Coach Finnel is one of the best coaches I have worked with - after working with him in high school and moving onto competing in college, I returned to him for coaching to complete my first half marathon and compete in the Drake Relays Grand Blue Mile. Both events led me to having great times including a 1:28 half marathon and 5:07 street mile and winning the event. I returned to him because I trusted him with my body and training, and I knew he led me to even more success.

His coaching created new opportunities and I would not be running the times I have without his support, expertise, and knowledge!! 

-Bobbi

As I began my running journey, I was lucky enough to have John by my side for both encouragement and education. What I loved most about John’s coaching is that his excitement for my progress was so genuine. Not only that, but he was so dedicated to making a plan and setting goals that worked for me.

As I was preparing for my first half marathon, John’s first question was centered around how running fit into my life and how much time I was able to spend on training on a weekly basis. He tailored a plan to fit my schedule, my goals, and my fitness level. As a new runner, he also gave me the education I needed about different workouts, strength exercises, shoes, posture, etc., and he sprinkled in inspirational running stories that kept me motivated and made me want to reach new goals.

John has the perfect balance and understanding of how to educate without overwhelming and how to motivate without burnout. Because of John’s support throughout the years, I went from not being able to run a mile to running a 50k with a smile on my face. As I progressed, John adapted. He truly cares about people finding pleasure through running, and his expertise and sincerity make that happen.

-Ashlee

I have been working with Spencer since the summer of 2017. Since then, I have been able to handle running more miles than I have before and run some personal bests across multiple distances. He assigns training that works on my strengths, but also challenges my weakness to make me a better sound runner. I never feel underprepared going into the goal race. Another great thing with Spencer is the communication line is always open. I am able to chat with him when things are going well in training and when I am getting into busy times at work and life that might cut into running time. We are always able to readjust and get a better plan based on any factors.

-Scotty

In 2014, I was a post-collegiate athlete struggling with an ongoing appetite for competition in the midst of new real life demands. I had little structure to my training which resulted in hard runs too often, good races occasionally, and injuries all the time. A friend recommended Thomas and the experience has been phenomenal.

Thomas is a passionate and knowledgeable coach. He writes personalized training plans that are both challenging and responsive. He has an eye for translating big picture training cycles into weekly runs and workouts. Thomas has great depth of experience as an athlete and a coach, and is a resource on many topics including shoes, strength work, cross training, race strategy and more. The coach-athlete experience is highly interactive as Thomas welcomes feedback and readily adapts plans when circumstances require (in my case - moving, job changes, and two pregnancies). He celebrates milestones enthusiastically, and when the inevitable injuries do pop up he is insightful on when to fight through and when to rest.

If you're looking to add structure, accountability and encouragement to your running life, Thomas is the guy for you.

-Rachel

I've been working with Thomas since the fall of 2015. Prior to that I was a baseball and soccer player with just a short stint on the cross country team in high school. With the transition to running in my mid-20s, I struggled through one injury after another and could not achieve the consistency or the fitness I desired.

Thomas writes a great workout plan that is personalized and appropriate for my fitness and time constraints. But, more importantly, he's helped me develop a long-term, process-oriented approach to training and encouraged growth in my racing mindset that has also been a benefit in other life endeavors. The results have not been subtle.

I've set personal bests from the mile to the marathon, taking more than 70 minutes off my marathon time thus far. The success has spilled over into triathlon and cross country skiing as well. All of this while balancing the "real" life responsibilities of a demanding work schedule and a growing family. Thomas's coaching and friendship has been an unquestionably positive experience for the last 5+ years.

-Colby

I started working with Spencer as my coach in the spring of 2020. He has created detailed and specifically tailored plans to help me reach my running goals. He is committed to understanding my needs as a runner, and he is flexible when life happens. Since having kids, I’ve had a hard time finding the motivation to stick to a regular running schedule. Spencer got me back on track with setting goals, running regularly and challenging myself more frequently. I finally feel motivated to train and have been having more fun with running. And I’ve been running times that I haven’t run in many years directly due to his knowledge and skilled workout planning. Hiring Spencer as my coach was one of the best decisions I’ve made for my running career.

-Katie