Curry, half a bottle of merlot and a 15km run

I could never be accused taking my training too seriously. Sometimes I wish I had the powers of others, but no. So, last Saturday night with friends over a fine curry and half a bottle of wine I agreed to run a local 15km race. Must be mad.

So arrived at 10.30, had the ubiquitous cup of coffee (tried to go to the loo but resorted to a couple of Immodium instead) and went to the start line. Looking for a sub 75 min 15 km on the basis that this was about as long as I thought I would last before I had to rush to the loo I finished in 73 mins. Probably a Bedders Short course record.

More impessive was the fact that I came in 6th place. Very proud I was too (but keeping it quiet that there were only 9 runners)

Starting to crank the mileage up - here comes a training program.

All a bit quiet recently as I have been busy with work but also I have kept my running to a basic minimum - trying to get out 3/4 times a week and seeing if I can run more than 30km but it is proving difficult. As I am not really training for anything then the blog kind of falls behind - it is a running blog after all!

Apart from my Garmin going dead and the weather becoming decidedly windier and colder it has been a few up-and-back-down-the-canel runs per week and once around the lake on a Sunday.

The next few weeks are important as I will definately find out if I have got a new fleece from those lovely people at FLM and more critically if I can motivate myself to train on my own for Rotterdam. The marathon training begins the first week in December. I have an eye on a half marathon in Holland on 23 Dec but will decided much nearer the time if I am up for it.

It's Rotterdam in April

Decision made. After hearing from a colleague of mine who had trained for New York, bought a place via a travel compnay and then two weeks before the run fell injured and failed to make the start line, I have decided that if I do not get the place at FLM then I will run Rotterdam Marathon in April.

There are a few more good reasons:

1. It will cost me 38 Euros to book a place - not 800 Euros itwould for FLM
2. If I get injured, then can't run, all is not lost.
3. Mrs. B, KB and CB can come an support me as it is only 15km away from where we live
4. My training partner has gone to UK and so I am not sure if I have the full motivation to train on my own for a marathon during the winter. Best to find this out before I commit to spending vast amounts of cash on a place in London
   
5. As my times are (still) getting quicker, best to get a quick course in for a PB before age catches up with me and the Rotterdam course is supposedly as flat as a pancake
   
6. I haven't yet run Rotterdam and it is reckoned to be OK with around 20.000 runners and plenty of drink stations
   

Did I get a ballot place in FLM 2007?

No posts for a couple of weeks as I have been waiting to see if I have a place in the FLM 2007. But, I don't know yet. I realise that this sounds a bit daft but that's the truth. My cheque was cashed on Nov 2 which probably means I do not have a place. But I cannot remember if I bequeathed my cheque or not.

So, I must wait until e Dec. I wish FLM would send out confirmation emails - would be so much better than waiting for a letter. On the other hand I imagine the organisers love the fact that thousands of runners don't know whether they are in or not...... gives them a power they would never normally have.

I really don't think I have a place, otherwise I think my cheque would have been cashed on October 31 looking at the various threads on so now I must decide if I want to try for a charity place (probably not) of if I buy a place through one of the Dutch travel companies.