Denise Hamilton

DENISE HAMILTON - COACH

Until a few years ago, I’d always felt running was a necessary evil – necessary to keep me fit for other sports (and allow me to indulge my ice-cream habit) - but definitely not something I looked forward to.
For me, the change to being a running devotee happened when I began running more; the more I ran, the more I enjoyed it. I have to admit I only started running more often because a friend had pinned me down to do a regular, weekly run and I quickly realised if I wanted to keep up, I’d have to do a bit more running myself. Of course it wasn’t always easy…especially the hills…but the buzz I got from pushing myself and achieving the goals I’d set myself was always worth it. I then started to enter races, began running with Edinburgh Running School and another running club and now I can’t imagine running not being a part of my life.

Although I now love running alone as much as running with a friend or a group, I would definitely recommend running with other people if you find you dread getting your trainers on. Having one weekly running session set in stone ensures you run at least one other time in the week and before you know it, it will start to feel easier and you will be looking forward to getting out there!

As well as training as a running coach, I also recently qualified as a fitness instructor. I feel really privileged to be in a position to help people discover the joy of running and all the amazing benefits it can bring.