Reviews

Reviews

Comments from athletes I coach.

From Deb Nandi

Hello Tom, I finished the philly marathon with a chip time of 3:39:12 (clock time 3:42:15). This was a memorable experience of my life. It wouldn't have been possible without your coaching -- thank you! I did an even split. I started to fade around 19th mile, but I just pushed myself through. The miles 21-25 seemed very stretching, glancing up the watch every minute to see if I am almost there. On reaching 26th mile, I started accelerating, and then the last 200 yards I sprinted and lost my mp3 player on the way. I didn't mind though trading the gadget for a few extra seconds, as it already did its job. Thank you once again for your guidance, and congratulations on your amazing run. I wish you a very satisfying run at the upcoming Boston Marathon. Deb.

From Purba Rudra

Hi! Tom, Just wanted to thank you again. it was just great training under you. Hope to see you next year, seeing another set of novice marathoners cross the magic line. I'm still feeling so excited about finishing it:) Thanks again and have a great Thanksgiving! Regards, Purba:)

From Diana Burton

I met Tom a few years ago when I was a Walker and a new 'wannabe' Runner. We jokingly referred to me as a WRunner, but Tom always told me I could make progress if I wanted to. He was coaching kids at NJRRC on Sundays and I found him to be so supportive to all of us that I suggested he seek his certification. Apparently he'd been thinking about doing just that because shortly thereafter he bit the bullet and did it. Fast forward a couple years, throughout which time I'd heard of Coach Tom's excellent progress with those runners who stuck with him, and I got to thinking, this is my time. He agreed to take on a 60 year old who wanted to not only learn to run but to qualify for the Boston Marathon. Through hard work and encouragement I am thrilled to feel that I've moved up from WRunner status to Runner and I just might make that qualification. In between times I've watched Coach Tom working with his athletes. Athletes of all types I must say. Most recently when I watched him with a young athlete that was suffering, both emotionally and physically, through a small injury and the need to take time off, it was reconfirmed to me that he's right for the job. She trusted him, she listened to him, she didn't question him, and through her tears and maybe even his, I heard her say, I'll be back. If I may, from an email by this runner: "It has been hard, especially this morning on such a beautiful day, to not run. I saw a bunch of people out there and of course I was jealous. I have to stay optimistic, so that I can return to pounding the pavement as soon as possible. Keep up your hard work, you will see the results. Tom is AWESOME! I am sure you can tell that I love that man, he has been a great coach and friend and is always supportive. I am glad you chose to work with him, you won't be disappointed." It is not just this anonymous runner who loves him. He brings out the best in all his athletes. From young to old, from slow to fast, when I made a PR on the track, every single one of them acknowledged it and even went so far as to write me a congratulatory note. Even those who are FAST acknowledged my own little PR as being BIG for me. That's teamwork. ***Update: Diana qualified for Boston with a 4:25 marathon time.

From Ram Krishnamurthy

Hi Tom, Thanks very much for your coaching and support. Six months ago, I would have never imagined that I would complete a marathon. The credit, to a large measure, is due you, for the excellent coaching you provided. Before the marathon I thought this would be my first and last one. Now, I want to do a sub-9 minutes a mile marathon! I hope to be able to draw from your coaching wisdom as I take my shot at that. cheers, ram ***********Update 2007: Hi Tom, It was a great pleasure chatting with you after the marathon. Thanks to your wonderful coaching, I finally managed to go under the 4:00 hour barrier and finished in 3:57. It was inspirational to see you come back to marathon running and run as fast as befits you. I also noticed the significant improvement in the performance of the entire group, with almost all runners turning in impressive times. Clearly, there could be no greater tribute to your coaching skills than this fact. I am looking forward to setting and achieving newer goals under your valued guidance. regards, Ram