WINDMILL 10K.....a stroll along the prom,prom,prom?

All sing along now....."Oh, I do like to beside the seaside,  I do like to be beside the sea, I do like to stroll upon the prom, prom, prom...."   And like it we did....except for the wind.  

  Any event along our UK coastline is highly likely to be blighted by the wind and today proved no exception.
  Of course the compensation for the 405 runners in yesterday's fyldecoastrunning's WINDMILL 10K was that the course was as flat as it gets and the wind was at least favourable as we tackled the middle section of the race centred around the promenade and Fairhaven Lake at Lytham St.Annes.
  My last outing over 10K 3 weeks ago brought a return of 43.23 on a more undulating course; so it was not unreasonable to expect improvement  on that and hopefully dip under 43 minutes.  This then  would be the plan.   The prerace information included a map of the course which was marked in kilometres and so  if I kept every kilometre under 4.18 the target would be hit.
 But as we drove into Lytham I spotted a race marker and it read 2 MILES.  So race plan out of the window.  Readjusted to keeping every mile under 7 minutes or there abouts.  Needless to say,  as we lined up for the start I  suggested to race organiser Ron Mc Andrew that as it was 2011 and
as it was a 10 kilometre  race,  mile markers were somewhat inappropriate and illogical.  He mumbled somewhat then said he could see my point.  In the future....?
  After 2 minutes of silence to take time to remember those who gave their lives in two world wars we set off  at 11.02.   Contrary to the race info. we headed  down the prom towards the windmill and into the wind.  Now whether it was this wind or the fact that I went past the first marker in 6.48
who knows but as we turned with the wind behind I was not comfortable at all.   Wind does not help astmatic runners!!  Despite wind assistance the second mile dipped to 6.57.   Time to "dig in"!
  I passed Pat filming the race in 60th position.  A somewhat convoluted loop of Fairhaven lake produced miles of 7.10 and 6.47 and I was by now more "settled".  I was racing with Brian Wildman of Clayton who asked me how it was going.  I replied not bad...for 62.  He said he hoped he would be running as fast as me when he was 62.  I asked him how old he was. he said 46.  I respectfully pointed out that it was more than likely that he would slow down a tad in the next 16 years!  He agreed and said that if he was going to beat me then it would have to be this morning.   
 I pressed on up the slope from the lake and of course we hit the wind again but no matter there were targets in front to hunt down.  Unfortunately at 5 miles I jarred the right leg on another slope and  my normal fastest last mile proved to the slowest in 7.09.  All the split times presuming the mile markers were in the right place, of course.
 Nevertherless,   I had pulled through to 50th position but the sub 43 mins. had eluded me ......43.08.
Brian Wildman?  He showed respect for his elders, finshing in 43.24.  Another day, no doubt, Brian!
 The race was an easy 2 mins plus victory for Bolton's ANTHONY VALENTINE in  a leisurely 33.13.   Local  star, SUE SAMME (Lytham St.Annes Roadrunners) (F45)  ran a very impressive 37:47. A time which takes her to 8th on the UK F45 rankings.  Well done, Sue!
 Another outstanding run was recorded by the legend that is STEVE JAMES of Sothport Waterloo.  Steve at 73 ran 44.45 to place 9th on the M70 2011 rankings.  Not a position he is used to however. He's normally in the top 3!  But still a fabulous performance.
 Youtube have extended my film time to 15 minutes now so we took advantage and there is 14.24 mins of event coverage to peruse with music courtesy of EMERSON LAKE & PALMER "Take A Pebble".