Pack Discipline During Rep Sessions

Your committee asks all members to pay particular attention to the following regarding pack discipline.

Check who is in your pack on the blog link after 18:45 on the day of training.

The packs are selected to satisfy several criteria. Some of these criteria are conflicting to a certain extent (e.g. reduced pack size for Covid 19 social distancing whilst also having enough runners in a pack so that there is less chance of being isolated for safety). You all have a duty to ensure that your pack is following this guidance. Speak to each other during the run (you may have to shout!) to ensure your pack is clear on how to behave.

2 m side-by-side or 5m behind the runner in front (within your pack) to maintain the social distancing guidance specified by Scottish Athletics which allows our sport to continue. This applies during all phases of the training (warm-up, reps, cool down). If you can't imagine what 5 metres looks like, then most of the Harriers are running with a stride length of around1m, so let the person in front get 5 stride lengths ahead of you and you will be doing just fine. If you are passing someone during a rep or passing another pack during the warm-up/cool-down, then pull out 2m to the side and go past when it is safe to do so. If you can't imagine 2m, it is 2 running strides! During the warm-up and cool down when you might be on narrower pavements than during the reps, then running one behind each other at 5m separation is probably the only safe option. Make sure that you are not dropping anyone from your pack during the warm-up and cool-down.

When you arrive at the training venue, once your entire pack is there (some may be going direct to the venue, some may be running from the club) start the session without delay. Do not mingle with other packs. If another pack is there when you arrive, stand well apart from that pack so it doesn't look like a mass gathering.

During the repetition session the fact that each pack contains runners covering a (limited) range of abilities will become apparent as the correct rep pace will be specific to each individual and the faster ones in the pack will naturally stretch away from the slower ones. However, during the recoveries, everyone in your pack must regroup. No exceptions. No "splinter" packs. This is a matter of safety in numbers and concerns have already been raised by members of the club who have been left isolated by their packs during rep sessions. Follow the procedure that has been implemented in the Harriers for the past 30 + years. At the end of each rep, everyone except the last person in the pack turns around and jogs back to the slowest person in your pack. When you reach the slowest person in your pack, turn around and keep jogging onwards toward the faster ones who are still running back to you. Do not stand and wait for the rest of the pack to reach you whether you are at the front or the back; keep moving towards each other. This always worked well when the whole club was training together and should be even easier when you are only regrouping within your pack rather than the full club regrouping.

We cannot control who turns up on any specific training night. Some days you may find yourself as one of the faster ones in your pack, other times you may be one of the slower ones in your pack. The intention is to have 3 to 5 in a pack and covering ability ranges spanning no more than 3 ability "bubbles" (e.g. a pack may contain runners from bubbles 4, 5 and 6, or 5, 6 and 7, etc). However, if you find that you are consistently either struggling to stay within sight of your pack during reps or are running away from your pack during reps, then let me (Alan) know and I will adjust your bubble up or down accordingly for the next session.

Alan