Musselburgh, on the East Lothian coast, has long been famous for its golf links and racecourse. It was also the finishing line for the 2018 Edinburgh marathon. I am not a golfer or a jockey, but I see myself as a marathon runner. Perhaps it would be more accurate to describe myself as a marathon plodder, not the kind of runner you would be placing bets on to be in front of the field. On the equine scale, I would be a cart horse with aspirations to be a thoroughbred race horse. It is therefore with a touch of irony that I describe myself as an elite runner – one needs to aim high, to have dreams.
There were many times during the Edinburgh marathon when I told myself I would never put myself through such an endeavour again. I told myself that 26.2 miles was not my distance.
But oh how fickle our minds can be! As I ran down Linkfield Road alongside the racecourse and turned into the Pinkie Playing Fields to see the finishing line just ahead of me, my heart soared. How wonderful this feeling is, and wouldn’t it be great to experience it again?!
Hence….beyond Musselburgh. What actually lies beyond remains as hazy as the mist that 
greeted us at the start of the marathon on Poterrrow in Edinburgh. I invite you to join me in exploring this unknown terrain. I will happily share my experiences (which will inevitable include getting lost and side-tracked) and running/training wisdom, such as it is. There is no shortage of advice out there about how to become a marathon runner, but I want to share what is realistic for quasi-runners like me – I don’t follow training plans easily, and I certainly don’t eat purple broccoli or kale!
Psychologist on the Move 