Training

When do we train?

We meet every Monday and Wednesday at 6.30pm at Shaw Lane Sports Club, Shaw Lane, off Racecommon Road, Barnsley, S70 6HZ. The sports club offers a full range of facilities including showers, changing rooms, ample car parking and a bar. Our meeting place is now outside at the front of the main building. Watch out for other runners arriving if you're new.

What training do we do?

We have 6 different training groups but if not all run leaders are available we sometimes split into 4 or 5 groups, running for an hour or so, covering distances of approximately 4 to 9 miles. No one gets left behind! Wednesdays in winter (we classify winter as the start of October to the end of March) are specific training sessions for speed and hill work. This is a structured programme which we do as one group. There are many other organised BaHa groups that meet on other nights and do things like track sessions and long distance training. We also have a rolling programme of new beginner groups. There is lots of good advice and help available for all standards.

Training Groups

Group A – Rich Spooner/Alan Ford - 7'15-7-45 minute mile pace (~8 miles per session)

Group B – Jerry Fisher/Shaun Clarkson - 8'15-8'45 minute mile pace (~7 miles per session)

Group C – Jason Shepherd/Kelly Ford/Hayley Johnson/Laura Bennett - 9'00-9'30 minute mile pace (~6 miles per session)

Group D – Rachel Nothard/Kay Conway - 10'30-11'00 minute mile pace (~4-5 miles per session)

Group E – Ian Meade/Norma Wright/Katie Cadwell - 12-13 minute mile pace (~4 miles per session)

Group F – Anita Fish/Rachael Roddis/Amanda West - 14-15 minute mile pace (~3 miles per session)

Autumn & Winter Training Sessions

Throughout the autumn and winter months running routes are limited from the club at Shaw Lane and runners from one group don’t often get the opportunity to run, chat and support those in other groups. To assist with both these issues, every Wednesday night throughout this period the club as a whole come together to undertake organised training sessions. The aim is to build individuals strength, stamina and ability. We support and help each other during the sessions to foster greater interaction between members.

We meet at Shaw Lane at the usual time and from there we make our way steadily to the designated training area as part of a warm up. Flexibility allows steadier members more warm up time, so a group normally sets off 5 minutes before the main group, or they take a shorter route. The session will be explained on the night to everyone and should be done at your pace, so don’t think you will be holding anyone back, or you will be left behind.

Once the session is completed by everyone, warm down groups of varying abilities will be organised and run leaders will direct their group along a suitable route back to the club.

Speed work is designed to improve leg speed, endurance and recovery rate. Working at a fairly intense pace for a short period of time with recovery periods in between.

Paarlauf is a Swedish word meaning speed play which involves working in pairs of equal ability (ideally). One member of the pair will be working hard while the other has a jog or static recovery.

Hill work is designed to improve leg strength, stamina and recovery rate.

The details of each session can be found in the calendar below and on our Winter Training page.