West Waterford Athletic ClubWest Waterford Athletic Club

Notes September 06-09

MEDALS FOR WEST WATERFORD ATHLETES AT WOODIES NATIONAL HALF MARATHON CHAMPIONSHIPS.
A field of 183 athletes finished last Sundays National Half Marathon which was held on a wet and windy day in Ballybofey Co. Donegal. West Waterford had three athlete’s who made the long journey to the North West, Raivis Zakis Gerry Cantwell and Terri Gough.Our first finisher was Raivis Zakis in a great 6th place with a very good time of 69.41,This was Raivis second fastest time ever over the half marathon distance so he can be well pleased with his performance. Raivis will be one of the hot favourites for Sundays Munster half marathon championships in Blarney and he is also taking part in the Dublin City Marathon on the October bank holiday, his third this year. Gerry Cantwell is obviously in great shape for his trip to Germany next week for the Berlin Marathon, He polished off his preparations in style in Donegal as he bagged a bronze medal in the over 50 category with a fine time of 82.12 finishing in 59th place overall. Terri Gough recorded yet another victory in the over 65 Ladies  section finishing 179th with a time of 2.10.58.Terri like Raivis is Dublin bound where she will be hard to beat in the National Marathon championships in her age category. Well done to all three. The St. Malachy’s club produced the gold and silver winning athletes in the Men’s race when Joe Mc Alister clocked 65.51 to take the gold and club mate Garry Murray the silver in 66.36, The bronze was claimed by Cian Mc Loughlin of Clonliffe Harriers with a time of 67.27.The Ladies section was won by Catriona Jennings Rathfarnham W.S.A.F.A.C. in 79.12 with the silver medal going to Catherine Conway Mayo AC 80.31 and the bronze Anne Curley Donore Harriers AC 81.24.
NOW IS THE TIME TO MAKE THE CHANGE AND GET FIT

JOIN THE ELITE ADVENTURE AND DEVELOPMENT ONE LAP CHALLENGE 
The Elite Adventure and Development One Lap Challenge got underway last night, the first night of a five week league designed to promote health and fitness among all walks of life. West Waterford AC is aware that there are many of you out there looking to improve their fitness levels and health and so came up with a one-lap challenge. This has been in operation with a number of years and has always proved most successful. It was designed with the absolute beginner in mind. There will be regular runners participating as well but these regulars had to start somewhere and it was at the club’s one lap challenge that many of these took up running for the very first time. It is not expected that you be able to run the lap without stopping on your first night. As always, we encourage all beginners to walk some and run some and to take it at your own pace and level. Don’t be worried that you will be the only one like that; we have new faces each year with no previous running experience whatsoever and they all support and encourage each other. The one lap is a full lap of the Friary College and we would like to extend our thanks to the Friary College for permitting the use of their fabulous facilities once again. A full lap is 1.2 miles in total and as already mentioned it’s possible to walk and jog and run. There is no time limit at all so all runners can complete the lap at their ease. The beginners find that their time improves each week and are amazed at the difference in their times from the first week to the last week. Next Tuesday night will be the second night of this one lap challenge and we would love to see as many new faces as possible. It’s not necessary to run every night of the league and you don’t have to be a member of the club in order to participate. It’s really very simple-turn up at the Friary on Tuesday evening. The run itself gets underway at 7 p.m. so registration will begin from 6.45 onwards. Parking is available at the college and we would ask that all participants park at the rear of the college.  The club van will be in the field, come up to the van, give us your name and if you have any questions we will be more than happy to help. There will be plenty of people in the same boat as you so don’t be worried. Why not enlist a friend or work colleague to come along as well, the more the merrier. At 7 p.m. all present will begin the challenge of completing one lap of the college grounds. It’s worthwhile to keep in mind that you are in competition with nobody else, so what about those who are ahead or behind you? Each person’s goal will be to complete the lap regardless of how much they walk or jog. None of us really know what we can achieve until we really give it a go, so if you come along on Tuesday night next you too will find out exactly what you are capable of. There is no age limit either; it’s open to anybody over 16 years of age. Just come along in a tracksuit or shorts and t-shirt and runners. Water is provided at the finish for all participants and there’s also a box in the van for leaving your keys while running. We have all aspects covered so that the only thing you have to do is turn up and complete the challenge. The entry fee each night is €2 per person. As already mentioned, you really won’t know until you give it a go! See you all next Tuesday night shortly before seven and remember to bring along a friend or two
A full report of last night’s league will feature in next week’s notes. The league will continue for another four weeks – September 15, 22, 29 and October 6, pencil it in your diary, you’ll be glad you did!
Our sincere thanks go to Geoff Allen of Elite Adventure and Development for sponsoring the league once again this year. His support and co-operation has ensured the success of this league in the past and all at the club are very grateful. 
GO ON! GO FOR A GALLOP AT THE GARVEY’S AUTUMN LEAGUE
The first night of the Garvey’s Supervalu Autumn League will take place tomorrow night at the Friary College by kind permission. This league is open to everybody over the age of sixteen and we would love to see some new faces try out the league this year. This particular league caters for all types, from the beginner to the seasoned runner. We offer a choice of laps; from one to four laps. Obviously the beginners will start doing one lap but as happens every year some may find that they are able to move up to two laps. Likewise, if you are doing two laps, you may feel ready to progress to doing three or four laps and if four laps are too much you are most welcome to change back to three or two laps. The choice is yours and there will be plenty of people taking part in the one, two, three or four lap leagues. This is an ideal league to get fit for the winter, especially if you are considering doing the winter league. There have been so many runners join the autumn league who then went on to take part in the winter league which was followed by the ten mile race in Dungarvan the following February. If you have ever considered running to get fit and healthy, the Friary is the place to be tomorrow night. Even if you have never run before, please don’t let that put you off: we all have to start off somewhere. Perhaps you have no ambition to run the winter league or a ten mile race for that matter but you want to improve your health, then the Friary is still the right place for you because as already mentioned this league caters for all. If you’re still undecided, you could always come along tomorrow night and take a look as to how this league operates and then join in the following week. We will be available to answer any questions and would love to see you all out there. You need not run every night of the five weeks, just come along when you can. The entry fee each night is €2 and we provide water at the finish. Registration for the league begins at 6.15 and then the league itself gets underway at 6.30 p.m. Parking is available at the rear of the college and we would like to extend a huge welcome to you all and to all those that took part in our summer leagues. See you all tomorrow night.  Our sincere thanks go to Garvey’s Supervalue Dungarvan and the Coolagh Road for coming on board once again as sponsors of this league. Garvey’s have been associated with local athletics with a number of years and their input and support is greatly appreciated. The dates you need to put in the diary for this league are: September 10th, 17th, 24th, October 1st and 8th. 
BLARNEY HALF MARATHON
The club wishes the best of luck to all its athletes taking part in the Munster Half Marathon Championships in Blarney this coming Sunday. As per every year the club is well represented at this race both at individual and team levels and we wish you all a great run on the day.  This race has a starting time of 11 a.m. so make sure to leave in plenty of time, as there will be a large number taking part. A total of 505 athletes took part in last year’s race and the 2009 entry is expected to exceed this. The deadline for pre-entry has now passed so if still interested, you may enter on the day for €25. This race incorporates the Munster Half Marathon Championship and athletes from the club need to be entered separately for this. Each athlete must enter the race themselves and then the club will enter you for the Munster Championship. We ask that all club members intending to run on the day to please contact Ann Dunford (086 0619711) or Norma Wall (087 9385965) by tomorrow at the latest. Even if you are only entering on the day we still need to know, thanks for your co-operation in this. 
CROSS COUNTRY DATES FOR THE DIARY
With autumn well and truly established, it’s cross-country time once again. It’s time for some of us to dust and clean the spikes in anticipation for the season ahead.  The first cross country outing each year begins in Kilmacow at the St. Senan’s Open Sports and this year it will be held on Sunday September 27th. It is hoped to field a men’s and ladies team on the day and anyone interested in travelling should contact our Cross-Country Co-ordinator Tony Ryan at 087 7657805
The following are provisional dates for other cross-country outings. 
October 18: Munster Novice, Under 23 and even ages cross country
November 8: Munster Intermediate and uneven ages cross country 
November 22: Inter-County and juvenile even ages
November 29: Munster Masters and Juvenile B cross country 
December 6: All-Ireland Novice and Juvenile uneven ages cross country
GER WYLEY SPORTS SUMMER SERIES VOUCHERS
Just a reminder to all those that didn’t receive their summer series voucher, they may be collected at Ger Wyley sports shop. The number of people entering the series increased once again this year with the number of those receiving €25 vouchers and €75 well up on last year’s figure. Our thanks to our loyal sponsor of the series Ger Wyley Sports, please support all our sponsors when possible, Roll on 2010. 
WINTER LEAGUE 09/10
Yes, it’s that time of the year again, hard to believe I know. Preparations are now well underway for the holding of this year’s winter league which will be held at the sports centre on Wednesday evenings. Over the coming weeks we will provide you with more information but for now we would like to encourage all those who would like to give it a go to start rounding up a friend or two and making the effort to join in a few weeks. An ideal way to get started would be to take part in the autumn leagues in the friary or if you would like to do your own thing to meet up with a friend or two and to walk, jog, walk and jog again. 
ARE YOU EATING THE RIGHT FOOD?
The importance of a nutritious diet while running cannot be over emphasised. This is especially brought to mind at this time of year especially with all our members training hard for the upcoming Autumn Marathon’s.It’s absolutely necessary to fuel the body with the right type and amount of food in order to achieve optimal levels while training and on race days. Skipping meals and not eating the right types have a detrimental effect on performance and our overall well-being. Not only does the right diet improve performance but it also plays a major part in our recovery after training and races. The benefits of an appropriate diet also include the following:
 Improves exercise tolerance and capacity to train hard
 Improves capacity to recover quickly
 Helps to achieve an appropriate body weight
 Improves the immune system
Each person’s diet should have a combination of carbohydrates, protein, fat, vitamins and minerals and water. 
The importance of carbohydrates in the diet
Carbohydrates should be the main source of energy in the diet. The timing and source of the carbohydrates is also important. There is such a thing as good carbohydrates and bad carbohydrates. In choosing the right type of carbohydrates to eat, it’s important to note that they should be high in fibre and low in sugar. As well as this, they need to be slow absorbing for longer lasting energy. This type of food are low GI Foods and are absorbed more slowly by the body but also released more slowly thus providing the body with more energy. This is in stark contrast to those foods that are high in sugar. Although they will give you that “quick fix” you might be looking for the chances are that after a short period of time your blood sugar will dip below normal and you will be feeling worse than before you took the sugary food. Taking food that is high in sugar causes a sugar spike in the blood level, which is always followed by a sugar crash whereby the blood sugar dips below normal causing hunger feelings and cravings and affects performance.
The best sources of carbohydrates are:
Whole- grains-bread and cereals
 Brown pasta and rice, sweet potato and cous-cous
 Fruit and vegetables
 Cereal bars with 2g of fibre and less than 8g of sugar
Protein in the diet
The main function of protein is for repairing damaged tissue and rebuilding after exercise. It helps to build muscle mass. It can also be used as an energy source if sufficient carbohydrates are not consumed although this can be quite costly. 
Lean sources of protein are the best choice.
Protein in the diet is very important for recovery and insufficient amounts can pro-long the recovery process. 
The best sources of protein are
Fish-salmon, mackerel and tuna
 Eggs
 Lean meats- chicken and lean pork
 Lean steak and mince meat occasionally
Fat in the diet
 While many of us would think to avoid fat altogether in our diet, such is not the case. As with good carbohydrates and bad carbohydrates, there are also good and bad fats. Fat in the diet is important as fat protects the body organs and also helps the absorption of vitamins. It’s also important for hormone production and brain activity. As with carbohydrates and protein the source of the fat is important. 
The best sources of fat are: 
Unsaturated fats
 Olive oil
 Nuts and seeds
 Avocadoes
 Fat that is in fish-omega 3 fat
CORK TO COBH 15 MILE ROAD RACE
It’s easy to tell that marathon season is on the way with preparations for the annual Cork to Cobh 15 mile road race currently in motion. The race which is sponsored by Sports Supplies will be held on Sunday morning, October 4th and will start in Cork City at 9.30 am. The closing date for entry to the race is Monday, September 28th and the entry fee is €20. It’s possible to enter on the day for a fee of €25. Registrations and changing will take place at the Monetenotte Hotel from 7.30 am. The organisers will arrange to transport any running gear you may have from the city to the finish line in the town of Cobh. Entry forms may be downloaded from www.corkbhaa.com
DUBLIN CITY MARATHON
As we all know the Dublin City Marathon will take place on Bank Holiday Monday, October 26th and a large number of club members will be taking part. It’s fair to say that marathon fever has hit these parts judging by the number of athletes out training in all weathers. With it being the 30th anniversary of the marathon this year, the organisers will be putting on a fantastic show and it will be a great day for all. This marathon will incorporate the National Marathon Championship of Ireland and the club athletes will need to be entered for this. Your entry for the marathon covers you just for the marathon and the club will enter you for the championship. All you need to do is contact either Ann Dunford (086 0619711) or Norma Wall (087 9385965) and let them know that you will be participating. If you happen to know your marathon number, please let us know that as well. Thanks also to all those that have already informed us. 
MICHEAL O CHURRIN WINS COMERAGH CRYSTAL ATHLETE OF THE MONTH FOR AUGUST.
The August Comeragh Crystal Athlete of the Month is Micheal O Churrin.  Micheal scored a total of 6 points for the month as did Eamonn Flavin but when the previous month’s totals were checked, Micheals points were higher and so he was deemed to be the winner. Micheal is fairly new to the running scene but is already in training for the up coming Dublin City Marathon.  He is already reaping the rewards of this training as he had a fine pb in Carrick when he dipped under 40 mins for 5 miles. There are no changes in each of the Athlete of the Year categories with Mick McCarthy still well ahead in Overall title.  Micheal O Churrin, Sean Stillwell, Clare Walsh and Brigid Coffey lead in their respective categories.
RUNNING QUOTE
Some people create with words, or with music, or with a brush and paints. I like to make something beautiful when I run. I like to make people stop and say, "I’ve never seen anyone run like that before." It’s more than just a race, it’s a style. It’s doing something better than anyone else. It’s being creative.
COUNTDOWN ON FOR SPAR EUROPEAN CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS IN DUBLIN.
There are only 100 days left until Ireland’s biggest athletics event this year, the SPAR European Cross Country Championships.  This is the first time that Ireland has hosted a European Championship athletics event and it will be held in Santry Demesne on the 13th of December.The SPAR European Cross Country Championships will see the continent’s finest cross country runners taking part along with some of Ireland’s top athletes.  The Championships will also mark the 30th anniversary of when John Treacy won the World Cross Country title in Limerick.Ireland’s team manager is Anne Keenan-Buckley and she is looking forward to the event in December.  “We are getting to the final stages of preparation now so things are getting serious. The fact that we have a major championship on home soil is a huge incentive for our athletes. Everyone wants to be involved so that means we have great competition for places on the team, which is always good,”Ireland has a fantastic history at the European Cross Country Championships especially in recent years.  Fionnuala Britton took silver at U-23 level in the European Cross Country Championships, while last year Mary Cullen was close to taking a bronze medal in Brussels before finally finishing fourth.  Cullen then went on to take indoor bronze at the European Championships in Turin earlier this year.Liam Hennessy, President of Athletics Ireland, is looking forward to the event.  “With 100 days to go the countdown really begins here for the SPAR European Cross Country Championships. We have been working with European Athletics on this event for over 18 months and now there is a real excitement that we are bringing a top class athletics event to Ireland. We are working around the clock to make this the biggest and most exciting European Cross Country Championships and we hope that the athletics community and the wider sports community in Ireland will be out to support what will be a great event for the country.”People are being encouraged to snap up their tickets for the event as soon as possible and they can be bought online at www.ticketmaster.ie.Prices for the tickets are €20 for adults and €10 for U-16, while a special family ticket which will admit two adults and two children is available at a price of €40.  There are also discounted tickets available for all athletics club members.  Senior member tickets will be €10 plus service charge while juvenile member tickets will be free and details are available from local clubs.For more information and regular updates on the event and to sign up to the mailing list for the SPAR European Cross Country Championships then log on to www.Dublin2009.ie.  Athletics Ireland is supported nationally in running this event by the Irish Sports Council, Dublin City Council, Fingal County Council, RTÉ and Clonliffe Harriers.
 
 

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