2011 Go Commando winner offers advice for Runners

Clarksville, TN – Nearly a year ago, Daniel Hazelton crossed the finishline at the Go Commando Half Marathon powered by CDE Lightband and became the first winner of this annual event. Now, Hazelton offers training tips and advice to all those who plan to Go Commando on October 20th, 2012.

A seasoned runner, Hazelton had already participated in countless other races prior to the Go Commando Half Marathon on October 15th, 2011. While training for the 2011 race, he was also preparing for the Army Ten-Miler in Washington, D.C. As part of the Fort Campbell Ten Mile Team, Hazelton and his team won first place in the Active Duty Mixed Division.

Since last fall, Hazelton has continued his love of running and proven a worthy competitor at several other events. At the 2011 Nashville Half Marathon he won Second Place Overall, and won Second Place for his age group at the Rocket City Marathon.

It does not matter if it is your first or fifteenth race, according to Hazelton it is always important to train and prepare for any event. Variety helped him, and kept him motivated. “Give yourself a change of scenery, run some hills, run on the track, go for a trail run and try new distances,” insists Hazelton. Continuously running the same distance and same route gets boring and does not keep you motivated.

This year the Go Commando route has a brand new course that will present some inclines in the beginning. Interval training will be a great addition to any pre-race program. The map for the 2012 event can be found online at www.GoCommandoClarksville.com.

A great local resource for training runs and running partners is the Clarksville Running Club (CRC), of which Hazelton and his wife are both members. They have found great friendships through the group and insist that anyone can join and find a person of similar speed and ability. “Whether you are a social runner or a competitive runner, I recommend running with others. It’s much more rewarding,” says Hazelton. The CRC has weekly group runs; information can be found online at clarksvillerunningclub.com.

While Daniel Hazelton continues to train with members of the Clarksville Running Club and various Army running groups he admits that some days, you will just have to go out alone. “I still force myself out of bed, often before the sun comes up, and run alone. It’s much more motivating when I know someone is going to be joining me,  but not running is not an option.”

When asked what his golden piece of advice would be to a new runner, Hazelton shared his personal motto taken from the Little Red Book of Running, “In the first half of the race, don’t be an idiot. In the second half, don’t be a wimp,” he says playfully. “In other words, don’t start out so fast that in the first half you burn yourself out. Give it all you’ve got when you’re tired in the second half!”

About Go Commando

The Go Commando Half Marathon & 5k has approximately 900 spots still available for the October 20th race. Those interested can sign up online at GoCommandoClarksville.com or download a registration form from the website and mail it to: Go Commando Race, 25 Jefferson Street, Suite 300 Clarksville, TN 37040. Registration is currently $55.00 for the half marathon and $25.00 for the 5k.

The Go Commando Half Marathon & 5k powered by CDE Lightband began in 2011 with a mission of promoting health and wellness to the Clarksville-Montgomery County community and honoring the soldiers at nearby Fort Campbell. In its first year, Go Commando raised $35,000 for local non-profit organizations. The Go Commando Health & Fitness Expo presented by The Runners Hub will be held Friday, October 19th in conjunction with the race. The health expo is free and open to the public.

For more information on how to become involved with the Go Commando event, contact Jessica Goldberg, Race Director at 931.245.4346 or email Jessica@clarksville.tn.us.