“I ran the second-fastest half-marathon of my life two weeks ago (1:56:38). My fastest half marathon was when I was 29, and now I’m 43, so it feels pretty great to be running almost as fast as I was that many years ago. Definitely wouldn’t be running this well without Heidi’s help.” – Sara Armbruster, Grand Rapids, MI
“I just wanted to let you know my results from the marathon this past Saturday. I ended up running a 3:00:11 which is over an 11 minute PR! I was able to even split the race with my half being 1:29:45. I passed about 45 people from mile 19 to the finish. I have never felt so strong in a marathon before, it was an awesome race for me! Thank you so much for all of your help!” – Kristin Garcia, Fort Worth, TX
“I just wanted to send an email to the staff to let everyone know how grateful I am to be working with Alvina. In 5 months, in fact, I’d actually say I’ve only had one bad workout and that’s when it was 93 and 95% Humidity. I’ve been training for the Philly Marathon in November later this year and never really tackled running in quite this way before. She’s a great coach and because of her, I’ve seen my abilities sky rocket.” – James McKirdy, New Britain, CT
“Needless to say, I am one happy girl! Thanks to the JD Training Plan, I beat my previous half marathon PR by about 9 minutes (1:34:47). Thank you again for your help and I have already recommended this program to my family and friends!” – Katherine McClain, Louisville, KY
“I felt great and am really happy with how the race went. Actually I felt too good. I felt like I had 30 miles left in me when I finished and I feel fine and not as sore as I usually am.” – Brian Beerman, Pittsburgh, PA
“I came in at 4:08:47, so I met my goal, and set a PR! My legs felt great afterward, with only the slightest tinge of soreness. Even after driving home for 5 hours, I felt fine getting out of the car, which surprised me. This morning, all I feel is a slight soreness in he quads. I had never felt so “normal” after any of my previous 9 marathons.” – Eliot Liebowitz, Middle Island, NY
“First of all I want to thank you!!! Ann and Run S.M.A.R.T. Project did an excellent job helping me to improve my personal record in about 1 minute per mile from my last marathon one year ago, Ann help me to have a successful and personalized interesting training, and the result was a very satisfactory marathon running were I always felt strong from the beginning until the end. Thanks again.” – Alessandro Arrone, Costa Rica
“All to many times, the focus is on the runners after a great race, but today I have to send so much praise, admiration and thanks to my unbelievable coach, Ann Alyanak. It is because of you that I have had such a great year and more importantly, the best marathon for me yet. You have helped me through every obstacle and have been my side, through setbacks and injuries for an entire year.
Thank you Ann for being the greatest coach anyone could ask for, and more importantly, thank you for being such a great fan and friend. I never could have raced this marathon the way I did without your guidance, support, and expertise. I am eternally grateful to you and to Run SMART for teaming me up with you!. Here’s to many more races to come! You are the best!” – Maria Lauretani, Pelham, NY
“I beat my goal time! I ran 1:36:51, 7:24 pace. I placed 24th overall, 20th male, and 7th in age division. The plan rocks, I haven’t run like this for 20 years.” – Rich Myers, Mesa, AZ
“I wanted to let you know that after having the NYC marathon cancelled I traveled down to Richmond and ran their marathon yesterday. I took 5 minutes off of my time from last year in Chicago (3:47:55) and have a new PR. I finished in 3:42:29 so another Boston qualifier for me!” – Janet Williams, Pelham, NY
“Rod Koborsi has been training me since the first part of May, and in my third attempt at a four hour marathon (the first two unsucessful) he helped me to a 10 minute PR and my first under four hour marathon. He gave me great instruction and pre race preparation. I can also say the advice he gave me helped me get a negative split as well as a strong last 6.2. Thanks to you guys at Run Smart and especially to Rod for his expert instruction.
By the way, it didn’t hurt my confidence when I was looking through the marathon guide just to see that he was one of the previous 8K winners at that race weekend a few years back.” – Chad Campbell, Powell, TN
“Thank you Run S.M.A.R.T.! I started following your marathon training plan in July. Since that time I have set PR’s in almost every distance! My new half marathon time is 1:28 and this past weekend I ran a 3:11 marathon. I will definitely be using Run S.M.A.R.T. again as I train for Boston!” – Tia Stone, Searcy, AK
“3:24:03 today, a PR by almost 5 minutes. The course was pretty hilly and despite good pacing, my pace slipped each mile for the last 5 but no implosion. I did 725s for 18-21 but started to fade on 22. Had a trained for this course results would be better. I am a promoter of you and couldnt have done this without you. Many thanks…I’ll be enlisting again!” – Jack Kennedy, Simsbury, CT
“Thanks to a great training plan set up by Vince Sherry, I was able to qualify for Boston today by running a 3:27:33 marathon!! That’s a PR by 34 mins:)” – Tricky Tanksley, Gales Ferry, CT
“I am thrilled as I ran a PR by 5 mins and broke through the 3hr mark. The plan you put together worked well…particularly I felt the workouts in the plan prepped me well. Thank you so much for your support and helping me achieve a personal goal.” – George Oliver, Hopedale, MA
“I love you guys. I got a 20-minute PR and finished in 3:32:34 (8:05 pace). More importantly, I felt strong the entire race and the hills at the end were “manageable”. Next, you guys are going to get me to Boston. Just 8 little minutes to go.” – George Paul, Fairfax, VA
“Despite being nervous and feeling unprepared due to not having done a run over 18 miles, I best last years time by 6 minutes and felt AMAZING for all 26.2 miles. People kept telling me how awesome I looked at mile 24 and at the finish. Maybe I left a little on the course but I am still so happy with my performance. Your training worked magic!” – Melissa McLane, Washington, DC
“Thanks to my customized Run S.M.A.R.T. Project training plan, I set a PR at this year’s Chicago Marathon with a time of 3:33:57. This beats both my two previous marathon times of 3:57:12 (October, 2011) and 3:45:25 (February, 2012). I also set a new Half-Marathon PR of 1:40:06 (September, 2012), beating my previous best of 1:43:03 (April, 2012).” – Michael Gibson, Glen Ellyn, IL
“Thanks for getting me in such great shape. When it came time to toe the line I was full of confidence.” – Danny Tateo, Armonk, NY
“I did the 5k yesterday and it went very well. I clocked 20:29, almost my 12 week training plan goal time (which you guys set at 20:27). Damn you guys are good! 😉 This is the 5th year in a row that I’ve done this and I knocked off 23 seconds from last year. Yippee!!” – Lisa Klasman, Hollis, NH
“Finally broke 1 hour! Thanks to your plan, was able to complete 10K in 56:37!!! I’ve been running this same 10K for the last 4 years now, and starting at 1:09, then always finishing close to 1 hour, FINALLY broke the 1 hour, truly, thanks to your plan. Thanks again for your plan it has worked great for me, although challenging, I’ve been able to get to almost all of the daily workouts, (except 2 so far since I started), I feel stronger, and I’m not trying to power through stress injuries, your PLANS WORK!” – Michael Hofstetter, Plattsville, Ontario
“Throughout my 15 week training program, I PR’d in a 10K, half marathon and marathon. It was an awesome experience and I look forward to working with you guys again.” – Chris Bernier, Waterbury Center, VT
“I can’t tell you how much I love this training program. When I started running, I had no idea what to do to get faster. I dropped 20 minutes from my PR at the Yuengling Half Marathon in March. Vince has been the greatest, always there with support and to answer my sometimes silly questions. Super excited to finish my first marathon!!!!” – Karin Getz, Pittston, PA
“I have been following my Jack Daniels Training Plan & I’m loving this training. I actually look forward to the harder workouts. I have been preparing for the Grandma’s Marathon in June & I ran the County Music Half-Marathon in Nashville last weekend as part of my training. Although the course was hilly, I got a PR of 1:38.17! I give all the credit to those threshold/interval/rep days! So happy to know my training is working & ready to PR in the marathon! – Tish Pace, Searcy, AR
“I never had been able to break 2mintues in the 800 before. I went 1:58. I never broke 58 in the 400… I went 53 this season! I lowered my 2 mile time to 9:13 a 5 second Pr! I want to thank you for your plan that you sent me, it helped me get back and get better after a two years of running very poorly.” – Nicholas Meeson, Bowling Green, OH
“I am following my Jack Daniels Training Plan to the second to train for Grandma’s Marathon June 16 (goal 3:35). I ran Dallas Rock & Roll Half yesterday in warm weather and had a 2 minute PR running 1:38:57 (the plan predicted a 1:39:45 by week 9). Of course I’m ecstatic and wanted to let you know how well the plan is working!” – Danielle Duhon, McKinney, TX
“I really appreciated your training plan: I ran more miles on back to back days then I have ever run but stayed healthier than I ever have during a marathon training cycle.” – Jason Klaitman, Durham, NC
“I attended last summer’s Run SMART Retreat and was hooked when I heard Dr. Jack Daniels talk about the specific purpose and benefits for every type of training. Brian has helped me to achieve a mile PR, and based on training workouts, I expect there will be more PR’s in upcoming races. I’m grateful for Brian’s coaching and wouldn’t have pushed myself to do these kinds of workouts on my own. The coaching has been outstanding and highly personalized on subjects ranging from workout strategy and pace to ankle stretches, core, shoes, and recovery diet. Run SMART is a great group of coaches with amazing knowledge and professionalism.” – David Braunstein, Mountain View, CA
“Thanks for the training plan! I finished the marathon in 3:47:40 beating my goal of 4:00. I was worried the training plan was too easy but I kept the faith and it turned out great.” – JP Bonn, Flagstaff, AZ
“Alicia Shay is one of the most compassionate and caring people I have ever “virtually” met. Alicia’s fund of nutritional knowledge is second to none. Further, as a medical student, I can vouch that Alicia’s proficiency in physiology and disease mechanisms match that of a medical student…and sometime even surpass that! With Alicia’s help I was able to not only improve my running performance (PRs in the half marathon by 2 min and 10K by 2 min), but also able to achieve sustained energy levels, which is important with my busy lifestyle. Alicia was always encouraging and her recommendations were never overwhelming.” – Meggie Smith, New York, NY
“Don’t know if this has ever happened in your coaching career, but I nailed your prescribed target time for Chicago to the second. Pretty crazy. Gotta say, I didn’t think it was possible. I’m now a true believer in Run SMART Project methodology. I’ll be back for my next race!” – Josh Weinrobe, Atlanta, GA
“Wow, I have now been running more consistently then I have in 30+ years of running. I used to last for about 5 months and then an injury would set me back again. Now I am just getting better all of the time. My race times have been dropping steadily since I have been with Rod, and he is always there when I have a question, not to mention that he is always checking on me. I am really excited to see how much time I can keep dropping. On September 17th, 2011, I won a local 5K against 478 other runners!” – Scott Mersiowsky, Fredericksburg, VA
“I want to tell one more time how happy I am with this training plan. In addition to running faster than I ever have, I think this is also the longest period of injury-free running I’ve ever had.” – Sumner Smith, Asheville, NC
“Thank you for a great “Kick in Butt” track workout today! Nothing like intervals to remind you that it is possible to run like you did in High School at age 43!” – Hayley Long, Oxford, AL
“I PR’d! 1:57:30. My first half marathon under 2 hours. My previous was 2:04 and my best at past Garry Bjorklund’s had been 2:10. Thanks for all your help! I’ll be signing up for the marathon training next week.” – Sarah Claire Ahlers, Minneapolis, MN
“I love Alicia’s approach of providing weekly plans that keep in mind my goals and my time schedule. She is always encouraging and I have the plans to keep me pushing toward goals every day. She is sensitive to the fact that I am not tremendously fit (but I’m getting better!), and she still challenges me. She was with me through an injury (I tripped on a root and got what I called an HBI – Ham Butt Injury), through pneumonia, and last, through bronchitis in April. Now that I have been well for a while, I am amazed at my progress. Her training plans really work and I have learned SO much.” – Casey Kovacic, Bloomington, MN
“Thanks to my Run SMART Training Plan I finished in 3:36:29, a PR by three minutes. It is the best I’ve ever felt during a marathon. The sufferfest didn’t start until mile 23 when I got the lead legs, but until then I was feeling no pain. It was awesome! I took a very conservative approach for the first 20 miles, and it paid off. Thanks again. I’ll be purchasing my next plan soon.” – Kimberly Bogin, Denver, CO
“A couple of months ago I signed up for a nutrition consultation. I am so glad that I did! Alicia has been great and has REALLY helped me revamp my nutrition. All of her information was so detailed and her recommendations were easy to follow. Everything from choosing a good vitamin to how to fuel my runs and most importantly how to properly nourish my body in everyday life. I am very grateful to Alicia Shay for helping me make positive changes to assist in reaching my goals.” – Bernice Brown, Chicago, IL
“Alicia has been my very first ‘training’ partner, being there with me everyday the past four months (943 miles away), like a guardian angel on my shoulder during my runs. The oddity of pairing one of the world’s fastest long distance runners with one of the world’s slowest has been a humbling experience for me. Alicia has given so generously in developing a training & nutrition plan to fit my fitness level and to help me achieve my personal fitness goals. She treated me with the same respect as a top coach would give to an elite athlete.” – Jane Svehlak, Fort Worth, TX
“Courtesy of Vince, I’ve enjoyed a giddy three years of PR after PR as a newbie masters runner. I was initially skeptical about remote coaching (don’t coaches stand at the finish line with a stopwatch?). The secret is that Vince and I have forged a partnership built on trust. Each knows that the other will give his best because we love what we’re doing. It’s priceless to be able to approach an intimidating workout or race goal with the knowledge that Vince feels I’m ready to tackle it.” – Everett Hill, Atlanta, GA
“Working with Dan has been a pleasure because he’s not only a good coach, but he has a great sense of humor, excellent experience, and brilliant stories that help me put what I’m experiencing into perspective. The workouts he gives me have made me substantially stronger and I’m confident that I’ll only get faster as we continue to work together. I’m extremely happy for the opportunity to work with Dan and feel every serious runner deserves to work with a coach like him.” – Owen Kendall, Brooklyn, NY
“Mike Smith makes it impossible to feel anything but excited about training. His devotion, knowledge, sense of humor, and talent as a coach has instilled a kind of confidence I never knew I possessed. While I’ve done nothing but reach every goal and set new personal records at every turn since Mike took me under his wing, I don’t measure our success in all of those tangible numbers. The experience has been far more than that—he’s taught me how to weather the ups and downs, rediscover the joy in running, and keep a smile on my face through it all.” – Erin Strout, Flagstaff, AZ
“Vince believes in me more than I believe in myself. He has brought running back to me, which is something I can never thank him enough for. I have learned to push myself once again. I am shocked at what I have been able to achieve in the last year being 100% healthy and I have learned more than I ever imagined I could through the example Vince sets for everyone he coaches. Wherever we are going, I know I can get there with Vince’s leadership. He is an amazing coach with the perfect amount of motivation, flexibility, and levelheadedness. He always sees the long term picture and his knowledge of the sport is unmatched!” – Michelle LaSala, Sacramento, CA
“Blake helped me find the key to getting faster, stronger, more self-confident and personally satisfied with my running ability. He was patient, listened to my needs and was the key to my running improvement. Blake showed a high degree of personal commitment to my success. He took the time to alter my workouts to meet the demands of my busy life BUT he never backed off of the hard stuff. More than once Blake gave me workouts that I didn’t think I could do but he knew I could do. Then when I was in doubt he always found a way to give me that extra mental boost I needed to keep me working hard even when I was fighting for air.” -Jennifer Johnston, Issaqua, WA
“I signed up with The Run Smart Project and coach Brian Rosetti after 15 years of masters competition. I thought I had more potential but just couldn’t bring it out just by following the training schedules available to me in books and online. I needed a more personal approach. That is exactly what I got with The Run Smart Project. In the first year of training I had huge PR’s in the 800m, 1500m, mile, and 5k. I don’t believe you can reach your potential without personalized coaching. The coaches at Run Smart are elite runners and I was impressed with their professionalism, experience, and knowledge. I look forward to working with them again in the future.” –Jeff Weatherhead, Granby, Connecticut
“One of the most beneficial aspects of the personalized training program I followed was only seeing my workouts for the current week. I was able to focus on each individual workout, without thinking ahead and dreading four long runs over the course of the next month. This definitely kept me mentally fresh and enthusiastic about my workouts each day, rather than stressing the entire 16 week program I followed. I would highly recommend any marathoner to follow a similar program and highly recommend The Run S.M.A.R.T Project to anyone thinking about training for a marathon.” –Joe Kenny Swift, New York, NY
“I’m happy to say that my running has turned around since I read the May Article in Running Times on Dr. Jack Daniels, “A Coach for Hire.” I quickly contacted The Run SMART Project afterward. That contact has changed my running especially as I’m approaching 40 and thinking that its coming to an end. Well, I’m glad to say that under Dr. Daniels I have achieved personal bests for 5miles, 4 miles, 10k, 1/2 marathon and now the marathon! This has allowed me to really focus and train knowing that there’s more left in the tank. My 2:22 in the Chicago Marathon has put me on the pre-selected Puerto Rican National Team for the Central American & Caribbean Games ( Mayaguez2010.com)!” –Hector Rivera, New York, NY
“For the past 6 months I have had the pleasure of working with Jack Daniels and The Run Smart Project. I signed up cause I wanted to be challenged in new and different ways. I had coached myself for the past two years and saw some progress but needed extra accountability and motivation as I moved up to the marathon distance.
I was very familiar with Daniels’ training system going in, but I have been pleasantly surprised at how challenging but doable the workouts are. I live a busy life coaching at NCAA Division I level and Jack was able to design my training around my schedule. Plus having the world’s greatest coach just an email away is amazing! I recommend The Run SMART Project for runners of all ability levels who are looking to maximize their running experience.” –Tim Bradley, St. Louis, MO
“After being a competitive collegiate runner in the 1990’s, I attempted trying to coach myself. I felt that I was not having much success due to the limited time I have because of family and work. With the help of Run SMART coach Blake Boldon, I have started to see times and results that I would have never achieved on my own. He put together a systematic and progressive plan that works with my life schedule and I am grateful!” –Cody Hill, Boulder, CO
“The Run S.M.A.R.T. Project helped me to successfully accomplish my goals of running the Boston and Chicago Marathons! The coaching was personalized to fit my busy travel schedule and provided week by week motivation to make the training great fun! The coaches at The Run SMART Project are truly the BEST!” –Nicki Hines, Chicago, IL
“Mike Smith, my running coach from The Run Smart Project, has changed running for me completely. Before stumbling across The Run Smart Project in Running Times magazine, I was growing frustrated with my lack of improvement. Despite trying a number of different programs outlined in books, magazines etc., my times weren’t getting better. With The Run Smart Project, I have a world-class athlete with deep experience in successful distance running devising a customized plan for me each week. In addition, Mike is always accessible to me to answer questions about anything (shoes, nutrition, what to eat before/during a race, stretching, etc.) Working with Mike has improved my motivation, training consistency and performance dramatically (in less than 9 months). By sticking to Mike’s plan, my times continue to come down, and my level of excitement about running goes up. I can’t sing the praises of this program enough. Before connecting with The Run Smart Project, qualifying for the Boston Marathon was a pipe-dream. With the help of my coach, I now believe it will happen for me. Bottom line: The Run Smart Project = PRs.” –John Robinson, Savannah, GA
“I really wanted to run a second marathon, but various injuries made me take off running for about two years. By the time I found Run Smart, I was wary of training again and a little scared of running hard. I chose Run Smart to help me train for my second marathon because I wanted to make sure I stayed healthy and injury-free along the way to my goal. Not only did I reach my goal, but I regained my confidence in running. Through Run Smart I learned what it means to race a marathon. Now, I can’t wait to race my third! They rock.” –Melissa Ralph, West New York, NJ
“My experience with The Run Smart Project was fantastic. Vince was an amazing and fantastic coach. Even though it was cut shorter than I wanted due to personal issues, it didn’t stop him from helping me. Vince had me on the right course. He contacted me all the time and let me contact him through email or phone whenever i needed him. I contacted Vince on November 08′, and told him I wanted to run a half marathon in 7 weeks – with really no running ability he got me there and I finished with a smile on my face. Less than a year later Sept 09′, I finished my first Ultra a 50k. I was amazed. March 10th I will be competing in my first 50 mile race. Also, The Run Smart Retreat in Flagstaff is a must go. You learn so much and the Flagstaff area is amazing. I will be back next year, and this time i’ll be running the switchbacks from the bottom of the canyon to the top. These would all have just been dreams if it wasn’t for Vince Sherry.” –Tom Bain, Reading, PA
“I lacked the benefit of a high school or college running career or any kind of “running” guidance when I decided to pick up some running shoes in August 2005. I’d faced a life threatening illness that had taken its toll on my body and mind, and I wanted to feel better and look better. It took me a few months to work up to two miles without stopping, but nonetheless I dreamed of running a marathon some day. I once heard someone say, “If you can run a mile, you can run a marathon,” and well, I could run two miles. By fall of 2007, I was preparing for my second marathon and somehow had a twinkle to qualify for Boston, as crazy as that sounded. After researching a lot of coaching options to help me reach that goal, both locally (in person) and over the Internet, I’d settled on The Run SMART Project.
I’ve been working with Vince non-stop since September 2007. And over a two year period, I went from a 4:16 marathoner who could not break a 26:00 5K to a Boston Qualifier with a 3:38:22 marathon time in October 2009. I also reached my dream of running a 22:00 5K earlier the same year. Vince won’t sacrifice short term gains for long term success, which at face value may seem a bit conservative. But, I can tell you that Vince’s magic is quite effective–and the long term gains, back-to-back healthy running seasons and my consistent performances are well worth it. I cannot recommend Vince and The Run SMART Project highly enough for anyone who is driven to reach exciting and challenging running goals. Whether you are a complete beginner and novice like me (even as a late starter–I am now a 42-year old female), or a truly competitive athlete, The Run SMART Project has the experience and coaching skills to help you reach your goals.” –Alex Gardner, Lake Lotawana, MO