Weekly Update Tuesday 18th August

This week it is great to see that we have quite a number of non virtual athlete performances to update you on that have been achieved over the last week or so. Plus following on from our update for the resumption of on track training last week, Owen Davies has kindly penned an update for us on what our off track seniors have been doing, having been back together for just over a month. Finally there is a reminder of the latest position on Covid 19 and its implication to training sessions and club membership.

Results Round Up:

Sunday 2nd August U20M Tomos Slade sets an impressive time of (13.88) for the 110m hurdles, if it hadn’t been for an illegal wind of just 0.1m per second over it would have been an all time club record beating his own time of (14.09) set last year!

Tuesday 11th August SM Jonathan Hopkins whilst acting as the pacemaker for the 3000m steeplechase in Turku Finland still held on to set an impressive time of (8.42.28) in the Paavo Numri Games.

Tuesday 11th August SM Daniel Beadsley sets a lifetime best of (10.64) 100m at Worthing!

Wednesday 12th August SW Verity Ockenden placed 6th over the 3000m in (9.33.81) at Battersea Park, London.

Saturday 15th August was the Welsh Athletics U20 & Seniors Throws Only pilot competition held at Aberdare. Three Swansea Harriers were in action with SM Nathan James throwing (60.37m) in the Javelin, SW Lauryn Davey threw (10.39m) in the Shot with U20W Jamie Holland just behind with (10.10m).

Sunday 16th August SM Joseph Brier sets a lifetime best of (46.55) over 400m at Loughborough, in fact Jospehs time was so fast, it move him one place up to 8th on the Welsh All Time rankings for 400m, well done Joseph!

Sunday 16th August U20M Kaya Cairney runs (11.07) 100m and (22.48) 200m at Tavistock in the Devon open.

Sunday 16th August was the Welsh Athletics second pilot competition of the weekend, with the U20 & seniors 100m, 400m & 800m held at home in Swansea. This time five Swansea Harriers were in action. In the 100m SM Lemarl Frekleton ran a quick (10.66) followed by MM60 Roderick Davies in (14.46). The 400m saw Steffan Jones set the fastest time of the day in (48.58) and Jack Houghton ran (52.91). SM Guy Smith was our only 800m participant setting a time of (1.53.61).

Endurance Group Return

At last we received the welcome news in Wales with the re-opening of some sports facilities from 21st July. It would be remiss of me to to forget a final thank you to Steven Taylor for seeing us through the last Help the Harriers 26.2 Strava group challenge. Top effort keeping on top of this and keeping us motivated through some difficult weeks.

However, we were delighted that the Endurance group have been able to restart with 2 sessions per Tuesday / Thursday to keep numbers manageable and meet distancing requirements more easily. This was a welcome reminder of how lucky we are to have the number of LiRF coaches needed to do this. We’ve certainly missed this, and despite all the strangeness around pre-booking sessions and managing distancing for groups of up to 12, it quickly got off the ground with the help of Paul Flynn’s Eventbrite skills and Helen-Marie Davies and Craig Jones planned speed session. With gentle coaxing, a few made it to the Thursday tempo sessions too, making use of the open spaces around HQ that we know so well.

Traditionally the Endurance group alternates between one speed session and one tempo session each week, with examples like minute on / off efforts, timed and measured progressive 5k tempos, and combinations of 400m/ 400m/200m intervals. Since we have runners racing from 3k to ultramarathon, finding locations, routes and sessions to suit everyone has always been important.

Welcome back

By the time week 3 came around, Daniel Newton and Emily Marchant had trumped it all by leading a favourite of mine, the 8x800m Yasso session on the prom. Not for the faint-hearted in the rare bit of summer heat. Now that numbers have been a bit clearer, there has been a need to combine group sessions, and get that balance back of needing the social interaction, competitive aspect and camaraderie for sessions that we have so missed but not taking over the whole prom.

For anyone wishing to get involved, in the first instance they should check and join the Facebook group, Swansea Harriers Endurance , to make contact and arrange booking on to sessions. At this point they continue to take place at 630 p.m. at a location decided by whoever is leading the session. To save time congregating, athletes do their own warm-up so that we are straight into the torture / hard work from the off.

It has been great to see some of the group continuing to shine in the Virtual Races – particularly Patrick Tudor and Jenny McAdie from our group in the Run 4 All Summer 5k series latest round. With the relaunch of the Endurance group, and some degree of normality returning with familiar and new faces, sessions should sharpen us up for potential racing, when it returns. That’s all that’s missing now, and although it’s clear that restrictions will be something we are going to have to live with, hopefully staggered starts and innovative ways to hold races are not too far away. Whilst VLM has sadly been postponed again too, most of us will have to content ourselves with aiming for the 2 – yes 2 – Cardiff Half Marathons scheduled for next year and, who knows, maybe even a Swansea Half and Cross-country fixtures in some shape or form. Let’s get out there!

Covid-19:

The covid plan remains unchanged, this plan MUST be read in full before any athletes recommence training. Until track capacity increases from the current 30, so that the club can try to cater for as many of our existing club members, both the 5pm and 6.30pm sessions continue to remain restricted to paid up Swansea Harriers club members only. SWANSEA HARRIES FINAL COVID PLAN AT 29.07.20

Annual Membership Fees:

All athletes being coached on or off track should have renewed their annual subs please, as per the covid plan and for their personal insurance 2020-2021 Membership Application for New Members & Renewals