Oh dear, here comes a marathon!

Maybe it's me. Maybe I am just highly strung. But I am sure I become more bad tempered and short of patience the nearer I get to running a marathon. OK. I am not an expert having only run two but blimey, if I ran anymore I would have been in a constant bad mood for the last 3 years (no change there then some may say). But this is already getting me down. Three weeks to go and I have already got into that grumpy, don't-wind-me-up-because-don't-you-know-I-am-a-highly-trained-athlete syndrome. What a LOAD OF NONSENSE. Bedders, chill out.

Junior Bedders are keeping their distance and Mrs. B is going out for a night out with the girls. Things must be bad.

So, deep breaths and lots of counting to ten - BUT WHATEVER YOU DO, LEAVE ME ALONE!!!!!

......................only 23 days to go. Unbearable.

A sideways glance

Now I know that anyone who reads this is just going to love the following story. Whilst I am the first to admit we shouldn't get pleasure out of someones misfortune, check this out. Mrs. B has a twinge in her leg. We all have twinges in our legs so close to the marathon, but Mrs. B has gone one better and has them in both legs. But that 's not the good bit. Apart from her going to the physio this morning and him seemingly wiring her up to a frankinstein type machine and going to attend another patient, it seems he forgot about her and some time later returned to find a shaking, wobbling, Mrs. B not knowing whether she could get home in time to get Bedders Juniors to school in time. She had probably had more electricity sent through her in 30 mins than that provided to an average family via the national grid in a day. But even that is not the funny bit.

Mrs B played tennis today after this extraordinary physio session and has decided that running the marathon in a straight line may be too stressful on her legs. Running sideways is fine, but running in a straight line, not so fine. So she discussed the fact tonight (with a worryingly serious face on and before she had touched a drink) that it maybe better if she ran the London Marathon sideways, as this doesn't hurt her legs. Brilliant! Mrs. B doing a sort of "crab" for 26 miles in April will have TV cameras the world over clamouring for an interview.

BTW ran 10km tonight when I was not supposed to. Nevermind. Feels OK.

Don't go Bedders!

Oh dear, here we go. Went out tonight and came back after 5km. They say it's not worth running if the run isn't going to be worthwhile and that was the case tonight. Too many reasons for not wanting to run - a strain in my leg that I am sure I can feel one minute then not the next, typhoon strength wind that made running nigh impossible and the fact that it is getting close to marathon day and I wish it was tomorrow. So no more running this week until Thursday. In fact no more thinking about running till Thursday and if anyone sees me running between now and then please tell me to go home. Will run this week Thursday and Friday to catch up.

Curl up on the sofa tonight and watch footie........after having suffered another dose of Eastenders that all the other Bedders seem to revel in. Not good enough just to watch it, we have to record it as well. And check out a website for advance warnings of what is going to happen (so why watch it?....or is this just man's logic). And watch BBC 3 for old versions and talk about it over breakfast next morning.....sometimes I feel like we live on the Eastenders set I know so much about what is going on. In fact I feel like I'm in it some days.

Delighted to report that I live in country of the cleverest people. However I wonder if the IQ of the nation has been significantly increased by the expat population from the UK coming to Holland - especially the men? (hence of course the lower UK ranking because all the clever men are over here). Nothing contentious there then.

4 weeks to go so it must be injury time

Ran a cracking half marathon on Saturday and have to say that I felt the best I have ever felt in a road run. Lots of energy left and the time literally flew by. So yesterday I went out for a 10km run - no pace, just av HR 125 but have come back with a hamstring pull. To be honest, it's not really a pull more a niggle (getting too technical am I?). I think it was some pretty agressive treatment I received from my favourite physio last Thursday am which did it, but we shall see. Only 4 weeks to go so I can afford no long term injuries now. I had another appointment for Wednesday am booked up but Mrs. B who has a thigh prob has taken it. This is pretty symptomatic of getting near to finishing the training I think but neverthelss a worry that I did not need. The body has just about had enough. So rest tonight anyway, and may hold back tomorrow before going out on Wednesday.

Big thanks to all those who know I support Reading FC and who have called, emailed and shouted out to me over the last 24 hours. It only happens once every 135 years.

Good half marathon preparation for London Marathon

As the weather was nearly perfect yesterday, and after a bout of pre race nerves from Mrs. B (she knows what I mean), we finally found ourselves running City-pier-city half marathon in The Hague. Starting right at the back of the field (great because that way you only overtake people throughout the whole race) Mrs. B and I crossed the start and finish line together. Not exactly hand in hand. In fact I was hoping Mrs. B might slow down a bit during the last 3 km but no. Finished in 1:49:49, Ave HR 145 and felt great at the end. Really could have gone on. This was more than 4 minutes inside my split needed for London so I was delighted. Not so pleased that we had to then run for the train to get home but other than that, a great day.

I am pleased for Mrs. B in that she has come back from a pretty miserable injury that has really kept her out of running for nearly 12 months so it was a great run yesterday. But I still didn't give her any of my jelly babyies - far too precious.

Why is it, and it has to be said, especially in Holland, groups of people who do sport together (running, cycling, squash) feel it necessary to wear exactly the same clothing? (normally pink, orange or yellow). Then when running decide that they must run 5 abreast on the road and with this air of arrogance, feel it their duty to not allow you to pass (probably because you are not wearing their ridiculous team colours). Prats. Oh that reminds me, where has that bizarre new sport of "Nordic Walking" appeared from? Don't people realise how daft they look dressed up in ski jackets and walking along with ski poles in bright sunny weather? Not a snow flake to be seen? Worryingly it seems to have taken off so expect to see a group of them protesting to the Olympic association for it to be included in London 2012 as an Olympic event. Not wanting to generalise (but I can because it is my blog!), but I think that from what I have seen you have to either have a beard, eat lentils or wear open toed sandels to be considered as a Nordic walker.

Also this post would not be complete without saying a big "well done" to Reading FC my club for over 35 years for getting promoted to the Premiership yesterday. URZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!

Here we go again, up and down the canal........but a bit quicker

Seemingly today was "muck spreading day" in Holland and everywhere smells appropriately stinky. Really stinky if you live near farms. So the canal run tonight was reasonably fast due to the fact that there is only so much of this kind of smell that one can stand. 8km, 41:20, av HR 137. This Saturday is The Hague Half Marathon but the weather prediction is dire. Very windy and rain. So a decision will be taken on Satuday morning as to whether it is worth doing. Worth doing meaning that if it involves getting very wet from the start line to finish in thunderous winds then frankly I'd rather not. Especially so close to London.

KB was messing about with the camera the other day and asked CB to pose for her. Here's the result - they both did quite well didn't they.

Also a massive thanks again to everyone who has sponsored us (and a gentle reminder to those who haven't but intend to). Mrs. B and I (more Mrs. B to be honest) have reached over 2.000 pounds and have now less than 500 pounds to go to hit our target. Please click here or see the link on the right of this blog for the sponsor site. Looking at some of the messages I know already that April 23 will be quite an emotional day. Can't wait!

Only 74,000 calories burned since the start

Back to the near normal 8km up and down the canal last night ( 42:34 ave HR 142) and feeling brave I did not wear my hat and gloves - silly move. Still windy, still cold and still wonder why I do it. Actually I am now beginning to wonder what I am going to do once I finish this training. My training partner told me last night that since he started this 18 week program he had used up over 74.000 calories running. I wonder what that looks like in "food"? A few hundred hot dogs perhaps? How much ice cream? Anyway the point is, what size would we be if we hadn't eaten up those calories. Scary. So, it looks as if I will have to carry on running and training or risk being invited to Celebrity Fit Club. I feel an attempt at a Bedders half marathon record coming on in the Autumn. Somewhere around 1:44 would do it.

Roman Day today at the British School

I nearly forgot to mention that it is Roman Day today for all of Year 3 at BSN. Thankfully CB has just tried on her costume and it fits. That was lucky! Perhaps I should get the Go Bedders New Business Development team to see if we can get the Go Bedders logo onto this somewhere. Well, any promotion is good promotion isn't it. Having said that branching out into retro Roman gear so soon after launching the running shirt maybe too far, to soon.

New look for Go Bedders with 30 days to go!

A new look to the blog as we are only 30 days to the Flora London Marathon and I thought I would freshen things up. Bit like how I feel today - in need of freshing up. A rest day after the LSR is always so welcome - and the thought that there is only one more 32 km run to do means that we are pretty close. Next week a half marathon warm up at City-Pier-City in The Hague. I hear that around 15.000 runners in total will be there so should be a good event.

I worked out today that by the same training week last summer (week 14) for the Chicago Marathon I had run 460 training kms, and at the same point today, after 14 weeks, I have run 630 km - so big improvement and therefore hoping that, as I have said before, that I finish at least upright.

Sportswear range launched - press release

So after some IT work this afternoon, we can now show the Go Bedders! range of sportswear - well the running shirt at least. This is clearly just the beginning of the development of a successful range of sportsgear that no serious marathoner will be able to do without. More details about pricing and availablity to follow. Bedders commented "we are delighted to be able to offer such a strongly branded product to the fashion concious runner who not only demands high quality product but also a well know brand name such as Go Bedders (tm) to be associated with". Paula Radcliffe unfortunately was not available for comment. Bedders also added that this range of products has been patented and that FLM 2006 will see it's debut.

LSR gets quicker - an oxymoron?

So, the long slow runs are getting quicker meaning it must be pretty close to FLM. Ran 32km today in 3:20:08 with Av HR 130. Now even I was impressed with the heart rate figure. I was even more impressed in that we ran, talked and even stopped to buy some water, and still came in 7 mins quicker than our last LSR. Most importantly we finished in the car park both agreeing that we could have run on. Well that's encouraging as there is no point in stopping in London after 20 miles and saying to people, "well, that's how far we normally run on a Sunday" is there.

Frustratingly I cannot begin the "go bedders" sportswear advertising campaign tonight as for some reason the site will not upload my carefully crafted creatives. So, we shall have to wait for tomorrow. Oh, how exciting....

Go Bedders! runningshirt launched

After a wonderful run-free two days, it's back to the tarmac tonight with an 8km followed by a tricky weekend schedule ending with a 32km on Sunday. I am just hoping that the weather at least looks as if it is trying to get better on Sunday but the forecast looks bleak.

My latest attempt to develop the Go Bedders! brand commercially has taken great strides forward as I took delivery today of the first Go Bedders! running shirt, especially designed for the Flora London Marathon. After months of planning and decisions about material and colours, it rather cleverly has "Bedders" on the front and "go bedders!", in lower case, on the back. Of course the only flaw in my product development plan is that only people who have the nickname Bedders may wish to wear it. But I am not put off as I am sure Calvin Klein thought this when he took delivery of his first pair of boxer shorts. And now look how successful he is.

Check out this new range of clothing which will be officially previewed on Sunday April 23 at around 08.00 where there will be a large running party somewhere near Blackheath (details to follow). I am expecting around 30.000 people to turn up so if you have not got a ticket by now you will, I am afraid not be able to take part.

Can't run - won't run!

For the first time in nearly 4 months I have decided tonight that even though I should be running I am not going to. It's not that I am in any way lacking motivation, more to the fact that I am away from tomorrow till late Saturday night in UK and I just fancied a night off. Add to that the fact that it is still so cold and that my leg, while not hurting is probably not going to feel any better if I run, then tonight is a night off. It is pure decadance but with 5 weeks to go I know that missing tonight will not make a noticable difference to my time at London. I have missed about 4 sessions in total since December so I can hardly feel under trained. No, tonight is a night in. I have read Pony Magazine with CB and have talked to KB about what she has done at school for the first time in weeks as I have the time.

And I have had a glass of wine. Lovely.

Back running Friday night.

Flying high on caffeine

With Mrs. B walking around all day moaning and mumbling about the instrusion on her privacy by the paparazzi during her run on Sunday, I arrive back from Kiev and after a near 3 hour flight get out and run an 8km. Clearly something to do with the amount of coffee I drank on the KLM flight, I ran 8km in 38:12 av hr 154. However, in doing so I hurt my thigh so must be a little bit careful for the rest of the week. Wouldn't want to miss a nice 32 km run next Sunday would I ?!!

Only a away for one night but KB in her attempt to help me carb load (a little early but who am I to complain) produced a superb homemade chocolate cookie and CB tells me that she has moved up to Group Three in her spelling.

Mrs. B in shock training pic - exclusive to Go Bedders!

It's a bit like those rather blurry pictures of cars that photographers take, while they are being test driven and then get bought for thousands of pounds by the sunday newspapers. Well, here is a sneak pic of Mrs. B in training. I hope I don't get sued - you know these celebrities don't like to be photographed without a layer of foundation on, but, on the other hand, it is in the public interest. (Mrs. B is wearing the black get up, shadowed of course by a 6 foot 7 inch minder).

No pics of me running my 11km today (59:03, ave HR 140) as I sneaked out of the house early.

1 month, 10 days, 23 hours, 53 minutes and a few seconds to go

For those following my now changed schedule I ran 20km yesterday ( 2:03, av HR 130) as a LSR and am just poppng out for an 11km this morning. That puts me back on track. We were sneaky yesterday as it was once again blowing a gale so ran into the wind for the first 10 and wind behind for the last half. Now I am beginning to get down to the question of gels and which ones to take to FLM. I was a firm fan of Squeazy lemon and lime at Chicago and Berlin. I think a couple of those and a pocket full of jelly babies should do it. I can't wait for the support organised by runners world formites. Check it out as 17 miles will be a perfect place to have some well needed support.

I am relieved to record that after my slightly worrying post yesterday concerning the "pretend" demise of the riding stable and the fact that we "may" have to buy four horses, I took CB there yesterday, and eveything seems to be going fine. I was beginning to believe my own post. They seem to be doing well financially, with no threat of closure. Phew!

A cartwheel round off backward roll

I may be able to run a marathon, but I sure can't do a cartwheel round off backward roll. CB can - as well as a bridge walk over. Makes my long run tomorrow of 20km sound simple. Another day, another leotard and therefore another gymnastic move across the lounge floor that just has me saying "be careful" as I don't know what else to say! Gone are the days when I could do a back flip double round off before breakfast. (as I write this she comes flying past in a whirl of legs, hair and leotard....). Why is it children prefer being upside down than the right way up?

Anyway back to running. Ran a 12km last night at ave HR 147 so felt rather pleased. Moving the long run to tomorrow as it clashes with a locally organised race that Mrs. B is running on Sunday - I'm on kids duty. Looking forward to a weekend after working last weekend.

Oh and by the way, CB informed me that if the riding stable that she goes to had to close (just pretend Dad) and that they said every child had to buy four ponies, she would buy Kees, Colette, Robijn and Salty. There we go. That's reassuring - it could have been 5.

Dazed and confused

I can't quite work out how many times I have run in the last day few days. I know this sounds bizarre, but I have been away on business since Saturday and coupled with a large dose of jet lag, generally feeling extraordinarily tired, feeling very sick and fighting a major migraine, it's not easy. I do know that I ran three times while I was away (running machine 50 mins, outside 1 hour, and running machine 30 mins pace) so I think I am up to date. But I landed in Dubai at 01:30 Sunday morning, had four nights in a hotel and after an overnight flight last night on a 777, arrived home this morning, Wednesday. Work that out.

Pouring with rain tonight and feeling ropey so will not run, but looking at my schedule and assuming I haven't been on some kind of wierd time warp, I think I have to run about 60 mins tomorrow night. My schedule became confused after doing the long run on Friday last week.

Mrs. B, KB and CB all seem fine - lots of running, homework and playing (in that order).

I'm off to bed.

To hot to run

A hotel gym running machine 8km feels like about 15km normal running so I am claiming the latter on my training log after being bored out of my mind last night. Bored? how can people do the full training for a marathon indoors?. Mrs B will be pleased to hear that unlike in Holland, I was not asked to get off after half an hour. Tee hee.

Also sitting here, on business, in 24 degrees wall-to-wall sun, makes me thankful that I do not need to do a run at home today as it is snowing, sleeting and generally miserable in Voorschoten. I know this because Mrs. B told me as she was just about to brave the elements. More gym running tonight for me I suppose (well, it's too hot to run outside isn't it!), followed by an overnight flight back to the Arctic circle, previously known as Holland, tomorrow. Global Warming? more like global cooling if you ask me.

Mrs.B's day goes from bad to worse as I have a good LSR

After running nearer 34km than 32km, (3:27:16, av HR 137), I am feeling remarkably good. No real aches and pains and the vino tinto is tasting especially good this evening. Have to give full marks to my running partner NE as without him such runs would be intolerable. We must have talked all the way around - from a new internet idea, to the Champions League next week to the merits of various sports drinks. You name it we probably talked about it. The time really flew by.

Mrs. B I am afraid to report did not have such a good training day. Well, after all, it started pretty badly with a dash down the road with our bin this morning and frankly seems to have gone downhill from there, if that is possible. (That sprint this morning obviously took it out of her). But, being asked to get off a running machine as you have been on it too long, and doing a good time/feeling good, to be replaced by a WALKER is too much for anyone to suffer. See below to a previous post - they are called running machines for a reason.

So with a good LSR behind me, it's off on business tomorrow. Back Wednesday.

Correction: KB pointed out that it was Next that replied to her email. Is edited appropriately below. I apologise unreservedly for any embarassment caused which was not intented.

32km and who forgot to put the bins out?

Nice thick layer of snow on the ground today, sub zero temperatures and a wind coming straight off the Polar ice cap mean that it must be the day for a long run. I am actually running the LSR (long slow run) today as I am travelling this weekend away on business, somewhere hot, which means I stand nil chance of running more than about 8km on a gym running machine on Sunday when I would normally run my LSR. 32km to get through today so hoping for a quick blast of tropical air to thaw everything. Hoping in vain of course. As long as it doesn't rain it should be OK.

In fact I have just, inadvertently, checked the ambient temperature outside as we (read, Mrs. B) forgot to put our wheelie bins outside this morning which enabled me to make a complete fool of myself by running down the road in my rather un-trendy dressing gown at 07:45 with a bin behind me shouting "Hey, stop." to the driver of one of those industrial wheelie bin lorries. As we create more rubbish than the normal nuclear family (don't ask me why as I do not know) we have two bins and once I had stopped the driver in his tracks Mrs. B appeared with the other bin, in a rather fetching get-up of untied running shoes (dangerous don't you know), light blue dressing gown, a rather "modern" hairstyle and not a lot else. I can tell you it was cold.

Last night watched a TV program about 12 runners, all very unfit, training for Flora London Marathon. It was very inspiring as few of them could actually run one mile on the first program last night but each one had a personal reason to want to get to the start line in April. It just goes to show what people will go through to train for this. Good luck to all of them.

Catwalk gossip

According to the Hal Higdon training plan this week should be the week when you run the most mileage compared to any of the other 17 weeks. So, typically it is also the week that Europe decides to have it's coldest week since records began. The question is not "can I run the distance", but "can I run the distance without getting frostbite". As if this program of self induced masochism wasn't difficult enough without wind from the Polar ice cap threatening to derail the training. The only small mitigating factor in all of this is that in April, around 7 weeks time, I'll be on the start line (all being well) at FLM standing next to someone who has been through exactly this as well. Whoever you are, I look forward to meeting you and moaning about how cruel the weather has been to us elite athletes......

KB has decided to take an early career turn and has now decided that she wants to be a fashion designer (bit like a young lad wanting to be a footballer I suppose). Anyway, to her total credit she has infact made contact with Next in UK and they have emailed her and asked her to send her designs in to see what they think!! That's a far more promising reaction than I got years ago when I wrote to QPR and asked them if I could have a game. So, in future when you are shopping and Nike and Ralph Lauren look a little out dated, maybe you will skip along to the KB range of teens-wear. You might be pleasantly surprised.

Almost forgot. Ran a pace 40 mins last night (no HR monitor as I couldn't be bothered) but a pretty fast time. Off to run 85 mins tonight - watch out Paula!