The Stirrer Podcast

BLIND DAVE OFF THE ROAD AGAIN

12-01-2008

Blind Dave Heeley is feeling the strain of preparing for his 777 marathon challenge – a back strain has forced him off the road for a second day in a row. But as you can hear in the latest Stirrer podcast he’s not given up training altogether.

Dave’s still working out on a cross-trainer in the spare bedroom of his house in West Bromwich, after sustaining his injury doing a simple stretching exercise in midweek.

He admits, though, that he and his guide runner Malcolm “Mad Mac” Wickes have been forced to ask themselves if they’ve been overdoing it.

“This is uncharted territory for us" he said.

"Normally before a London Marathon, we might do 80 miles in a week, now we’re doing between 90 and 100, and that’s without all the extra work we’re doing in the gym and on the cross-trainer.

“It’s nothing we can’t cope with, but maybe the body’s just telling us to slow down a bit.”

Mac has already been forced to abandon a gruelling swimming exercise after pulling a muscle in his chest, but Dave is confident the pair will soon be back in harness on the roads of the Black Country.

Publicity wise, at least, their attempt to run seven marathons in seven days on seven continents is now gathering momentum.

Dave has been interviewed by The Times and will be featured on BBC Five Live this Sunday night just after 10pm.

To hear the latest in our regular Blind Dave podcasts, click here