Testimonials from the Spewak Training Community
Heartfelt testimonials from runners just like you.
Luke Harper
Working with Jaime has been an amazing experience. After taking 2 years off from running, my main goal was to explore my potential. Jaime took the time to listen to my concerns and desires with running and then constructed a plan that was completely tailored to my lifestyle. I have only been training with her for 8 months and her guidance has led me to my first 50 mile win in my second ultra marathon ever. I am super excited for what the future holds. I know she will be there to help guide me every step of the way. Thank you, Jaime!
Kevin Schnepp
I fell out of running for a few years and wanted to get back into race shape. I reached out to Mark and we discussed my goals. Mark developed a plan for me. I felt confident that every run and workout was exactly what I needed to achieve my goals. Mark kept me accountable and motivated to train. For me, it was important to make efficient use of my training time and Mark really helped me do that. I felt strong and confident running and racing. I have seen great improvement in my running goals training with Mark and I achieved a half marathon PR and placed 2nd in my age group. Mark surpassed my expectations for a coach and has been very inspirational. I would highly recommend that you sit down with Mark for an evaluation to help you become a better runner.
Jennifer Pietrusinski
When I asked my daughters how they would describe Mark they both said “entertaining.” When that is the first thing that comes to mind when you think about the coach that makes you run Art Hill repeats, I’m not sure Mark could be doing a better job coaching them. Mark not only works with my girls to shape them into better runners, he spends a great deal of time making sure they are developing into healthy athletes. Mark demonstrates a passion for running and has an intrinsic ability to develop that in my girls in the way that he coaches. I have never had to coax them out of bed on the weekend mornings to work with Mark. When you’re talking about two teenagers that alone says a lot. Coaching anyone can be difficult, but I have watched Mark easily transition between my girls knowing exactly how to train each one perfectly. He makes connections so that training has meaning and tangible results. Mark is not only an amazing running coach, but he is a role model that my girls look up to and enjoy knowing. As a parent, I could want for nothing more.
Jacqueline Sommer
The dust still hasn’t settled! I’m still on cloud nine!!! And I don’t think I’ve told you directly enough how grateful I am for you!!! You stuck by me in the weirdest transition of my life. And I am 100% positive that I wouldn’t have come out of it with this much peace and satisfaction without you. You gave me training plans but you were so much more than that! I hope you always know how much positivity you spread and how many lives you change. You can most definitely add me to your list of lives you impacted. I just can’t thank you enough for being there for me!
Roe Leavitt
“A Great Coach is hard to Find…Difficult to Part with and Impossible to Forget”
Mark is an amazing coach and an inspiration to all the athletes that he trains. He helped make my running dream come true. I can’t thank him enough for the time that he spent coaching me. After a few months of training, I could see my improvement. I was getting faster, started getting PRs in my races and reached my dream of qualifying for Boston. As you know qualifying for the Boston Marathon is an extremely difficult task and it is a huge accomplishment that I will cherish for the rest of my life. During my injury Mark still had my back. He give me words of encouragement that I will be back stronger and ever and I make everyone inspired again. He said this is another chapter of my running life. Mark I will be back soon and I can’t wait to start your training again. Your determination and dedication to your athlete are above and beyond. If you want a BQ hire Mark. Spewak Training doesn’t leave you in the dust, they’re very supportive. Thank you Mark and Spewak Training for always having my back!
Nicole Wilcox
I was never a runner. To be perfectly honest, I hated running. HATED. I didn’t start running until the end of 2009 when my son was 6 months old because I gained well over 60 lbs with him. I give the credit of running to my dad. He sparked an interest in something that I never thought would EVER be there. This is where Mark Spewak came in… He’s helped so many people reach their goals and even though I wasn’t confident in myself, he was confident in me. And somehow, that was enough. Mark believed in me. Which helped me believe in myself! Having Mark as my coach lit a fire under my ass and now I want more. I know I can do better. I know I can push myself to get more. Mark has, by far, been a tortuous blessing. 🙂 He helped me find what I thought I lost. And I couldn’t be more grateful for him and what he’s done for me.
Tom Fischer
I came to the sport of running later in life by way of training for a triathlon on a dare. What used to be seen as a punishment or chore when I was younger suddenly became an outlet for fitness, stress relief and creative thinking.
It took some time, but I found I liked the challenge of racing marathons and training for endurance, all while trying to get faster. Once I started posting Boston-qualifying times, I had this arbitrary goal of breaking the 3-hour mark in a marathon. After repeated misses, I realized I needed a guide on this journey, and that guide could only be Spewak Training.
I had met Mark through the Big River Training Team group runs, so I saw first-hand his level of excitement and enthusiasm for running and for life. I knew we would be a good fit as athlete-coach.
Through some adversity along the way, Mark’s level of constant encouragement and professional accountability kept me on course. When a brutal weather day of heat and humidity ruined my goal race this season, Mark immediately offered an unorthodox solution: “Honestly, I think you could run the Indy marathon in a month and PR.” It was a bold plan but because we have such a great working relationship, I knew he was right. He developed for me a whole-new approach for just four weeks of marathon recovery, ramping mileage back up and re-entering a taper in time for a new goal race.
Coming down the finishing chute race day and seeing Mark right there cheering me on was such a great feeling — I was about to crush a new 4-minute PR and attain my goal of breaking the 3-hour barrier. He was there for me along the way, sometimes pushing from behind, sometimes running alongside, and now he’s watching me as a cheerleader and my biggest fan.
You get something more than just a training regimen when you work with Mark — you develop a rapport and a renewed sense of zeal as to why you run. And, if you’re careful, you found a friend for life.
Annu
I started training with Coach Noah Daum this winter. When we spoke, he immediately understood my situation. He agreed to coach me pretty much from scratch building slowly. I’ve been training with Coach Noah for 3 months now and definitely feeling stronger. With my busy schedule and long commute my training has been doable thanks to Noah who fully understands my schedule. Today, I ran my first race of the season feeling confident and strong! Thank you Noah for being a wonderful coach.
Heather
I can not possibly say enough about how Mark has impacted my life - yes, my life, not just my running. I was a casual runner for many years, running the occasional 5K races with my dad or with friends. I trained alone, with online guides and managed to do well in some half marathons and then my first full in 2016. But with the guidance of Mark starting in 2019 I finally saw what real training could do! And at the age of 50+, I'm running faster and stronger than ever! Sometimes I think Mark believes in me more than I do and that feeling is truly inspiring!
Molly Stehn
For most of my life I had struggled with a tendency to doubt my athletic ability and potential, and I had been quick to make disclaimers that “I’m not a ‘real’ runner.” In my first 9 years of long distance running I had trained myself by relying on free, static plans I found on the internet. I did not vary my effort or paces much, and I mainly focused on just getting my weekly miles in. Then once my goal race was over I tended to completely fall off the wagon for several months, only to find myself in similar physical condition starting my next training cycle as I’d been in when I had started my previous one. I realized that I was not likely to improve much if I continued the same old pattern, so I reached out to Spewak Training.
In the short time I have worked with Mark I have greatly improved my consistency, speed, and confidence. In my first half marathon training cycle with him my goal was just to get close to my PR. I did not expect to beat it because I was still coming out of my yearly slump when I made the decision to train with him, and I didn’t have a lot of time. Not only did I beat my previous PR (which had stood for 3 years), I beat it by 3 minutes, and on a challenging course! I am already looking forward to my next race and am confident that my new PR will not stand for long at all. Mark approaches training very effectively, pushing his athletes beyond their comfort zones in a smart and responsible manner. He also shows endless confidence in and support for his athletes to the point that I now can’t help but believe in his belief in me – which is a sentiment that I am certain that everyone else who trains with him also shares.
Christine
I started working with Diane shortly after getting into the London Marathon. I had been running consistently, but my weight was climbing and my fitness was slipping as the stresses of working in the medical field and raising three kids during the Covid pandemic crept up on me. A brief discussion with Diane about the challenges of feeding a household of picky eaters on a wildly unpredictable schedule led to a plan that has helped me achieve my running goals. Six months later, I have lost 30 lbs and built muscle, all while feeling strong and keeping up with my training. I just ran the London Marathon, achieving more than a 90 minute PR. I can’t imagine being here today without Diane’s help and direction.
Blair
Over the last 12 weeks, Spewak’s coaching helped me stay accountable for my miles, be mindful of my body by encouraging rest when I felt injury onset, adapt my workouts to accommodate my busy work schedule, prepare my fueling & hydration, and most importantly, prepare myself mentally for the race.
Kathy Sprehe
Mark is an incredible coach and person—his commitment to the sport of running and each of his athletes is remarkable. In the first 4 months of training, Mark’s excellent plan and continual encouragement led me to a 14 minute PR in my half-marathon. I’m still in awe of how far I’ve come and it was Mark that made me believe it was possible. You are lucky if you get to know Mark as a person, and even luckier to have him as a coach. Spewak Training is truly the best!
Irina
A little over a year ago, I could not even imagine that I could ever run a marathon. I’ve been overweight all of my life and I never even liked running. But last November, I finished the New York marathon. This was supposed to be a one time deal, something I did for a charity I cared about, something to cross off my bucket list. This is where Jill Finklang comes in. Not only did I finish both Paris and Chicago, but thanks to Jill, I took 31 minutes off my PR! Between the Strava kudos, the emails and the phone calls, she has become this voice in my head that motivates me to do hard things when I think I can’t. Also a shout out to Diane, who helped me make some dietary changes and reach my short term weight loss goal before Chicago!
Lori
Prior to 2022, I never thought I would work with a coach to become a better runner. Mark had worked with our daughter when she was in high school, and I was so impressed with his attitude and encouragement that I emailed him asking if he coached ‘older’ runners. I’m so thankful I took that step! He took the time to find out where I was in my running journey, what my perceived obstacles were, and assured me that it wasn’t ridiculous to take up this ‘hobby’ at my age. Mark’s team is helping me further my skills in a sport my entire family loves, and I am forever grateful to them for their knowledge, dedication and support.
Chris
Mark made me a much more confident runner. I was primarily doing triathlons prior to meeting Mark, and now having seen quite a bit of progress with my running, I have a renewed interest in competing at various distances. Prior to Mark, I followed training programs from various sources, and nothing has come close to the insight Mark has provided, and frankly, the results he’s helped me achieve. Can’t ask for much more in a coach.
Jacqueline
I started working with Team Spewak in the summer of 2021. Mark helped me train for and complete my first marathon in challenging conditions! His encouragement and belief in what I could do definitely kept me motivated as a novice runner. I have had the good fortune of working with Jaime since Juneof 2022 and it has been a great experience! Jaime is responsive, encouraging and so understanding- she has helped me pivot through injuries, illnesses and just crazy life circumstances. With her help, I had a 32 minute marathon PR in October, and completed a really difficult marathon in March. I'm certain I could not have finished if it wasn't for the training put in under her guidance. Dianne was also wonderful for overall diet as well as better race and distance fueling! I never thought I'd be a runner, let alone a marathoner, but Team Spewak has been amazing all around.
Alana
Like many former athletes, I did not like running and begrudgingly signed up for a virtual half marathon when my gym closed in 2020. When I realized I liked running and wanted to improve, I started working with Spewak Training. Over the next year and a half, we trained for a variety of races: a trail half, virtual 5k, half and full marathons, and even cross country! I look forward to my weekly email, excited to see the week’s “focus” and workouts. We have worked through injuries, illness, and work/life stressors to keep progressing—when I couldn’t run, Mark helped me focus on what I could do in order to regain my fitness and confidence. I am learning to train smarter, not harder, and I’m excited to continue working with Mark and Spewak Training!
David Brody
What an amazing journey. From couch to 5k in 3 months. Training 6 days a week outside in the cold, rain, ice and eventually nice weather. I want to give a huge shout out to Mark Spewak for taking on the challenge he had no idea what he was getting into. Mark has been a mentor, coach, motivator, therapist and most of all a friend. I could not have completed my goals without his guidance. I also want to thank PNC Bank, GO! St. Louis, Saucony, Big River Running, Mona Langenberg, Frank Hopper, Sarah Bowman, Angela Pearson and Kolleen Walsh and many others for supporting me. Everyone listed above contributed to my success throughout this journey.
Tricia Frisella
It’s a privilege and an honor to work with a coach as great as Jason Holroyd. With Jason’s guidance and motivation, I am closing in on my collegiate PR’s from 8 years ago! Jason has the knowledge and expertise to help myself and the team peak at the right time for our goal races. He helps hold us back when we are doing too much and pushes us to do more when he knows that we can. Before I started consistently working with Jason, I was plagued by injury due to over training. I’ve now been injury free and consistent in my training for almost a year. Thank you, Jason, for keeping me injury-free and for helping me reach my goals. I’m excited to see how fast I can go in the Spring!