LATE SEASON MEETS

aIt's now August and the end of the season is coming into view. But it's not over for a couple of group members in particular. Paul Ogun, for example, is still attempting to gain selection for the Scottish Commonwealth Games team. He has to jump the standard of 7.85m twice if he is to get on the plane to Australia. Under 17 Pippa Earley still has the national championships to go, where she will be competing in the 80h and long jump, together with the national schools multi-events, which are held mid September. Other members of the group are not unnaturally calling time on their season as their goals have passed and it's time to start thinking about rest and recovery and the 2018 season. We will start back in early October.

End of season break
As an aside if you are at the end of your season you just don't want to do nothing, well not after a week or so. It's important that some of your recover be active - so you you should do some physical exercise, perhaps playing another sport - preferably not rugby! I'll not be 'messing around' when we get back to training, after a week we'll be back to specific work, plyos, sprints and drills and even technique work. Why 'waste' time on superfluous exercises - for athletes with limited training time (due to work, for example) it's necessary to make every second count of training time. Also those who are training mature - and who maintain condition - at the end of the season - should very quickly get their fitness back.

And finally....
Here are a couple of videos of end of season meets in August featuring four of the group. As a coach it was particularly satisfying to have three athletes in the Manchester International - one representing Wales (Sarah Abrahams), another Scotland (Paul) and the Briitish league Team (Jonathan Ilori).

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