Start of the Winter Programme – Running Forum in the East

Running Forums in Essex and Hertfordshire last week had 40 leaders and coaches attending - they were there to help each other with planning for complete beginners / intermediate, and runners' goals.

Deborah Steers from St Albans AC, member of the National Coaching Development Programme for Endurance and Simon Mennell from Braintree and District AC, British Athletics Tutor and Assessor delivered the workshops over the two evenings.

The workshop covered planning goals for beginners and intermediates runners that unlocked discussions on how goal setting can be applied to 12-week running programmes to enable the runners to have an outcome goal. The leaders and coaches were then split into groups to design a programme for different types of runners and share this with the groups adding different ideas into the plan.

Melvyn Cooper from Thrift Green Trotters attended on the Friday evening and commented, "It was useful to share ideas with other leaders and be reminded of session planning guidelines. For example, the "FIT" principle."

To help continue the support of leaders,local England Athletics Club and Coach Support Officer Karen Stephanou has set up a running forum closed facebook group for members of the endurance community in Essex and Hertfordshire. The group will allow leaders and coaches to join, share ideas, meet at other club venues to observe sessions and receive information nationally and locally.  Contact Karen for access.

The next running forums taking place will cover Speed Endurance and Interval Training with 40 coaches already booked onto the workshop in Essex and Hertfordshire. For more information, please contact Karen Stephanou on kstephanou@englandathletics.org