ROAD RUNNING
“ Then one day I tried a 10km , and that made me think I could go further , so I did a 21km , then decided I would tackle a garden marathon two weeks later , on 26 April . It would mean doing 200 laps of the garden , but I thought , why not , and since it would fall on the same day as the London Marathon date , I decided to ask friends and family to sponsor my run to raise funds for Save the Rhino International , to not only help this highly endangered species , but also to help me honour my cousin and her love for all animals . I started a WhatsApp group and challenged the members of our Mr Price Running Club to also run on the day , and to also run for the charity of their choice .”
With her dog on a leash , a water station set up in the back yard , her music player ’ s batteries charged and ice spray at hand for a tender knee , Jo set off , only stopping now and again for refreshments and a quick catch-up on Instagram with running friends . “ My dog did about 32km with me , attached on a waist lead . She is an incredible runner and never seems to get tired , but eventually I had to lock her indoors , because I didn ’ t want her to overdo it . But she still wanted to join me , and went crazy every time I ran past .”
Jo took on the Sani Stagger Marathon with friend Stacey Gibhard
Neighbourly Interaction
Thankfully Jo ’ s knee held up throughout her lockdown marathon , but she did run into some problems with the neighbours . “ I needed to run a short section along the pavement right in front of the property in order to complete each loop , and at one stage I had an estate security guard stop me to tell me not to leave my property , because somebody had complained about me . I had several neighbours watching me from nearby properties , and most were actually cheering me on , but when I had just two kays left , one neighbour came to shout at me about not being allowed to leave my property – which I wasn ’ t doing ! I just told him he is a bad person , with nothing better to do than complain .”
“ I was now so angry , but that actually fuelled me for the last two kilometres , and when I finished all that anger instantly disappeared , because I was overcome first with joy , then emotion as I thought about what I had just done , and feeling Jen with me . Finishing was a really happy moment … when I came around the house for the final time , I saw that one of the neighbours cheering me on had snuck into my backyard and left a bouquet of flowers for me ! And best of all , I ended up raising R18,000 for rhino conservation on the day , and it was so motivating to see the donations coming in while I was running . That really kept me going !
With the garden marathon behind her , Jo went on to run 45km in mid-June for the Race the Comrades Legends virtual challenge , her longest run to date , but she says it was actually not the hardest thing she has tackled . “ I think finishing the Sani Stagger has been my biggest official running accomplishment so far , but not my biggest running accomplishment overall . Just on a mental level , that would definitely be the lockdown marathon in the garden !”
Passion for Running
While she is an accomplished long distance runner today , Jo actually had an interesting path into running . She is the eldest of three kids , with two younger brothers ( now 23 and 13 ), and she says it ’ s a sporty family . “ My brothers are sporty , my dad is fit , and my grandpa was an SA soccer player . He still planks for eight minutes each day at the age of 83 !” Jo also excelled at soccer while attending Durban Girls ’ College , earning KZN provincial colours at under-16 and under-19 age levels . That helped her earn a sport bursary to help pay for her studies at the University of Stellenbosch , where she went on to earn a Masters in Industrial Psychology .
When Jo arrived in Stellenbosch , she was already a runner , having done up to the half marathon distance , but considered herself first and foremost a soccer player . However , a knee injury forced her to put soccer on hold for a while , and when she was able to run again , she found herself drawn more into the world of running . “ By my third year , I was staying in digs and found out that the two guys living in the flats above and below me , Mark van Zyl and Jason La Cock , were big into running . We soon became close friends and did many races together , both on trail and road . At one stage , I think I ran at least 21km every weekend for six months .”
“ I loved running with friends , and the scenery around Stellies was brilliant – I especially loved running on the Coetzenberg trails , and the trail running soon
The flowers that awaited Jo ’ s garden marathon finish
Jo and her regular running partner
Images : Xavier Briel , Jetline Action Photo & courtesy Joanna Maingard
50 ISSUE 136 DECEMBER 2020 / www . modernathlete . co . za