Blackpool Illuminations 10k August 2017
So this weekend brought my first outing since IMUK for the Blackpool Illuminations 10k hosted by the excellent FCR events.
It has been exactly 6 weeks since Ironman UK and got to be honest, other than a couple of easy pool swims, I have done zero excersize and absolutely no running whatsoever, I have been far too busy ‘celebrating!’.
This ‘celebration’ period has seen me put on a full stone in weight since Ironman, i’m feeling the extra pounds and I aint liking them one bit, this needs to be sorted out.
With the above points in mind I was really interested to see what would happen when I turned up Saturday night.
Have to say, It felt fantastic to don the tri suit and lace up the mizunos, just putting them on made me instantly want to go for a run!
‘You ain’t lost it yet kid’, I thought to myself.
This event is held at night and it had been a lovely warm day.
I have got one of those little MG convertible cars, so you can imagine how good it felt to peel the top down, stick the tunes on then drive to Blackpool along the coast road via Lythm with the music belting out, returning to race the event for its second year, this time as an IRONMAN!
There is something wonderful about driving down the golden mile on a warm summers evening with the roof down, it feels like you are In Miami…..
Well, not quite, but you get what I mean.
I have got to be honest, I love Blackpool.
Absolutely love the place.
I have loved it ever since I was a kid and my nan used to take me onto the fun fair.
For me, Blackpool has always had a certain magic, an energy, a romance.
Anyhow my journey over went smoothly enough, I hit the golden mile at half 7 with the race due to start at 8, ‘perfect’ I thought to myself.
Perfect until I got to the tower.
They had closed the road due to some concert that was taking place and I was forced to follow the most ridiculous diversion.
In a heartbeat, that diversion took me from wallowing in the tranquil luxury of being ‘early’ to ‘stressed to the max’ of running late.
It saw me literally abandoning the car and sprinting to the registration tents.
Not exactly the most ideal start to a race is it?
I doubt Mo Farrah ever has to do this.
Anyhow I makes it to registration and as always with FCR, was greeted by the biggest smile then given my race number with chip timing as standard.
The race is held down on the promenade walkway, hidden from view from the main road and there must easily have been 1500 fellow athletes down there, a complete mix of elite to ‘walkers’ and everything inbetween – no attitudes, no egos, just thousands of ‘ace people’.
The music was pumping out and the DJ was doing a great job getting everyone up for it, the atmosphere before the race was electric.
As is my trademark, I lined up at the very back of the pack.
As always, I crossed the start line dead last.
Race gets underway and then ‘bang’ the illuminations came on just for the runners, now i’m not talking one or two fairy lights here, i’m talking the entire illuminations, the jewel in the crown being the tower, flashing like a beacon in all its majestic glory.
In terms of my goal for the race I didn’t really have one, Last year I PB’d the 10k distance here in 52:20 and I’m annoyed with myself that I didn’t maintain my Ironman fitness to come and absolutely ‘smash’ this but instead I celebrated and the price of ‘celebrating’ is that you can forget about PB’s.
I was more interested to see what would happen and how I ‘felt’ once I got cracking.
I sets off talking it really easy, although I was shocked to see the watch displaying just over 5 minutes at the 1km marker which at this pace would deliver a 50min finish!
When you start a race with a ‘just get round’ mentality but then realise you are on for a PB, it’s a strange sensation, it creates internal turmoil, it messes with your ‘zen.’
The course at Blackpool is running paradise.
You are running on the promenade boulevard which is long, flat, straight, wide, super smooth concrete and totally traffic free.
The views out to sea as you run are spectacular and the lights are the absolute icing on the cake.
What more could you want.
Whilst there were easily 1500 fellow runners out on the course, there was plenty of room for overtaking.
I had got the ‘PB’ between my teeth and started to put my foot down.
I was pushing the pace and my body didn’t like it.
What are you doing? you have trained me to ‘go all day’ and ‘cruise’ not ‘push it’ – it said to me.
These first few kilometres my body felt very rusty, it felt a bit like trying to steer a car without the key in it.
Km 2-6 were strange, I had fallen behind my 50 minute pace and whilst I was still overtaking, the target very much became to return to base within the sub hour mark, which is what my 10k’s usually are in training.
By the time I got to 7km, something amazing happened.
I started to feel really strong!
I realised that the reason for this is that in the early part of the race my body hadn’t really warmed up properly, it was rusty due to the lack of training but now the juices were well and truly in ‘full flow’.
I ended the race doing an impression of Floyd Mayweather and getting stronger and stronger as the race went on!
I don’t know how many I overtook but it was a lot and only one bloke came past me, he came thundering out of no-where 2km out and was looking ridiculously strong, at first I didn’t think he was part of the race but he was.
Maybe he was another Floyd.
Maybe he had read my book.
In the end I finished the race with the watch displaying 54:24.
Despite the debaunchery of the last 6 weeks I have lost only 90 seconds, off my PB.
Cant begin to tell you how happy I am about this.
Blackpool was amazing, but it was my wake up call.
My body has turned a blind eye to what happened since Ironman and the fitness is still there, I have got away with it but the body needs some love and love is what it will get, starting with diet!
I might make it my next goal to get my 10k time down, try and get it to begin with the number 4 like…
Right there and then I made the decision that Blackpool will mark the return to the ‘pre Ironman’ Iron Rookie, clean living starts right here, daily fitness returns, I want to feel ‘sharp’ again.
Sounds great doesn’t it?
That lasted precisely one hour….
I had a nightmare after the race because I could not find where I had left the damn car so I went for a pint.
“Forget about the car, stay” said Blackpool, as it put its arms around me and welcomed me in.
I regret to announce that several hours later, still dressed in my tri suit and my mizunos, medal proudly around neck and pint in hand, I’m dancing away to ‘One way ticket to the moon’….
www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWpUQBsRHGs
Fukin love you Blackpool…
By the way, I have written a book, its all about how I went from zero fitness to completing an Ironman.
It’s got some great reviews, please take a look.
To your amazing journey!
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