The Uganda Marathon is massive event that takes a huge amount of planning in order to make it safe and as fun as we want it to be! On top of that there are other events and things going on that we organise throughout the year to make us so much more than a marathon. Ellie is our event superstar! She works to make all the stuff that we want to do possible. Below is her story…
Sorry what was that? Sign up for a triathlon? Well, I can’t swim, don’t own a bike and haven’t had much success in the old running department…but err yeah that sounds ‘fun,’ I’ll do it.
I have a good friend I see every week or so and each time he asks me, “what’s your whim this week Ellie?” (I come up with new exciting plans for my life on a fairly regular basis). When I told him that this week’s whim was to sign up to a triathlon he all but laughed in my little face. This was a guy who’d lived with me for over a year and knew my sporting activities involved barely more than a monthly two mile run and the odd game of rounders…followed by the requisite 4000 calorie intake to celebrate my sporting prowess.
But for some reason I decided this was a whim that was going to happen…so I found me a triathlon (just a sprint distance; I’m not a buffoon), purchased me a road bike (called Herman, that’s important) a cossie, goggles and some running trainers (cheapest I could find). And very quickly my life changed entirely.
I live in Southwest London so I cycled to Richmond park (blindly following my housemate). The one lap around Richmond park that I managed was am.az.ing. But not as amazing as the next day’s lap when I was alone and could go as fast as I liked. Then I thought; hello massive cash saving; I’ll start cycling to work. That started as a fairly scary 30km daily round trip where my only aim was to not get killed (not even exaggerating). I became a different person on my bike. I was assertive and smart. Soon my confidence soared and then I started appreciating the city I was cycling through. I’d lived in London for 7 years but only when I started cycling through it, did I start to piece it together and feel like I knew it. For the first time ever, i was starting to appreciate the less obvious benefits of exercise.
So, cycling – check. Now for the running and swimming. Well swimming terrifies me so let’s put that off for as long as possible. Running it is. My Dad is a big fan of a run, when I say a big fan, he once said to me “I’m out of my tree if I can’t run”…a phrase I still get a lot of joy from; what does it even meeaan Dad? But it works. I was going to visit him in France for a few days, so I thought this would be a tremendous way to kick start the old running. Plus he’s getting on a bit so doesn’t go too fast. Pleasure.
And it wasn’t too bad you know. We didn’t go far or fast, but I ran! I realised that for me, running with people was the key to making myself run at all, so when I got home I joined a local running club.
Terrified I turned up for my first run on a Monday evening. Met two girls (who are now two of my very closest friends) and kept up (in the novice group – no shame). I kept going, I started joining in the track and interval sessions. I signed up to a 10k and got 48m 50s after just three weeks of running. I realised I was actually alright at it. I kept going, I made more friends, moved out of the novice group, I got a 46:40 just a few weeks later.
My previously very social and alcohol fuelled evenings and weekends switched to running sessions, races and trail runs. All done alongside a group who were quickly becoming my favourite people on the planet. I found a new appreciation for my otherwise uninspiring physique; I could make this body do amazing things. Things that made me feel incredible. I could make myself hurt and go to that dark place, push myself right through it and the feeling on the other side was like nothing I’d ever experienced. I just wanted more.
It wasn’t all fun, I had injuries (I’d gone from not running to running a lot very quickly), I was stubborn so I let my injuries get much worse before I would relent and let them get better. I got things wrong all the time (who knew that eating a banana a few seconds before a 10k race would mean your body sent valuable blood to your stomach rather than your legs – I wasn’t great at using my brain it seemed).
I regretted signing up for the triathlon because all I wanted to do was run. Instead, 7 weeks before the event, I decided I should probably learn to swim. I went with a friend to a local pool, optimistically thinking; how bad can this be?! It was bad. I cried when I realised I was so terrified of the water that I might not be able to compete. But I’m a stubborn bitch so I kept going and eventually managed to swim with some sort of technique (albeit breaststroke). I sourced a wetsuit (child’s size, bargain) and, with three weeks to go, hit up Tooting Lido. I cried again. Swimming in cold water was nothing like the comparative bath I’d learnt to abide. I owe a lot to the friend who swam alongside me, hugged me when I stopped and cried and generally made me believe I could do it.
The day of the tri I was excited and feeling sick – what you’d expect. Two girl friends from run club came to support as did four lovely members of my family. When I got in the cold, muddy lake, I just visualised the grass bank at the end of it – if I could just make it to that then I had the ride and the run in the bag. I let myself down on the swim; technique, what technique?! But as I clambered inelegantly out of the water the other end, the grin on my face felt electric and it didn’t fade once during the next two legs. I never wanted the run to end! WOW. My first big race, I. was. hooked. The girls and I all agreed to sign up to more in the next tri season.
But until then I could get back to running. And get back to running I did. I am unashamedly competitive when I run and want to be the absolute best I can be. I will push myself until it hurts, until I can’t control the noises I’m making or the somewhat unsexual faces I’m pulling. But running is about a lot more than just running. To me, running is being with friends, cheering them on, inspiring people, helping people. It’s about feeling energised and part of a really, really special and passionate community. It’s about pushing yourself further than you thought possible. And knowing that one day, when I’m old and less mobile, I’ll look down at my legs and know that I used them for the purpose they were evolved for, that I pushed them and myself and made the absolute most out of the body I was given. We have evolved to be great distance runners and I cannot believe there was ever a time in my life that I didn’t use my body for the one thing it was born to do really well.
Running is my perfect Sunday. Meeting friends, cycling to Richmond park, running a lap together and then another lap individually, each pushing ourselves as hard as we can. Cycling to a great pub in Battersea, drinking red wine, eating more roast dinner and sticky toffee pudding than anybody should consume in one sitting. Feeling actual pain through laughing for hours on end. Running is being with friends. Running is achieving goals. Running is getting up at the crack of dawn to cheer people on in a race and know that their silent and pained thumbs up is a sign that your woops are making their steps just a little easier.
And it was my passion for running and my belief in the good it can bring that has seen me join the Uganda Marathon team. To be part of creating something far bigger than simply another race. To use running as a vehicle to make drastic and very real impact in parts of the world that need us. To help organise a life changing event. I’ve been part of incredible projects in my time, but none have been as powerful as the Uganda Marathon is going be.
Running is just really, very special.
