When we entered lockdown due to COVID 19 I knew I was going to struggle with the social isolation. Since becoming a Guide Dog Owner nearly 5 years ago I have gained more independence and confidence than I thought possible thanks to my fabulous fable. I hadn't realised it but I'd almost started taking this for granted... until lockdown took away this freedom over night. Apart from the fact that I wasn't in this alone, I was reminded how limited my life was before fable; my choices had been taken away again, I couldn't use public transport, I couldn't just go out because I wanted to and I couldn't meet friends. Lockdown is how my life felt before Fable in many ways.

So I decided to set myself a challenge that wouldn't be possible under normal circumstances....

Having been born severely sight impaired I spend much of my life being excluded from most sports. Walking was such hard work that I avoided it and running out of the question. Fable changed this and I now love walking and walk a few miles every day. However, lockdown provided me with the perfect set of conditions to give it go;; I have been able to get a lift to a local park where there is a wide flat path, so I haven't needed to use fable's harness or my long cane to get there and there are much fewer moving obstacles (people, bikes, footballs or children). So 9 weeks ago I started the couch to 5k program. 

I have never been able to run before, even on a treadmill I have never managed much more than a couple of  minutes.  Having  Fable has definitely improved my fitness levels and I now love walking but I didn't even think I'd make it past week 3. 

However, I am proud to say that despite having a really difficult time personally over the last couple of months,  I have kept at it 3 times a week and I'm just embarking on week 9 which is 30 minutes running. 

It's an absolute miracle that I'm managing to run for 30 minutes without stopping so I'm not too disappointed that I haven't quite reached the 5km mark. 

So to mark my achievement and to keep me motivated I have decided to keep going and  will be gradually  increasing my running time until I reach that 5km. At the same time I'd like to raise some money for guide dogs because without my amazing Fable I wouldn't be able to walk 5km let alone consider running it. 

It's safe to say that Fable  is enjoying all the free runs too, but I am keeping her guiding skills up on my rest days from running.and we go out for working harness walk a few times a week too. 

Covid19 has brought many challenges for sight impaired people, especially guide dog owners: Our amazing dogs are not taught about social distancing, they don't understand floor markings or queues for shops and I know Fable is missing her daily routine and all our work colleagues while we are working from home , 

Please help me give something back and help guide dogs continue to provide essential life changing support to sight impaired people.

Thank you x 

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