Rona Dougall: Smiling through the pain for a good cause

I am one of the many thousands who are preparing to take part in the Great Scottish Run this weekend.

Last year saw a record 23,386 runners taking to the streets of Glasgow for the 10k and half-marathon races. And this year organisers are certain it will be the biggest race ever.

The rise in popularity of 10k running is incredible. It’s not as daunting a prospect as a marathon or even a half-marathon and most people can complete the distance with just a little training.

I took up running after my daughters were born. I was painfully slow to start off, coming back the first time breathless and whimpering with pain.

I felt like Lucy in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe when I asked my husband if he had not been concerned about the length of time I’d been away. You were only gone ten minutes, he replied.

Over the years, I have certainly got a lot fitter and can now complete the 10k in a respectable time. I have even toyed with the idea of a marathon but, on reflection, decided against it. I think you have to be a certain kind of crazy to do that.

A friend of mine is in training for the Loch Ness Marathon next month. Tomorrow, he will have to complete a 20-mile run if he’s to stay on track with his preparations.

It sounds like complete and utter misery to me. Often, I have finished 10k races thinking that if I had to run so much as another kilometre, I would have to shoot myself. Can you imagine the relentless horror of 26 miles?

Especially if you insist on doing it in fancy dress – I’m pretty sure the runners dressed as Superman or the Pink Panther begin to bitterly regret their wacky decision at about the two-mile mark, if not before.

It is competitors like Claire Lomas for whom I have the most admiration. The 32-year-old mother of one was left paralysed from the chest down following a horseriding accident. However, she went on to take part in the London Marathon wearing a bionic suit. She walked two miles a day and eventually completed the course 16 days later. Her determination and bravery were awe-inspiring.

Last year’s Great Scottish Run drew competitors from as far afield as Ethiopia, Kenya and Brazil. The 10k winner was Matthew Gillespie, of Shettleston Harriers, who recorded a time of 31.12.

Thirty-one minutes? It takes me that long to get my trainers on.

I will be running for a good cause this Sunday, though. My Scottish Television colleague Raman Bhardwaj, ITN Scotland correspondent Debi Edward and I will be raising money for the STV appeal, which helps children and young people in Scotland who’re affected by poverty.

Debi, a seasoned runner, has been pounding the streets early in the morning for months as she gears up for the race. Raman’s training, as far as I can ascertain, involves him wandering round the newsroom munching on a bag of carrots.

I’ve taken part in the Glasgow race a few times before and there is always a great atmosphere. Most importantly, it’s quite flat. The Edinburgh 10k, although incredibly scenic, has far too many hills for my liking. By the time I reach the top of the hill in Holyrood Park, I am ready for a sit down and a refreshing cup of tea, and I’ve only completed one kilometre.

Embarrassingly, the first time I entered it, I had been a little bit too optimistic about how long I thought it would take me to complete. When the starting gun fired, the rest of the wave I was in shot off, leaving me to run most of the race completely on my own along deserted streets.

Some people relish the agony and the ecstasy of training for the big day. My sister is fanatical about running and genuinely looks forward to pulling on her running shoes before bounding off to jog ten miles.

I, on the other hand, struggle into my tracksuit with a heavy heart. But this Sunday I will be sure to put a big smile on my face. After all, it is for charity.