The Foxy Ladies members remain colourful throughout this team challenge.
We all know how hard it is to stay motivated to go out for a run in the COLD or RAIN or WIND or in the dark on a frosty evening or when its still covered with a blanket of ice first thing in the morning. So what better way to keep going then with the support of a virtual team taking part in the fun Colour Challenge?
Communication is key
As well as encouraging the members to keep going out running for their mental and physical health, we also wanted this challenge to be about communication. To involve members that are perhaps more remote and don’t have access to a +1 running buddy at the moment, or those living alone or having to shield or isolate. To have a bit of banter, exchange messages and photos with like-minded people in a “WhatsApp” or “Messenger” group can really make a difference to someone’s day, especially at the moment with the current pandemic affecting everyone’s lives in some shape or form.
Team tasks and tactics
The members were tasked with choosing a colour for their team which they must try to wear during the challenge and provided with a shopping list of tasks they had to complete as a whole team. Each team consisted of 5 members and 20 teams took part. Their shopping list looked like this;
They had to plan which team member would cover which task on which day – lots of the Foxy ladies members are taking part in RED (Run Every Day) for charity or continuing a previously set streak challenge which meant quite a few could easily tick off item no 2. run every day with just one team member!
Their were adaptions made for injured members or newer less experienced runners and everyone wholeheartedly embraced all the tasks.
Presentations
The 20 teams were then asked to evidence their tasks and publish their photos in any form of media onto the clubs private Facebook page. Some teams produced imaginative collages and others individual photos of collective tasks, we also received some amazing creative videos.
The 20 teams who took part all donned team colours!
After seeing the team’s presentations of the challenge, it was clear to see they had all really enjoyed it and had put a lot of time and effort into doing it. The feedback was great, they had a lot of fun taking part, some trying new things they hadn’t done before, meeting new foxy members or running or chatting with members from different groups. It also helped pass another week of lockdown and most importantly new lines of communication have opened and new friendships made.
Move over Banksy ….the Foxy Ladies are the new artists about town!
Art map creations helps the ladies stay focused
From the 1st January for a week the members of FLRC were tasked with producing a work of art whilst out running. They either, ran a random route then using their imagination turned it into a masterpiece, or planned and created a route in the shape of something before they set out and completed the vision whilst out running. Whichever way round they did it they came up with some impressive ideas.
The creations have been flooding in daily and it has proved a popular challenge. Keeping lots of our ladies motivated to run or walk (if injured) and produce artistic creations daily. They have taken to the sea front promenade, off road to the woods and trails or just around their local streets.
Getting the family involved
It has taken quite a lot of determination to keep going out through the recent cold and previously wet weather but once given a focus the ladies always rise to it. What is heart warming to see is the amount of family members getting involved. Whether it’s the children accompanying mum on a bike, or running along with them, or helping turn their maps into unique works of art. Even lots of the ladies partners have sprung into action as +1 running buddies to get creative.
Streak challenge
Alongside the arty maps we have also set the ladies a running streak challenge. They choose how long they set their running streak for x 3 days / 5 days / x 7 or more. Some ladies have even gone one step further and decided to run everyday for the whole month. RED January (run every day) or Run 31 are great challenges which are charity fund raisers for local and or national charities.
With lockdown set to continue for some time yet, we aim to set weekly challenges to keep the ladies running when and where they can, adhering to all government COVID safe guidelines. As well as a weekly task we continue to support and encourage our members with 1 to 1 running, twice weekly zoom strength classes, alternative exercise solutions, wellbeing mindfulness and informative posts.
Four incredibly strong women come together to share their losses, to support each other and raise awareness.
Caroline, Emma, Karen and Michelle were initially united through running but now been bought closer together through sharing their experiences of the loss of their precious little ones. These four amazing women meet up to support each other which makes them feel more comfortable and able to talk about and share their stories.
These ladies thought would be good to raise awareness and support for others inside the club . They wanted to help other club members who perhaps wanted to run and chat about their own experiences. They began organising ‘Run a mile in my Shoes’ which are run and talk runs for SANDS Stillbirth and neonatal death society https://www.sands.org.uk/about-sands . SANDS organised ‘Walk a Mile in My shoes’ which our girls adapted to Run a mile in my shoes. They received an overwhelming response and have already held a few runs but have now sadly had to limit the numbers to be in line with government guidelines and Covid19 safety restrictions.
Caroline says…
When I joined this running club it was about getting fit, challenging myself and achieving my goals! But…. it’s so much more! I have met some extremely strong ladies who have been through something a women should never have to deal with…. the loss of a much loved and wanted child. Some find it difficult to talk about this but through the Foxy Ladies, we have talked, ran and shared our experiences, I will be forever grateful to know such strong and inspiring women who have without a doubt made this something we can open up about and share our grief. We have hosted some run and talk sessions linked to the SANDS Charity, Run a Mile in my Shoes, raising awareness and supporting each other. It’s very comforting to see how it can bring us together even more.
Emma’s journey…
After a long and difficult journey, I became pregnant in 2017. Very early on I was told that I was carrying identical twins who were joined at the placenta. This meant that they would be sharing a blood supply and could be at risk of Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome (TTTS) where the twins could share unequal amounts of blood flow. We were referred to the multiple pregnancy unit at University College London Hospital (UCLH) where I was monitored with scans every couple of weeks. We were already very anxious about my pregnancy so found this all quite overwhelming.
Mylo and Stanley
At around 26 weeks pregnant and on the August bank holiday weekend, I woke up concerned that I could feel much less movement from the twins. We called the hospital and made the long journey from Worthing to Euston to have scan at UCLH. The nurse could only find one heartbeat on the monitor and called in someone else to help her but unfortunately the team couldn’t find the heartbeat of our smallest twin Stanley. Sadly, around four weeks later, Mylo passed away too. Our twins had lost their lives due to TTTS. At 31 weeks I was induced and gave birth to our twins naturally at the hospital on 22nd September 2017. As you can imagine this was a traumatic and upsetting experience for both Paul and me.
Our support
The whole team at UCLH were incredible and both us and the twins were treated with so much kindness, dignity and respect. Unfortunately, one stillborn baby is born every day at UCLH and the hospital has its own room, the butterfly suite, for families like ours. Following their birth, we were given hand and footprints for Mylo and Stanley, photographs and a memory box to take home. This was all made possible thanks to the work of three amazing charities: The Butterfly Fund at UCLH, SANDS and 4Louis.
Life since the twins’ birth has been hard and both Paul and I have tried to find different ways to help us cope. This has included running, which as well as helping us clear our minds, has allowed us to help raise money for TAMBA – The Twin And Multiple Birth Association – through the London Marathon (Paul!) and for SANDS – the Stillbirth and Neonatal Death charity – through the Cardiff half marathon and Great South Run (both of us!).
The Foxy Ladies
When I joined the Foxy Ladies about a year after the twins were born, I didn’t tell anyone about my experience. I was feeling unfit and not very confident. Unfortunately, stillbirth is a taboo subject in our society, and I was worried about people not wanting to talk to me or what they might think. I soon found the group to be so supportive and both my confidence in running and talking to others grew.
I noticed on our Foxy Facebook page one day a fellow fox wearing a 4Louis running top. I reached out and contacted Michelle as I thought either she had been through this experience herself or she knew someone who had. We arranged to meet for a hot chocolate and spoke about losing our babies. Speaking to someone who has been through a similar experience to you suddenly takes the weight off your shoulders as you’ve found someone who ‘just gets it’.
Sharing our experiences
Our running club is so social and inclusive that after talking to other friends we found out about another fox, Caroline, who had experienced stillbirth too. Our little group grew further when we met Karen who had lost her son early in his life. Meeting each other, talking about our babies and what we had been through has meant so much to me and allowed me to better deal with the grief of losing Mylo and Stanley.
Run a Mile in My Shoes
During lockdown so many foxes took part in a sponsored run for the charity 4Louis and ran to mark Caroline’s son’s birthday too. It was like a breath of fresh air and gave me personally the courage to talk more openly about my experience of stillbirth. When I saw SANDS promoting their latest campaign ‘Walk a Mile in My Shoes’ I knew that this was something that us foxes could get involved in – but in true foxy style we would run not walk!
As a group, we have started to organise some short, inclusive runs where our fellow foxy ladies could come, chat, ask questions but most importantly be together and share our collective experiences of baby loss. Being an all-female running group and coming from a place of support and encouragement felt like such an important opportunity for us to get together. Our aim is to raise awareness of baby loss and to try and make this something that is more acceptable to talk about. If we manage to raise some vital funds for SANDS along the way, then even better!
Karen’s story
This is Jack, Jack Adam Blunsdon, ‘ chunky monkey’Jack was born on the 11th January 2006.
After a traumatic birth, with Jack requiring resuscitation and ventilation, we made it to SCBU. Nobody knew what was the matter with him, all we knew was that he was very little, very poorly, but a fighter. I had a normal pregnancy and up until the minute he arrived we didn’t know anything was wrong, and so the rollercoaster ride of our lives began.
We spent the first 6 weeks of Jacks life in intensive care, with the amazing Drs and nurses at St George’s hospital, Tooting, managing to get Jack to breathe on his own. He was still really floppy, could only feed from a tube and couldn’t swallow, but he was alive and that’s all that mattered. We were going home…..
Life became a whirlwind of hospital admissions, and medical appointments, but Jack was holding his own and becoming quite a character.
At 7 months old and during a particularly long hospital stay, Jack was diagnosed with X-linked myotubular myopathy (XLMTM) which is a rare genetic neuromuscular disorder that is characterised by muscle weakness and is most typically severe but can range from mild to profound. Our world came tumbling down.
This particular hospital admission was for Jack to have another operation to help him keep his food down and also to look into his breathing. The results weren’t good and Jack was put on Bipap a non- invasive form of ventilation.
A long conversation with a specialist told us that Jacks time was limited, he was already beginning to struggle and his health was deteriorating. We were lucky we had another amazing 5 months with Jack. Everyday he fought, and so did we. We weren’t giving up until he did.
On the 11th January 2007, Jacks first birthday, he passed away. Our beautiful, brave little boy ran out of strength to carry on fighting, and so we said goodbye.
There is nothing that anybody can do or say to stop the pain, but there are wonderful people like those that gave support from the Myotublar Trust https://myotubulartrust.org/ they have lived and are living your life, felt the highs and lows, the good and bad. They are there for advice, to shout and swear at, but most of all to listen and understand what you are feeling.
The Myotubular Trust was the only support network I had in those early days, and they literally helped me keep my sanity in the darkest of days.
I wanted to be involved in the ‘Run a Mile in my Shoes’ so that by talking about Jack, it makes me feel like he is acknowledged and never forgotten about. He made his mark for the short time he was here and talking about him keeps that little bit of him alive
I’d really like to express my gratitude for the support and friendship give by Emma Caroline and Michelle. Losing a baby is unthinkable, talking about your feelings and your mental health to strangers feels uncomfortable. You don’t know how they will react talking about such an emotive subject, but these ladies get it, they’ve been there, they understand, as have so many other Foxy’s. I should have realised that joining a women’s running group would bring more than sweaty lycra and stinky trainers. I’ve made lifelong friendships with so many strong, supportive, kind, and caring women. Thank you Foxy’s.
I ran the London Landmarks half marathon last year and was supporting a charity Run 4 Louis https://www.facebook.com/run4louis/ running in memory of my two babies Angel and Katie who I’d lost in pregnancy.
Another Foxy member Emma contacted me and we met for coffee. I will never forget that day. We talked and talked about our babies. Emma was so honest and open about her twin boys and for the first time I realised it was ok to talk about my girls. For years I’d felt that I was making people feel uncomfortable when I mentioned my babies so just avoided it.
We have now also met two other strong, amazing and inspirational women, Caroline and Karen who have again shown me it’s OK to talk, to share, to cry , to be proud of our babies. We all talk, we run , we drink coffee (or Prosecco) we’re there for each other and I cannot thank these girls enough.
I am just so thankful I joined. It’s so much more than a running group.
FLRC is proud to announce we now have four Mental Health Champions and one Mental Health Ambassador in association with England Athletics and Run Together’s national campaign #RunAndTalk.
Mental health is part of our lives, whether this is because we are directly affected or know someone that is. So it is more important than ever for us to be more aware, take more notice, give more respect to the individual and have time to listen. Our mental health champions can help with this by providing points of initial contact within the club. We want to provide a safe space and a non- judgmental ear to help those that may need it. Mental Health can affect individuals in so many different ways and it may not always be obvious.
Who are they?
Our Mental Health Champions are not trained mental health workers, we are qualified run leaders that have stepped forward for this role as we are committed to helping others. Heidi, Leah, Lesley, Lin and myself are your champions.
We are all completing a ” Mental Health Awareness for Sport and Physical Activity” online training course. We are also receiving training from Lin our qualified mental health nurse and Mental Health Ambassador. Lin is passionate about what she does and comes with a wealth of experience. Our members will be directed and given the correct guidance and information to access the support they need.
Exercise helps
Studies have shown that regular physical activity is associated with lower rates of depression and anxiety across all age groups. Exercise is essential for slowing age related cognitive decline and promoting well being (ref MIND).
We can help by continuing to promote positive mental health with exercise and to keep talking as openly as possible to reduce the stigma associated with it. This is something we have always encouraged at Foxy Ladies as we have witnessed how much a run and chat can improve positive mental attitude, lift spirits and aid in clearer thinking.
We have dedicated #runandtalk runs on a Monday night for this exact purpose.
Running brings emotions to the surface through the release of adrenaline. Sometimes we see this manifest as upset or stress along with heightened emotions that come on quite unexpectedly. We are always heartened by the support given from our members (their run buddies) both before, during and after a session or run. It helps to talk about their situation and we see strong and trusted bonds forged between people enabling deeper emotional connections.
Being Mental Heath Champions, we aim to;
promote mental well being through running by supporting the aims of #RunAndTalk
work to support our members to improve their mental health through running.
Support new people who are experiencing mental health problems to start running, get back into running, or continue running.
We;
Have experience ourselves of a mental health problem, either personally and/or from a close relative or friend.
Have an open and non-judgmental attitude.
Adopt a positive, patient and supportive approach towards supporting people with mental health problems.
Be a positive role model.
Behave in a professional, confidential and non-discriminatory manner at all times and promote equal opportunities for all.
We will;
Support #RunAndTalk campaigns and register an organised run for each event
Provide crisis contacts to their club/group
Be a point of contact for anyone experiencing mental health problems to join the club/group
Encourage and promote conversations about mental health
Make links with mental health organisations in the community
Actively promote mental well being and running
All our Foxy members now have access to our Mental Health Champions and MH Ambassador. However if you’re reading this and not yet a member and need support or would like to talk someone please contact MIND on this link
Lockdown has been going on a long while and during that time the Foxy Ladies have been doing some great challenges. In June a virtual challenge popped up in my Facebook feed from the amazing ‘Run Things’. Run Things is a virtual challenge organisation who raises money for Mind the mental health challenge which is a great cause and one close to mine and lots of other foxes hearts. https://runthings.co.uk/ My ears pricked up as at Christmas we had participated in a challenge called ‘Run up to Christmas’ which had been lots of fun and earnt us a fabulous Christmas Tree Medal.
Virtual Is the way forward during the uncertainty
The great thing about a virtual challenge is that instead of attending a ‘Race day’ at an official time and place, runners can take part in the time and place of their choice and can run a distance they are comfortable with. This meant that Foxes who were injured could also take part in this challenge which made it really inclusive. It was also a great way to increase motivation for all members of the club. You also received a medal at the end and it was an ‘eco’ wooden medal!
The Challenge
The idea of the challenge was to try and run as far round the world as you can during the month of July. Not only were you running and seeing your own total of miles run grow but you were contributing to the grand total of miles for the Foxy Ladies team.
The stats
Every run counted and we had 85 Foxy Ladies taking part. The team spirit was amazing and everyone was getting out there and really adding to the fantastic total of 7839km / 4570 miles that we completed during the challenge. Total duration was 1324 hours of running which is over 55 days. and Foxy Ladies ran the furthest of all the teams representing Team South!
The feedback was really positive with ladies saying how motivating they found the challenge especially as summer running is much harder and then nicely topped off with the satisfaction that we raised a considerable sum for ‘Mind’.
By Clare Packer – Foxy Organiser for the RATW Challenge
An idea had been brewing in my head for many months about arranging a Prison Break style run for our members, originally planned for the end of May. Corona quashed a lot of our well laid plans but when restrictions eased we were able to go ahead with the planned “Great Escape” on the 12th July.
Solving clues before the off
Members organised themselves into teams of 5 or 6, named their teams appropriately (there were some hilarious team names) donned outfits or fancy dress and wearing war paint were geared up for the game ahead. A poem with clues and some photos were released on facebook at 8am. This gave them the mystery meeting point and they were tasked to get their whole team there for the start at 0845. Some teams didn’t quite get all the clues from the poem and some had difficulty finding the stone in the middle of Cissbury but eventually everyone was together (sticking to social distance rules) and the games could begin.
Win a leader
Each team had questions to answer about their leaders and were able to win a leader (if in team of five) to help them on their quest, if not they won points which went towards their grand total. Points were also awarded for best outfits, team names, first team back, furthest distance ran, team photos and getting the team to the start.
Eleven teams took part and set off from the middle of Cissbury Ring just after 9am and had 45 minutes to run as far as possible and then take a group photo in their location and send a map or pin drop for the distance to be calculated later ….. as the crow flies.
Running amok all over Cissbury
Some teams choose rural routes taking them on hilly climbs, some took to the roads and headed for the seafront, others were strategic in not running too far away so they could be first back and some went and took it easy in their team members back garden!!
It was a really hot day but so many laughs were had and they all did so well, encouraging their team members some of whom they had not met before the day. When they returned back to base, tired from the running and the heat, they were rewarded with cold watermelon and oranges and water to freshen them up.
Scores were totted up afterwards and distances calculated and MADgirlsONNA run were the overall winners. Well done to all our teams and Leaders that took part thank you for giving up your Sunday mornings
As the event was such a success and after receiving many members requests this will now become an annual event. Wahoo!
We have been eagerly following any developments the government has put out regarding exercising in numbers. Once a change has happened, we have then waited for UK Athletics and or England Athletics to confirm the statement and follow their advice. In the last ten days we have been able to resume mini group sessions which is 5 members plus 1 leader which has been wonderful.
We have ensured we are mainly sticking to wide open green spaces or trail runs to keep off the pavements as much as possible for the time being. This makes our members feel safer and respects the publics space. We have ensured all members are adhering to social distancing guidelines and that leaders take all necessary appropriate measures for hygiene and safety.
As a result, the ladies have come away beaming from ear to ear after each run or session and have really appreciated having that connection again. It takes a lot more administration to coordinate but is so worthwhile. All the leaders are pulling together to offer extra sessions to accommodate all the members sometimes running 3 sessions in a row, when that would use to have been one session.
Learn to run jogs along nicely…
We have managed to continue coaching our ‘learn to run’ ladies who had just started running before the Corona Pandemic had hit hard in the UK and lockdown had occurred.
We had launched two new courses at the beginning of March on a Monday evening and Saturday morning. Both courses were sold out and in full swing at week 4,3 respectively. We had to stop these courses with immediate effect when lockdown happened.
Understandably at the time not many of the ladies were new to running and felt uncomfortable going out on their own doing solo runs. The whole point of a learn to run group is to have the support of other people going thourgh the same thing. We shared homework details and expected timings with the ladies each week and encouraged those who wished to continue to do so. The ladies found it hard to stay motivated this way so we started to look at the best ways to keep them going.
Making it work
We discovered the joys of virtual runs and set about continuing in this way until restrictions were lifted. We set up mini groups on messenger and dialled in with the camera so that we could see the ladies and run with them. We all leave our houses at the same time and run solo along the streets or greens and chat to them about anything and everything until its time for there 1 minute walk break.
Sessions carried on virtually until we were allowed to exercise with one person outside of our household. Leaders then started running to meet individuals still on virtual chat with the rest of the group so that everyone could stick to the same timings.
Just recently as the restrictions have changed to 5 people plus a leader we are now able to resume some mini group sessions. We have lots of little pockets of ladies that are at different weeks/timings to each other but the aim is to eventually bring them all back together in one group as we reunite.
Last week we surpised some of our dedicated runners who carried on regardless through lockdown with their graduation run, they completed 5km non stop so received their certificates and welcome information to the club. We expect to see several more ladies graduate in the next few weeks and then resume mini sessions with the rest of the ladies over the summer.
Keeping our members engaged and motivated during lockdown has not only had our leaders becoming even more creative than usual with the challenges but its kept our ladies busy with all sorts of activities from our own version of Cluedoh to indoor strength and conditioning work like balancing on one leg, and from socially distanced team relays to duathlons. Read on to find out a little more about what we have been getting up to.
Team Relay
Teams of ladies virtually got together for our relay challenge. The nature of the task meant they had to be creative with their videos or pictures recording the event. They also had to come up with a clever or funny team name and plan routes to accommodate all the runners in their team, while adhering to the social distancing guidelines.
Ten teams took part with 125 ladies altogether and everyone thoroughly enjoyed the task and particularly when they handed over their virtual baton to the next runner. Prizes were awarded based on the most creative presentation which made it hard to judge as so many teams pulled out some cracking videos. Some teams clocked up impressive mileage over the day with one doing 80 miles between them. Team members from ‘For Fox Sake why do you live there’ were delivered homemade cream tea to celebrate their win.
Just a small selection of the teams that took part.
Map My Letter
We have recently seen the ‘RouLetter’ challenge, each member was given a letter to run and record in a map. All the letters were then collated in a post and all members had chance to descramble them to form popular saying or phrase. It kept some of our members busy for hours, both running the letters and putting together the phrase. Neither were as easy it looked!
Virtual Family Sports Day
A challenge for the whole family to take part in one sunny Sunday. As many family members could take part and single parent families could join up virtually with other households. Points were awarded for each activity as well as the number achieved and contestants got to choose between two different activities on each round. After an initial 5km walk run or cycle option the activities included ;- skipping, hula hooping, keepie uppies, wheelbarrow or garden relays, press ups and sit ups, egg and spoon laps and activity course carrying water.
It was great to see the videos and pictures come through of the families enjoying the challenges . Team Godden were our overall winners and won a delicious homemade fresh cream and strawberry sponge cake.
Leah’s Duathlon Challenge
Leah set the latest challenge by encouraging the ladies to try something new. A Duathlon (which is Run Bike Run consistently one after the after) with three different options to suit all abilities and the option to take part indoors on treadmill and static bike. The choices were;
SUPERSPRINT– 1.5km Run 10k Bike 1.5km Run
SPRINT 2.5km Run 21Km Bike 5Km Run
STANDARD 5km Run 42km Bike 10km Run
FOXY CUBS (family friendly version) 1.5km Run 5km Bike 2km Run.
So many of the ladies embraced it along with their families, kids and partners all getting involved and enjoying taking part in a new type of exercise. Many said the second run after the bike ride took its toll as they got off the bike their legs either felt like lead or jelly!
We continue to also keep them moving and entertained whilst at home with recipe ideas and nutrient suggestions, live workouts, live interviews with members and leaders and informative videos.
The idea of the UK wide 2.6 challenge was to raise money for the charities who would usually receive money through the Running of the London Marathon. As you maybe aware all running races have been cancelled whilst the Corona Virus pandemic continues. However the charities that would normally benefit also have to continue their good work which is difficult without the funding they usually receive at this time of year.
Our amazing group of ladies pledged to cover 260 miles on Sunday 26th April as part of this challenge and we absolutely smashed that target and ending up running 734 miles between 115 foxes and 8 fox cubs all on solo runs (sticking to the social distancing guidelines). It was a truly incredible day and we ran 474 more miles than the target we had set. We have raised a fantastic £7,141 with gift aid (as of 5/5/2020) which completely exceeded our expectations. Each charity will receive over £1,000.
All five of the local charities were chosen and voted for by the members of the club
THANK YOU to all the amazing ladies that took part and to everyone for your donations and words of support and a massive Thank you to Emma Hill, Foxy Lady member and event organiser. The Foxy Team spirit was felt everywhere on that Sunday and we are so proud of all our efforts and fund raising achievements.
Amazing amount of 2.6 challenge runners All our runners maps
Finding ways to motivate our members and ourselves during the lockdown has been not only fun and at times challenging but rewarding and emotional.
Everytime we have set a challenge for our ladies they have not only risen to it but absolutely exceeded it and done it in style.
Our challenges so far….
Picture Theme
Each group were set a “theme” for their photos and asked to submit their pictures on the days they would usually attend sessions. These were some of the themes we had the ladies finding…. something that smells – nice or nasty, out looking for something red, pretty churches, something round, a “seat with a view”, post boxes, spring flowers, favourite hills, sending in baby photos or family photos for guess the member, sea views and pouting pics.
7 7 Challenge
We have set them virtual team challenges like the 7 miles a day for 7 days, where as a virtual team of 4 the ladies have needed to complete 7 miles between them each day whether it was walking, running or cycling. They had to submit their mileage at the end of each day to one of our leaders Clare, without telling rest of club their distances. The pictures , collages and videos that were created by the teams were creative imaginative and heart warming to say the least. Prizes were awarded for furthest distance accumulated, best team name and then the winning team was picked at random from all the entries.
Teams coming together virtually to run and exercise
Bingo Bongo Bonkers!
We had 101 members take part in our Bingo challenge. Every member was sent a bingo card, they had to collect 2 numbers each day of the week and make sure they were in the photo with the number. They could join in at home if they were self isolating or in a daily walk, run or cycle. The number collecting was inspiring from road signs to bus stops from drain cover to vehicle registrations, from house numbers to padlocks and from numbers of fence panels to numerical painted sheep ! By the end of it everyone was obsessed with collecting numbers. A winner was chosen at random and another picked for best photo.
Live online workouts
Lesley one of our leader and qualified PT instructor takes an online live class every Thursday evening at 7pm and has various fancy dress theme each week so that even our littlest foxy cubs want to join in. We have seen families working out dressed as super heroes, colours of the rainbow and cowboys and Indians and TV characters. The strength and conditioning classes have been great at keeping the ladies on track with their fitness as well as the second offering of a class on a Saturday morning running by Julia, workouts have included strength bands, body weight classes and abs n butt blasters as well as using hand weights.
Indoor exercise challenges
Added into all the above, leaders and members have challenged each other with the following home workouts….
“Bring Sally Up” squat / press up or tricep dip challenge
“Your name” in exercises workout
Cha Cha Slide plank routine
Baby shark abs session
Hold the Plank challenge
Plus loads more and more to come ….
We have also been providing informational videos including foam roller tips and techniques . A series of videos focusing on injuries with detailed hip injury advice and exercises and plantar fasciitis advice from our own Sarah Morriss. Sarah is a Foxy runner and sports therapist at the Sprint Injury Clinic https://www.facebook.com/SprintInjuryClinic/
Free virtual online sport injury clinic appointments with our leader and sports injury therapist Sinead Clayton. As soon as these were offered she was booked out solid with appointments for two days.
We are also doing one to one live interviews with members and their running stories.
With lockdown set to continue for at least the next three weeks we have much more in store for the ladies. The next challenge is called “Cluedo” and has just launched this week.
