ALL FINGERS AND THUMBS…AND FEET

19-09-2006

BLIND DAVE'S BLOG

West Brom athlete Blind Dave Heeley updates us with his weekly bulletin as he prepares for the New York marathon in November. It's been a typical week for the blind bloke - reading a novel, making a coffee table and running 60 miles.

Hello Stirrers, you know when a blind cobbler's thumb springs to mind, excuse the pun, but it's been one of those weeks and the shareholders of Elastoplast must love me. Take a simple task like emptying the rubbish bin. For five years at this house on a Monday evening I've put the rubbish out, so why this week did I bend over so far to lift the black bag? Dunno. Anyway, guess what? Head, wall, blood.

The following day the missus Debb asked me to do another simple task, sharpen the garden shears, which I did, honing them to perfection. As per normal I checked the blade, and although I was told they still wouldn't cut butter, there was more blood. Lots of it.

And to top it all we bought two new loo seats. Ten minutes to change them it said on the instructions. Ten minutes my foot; the first took twenty minutes after I eventually freed the plastic wing nuts, the second, over two hours, a lot of cussing, tools piling up around me, pinched fingers and you've guessed it plenty more blood.

I decided to go for a run and on my return Debb handed me the piece I was trying to get off - I was not amused, but quietly relieved.

Oh yes, and we've also had our middle daughter stuck in the loo, cue screams and shouts of panic from within. They only stopped after we dismantled the handle and forced the lock. Did I mention that that on our new cabinet in the living room the handle broke in half as well? I have now.

Even our training for the New York marathon hasn't gone as planned. I'd caught a cold, and preparing for the first of our three runs in October, the Great North on October 2, we had to pull up after 15 miles - I had dehydration, a tight chest and aching muscles. It just proves how much in some instances a silly cold can affect you, especially at the level of training we find ourselves at the moment.

I am trying very hard to get under 1 hour 30 minutes in the Great North. After taking it easy the rest of the week, no more than ten mile runs, we achieved our first twenty miler this Saturday, to my relief I felt great - well, as great as you can after twenty miles (perhaps knackered would be more accurate). Hopefully we can now get back on track with the training. Even so we've clocked up around sixty miles this week -mind you, running all these miles also reminds me to be more careful with tools, as the sweat certainly makes any cuts and grazes smart, my hand at this present moment in time reminds me of a pin cushion, painful, not to mention my forehead, lets hope next week is without incident.

Finished another good book this week, The Grim Reaper, by Bernard Knight, a novel based in the 12th century about the Kings Coroner, the author doing some interesting historical research. It's one of around 6 books in this series and kept my attention, a very good read, or listen in my case.

I have started another little project this week, low level shelving incorporating a coffee type table in the kitchen, I know after last weeks exploits am I asking for trouble, but I currently have all my fingers and both thumbs so why not? I'm keeping score, and will let you know how many I've still got next week.

I know there's plenty more to talk about and some funny tales from our training runs but that's for another time, here's wishing you all a good week ahead, health and weather wise, so bye for now, Blind Dave signing off.