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Get to know Sonny Ta!
Each month we highlight different members of the Spewak Training Family. Our team is made up of amazing individuals who train year round while juggling families, jobs, life commitments, and other stresses. I am constantly impressed with the self discipline of our runners and their genuine appreciation for simply working hard. This month we sat down with Sonny Ta! Sonny is an original member of the Spewak Training Family. He started training with Mark before Spewak Training was in existence in the spring of 2015. He's a passionate runner, coach, car mechanic, husband and father. Sonny has been a huge inspiration to our entire team and all the people he interacts with on a daily basis. We are so grateful that Sonny was willing to share his story with us this month. Read his story below! CS: How did you get started running? ST: I had played sports in high school and have considered myself an athlete my whole life. However, I got into running because I had a friend who volunteered me to run a leg on their marathon relay team. I was signed up to run 6.5 miles but due to the weather, they decided to shut the course down right when I started. So I went ahead and kept running. My goal was to run 10 miles but I felt good and ended up running 13.1 miles. That was the first time I had tasted the half marathon distance. That gave me the confidence that I could sign up for more races in the future. I was instantly hooked! CS: You are one of the original members of the Spewak Training Team. How did you start working with Mark? ST: Mark and I met through coaching. We both coach a youth running program for Clayton and Ladue. We were introduced to each other in 2015 and have been able to build an amazing partnership together. Mark had started coaching people just around the time we started working together. He convinced me to train with him for the Missouri Cowbell Full Marathon. I wanted to improve my marathon time and Mark helped me cut my time down by 40 minutes! I had never had structured training before and after running a huge PR in the marathon distance, I knew there was a lot of value in working with a running coach! CS: How have you benefited from training with Spewak Training? ST: I have enjoyed every mile with Spewak Training. This is a great group of people who all want to get better in the sport of running. I have been able to make a lot of friends through the group. The team is made up of runners of all levels and abilities. It's been a great experience for me because I have been able to train for my races while having the push of other Spewak Training teammates during workouts and long runs. The team holds me accountable to my training and goals. CS: This fall you reached your long term goal of running a half marathon in 1:25 at the Indy Monumental Half Marathon. Please describe what that race and PR meant to you. ST: Running a PR at the Indy Monumental Half Marathon was really special. I traveled with Mark to the race and we came up with a game plan that best suited my goal of running 1:25. Breaking 1:30 a few years earlier was a major goal of mine. I had my eyes set on 1:25 after hitting that mark. I put in a lot of work in the summer of 2019. I ran more miles than ever before and was challenged in some really hard workouts. Come race day, we were gifted cold weather which was perfect for running fast. I followed Mark's plan and was put in the best position possible to be successful. We put in so much work year round so to have reached my goal of running 1:25 after every mile I had fought through in training was incredibly special to me! CS: You have always been great with self discipline. Can you share a few of your tips and secrets? ST: I don't think I have any secrets! There is always someone out there that is better than you. I have made a lot of progress in this sport but I am determined to run faster in the future. I know that if I want to reach my fullest potential that I will have to put the work in on the days I don't necessarily want to get out the door. We train as hard as we do on the hard days for the opportunity to race well on the good days! CS: What advice do you have for anyone struggling to train while there are no races on the horizon? ST: Our motivation should not be based on having a race on the calendar. It's unfortunate that we don't have any races to compete in but the show most go on. There will be races in the future and if you don't want your hard work to go to waste, then, you must stay consistent right now. CS: You have two dogs named Captain and Max. Are they GOOD training partners? ST: *Laugh* Yes, Captain and Max are fun to have around for my easy days. However, Max is more of the leisurely runner. He's older and his stamina isn't as good as it used to be. He's distracted by animals and wild life so there are lots of stops when I run with him. Captain loves to run hard but burns out too quick. I will typically take him for a short 3 miles or so to keep the beginning of my easy runs easy. They both like to go to the bathroom more than running! CS: Your three children, Carter, Lily, and Madeleine have all participated in cross country and track over the years. Can you share what's been like to watch them run? ST: It's been awesome watching my three children run over the years. My oldest Carter and my youngest Madeleine are still running. Lily is a competitive swimmer but was around the sport for a few years. I was also lucky enough to coach them when they were growing up and that was a really rewarding experience. They are really hard workers and it's been fun to see them evolve into strong runners. It's really cool to see them race but have amazing friendships similar to mine because of running. CS: You do enjoy yourself a nice glass of bourbon after you race or train. If we were to buy you a bottle to drink, what would you want us to buy you? MS: I do love myself a nice glass of bourbon after I run or race! After a race, I am going to drink Blantons or a Buffalo Trace Line. There is nothing better than cracking open a bottle of Blantons after a PR in the half marathon!