Update/Race report
Hi all hope all is going well in training and racing.
It's been a few weeks since I blogged and a lot has been going on with life in general.

Training has been going really well and in some good shape for the summer may even throw in the odd track race but the main event will be the road anything from 5 mile up to Half as next year will be making my Marathon debut not sure were yet we are looking at a few options so keep you posted when I know more.

Had some really bad news last week that one of my best mates and training partner Owain Matthews is leaving me, he has decided to up sticks and move to Australia at the beginning of July with his Girlfriend I knew he was going at the end of next year but has decided to go a lot earlier as his girlfriend has been offered a great job prospect which great news but bad news for me.

I have known Owain who is a great Athlete and great guy for going on 20 yrs which is a long time to have as a friend and training Partner, we have shared so many great memories that I can't pick just one, but on the plus side it means that we have somewhere to stay now when we go to Australia and also means that Owain being god parent has responsibility to look after Alfie when he visits during a gap year, all I can say is Owain you are true friend and you aren't getting rid of me that easily.

Was in Germany last weekend racing, doing a half marathon in a place called Bamberg it is a lovely place that is very old looking and beautiful that hasn't changed since it was built and everyone is really friendly, we go to this place every two years with my club Bedford as it is twinned with Bamberg and there have 6 other towns twinned with them from Europe Austria, Italy are just two of them, it is a world heritage town so they have this race every two years to celebrate this.
There are two races one of 10.9k and the half did the 10.9k in 2007 and won it and beat the course record and then in 2009 did the half and won that two in a record time but the half is a very tough course the toughest course I have done in 23 yrs of running hilly, twisty, steep down hills, and cobbles so a real mixture.
The crowd support is amazing crowds of 3-4 deep and in total about 50,000/70,000 people turn out to support the runners and the field of both races are well supported with 11000 in both events, what i like about is the community all come together and help out and during the race the banging of pots and pans whistles blowing, people hanging out of there window cheering etc really is a fantastic race and weekend and plus the beer is amazing and we get looked after like kings which is nice. and have made many new friends there and am going back in late August to take Nicola there for a long weekend to see how great this place is as she is getting fed up of me going on about it can't wait.

Race report
Half Marathon
Race was on the Sunday at 15:30 local time so a lot of hanging around in the hotel room just relaxing waiting to get going ,Owain was doing the 10.9k and he was of at 14:30 he won his race which was great.
Went to warm up 1hr before and couldn't believe how warm it had got found that is 75 f which is not ideal conditions for half marathon but nothing I could do about so cut my warm up down too just 10 mins and went back to the hotel to stretch with the sweat dripping off of me ,after that made my way to the start which was about a ten min jog .
The crowds were massive and the field was big as well the gun went and off we went I moved into the lead and no one came with me, this course the first 5k is mostly climbing up to the castle on the top of the hill is about 900 m of climbing which is tough went through 2 k in 6:10 which was too quick considering I was starting to climb so backed off and also the heat was unbelievable hot by now had a 600 metre lead got the top of the castle 5 k point and was getting soked by people throwing buckets of water and people using garden hoses which was much needed.

You then have the steepest downhill section going down into the town which is a killer on the quads and the twisting and the turning, got into the town and crowds were getting bigger again cheering you on which is great boost ,than for the next two km you twisting in and out alleys which again doesn't help the legs, you head out to the 10k point which I went through in 32:50 which on a flat course is low 30 may be just under so I knew I was going well, the hardest part of the course is from 13k to 16 k you are running in a straight line and all you can see is the road ahead but just put my head down and got on with it.
Had a bad patch at 17km but luckily Owain and Matt Janes were out on the courses which gave me a lift then at 19k it climbs again(great)but the crowd gets bigger and bigger and gives a real lift and the last 500 metres is amazing went a bit crazy giving people high fives etc but all in good fun ended up running the 1 sec slower that will teach me for doing that but with the heat I could have broken my record but still very happy and also it was my Birthday so a good present and also the beer and food was great in the evening (early morning).
Put a article in from there newspaper see below

When he wanted to take revenge for the many painful defeats in soccer internationals in 2007 ran the British out of the partner town of Bedford, the local competition in the land. And 2009 and this year, also triumphed over the 21.1 kilometer, is a man of the island. Under the thundering applause of the enthusiastic audience Darren Deed of Bedford won a phenomenal time of 1:10:34 hours. on this tough course and was only 1 second off his record which with how hot was is some achievement. The mileage Deeds was an impressive demonstration of strength. Because it took about five minutes to reach a long-drawn cry of the local hero Christian Bamberger sticker as runner-up the goal. Behind him, secured the castle Ebracher Carsten Glaser with 1:16:21 minutes the place on the podium.

Praise for the winner

Christian Sticker, who had decided the first two editions of the Bamberg Half Marathon for the second and in 2007 was recognized, had that had grown to Deed this day no cure. "We all knew just what Darren can do and on a flat course is about high 64 minute time, Maximum of disease or infection could have stopped him. "
The delighted winner was the praise that rained from all sides come to him to continue, especially in the Bamberg audience. He thanked the "phenomenal fans that make this run into something very special." Even Christian was in sticker with the pure, even if he had wished, "to run a bit faster." With great satisfaction, it filled him to have Carsten Glaser suspended at the Cathedral Hill.
"To walk through the whole crowd, gives an incredible kick," said stickers. Whether he will go in the next edition of the World Heritage run at the start, but pulled sticker in doubt: "I am preparing this year was really hard. Perhaps now the time is right to quit. "
Thanks for reading have a good week of training and keep working hard to achieve them goals .