USA Fit Cypress :: Marathon and Half Marathon Training Programs

USA Fit Cypress Coaches

Green	Yellow	Red	Half-Marathon
Click on a color group above to see the list of coaches for that group.

About the Organizer
	Robynne Parry info@usafitcypress.com Like most of you, I began running while in high school as part of my sports "punishment". For the next (not to date myself here) several years, I did not run. In fact, I would do anything else but run. Aerobics, stair master, the art of the couch potato. Then, on a first date (with the man that would become my husband) we embarked on a 5 mile run...I made it half a mile before sitting down and complaining about shin splints and my complete inability to breath. With time and dedication, I ran my first 5k, then 10k. Then, why not try a half next? Nowadays, I run 2 marathons a year. Mainly as an excuse to run alongside my crazy running friends every Saturday morning on or off season. I have coached marathoners for several years, before becoming an organizer of USAFIT. I found my home here amongst this great group of coaches and other organizers all over the USA. Your USAFIT Cypress Coaches are truly wonderful. Our coaches will be your mentors and your guides as you blaze new trails. Run or Walk - you have become a member of the Elite "Been There, Done That" world of marathoners. Welcome and happy running. See you on the trails.
Green Group
	David Robinson d1robinson@sbcglobal.net Head Coach FALL MARATHON PROGRAM HEAD COACH I started running as part of the Track and Cross Country teams back in high school. I ran my first half marathon while in high school. It hurt so bad I promised I would never run that far again. I have since reneged on that promise to myself to complete 9 marathons and 3 100 milers. I have run a marathon personal best of 2 hours 38 minutes and twice run 100 miles in under 24 hours. As life goes while trying to balance a career and family I found myself running solo. I'm excited to be involved in the USA Fit program. The structured workouts are an integral part to marathon success. The comradery of the Saturday runs helps us to commit and push one another to reach one's personal marathon goal. Go Green!
	Rick Aukstikalnis rickauk@sbcglobal.net Head Coach HOUSTON MARATHON - WINTER PROGRAM HEAD COACH Well, what got me into running? It was my older brother Tony. He got me started into running in high school and that led to a scholarship at the University of Houston for cross country and track. If you would have asked me in college if I would ever race a marathon. I would have said "No way! Those guys are crazy!" And after my college days were over, I stopped running. I figured I was active enough to stay in shape. I worked a lot of hours on my feet and didn't have time to run. I was healthy and ate well. I had a lot of excuses too. So what generated my interest in running again? It was my brother Tony. We started out running a mile each day (it felt like a lot more). When we finally ran 3 miles, we thought we were going to die. Then Tony asked about running marathons when we were able to run 5 miles. Our new goal was set. I searched the internet to find running groups in Cypress and happened luckily on USA Fit Cypress. With the structured training program and fellowship of the group, I was able build up the base and endurance needed to run a marathon. The feeling of accomplishment is incredible when you run your first marathon. The USA Fit training program is a great system for the beginning runner to the more experienced. By following the program, I have completed four marathons and my fifth will be Boston 2010. Now I'm one of those "crazy guys" who runs marathons.
	Eric Underwood eric.underwood@me.com Assistant Coach FALL MARATHON PROGRAM ASSISTANT COACH I am really excited to be joining the coaching staff at Cypress Fit. The motivation you get from running with others and working to achieve mutual goals together is what will help you find success in this program. Most of my "cardiovascular" experience comes from cycling and Spinning. I have been riding outside - both mountain biking and road biking - for over 18 years, and have been a Johnny G and Keiser Certified Indoor Cycling Instructor for almost 6 years. I have completed the MS150 Houston to Austin bike ride 10 times, and do several other cycling events in the area. After adding running to my training, I have entered into several duathlon races. My running "resume" is not that extensive - I have run a few half-marathons and longer races - 25-30K, and several 5K and 10K races over the last 3 years. Once I had made the decision to run a marathon, it seemed liked everything changed - my workouts seemed harder, and I told myself once I finished it that I would never do it again more times than I can count. When I stepped up to the start line at the Chevron Houston marathon this year, I was still telling myself "You have to finish this because you said you would do it, but once you're done, you're DONE". At the finish, it was a completely different story - and now I am planning to do San Antonio, Houston and Austin this winter. I strongly believe that cross-training can help you become a more efficient runner and can help maximize your efforts. I hope to see you out on the running trail - and maybe for a ride afterwards!
	Jackie Connelly runnermomjackie@aol.com Assistant Coach WINTER PROGRAM ASSISTANT COACH I have been a runner all my life, starting with the 50 yard dash in 1st grade to the 800 and mile in Middle School to the mile and 2 mile in High School to the 5K and 10K in College. Collegiate running is what brought me from Kansas City to Houston to run for U of H (go Coogs!). After 4 years of running 70-90 miles a week, I took an extended break from running! After about 15 years off, I took it up again, relishing in the joy of running that I missed. I trained very slowly with low mileage for a couple of years before I got up the nerve to start racing, and then got talked into training and running a marathon in 2003. Since then I've been hooked! I have run 11 marathons - 5 Houstons, 2 Bostons, 2 Austins, 1 New York, and 1 San Diego - with my husband of 24 years always out there cheering me on! Of my 3 kids, ages 14, 16, and 19, none have the passion (yet!) for running that I have, but they are my biggest fans! I look forward to sharing any running knowledge I have with Cypress Fit and building camaraderie as runners always do. Rock on!
Yellow Group
	Ava Veselis a_veselis@yahoo.com Head Coach FALL MARATHON PROGRAM HEAD COACH My first race was when I was 12 years old at a middle school track meet. I ran 100 m and seriously thought that was the longest distance imaginable! I continued to run track and cross country in high school, and I remember complaining to my coach when he wanted us to run a whole 2 miles at practice. Over the years, however, running became a way to spend time with friends, to work off those late night pizzas in college, to get through final exams, to fit into the perfect wedding dress, to hang out with my husband, to lose the baby weight in other words, it became a way of life. And eventually, I discovered that those longer distances (like 26.2 miles) weren't so bad after all! In fact, I now look forward to them. I am excited to be a part of the Cypress Fit team and this Fall's running group. Most of all, though, I am excited to share a love of this sport with other runners, old and new.
	Patrick Timmons patrick.timmons@mustangeng.com Head Coach WINTER MARATHON PROGRAM HEAD COACH I grew up playing a variety of sports, but by the time I got to high school, I began focusing on basketball and running sprints/hurdles in track. I have always enjoyed running; however, I preferred not to run more than one lap at a time :)! After graduating from college, I began searching for a way to stay active, as well as a way to satisfy my competitive tendencies. I quickly stumbled into the world of triathlons, and was able to train for and complete my first tri last year. I truly enjoyed the whole experience, but I realized that I needed to find a way to train smarter, NOT HARDER! I began looking around for a group that could help me with this, specifically the running aspect. One day, when I least expected it, I discovered that there was a great group here in Cypress that could help me! I immediately decided to put tris on hold, signed up for the USA Fit program and began training for the 2010 Houston Marathon. It turned out to be an absolutely amazing experience both the training and the marathon. Cypress Fit undoubtedly helped me to achieve my goals, thanks to a great program, and a great group environment! Hope to see you soon!
	Sally Torrez sjtorrez_77429@yahoo.com Assistant Coach WINTER MARATHON PROGRAM ASSISTANT COACH> I was asked the question, " why do I run". My answer to that is " I run to eat". I started running long distances when I went to New Mexico State Univ. in 79. I was like Forrest Gump, I'd pick a road &, run it to see if I could make it there and back. I have always been a runner, I ran when I was pregnant and at my 6th month, I cross trained with water aerobics. When the babies were here, I bought a jogger stroller and took them with me. When we moved to Houston in 97, I expanded my horizons and decided to train for a marathon with the Houston Fit @ Cypresswood YMCA. My time was 4:06. I ran one every year up to 2005. I haven't run another marathon since. Now, I run half marathons. I ran the 2010 Houston half marathon 1:57 and the Angies Crazy Half in April 2:07, not too bad for an old lady who had major surgery in January. Running is my therapy, I do this for me, its my time and it keeps me young at heart, healthy and most important SANE!
	Stacie Nue skneu1@yahoo.com Assistant Coach FALL MARATHON PROGRAM ASSISTANT COACH
Red Group
	Julie Swoboda swoboda.julie@gmail.com Head Coach HOUSTON MARATHON - WINTER PROGRAM HEAD COACH I started running consistently in 2003 to try to shed a few pounds I packed on in college. By no intention of my own, I ended up training for a marathon! My running partner was training for Paris 2004 and said if I was running all the miles, I should just sign up and go along. So with Paris in sight, I got serious. I joined Houston Fit and made the long drive on Saturday mornings to Memorial Park. It was totally worth it! I discovered the joy and support of running with an organized group. In 2004 I ran Paris and Chicago. My next goal was to run one at home, Houston. Fast forward through getting married and having 2 babies close together and this is where you find me. I still love to run with others even though I faltered in hitting the road consistently as life got a little busier than expected. I was so excited last year to find out about Cypress Fit! I cannot wait for this training season to begin! I am an encourager and celebrate small victories along the road. This year for me is about putting on another finisher medal and loving every mile of the journey.
	Mary Lee Mims mlmims@comcast.net Head Coach WINTER MARATHON PROGRAM HEAD COACH I started long distance running at 39 years old, so I blame it all on a mid-life crisis! I haven't stopped since then, and, 11 years later I have completed 6 Houston Marathons and too many half marathons to count. All it takes is a "can-do" attitude, Cypress Fit and acclimation to Houston heat!
	Betty Gu betty020210@gmail.com Assistant Coach WINTER TRAINING PROGRAM ASSISTANT COACH I start running about four years ago when a friend of mine finally talked me into joining a gym. For the first few weeks, I felt a bit overwhelmed. I had not been doing any exercise for as long as I can remember so all the group exercises seemed challenging to me, let alone those intimidating weight machines. One day, I found a 30-day couch to 5k program on a magazine, which looked like a perfect plan for me. It starts with running 1 minute, walking 2 minutes and repeats for 10 times. By the end of the 30 day, you should be able to run 5k without stopping. So I gave it a try. It turned out it wasn�t as easy as I thought. But I did not give up. It took me almost two months before I finally finished that program. I still remember how proud I was when I told my friends that I ran 5k for the first time in my life. Even since then, running has become part of my life. I trained with HoustonFit in both 2008 and 2009, and really loved being part of a running group. The detailed and diversified weekly schedule not only improved my running but also made it more fun and challenging. And there are so much more, the support and encouragement from the coaches, the seminars after the run, the water stations along the routes, the conversations with my running friends � Without all these, I don�t think I can finish my first marathon in January this year. I had such a good time during the race that I look forward to running more marathons in the future. So come out and join us for a run. Who knows, you may fall in love with running too.
	Jaye Cremer jayecremer@yahoo.com Assistant Coach WINTER PROGRAM ASSISTANT COACH I started running in Jr. High. I was a "distance runner" - cross country and track all 2 miles (3 when I went to High School.) I was a middle of the pack runner - never really winning my events, but I stuck with it because I loved running and I loved the bus rides to the track meets!! After High School, I stopped running and started cycling with some of the members of the SWT mountain bike team. I rode a few collegiate races - but was really slow. After college, I ran, mountain biked and rode my road bike off and on but never competitively again until 3 years ago. After my youngest turned 4, I turned to exercise to get rid of the 40 pounds I had slowly packed on during two pregnancies and 10 years. I started back on the treadmill, very quickly got bored with that and tried adventure racing - two Muddy Buddy races and one Big Chill adventure race later - I am hooked. I'll hit a pretty significant birthday in 2011 and can't wait to turn 40 knowing I've come into my stride!
Half-Marathon Group
	Christyna Beaty auchristyna@msn.com Head Coach FALL HALF-MARATHON PROGRAM HEAD COACH My long distance running addiction began in 2007 when a neighbor asked if I was interested in running the Marine Core Marathon and I agreed to the challenge. The most I ever ran was 3 miles and always considered myself to have zero athletic ability. Needlesstosay, my desire to run a marathon was quite a shock to my family and friends. Since I had no experience in long-distance running, I joined Houston Fit's fall marathon program. It was difficult to get up early Saturday mornings and drive 30 minutes to downtown, but I gained the best experience learning from guest speakers and other runners in the group. The planned routes, water stations, and friends who held me accountable and encourage me was the motivation I needed. In 2008, I was thrilled to hear that Cypress was going to have its own USA Fit program and I quickly registered. To my surprise I found out I was pregnant only a few weeks into the program and had to delay my training with Cypress Fit until July 2009. Since January 2010, I have ran 3 half-marathons and will run my 2nd full marathon in April 2010. I look forward to meeting new people and to help motivate/encourage everyone to finish! Most importantly, let's have fun!
	Rose Jackson roseyj100@gmail.com Head Coach WINTER MARATHON PROGRAM HEAD COACH Running has always been a part of my life. I ran cross country and track in high school and used running to beat the stress of university and being a wife and mom. My family also likes me more when I'm running! I was a member of Champions FIT a few years back but my training was always interrupted by pregnancy, injuries or illness. I was determined to complete a marathon though and at some point I got a crazy idea that I had to complete 3 marathons before I turned 30. It's a great plan when you're 25 or even 27 but I started training seriously when I was 29. My first marathon was Disney in January 2008. Less then three months later I did my second full in Dallas. My last one was in July in Calgary. I got all three done with days to spare! I am now on a quest to complete 40 half-marathons before I turn 40. I like having a fun goal to work towards and enjoy traveling to different places for races. Even more than that, I love meeting new people and watching brand new runners achieve their dreams. As a first-time coach for Cypress FIT, I am excited to be able to encourage and celebrate everyone's success!
	Julie Bonner jandjbonner@aol.com Assistant Coach FALL MARATHON PROGRAM ASSISTANT COACH I can remember the day I said I am going to run a marathon someday. I was 18 years-old and on active duty in the Army and our dental unit was asked to set up a water station at the beautiful Big Sur Marathon in California. The bad thing was that running in formation in the Army made running harder for me (and not much fun) so when I left the Army I said, I won't run again unless I am being chased! It would be 15 years later in 2003 that I was finally chased (by that dream to run a marathon) and I started running 5ks. In 2009 I decided it was time to try a full marathon so I joined USA Fit-Cypress and that was the BEST thing I could do to foster of my love for running. I have now run 2 full marathons and at least one half-marathon every month since my first one in October 2009 and simply love it. I have run in 4 different states and seen some beautiful things thanks to running. I would love to be able to run a half every month for the rest of my life. I firmly believe anyone can complete a half-marathon and I want to do anything I can to help you. Whether you are first or last you are so much better off than those who stayed in bed! Happy running!