Project ‘Good For Age’ Week 15 of 30

Goal : Automatic Entry Into the London Marathon

How? : Run a 3:15 Mara @ Manchester Mara in April (Current PB 4:45)

First Step : Run a 45 Minute 10k @ Windmill 10k race on 12th November (achieved) (10k time at start of project : 58 mins) www.fyldecoastrunners.com/uploads/5/2/4/9/52490083/w10k3_overallresults_classic.pdf

Next Stop : Blackpool half mara in Feb – Target 1:37 (Current PB 1:58)

Week 15/30 : Worden Park 10k – Boxing Day

Despite what the pic opposite might suggest, I’m sulking right now and i’ll tell you for why.

I got my arse kicked today.

I feel a little bit like the kid who is used to throwing his weight around at a posh village school but his parents lose all their money and relocate to a tough inner city neighbourhood (like Wigan, for example ?) and he ends up getting twatted 5 times in his first day.

In order to explain why this happened, I need to give you a bit of background.

First, you must understand that I only started entering run races a couple of years ago and have always chosen my battles wisely.

The fact is, up until now, I have been completely spoiled by FCR events.

You see all my races to date have been held on either fully closed, flat roads, or long, straight, flat promenade boulevards like what you will find in the Seaside towns of Blackpool, Southport and lythm. (i’m not talking triathlons here – im talkin about my run races) and that is EXACTLY how I like my run races thank you very much, wide, straight, pancake flat and on TARMAC.

I aint on some ‘social jolly’ here – at every race so far I have been there for a reason, to achieve a particular goal – to get in, get the medal (or the PB) and get out.

I have purposely tried to make it as easy as possible for myself and in my opinion, course selection has been critical to that.

In addition, whist I have been running 4 times a week for the last 5 weeks, all of my running has been done on a nice, warm, flat, treadmill, on which I have got up to 15km at speed setting 13 km/h.

So 10k at this pace should be a piece of piss right?

I entered this race for a number of reasons.

First, it was fairly local to where I live.

Second it was on boxing day and I wanted something to keep me out of the pub over xmas

Third, I saw this as an excellent opportunity to practice my race pace in a ‘real’ enviroment

Fourth, it was described by the event oragnisers as a ‘flat road race’

Now, the trouble with words like that is they are all relative, and what you have been used to in the past will determine your perception of the circumstances that are presented before you in the future.

Bear in mind, what I am about to say to you I am not sure how much of it is down to the fact that I have been running exclusively on a treadmill for the last 5 weeks and how much of it is down to my personal experience of this course compared with my personal experience of other ‘road races.’

Either way, I would say this….

I am quite certain that to the seasoned fell runner stood behind me in the registration queue, this felt like a ‘flat road race’

However to Iron Rookie, the first 6km felt like a boggy, hilly, cross country trail run through extremely muddy woodlands with multiple water obstacles thrown in for good measure and the final 4km, whilst on road, was up a continuous gradual climb that felt like it went on forever.

Now I am sure many trail runners would be liking their lips as such a prospect.

But sorry, Ironman or not, you can stick it – this ain’t my idea of a ‘good time’.

Not exactly condusive to my goal is it?

Remember, I was here to practice hitting my target race pace in a similar environment to the Manchester mara (flat road race on tarmac)

I was not here to become Leyland cross country running champion.

Make no mistake – I am not having a go at FCR  and I should point out that they were not the organisers of this race, they were simply there to support the event.

Just a note about FCR, I have loved them ever since I entered the superb Blackpool Illuminations 10k which is held at night along the pancake flat promenade boulevard to the wonderful backdrop of the lights.

In all their races there have been 1,000+ runners and I find it an absolute joy to pit my wits against so many kindred spirits, I really do.

But FCR have also managed to do something else.

Something that I haven’t really seen outside of Ironman.

They have managed to create that magical balance of attracting some of the finest athletes in England to race at  their events whilst at the same time making those at the opposite end of the scale  feel just as welcome.

No one has an attitude, no one has an ego, everybody is friendly and whatever you are looking to get out of your races, be that to compete against some of the best in the business, just ‘get round’, or anything inbetween, you will find it at FCR.

However, a ‘flat road race’ this was not…

Here is how it went…

I arrived at the event in good time but was shocked to see that a large queue had already formed outside the small mobile ‘butty van’ that doubled as the registration office.

There must be a joke somewhere that goes along the lines of ‘how many FCR staff can you fit in a ‘one man’ mobile butty van?’ – I swear I counted 6 of them at one point but they were all doing a stirling job at getting the queue down asap.

When you are stood in a long line like this, turn around, talk to the person behind you, ask them about their journey and their goals, listen to them and resist talking about yourself – you will be at the front of the queue before you know it.

Around 500 lined up at the gates to the park, the timing mats were duly laid down and race finally gets underway….

0-2 km – The first couple of kilometres were ok, after running approx. 300 metres down the main road from one gate to the next we were back into the park where the woodland trail path was narrow and extremely muddy. almost instantly there was a huge water obstacle that we had no choice but to plough through – this was the size and depth of your average kiddies paddling pool at the local baths – my brand new mizunos and socks got soaked before the race had even properly began – this pissed me off.

The path, whilst slutchy, was downhill for the first couple of kilometres and I was feeling very strong despite struggling to stay on 2 feet at times.

The leader of the race had already doubled back on himself and was now powering back up the hill, I could tell that he was absolutely loving this course.

2-4km –  At 2km, you performed a U-turn, not before you had negotiated a second, deeper paddling pool mind, you then make your way back up the hill that you just ran down for the last couple of kilometres before doing a loop of the park -attempting to maintain my target race pace back up this hill I found very tough.

It made me laugh how the people coming the other way had formed an orderly queue to negotiate the paddling pool which was in stark contrast to those in our group who had ploughed straight through it and same on the way back, much to the apparent annoyance of those politely waiting in line.

4-6km – back down the hill which was fine but I was bracing myself for the fact that we would have to come back up for a second time which I was not looking forward to one bit.

After another soaking in the paddling pool, the steward this time instructed us out of the park and onto the roads.

6-8km – Whilst we were now on tarmac my mizunos and socks were now piss wet through and my trainers were caked in mud. The road felt like one of those long slow, subtle, very gentle, continuous climbs, exactly the ones I hate.

Got to be honest, I was struggling and didn’t have much in the tank.

I remember thinking forget about trying to hit my target pace and lets just make it home. I was very concerned that I felt like this at 6km when I have my eye on 42!!

8-10km – At 8km I gets this big jolt of energy, exactly like what was happening in traning. I think it was the mental aspect of knowing there is only 2km left to do and seeing the watch displaying 38 minutes which meant a half respectable time was still on, despite the tough course.

I noticed that my HR peaked at 184 – what the hell is all that about? but more on that another time. www.strava.com/activities/1327691411#kudos

One other thing I noticed, I had been playing cat and mouse with a couple of other runners but into the last kilometre I seemed to be able to dig just that little bit deeper, maybe we shouldn’t be so quick to condemn the mill afterall….Then again, maybe the Ironman in me had finally kicked in, once my little tantrum was out of the way…….

I powered home up further hills and into a brilliant reception committee of other peoples loved ones with the watch displaying 47:57 – ranking me #137 out of 446. www.fyldecoastrunners.com/uploads/5/2/4/9/52490083/overallresults_classic_chip_bd10k.pdf

Now I could put all sorts of spin on this and say my target time at race pace was 46 minutes and I came in at 47 something and you can allow a good minute for the tough course etc etc etc

But the truth is I have been floating along in a warm and fluffy treadmill bubble for the last 5 weeks and today was my reality check..

It was far tougher than I was expecting.

I have been licking my wounds all week.

I’m trying to do it all on my own and this race has made me seriously question my training plan.

So much so I ditched my treadmill speed session Thursday and opted for a ‘real’ 5k interval run instead – this I found very tough going too.

I now find myself at a major crossroads.

I was loving the romance of doing all my training on the mill then rocking up at the Blackpool half mara in Feb to hit 1:37from a PB of 2 hours with the legend that is Dave Clamp and seeing what happens, but I am now beginning to question this….

Then again, my little girl is 4 and I have not stopped telling her all week that father Christmas is real and that she should believe in fairy tales as one day, maybe one day…

Those fairy tales might just come true….

As far as the training goes, I haven’t decieded what i’m going to do yet….

I’ll keep you posted…

One thing is for certain, I shall be enjoying myself this weekend…I think I need a break….

On a final note, As I am stood on the finish line sorting myself out, coughing and spluttering like you do, I gets a tap on the shoulder.

‘Hey Rookie, my mate is looking for you, he has bought your book and wants a word’

I hung around for a minute or so and before long ‘Ronnie’ came stomping over the line..

Turned out he loved the book and even wanted a pic!! – I adore it when stuff like this happens – he is well on his way to his first 70.3 next year and something tells me he is going to smash it.

Despite everything I have written above, offer me another ‘Ronnie’ at the finish line of this event next year and i’ll sign up again right now.

Happy new year to you all!

Next update :  06/01/18 – 2018?!!…..

To your amazing journey!

By the way, I have written a book, it’s all about how I went from zero fitness to completing an Ironman triathlon, it’s only just come out but it has got some fantastic reviews already!- you can check them out here: (also available on Amazon in the US but please read the UK reviews first!)