Everything back to normal

A long run on a Sunday of 31km (3:09:18, av HR 137), CB smelling nice again, KB's friend gone back to UK after staying over and Mrs. B getting ready for her long run tomorrow - as I say everything back to normal.

We ran today into the teeth of a howling gale (well, it felt like it) for 15km then turned around with the wind behind us. It makes such a difference getting a gentle push from behind for the last hour and a half. But we ran so far away from where we live it felt as if we were foreigners. I don't even drive that far for a day out, but think nothing of running it.

Travelling on business for the next two days and taking a good day's rest tomorrow. Roll on next Sunday's 32 km. No problem........apart from the aching achillies, stiff knee, stressed thighs, a leaky water bottle and the fact that I have run out of jelly babies.

A gentle reminder.....

For those following this blog thanks for the comments both on and offline. It makes a difference. Can I just mentioned two things. Firstly I ran another 8km last night but for some reason my HR monitor did not work so amazingly I had a heart rate of nil for the entire run. And I feel surprisingly good for it.

And the second thing is that if you are reading this and intend to help us raise money for CF Trust which is our chosen charity for the London Marathon, please use this link and go there now!!!! You don't think Mrs B and I are doing all this training in the wind, rain, cold etc for fun do you? click here and any amount you can donate is really appreciated.

Many thanks and have a great weekend.

A successful if somewhat smelly week

Apart from the wind and cold, and the fact that as the week draws to an end, CB smells more and more like the horses that she is riding every day, it's been quite a successful training week. 8km yesterday at pace (av HR 147) and just finished a 12km run (av HR 137, 1:10:12). Have to say that I thought this weather was supposed to become more mild but it isn't and looks set for a windy weekend. Nevermind.

See picture above of a horse taking CB for a walk.

Weighed myself and came in at 78 kgs which for me is fab. Until of course I told Mrs. B who engaging in her own style of pre Flora London Marathon physcological warfare, made me feel a whole lot better by telling me that of course I was lighter I had just finished a run. "drink some water and you will soon be back up in weight. I can loose 2kg on a long run". I half expected her to finish off with a "so there!!". Still I don't believe her because if that were true after about 30 long runs on the basis of loosing 2kg per run, she would practically disappear.

Can you tell me the way?

Why is it that car drivers see runners as a cheap and alternative source of directions when they are lost? I must have been stopped at least three times in the last week by drivers wanting to know where x was, or how could they get to x. I had to say in my best Dutch that as I was around 10km from where I lived (obviously showing off!) I had no idea. Actually that has been true - but more importantly it's windy, cold and threatening to rain so the last thing you want to do is engage in a conversation with someone who is nicely warm and cosy in their car trying to decifer where they want to go. Sorry, next time stop a walker who is wrapped up against the elements and typically can't wait to start a conversation - leave runners alone as they are running for a reason. That is, they want to get home as quickly as possible!

Ran 13 km tonight as I felt good (1:16:03, ave HR 147). If the training goes like this for the rest of the 8 weeks then I will be delighted.

KB got her first set of contact lenses today and is well made up.

CB had her second day at Pony Camp and is equally made up (and a little smelly if the truth be known). Still nothing that a good hosing down in the shower doesn't cure.

Jelly babies

A succesful weekend of running with 9km on Saturday and 20km today. However, I still feel as if there is a considerable way to go before I feel really fit - actually I felt decidedly tired today and am looking forward to a day off tomorrow. Last time I was in UK I bought myself a bag of Jelly Babies and took a few in my pocket for my run today. What a treat - whilst I didn't have time to decide what colour to eat and to chew off their head first, as you did when you were younger, I had forgotten how good they tasted. You should have seen CB's face when she saw me pocketing a few before I went out. "why are you taking sweets with you on your run Dad?". As I told her, even adults sometimes need to eat sweets.......I didn't really want to get into the long-run-blood-sugar-level debate with a 7 year old.

Spring is on the way and the weather is feeling a lot less cold which makes the long runs more pleasurable. In fact it was so nice today that we launched our boat after it had been up on our decking all winter and took it for a spin up to the lake and back again. I call it a boat and I suppose that is what it is but it is only a 3m dingy affair with a small outboard motor - still it gets us up and down the river without getting wet. Bedders Juniors are pressing me to buy a new boat for 2006 so we shall see.

Anyone want to play shops?

Friday night, straight off the plane and ran 11km (59:22, HR 147) so very pleased and no longer feeling guilty. See, it doesn't last long! Bit of a dilemma today as I am supposed to crank out 6km then a 19km tomorrow and not sure if I feel good enough to turn them around as the weather is so nice. We shall see.

CB wants to play shops - anyone want to join us?

Feeling guilty

I really must get a grip of myself. I know that this marathon training can become a little over bearing and all consuming, but I am sitting here in a hotel in Budapest, having not bought my running gear and getting angry that I have missed a chance to run. Even though I have promised myself a run tomorrow night when I get back to Holland, the fact that I have an evening without running just doesn't feel right. I have not missed a training session for a few weeks now and even though by running tomorrow I will complete this weeks kms I still feel as if I have missed a chance to run.

A planned 6km tomorrow, 11 km on Saturday and a sharp 23km on Sunday and I will looking forward to a rest day. Mad isn't it. When the rest day comes the temptation to run is even greater.

I was reading yesterday on a runnersworld forum click here of a lady that has not yet started training for Flora London marathon yet and wondered if it was too late. Not too late if she intends to walk I suppose but a bit risky I would say if she intends to run.

Moscow post

Ran another good 8km last night ( 43.07 mins, av HR 145) so not feeling guility about staying in tonight, Actually I have no choice as I am in Moscow, where the temperature is around minus 15 and all you feel like doing is staying close to a heater. How people can live in this temperature I just don' t know as the minute you walk out in the open air your body just freezes. Bit of a difference from last week when it was plus 35 degrees. Anyway as I say not feeling at all guilty as the last couple of weeks have been bang on target for the training and you couldn't drag me to a running machine after the last few weeks of hotel gym work. Will be back out up-and-down the canal on Friday once I get back to Holland, then hopefully will have a good weekend of training.

Another year passes.......

After the long run of yesterday, a very sneaky run of 6km tonight - in the rain, but no watch and no HR as I just felt like running, so things must be looking good. Especially as it is my birthday. A kind of "congrats on being 43" run.

Mrs B. ran around half of south Holland this morning for 2:30 hours - but at least it did not rain. And no reported injuries or illness. Looks like the competition is beginning to peak, so I encouraged her to eat an extra portion of Monday-night-Bedders-Curry just to ensure she does not get too far ahead.

Off on business to Moscow on Wednesday and then to Budapest Thursday so no chance of running later in the week unless I fancy a touch of frost bite (and I'm not running on those hotel running machines again).

A wet and windy 27km

Just back from a 27km long run with running partner N. Both got very wet in very windy conditions coming back and cold (in fact I see that it is now trying to snow, oh joy), but still feel great. Time of 2:47:49, av HR 131 which I am delighted with as it seems that the HR is coming down. Legs feel good and both myself and N could have run on. Also good news that I wasted over 1800 calories which means I can enjoy my Sunday roast today without any guilt. Got home and Family B. seems to be out and about so off to the fridge to dive into some comfort food before they get back.

When is a running machine not a running machine?

Back from Asia overnight on KLM, having seemingly avoided catching Avian Flu and having a rest day today. No other reason than that I am feeling tired, a little jet lagged and am looking forward to running 27km tomorrow on the long run. Having said that the last three runs, on hotel running machines, totalling around 30km felt like three times that distance. How anyone could possibly do all their marathon training on a treadmill defeats me. It is so boring - and you get very hot and sweaty as you are not moving forward hence you don't sweat properly. Well, you do sweat properly, you just stay very very sweaty! Yuk. And even the bank of tv's positioned at nose height in these hotel gyms have nothing on worth watching. There is only so long that you can watch CNN Asia Today programmes.

And, it has to be asked, but why do 90% of all people who go on a hotel gym running machine, just walk? It is very annoying when you want to get on a treadmill and they are booked out by people walking. Walking at what can best be described as at a "steady pace" and doing it for 45 minutes at a time (hanging onto the heart rate monitor bars and setting the incline at +4 to make it really worth it.....). For heavens sake it is called a running machine! One of the best ways I found to get over my boredom was as I got on the running machine, glance over and see how far Mr or Mrs Walker had walked and try to catch them up. I found yesterday that I got on as the guy next to me had walked 2.4km and it took me 30 mins to catch him up - if you get what I mean. I understand that some people must walk to get exercise, but surely hotels should keep one or two running machines for the purpose that they were intended.

Only ten weeks to go to the London Marathon so best start to slow down on the chocolate biscuits and ramp up the long runs beginning tomorrow.

Early riser

With the Lemsip having done it's job and having sniffed and sneezed through a 14 hour flight to Asia I am now feeling somewhat better. Heaven only knows what the poor chap sitting next to me on the flight caught from me.

Having ran a 12km on Sunday in practically in sub zero temps, I was up at 05:30 this morning in the gym at the hotel bashing out a good 8km. I wanted to do more but the heat was intolerable, even in the indoors gym, so remembering my Chicago experience, I decided to knock off at 8km and 44:05 of running. The only reason I was up so early was that I had awoken around 03:30 due to jet lag and as opposed to doing what most normal people would do, i.e. turn over and go back to sleep, I switched on the tv to see if the Reading-Birmingham FA cup replay was on - and it was! So, that's the reason. Mad. And they lost 2-1.

The Lemsip kid

This is beginning to get me down. I have a great week running, cover all the KM then go down with a real bad cold just when I should be out running 25km. So instead of running I am drinking Lemsip. This is the second long run I have missed and any more then I will start to get worried. I may go out later for day 12km just to keep the mileage up but I know it won't be a quality run and am only really going to do it as I feel that I have to. The committment to training to run the London Marathon, or indeed any marathon for that matter, is immense. It becomes quite over bearing some times and moments like this when you feel really poorly only go to show that we do indeed do some ridiculous things just to prove a point.

I am away on business most of this week so it's going to be treadmill training in hotel gyms. I never find it particularly satisfying running indoors but no choice this week. Unless that is of course I can find a nice convienient aiport long stay car park to run around.

Massive thanks to everyone

We are now over half way to achieving our charity target for the London Marathon, for the CF Trust and it seems an appropriate time to thank the people who have donated money.

A massive thanks to Gordon (for the original inspiration at a B-B-Q three years ago) , the Cargills (for the fantastic support - she is indeed very determined!), Rick (for helping me get through various meetings with a smile), Leif (for listening to me in Copenhagen), Helen and Brian (for knowing what expats in Holland really go through) , Annie (for being an inspiration - we need all the luck we can get), Dad (for being a Dad and giving very sound advice), T&C (C hope the achillies gets better), Emma (Any chance of Beags joining us?), Heather and Alan (many thanks - we will pump it till the end), Helen B (see you in Dubai) and Kevin and Mary-Beth (see you tomorrow!).

There are a number of other people also who have given offline (Yalcin thanks again). It makes the training really worth it. It is truely an inspiration.

There is also one other person I must mention - well not so much mention but he knows who he is. The answer to the question BP is that we don't have pics available yet but, give me time and I'll give you a set of running pics that you won't forget!!! Sorry it's cryptic but that's how it is. Hee hee.

Running update - ran 11km tonight which considering it was a 6km night mean't I felt pretty good (time 1:04:54, Ave HR 138). The London Marathon seems so far away but in reality it is only about 12 long runs away. Help!

Health update - having to drink copious amounts of whisky tonight to fend off a cold.

Question - should malt whisky be taken neat of with water? short answer that after the second glass it doesn't seem to matter...................................goodnight.

More about the Flora London Marathon shop in London

After a business trip I am now back home and expecting to go out tonight for 6km up and back down the canal. I am sure the people who live alongside the canal have wondered where I have been the last few days. Something along the lines of " I wonder where that idiot who runs up and down here every night has gone. Obviously come to his senses" I say this only because that is what I would think if I saw me.

I was in London the last few days and went to the Flora London Marathon Shop in Covent Garden. After saying how poor the stock was just before Christmas I can now report that the shop does have more London Marathon 2006 clothing. But I don't know who designed it as I think it is awful. Dreadful colours, poor use of logo etc..Do runners actually get close to help them design the gear or is it designed by a marketing team who haven't ventured out for years?. I can imagine that one of the marketing team for FLM put on their CV as an interest "keep fit, exercise" and was therefore given the job of designing the clothing. I know that is a cynical thought, but that is how it is. Compare the attire to that produced by the team at Chicago last year and it is no way as good. They are sitting on a potential gold mine here and just don't seem to realise it.