyone an update on the current status and some plans for additions to the kit range.
There is currently an order being produced which will fulfill the back orders and provide us with sufficient stock to fulfill orders immeadiately going forward.
We will shortly be taking pre-orders for short sleeved Eagles t shirts in the same styling as the new vests, white with the black side panels.
This will ensure that we order enough stock to satisfy the initial demand and provide a stock holdingto allow us to fulfill orders immeadiately going forward.
We are planning on doing two types of long sleeves Eagles tops, one white with black side panels as per the vest and short sleeved t shirt and a hi-viz option for winter running. The hi-viz option will be in the same design as the other tops but in a bright yellow with reflective trims.
Again, we will shortly be taking orders for these styles.
Please note that we are not planning on holding these as stock all year round so if you want one, you will need to place an order when we make them available on the kit store.
The T Shirts, both short and long sleeve, will be unisex in sizes 26", 28", 30", 32", 34", 36", 38", 40", 42", 44" and 46" but please note that the supplier says "Loose fit T Shirt style - downsize for closer fit"
The supplier also offers lycra crop tops. We are speaking to the supplier at the moment regarding the design, looking to mirror the vest design as much as possible.
These will be made to measure so please contact info@ealingeagles.com to register your interest and we'll contact you with full details when we're in position for the supplier to take orders.
If you were inspired at the track night and have been thinking about how to give back to your sport and volunteer as an Official then look no further! On Sunday 30th October 2016 there are courses for Level 1 Officials for Track, Field and Timekeeping. These courses are the first step to becoming a qualified official.
The cost of the course is £30 which would be self funded and also includes a Health and Safety course aswell.
The courses will be held at Allianz Park, Greenlands Lane, Hendon, North London, NW4 1RL
More details on Officials can be found here
Detail on the course and how to book can be found here
It's been brought to Mr. Eagle's attention that the website does not include any information on the glorious exploits of those club members who laugh in the face of marathons and enjoy running ultras!
We know there are a good few of you out there and would be delighted to give you your own page.
If you have completed ultra races during your time with the Eagles, please drop us a line at info@ealingeagles.com with the details of where you ran, what your time was, and any pictures you have commemorating your race.
Ever wondered what we're on about when we talk about Run Leaders and Tailrunners?
We have a Run Leader and Tailrunner at every club run, to make sure everyone knows the way and doesn't get lost. Anyone can Tailrun and we encourage everyone to volunteer to do this at least twice a year.
If you are happy that you know the club run route (remember we are switching onto new winter routes this week) then check out the Tailrunning schedule and put your name down! Its a crucial job and a great way to get to know some new people.
You can find out about both roles in the Volunteering section on the website.
We return this week to the winter routes, which will have a few changes. Please make sure you listen to the run leaders at the start of the club run sessions!
Check Facebook for further details on all our training sessions, or email info@ealingeagles.com if you have any queries.
Monday: 7.30pm Club run, using the winter routes. Meet at Ealing Green with the option of either 3.75 or 4.75-mile run routes. **Please note that due to fading light in the Autumn and Winter months we request that runners wear hi vis clothing**
Tuesday: 7.30pm EHM hills/undulations, meeting at the corner of Greenford Avenue and Borders Road.
Wednesday: 7.30pm Club run, using the winter routes. Meet at Ealing Green with the option of either 3.75 or 4.75-mile run routes. **Please note that due to fading light in the Autumn and Winter months we request that runners wear hi vis clothing**
Thursday: 7.30pm Hills with Richard - please check Facebook for the details closer to the day.
Sunday: 9am 10-mile informal club run setting off from Ealing Green. Please check Facebook to see whether this will go ahead/possible pacing groups, and please note there is no tail runner.
**This route can also easily be made into an 8-mile run by meeting the runners at the entrance to the park on South Ealing Road at approximately 9.10am**
The Eagles team triumphed at the River Relay last week!
The River Relay is a baton relay organised by Stragglers Running Club, run over five stages from Windsor to Kingston-upon-Thames, finishing at the Hawker Centre. Teams are mixed and must contain 5 people, with each team containing a minimum of one lady, plus a second lady or vet man so that the maximum number of senior men cannot be greater than 3.
75 teams competed and the Eagles team, made up of Jen Watt, Kieran Santry, Tom Corbett, Simon Stannard and Thom Martini came a very respectable 7th in a time of 2:57:35, with Tom Corbett overtaking ESM's A Team (scandalously named The Ealing Feeling!) on the final leg!
This is an open relay for all abilities, and we hope to grow the Eagles involvement year on year.
You can check out more information about other relay events we take part in on the Relay Events section of the website, under Racing.
Following the constitutional changes made at the EGM in August, the Eagles can now offer sessions to juniors (and admit juniors as official members) but, like the many great things, we are starting small. Here's what we have on offer for juniors this autumn/winter season:
XC: Along with the Met League - where we had up to three (unofficial) juniors running in the junior races last season - we've joined the North West London YA Cross Country League (which is exclusively junior races). Each of the leagues offers 5 fixtures from October to March, which means a packed calendar and lots of choice for juniors wishing to run XC for the Eagles this season. The minimum age for the league is school year 5, and juniors in year 7 (and above) need to be EA registered to run.
To support those juniors who would like to try XC racing, we have organised a few XC training sessions - about one a month on a Saturday or Sunday morning starting mid-September - which will be lead by Richard Tuson. Although these are drop-in sessions, juniors must apply for junior membership so that we have all the necessary consents and emergency contacts. The minimum age to participate is year 5. If you have a junior (year 5 or older) who would be interested, please email juniors@ealingeagles.com for more details.
Athletics 365 sessions: We will be continuing with our athletics 365 sessions (which we piloted in June/July). These will take place in the Elthorne 5-a-side courts from 7 to 8 pm on Mondays and are for juniors from school year 3 to year 8. They will be led by Kelvin Walker.
We are limited by the size of the venue and the number of qualified coaches, so can only accommodate up to 30 juniors and are requiring everyone to sign up in advance to a full term (they are not drop-in). The sessions are already full (!) but if you have a junior (from year 3 to year 8) who would be interested, please email juniors@ealingeagles.com to be added to the waiting list.
Volunteering: We have a great volunteer team involved already with the juniors, including Jen Watt, Kelvin Walker, Lisa Dumais, James de Vivenot, Richard Tuson, Sarah Mackenzie, Lisa Emerson, Maria Fitzgerald, Catherine Mulrenan, Neil Enskat, Ben Cale and Hannah Copeland - but more help is always welcome. If you're interested in getting involved, please contact juniors@ealingeagles.com.
This year the organisers of the Great North Run are attempting to break a world record by having a runner representing all 193 of the United Nations in the race.
Our very own Che Odlum-De Vivenot will be representing St. Lucia!
Che says:
I went from zero experience of running to joining my local running club and training to represent Saint Lucia in the Great North Run's international run on 11 September 2016.
Inspired by the euphoria and celebration of sport in the London 2012 Olympic Games, my husband James, son Dominic, daughter Mia and I, made a pact to lead a healthier, more active lifestyle. A throw-away comment from the safety of the sofa led to James taking the first step and joining the wonderful and inclusive local running club, the Ealing Eagles. I soon followed his example and joined the beginners' running group where I completed my first ever 5k.
As a family, we began running and volunteering at Ealing Eagles events and the local parkrun. Since joining the Ealing Eagles in August 2014, I managed to run my first half marathon which was the award-winning Ealing Half Marathon in September 2015. A few months later in January 2016, I joined a group of eagles who ran the Marrakesh half marathon.
Of all the many benefits of starting our family running journey, the Great North Run is the jewel in the crown. My husband James had registered for the Great North Run and the children were running the junior race, so initially, I was relegated to cheer squad duty. It was James who saw the publicity for the international run and encouraged me to represent Saint Lucia. I was born in Saint Lucia and first came to the UK in 1990. I was delighted to learn that I met the criteria and that my application was accepted.
This year, the Great North Run is planning to break a world record by inviting a representative from each of the 193 UN recognised nations in the world, to participate in the event. It would be the first event in the world to have a representative from every single country taking part.
I am completely overwhelmed at the happy turn of events, that led from my humble wish to get our family more active, to being an international runner in the Great North Run and representing the country where I was born. For me, the chance to participate in the Great North Run is the culmination of two challenging years of pushing myself to keep running. It is proof of the enduring legacy ofthe London 2012 Olympians which continues to inspire ordinary families. It is also a testament to range of opportunities to get active, given by local running events such as parkrun and the Ealing Half Marathon. Finally, I have only continued to run over the last two years because of the encouragement of the Ealing Eagles running community and the guidance of dedicated volunteers such as Coach Mark Yabsley who has helped me to move from running 10k to half marathons.
When I step out onto the road on 11 September, I will be wearing custom-made leggings with the St. Lucian flag colours. It means a great deal to me to have an opportunity to experience a moment of being a VIP international runner in one of the best mass participation running events in the world, representing St. Lucia and the Ealing Eagles running club.
Another Ealing runner, Marija Risteska Jones, found out via her husband (Eagle Paul Jones) that Macedonia was not yet represented and so applied and was accepted to run as well. Marija says:
I found out that Macedonia was one of the countries not yet represented at the Great North Run through the Ealing Eagles, and was delighted to put my name forward and be accepted. Despite being only two weeks before my first planned half marathon (Ealing Half Marathon) I couldn't resist the opportunity to represent my country.
Having arrived in UK in 2004 and always lived in Ealing, I started running last year, and am look forward to completing the Great North Run.
We would like to wish Che, Marija and all the other Eagles running the Great North Run on Sunday lots of luck and a wonderful day!
Come down to the New Inn next Wednesday after the final Gunnersbury Handicap 5k to catch up with all the latest Eagles news!
We will have a bit of chat about the upcoming XC season, details of the Eagles 20 Mile Training Run, and we'll also be announcing changes to the winter club run routes which will begin again from Monday 12th September.
So come along and have a drink or three and make sure you're up to date!