SOMETIMES the toughest journey is even reaching the start. When I signed up to run a half marathon, I visualised seamlessly ticking off boxes as the mileage grew and I built towards race day.

Of course, like many things in life, it didn’t quite pan out like that. From illness to injury, I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve written, wiped and rewritten “The Comeback” on my training plan whiteboard.

Yet, in hindsight, I wouldn’t have it any other way. Because each time I had to heal and rebuild my body, it added another layer of steely mental resilience.

A few days before the race, I headed out for my penultimate training run. I spotted a lone L plate lying on the footpath, detached from a passing car. A message from the universe. Lessons learned? Or one final test to overcome? As it turned out, a bit of both.

Fast forward to last weekend. On Sunday morning, I joined 11,000 other runners on the........

© Herald Scotland