Get to know Mark Krasnoff!
MS: When did your running journey begin?
MK: I didn't really do any regular running until a few years ago. I have a pretty torn up left lateral meniscus, cartilage in the knee, and I never really realized I could run without much trouble because the weight hits mainly the medial meniscus, or ‘inside’ part of the knee. My son Charlie was a swimmer but always ran fast in school. We started doing the Olivette Turkey Trot a few years ago. I got up to being able to run it after my wife Claudia discovered the ‘Couch to 5K’ app. Then I moved to the ‘5K Faster App’, but it was getting very repetitive doing that app over and over trying to get faster. For my birthday in March, 2020, my wife got me a connection to Spewak Training. In May, I finally connected with Mark and started doing exactly what he advised. With encouragement from lots of people, but especially Jill Finklang, I have kept rolling with the fun of Spewak Training.
MS: Compared to other sports you have played, what do you enjoy most about running?
MK: What I enjoy most about running is that I can do it any time, anywhere, as long as the world is not slippery with ice, and I love being outdoors with the flora and fauna and the sky!
MS: What are the benefits of belonging to a running club?
MK: Belonging to a running club keeps me from slacking off and suddenly realizing I have not run for a week. Having a coach with a prescribed plan to carry out makes me accountable to myself and that coach. Meeting lots of great supportive people from diverse backgrounds all with running in common has been a really enriching experience. Participating in runs and other activities for local causes is rewarding and adds meaning to the activities. I also have learned a lot about my own home town by running in areas I hardly have visited before. Mark Spewak’s interest in the community is contagious, as is his enthusiasm for running and fun!
MS: How has your son Charlie’s passion for running motivated your own running?
MK: Charlie has always been a dedicated athlete, in many sports before he found his true calling as a runner. I actually coached his baseball team for a few years. I have watched him being coached by others in many sports, and I am bursting with pride at his dedication to doing his best and being there for his teammates and not just himself. Watching Charlie taught me that sports like swimming and running are truly team sports. When he realized how fast he was, I saw his attention to running increase, and I was inspired. As he has grown, watching him run has been one of my greatest joys. Mark once told me based on my running form he could see that Charlie and I were related. That is the best running compliment I have ever had, and since then I really try to emulate Charlie’s running form, except for different arm positions going downhill. Now that I have started to race with the idea of really doing my best, I feel nervous at times before a race and just have to laugh at myself. I have tremendous respect for what it must be like for Charlie to get up there and toe the line for serious team races that count for a lot more than my own personal sense of what I want to accomplish in a race. My own anxiety drops pretty fast when I remind myself that the only person who really cares about the outcome of one of my races is me. Mark cares, of course, but mainly because he wants me to be happy doing this. His stake is in my enjoyment of the sport, whether I reach my goal in a given race or not, and I really appreciate that.
As for Charlie and me, I consider myself a ‘block off the old chip’ when it comes to running!
MS: You recently ran your first in person half marathon PR. How was the experience for you?
MK: Running my first real half marathon was fantastic. I had a game plan from Mark and was confident that it would work out, with a little trepidation, since my recent long runs had been topping out at about 9 miles rather than 10-11 which I had done earlier in the year. I had only run one virtual half marathon a year earlier, with the first half going as planned and the second half with positive rather than negative splits. Anyway, I felt really fine up to mile 11 and enjoyed the fact that I was passing people a lot younger than I who were breathing a lot harder. I ran that 11th mile a bit fast, and I had not hydrated as I should have along the route. So, my calves wanted to cramp for miles 12 and 13+. I was happy to fight through that and really glad my legs were fine when I stopped, just needing to stretch. I was very happy with my time, 4th place for my age group, making me want one of those engraved Track Club beer glasses that go to the top 3 in each age group. Nice to have a goal for next year!
MS: What goals do you have for yourself in the sport of running?
MK: Goals – 1. To stay healthy first and foremost so I can keep doing it. 2. To be in the top 5-10 in my age group in local races and see where I might be in a larger field. 3. To get faster at the 5K, 10K, half marathon, and similar distances. The beauty of starting later in life is that I can aim to set life PR’s at this age! 4. To consider whether to get to Marathon distance and if so, even try to qualify for Boston and run that! 5. To keep enjoying every run.
Fire away questions!
MS: Do you run with music? If so, what are you listening to?
MK: I always run with music and plan to stick to that even when racing, if I can avoid being shamed out of it. It helps my pace, even though I have yet to custom plan that. I was born in 1965, my first single was Help! on the A side and I’m Down on the B side. My first album was Let It Be! So, I still love to listen to the Beatles, with a mix of a lot of 70’s music, and some 60’s and 50’s, and 80’s also. I do need to mix it up more, but I will always consider the 70’s the best decade for music after The Beatles. When running, I appreciate how much music refers to running, moving, the seasons, nature, the sky…..
MS: What's your favorite route to run in St. Louis?
MK: Favorite route is probably Wydown Blvd, which I run rarely now. I think it is yet to be found, but I love Forest Park, the River Des Peres….
MS: What's your favorite season of the year to train in?
MK: I like to train in the Spring, when the days are getting longer and the coldest days fade away.
MS: Where is the best barbeque spot in St. Louis?
MK: Best BBQ in St. Louis – Tennessee Jed’s!! Dating myself, but where did they go?? Childhood! Now – Maybe Salt & Smoke. I like the places in Memphis where the fire has not gone out since Elvis was there!
MS: Please share anything unique about yourself that someone may not know!
MK: My wife would say that anyone who knows me would know in 5 minutes that I am a Harry Truman fan, but I actually do not usually lead with that information. There is a lot to talk about there.
*Spewak Training coaches are currently taking on new clients. Please email contact@spewaktraining.com to set up your free 30 minute consultation call today*
