Happy Birthday from this Thursday 10 February to Vanessa Ansuaa, Eva Chalisey, Lucy Campos, Natalie Conner, Sophia Dempsey, Alexander Edu, Matti Harris, Rebecca Jeggo, Rufus Kent, Alexander Lepretre, Mya Mairs-Ingram, Angus Mcinroy, Maria Onisiforou, Nadia Potter, Bradley Davies-Pughe, Natan Ruback and Antoine Rey

SHAFTESBURY BARNET HARRIERS SUBSCRIPTIONS – SBH Treasurer GEOFF MORPHITIS has sent me the following regarding subscriptions.
Our new year started on 1 October 2021. The SBH annual subscriptions is £50 and the current England Athletics annual registration is £15 – but increase to £16 if your EA renewal date is after 1 April 2022. The total is £65 – but increase to £66 if your EA renewal date is after 1 April 2022, and should now be paid NOW to; ACCOUNT NAME: SHAFTESBURY BARNET HARRIERS, BANK: 41308378, SORT CODE: 400426 – Please let me know when payment is made. I will still be collecting subscriptions for the year to 30 September 2021 from those members who did not pay. Thanks GEOFF

NORTH WEST LONDON LEAGUE – The fourth fixture of five takes place this Saturday 12 February at Harrow School.
Age-Groups U11 to U17. First race starts at 12.00pm.
Link on how to get to Harrow School – Harrow School Map For NWLL 12-02-22
Note: You do not have to be pre-entered, just turn up and run. Please see the race organiser BRIAN FOWLER for your race number.

SOUTHERN U20 AND SENIOR INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS – Took place at Lee Valley on 5-6 February
It was an excellent day for the club, with 4 Southern Champions. Firstly in the Senior Women’s 400m HAYLEY MCLEAN ran a seasons best (54.72), the Under 20 Women’s 60m Hurdles saw MARLI JESSOP took .21 of a second off her personal best in her 2 races, with a winning time of (8.40) ranking her UK No.3 U20 in 2022. In the Senior Women’s Pole Vault JADE IVE produced a winning vault of (4.25m). EFE UWAIFO was in excellent form, first he won the Senior Men’s Long Jump with (7.32m), then went onto winning the Triple Jump with (15.44m).
We also won 6 Silver Medals – EMMANUEL DURUIHEOMA in the U20 Men’s 60m (6.79), although in the semi-final he ran a personal best (6.73) ranking him UK No.3 U20 in 2022. HANNAH FOSTER in the Senior Women’s 200m (24.54), RUBEN HEDMAN in the Under 20 Men’s 60m Hurdles ran a personal best (7.99) ranking him UK No.6 U20 in 2022. MANON BAINES in the Under 20 Women’s Pole Vault produced a personal best (3.60m) ranking her UK No.4 U20 in 2022. OGOCHUKWU ANOCHIRIONYE in the Senior Men’s Long Jump produced a jump off (7.15m). EVION RICHARDSON in the Senior Women’s Triple Jump produced a jump off (12.08m).
There were 3 Bronze Medals from – In the Senior Women’s 200m REBECCA JEGGO produced a seasons best (25.00). In the Under 20 Men’s Triple Jump ARUN YAVUZ produced a seasons best (13.48m) ranking UK No.9 U20 in 2022. In the Senior Women’s Triple Jump EVION RICHARDSON produced a jump of (12.08m).

60m – U20M Heat 2 EMMANUEL DURUIHEOMA U20 1st (6.95), BRYAN OGBEOR U20 6th (SB 7.57), Heat 3 ONAOPE SOGBESAN U20 5th (SB 7.52), in Semi-Final 2 EMMANUEL finished 1st (PB 6.73) taking .07 of a second off his 9 January time, and is ranked UK No.3 U20 in 2022, in the Final EMMANUEL won the Silver Medal (6.79)
60m – SM Heat 3 ALEX BEECHEY (2nd Claim) 2nd (6.99), Heat 8 PHOENIX LYON U23 3rd (SB 7.18), in Semi-Final 3 ALEX finished 5th (6.89) taking .04 of a second off his 23 January time
60m – SW Heat 1 SHEREEN CHARLES V35 3rd (7.91), Heat 5 EVE WRIGHT U23 1st (7.48), in Semi-Final 2 EVE finished 1st (7.46), in the Final EVE (DQ)
200m – SM Heat 2 DECARIE DAVIES U23 2nd (SB 22.63), Heat 3 ZANSON PLUMMER 2nd (SB 22.73), Heat 5 PHOENIX LYON U23 3rd (SB 23.00) equalling his 22 January time, in Semi-Final 1 DECARIE finished 3rd (SB 22.26) taking .37 of a second off his Heat 2 time, in Semi-Final 2 ZANSON finished 4th (SB 22.58) taking .15 of a second off his Heat 3 time, in the Final DECARIE finished 6th (22.53) taking .05 of a second off his Semi-Final 1 time
200m – SW Heat 1 REBECCA JEGGO U23 (2nd Claim) 1st (SB 25.02), Heat 2 HANNAH FOSTER U23 1st (SB 24.89) taking .56 of a second off her 9 January time, in the Final HANNAH won the Silver Medal (24.54) taking .45 of a second off her Heat 2 time, REBECCA won the Bronze Medal (SB 25.00) taking .02 of a second off her Heat 1 time
400m – U20M Heat 1 CALVIN SMITH U20 1st (50.10), in the Final CALVIN finished 4th (SB 49.65) taking .11 of a second off his 22 January time
400m – SM Heat 6 JAMAL-MARCUS RHODEN-STEVENS 1st (48.06), in Semi-Final 2 JAMAL-MARCUS (DNF)
400m – SW Heat 1 HAYLEY MCLEAN 1st (SB 56.19), in the Final HAYLEY won the Gold Medal (SB 54.72) taking 1.47 seconds off her Heat 1 time
800m – U20M Heat 3 LEO RONCARATI U20 5th (SB 2:02.89)
60m Hurdles – U20M Heat 1 RUBEN HEDMAN U20 1st (PB 8.06) equalling his 22 January time, in the Final RUBEN won the Silver Medal (PB 7.99) taking .07 of his Heat 1 time, and is ranked UK No.6 U20 in 2020
60m Hurdles – U20W Heat 1 MARLI JESSOP U20 1st (PB 8.51) taking .10 of a second off her 22 January time, in the Final MARLI won the Gold Medal (PB 8.40) taking .11 of a second off her Heat 1 time, and is ranked UK No.3 U20 in 2022
Pole Vault – U20W Straight Final MANON BAINES U20 won the Silver Medal (PB 3.60m) adding .09 of a second off her 29 January height, and is ranked UK No.4 U20 in 2022
Pole Vault – SW Straight Final JADE IVE (HCA) won the Gold Medal (4.25m), EMMA ANDERSSON 4th (3.80m)
Long Jump – SM Straight Final EFE UWAIFO (2nd Claim) won the Gold Medal (7.32m), OGOCHUKWU ANOCHIRIONYE (2nd Claim) won the Silver Medal (7.15m)
Triple Jump – U20M Straight Final ARUN YAVUZ U20 (2nd Claim) won the Bronze Medal (SB 13.48m) adding 34cm to his 22 January jump, and is ranked UK No.9 U20 in 2022
Triple Jump – U20W Straight Final KACEY WALTERS U20 won the Bronze Medal (PB 11.87m) adding 6cm to her 23 January jump, and is ranked UK no.6 U20 in 2022
Triple Jump – SM Straight Final EFE UWAIFO (2nd Claim) won the Gold Medal (15.44m)
Triple Jump – SW Straight Final EVION RICHARDSON won the Silver Medal (12.08m)

FEBRUARY CLOSING DATES FOR INDOOR FIXTURES – Entry details are shown in Upcoming Fixtures below.
Lee Valley Middles Distance Meeting on Wednesday 9 February (Entries Closed)
Lee Valley Ayo Falola Dream Mile on Wednesday 16 February (No Closing Date Given)
Newham 60m Sprint Series on Wednesday 16 February (CD Saturday 12 February)
Lee Valley Sprint Hurdles Open Meeting on Saturday 19 February (No Closing Date Given)

RESULTS
NEW BALANCE INDOOR GRAND PRIX – Took place at Staten Island, New York, USA on 6 February
800m – SM KYLE LANGFORD 4th (SB 1:46.52) taking 2.22 seconds off his 30 January time, and is ranked UK No.1 in 2022

LOUGHBOROUGH OPEN INDOOR MEETING – Took place at Loughborough on 5-6 February
60m – SM 1.1 CHARLIE DOBSON (HCA) 1st (SB 6.70)
60m – SW 1.8 VANESSA ANSUAA U20 2nd (8.24)
60m Hurdles – SM 1.1 EVAN CAMPBELL U23 3rd (PB 8.60) equalling his 9 January time, 2.1 EVAN finished 4th (PB 8.55) taking .05 of a second off his 1.1 time
60m Hurdles – M50 1.1 GARY SMITH V50 (2nd Claim) 1st (8.64), 2.1 GARY finished 1st (8.69)

BUCS CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS – Took place at Greenford on 5 February
Mens Short Race (8000m) – KRISTIAN IMROTH (Birmingham University) 5th (28.19), SAM WIGGINS (Loughborough University) 56th (30.39), JONATHAN BOARDMAN (University College London) 319th (36.21), RUFUS KENT (Bath University) 335th (36.47), the winner was Ethan O’Shea of Birmingham University (27.49) 508 runners finished.
Womens Short Race (6000m) – AMELIA WILLS (Bath University HCA) 21st (25.09), INDIRA PATEL (Loughborough University) 40th (25.52), EMILY HATHAWAY (Birmingham University) 110th (28.03), MIA GROOM (Loughborough University) 117th (28.16), GABRIELLA KYRIACOU (Sussex University) 175th (29.43), SCARLETT KENT (Loughborough University) 179th (25.52), the winner was Meg Gadsby of St Mary’s University (29.54) 406 runners finished.
Mens Long Race (10000m) – HENRY MCLUCKIE (St Mary’s University) 19th (34.53), DAVID STONE (Birmingham University) 20th (35.56), JEREMY DEMPSEY (Cambridge University) 48th (36.29), NATHAN GODDARD (Exeter University) 68th (37.33), BEN WINFIELD (Warwick University) 93rd (38.25), the winner was William Battershill of Birmingham University (33.46) 280 runners finished
Womens Long Race (8000m) – The winner was Kirsty Walker of Loughborough University (29.55) 146 runners finished

WORLD ATHLETICS INDOOR SPECIAL BRONZE MEETING – Took place at Hustopece, Czech Republic on 5 February
High Jump – U20W EVELYNE FONTEYNE U20 2nd (SB 1.70m) adding 2cm to her 23 January height, and is ranked UK No.3 U20 in 2022
High Jump – SM B LEWIS MCGUIRE 3rd (SB 2.15m) adding 11cm to his 22 January height, and is ranked UK No.3 in 2022, AKIN COWARD 5th (SB 2.10m) adding 1cm to his 22 January height, and is ranked UK No.7 in 2022
High Jump – SW B CLAIRE MCGARVEY U23 6th (1.70m)

DYNAMICS NEW ATHLETICS INDOOR MEETING – Took place at Emirates Arena on 5 February
4x400m Mixed Relay – SX SCOTLAND 5th (PB 3:25.67) KRISHAWN AIKEN ran on Leg 1

RUN JUMPS THROWS INDOOR MASTERS GRAND PRIX – Took place at Sheffield on 5 February
60m – X35 4 NENGI OSSAI V45 1st (7.43), SX 13 NENGI finished 6th (7.42)

PERCHE EN OR-PERCHE ELITE INDOOR MEETING – Took place at Tourcoing, France on 3-4 February
Pole Vault – SM C ETHAN WALSH 3rd (SB 4.94m) adding 23cm to his 16 January height, and is ranked UK No.8 in 2022

BISON OPEN INDOOR MEETING – Took place at Fargo, North Dakota, USA on 4-5 February
Pole Vault – SM GLEN QUAYLE U23 (Northern State University) 1st (4.80m)

WORLD ATHLETICS INDOOR SPECIAL BRONZE MEETING – Took place at Miramas, France on 4 February
60m – SM H1 CONFIDENCE LAWSON 2nd (SB 6.76) adding .01 of a second of his 29 January time, FR CONFIDENCE finished 7th (6.82)
High Jump – SM DAVID SMITH 3rd (SB 2.22m) adding 1cm to his 22 January height, and is ranked UK No.1 in 2022

PARKRUN – Can you make sure that you are registered as ‘Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers’, as the link I use to select all results only shows SBH athletes. If anyone is also officiating can you please contact me and advise me where and when. 

PARKRUN 5K – Took place at Burgess on 5 February.
JULIAN LAMY 2nd (PB 16.26) this was his 31st Parkrun

PARKRUN 5K – Took place at Canons Park on 5 February.
LOUIS PELTA U17 3rd (20.11) this was his 51st Parkrun, LAUREN MALTZ U17 56th (29.08) this was her 25th Parkrun

PARKRUN 5K – Took place at Cassiobury on 5 February.
JONATHAN SHAW V50 8th (18.59) this was his 21st Parkrun, TIM UNDERHILL V50 29th (21.01) this was his 92nd Parkrun, DAVID GREENSTEIN V55 33rd (21.11) this was his 89th Parkrun

PARKRUN 5K – Took place at Grovelands on 5 February.
STUART SINGER V60 24th (22.24) this was his 318th Parkrun, BRADLEY SINGER 34th (23.08) this was his 165th Parkrun

PARKRUN 5K – Took place at Hackney Marshes on 5 February.
BARRY CHISHOLM V60 152nd (25.58) this was his 232nd Parkrun

PARKRUN 5K – Took place at Jersey on 5 February.
ANDREW HOLMES V50 171st (28.46) this was his 32nd Parkrun

PARKRUN 5K – Took place at Jersey Farm on 5 February.
VICTORIA PRITCHARD V35 5th (20.10) this was her 36th Parkrun

PARKRUN 5K – Took place at Maidstone on 5 February.
CLIFF GOLDING V65 117th (25.51) this was his 107th Parkrun

PARKRUN 5K – Took place at Oak Hill on 5 February.
ZACK JOSEPHS U13 11th (PB 20.38) this was his 4th Parkrun

PARKRUN 5K – Took place at Rickmansworth on 5 February.
DAN WATTS V35 1st (16.45) this was his 15th Parkrun

PARKRUN 5K – Took place at Sunny Hill on 5 February.
LENARD MICHEL V50 10th (23.12) this was his 71st Parkrun, SHONA MICHEL V50 23rd (28.27) this was her 52rd Parkrun

UPCOMING FIXTURES FOR THE NEXT 4 WEEKS, FOR THE PERIOD THURSDAY  10 FEBRUARY DECEMBER UNTIL WEDNESDAY 9 MARCH – The current 2021 Summer Fixture Card can be found on the SBH website – http://sbharriers.co.uk/fixtures-results/fixture-cards/ – also the contact details for all Team Managers can be found on the SBH website – http://sbharriers.co.uk/athletics/track-field/team-managers/
There are certain fixtures, that you will have to enter yourselves and pay the appropriate fee.

ENGLAND U15, U17 & U20 INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS – Takes place at the English Institute of Sport, Coleridge Road, Sheffield (Satnav S9 5DA) on Saturday 12 February and Sunday 13 February.
Entries Closed

LEE VALLEY ESSEX AND EASTERN COUNTIES INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS – Takes place at the Lee Valley Athletics Centre, 61 Meridian Way, Edmonton (Satnav N9 0AR) on Saturday 12 February and Sunday 13 February. Age-group U13 up to Senior.
Entries Closed

LEE VALLEY INDOOR AYO FALOLA DREAM MILE – Takes place at the Lee Valley Athletics Centre, 61 Meridian Way, Edmonton (Satnav N9 0AR) on Wednesday 16 February.
Age-group U15s and above. To enter please use this link – https://www.visitleevalley.org.uk/event-listings/ayo-falola-dream-mile
No Closing Date Given

NEWHAM 60m SPRINT SERIES – Takes place at the Terence McMillan Stadium, 281 Prince Regent Street, London (Satnav E13 8SD) on Wednesday 16 February.
Please use this link for entry information – https://entry4sports.co.uk/#/
Closing date for entries is Saturday 12 February

START FITNESS METROPOLITAN LEAGUE – The fifth fixture of five takes place on Saturday 19 February at Trent Park, Cockfosters Road, Middlesex (SatNav EN4 0PS). The start is close to the car park which is accessible from the western gate of Trent Park, found on the left-side before reaching Cockfosters underground station (Piccadilly line).
Awaiting final details, the start times are from the 2020 race.
Start Times 12.25pm U11 (Over 9) Boys (up to 2km), 12.30pm U11 (Over 9) Girls (up to 2km), 12.40pm U13 Boys (3km), 12.45pm U13 Girls (3km), not before 1.00pm U17 Men and U15 Boys (4km), not before 1.05pm U17 Women and U15 Girls (4km), not before 1.30pm U20, Senior and Veteran Women (7-8km), not before 2.35pm U20, Senior and Veteran Men (7-8km).
Note: You do not have to be pre-entered, just turn up and run.
Please collect your race numbers from the respective team managers – SIMON KEENE, JEREMY SOTHCOTT and JO KENT
Please go to Start Fitness Metropolitan League web site www.metleague.co.uk for course maps, and any other final information.

START FITNESS METROPOLITAN LEAGUE RACE NUMBERS – I have been asked to remind you that your race number must be kept by yourselves, and is to be used for all 5 fixtures.

LEE VALLEY INDOOR SPRINT HURDLES OPEN MEETING – Takes place at the Lee Valley Athletics Centre, 61 Meridian Way, Edmonton (Satnav N9 0AR) on Saturday 19 February.
Age-group U13s and above. To enter please use this link – https://www.visitleevalley.org.uk/event-listings/blcf-indoor-sprint-hurdles-open
No Closing Date Given

NATIONAL CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS – Takes place on Saturday 26 February at Parliament Hill Fields, Hampstead Heath (SatNav NW5 1QR), nearest station is Gospel Oak.
Start Times 11.00am U17 Women (5000m), 11.25am U15 Boys (4000m), 11.45pm U13 Girls (3000m), 12.05pm U17 Men (6000m), 12.30pm U13 Boys (3000m), 12.45pm U15 Girls (4000m), 1.05am U20 Women (6000m), 1.35pm Senior Women (8000m), 2.20pm U20 Men (10000m), 3.00pm Senior Men (12000m)
This is the link to the National website, giving information, travel and site map http://www.englishcrosscountry.co.uk/the-national-cross-country-championships/venue/
Entries Closed
Note: You will have to be pre-entered by your Team Manager 

Post Race meet after The National is now The Old White Bear, Hampstead, cheers, Paul Simons.

UK ATHLETICS INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS – Takes place at the Utilita Arena, Birmingham (Satnav B1 2AA) on Saturday 26 February.and Sunday 27 February
Link for information – https://www.britishathletics.org.uk/events-and-tickets/uk-athletics-indoor-championships-2022/?_ga=2.49572641.602358690.1642915606-959043449.1642915606

BRITISH MASTERS INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS – Takes place at the Lee Valley Athletics Centre, 61 Meridian Way, Edmonton (Satnav N9 0AR) on Saturday 5 March and Sunday 6 March
Link to entries – https://bmaf.opentrack.run/en-gb/x/2022/GBR/bmaf-itfc/
Entries Close Sunday 20 February
Note: You will have to enter yourself and pay the appropriate entry fee

HENRY RYAN WINS BARNET SCHOOLS RACE – Congratulations to HENRY who won the Year 6 cross country race at Stonex Stadium area on Wednesday 8 February. Photograph of HENRY with his winners medal.

ART OF SHOT PUT WITH RYAN CROUSER – The following article was published on the Athletics Weekly website recently.

Olympic champion and world record-holder takes us inside an event that needs plenty of power but also a great deal of skill. The idea of seeing who can throw a heavy object over the greatest distance has been around for thousands of years. HOMER mentions Greek soldiers having rock throwing competitions, while in the middle ages military men were known to hurl cannon balls. It’s perhaps little surprise, then, that the shot put has been part of the modern Olympics since the first Games, in 1896.

Men throw a 16lbs (7.26kg) shot while the women compete with one weighing 8.5lbs (4kg). The shot is thrown from a circle with a diameter of 2.135m (seven feet) and a stop board 10cm (four inches) high at its front. The circle is normally made of concrete – or wood if it’s an indoor competition. It’s an event with a very straightforward outcome but, as with so many sporting disciplines, mastering the nuance of technique is key. Few have ever been better at shot put than Olympic champion and world record-holder RYAN CROUSER. AW sat down with him as he explained the discipline:

How would you explain shot put to someone who had never seen it? – I would say go to a bowling alley, pick up the heaviest bowling ball (16lbs) and go to a basketball court. Stand on the free throw line, turn around and try to make a three-quarter court shot with that bowling ball. If you did that you wouldn’t break the shot put world record but you’d be close to a medal at a major championships. I think that puts some perspective on what we’re doing out there.

Physical attributes – The best shot putters are really good athletes with a good sense of balance, are able to move well and are able to sprint. Having a good sense of rhythm is also important. If you have someone who’s fast moving in a straight line that isn’t enough because you have to be conscious of how you move rotationally as well. It’s a misconception that it’s just about how much you can bench press. Being an all-round athlete and how you move is important. Being on the bigger side, as far as build goes, helps. If you are skinny and built like a distance runner with narrow shoulders and a lighter bone frame, it’s hard to throw the shot a long way. But I would say that’s not a make or break because, when I was younger, I was tall and skinny. I would say it’s easier to get bigger and stronger than to develop natural athleticism.

Putting the shot – The rules state that the shot must start on the neck, finish near the neck and be released above the shoulder. It has to be more of a put movement, in close, which is biomechanically a much safer way to apply force. Think how much you can bench press compared to how heavy a ball you could throw. You’re not allowed to drop below the shoulder or outside the shoulder as you would in a normal throwing motion, like you would throw a baseball or a cricket ball. I think that’s mainly to protect athletes starting out because you don’t want to be doing a throwing motion with a 16lb ball or you won’t have much of an elbow or shoulder left!

What constitutes a foul throw? – A throwing foul – when the ball comes below the shoulder, turning it into a throwing motion – is very unusual at the elite level. I don’t think I’ve ever seen an athlete called for a throwing foul. You have to throw, remain balanced and walk out of the back half of the circle. Probably 99 per cent of fouls are when an athlete steps out of the front half, either accidentally stepping on the toe board or being off-balance. After a bad throw an athlete will often intentionally step out of the front because they don’t want their poor throw measured.

Two methods: glide or spin – Gliding is when you sort of shuffle from the back to the front of the circle, a very speed-orientated technique. The spin is where you do a full turn from the back to the front of the ring. For the glide, which was the dominant style from the 1960s, you start with your back facing the toe board and make a single glide movement across, pushing off your right foot. You then land on the same foot before using your left foot in the power position and throwing the ball. For a long time that was the textbook, prototypical, method. In the 1970s a few athletes started applying a discus-style rotational movement in the shot, with varied success. It’s a much more complex movement and it wasn’t until probably 2016 that the rotational method became dominant in major championships. I have used both methods. I used the glide until I was 18 so I have a good understanding of, not my limits, but what the possibilities are because I threw with the glide and then switched to the spin. I think I could still have success with the glide but the upward potential of the spin is greater.

Technique, speed or strength? – For me, at this stage, it’s a game of inches. The technical gains are the largest in terms of gaining distance. I would describe speed and strength as limiting factors. If you are not strong enough to be proficient through the movements, that can be detrimental and if you can’t go fast enough that can also be detrimental. If you have a baseline speed and a baseline strength established, technique is then the optimising factor built on that basic speed and strength. I would advise any younger thrower to focus on technique. For me at the elite level, I still try to continue improving technique but also trying to raise my baseline.

Is height a help or a hindrance? –  I am tall, which can be an advantage and a disadvantage. From a physics perspective, being tall can be an advantage because you have longer levers and therefore more time to apply force to the shot. The downside of being tall is that, for me, the circle is very small – just over a foot shorter than the discus ring. That’s probably why you see more of the taller athletes throwing the discus rather than the shot. Take TOMAS WALSH or JOE KOVACS – they can be really dynamic across the ring. I can’t have a sprint dynamic technique – I have to have a technique which is very conservative, which is focused on how I keep my 6ft 7in self from fouling at the front of the circle. I’ve spent most of my career figuring out a technique that works for me.

Training – I do four throwing workouts a week during the off-season and will add another to go to five during the season and I do four or five lifting sessions during the week. In addition I will have sprints, plyometrics and medicine ball training mixed in.

Competition tactics – The normal format is three throws, then three more throws in reverse order. The thing to understand about throwing is that your best throw does not come when you’re going at 100 per cent effort, but rather in the 80 to 85 per cent range.  I’m trying but not trying absolutely as hard as I can and not trying to force it to happen. I am keeping the body relaxed, which makes technical execution easier and keeps you in the proper mental state. Its maximum effort but relaxed and letting the event happen. There are some athletes who will skip, say, the fifth round to really focus on the sixth. Personally, I like to take all six throws although the effort might vary slightly between throws, depending on what the goal is for each round. In the first round I would probably throw at 75-80 per cent effort to get a mark in, to guarantee qualification for the last three throws. It’s what some people would call a safety throw. After that I would increase intensity. So I might start with a throw at 75 per cent, then move up to 80-85 per cent for the next three throws. Then it’s about assessing if I can continue to push that and throw a little bit harder or am I already at a good level and just stick with the 85 per cent and just try to let a big throw happen?

It is beneficial to be ahead after three throws so that you are the last thrower in the last round.  Before the last round if someone is ahead of me I know I will have at least one more attempt to better that.  It’s important to have the last throw in the last round – it means you’re the only athlete who has their fate in their own hands, because you know what you have to respond to. I like being the last thrower. It either means that I know the competition is already won, which is a great feeling, but it’s probably the best feeling in shot putting to produce your best throw in the last round when you need it to win.

SHAFTESBURY BARNETT HARRIERS ON INSTAGRAM – Since the account was setup towards the end of last year, there has been an amazing amount of Video and Photographs contributed with many comments. The following is an update of this week’s contributions.

STONEX STADIUM – Photographs of Training Night and New West Stand.

REQUEST FROM GABBY KYRIACOU – GABBY is currently studying at Sussex University, doing mechanical engineering with an integrated masters and will be finishing her degree in 2023. GABBY joined Shaftesbury in 2012 aged 13, and has almost ever present for the club, on the track, cross country and road up to 2019, with many successes. GABBY is not the only talented KYRIACOU in Shaftesbury, there is her sister LIDIA, but unfortunately due to a hip injury has not competed since 2018.

Hi fellow SBH members and I hope you’re all well. I am taking part in a Jog Jan for Pan Can to raise funds and awareness for Pancreatic Cancer Action by running 200km over the month of January in memory of my Dad who died last year from this disease. Can you please follow the link below to my fund-raising page. If possible, please donate to this very worthwhile cause and help me to exceed my target. It would be great if you could share the link with friends and family in case they too want to donate. Thanks very much GABBY

https://pancreaticcanceraction.enthuse.com/pf/gabriella-kyriacou/post/1259383

REQUEST FROM JESSICA HURLEY – JESSICA is currently at Stirling University, studying Sports Business Management and will be graduating in June this year. She is also the President of the Women’s Hockey Club and play in the 1st XI, competing in the Scottish Hockey National League.

I was wondering whether it would be possible at all if you could forward on my dissertation research survey to athletes at Shaftesbury to complete? You must be over 18 and had previously taken part in a mass-participant sporting event.

This is the link: https://stirling.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/sustainable-development-in-mass-participant-sporting-events

BIRMINGHAM 2022 COMMONWEALTH GAMES – You may wish to sign up to receive their Newsletter. Link – https://www.birmingham2022.com/register-your-interest/. This is the link to the current schedule for the 25 events – https://images.birmingham2022.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/11441664_CWGs_Daily_Competition_Schedule_FINAL.pdf.