I loved working with Gary and recommend him without qualification. Once I decided that I wanted to set a PR in 2019, I knew I needed a coach who would create a custom, science-based training program for me with the flexibility to adjust it to the personal and professional demands we all have — and Gary fit the bill perfectly.
He provided me with an amazing, data-driven program, strength- training tips that kept me injury free (for the first time), insightful feedback, and race-day strategy that had me bouncing with confidence at the starting line and, most importantly, crossing the finish line with a 20 minute PR. In simplest terms, if you follow Gary’s training, you will have success.
I began working with Gary after months of trying to get into my old running routine – on my own. I have been a runner for most of my life. However, life gets hard, people get busy, tasks build up, and running can be difficult to make time for. In my case, I was incredibly busy, I was very tired, and my health was plummeting. I stopped exercising altogether and therefore I was having a very difficult time feeling “normal.”
I reached out to Gary hoping his training plan would help me to “get back on track” and create a normal running routine. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised. After four months of training with Gary I was running consistently and even far exceeding my times and limitations. I reached a new PR in the half marathon (in October of 2018) that I didn’t think I was capable of doing until months down the road. I regained my strength, speed, consistency and most importantly my confidence – all through the guidance and support of Gary’s training.
I look forward to continuing to work with Gary to reach new goals and achieve even greater PRs! I highly recommend Gary as a coach!
What I appreciate the most about Gary is that he takes running seriously…but not TOO seriously. Working with him is a great reminder that it’s important to keep a sense of humor and have fun along the way. Training is more enjoyable when you have a coach to laugh with!
Gary has added a level of specificity and analysis to my training that was missing for the past two decades. I know he spends a great deal of time crunching numbers and perfecting the workout plan–something that is way beyond my area of expertise, even as a seasoned runner. I love that my runs are intentionally designed and customized just for me.
He’s also a forever optimist, which comes in handy when the self-doubt starts to creep in. Gary is president of my fan club, for which I am very grateful.
I’ve worked with Gary for several years now and give him very high marks for his investment in clients, his love of running, and his thoughtful approach to training.
Gary crafted an amazing plan that left me feeling confident I could reach my goals. I felt more than prepared on race day and was able to PR despite some awful weather. Thanks, Gary!
I want to thank Gary for the training plan he prepared for me in preparation for the 2018 Brooklyn Half Marathon. This was the first time I really felt prepared for a half marathon. In fact, I was able to go into this race feeling the most confident I’ve ever been – beating my half marathon personal best by 10+ minutes was just an added bonus.
I finished the 2014 NYC Marathon at an all-time low. I was injured and dejected after failing to meet my marathon goals on three attempts in three years. After battling back from injury I knew I needed help if I wanted to qualify for Boston (knocking at least 10 minutes off my best attempt). I began working with Gary at the outset of my marathon training cycle with my sights set on the 2015 Chicago Marathon. His positivity, understanding of the science, and ability to adapt and customize my training to meet my specific needs were instrumental in my progress. With his guidance, I quickly PR’d at 5k, 10k, Half-Marathon and then in October I ran the marathon of my life, knocking more than 15 minutes off my PR and coming in nearly 6 minutes under Boston Qualifying time. And the crazy part? It was the easiest marathon I’ve ever run. No wall, no bonk, I trusted my training, I trusted my coaching, I trusted my race plan and I trusted my coach. Thanks to Gary I was better prepared physically and mentally than I’d ever been.
If you know what your realistic goals are, and you are 100% willing to do the work, Gary will get you there. I am unbelievably grateful for his coaching, and I firmly believe that I would not have been able to cross this huge goal off my bucket list without him.
Working with Gary was great! From the very beginning, he set up a program that was challenging but necessary in order for me to achieve my goals. Throughout the process of training he held me accountable while maintaining a positive attitude. When thoughts of doubt crept in, he was right there offering words of encouragement and his faith in my abilities and my training. It all worked! I hit my goals, had a 10 minute PR and qualified for Boston in the 2015 Chicago Marathon. I can’t say enough good things about the whole experience!
I can’t thank Gary enough. He is a true professional. I will always appreciate the amount of time and care he devoted to my training for the 2014 NYC Marathon. It has been an extraordinary experience for me and he was right there with me every step of the way.
Gary made my training, preparation and race (2014 Battle of Brooklyn 10-miler) a truly enjoyable experience for me!
I approached Gary in June of 2012 with a single objective – to qualify for the 2014 Boston Marathon, a seemingly unachievable goal as it required knocking off 10 minutes from my personal best. After six months of dedicated training with Gary, not only did I qualify for Boston but did so with much time to spare. I couldn’t have done it without him.
For years I tried on my own to qualify for the Boston marathon, but I always ended up missing the cut-off time by a few minutes. Gary’s coaching helped me not only to qualify for Boston, but to take nearly twenty minutes off of my marathon PR. I never thought I could run so fast for so long. I couldn’t have done it without him.
I feel incredibly lucky to have had Gary as a coach for my first marathon. With his guidance I trained smartly and was prepared for my race – both physically and mentally. More importantly, his patience and understanding were invaluable and he was always willing to listen and answer any questions I had (and give his expert feedback). Gary is an experienced professional who understands not only the fundamentals of running but what it is like to fit training into a busy lifestyle. Gary kept me focused and positive and helped me get to the marathon finish line successfully.
Gary’s coaching improved my performance both physically and mentally. His technical critiques and positive encouragement helped me to focus on the important aspects of my race and let go of any fears holding me back. I raced better than I had anticipated and succeeded in meeting my goals, all of which Gary made possible.
Gary helped me prepare for the 2019 NYC Marathon. He is a fantastic coach and has a great ability to match the training program with the current level and fitness history of the athlete. I had been struggling with calf injuries for years, but with Gary’s help made it to the start line feeling healthy, strong and well prepared. It was a massive help to have someone thoughtfully preparing my workout schedule so that I could focus on executing it, rather than worrying about whether I was under training, over training, or doing the wrong thing entirely. Time is valuable and working with Gary helped me prepare for the race efficiently and run it with confidence.
Coach Gary is a miracle worker. I ran the fastest marathon of my life at 41 in the 2018 Philadelphia Marathon. The workouts were fun, challenging and safe. Coach Gary was never judgmental of my life—he always supported me in the process when I had conflicts. He was organized and always had my workouts populated for the week—I never had to ask for my workout. His race strategy worked like a charm—negative splits! If YOU want to PR, run to this man before his client load fills up. You won’t regret it!
Working with Gary is one of the best decisions I’ve made, this notion has been reinforced time and time again through injury and sickness.
With his help and support I’ve been able to overcome so much and improve my running in ways I never thought possible. I went from a back of the pack “hobby” runner to a sub-4 marathoner in the 2018 NYC Marathon!!!
He’s not only super knowledgeable and passionate about what he does, he helped me so much with alternative ways of training after I broke my toe during training. He gave me confidence in the worst moments of sickness but he pushed me when I needed it.
He also connected me to a great community of people who also helped throughout this amazing journey.
I cannot say enough good things about my coach! He is awesome.
As a former competitive athlete I was looking for a coach who could push me but make sure I had fun in the meanwhile. Gary was flexible and responsive, and I saw significant improvements not only in my time but in how I felt after a race. Having someone looking at my workout results made a big difference in my performance. I enjoyed working with Gary and highly recommend him to anyone who is looking to improve their running technique while furthering their love for the sport.
Set a goal and Gary will get you there. He’s a professional who truly cares: affable and focused. He truly made a difference in my life.
Gary knew my potential and held me to a higher level before I even knew what I was capable of…until after the 2015 New York City Marathon. I trusted Gary’s plan and it was the first time I had actually pushed myself further in my mileage. I would discuss the workout objectives with him before or after quality sessions and he made me feel like the athlete I am and would remind me of what it is I was working towards.
My goal was to run NYC under 2:55 and, as the race unfolded, I felt stronger and stronger. I could hear the words of encouragement Gary has been telling me throughout training. I stayed focused on my goal but I also wanted to make my coach, who has had more faith in me than anyone, proud. I finished in 2:53:21, 4 whole minutes faster than my previous PR – which was on a flatter course (Chicago Marathon in 2014). I could not have accomplished what I did without the training plan that I trusted from Gary.
Gary has shepherded me through two triumphant races. Over the course of training for both I not only flourished athletically but also mentally. My first was a half marathon: under Gary’s tutelage I not only took off 11 minutes from my PR but learned valuable lessons about what my body was capable of and the manifold benefits of pushing myself to achieve my goals. My second race with Gary was my dream race, the 2015 Rome marathon, and to achieve this goal I entrusted myself to his expert care. Gary carried me (figuratively) through a harsh winter of training and my final time was a 25 minute improvement from my PR. He was always encouraging, enthusiastic, and generous with his knowledge of all aspects of training. I highly recommend working with him and look forward to our next race together.
2014 marks year 2 with Gary as my personal running coach. I first met Gary back in 2010 when he was the Head Coach of JackRabbit’s NYC Marathon training program. My goal back then was simple: finish the NYC Marathon with my pride intact (which I did, barely…). After the 2012 fall training season ended, I started to think about “what was next” — I wanted to “up my game”. I was no longer satisfied with simply finishing. I wanted to get faster, become more efficient and perhaps one day, qualify for Boston. And so in December of 2012, seeking a more customized approach, Gary and I started to work together one on one.
I remember that first call we had well – we talked about training history, prior injuries and my goals (short-term and long-term). Based on those data points (Gary is a very data-driven guy, something I personally appreciate…), Gary pulled together a strategy that balanced both my short term needs with my long term ones. All totaled, we spent more than an hour on the phone. I came away from our conversation excited about what lay ahead and confident that I had made the right choice.
Fast forward 2 years, 3 Marathons and 5 Half Marathons later, I am still just as confident in my decision. Since I first started training with Gary, I have shaved 45 minutes off of my marathon finish time and more than 20 minutes off of my half marathon finish time. My knowledge of nutrition, race strategy and even how to properly incorporate metabolic data into my training for more optimal results has all increased exponentially.
Gary is much more than a running coach to me. He’s a friend, a mentor and at times my psychologist. He encouraged me to BELIEVE when perhaps I didn’t as much as I should have, and as a result pushed me to achieve more than I ever thought I was capable of. If you’re looking to work with a coach who is as personally vested in your success as you are, look no further — it is with zero hesitation, a lower resting heart rate and LOTS of enthusiasm that I recommend Gary!
I can’t rave enough about Gary. I had never run more than three consecutive miles and decided to train for the NYC marathon in my husband’s memory. Gary not only trained me, his belief that I could and would accomplish my goal never wavered (my own resolve did). Gary is warm, caring and an elite runner who genuinely loves what he does…..I did all 26.2 miles and Gary was cheering as I crossed that finish line!
Despite record temperatures and a blazing sun, Gary’s training had me adequately prepared to beat the elements and achieve a personal best in the 2012 Boston Marathon. Without his guidance and preparation, completing the race would have been nearly impossible. He kept me focused every step of the course.