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	Chuck Bach Welcome Coasters! I am Chuck Bach and I am the President of GCRC and a Fall Marathon mentor as well. I ran my first marathon in January 2007 and was completely hooked. Since then I have run 5 more marathons and several half marathons and 5/10K's as well. During that time, I have made my obsession a family affair. My wife and son have done 3 half marathons and I am proud to have them in this club with me. My mother and sister are also in the club. So bring your friends and family and get them running or walking with you. I look forward to getting to know each of you better as we all make this journey together. Rock On Coasters!!
	Martin Rios III Hello, my name is Martin Rios and I am the lead walking mentor. I have been training people into endurance event walking for 4 years, having taken up the sport, about 5 years ago. It opened up a whole new world of events for me. Ultra-half marathons, long distance bike rides, triathlons. Even with all that I have accomplished my true reward has been coaching new members into believing in themselves. Allow me to show you that you are only limited by the binds of your mind. Open up to the childlike freedom that putting your body in motion will give you. Let us help you believe in yourself, by showing up, my mentors and I already do believe in you. Please take advantage of this wonderful, opportunity, you will never regret it.
	Trent Keeble Welcome runners and walkers of all levels! My name is Trent Keeble and I am one of the marathon mentors. I want to personally welcome you to our group. Hopefully you will find that after a time, we also become a sort of family. If you are new to this adventure, get ready to have fun while improving your fitness. If you are a seasoned veteran of distant running or walking ? it?s great to have you with us and I am confident you will find our programs rewarding and, at times, challenging. I have been a long distance runner for more than 25 years. I?ve completed lots of marathons ? ranging from a small running field of 63 to running Nashville and LA where the running fields were greater than 25,000. Among my marathons, I?ve had the privilege to run the Marine Corps Marathon, the San Diego Marathon, and even the Boston Marathon. This training season I already have a pretty full dance card. I will be running the Chicago Marathon, the San Antonio Marathon, the Houston Half Marathon, the Phoenix Marathon, Angie?s Half Crazy Marathon, and then back to Boston. I look forward to helping runners and walkers of all capabilities get to their next finish line. Sharing the experience of long distance running is a passion of mine. If you have questions, by all means, ask away. We are all here to improve ourselves. So lace up your shoes and get ready to ROCK!
	Bob Hamilton During my youth, I was active all of the time including all kinds of sports and other activities to keep me fit, but once I graduated from college that all changed. I weighed about 285 lbs, and I carried that weight for the next 15 years, including a ten-year stint where I smoked three packs of cigarettes a day! Finally, in April of 2006 while huffing from the exertion of chasing my then 2-year-old son around the yard, I realized that I needed to change my lifestyle if I wanted to be around to see him graduate. I went out for a 3-mile run at a nice, easy pace, and I had to stop at least 5 times to make the distance. I kept going out until I could make the entire 3 miles, and then I decided to keep going. Eventually, I ran a couple of half-marathons, and I kept going (dropping over 100 lbs in the process). I've now completed a few full-marathons, and I plan to keep going! The people that I've met out on the roads have been great, offering a ton of advice and encouragement, and I hope that I can pass some of that on to more people as we meet in the future!
	Robbie Gordon I?m Robbie Gordon, one of the 5K and 10K mentors. I have completed two Houston half marathons and quite a few shorter races along the way. I started running two years ago, after playing a variety of sports throughout high school and college. My goals for this season are to PR (Personal Record) at the 10K distance, to focus on the quality of my mid-week workouts and to help build GCRC into a successful running club. My other interests are Duke basketball and golf. I recently finished graduate school and am looking forward to having some more free time.
	Margie Gordon Hi! I?m Margie Gordon and I?m one of the 5 and 10K mentors for GCRC. I have been a runner for the last three Houston half marathon seasons. I?m really looking forward to the focus on the 5K and 10K races this year because of the shorter time frame between goals. I am looking at doing my first ?destination? half marathon this year in January, so that will add a new twist to my running. Besides running, I enjoy reading, biking and cooking. I?m looking forward to running with everyone this year.
	Darren Burris My name is Darren Burris and I am a Half Marathon Mentor. When I started running four years ago, I could not even run for 20 minutes. This is now my sixth year of running and I have completed several marathoning events. Training with the Gulf Coast Running Club will prepare you to reach your next finish line. There is nothing like crossing the finish line, and the feelings you get from accomplishing such an amazing feat. Welcome to GCRC!
	Yvonne Mills Welcome - If you are reading this, you have found a unique group who enjoys people! Oh ? yes we also all walk and run together. My journey to the finish lines of half marathons started in July 2006, when some friends invited me to join them Saturdays to run. I can honestly say ?I do not love running ?I love people!? I never considered myself a runner! Guess what? ? I am a runner. Running, although viewed as an individual sport, allows us to improve our ability by sharing experiences with one another. I encourage you to join us and enjoy the support of each other, whether we are walking, running, or dragging on the heels of the person in front of us. We represent what is called "Gulf Coast Running Club"... and we would like to help "Get You to Your next Finish Line". Hope to see you soon.
	Jim Damm Howdy! Welcome to GCRC! If you had told me 3 years ago that I would have run 4 marathons and numerous half marathons, 10Ks and 5Ks, I would have laughed in your face. A friend convinced me to get my butt off of the couch and 3 years later, here I am! The folks here are making GCRC an enjoyable place to run or walk (or as I do "run/walk"), whether you're a beginner or a old pro at it. I'm a half-marathon mentor (although I'm running the Marine Corp Marathon in October!) who has done half-marathons and/or marathons in 7 states, with a goal of hitting at least half marathons in all 50 states within the next few years (plus I've done a few triathlons along the way!). I run (and tri) because I can and I've found it to be an enjoyable diversion from my other daily tasks. I hope you'll join us and make GCRC the best running and walking club ever!
	Dawn Coryat Hello! I started training in 2006 for my first half-marathon after LITERALLY seeing a sign on the road saying that I could be trained. I took the challenge, and I've now completed 3 half-marathons, and have met a lot of great people along the way. I look forward to helping you energize your running and walking with GCRC as a half marathon mentor!
	Rebecca Klaren My name is Rebecca Klaren. I am a walking mentor. I started training last summer and haven't really stopped. I am one of the founding members of the Jackrabbits. We are the "elite" walking group. By elite, we mean slow poke. We might not be the fastest but we get it done and have a good time doing it.
	Karen Gelmis Welcome one and all! I am so glad you are visiting our site and our club. I've run for years as a stress reducer, but I never ran more than 5 miles until a couple of years ago. I "never had the time", but really, the desire and confidence to do more than that. But, joining a running club and working toward a specific goal got me across the finish line at my first Houston Half Marathon in January, 2007. It was such a thrill! But the best thing for me was the focused, fun, friendly, and talented group of folks who encouraged, gave me advice and pushed me down the road. I am so excited to be a Half Marathon Mentor. I hope to give back some of what I've received, and to encourage more folks to cross that finish line!
	Mark Knox I am You... the proverbial couch potato. Five years ago, if you had told me I would run a marathon, I would have laughed. Many miles later, I have completed numerous endurance events. I am You... trained on my own. Thought I did not need a group to work-out with. I quickly learned that the group has much to offer. * Guidance on proper nutrition, hydration, shoes. * Contacts to all the right people to keep you healthy and injury-free. * Camaraderie of like minded people. You and me... in this experience together. I promise lots of energy and enthusiasm, a can-do spirit and determination, along with big smiles and a ton of sweat. I believe it is important while seeking the destination, to enjoy the journey. Welcome.
	Carrie Bearor During my childhood running was the activity of choice for my whole family. I started at the age of 6 and participated in running and triathlon events all over the country. I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at 10 years old and exercising became a requirement to living a healthy life. So I kept going. Now as an adult I guess you could say running is part of my DNA, though it's not always easy. I have seen my share of valleys and mountains with this sport. At this point in my life I'm on top of the mountain and I plan to stay there. I have completed 2 marathons and look forward to at least 3 more in the next year. As a marathon mentor I want to help you experience the joys of long distance running and encourage you to exceed your goals and keep going. Welcome to GCRC. We're all glad you're here and look forward to many happy (sweaty) mornings out on the road as we all do what we love.
	Nancy Seymour Hi walkers! My name is Nancy. I have completed 2 half marathons this year -- the Houston Aramco and Angie's Half Crazy! Does 2 halves make a whole??? I started when a couple of friends ask me to come out with them. They were runners, but they walked with me - then they kept after me. Encouraging me, providing such valuable experiences and information, and always reminding me at the end that regardless of their words - I DID IT! BUT - I know that their words, encouragement, belief in me and positive attitude provided me with the courage to undertake something I never thought I would be able to do. Now - it's my turn to share what they shared with me - the joy, enthusiasm, commitment and the little bit of knowledge that I retained. The best thing I learned is - YOU CAN DO IT and hydration, hydration, hydration! Oh, and don't let Trent see you wearing your shoes to dinner the night before the half!
	Roxanne Rojas My Name is Roxanne Rojas; I'm a freshman at San Jacinto College and plan to pursue a degree in Nutrition. My aunt encouraged me to participate in cross country and track/field in high school after running several 5k and 8k runs. From 2005-2007 I ran Junior Varsity and Varsity for Clear Creek High School. In 2006, I ran in the Houston Half Marathon and in 2007 I ran my first Full Marathon. I enjoy running it's a very rewarding experience. I am very excited to participate as a mentor for the new Texas Gulf Coast running club. Please feel free to say hello and ask me any questions you may have. I hope that you will find GCRC a satisfying and personal experience.
	Nancy Stafford My name is Nancy Stafford. I started walking in 2007 after hearing about it from another mentor, Liz Corley. I knew I needed exercise but could never stick with a program. I started walking with this group and never stopped. I have now completed two half marathons. I have also gotten into cross training and recently completed my first bike ride. I did all this and I am in my mid 50's! If you ever have thought of training for a marathon but didn't think it was possible, please come join us. We will help you achieve your goal. Walkers ROCK!!
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