BLIND DAVE’S BLOG

22-05-2007

Blind Dave Heeley and his guide runner Malcolm "Mad Mac" Carr have been running locally again after the excitement of the London Marathon as thebuild begins to next year's amazing 7/7/7 challenge.

Hi Stirrers

Well there’s no peace for the wicked - we've just hadour first race after the marathon.

Mac and myself both had slight colds and agreed to take ita little easy - a promise lasted until we lined up at the start and the gun went.

I don’t know why we bother making silly plans, it’s always the same. You get your number on and you run your little legs off. The DK (Dudley Kingswinford) isn’t a bad run, always the first Wednesday in May and always well represented.

From the start it’s a mile flat, down past a little pub (yes there’s always a pub, you can smell the beer as we pass) over the canal bridge, looping round to the left, a little undulating through the country lanes, until ataround 7K - you’ve guessed it - there’s a hill (like pubs, there’s always one of these too).

It’s only a little one according to Mac, but after 7K of running that little hill seems rather a large hill, and then it's up to the pub again, turn right up the mile straight and to the finish.

We took it easy this year, 5 seconds slower than last, and the finish line was, I imagine, a welcome sight. No medal here though, but a nice engraved tumbler, and a cold bottle of water. At least it wasn’t that hot, so unlike London, there were no blackouts.

Later in the week I heard a little story about the race that bought a smile to my face. Alex, a friend of my eldest daughter Grace, was watching somewhere close to the finish and was talking to her boyfriend’s dad about me and the challenge I was doing next year.

At that point who should come along towards the finish line? Yes, Blind Dave, just forty seconds behind Alex’s boyfriend Tom, who incidentally is 30 years my junior, and a fit lad I’m told. Hearing this, it made my week, there’s a chance for me yet, but I don’t think Tom was a happy chappy.

It’s also been a funny week for incidents, good and bad, me getting all the bad bits, especially first thing in a morning.

The little ones are great for getting ready for school, washing their faces, getting their school uniforms on and brushing their own hair - except that this morning they weren’t too careful with the brush!

Strolling across the landing heading for the bathroom (which is busier than New Street station in a morning) I had rather a rude awakening. Some kind person (no one owned up by the way) left the hair brush on the floor and who found it? Yes, you’ve guessed Blind Dave. With his right foot.

Me, morning and waking up have never really gone together too well, not before a couple of cups of coffee any way, but this morning the hair brush did the trick - was I jumping and hopping.

The girls and mom thought it highly amusing, and thought I’d started a new dance craze. Considering my eyes don’t work too well, Debb said they opened like giant saucers.

It was like treading on a porcupine, but although it woke me up in rather a hurry, I wouldn’t recommend it.Stay with the radio alarm - it’s more soothing and less painful. Still, it raised a few smiles in our house.

Food has become a health hazard this week. Sitting down to lunch we had some nice ham sandwiches and as the weather was a litttle warmer some salad.

Now I don’t mind sharing food with any one especially the kids, but Dannie hada small tomato and ended up sharing it with every one at the table. As she bit into it, it exploded, covering me, Aunty Ann and the table.

It was highly amusing. I thought some one had thrown some water over me for a joke, but no it was the tomato. I still can’t believe how so much juice and pips could come out although Dannie kept chomping away as though nothing had happened, bless her.

I must admit I do like my stuffing! (Especially with roast chicken, what did you think I meant?) Deb had been out, so I waited for her to come back before having tea, and the dinner smelt lovely, especially after waiting that bit longer for it - but you can’t really reheat stuffing, so that went on the plate, and to be fair it had gone a little hard. In fact it was a lot harder than I expected.

I clamped the teeth together on a mouthful of chicken and stuffing and some thing even harder was rolling around the mouth - my tooth. The crunch broke my back molar right in half. It certainly wasn’t the day for food, what with flying tomatoes and flying teeth. Whatever next? A trip to the dentist, perhaps.

Georgie-lee came up with a brarma today. She is starting to appreciate music and she said that she would like me to get her a CD with the Hoo Hoo song on it.

Now I know parents are supposed to understand their kids every wish, but I scratched my head at this one, so did Debb, so we asked her “What is the Hoo Hoo song”.

She went on to tell us in great detail that it was the song she heard at the last do we had. One of the acts we had on was singing it and her friend’s Mom from school who was at the evening was singing in her ear Hoo Hoo Hoo!

Believe me both Debb and myself were like a couple of detectives trying to fathom out what song she meant. We needed more than the X Files to sort this one out. What was that old programme - I’ll name that tune in one? Not this time mate. To be honest we were stumped.

Eventually we sorted it, but my goodness it took some questioning.

It turned out to be the song ”You’re The One That I Want” from Grease and it was the chorus she was remembering - Hoo Hoo Hoo. I hope her birthday and Christmas requests are easier than sorting out her music, because if it takes us this long again she’ll have to book presents about 10 years in advance. Only kids could think that one up - Georgie-lee you’re a beauty.

Well can I say our local postman has certainly done us proud this week. Through our letter box came an envelope, with two postal orders made out to me. I can only presume they are sponsorship for the London marathon, but the great thing on the envelope was that according to Debb all it had written on it was “Blind Dave, somewhere in Oak Road, West Brom”.

To be fair it’s absolutely fantastic, hats off to the postman, hats off to the anonymous sponsor, but all arrived safe and it’s in the charity funds, so well done all concerned.

Well amongst all the other things going on around here at the moment, I’ve actually started the next woodwork project. The girls and Debb have concocted a great test this time - all they want is a greenhouse, a store for bikes and footballs etc, with a Wendy house on the top, with double doors, a balcony and stairs coming down the outside.

My gang don’t ask for much, but I’ve ordered the timber and already made a start.

Next year Dave Heeley will be running seven marathons in seven days on seven continents. To sponsor him go to www.justgiving.com/777