WCAC Newsletter #272, 08-05-20

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Many happy returns to the following Club members who celebrate their birthdays this week:

Charlie Hyde, Ethan Ackroyd, Lucy Ashcroft, Jane Barker, Ruby Carlile, Nolan Heller, Matthew Bailey, John Driscoll, Charlotte Blackstone, Jacob Clark, Sammy Hollins, John Parlevliet, Lorraine McFaul.

And Next Week: Christina Broome, Katie Clarke, Alex Byrne, Megan Kettle, Thomas Renondeau, Logan Evans, Sarah Hughes, Jenny Palmer, Laura White, Debra Erskine.

LATEST UPDATE – PLANNING FOR A RETURN…

England Athletics is working in partnership with British Athletics and the other Home Countries to provide guidance about how we potentially transition back to activity and maybe a shortened competition season.

The latest statement from England Athletics can be found here.

STAYING SAFE AND STAYING IN TOUCH

The lockdown has been tough for everyone, but hopefully you are all staying fit, healthy and upbeat in these strange times. It’s so important to keep in touch, so please forward me your contributions for the Club Newsletter by email to: [email protected]

I hope you enjoy this latest weekly issue of the Club Newsletter which features news, work-outs, links to video clips, and a list of club members who are celebrating birthdays.

Remember that you can all play your part in communicating and sharing your thoughts and ideas during this lull in Club training and competition.

CLUB MEMBERSHIP

Please remember to renew your Club Membership to help support West Cheshire AC prepare for life after the lockdown when the Club is aiming to organise a Club Track & Field Championships in September and hopefully host the Cheshire Track & Field Championships if restrictions are lifted.

The link to the Club Membership payment page on the website is here:

HAVE YOUR SAY ON PLAYING FIELD PLANS

A club member has flagged up a controversial planning application by Chester Catholic High School to prevent public access to the vast majority of one of the widest open field areas in Chester. The Overleigh playing fields have been home to several cross-country races, including schools, Liverpool and District League and the Northern Women’s championships, as well as perhaps the only 400m (grass) track in Chester. It has also been included in some of the club’s summer training sessions.

The proposed fencing covers an area from the existing fenced-in part, near Catholic High and Overleigh schools, all the way up to the top of the field, where it meets the track off Eaton Road. More details can be found here.

If you have a strong opinion either way – and are a resident of the Cheshire West and Chester area – please comment via the CWaC planning webpages here.

HEATHER McLINTOCK’S REHAB EXERCISES…

Club member and physio Heather McLintock has provided a webpage developed for athletes to access over the COVID period. The link contains video exercises which can be used to rehabilitate whilst you can’t visit her at the practice. The link is here.

CONGRATULATIONS TO MICHAEL YOUNG!

Club member Michael Young has raised more than £1,700 for the National Health Service on his 33rd birthday, running 69 miles on a treadmill and was delighted to pass the fundraising target he had set.

“Finished in just under 12 hours. Thanks for all the support everyone!” Michael said. “We’ve done brilliantly. Passed the fundraising target and raised over £1.5k. Thank you so much for all the donations. Further ones welcome at: www.justgiving.com/theultrabear

PLEASE SUPPORT JON PARK…

Club member Jon Park is more than a quarter of the way towards raising £1,000 for NHS Charities. Jon thanks everyone who has donated so far before he runs for 24 hours on May 16, starting at 10am.

To pledge a donation, please follow this link.

CATHRYN WOODALL’S WORK-OUT INVITATION…

Club member and Farndon physio Cathryn Woodall has posted lunge, bridge, crab walk and squat video exercises on her Farndon physio Facebook page here.

JASON OSWELL’S LOCKDOWN PHYSIOTHERAPY 

Jason Oswell has been in touch to say he is doing Physiotherapy video consultations during lockdown. If anybody has any issues, he is prepared to provide a consultation to anybody from the club for £10. His email address is: [email protected]

GARDEN POLE VAULTING…

Champion pole vaulters Renaud Lavillenie, Mondo Duplantis and Sam Kendricks took part in an online challenge from their gardens.

HOME CHALLENGES WITH JENNY MEADOWS…

If you need something to brighten up your week, then the Jenny Meadows Weekly Challenge is just for you! Our friend, World and European medallist at 800m and coach Jenny Meadows, will be setting a special fun challenge each week, that you can do within your home. This week is an Agility, Balance and Co-Ordination Challenge.

HELP AND SUPPORT

Anyone requiring help and support while self-isolating can contact the local council hotline number of 0300 123 7031.

This is a dedicated hotline number for those self-isolating and who don’t have anyone to help. A call to this number will provide help organising food or medicine deliveries, or some sort of social contact. The number for the most in need is 0300 123 7031. It is open Monday to Sunday (8am-7pm).

ALSO – Please feel free to ring me (Dennis) if you want a chat or need any help or support. My numbers are: 0151 201 1254 and 07968 643038.

UPDATED ONLINE ATHLETICS WEBINARS

In these unprecedented times, I wanted to draw the club’s attention to some of the great resources available online. England Athletics is expanding its campaign to support Athletics and Running for everyone @home, with a focus on ‘Running @home’ support and advice. The homepage can be accessed here.

There are many webinars, interviews and tips from top coaches and athletes on how to stay conditioned and focused.

In addition, there are some fantastic videos for 4-11 year olds on the Funetics webpage put together in conjunction with England Athletics. The videos demonstrate parents and children (aged 4-11) taking part in FUN activities based on fundamental core movement skills: running, jumping and throwing. Funetics is a programme that has been designed to reflect the requirements of the National Curriculum Key Stage 1 and 2. At this time when our children are currently schooling at home, we hope that these video activities will support the need for education to continue at home.  You can access the videos here.

The link to other updated webinars can be found here, here and here.

STAYING FIT AND HEALTHY

The links below offer a range of advice on exercises we can all do while confined indoors.

MIND provides a series of workouts here. 

Joe Wicks has become a household name with his daily online morning workouts which can be found here.

Sport England is offering tips, advice and guidance on how to stay active around the home on this link.

Youth Sport Trust is providing healthy tips including a series of 60-second Challenges on this link.

Realbuzz has provided seven household items you never knew you could workout with.

MORE GREAT MEMORIES…

Here are my latest clips to bring a smile back to your faces. Enjoy!

OSLO’S IMPOSSIBLE GAMES

Athletics action is set to return to Oslo in June but in a different format, with organisers of the traditional Diamond League meeting having announced the ‘Impossible Games’. The coronavirus pandemic has so far affected the first eight events in the 15-meet Diamond League series, with the postponement of the Eugene (June 7) and Paris (June 13) events confirmed. On that day, the Bislett Alliance announced plans to host an alternative athletics competition under Norwegian coronavirus regulations on June 11 – the original date of this year’s Oslo Diamond League meeting.

The behind-closed-doors concept at the Bislett Stadium is set to feature a world record attempt by KARSTEN WARHOLM as the world 400m hurdles champion targets the 300m hurdles mark of 34.48, while Sweden’s world record-holder MONDO DUPLANTIS will face Norwegian SONDRE GUTTORNSEN in a pole vault duel at Bislett, but they will also compete against former world record-holder RENAUD LAVILLENIE, who will vault against them in his own garden in France. Other plans are for KAROLINE BJERKELI GROVDAL to take on a solo attempt at GRETE WAITZ’S Norwegian 3000m record of 8:31.75, aided by wavelight technology, and for a 200m hurdles head-to-head to take place between 400m hurdles and 100m hurdles specialists AMALIE LUEL and ISABELLE PEDERSON.

Meeting director STEINAR HOEN is also said to have had “positive dialogue” with Norway’s INGEBRIGTSEN athletes, but those events are yet to be decided and the programme is subject to changes. “Unfortunately, the rules on infection control make it impossible for us to have an audience in the stadium,” HOEN said, with an hour-long TV broadcast planned. “Together with (Norwegian broadcasting company) NRK we will do our best to make a meeting for the athletes and a great TV show for the fans.”

World Athletics president and chair of the Diamond League Board, SEBASTIAN COE, said: “This is really positive news for athletes and fans, and promises, even in this early stage, to be another great night of athletics from the Bislett Stadium.

“Congratulations to the Oslo Bislett Games for dreaming this up and following it through, working within the pandemic guidelines set out in Norway.” Organisers added that no athletes will fly into Oslo for the event, but electric cars will be used to transport athletes from the Swedish border.

IT’S GOOD TO TALK

Members and parents are reminded to look at the following links for updates about the Club:

FACEBOOK: West Cheshire AC, West Cheshire AC Road Running, West Cheshire AC Jnr to U20 middle distance group.

WEBSITE: www.westcheshireac.co.uk

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/westcheshireac

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/westcheshireac/