A MELKSHAM man is counting down the days until he takes part in the Loch Ness Marathon to raise money for the Motor Neurone Disease Association (MND).
Jason Reeves will be taking part in the challenge in the Scottish Highlands, on Sunday 1st October to raise money for the association following the death of his brother-in-law two years ago, who had MND.
Jason, who is 60 years old, said he was curious to see if he could manage this type of event at his age, following a period of running marathons when he was in his 30s.
“The runners will board buses at Inverness, then we are driven 26 miles into the wilderness for the start,” says Jason. “Until recently, we have been advised to wear non-valuable clothes over our running kit whilst we are waiting in potentially very cold conditions for the start. The spare clothing is discarded when the marathon starts, then it’s collected up for charity.
With the recent heatwave, that advice may not apply anymore and I’ve done very little heat acclimating training.
“The marathon will start at 10am and I’m expecting to take about four hours (maybe more) to finish, so I’ll definitely end up running up and down the hills during the hottest part of the day.”
As part of his preparations, Jason took part in the Warminster Carnival Chase 10k, coming in at second place, despite an injury. “I suffered with a torn calf muscle earlier in the year so I’ve recently had to alternate short routes with lots of hill climbing separated from slower and longer flat routes, in order to minimise the chances of recurring injury,” says Jason. “Unlike most marathons, which adopt the flattest route possible, the Loch Ness Marathon is very undulating.
“My natural running speed has become much slower with this style of training, so this weekend I entered a race organised by local race organisers Redfish Events.
“In the Warminster Carnival Chase 10K I surprised myself by taking second place. I put the success down to my hill training as there is approximately 125 metres of elevation in the event, with a spot of mud to tackle at the top of one of the bridle paths. The camaraderie on the day was excellent, as the contest was mostly runners versus possibly the hottest day of the year and the hills to climb.
“I must remember to enjoy the scenery in Scotland and keep an eye out for Nessie!”
Jason has so far raised around £1,000 for MND. To donate, visit his Just Giving page – www.justgiving.com/fundraising/jason-reeves60
