September so far

Sunday 9th Sept.

Great Yorkshire run, in Sheffield, I hadn’t run for nearly two weeks as Mac my guide had been on holiday and so had I, so it was going to be a blow out to get sorted again. The run was 10 k and challenging, quite hilly but to be fair an enjoyable run, puffing like an old Billy goat and the legs hurt, finished in 44.o4 minutes and thoroughly enjoyed the run, will certainly go back again next year.



Must now put in some serious training for the North, although we are slowly working in a training schedule for the challenge next year, so the North will be a hard training run, would like to run it in around 1 hour 30/35 minutes.



Monday 10th Sept.

Approx 8 mile run, through the town and parklands, legs were hurting from yesterday, but we had quite a brisk but relaxed run.



Tuesday rest



Wednesday 12th Sept.

Same run as Monday, relaxed run chatting pace with about a 30-minute tempo in the middle.



Thursday 13th September Same course again, morning run with another guide, brisk run with 6 3-minute efforts, with 2 minutes rest in between.



Friday 14th September approx 8 mile run through and around town, with hills, brisk run working hills.



Saturday 15th September Our first long run, not specifically for the North, the training is stepping up for the challenge next year, out and around town, 15 mile, steady at chatting pace.



Sunday 16th September In the morning incorporating our Monday run with extra to make it up to 11 mile, steady chatting running with a few points where we forced the pace occasionally.

Sunday evening a relatively quick 7 mile run incorporating a couple of miles off road along a local canal, fitness is coming back rather quicker than expected.

Blind Dave

Dave was born 24^th November 1957, but any one asking him, on his next birthday he will be 39 and 132 months. He was always known as a clumsy kid, never a day passed without cuts, bruises or a broken pair of glasses, until at around ten years of age all was revealed, he was diagnosed with an eye complaint called Retinitas Pigmentosa, just a slight problem, it meant he was going blind. When first diagnosed he was quite a celebrity at school, “Wow Dave’s going blind”, no one else was so it was a case of “ I’ve got some thing you haven’t got”. He attended mainstream schools, Greets Green Junior and George Salter High School, his only claim to fame; he was the town champion at 1500 metres for five years.

The realisation of his eye complaint hit him with some force at the age of seventeen, his career in the army shattered and with all his friends taking driving tests made him realise the true implications of going blind, it was at this point he inwardly started feeling sorry for himself, “Why me”, but in life there are two paths to tread, negative or positive and as he will tell you he took the positive route.

Regardless of his sight problem, he’s had a varied working career, mainly office bound, other than his short stint on a fork lift truck, he admits he wasn’t always honest about his sight problem, he had his own company for around seven years, distributing suspended ceilings, partitions, dry lining and joinery, he loved the buying and selling but with bad luck, bad debt and bad eye sight, all good things come to an end. After spending three years at the Queen Alexandra College for the Blind where he achieved skills in Braille, computers, carpentry and wood turning, it’s now easy for him to lose himself in his workshop where he loves to design and make all kinds of furniture.

Dave tried hard over the years to conceal his blindness but with his eyesight gradually declining the accidents kept increasing until he had to admit defeat and resort to using the white stick, which made him feel incapable, vulnerable and extremely frustrated

Suddenly overnight Dave’s life was changed when he was introduced to Peter his first Guide Dog. No longer the hunched figure trawling the footpath, but full of confidence, standing and walking tall, feeling very proud, striding out with a sure footed four legged friend, mobility assured, as for independence, the perfect recipe for adventure, with a social life, second to none, his only regret is not having a Guide Dog sooner.

For fun he’s up for most challenges, he’s had a go at most things, ski-ing, water ski-ing, horse riding, cliff jumping in Corfu, drove around Brands Hatch, rode motor bikes, drove a tank in the Highlands of Scotland, abseiled, was let loose in a speed boat, completed the Go Ape course in Grisedale forest, an Aerial assault course in the trees and he certainly enjoys his running. Competing in many half marathons, including the Great North and South runs and this year completing his fifth consecutive London marathon, in a very respectable time of 3 hours 30 minutes, with many other challenges yet to come. He has just heard that he is in the New York Marathon.

Dave cannot thank the Guide Dog Association enough for how they have changed his life, with the help of his wife Debbie, his three daughters, Grace, Georgie-lee and Dannie along with a very supportive family and a great bunch of friends they will continue to raise awareness and funds, when and where ever they can, to date raising well over £100,000. In recognition of his charity work he was invited to Buckingham Palace, for a Christmas reception with the Queen and also to a function at the house of Lords.

Blind Dave, along with his three guide dogs, firstly Peter, secondly Carla and now Wicksie his latest, would like to thank each and every one of you for your kind and generous support.