Guess Your Distance | The No Watch Race
I'm trying to like unravel a 400 metre track in
my brain. But I'm also slightly scared that I'm going to end up like 8K away
from home. This is hopeless, hopeless.
Hi, I'm Jess. And I'm here to challenge The Running Channel team -
Jess got in touch with the Running Channel to set a challenge for the team
in the next episode of our Challenge Accepted series. - to run
as close to a 5k distance as possible without using their
watch to help them.
They'll have to put their watch in their pocket and then stop
as soon as they think they've reached the distance. The closest to 5k wins.
But now they've asked me to take part as well.
Kind of wish I'd chosen an easier challenge.
So our competitors for this challenge are,
Andy, Sarah, our new Running Channel recruit Jess, and our
all-stars challenger George Miller from dhb.
George is a triathlete with a current focus on the 70.3
distance.
He has some impressive running stats, with a 10K PB of
36 minutes and one second and a 5K PB of
16 minutes and 47 seconds.
But will that help George map out a 5K distance?
How will he fair at challenge accepted? The rules of the challenge are as
follows: each Running Channel presenter, and all-stars competitor,
George, must
cover as close to the distance of 5 kilometres as possible.
They will run with watches in their pockets to record the distance, but
Auto-Lap must be turned off, and they have to stop when they think they've
hit the 5k mark.
No other technology is allowed and you must run in a location that you're
not familiar with. Ooh, tricky.
The winner is the person who runs the closest to the 5k distance.
We want the Running Channel viewers - yep,
that's you - to set the next task in our Challenge Accepted series.
So make sure you leave your suggestions in the comments below. So.
Challenge Accepted.
I am very nervous or
apprehensive about this challenge.
Luckily I've got some very fetching DHB
leggins with a pocket down the side. So I can just pop my watch in that.
the pockets are kind of see-through.
So is it cheating if I have a little look at my leg whilst
I'm running? Yeah, probably is, isn't it.
Right, that's the watch started, putting it in my pocket.
I'm off - Quick,
pause your video and comment who you think is going to win before we all set
off. - started my watch.
Put it in my pocket, so I don't look at it. No cheating here.
And I've already made a mistake because I'm running up a hill. Pace judgment,
time judgment, completely out the window. Brilliant.
So let's talk tactics.
I'm thinking about trying to run at roughly my kind of average 5k
pace, but we're going to have to see how that goes,
because I honestly rely so much on technology, right?
My watch is ready.
I still find this absolutely bonkers, that I'm not going to be using this.
And I'm also slightly scared that I'm going to end up like 8 K away from,
from home. Oh,
well, I guess we're doing this now, in
3, 2, 1. Start the watch.
Watch goes in my pocket and let's go for a run.
So I started off, tactic number one, pick a flat route. No, fail.
Second one. This was a clever tactic.
I thought I was going to diligently count and then hopefully stop at about 20
minutes. I was good at judging my pace last time and run 5K in 20 minutes.
And then I just stopped. I started counting.
Then I did a piece to camera when I was talking to you.
Now I've forgotten where I got to.
Hands down, I think the biggest challenge for me is actually not getting completely lost.
Otherwise I'm going to end up like miles away from my house and have to walk
back.
I even think I've started too fast.
Probably should have thought tactics by now, shouldn't I? Um,
well I guess that's out the window. I've got to say though, it is nice
running without a watch on,
because you're not constantly checking how far you've gone.
You're not constantly checking your speed, your time. You are just out here,
Kind of enjoying the scenery a little bit more.
At least it's a nice route on the canal.
So I reckon I'm about 1K in, maybe a bit less.
I think the pacing's on point.
So for me, this is way, way, way harder than the pacing challenge.
You just got literally nothing to go on.
I don't know what I'm doing. This could be so far out. It's not even funny.
Update: I am
some kilometers in, some time has passed.
I have no idea how far I've gone or how long it's been.
Um, and what this is teaching me is I rely way too much on my watch.
I could be going really, really slowly or I could be running a PB.
I have no idea.
I'm trying to like unravel a 400 metre track in my brain.
And, like, kind of lay it out in front of me into the distance. I'm going crazy.
This is, this is hard. This is really tough.
So I reckon I've run about 2 K,
which probably means I've done about half of one.
Here we go. Be confident, Andy, this is it. This is your 2.5K point.
I have no idea, but I think it could be, this is my bridge.
I'm gonna run this bridge, turn around, go home,
stop my watch, it's gonna be exactly 5k.
Is it more embarrassing if I run 3.5
K and think that's 5K,
Or 13.5K and think that's 5K?
Because at this point it could go either way. Right.
Brain's playing tricks again. In the distance there
you can see a gatehouse. I reckon that's 400 metres away.
That kind of completely throws off all my other predictions.
So, I reckon I'm going to turn, well,
I'm going to say 3 K about now. Okay.
So then 400 metres to the gate.
Turn around, just over a K and a half to go.
Note to self: if you want to go and set a challenge,
make sure you can do it first. This is so hard.
So hard. I have no idea. I honestly have no- a part of
me just wants to stop and accept how useless I am at this,
and see- right now it's probably saying like 2.1 K.
Please, please, please do us a favour.
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Andy and Sarah would've gone fast out the gate.
And I think they might slightly overdo it and go over five kilometres. So
do I stop earlier than I think I should, or will
I end up with something like 2.7 kilometres and be really embarrassed.
So fortunate to have technology at our fingertips.
We've got watches and phones and maps and everything to tell us
how fast we're going, how far we're going,
how long we've been going for, what pace we're going at.
But I think it's challenges like these that really teach you how much
you rely on that kind of technology,
and I definitely want to get back to a place where I don't need to take my watch
to know what pace I'm roughly hitting. Because at the moment I have no idea.
dhb. Don't hold back.
Well, I'm not holding back on my inner internal
tirade of abuse I'm giving myself. This is hopeless, Andy.
Hopeless.
Are you enjoying the beautiful kit that we are wearing
in this video would you like to win some? Well, you absolutely can.
DHB are giving away a personal shopping experience to one of you
lucky viewers.
All you have to do to enter is like this video and drop a comment down below.
And if you're not sure what to comment,
why don't you predict who's going to win? No prizes for guessing it's not going
to be me. Or why don't
you predict how far each one of the presenters will have run.
Right. Legs are starting to get tired, feel the heart rate increase.
So I'm guessing that's the body saying yep,
that's the 5k nearly up. But I've got thinking. I've probably
got four or 500 meters to go. I'm going to press stop on the watch.
If it's under. I think that's really... That's embarrassing, isn't it?
I don't want that to happen. Equally, I don't want to go over too much though.
I'm going to go to 60 three more times in my head, three minutes,
and then I'm going to stop my watch and we'll see how much I fail by.
Okay. I'm going to, I'm going to take the plunge. I'm going to stop now.
Time for a quick watch check.
Okay. I think I've hit five K. I'm stopping in this park,
getting my watch out. 3, 2, 1,
and stop.
So, let's see.
Bottom of this hill, making the call. I think it's done. Ah, I chickened out.
I thought it was too soon. There's a gate down here. That's it, that's it.
Oh, I'll be angry if it's 200 metres too long, won't I?
The results are in and they are not good. This is very much a disappointed face.
That's really hard. But at the same time,
I've got no idea whether what I've done is good compared to everybody else.
I guess we should find out. So my result was four point
one six kilometers. It felt like a lot further than that.
Oh, okay. 4.2. Not as awful as I thought it was going to be,
I was expecting something more like 2.7,
but I feel like the others are going to have smashed it.
Look. Oh, it needs to go round.
So 33 minutes and 31 seconds.
And 5.58.
So this is the first time I'm seeing this is well as you. In fact,
I'm going to let you look first. I haven't looked yet.
Oh, you're joking?
6k. Well, I said I didn't want to go under,
but a K, over a K over. Yeah.
Yeah. That's uh, that's not good. Is it?
Yes, winner. I don't think I've ever won a running challenge before,
apart from when I was as a tube, but I was at a considerable advantage there.
How do you think you would get on at this challenge or is the thought of running
without technology too terrifying to even contemplate,
let us know in the comments down below and we will see you next time on the
Running Channel.
