Run4Ella: why, when and where

It is said that when you're really sad you stop doing the things you love to do - there are many things that I stopped doing after Ella's accident, and one of them was running. I just didn't have the emotional, mental or physical energy to do more than walk around the garden. However we all know how important exercise is to get those 'feel good vibes' going and so after many months I started walking/running with a friend, but in mid October I decided to start seeing a life coach. I left my first session with a promise in my pocket that I would participate in a Parkrun at 08h00 the next morning http://www.parkrun.co.za/. I kept that promise, and the running bug bit - again! Running helped to get me through the tough times when S and I were going through our divorce and it's going to help me now too. 

Ellie and I did some running together. I well remember her first organised run; it was a 4km fun run called the Damdoppers Pretdraf – I have no idea how I found out about it and I can’t remember where it was but it sounds like somewhere we might have needed our passports to get to! It was 12 October 2013, she was 7 years old and eager to do a run with me. We did some training together and when the big day arrived my Mom, Jem, Ella and I jumped into the car and off we went...

Ella chatted for the entire 4kms! It was so easy to chat with her – she always had so much to say and I loved listening to her. I had to giggle when after a while she decided to take a break and plonked herself down on the pavement! I got her going and we walked hand-in-hand for a bit, until she heard someone coming up behind us, and then Speedy Gonzales took over. I whipped my head around to find her and sped off after her - and that became Ella’s modus operandi for the rest of her running career…she did not like the idea of someone overtaking her! She did so well that day and sped up again so much towards the end that I had to push myself to keep up with her! She finished in 35 minutes.

We ran another hilly 4km in the cold – with F, Jem and Shayla waiting, shivering, at the end for us. That was the day F drove on to the field at King’s school, where the start of the race was, and hit a water pipe, leaving all 3 girls shrieking with embarrassment!

We ran the Northgate 5km on 28 June 2015, so close to home that we ran past our house on the way out. It was cold but we had fun.

Ella's last run was the Clearwater Mall 5km on 22 August 2015. She had a bit of a cold so I wasn’t sure we’d get to do it, but she was so miserable at the idea of missing out that I agreed to get her up early, and off we went. This time Jenna-Lee joined us and two of our besties, Tanya and Emma, met us at the start. 

Ella would end each run with a bright red face - same as I do - and a beaming smile. I was so proud of her before, during and after each race, but the best was seeing her with her medals - so proud of herself.

My favourite run with Ella was at Clansthal on the Natal south coast. We wanted some mommy/daughter time so we put on our running shoes and hit the road. Crossing over the railway tracks I remember us singing along to These boots are made for walking (one of our favourite songs) – an ear piece from the iPod in my right ear and the other in her left ear. We played around, did a great deal of giggling – and finally headed back along the beach. We took some pics along the way and turned them into a short video clip. https://flipagram.com/f/ZZtJoKelqh.

I will, for the rest of my life, wish that Ella was here to run with me. I know she may not have wanted to continue running, but if she did, then I wish we could. 

At the end of 2015 - 6 weeks before the accident - when we moved into our new house, combining families and homes with F and his kids, she was excited that we would be able to run together more often, but we only managed to run once before she found her wings.

Running didn’t come naturally to El, but she wanted to do it, so she did and to her own surprise made it onto the cross country team in Grade 3. However, this meant choosing between cross country and hockey; and the hockey field was where she really wanted to be.

Now that you know the story of my running with Ella you won't be surprised at the idea of me wanting to organise this #Run4Ella.

February is always a busy month as my girls' birthdays fall within 12 days of each other, but now there are other important dates packed into those two short weeks...Ella’s accident was 30 January 2016. Her birthday is 3 February, her memorial was 5 February and Jemma’s birthday is 15 February! 

Despite not wanting to run at all in those early months, the idea for this run grew legs a while ago. I knew I would want to do something around the time of Ella's birthday and I also knew how tough this time, from December through to mid February, would be, and so I decided that some kind of love-project was necessary to help get through all the big scary days in the best way possible, arriving on 15 February for Jemma’s birthday; bright-eyed and with enough energy to make her special day supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!!

So here they are, the details of the love-project #Run4Ella

What: A 5km walk / run and a picnic in the park

When: Sunday 5 February 2017 at 09h00 

Where: Golden Harvest park, near Northgate http://bit.ly/2ikAfbE

Who: Anyone can join - the more the merrier!

Why a Parkrun? Because with so many loved ones spread across the country – and the world, the Parkrun allows access for everyone. It means that anyone who wants to join in can, you might just have to do it on the day before we do.

Why a Sunday when Parkrun is always on a Saturday? We don’t want to disrupt the usual Parkrun and because Saturdays are often busy with sports or kids’ parties, so Sunday actually works out better.

Is there a cost to participate? Nope, no money needed, just bring your own picnic.

You don't like running? What's wrong with you? Just kidding!

You can walk! Or you can wait for us at the finish and join the picnic afterwards. 

What if it rains on the day? I have no cooking clue!

Will I cry? I'm bawling my eyes out just looking at these pics I've posted so yes, bucket loads of tears...but that’s ok.

Looking forward to seeing you there.

xoxo