T E S T M O N I A L S

“What can I say but thank you, thank you, thank you. You turned a non-runner into a marathon runner. Your enthusiasm, dedication to your trainees and coaching expertise took us through the finish line.”

“Tammy and I had a great run this morning in the park. We did the 5.8 loop in the rain! I can't believe she's not really looking forward to her ski trip. See what you've done with your running group…you've gotten people to where they don't want to go on vacation!”

“I think the single greatest benefit of the joining the group for me has been that it's provided a means for me to push myself. That was always an issue with my running before – I would just go out and run a few miles by myself at 9, 10-min paces, and then I'd wonder why I couldn't get myself out of that rut. I totally surprised myself today. I ran a total of 4 miles in about 28 1/2 minutes, including a 1-minute walk break.”

“You made the training easier with water and snacks during our runs. Plus, you made it fun with all the "extras" after our runs. It was an unforgettable pleasure.”

“After all my work with you I can enjoy these marathons more and more and hurt less and less afterwards! Thanks for all of your guidance and support.”

“It is all I can feel, and it is the most wonderful feeling I can remember ever having. I bet you knew that already, but I wanted to make sure. It is huge. It is so huge I don't yet understand it, nor can I explain it. I wanted to make sure you knew and to thank you.”

“You and Brett are great coaches and the marathon group you have created is the only environment in which I could ever have felt safe enough to have done this. It is important to feel safe when taking on what seems at the beginning to be such a huge, terrifying risk. I remember how freaked out I was by the whole thing and that I thought about it tons for over a year before I got up the guts to do it. Now, it seems like cake.”

“Matt & Jill, Thank you for sticking with us and making a dream a reality. I made some great friends, got healthier and had one of the best times of my life. The party was a blast I can’t wait 'til we do it all again!”

“I can’t thank you enough for training me for my first marathon!! Never in my wildest dreams did I actually think it would become a reality. Obstacles are what you see when you take your eyes off your goal. You helped all of us focus on the marathon goal more clearly.”

“Matt, the love that you have for your work shines through you and the people you train. You have a great talent. Jill, the support you show your husband and the support you gave us all through the training was enough to let anybody know how much you’d sacrifice and care for the people around you. You two together are awesome.”

“Dear Matt, Thanks for working with Caroline. Bob and I appreciate the terrific care you take in her training. You have gained our trust and respect. Sincerely, Marlene Eskind Moses”

“If you weren't there to push us, we wouldn't be where we are today.”

“This training really is better than therapy if you let it be. You find out what you are made of, and what you aren't. You can discover your biggest fears and weaknesses, and do something about them because everything in life really is connected.”

“Just wanted to thank you both for doing such an awesome job! If I was on my own doing this I would have quit weeks or months ago. I have absolutely no doubt that I will run the marathon – I will enjoy myself – and I will do better than I originally expected!”

“I have to say, for an 18-miler, it didn't really seem as long as I thought it would. But the course had a lot to do with it, and the constantly-changing scenery was great”

“For the first time on a Saturday run I felt like I was running, not jogging, struggling, crawling, but running! The thing I did notice is that I recovered TONS faster and I actually enjoyed the running part instead of just being happy that I had survived it. And I am sure could have kept going. That is big, too.”

“How did I EVER train without this team concept?”

“I know we take a lot for granted but I just want to thank you again for all you do for us. The motivation, the e-mails, the advice, etc. It helps a great deal.”

“I learned how much I appreciate the water, gatorade and snacks that you provide during our training runs.”

“I was grinning for the last couple of miles – I just ran 21 miles. Holy cow. I felt great after the run too hanging out in the Kroger parking lot – no cramping at all I'm still on cloud 9. If I can feel this good during the marathon I might just get in under 4 hours.”

“Time fly’s whey you are having fun. You guys really do a great job with all the information and bringing everyone together. Since we are close to the end what is next? I would like to stay involved in some group training with you and find some new challenges for the future.”

“Thanks for all your help in the training. It was money well spent!”

“I heard you all had a lot of fun and saw some of the pictures from one of the group gatherings last year. I started this thing at 236 lb and am now down to 216 lb. I have not lost any strength and in fact my legs are much stronger even at the lighter weight. Diet is my big issue now. I have really never gotten serious about that part of the training. One step at a time so that is why I would like to stay involved in the next group training.”

“My entire goal in running this thing is still to finish and have fun. Anything under 4:30 and I will be happy. I have fallen in love with distance running like I didn't think possible and will definitely keep up the longer distances. That euphoric feeling I got around mile 20 Saturday is too awesome. I'm addicted. I want to do the best I can – and I think at that I will blow 4:30 out of the water. But I'm running for the right reasons this time – because I love it. And not because someone's making me! I'll definitely keep running after this is all over.”

“I only really started running again about a year ago. I did one of those run/walk plans where you start out running a minute or so alternated with walking a minute. I did the 10K in Franklin in September and started doing longer runs of about 8 miles before starting with you all in November. I can't believe that in less than 3 weeks from today I will have run a marathon. It may not seem like it from the look on my face at 6:59 on 4/28, but I'm loving every minute of it. I can't think of a better way to prepare for this run than with you and Brett and the whole group. This has been an awesome experience and I've truly surprised myself! Thanks for making that possible...and thanks for the encouragement!”

“Fabulous run yesterday!!!!! I felt great. I think that was the strongest I've felt on a run so far – I could have done the entire loop again. It was a great thing to remember back to when we did the 11.2 the first time and how much more difficult it was then. I was charged up the whole day and have no complaints recovery-wise. I think I might actually be ready for this race. Imagine that!”

"You deserve many THANK YOUS, but you deserve a bunch just for the time you have spent typing!!! All of the info that you have typed for us the past 6 months is incredible! I know we will be the most prepared marathoners at the race on Saturday.”