Hamilton Cousins Fun Run

The James Hamilton family cousins 2015 Half Marathon Fun Run training diary

Goals: 1) Honor Jim Hamilton who passed away from Parkinson’s in 2014. 2) “Up” our game in family fitness. 3) Run a race together in 2015 – 10 Hamilton cousins and families. 4) Raise awareness and funds for Parkinson’s Disease.

Feb 2015 There’s nothing like the financial “submit” button and the fear of a new distance to get you going for a race! The fear of stretching to a new goal will provide motivation and you’ll find you can do more than you thought possible. Start where you are, and add in small increments. If it’s just around the block today, go twice around a couple of days later, and keep adding on. Unlike test day, last minute cramming will not get it done and will lead to potential injury. Cross training is important as well, add other physical activity into your week besides running. It will help you when you get to longer distances. Come on, get going!

Jan 2015 Date and place are set!  Sept 20, Whitewater, WI! That’s 230 days from today! The pre-run pasta dinner will be held in the Hamilton Room at Whitewater college (also Nancye’s alma mater) so as Roger said, this is meant to be! There’s a 5K (only 3.1 miles) and half marathon (13.1 mi). I encourage you to stretch yourself to the next distance if you’ve already done a 5K. The key is to start slow and start now! How’s the warm-up going? Get out there and move! Walk to the store, cross country ski, climb some stairs, walk the dog, go to spinning class, skip, jump, dance, whatever it takes to get motivated. Let your muscles know you’re exercising!

Dec 2014 Hey Hamilton cousins, It’s time to start training! Put one foot in front of the other and go for a walk this week! Lets start with two miles walking at a brisk pace, then aim to decrease your time and increase your miles. Keep track of your starting mileage/time and keep adding in small increments each week. It’s fun to see your progress! I find the Strava app to be motivational and helpful to see progress and pace.