Blind Dave Heeley's Blog

From Monday 4th October. I know, I know, I'm a Little behind with this blog, but I'm trying my best to catch up. Talking of behind, mind talking of behinds mines still hurting from the bike ride! The weather this week is unbelievable, wet, dry, wet, dry I'm beginning to feel like a piece of flaming sandpaper. This week as been so busy, been all over the place.
Training has been pretty good this week, managed a 10 miler with Mac on Monday, I think he's having a new lease of life, after Sunday I expected a steadyish run but I think he was feeling a bit frisky! We started at a good pace from mine, up Oak Road, which isn't what you would call flat, I'd call it quite steep, now expecting a couple of mile tempo, in fact it lasted for nearly ten miles and got even quicker for the last couple, I'm getting older I told him!
Wednesday I went for a 14 miler with Karl, I thought we were just going through the valley and home, putting in six three minute efforts, but we turned left out of Red House Park and that meant extra miles, so we threw in a couple of hills, then a tempo to finish.
Thursday out with Dave, we did a steady 10 miles, but I always ask who's steady? Mine or Daves, it turned out to be his steady, I'm sure he gets carried away when we're talking, mind it seems to be bringing up my natural pace. Occasionally on runs, nature takes it's cause and today was one of those occasions , I needed the toilet rather badly, it's amazing how it brings on a focus and a turn of speed! With no toilet at hand and three miles until home, I was quiet and got faster by the second. I sprinted up Oak Road, through the back gate and just made it, that's what I call a speed session!
Friday once again out with Dave, today we did a pretty steady 10 mile, chatting and more relaxed, but we still went at a fair lick, easing down a touch as we were running in the Leicester half at the weekend.
All in all it's been a good week for running, thoroughly enjoyed, got in some speed, hills, tempo runs and I also think the lads are in on my insurance they're doing their best to quicken me up or do me in, one of the two!
Saturday , saw our second major training ride on the bike, as I was running the half the following morning, Mike was taking part in a time trial also on the Sunday, we decided to take it easy. We did around 45 miles, through West Brom, down the Newton Road, heading for Sutton Coldfield. We got up a good head of steam, it's amazing the miles you can seriously cover on a bike. I was once again the blind Satnav until we got into Sutton, then it was down to Mike and signs. We rode for a while through the park, stopping once to firstly give my bum a rest but somewhere along the Newton Road we acquired a rattle. It seemed to be coming from around my feet area, for a while I thought the bike was coming in half, that rattle certainly got louder! Mike , once we had stopped, checked the bike all over, couldn't find the problem, we bounced the rear , gently a few times and hey presto there it was. The screws had dropped out of the rear carrier, yes we'd lost a couple of screws, I'm told I've got a couple of screws loose attempting this challenge, folks are probably right , but getting back to the bike, the culprit found , we fixed it in a fashion, then got on our way. Mike asked had I any idea where we were , I guessed we had to turn left, guess who was wrong? Tamworth wasn't the direction we needed to go, so after a few miles of up and down, we turned and headed in the right direction, although I thoroughly enjoyed, I was glad to get my bum out of the saddle, still another great ride and another big psychological boost.