Hi everyone!
I collected all the data I could spot, and compiled a Google Sheet in an attempt to compare the results as fairly as possible. The spreadsheet is linked to below, and above is a screenshot of it.
I calculated each individual's pace in minutes/km, and from those I derived the weekly change in pace in seconds/km. I generated a graph of those data. I produced a weekly leaderboard, with the final week shown in the screenshot. I also made an overall "best improvement" leaderboard in recognition of the fact that an improvement was not necessarily seen every week - on the main data table I have also indicated in which week these "bests" were achieved. People were running different distances, and I have not attempted to correct the data for this (didn't have time!), so do bear that in mind when looking at the results. On some days some people ran distances slightly different from those originally stated (e.g. 8.04 km instead of 8), so I corrected their results to reflect this.
As you can see on the graph, folk got off to a storming start! Especially Lordi , misswobble , and Ajs07 - you lot kick ass!! We then had people unfortunately having to leave the challenge - ju-ju- and Madge50 I hope you are feeling much better by now. Macmac found that he was not able to run his proposed route as planned, so asked me to add a couple of results from a hilly parkrun instead, hence he appears twice in the table (but I have just included his parkrun result in the graph).
In the following weeks it appears that some of the challengers were somewhat hoist by their own petards, as they failed to conquer the stellar heights of the first week. DiveMonkey , let me know if you have any more results to add, although I suspect your amazing racing programme has been taking precedence! Lordi, you too.
Miss Wobble deserves a special mention here for being the only challenger to report a result each week, well done MW you are hardcore!! No-one else has shared a result for Week 3, which makes the graph look a little sad, but that's life I suppose
In the Week 4 I think you'll all agree that that the final four all finished strongly!
But: Who is the winner I hear you cry!? Well, and feel free to argue with me in the comments, but we feel that - although Miss Wobble had an amazing first week, where I do believe she smashed her actual PB - Whatsapp just takes the crown. Although he missed Week 3, he is the only one to show consistent improvement across the challenge, and his Week 4 result is impressive.
So WELL DONE WHATSAPP!!! πππ₯
I hope you all enjoyed the challenge - and I would like tentatively to propose that we try it all over again soon? Please discuss
p.s. We're working on ideas for a suitable (preferably virtual) prize... Please forgive us we are a bit new to all this!