By Leslie Ann Bent

October is here and it was that time of year once again for STARRs to hone in on their pacing skills. The annual event has participants predict their time over a short course of 5.3km or a longer course of 9.4km.  The runners and walkers estimate their time and without using a watch or devise, complete the course.  The closest person to his or her predicted time is the winner. Pacing is one of the critical aspects of running, especially for longer distances as it impacts performance and energy conservation (or not). With the Vancouver Island race series approaching, as well as the Royal Victoria marathon weekend racing over Thanksgiving, this little friendly test helps runners assess their overall pacing ability.

This year we had a small turnout but no rain.  Four hearty STARRs headed out on the out and back routes from the Potholes P2 parking lot. It was a gorgeous day to be out on the course. Jackie was our overall winner, a seasoned veteran who has spanked out many hundreds of kilometers along this route. Congrats to Jackie and the rest of the crew. Thanks to Andy for taking photos.

Results:

Participant                  Estimated Time in Minutes                Actual Time                Variance

Jackie (long course)                60                                           58:17                          1:43

Maggie (long course)              62                                            58:32                           3:28

Danny (short course)              60                                            54:45                           5:15

Joldine (short course)             64                                            55:20                           8:40