Dalkeith runner Louise Young has unfinished business at the Bank of Scotland Great Scottish Run.

In 2008 the 34-year-old had a race bib and signed up for the Glasgow race but was struck down by illness just days before the event and had to pull out.

Ten years on and Louise is determined to not only cross the 10k finish line at Glasgow Green, but is also bidding to better her best-ever time over the distance.

The clinical psychologist’s relationship with running could provide material for a couple of counselling sessions – it’s been a turbulent one to say the least.

The peak of its momentum saw her race the Great Edinburgh Run and she has been a member of running clubs and regularly taken part in ParkRuns over the years.

But as regular as the boosts have been setbacks, with an old knee injury steadfastly refusing to go away and a lack of running buddies often seeing her lapse into inactivity.

And for Louise, taking part in the challenge is already helping her rise above the turbulence.

“The older I get the less time there is to look after myself and I thought this is a good motivator to get back on track with it,” she said.

“I didn’t tell a lot of people about it to begin with as I was a little bit worried I wouldn’t stick with it, so I only told people recently and they were surprised more than anything.

“Life just got in the way and other things took priority, so gradually, slowly but surely, exercise and fitness went out the window.

“I’ve had personal trainers and done strength training on and off, but nothing that I’ve been able to sustain longer term, which is a shame as I did do running for about six years.

“I’m expecting the mental aspect to be the hardest thing. Just keeping going if it’s getting a bit tough and I know my body can manage the distance, it’s just whether I get demotivated if it’s hilly.

“Preparation has been going well, I was really on the ball for the first few weeks and then let it slip for a week or two, but now I’m back on it so I’ll be training regularly now.

“My relationship with running waxes and wanes, but I’m enjoying it right now.”

Louise’s bid to make amends in Glasgow will be under the banner of the Bank of Scotland Great Scottish Run Community Challenge, launched to help get Scotland active.

The campaign aims to recruit one runner from each of the 32 local authorities in Scotland to take on the 10k running challenge – with Louise representing Midlothian.

Each runner will embark on a “10 week to 10k” challenge, receiving a personalised training programme from an expert coach in the weeks leading up to the run, on September 30.

Louise has set herself the time goal of exactly an hour, looking to beat her 10k time of an hour and 14 seconds all those years ago.

Faced with myriad physical barriers posed by the challenge, the motivation of representing Midlothian is helping focus her mind.

“It’s great being able to represent my region and it’s a good motivator and good for accountability to be representing someone, so I suppose that spurred me on to sign up as much as anything,” she added.

“I think from a Scottish region point of view Midlothian is one to be proud of, so why not represent it for something like this.

“I thought if I can crack the hour nearly a decade later that would be good, but I don’t know if my body will let me do that or not so we’ll have to wait and see.”

Bank of Scotland is celebrating its 10th year as proud partner of the Great Scottish Run and for the second year running will support runners from communities across Scotland on their 10 weeks to 10k challenge in the Bank of Scotland Community Challenge. For more information, visit greatscottishrun.com/community-challenge