Pace Groups and Pacers

7-8 min/mi

Hey all you cool cats and kittens. I’m Kelly, I’ve been running with FRC for the last 3 years. I’ve ran 7 marathons and a couple of half’s. Before FRC, I ran, but never followed a plan. Thanks to the amazing people, coaches and plan at FRC, combined with lots of dedication, heart and hard work, I qualified for Boston at Ft Worth in 2018! This has been a lifelong goal of mine! This is the race I am currently training for, as long as COVID doesn’t mess it up again.

Two of my passions in life are running and helping people. I am SO excited to be your pacer this year. I can’t wait to run with you, push you, and see you achieve your amazing goals. I always try to find the positive in things! I’ll be your cheerleader every step of the way — even if I’m dying myself! My goal is to make training as fun as possible, while pushing all of us to our limits. My sense of direction is THE WORST! But we get the miles in and I haven’t lost anyone… yet. If you’re in my pacing group, please reach out to me! I can’t wait to meet you!

Cheers to an amazing season with even better people!

8-9 min/mi

Bob Parker

Hey I’m Bob and have been running for over 30 years, the last 4 with FRC.

I began running to get healthy and enjoyed it so much I’m still at it today. I’ve completed 17 marathons and countless half’s. I enjoy helping others, especially with running and hope to inspire others to a life of running! The FRC training and members of this group will help you to run further and faster than you thought you could, but only if you come out and join us! You’ll also find a lot of new friends along the way.

My goal races this year are Jack & Jills in July and Oklahoma City in October (both postponed from 2020). I’ll also plan to be at the 50th BMW Marathon in December.

I’m looking forward to another year of FRC Marathon training especially after the 2020 pandemic! This is a great group of people with all paces, lots of socializing and a lot of support. Running is about pushing yourself to go further and your only competition is also yourself! Run with us and find out what you are truly capable of.

Philip Smith

I started running 12 years ago and became part of the FRC family 6 years ago. I have been a pacer for this program for the past 4 years. I love the constant challenge of pushing your body to the limits to see what you can achieve. The best part of running is all of the friendships that you make. When you are able to share your goals, training, and accomplishments with other people it makes it that much more special and creates lifelong bonds! I have run 7 marathons and my goal race is Jack and Jill Marathon at the end of July. I look forward to helping you achieve your goals!

Steve Hadzima

I have been addicted to running for the past 20+ years having completed numerous marathons and half marathons. And with each run or race, I learn new things about myself, running, and friends. It’s been a great way to stay in shape, challenge myself, see new places, set new goals, and meet new people. My running philosophy: “Just get started, The rest will come.”. I have been associated with FRC for 8 years and I am certainly looking forward to this year’s training season and group. I hope to assist other runners and learn from them too.

Marissa Shaw Zoda

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9-10 min/mi

Mike Scott

I have been with FRC since 2011, joining up following my first 5K at the North Texas Turkey Trot. Throughout my running career, I helped coach, been coached and everything in between. I’ve run one full marathon (MCM 2012), numerous half marathons, 15/10/5K’s, and last season as a pacer of the 9-10 crew successfully got my sub-2 hour at The McKinney Half.

My running career is a bit of a rollercoaster… beginning with 5K 101 for my first 5K, joining FRC on a chance signup in their tent at the Turkey Trot and signing up for a “free training season” (I thought it was a scam, lol). From there, Hamlin immediately encouraged (read forced) me to sign-up for my first half marathon at Rock ‘n Roll Dallas in 2012 and then ran MCM later that year after a few dropouts made a spot available (was talked into running it since I was doing the miles already). It’s not difficult to sense a theme emerging with my racing career.

I’ve never considered myself great on race day, but I really enjoy helping pace others and if it means reaching my goals along the way, that’s a bonus. Run/walking with the awesome BOP (Back of the Packers) to my sub-2 and everything in-between has made me appreciate what running has done for me. All of the previous experiences have given me a unique perspective that I look forward to sharing with my fellow runners.

Kit Sy

Hello guys, I’m Kit Sy, I started running 2007 with Luke’s Locker group, trained for several half’s and pretty much enjoyed the camaraderie more than the training. Fast forward, 2015 I was training for 70.3 with Frisco Triathlon Club and joined Hamlin’s Tuesday Track and been running on and off with FRC.

I’m on my quest for the Six Majors (so far I got 3, with Boston as my 4th next year) and to shave more time off my PB without getting injured.

I’m excited and is looking forward to helping you reach your goal.

Kristin Gonzales-Vega

Hi guys!! I started running with my dad when I was about 12, ran middle distance in HS, and started distance training in 2009 with DRC. I paced for years for them and then took a few years off when my kiddos were tiny (4 and 7 now) I’ve paced half’s and fulls since I started and love the comrade and friendships that come from the hours spent chugging along together! I can’t wait to help people reach their goals and have you guys push me as well. Excited to be able to meet up with you all soon and virtually! Let me know whatever questions you have!

My goal race this year is the Dallas Marathon and to also get back under 2 hrs in a half along the way. Ran a 2:02 this past Dec so I’m right there! I’m also a RunDallas Ambassador for the Dallas Marathon

Wim Schalken

Hey all. I am Wim Schalken and started running more seriously (longer and faster) about 11 years ago and am absolutely loving it. My time with some of you goes back to the Luke’s Locker days as a participant and a coach. After lots of half marathons and a handfull full marathons I have learned that more cross training reduces my chance of injuries. I now alternate my running with swimming. I am also a field hockey coach and recently became an RRCA certified coach. I am looking forward to running with y’all.

10-11 min/mi

Jill Dinges

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Eric Sessums

What’s up y’all! Eric Sessums here. Most of my friends & family just call me E, even my wife… I started running in 2013 for health reasons, but the running community quickly became my biggest draw. I love to help people! I love running in groups! The more the merrier! One of my all-time favorite races is the Peachtree Road Race in Atlanta. It’s coined as the World’s largest 10 at 60k+ runners! I ran it in 2018. To date I’ve ran 20 half marathons, 37 races of various other distances, but never a full. (it’s coming) I am a medal junkie! I also am prone to challenge myself with things that are probably too hard for me, but I’m pretty stubborn. My mantra is “Consistency is key”. The only way to get better at something is to do it.

I joined FRC at the end of 2019 when I moved to TX. I did a full season of the FRC program in 2020 & PR’d my half marathon for the first time since 2014. So you could say I am drinking to Kool-Aid! And it’s delicious (because it works)! I’m a loyal member of the 5am Crew, Half Fanatics, & November Project.

I have 7 or 8 races on my schedule this year, but the one’s that stubborn me signed up for are Pikes Peak Ascent in Aug & Dallas Full in December.

Side note: I’ve been a drummer for 20+ years. Not really running related, but cool for post run shenanigans.

I’m super excited to be a 1^st year pacer for 10-11 group! So let’s have some fun and see what we can accomplish together!

11-13 min/mi

Minnie Quan

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Stacey Wilcox

Hi Everyone!

My name is Stacey, I am one of the 10-11min/mi pacers and I have been a member of FRC since 2017/2018. This is my first year as an official pacer for FRC and I am so excited to run with all of you.

I first started running back in 2015 as part of my training for my karate Blackbelt test. I have asthma, so running was a real challenge in the beginning, but I kept going and didn’t give up and I was eventually able to run/walk 2 miles without issues. After my test, I realized that I loved running and I craved more challenges, so I ran my first 5k in July, 2016. Since I didn’t die, I decided to run more races and eventually ran my first 10k (by accident) in 2017 and my first half-marathon in 2018.

My goal this year is to run the BMW Dallas Marathon, which will be my first full.

13-15 min/mi

Bobbi Grimes-Davis

My motto: “My race, my pace! I am only in competition with myself, so I always strive to be a better me than I was the day before.” I love to be of service to others, in all areas of life, and being a part of the running community helps me do that. I get the greatest pleasure from helping other reach their goals, and helping to celebrate the smaller goals on the way to the big achievement.

I am a wogger, and always did a race a year for many years, but when I had to be able to run a mile for my black belt test in karate, I figured I should probably get serious about this running thing. I am a proud back of the packer (because that is where the party is at!) and have run many distances for my races, from 5K to 3 full marathons during the pandemic, but my favorite distance is 13.1 (I am half crazy). I am always outside running, no matter the weather (unless there’s lightning), because I love the outdoors and you can always find me on one of the many trails in Plano earning a medal of some sort (because if I am going to run, I’m gonna earn some bling for it!).

My personal goals for 2021 are to run the year (2021+ miles) for the third year in a row, continue my intentional movement streak (3 years and counting!), finish my fourth full marathon at the Marine Corps Marathon in October, and make new friends along the way. This is my 3rd year as a pacer for our training program, and I’m looking forward to helping you reach your goals!

Jeanette Caballero-Bell

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Floaters

Nikki Drader

Hey FRC! I’ve been in the running game almost all of my life but didn’t take this running thing too seriously until after my son was born in late 2014.

I set my high school’s record in the 400m (it stood for a mere two years) but I can’t tell you what my time was because for the longest time I just ran because it was really fun. I didn’t care about paces at all. I once ran from New Jersey to Long Island with a car GPS… it died before I finished the trek and I was on my own from gas station to gas station until I made it over the GWB and 59th Street bridges, through Queens, and into familiar territory. So I have a great appreciation for those of you that are in this for the love of the sport. I share that with you on the deepest level.

I knew very little about running until I read Pam Reed’s book but from that moment on I wanted to know all there was to know about the sport. I don’t follow the pros too much but I’m obsessed with the physiology and finding out what it takes to perform at one’s absolute best.

I traded accounting services for free coaching services while in grad school to learn all I could about training. That is when Bill Leach put into my head that I had the talent to break 3 hours in the marathon. But that would have to wait until my career got off the ground and nearly 6 years later after a family and the foundation for my career in financial services, I began that journey to sub 3. With the help of a few coaches along the way, I worked my way down to a marathon of 2:54 at Houston in 2019 with a lot left in the tank.

I now train under James McKirdy of McKirdy Trained and am a founding member of Texas Iron Distance Project, who I train with most of the season. (If you are a female runner looking to chase big goals, whatever they may be, check us out @ www.texasirondistanceproject.com)

On my own quest to qualify for the Olympic Trials I’ve been battling injury on and off for nearly 18 months. (Hopefully that’s all sorted now

). But that setback has been what led me to all of you!!

Now I get to bring years of apprenticeship and self study to help each of you find new limits of your own.

So as we officially begin the training program today I ask you to internalize just one thing:

Believe in your ability to be more than you’ve been.

Because…

“If you think you can you are right

If you think you can’t (even if you say you can) you are right”.

Have a great first week of training and I look forward to seeing you soon!

Marc Genzberger

Hello my name is Marc and I have been a part of FRC almost from the beginning with Hamlin Jones and Morten Lileng. Great group of people to run and train with. Lots of interesting personalities and fun people. Look forward to helping everyone achieve their goals.

Hamlin Jones

This years motto is “You’re faster than you think and stronger than you know.”

I’ve been running since 2005 when I ran my first 5K. My first 5 mile run was during soccer tryout at Texas Tech in ‘89.

I don’t have a favorite distance but I do enjoy the longer slower miles associated with ultra marathons and half Ironmans.

Why do I run? Not sure I can answer that one on the couch. Running sometimes gives me clarity and allows me to think through daily opportunities that arise and future decisions that need my attention. And to stay healthy since I’m pushing half a century.

I have been coaching since 2007 and began with Luke’s Locker in Plano as their Advanced Training Coach. In 2009 I created the FRC and have been the Programs Coordinator. My goal is always to push you to be the best athlete you can be…physically and mentally.

I have two running related facts. One, I ran from Plano to the White Rock Marathon and then ran the marathon. Two, I ran from Dallas to Ft Worth. Ok, one more…I have run a barefoot marathon.

Remember, everything is relative…distance too.

Morten Lileng

Hi, I’m Morten and I joined FRC in 2012. Over the years I have completed many full and half marathons, a few ultra marathons and some shorter races too. I enjoy trail marathons the most.

While the running is important for me personally, I really enjoy helping others to achieve whatever their goals are. This is why I became an RRCA certified running coach.

You have all taken the step to a happier and healthier lifestyle by joining the FRC program. You will also see that the friendships you develop here are likely to become some of the most meaningful. Mine certainly have.

Happy running!

Jason Reasor

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