The widow of a much-loved Carnoustie man has been clocking up miles in her husband’s memory.
David Mackland died suddenly in hospital on October 14 last year aged 47, after suffering a sudden cardiac arrest following a lifetime of living with a heart condition.
He had been a stalwart in his community and took on many roles, including the popular Our Carnoustie Facebook page.
Following his death, widow Natalie vowed to run 1,000 miles to raise money for the British Heart Foundation in memory of her beloved husband.
Natalie reached her 1,000-mile target last month but decided to carry on, hoping to clock up another 225 miles by the end of the year.
Natalie is also planning a symbolic three-mile run on the anniversary of David’s death.
All together she will run 2,021 kilometres in 2021.
She said: “On this I will be supported by a group of running friends and others, who are not really runners, will be joining us for the last mile with other non-runners hopefully cheering at the end.”
Natalie said she and the couple’s children, Hannah, 16, and Lucas, 13, miss David greatly but try to stay positive.
She said: “David’s loss continues to impact our lives going forward but we do now find ourselves more familiar with, and more accepting of, our new normal.
“We always try to focus on remembering what we had rather than what we’ve lost.”
Natalie has already raised £2,000 for the British Heart Foundation, but as well as raising cash and awareness, running has given her something to focus on.
‘Running has been my focus’
“It’s not fast and never pretty but I never take for granted the simple fact that I can,” she said.
“I often say that I run because I can.
“David wasn’t defined by his heart condition but his physical ability was certainly limited. David didn’t run, because he couldn’t.
“In the last nine months, running has been my focus.
“It has been my headspace, my time-out, my release, my social contact with running friends through lockdown, my thinking time, my stop by the cemetery for a chat time.
“I have no doubt that running has helped my head and heart to heal.”
Natalie added “It seems appropriate that having mentally committed to run 1,000 miles this calendar year, that I should do so in memory of David.
“To make it tougher still and to help turn the anniversary of our loss into a celebration of his life.”
Donations can be made at justgiving.com/fundraising/natalie-mackland1