7 observations from a novice marathon runner

On October 15 Cameron Mckechnie completed the Amsterdam Marathon in aid of Pain Concern – we caught up with him to find out about his endeavour before the run.

1. What inspired you to participate in this fundraising marathon (and have you done anything like this before?)?

I was inspired to do this marathon as over the course of the last few years my back has gotten better through time and my prevention efforts which have allowed me to return to the gym, football and running on concrete, which I thought a few years back would be improbable.

I havent done anything like a marathon before , I haven’t even done a half marathon believe it or not ! Looking at a time of 4hrs based on my training !

2. Why did you choose to raise money for Pain Concern?

I chose Pain Concern as a charity due to the amount of people I know who have chronic pain issues. From my point of view its overlooked a lot in social society – it can affect work and relationships due to difficulty concentrating and I believe a charity that is understanding of all the issues that can stem from pain is a worthy cause.

3. How have you been preparing for the marathon?

So I started 6 weeks out from the marathon and I run the same route every Tuesday and Saturday. Due to working away I do 10 miles in Derby running round pride park and back to my hotel.

On Saturdays, I have been running 5, 10 , 14 and 18 miles with 20 miles planned this weekend before I do one final 20 mile run the following Saturday in preparation for the final race.

4. What challenges have you faced during your training and how have you overcome them?

Challenges mostly stem from time and my own chronic pain. To combat my injury, I need to do a lot of stretching + foam rolling to relax my back muscles. So, adding in pre and post foam rolling with the marathon training itself can be very time consuming. Overcoming these issues just comes down to proper planning. Making sure I complete my tasks through the week to allow me to get these long, heavy runs on the Saturday without causing any extra stress !

5. How can people support your fundraising efforts?

People can support the incredible charity I am running for by donating to my JustGiving page   and sharing your kind messages.

6. What would it mean to you to reach your fundraising goal?

I would be incredibly grateful to anyone who is willing to donate to my cause. I am really motivated to get Pain Concern more recognised around the UK because I believe the work they do is important to giving hope to people who live with pain on a regular basis.

7. Do you have any advice for others who might be considering participating in a fundraising marathon?

My advice would be to embrace. Don’t fear the running, you actually come to enjoy the bliss !