Blind Dave’s Blog

TO IRELAND…BUT NO GUINNESS

30-11-2007

Dave Heeley’s monumental attempt to run seven marathons in seven days on seven continents next year enters a new, and more intense phase following a visit to the Northern Ireland Institute of Sport in Belfast.

Hi Stirrers

Well the trip to Ireland did the trick. It’s made me realise sooner rather than later how committed I need to be to focus on the challenge for next year. The professionals tell it exactly as it is going to be, very hard.

The test results were put on paper, the facts and figures are beyond me, but in laymen’s terms, they feel I am up for it but the training and focus starts now. Various levels of running are important, along with plenty of stretching for flexibility, the right nutrition, even workouts in the swimming pool.

They have got the training down to a fine art and with Guide Dogs committing to me, this challenge deserves nothing less than 110% commitment from myself - and that is exactly what I intend giving.

To anyone who knows me I like a drink for relaxation – well for the next 6 months I have knocked the booze on the head, I have an important task ahead, conquering 7 continents.

What a difference 7 days make, last week we were training and our only training aid was Mac’s stopwatch. With the intensive training plan now in our possession we have that many aids it’s incredible – including a GPS watch and heart monitor, which gives pace, distance and heart rates.

Now we have to regulate our runs to set heart rates, camel packs which hold 2 litres of whatever drink we decide to carry, a power breather to enhance our lung capacity, aqua belt for pool work along with supplements our bodies need to get used to for the climate changes we will experience next April.

Who’d have thought running was so complex. We have a great support team at the end of a phone or over the email to help with any problems we may encounter, so that’s it , were off and running.

There is also always going to be teething problems and yes we had some with the GPS watch - or should I honestly say with Mac and operating it. He pressed this button, that button in fact every flipping button.

“I’m going to launch this watch “ he kept on saying, “It’s no good at all”.

“Perhaps it’s you “ I said.

“No it should work properly by pressing this button”.

Well, I’m not one to keep saying I told you so, but if you read the instruction booklet or ask someone who knows, you normally find out how things work.

The heart monitor wouldn’t work with the pace timer, the GPS wouldn’t give us the correct distance run, the heart rate worked one day and I was apparently dead the next, because there was no heart rate at all - and Mac just kept on moaning.

So I asked the question of someone who had the same watch - “Get this certain mode up on the watch, press a certain button and hold for 3 seconds and they will all display together”.

Hey Presto - every thing started working as it should. I always wondered why manufacturers sent an instruction booklet! Mind, the best was to come. Mac was having problems with the GPS sensor, “It’s a normal AA battery and I’ve had to change it and it still don’t work”, he said.

Mac being Mac, he was getting quite annoyed, so we decided to put a new battery in it. “It still don’t work “ he said, so he checked the connections. Well, I rest my case - it will never work with the battery the wrong way round. Mac, you and technology will never go together, but we’re up and running again, the right pace, the right distance and I’ve got a heart again.

Talking of up and running, a couple of our routes take us past road works or in this case, footpath works, and as a new cycle path had been put down, we thought it might be an idea to use it.

About three quarters of a mile stretch and, you’ve guessed it, we had to move out into the centre of the road to avoid cars parked in a cycle path - now there’s a surprise. I mentioned at this point we only need a bike to use this path and we’re well away and guess what, there was that bike!

But listen to the best, it was in the cycle lane, coming up the wrong way on the wrong side of the road. Well, if that don’t take the biscuit - I’ll give him ring his bell. Between bikes and cars, I think the safest place to run won’t be on the footpath but in the road. Cars and bikes seem to take up most of the paths. I tell you, you couldn’t make it up.

Well with the battery the right way round, a cycle bell in hand, L plates on our backs, we’re ready for anything. Talk about what a difference 7 days makes. Things can only get better? Can’t they? It’s Blind Dave off for some sustenance, H2O!

Support Blind Dave and his efforts to run seven marathons, in seven days on seven continent. Just go to www.justgiving.com/777