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About Me (Stuart Macfarlane)
At the age of 51, having lived a happy sedentary life, and thoroughly
looking forward to that slow decline into senile dementia and
rheumatism, I was suddenly forced out of my armchair and onto the cruel
roads in little more than my underwear. “You need to get some exercise!”
said my son, Brian, and daughter, Amanda, “start running!”
Well I did ‘run’ with them around the block – a distance of 1kM and,
apart from having to walk 999 meter of the way, it was fairly
successful.
But the torture was not allowed to stop there – oh no – I was ejected
from my armchair and made to hobble, limp crawl and occasionally run
around the block on a regular basis.
“Why not enter a 10k race?” one of them said, rather forcefully one day.
And so grudgingly and with a few moans I undertook the ‘M77 – Run the
Road’ race in spring 2005. Surprisingly I managed to run the whole 10k
and didn’t die at the finish line. And so more, many more 10k races
followed.
Running must have been having a strange effect on my brain for I
suddenly had an urge to run a half-marathon – so, on a miserable autumn
day (with rain, sleet and gale force winds) in 2005 I found myself at
the starting line of the Jedburgh half-marathon. Having survived this I
vowed that I’d never do another – ever ever again. But by the time we’d
driven home I was desperate to have another go and immediately went onto
the Scottish Athletics website and signed up for the next available
race.
Of course I’d never attempt anything more than a ‘half’ . . . until
Amanda bought me “The London Marathon: The History of the Greatest Race
on Earth” – the experience sounded so amazing - I was hooked – I had to
have a go.
By this time I’d joined “Bellahouston Road Runners” and was lucky enough
to get a club place in the 2007 Marathon. Running 26.2 miles through the
streets of London in 27 degree heat was an experience in more ways than
one – but I got to the finish line in one piece. The people of London
sure make you feel like a hero – what an incredible atmosphere.
. . . but London would definitely be my first and last marathon . . .
well not quite – I had reached that level of insanity when I wanted more
– so Loch Ness 2008 will be my 6th marathon – and definitely my last (at
least until next year).
UPDATE December 2009 : What is it about running -
it's more addictive than chocolate, sex, cider and Morris Dancing
combined!! For 2009 I have signed up for my first Ultra - the Draycote
Water 35 mile run - (fortunately it's pretty flat) as well as the Paris,
Edinburgh and Loch Ness Marathons - - - will I ever learn? - - - will I
still have legs by the end of 2009? Watch this space!
Stuart Macfarlane lives in
Bearsden Scotland - you can contact him at this email address:
stuart@stuartmacfarlane.com
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