Oh my, Edinburgh Marathon seems a lifetime ago now but it was an
experience which will stay with me for the rest of my life. The euphoria, the pain, the hurt, the finish
line.
Like many marathon runners I suffered the dreaded marathon
blues, questioning myself and my beliefs for many months afterwards. The year passed in a daze, the one thing I
was glad of was that I had entered to ballot for a much sought after place in
the Virgin London Marathon. I can’t
normally win an argument but hey, my entry was in the bag (along with another
129,999!!!) and I stood a chance, a slim
one as only 10,000 places were available for the ballot, but a chance non the
less. I had a long wait until
September/October.
September came and
very nearly went when all of a sudden I had friends posting on social media
that they had been unsuccessful in their ballot place; I had no idea until now
but apparently you received one of two magazines to advise you of your
fate! One had ‘Sorry’ on the front, the
other had ‘You’re in!’ I awaited my magazine landing on the doormat.
Wednesday is traditionally my rest and massage day. I’d come downstairs after having Suzi do her weekly magic (why did it hurt whenever I had a massage now?) I picked up the
post and started to scream. Suzi flew
down the stairs thinking I had fallen to find me shaking like a leaf in floods
of tears holding a ‘You’re in’ magazine.
I had just got one of the most sought after places in the world, a
ballot place in the Virgin London Marathon, how did that happen, how did I
deserve that??
In true Ellie style my initial thought wasn't ‘right let’s
crack on with training’ but rather ‘who shall I raise money for?’ Over the last 7 years I have raised well in
excess of £20,000 for charity mostly on my own and mostly for BHF in memory of
my Dad who died in 2008. For many
reasons I was ready for a change. I
didn't necessarily need to raise funds for a large national charity I could ‘go
local’ and raise much needed funds for a cause still close to my heart but one
that relied on local monies and businesses………
I had just that cause in mind.
The challenge itself needed thinking about too. I prefer to raise funds for one charity
rather than multiple charities and I now traditionally do events annually
- Ferriby 10 mile, GNR, Beverley 10k,
Edinburgh Moonwalk to name but I few and I had 8 already booked for 2015, what
if I increased it?? What if I could do 15??
I scoured the net and found races to add to my ever growing list. The
challenge was decided and set!
The charity itself was almost a no brainer.
Running with Fitmums introduces you to an abundance people
from all different walks of life and your running buddies often turn into
lifelong friends as you soon realise that sometimes it’s not just running that
you have in common.
I’d met Katie Cowell at Beverley Fitmums on our Tuesday
morning sessions and when we got talking I learned she and her husband Paul had
tragically lost their daughter Abbie on 1st October 2011 having gone full
term. I had also lost Charlotte when I
went into premature labour at 23 weeks on 11 June 2004. As we ran, we talked, got to know each other,
laughed and cried as we ticked off the miles.
Katy and Paul had set up Abbie’s fund in memory of their precious
daughter raising funds to supply memory boxes for bereaved parents. Having a memory box myself after losing
Charlotte, I know only too well what it means to own one and also the healing
properties they possess at such a traumatic time.
I can’t deny I did feel guilty for not raising funds for BHF
but I know at the bottom of my heart my Dad would back me 100% in my decision
and I would have his full blessing in raising money for Abbie’s fund. I’d obviously talked it through with Ray and
again, as always I had his full backing, it was a cause so close to our hearts
and one that so desperately in need of funds.
To read more about Abbie’s fund and the fantastic work they
do please follow the link below
This year will see me do 15 challenges in 2015, which will
include the following........
25/01/15 - Ferriby 10mile – dedicated to Charlotte Amelia
Birch
01/03/15 - Bath Half Marathon - dedicated to Lauren Ella
Foley
22/03/15 - Lincs 10k - dedicated to Emilia Harper
12/04/15 - Hornsea Third - dedicated to Grace Harper
26/04/15 - Virgin London Marathon - dedicated to Abbie Grace
Cowell
10/05/15 - Beverley 10k – dedicated to Ricky- Joe Emmerson
13/06/15 - Moonwalk Marathon
28/06/15 - Humber Bridge Half Marathon
12/07/15 - Ray's for life 5k
19/07/15 - WR Liverpool 10k
01/08/15 - Total Warrior 10k (endurance)
13/09/15 - Bupa GNR Half Marathon
05/10/15 - Kielder Marathon
11/10/15 - Yorkshire Coast 10k
05/12/15 - Rudolf Romp 24 mile (marathon status XC)
I thought it would be nice if I could dedicate each race to a precious life lost for the
donation of a memory box (£25). I spoke
to another good friend of mine Katy Wood and asked if she could possibly do a
press release for me - as ever she did an
amazing job.
By the beginning of December “Ellie’s 15 in 15 challenges”
was born.
I had determined which races I would run, the local paper
had my press release, I’d set up my sponsor page and the money had started
coming in already with friends dedicating races from the start (excuse the
pun!)
All that was left was for me to put on my trainers and start
clocking up the miles and with my first challenge being on 25th January I had
to move.
Then my world fell apart in December as one of my best
friends Elly was diagnosed with MND.
I’ve known Elly for over 15 years from my socialising and
drinking days on Beverley Road and then latterly when we worked together at
Waterloo Tavern. It didn’t take long for
us to become good friends (and both being single at the time, strong drinking
partners!). I then had the privilege to
call her family when she started dating my cousin Rory in 2003 and subsequently
got married in July of 2011. The
wedding had been postponed once because of the shock, safe arrival of their
beautiful baby girl Poppy on July 4th 2006.
Suddenly the ice bucket challenge was a reality in our lives
and we were dealing with it first-hand.
In the early days of diagnosis we cried, researched, talked, laughed,
screamed and asked question after question of what we were all to expect as we
tried to take in what was happening around us.
It was just heart breaking watching some of the people I love most in
the world cope with such a horrific life changing and life sapping
disease.
Even through the heartache we managed to have a magical,
memorable Christmas with Rory, Elly and Poppy who stayed with us as their house
was being adapted.
Then on 28th December we had a call that Ray's sister-in-law
had died from her long, tough battle with lung cancer. Carole was one of the strongest women I’ve
ever met and although not a surprise she had lost her battle, I was devastated
at the emptiness that her not being here would leave in our lives. She was one
of Ray's closest friends….. my world and those around me was falling
apart.
Here I was trying to keep strong for my cousin and his
beautiful family and now for my wonderful husband and other sister-in-law Jo
when all the time my own heart was breaking.
I wanted to run and never stop………………….. but my training had taken a massive
tumble and I just couldn't get back on track.
With my first race looming I needed to take action. Rory had got a last minute place in the
Ferriby
10 raising money for MNDA and we made a point of getting out together
at least once a week for a long run.
I've looked after Rory from him being a tot and he knows he holds a
special place in my heart. He has grown
up to be the most wonderful and caring husband, dad and friend. All I wanted to do was wrap my arms around
him and tell him that everything would be OK - but I couldn’t – it would be a
lie!! For once I could do nothing to take away his pain. All I could do was be there for him when he
needed me, when he needed help he knew I would come running and would be his
shoulder and his strength.
We both used
our runs as our therapy and put the world to rights on the way round. It was downtime for us both I think and he
did amazingly in Ferriby, pushing me round the course and keeping me
going. Seeing Elly half way round, who
had been brought out by friends was an amazing sight and another memory that
will be locked in my heart. My first challenge of the year and race No.1 of 15
was in the bag.
Training was ticking over and after Ferriby came Bath Half
on 1st March. Jonathan, my step son and his girlfriend Katie had started running last year and he is now so fit
and such a strong runner, he could quite easily have left me at the start line
but he didn't. We ran it together, on a
glorious spring morning. Although the
course was advertised as flat, it did have a few ‘mounds of opportunity’ in
there and was a looped course. It was
however, a good run and we finished in a respectable time of 2:27. No.2 of 15
completed.
Lincs 10 on 22nd March was another glorious spring morning.
A crowd of
Fitmums had entered the Lincs 10 and we decided to go in
convoy. One of the runners was my friend
Gayle who had gained a number for Lincs at the last minute. She had also
secured one of the club places for the London Marathon. She was, however, battling with her feelings for London after
being plagued with injury and also the illness and the loss of her mother-in-law
June after a short illness.
Visiting the hospital, work and studies had taken
its toll on her mentally and physically and her training had gone on a downward
spiral, starting a year or so earlier with months yet tinged with sadness and
heartache. . . . . . She needed a good run.
She got it!! She was strong, finished well and with a smile on her
face. She has since decided to defer her
place for London until 2016 and I 100% agree with her decision. She has so much on and has very little time
to fit everything in. She will storm
London next year and I look forward to
training with her on her long runs and giving the support and
encouragement she has given me throughout my training.
The thing about running is
that you tend to get caught up listening to your body for problems you
would perhaps normally miss - perhaps something else that your body is telling
you. I've had sciatic pain for a few
years on and off and my magical therapist always sorts me out, this time it was
being very stubborn and I was suffering. I’d had to reduce my mileage and take
it steady otherwise it would play up.
I’d also been suffering with my breathing but my sciatic pain was the
main problem on my mind until a couple of my friends pointed out that I may be suffering from asthma. With a week to go before Hornsea Third and 3
weeks to go before London I hit the panic button and I made an appointment with
my GP.
It was the diagnosis I was expecting but certainly not the
one I wanted. I sat in the car with my
inhaler and sobbed. All of a sudden I
had to take an inhaler with me when I was out running. I was nervous, angry and
upset but the Dr was fabulous and assured me I would be OK as did a lot of my
friends. I left the surgery with
instructions that if I wasn't happy after trying it I was to make another
appointment and she would help me through "London".
I had to get through Hornsea first and there certainly would
be an abundance of encouragement as there were 50+ 'army' of Fitmums members running the race, many of them coming from East Hull Fitmums. In the event it was colossal and the good
luck, kind wishes and friendship that filled the start line was evident of the
team spirit that emulates around us all.
This would be the longest run for many and some were making it their
first race, I was in awe.
I started the Hornsea Third nervous and anxious, both of
which are not good for asthma! I finished it in a respectable time all things
considered but I did end up having a word with myself half way round.
My heart belonged to Ray and Tammy that day, I sobbed when I
saw them coming down the home
straight,
they’d knocked nearly 15 minutes of their PB, the longest distance
either of them had ever ran and they had just smashed 8.74 miles – a third of a
marathon.
East Hull Fitmums to me is the Epitome of team work and
everything it stands for. Another member
Julie so very nearly pulled out of the Hornsea Third because she didn't think
she would be able to finish in the allotted time?! In true Fitmums style we all
stayed back to see her over the finish line, those than never ran her home
waiting at the finish line and screamed her over it. I know I won’t have my Fitmums family with me
in London and there at the finish line to see me over it but I will have them
in my heart with every one of them spurring me on every step of the way to see
me succeed.
With London now less than a week away, as always my nerves
are kicking in. My Dad as ever
(especially at race time) is at the forefront of my mind. What on earth would
he say to me gaining a place in VLM? He would be thrilled, call me insane, be
as proud as punch and certainly be with me every second. I always feel as though he stands just behind
my right shoulder on race day and I’m going to need him more than ever this
weekend.
I'm going to be thinking of my gorgeous friend Elly and my
cousin Rory and Poppy who are having to adapt to life changing events at the
moment that are heart wrenching.
I'm going to be thinking of my gorgeous little boy Benji who
never fails to put a smile on my face and just know he will be shouting “Well done mummy,
keep going, you’re doing great!” just as
he does to everyone he passes when he runs the parkrun. My precious little Charlotte who will be
watching from the clouds with her Grandpa, I have so much love for you
sweetheart I just wish I’d have been given the opportunity to show you.
I will be thinking of all my wonderful friends who have run,
cycled, helped, Benji sat, listening to me moan and wiped my tears. Of all of my special friends who spur me on every
day with the love and support they offer me.
My Dad always taught me to treat people the way you expect to be treat.
I do my best and try and give myself to everyone and sometimes to more than one
at the same time. My friends are the
ones that remind me what a good person I am because I do sometimes lose my self-worth
and it’s them that make me the person I am. They give me the love and respect
back that I try and offer to so many.
And of course I will be thinking of my wonderful husband,
without who NONE of this would have happened.
He really is my other half, not as my husband but the other half of me,
we are a team. I just know he will be
scouring the crowd of 40,000 runners just to grab a glimpse of me and I love
him with all my heart.
Let’s face it I've got 26 miles, sorry make that 26.2 miles
(the .2 of a mile is VERY important to a marathon runner!) to think. I'm under no illusion that it’s going to hurt
this year and not just physically but emotionally and mentally too – it’s going
to be the toughest race of my life - we’re only in April and that big fella up
there is throwing a lot at me!
I've been honoured with a place at the start line of the iconic
Virgin London Marathon, a race that I have watched on TV since it started some
30 odd years ago, only ever dreaming of taking part. I'm going start at the start line and live
every second of it until the finish line.
It’s not about a PB to me, it’s about running for all the people I love
and care about, including those that are no longer with us.
A race dedicated to a very precious little girl - Abbie
Grace Cowell.
Charlotte would’ve been 18 this year, and we celebrated with tears and champagne with our nearest and dearest, having a BBQ and honouring what our little lady taught us and celebrating what would’ve been a very special day.
