BLIND DAVE’S BLOG

17-04-2007

Just the 23 miles around Sutton Park to warm up for The London marathon, then? Followed by a five minutes sitting in a cold bath. It’s all in a week’s work for marathon runner Blind Dave Heeley.

Hi Stirrers

Well the Easter holidays are over but the kids certainly had plenty to do. They were off visiting Nan’s, Aunties, parks, Easter egg hunting at friends, even the seaside for a few days with glorious weather - these kids of ours never have time to get bored.

It was a rare half hour when they were actually at home and I was having a pleasant cup of tea, when I heard the crying up stairs - but it wasn’t a normal cry, if you know what I mean. Something was wrong.

I rushed upstairs and Georgie-lee was shouting, “Dannie’s stuck in the window”. Well, my first reaction was to check her bedroom window, with panic in my chest, but no she wasn’t there. So where?

Georgie-lee said again, “Daddy in the window, she’s stuck”. Suddenly it dawned on me - it was the window in her little house in the bedroom I had built.

Not seeing, and in rather a hurry, you don’t quite grasp the situation right away, but within seconds I’d got it. Dannie was stuck in the window of the house, and she was perched just right; her feet couldn’t touch the floor on the one side, and her hands couldn’t touch it on the other - she was stuck very nicely thank you.

She wasn’t moving one way or the other and of course Georgie-lee wasn’t strong enough to lift her up.

It seemed like minutes but it was only seconds, I climbed up on the side and gently pulled her out of the window. To be fair she was stuck just perfect, perched on her stomach, just like a little seesaw, tipping one way then the other. Mind, we needed more oil on this seesaw as it made a very loud squeaking noise.

Out she came, crying stopped, panic over and it was then I started laughing. I couldn’t explain to Debb for a full five minutes, it was just one of those situations and I don’t think Dannie will do it again.

What had happened, I found out after, was that Georgie-lee had climbed up the outside of the bed and house and Dannie had followed suit, but she being the smaller of the two unfortunately had got stuck, “follow my leader” not paying off this time - lesson learned I think!

The right way is always the best way, try the steps in future girls, that’s why Dad put them there.

If any one has seen the film Personal Best here on The Stirrer website, they will have noticed when I make a cuppa, I use a little gadget to indicate the level of the hot water when I’m pouring it.

When the water is near the top of the cup it makes a noise - basically, it stops me having to put my finger in the cup to find the level of the water. It’s amazing how quick you move your finger too, as boiling water is a little warm!

So what does Debb do? She buys us two over sized cups, china mind! Then the classic, “Only fill them half way up, otherwise the tea isn’t strong enough”.

Steve McQueen springs to mind here. Can any of you remember his film “The Great Escape”? I mean the part they were all breaking out and the tunnel had been dug 20 yards short of the trees and when the air raid was over and the camp lights came back on, he had rigged up a rope from the trees to let them know in the tunnel when it was safe to come out and escape.

His famous words” We’re back on the rope”… well that’s what making a cup of tea is like again. Without a gadget, “we’re back on the finger!” And I’d forgotten how much it hurts.

Debb and me also had a little Easter treat. The kids spent a night at Nan’s. It’s always quiet without them, and although it’s nice to have some time alone, in fairness we both miss them with their constant chatter, bless them.

All the same we had a very nice evening (BIG Smile). We went out for a carvery, very pleasant, left Wicksie at home too so we actually got a chance to chat between ourselves, which is a rarity with us.

It was Debbs decision afterwards, and we to the Gardeners club and to our surprise they had a young man playing an organ, so with pleasant company, nice background music and a couple of pints, we both had a very nice relaxing evening. I shall look forward to another night like this, hopefully in the not too distant future.

This week was our last long run before the London marathon - 23 miles - and we decided to do it in Sutton Park. We’ll soon be sick of this place.

We were due to do four circuits of a course around the park, and although we started on the flat, we were soon uphill and off road for about 200 yards. I was sweating and blowing a bit I can tell you.

From there it was a slight incline, leading to another incline, about a mile or so to the top and the Jamboree Stones. This was one of those climbs where you keep going and going and going, and are so pleased when you get to the top.

With an uphill there’s always a downhill and that clatters the legs just as bad. It doesn’t seem to bad now but after two laps of that we decided - or should I say Mac and Karl decided - to take me to other parts of the park I hadn’t been before. One such place they call Cardiac Hill.

I’m told this hill is about two thirds in on the Sutton fun run. At first I thought, why are they talking about a hill? It seemed like a steady incline. How wrong you can be. By the time we reached the top I was knackered - now I know why they call it Cardiac Hill.

We then made our way through some other twisting roads, passing a pub - passing it was a travesty, we should have nipped in for some lubrication - but we passed it by.

We made our way back to our original starting place and up the off road hill, none of us talked very much going up, just lots of grunting, round the corner and right up to the Jamboree stones, again.

It was then decided to carry on to Streetly Gate, approximately a mile out and a mile back. Why was it I had no input into where we were running? If it was left to me I’d have caught a bus, but no they did it the hard way, back to the Jamboree Stones, down the hill, up another.

This was reminding me of Snakes and Ladders, only I was the counter, up, down, up, down. Still, with all the added roads, at least we didn’t have to do the fourth lap of the park and we got the 23 miles in.

To say I was knackered was an understatement, but the big consolation is that there’s no flipping hills in the London marathon, thank goodness.

Also, because I think I must be a masochist, I went home, ran an ice cold bath and just like the physio told me, sat in it to make the legs feel better. It was absolutely freezing.

I was only able to bear it for five minutes, then got straight into a hot shower. I don’t know which was the worse - the cold bath or hot shower? Both caused me to wince, but once again, surprisingly, the legs did feel better.

Easter certainly wouldn’t be the same without an Easter bonnet parade, which I told the girls I was sure to win. They had made their own bonnets and very proud they were too.

They also made Debbs and mine, we were like two twin rabbits. The girls said Mom was the better looking, so with hats on and shoes polished, we made our way to the Navy club, ready for the big parade.

Kids and Moms and Dads all lined up to show off their bonnets, we paraded around the club and I was gutted, simply gutted, I didn’t win, but nevertheless we were all winners, as every one taking part earned themselves an Easter Egg for their troubles.

It was a great night and my Easter Egg is still sitting on top of the fridge. It’ll still be there when all the others have been eaten and I shall at some point sit and eat it all by myself. Mind, who am I kidding? As soon as it’s opened the kids and Debb will be there to help me - I just don’t have any luck, well not where chocolate is concerned.

Well that’s another week over, what with finding seesaws in the bedrooms, noisy ones at that, my Easter egg poised for a family chomp, and looking forward to another night on our own.

Never mind Rod Stewarts “Hot Legs”, here’s “Cold Legs” Blind Dave signing off for another week.

Next year Dave is planning to run seven marathons in seven days on seven continents toimprove awareness of blindness, and raise money for Guide Dogs. To find out how you can help go to www.justgiving.com/blinddave

You can read his weekly blog on The Stirrer, and we'll also be the only filmcrew following him every step of the way on the "Sevens". To watch ourfirst movieabout him - Personal Best - The Story of Blind Dave - click here.