Get to know Tim Kieser
Each month we feature different members of the Spewak Training family. This month, we sat down with Tim Kieser who has been a part of our team for over a year now. He’s been a huge supporter of myself and Spewak Training for years & we are very lucky to have him a part of our training community now too. Enjoy his interview below!
CS: One of the most intriguing things to me is finding out about how different people became runners. Can you please share how and when you got started in the sport?
TK: I grew up in rural Illinois, part of a small scattered community that came together for a small little school system. We had so few kids in our school, that in order to have sports for 7th and 8th grade; they allowed the 5th and 6th grade classes to participate. I always ran pretty well as part of the Presidential Fitness program, so track interested me well enough and I went out my 5th grade year. I didn’t know it then, but that started my love for running.
CS: As you got started in the sport, what expectations did you have for yourself?
TK: Honestly, just to beat my little brother. I randomly started running again after I quit smoking, circa 2012. I went out with him one day and I think we did 1.8 miles, it about killed me and I got dusted by him in the end. He was never a runner, so that was a wakeup call to me. Not that I cared about not keeping up with him, but to me it was just what I needed to see just how far I let my health fall. That was the slap in the face on that day.
CS: During this period of time, did you have a training plan you followed?
TK: A what? Haha….yeah not really at first but I did manage to grab one online for my second marathon. A bunch of people at this local running store kept talking about this race in Duluth, so when I signed up they were (are?) partnered with Runcoach. I purchased that online training program and used them for the Grandma’s marathon, then loosely for the next couple of years after that.
CS: What led you to wanting to be more consistent with your training outside of enjoying the benefits of distance running?
TK: It’s hard to speak to the desire of wanting to train more, without mentioning the benefits of consistent training. I think for me, those are inseparable as I think so many of the perks from running are tied into how often you train. Even my answer benefits from more consistent training, which boils down to freedom. For the first time in my memory, I felt free when I ran. In the beginning, it was just fleeting moments of freedom from the world before the burning feeling crept into your muscle fibers and lungs. But the more I ran, the longer that feeling lasted on my runs. Now, long runs are my favorite type of workout, and being in the best shape I can be in, only helps me feel that feeling of freedom for that much longer.
CS: What expectations did you have for your experience in working with Spewak Training? Have we exceeded those expectations?
TK: I was coming over from spending several years training with a running club for club target races and doing group setting workouts. My only expectation was that I would go from a workout designed for everyone, to one designed with my desires/weaknesses/strengths in mind. And, yes, I would say Sunday afternoons are spent eagerly anticipating my weekly training plan. So, while my expectation of services has been met, I’d say the quality of service from a coaching and communication perspective has been greatly exceeded. I am always quick to praise the program to anyone willing to listen.
CS: Throughout the pandemic, many people on our team excelled despite there being no races to train for. You are a shining example of someone who has put the work in this past year and is now seeing positive results. Can you explain how the pandemic motivated your running?
TK: I’ve always just enjoyed the process of training and maybe setting some personal goals with fitness for myself. Races getting cancelled didn’t bother me at all. I’m sure there could be some silver lining in how the pandemic may have positively made an impact on my running, but it was largely business as usual for my running and my training plans. If anything, it just confirmed many of the reasons why I may love the sport and the benefits of running.
CS: As we look forward into 2021 and beyond, what goals do you have for yourself?
TK: I just want to be capable of running healthy for the rest of the year and grow our running community locally. I do have an “A” goal and a “B” goal for my marathon in 2021. I know if I just sacrifice enough, if I work hard enough, that I can accomplish my “A” goal of breaking 2:45 at CIM. Same for the 5K, I hate the 5K but I just want to break 18 minutes. It’s such a comparatively “slow” time if you base it off my current marathon PR and that makes it all the more frustrating to me. Mere seconds away from it, and it taunts me every time I think of my last attempt. Ugh…5K’s are dumb.
CS: I love this question. What is something interesting about you?
TK: By the time I was 25, I was a published poet, owned my own home, pulled a lady from an auto accident while watching her husband pass away before us, traveled alone to foreign countries, drove from the east coast to the west coast and from the southern border to the northern border while visiting over 35 states in the lower 48. I’ve also climbed 650’ up a tower on NYE at midnight, just to change a lightbulb. While all of that is 100% true, I say it to just show how anyone can seem more interesting on paper than how they are in reality. Comparison truly is the thief of joy. Ultimately, I don’t think there’s really anything too interesting about myself; but I do have plenty of stories from a lifetime ago.
*Spewak Training is currently taking on new athletes. If you are interested in learning more about our team and services, please contact us mark@spewaktraining.com*
