You never forget how to ride a bike once you've learned, probably as a youngster after you shook off stabilisers with a guiding parental hand on the saddle.

For many of us, biking was a childhood pursuit, cycling to the park to play football or meeting pals to race around the spaces outside Hampden Park - that's what I did growing up within the sound of the Hampden roar - more of that another day.

But in adulthood cycling is different. Indeed those who stayed with it are likely to be in lycra, powering down country roads with a ­plastic helmet and a grim expression.

A colleague I had not seen for a few months ­appeared at the office and I gasped at his new-found trimness. He had, in middle-age, ­rediscovered the bi- cycle, and more or less found a new religion.

"I am doing around 200 miles a week, and when I was on holiday in Lanzarote I did 550 kilometres in 4 days," he said proudly.

And the weight had just fallen off.

The other benefit for him was that years of football and five-a-sides had taken their toll on his knees and ankles, but pedalling is low-impact and he gets no joint pain.

Me? I cycle. I have a cheap bike - not fancy but okay - and I go out on it.

However, I am not Lycra Lafferty (what a disturbing image…). In fact I cycle like a lawyer - my idea of a good afternoon out on two wheels is to ­meander round the streets of Glasgow looking at buildings to work out their age, construction and ­conveyancing history.

Sad I know, but it combines moderate exercise, fresh air and professional interest.

Meanwhile for my marathon training I am up to 12 miles at a time, though it is rather hilly around where I live so I am going to have to hunt out some flatter roads.

Look out for the guy in the Batman top, and I now even have Batman earphones for my running radio.

Remember my charity page for the hospice movement www.justgiving.com/AustinLafferty