Testimonials

Here is what people have to say about being a part of Two Rules Running

  • Patrick Gallagher is an amazing coach! He believes in all of his runners and helps them to believe in their goals too.
    About two years ago, Patrick encouraged me to start running when I never thought that I could. I was overweight and had some chronic knee pain. I started walk/running and focusing on better running form. Within a short amount of time, I was losing weight and shockingly my knee pain started to diminish. He always lets me know that I am capable of more. I started running races, 5K’s at first, and he was always there pushing me to finish strong.
    Time has passed and my running has continued to improve thanks to Patrick! My distances have increased (50K) and my speed has improved drastically (Half Marathon PR of 1:47:17). He can train a “non-runner” how to become an efficient runner. The Two Rules Running Crew helps add accountability to the mix with consistent schedules to accommodate your running availability. Patrick and the crew also offer coaching for runners looking for all speeds and distances.
    I highly recommend his positive coaching style to anyone looking to get started or to a current runner that is looking to improve!
    ~ Jason R. – Team Two Rules Running #2RR
  • After having gone through one of those “bad” race experiences in early 2016, I lost much of my passion for running and barely ran for 5 months. I knew I needed the comradery of a running group and the mentoring of a coach to get me back to what I love doing. Not only have Two Rules Running and Coach Patrick provided that, but several priceless friendships have been created too! Coach Patrick’s skill and experience are top notch and have pushed me farther than I could have done on my own. I have already seen a tremendous difference in my speed, skill, and performance, and look forward to many more runs with this group.
    ~Melody
  • Simply the Best – The Journey from One Mile to 26.2 Miles in One Year with Coach GallagherMy journey with Coach Patrick began in November of 2014.  My goal was to complete the Five Points of Life Half Marathon, (my first half marathon), in two hours and thirty minutes.  I trained hard with Coach Gallagher for three months leading up to the race. Coach Patrick was supportive, compassionate, and welcoming from the beginning.  Having not run long distances in over 20 years, Coach Patrick developed a training plan that fit my level of fitness, my needs, and my lifestyle.  The plan included track workouts, progression runs, long distance runs with a mix of trails and road runs, nutritional/hydration guidance, basic stretching, suggested core body workouts, and equipment recommendations.My training plan started off with the mile test at the Tuesday track workout, which in my eyes I failed miserably.  Even though I could only complete one mile of the workout, Coach Patrick ran beside me during the cool down lap and offered words of encouragement, as he does with all of his clients.  In fact, after completing his run, he will run back and pace in those that might need an extra push.  After observing this (as it was me quite often) I knew that Coach Patrick was the right coach for me and that level of trust developed into a wonderful friendship.

    I went on and not only finished my first half marathon, but also finished nineteen (19) minutes faster than my goal time.  After falling in love with running, I continued training hard with Coach Patrick and finished twenty-four races at various distances, including 3 marathons in one year.  At my most recent marathon, the 2016 Space Coast Marathon, I managed to set a new personal record of 4:56, beating my old record by 42 minutes.

    Coach Patrick is simply the best and has a very impressive running resume.  My journey from one mile to 26.2 miles in a year is a testament to Coach Patrick’s character, knowledge, experience, mentoring, and strong coaching methods.  Not only did Coach Patrick help me become a stronger runner, he helped me with the mental aspect of running and helped me see my potential.  One of my most memorable moments was sharing the course with Coach Patrick at the Jacksonville Bank Marathon and Half Marathon and watching him cross the finish line and qualify for the Boston Marathon. ~ Keith “Captain Neon” Walker. – Archer, Florida

  • I’ve been in the group for just half a year, but it has been an incredible and uplifting experience. I am still one of the slowest, especially when we are out at the track, but our group is so encouraging! Coach Patrick always has a unique way to motivate you to push harder. Whether is telling us one of his awesome stories, or speaking your own native language (in my case, Spanish), he makes you want to run harder and farther. Coach Patrick, along with so many of the runners in the group, are not only incredible athletes with amazing achievements, but also incredible human beings with unique personalities that make a beginner like myself continue to want to be like many of them–inspiring and strong yet humble and welcoming in so many different levels!  ~Maria
  • During the 12 months since my wife and I joined Coach Patrick’s running clinic, I improved my half-marathon time by 9 minutes (and placed first in my age group) and improved my 50k ultramarathon time by 22 minutes. My wife and I also competed in a Ragnar trail team relay event that placed first in our category (mixed, ultra). These results speak for themselves. I can’t think of a nicer, more knowledgeable and more helpful running coach than Coach Patrick. Indeed, I would not hesitate to recommend him to any runner wanting to improve his or her running abilities. I find that the training runs work for me and my busy schedule. Thanks to the dedicated efforts of Coach Patrick and the support and comradery of my fellow members of Two Rules Running, I can look forward to continued accomplishments in my running endeavors, including an improved marathon time and my first 50-miler in 2017!  ~Jason S.