This is the week that was…the Watchless 5!

It was the return of the Chartmoor Loops on Tuesday night with some determined running from all.  Great efforts on a cold night!  The Fartlek Six took to the streets led by JK on Wednesday.  Coach Matt did a 1-2-1 session with Andrew on Thursday...lucky Andrew! And Jen led the Friday morning gang for a social run along the canal.

Saturday always means parkrun Day and we had LFRs at Luton Wardown, Sheffield Hallam, Milton Keynes, Highbury Fields, Crystal Palace, Linford Wood (where Matthew Ma came in first!), Sewerby, Houghton Hall, Buckingham, Tring, Rushmere, Dunstable Downs, Oriam (where is Oriam, Anne?) and Bear Brook.  At home in Rushmere, KGL on a visit home (and just six days from her marathon PB) smashed round with a PB and came in first lady...5th overall!  Also running a stonking PB was Brendan.  Great running!

Wes, Emma and Helen took a wander to Derby for 33 muddy miles ar the Wilmot Wander.  We thought Dunstable was muddy at the cross country.  Just check out these shoes...

Great work, ladies.  Brutal.  It's done.

Getting some marathon training miles in, we had a gaggle of LFR head to the Gade Valley Harriers 12 mile training run on Sunday.  GVH have two more marathon training runs coming up: 17 miles on 23rd February and 20 miles on 22nd March.  These runs are very popular and they have cake at the finish which rival our own! Full details here: https://www.gadevalleyharriers.co.uk/training/london-marathon-training-runs/

AND FINALLY.  It was the long awaited Watchless 5!  What is this Watchless 5, I don't hear you ask.  WELL. The objective of the Watchless 5 is to guess how long you would take to run 5 miles and, after submitting your time in advance, to race it without a watch. Each runner sets off at a different time according to their predicted completion time, aiming to finish at 11:30. In theory all runners should finish at more or less the same time. The winner is not the first runner to complete the course, rather the runner who completes the course closest to their predicted time, i.e. closest to 11:30.

A very exciting morning with the runners all finishing within 140 seconds of each other!  First across the line was Steve Baker, a whole 1.50 quicker than his predicted time.  Last across the line was Gavin Prechner, just 30 seconds slower than his prediction.  But the winner, who was just 10 seconds quicker than her predicted time was Emily McClelland!  Brilliant pacing, even when runners were overtaking her, she stuck to her own pace and won the day!  Full results below...

Very well done to everyone who took part.   Big thanks to Dan for organising, Steve for seting up the course and all the helpers involved.  A great start to the Sunday!

That's all for this week.  Happy running, LFR!