Meeting as usual at the Somers Town Community Centre, a team of regulars and some friendly new faces began their warm up. We worked on a little back mobility and a few lunges (with the evening's task in mind more than the running) and then did an on-the-spot pulse-raiser before heading off at a fair trot towards St Pancras church.

"a little back mobility and a few lunges"

Our task was to scarify the north lawn - if you're on Euston road have a look, it should be looking pretty healthy and lush these days.

We split our crew of 10 people and 5 rakes so that one team was able to keep full scarification intensity while the other worked on running drills. Every 3 minutes, a shout of "RAKE SWAP" signalled the start of the next set.

The rakers lined up for the drills already breathing heavily and stretching their arms, and then jogged back and forth along the lawn each time concentrating on a different muscle or movement to improve running technique.

"After just 41 minutes we'd finished the lawn, re-stashed the rakes, studied the map and were back out on the road."

After just 41 minutes we'd finished the lawn, re-stashed the rakes, studied the map and were back out on the road. We picked through some back streets West to Regent's Park and packed in some interval sprints en route and then returned to Somers Town for a set of static stretches as we cooled down.