BLACKPOOL HALF MARATHON RESULTS
Well actually it doesn't. But the half marathon does.
Debbie and I left Glasgow early on Saturday afternoon for the drive down south. It was pouring with rain and very windy and I was thinking I had made the right choice not to do the nationals cross-country like everyone else was doing. Arriving in Blackpool the wind was stronger and strange enough colder. Maybe the XC was a better idea. We checked into our B&B, The New World Hotel, and the worlds smallest hotel room tastefully decorated in safari prints. At least it had a sea view although you couldn't see through the manky windows at the manky weather. Now I really was wishing I was in my pink house (Debbie decorated) and the XC. Time to eat. Blackpool isn't the best place to go for a romantic meal with your wife. Sure if I was 15 then the countless McDonalds and KFC's would be fine and dandy but not with a wife and a half marathon the next day. We found a great wee Italian restaurant and had a great feed before an early night. Maybe things were looking up.
The next morning they certainly were. We had a great breakfast at the hotel and the weather seemed to be easing. Against my better judgement I had a bacon sandwich.
The race started at 11am and after a quick good luck to Debs we were off. I was in the second front row at the beginning but within 10 seconds of the gun I must have dropped to 50th position but within minutes I was up to a top 10 position. The route was up and down the seafront in one small loop and two larger loops. A boring route but mostly flat although it was still windy. As usual I was running far too fast in the first couple of miles but I soon settled down. At about the 10 mile mark I noticed that I may be onto a PB if I could just pick up the pace for the last 3 miles. The only thing was that the last two miles are into the wind with a horrible 180 degrees turn just 100m from the finish. I didn't succeed and finished in 10th position in 1:17:09. 16 seconds behind my PB but my third fastest half time. Quite happy as it was only a week after the 31 mile long run. Debbie did even better. Taking two and a half minutes off her PB in a time of 1:43:46.
5:29,5:42,5:52,5:55,5:58,6:12,6:09,5:58,5:55,5:56,5:58,6:13,5:40
YOU HAD TO DODGE WAVES ON THE COURSE
Because I was so happy with my skins shorts last week I decided that since I get more issues with my calves than anything else that I would reward myself with a pair of skins sox. I would never ever wear them outside and they are just for recovery.
