Kevin Krisle, age 51 of Knoxville, Tennessee, is a consultant after a career in golf management and has settled down in the Cleveland, Ohio area. Running for nearly 10 years, he began to improve personal health. Starting his journey by running for charity for St. Jude’s hospital, now he is part of a running club through Fleet Feet, a running apparel store, and RunWithTheWinners in Cleveland. He discusses the sense of support and camaraderie through RunWithTheWinners specifically, and how it has provided an outlet of like-minded people. Krisle speaks of not needing music while he runs, enjoying taking in the natural environment and using running to adapt to new surroundings. Furthermore, he credits seeing friends racing and training programs with giving him the confidence to train for his first half marathon. He speaks to how running during the pandemic actually contributed to a sense of normalcy, and how now he is focusing on consistency over the ‘peaks and valleys’ of training for a specific goal. Finally, Krisle touches on the accessibility the Cleveland Metroparks provide for running and finding pride in sharing the sport with loved ones.
“So for me, whenever I go to a different part of town, I always like to see, ‘is there a good running place over there?,’ and maybe just pack the running clothes just in case.“
Date: February 8th, 2024
Keywords: Running | Cleveland | St. Jude | Personal Health | Fleet Feet | RunWithTheWinners | Training Programs | Metroparks
Transcript
Hannah Clark: This is an oral history interview for the South Carolina Honors College thesis project, More than the Mileage: Finding Community and a Sense of Place through Recreational Distance Running, documenting the perspectives and experiences of recreational distance runners. This is Hannah Clark, the date is February 8th, 2024, and today I’m interviewing Kevin Krisle virtually via Zoom. I’m in Columbia, South Carolina, and Kevin is in Parma Heights, Ohio. Would you start by giving me your full name and spelling it for me?
Kevin Krisle: Sure. Kevin Krisle. Last name is K-R-I-S-L-E.
HC: Awesome. We’re going to start with some background. How old are you?
KK: 51.
HC: Awesome. Where were you born, and if different, where do you currently reside?
KK: Let’s see, I was born in Nashville, Tennessee, but really raised in Knoxville, Tennessee, have lived all over the country, and currently in Cleveland, Ohio.
HC: Nice. Tell me a little bit about your family.
KK: Great family that I love very much. Mom and dad are still with us and active, they reside in Knoxville, Tennessee, and I’ve got a brother- I’m the oldest of three kids. I’ve got a brother that’s in Atlanta, Georgia, and my sister is in Knoxville, Tennessee. She’s also younger and married with my two nephews, both boys…
HC: Awesome.
KK: …that keep everyone entertained.
HC: What is your current role or occupation?
KK: Current role is consultant. My background is in golf management. For 20 years, I’ve run professional golf tournaments, which is what’s made me move around all over the country quite a bit. But, when my last role wrapped up in Cleveland, I didn’t want to move anymore, so I’ve settled into helping people from afar, and also doing some event work with the Cleveland Guardians, the baseball team here in Cleveland.
HC: Nice. How long have you been a runner?
KK: That is a good question. I don’t know really how to answer that, other than I would say, not as long as my age. Let’s see. I’d say really just the past 10 years, seriously. I mean, growing up I was always an athlete, but always in team sports, and I’d run a couple of 5Ks as part of the community and whatnot, but it wasn’t really until I was close to 40 that I decided to kind of take up running as a way to stay fit, and ended up developing a love for it, which I never thought would be the case, and kind of just continued that for about a decade I would say.
HC: Okay. What or who inspired this start in the running?
KK: I would say it was a couple things. Number one, from a personal health standpoint, and turning 40, and realizing I needed to do something, because my weight was just going up and up and up. And one of the things that sparked it, I was living in Memphis, Tennessee, and if you know anything about Memphis, they have great food down there, but none of it is healthy. So anyone that moves to Memphis gains a quick 20 pounds, and I’m like, something has to change here. And you’re starting to reach that age where you actually care about some of that stuff, so I’m like, ‘I have to do something,’ and I was old enough where team sports were out of the question, so [I did] a little bit of running. And then fortunately I was very involved with St. Jude, the charity, the hospital, and they do a number of fundraisers and a number of running events that support them. So I started to sign up for a couple of those events that were supporting St. Jude, which was special to me. So kind of personal health, and then finding some bit of meaning to attach to some of it, is sort of what I guess led to my interest in running and then finding ways to stay involved.
HC: Yeah, definitely. That makes sense. If you have one, tell me about the group that you run with.
KK: Well, that was something I never really did until kind of coming to Cleveland, I guess. And so let’s say if I run about four days a week, I’m somebody that I like to do things a little- I need variables and things that change, I can’t do just the same thing every day. And most of the time I had run solo, but always different routes, trail running, road running, just introduce different things into it to keep it fresh. And then social media has made all this much easier, to find different groups, or see different groups that advertise. So, one day I just kind of started going to this- two groups I would say, one is Fleet Feet, a running store here in Cleveland, host group runs kind of on a monthly basis, and I started going to those, and they were pub runs downtown, so it introduced a new route, good group of community, and they did some fun events afterwards, whether it be raffles, or games, or just food and drink, so that was fun. And then through that, I ended up meeting a couple other people that have their own running groups on different days, on a weekly basis, or really even twice a week, and that’s a group called RunWithTheWinners here, which is a pretty diverse group, here locally, and has really grown in the last three or four years. I mean, I used to go on Tuesday nights and there might be 15 to 20 people, and now you go and there’s 150 folks. And again, it’s just everyone runs at their own pace, there’s no pressure to do anything. Yes, there’s a route you can follow, but you can also just run your own, and then meet back at the place. But again, it was just another way to log those miles and have it make it not seem so monotonous as doing the same thing every day. So I don’t go every week, but I know they’re there, and when I’m free, and it works for my schedule, I’ll join ’em and it’s fun.
HC: Yeah, for sure. Can you describe to me how you feel, personally, when you run?
KK: Most of the time, I would say relaxed. It’s kind of the time of the day that you can, you know, just be with your own thoughts, and own enjoyment, and away from- if you can just leave behind whatever stresses or anything else you might have in your life when you go out for the run and just kind of take that time for yourself, whether it be meditative, relaxed, or just get into your own thoughts and keep ’em positive, that’s traditionally what I do. And whether it be daydreaming out there, or thinking of a fun thing that [you] might have coming up, or just gaining a sense of clarity on issues you may have in your life, is usually what I’m thinking about out there. And for whatever reason, and I used to hear this all the time, but never believed it when I wasn’t running, a lot of times the first mile or two is the hardest, from just kind of your own, ‘how do you feel,’ muscle-wise and everything else, and then once you get past that second or third mile, you just start to feel, at least for me, I just feel better and feel like you can kind of go all day, even though I don’t. But anyway, I guess that’s how I feel. Somedays that first mile or two muscle-wise can be good, but especially if the weather’s nice, it’s just great to be outdoors and in your own thoughts.
HC: Yeah, for sure. Speaking of being outside, how do you feel connected to your surroundings when running?
KK: I feel very connected to my surroundings. In fact, I don’t run with music, which is completely the opposite of what I would think about myself, or how I grew up running, I probably always had to have music, but I’ve never needed it, never like it, I think because I’m just so in tune with my surroundings, I just enjoy the natural noises. And then a lot of times I do run on the road, and I like to be cognizant of what’s happening with the traffic and cars, but. We also- and again, I’ve recently moved, but for the previous five years, I did live in just a beautiful part of town, where it was just- the scenery was fantastic and you could just get lost in your own sights and sounds, and I’m adapting to the new place. It’s a little more urban, maybe not quite as scenic, but still plenty of trails, plenty of parks to run in, so I’ve always felt connected to where I am. I also feel it’s a great way for me, without the music and whatnot- some of my favorite runs are in new cities or just new areas because running is just a great way to get to know the town, or see things that you may not see in a car, or however else you’re getting around, but kind of a great way to get to know the area that you’re in.
HC: Yes, for sure. Does this feeling of connection change when you run in your hometown or other places you’ve lived before, compared to now?
KK: Well, I don’t know. I mean it definitely- you’ll have to tell me if I answer the question, but I don’t know that it changes, per se, but I definitely think- when I’m somewhere- when you’re in your hometown, and you’re going on routes you do all the time, you can lose a little focus, and you’ve just seen it all, you’ve done all that. But when I am somewhere new, I definitely find myself a little more hyper focused. And like I just said, it’s just a great way to get to know the area that you’re in, whether it be to get to know different trails directionally, or, if you’re out on the roads just seeing restaurants, or homes, or dogs, or people, and again, if you’re not in an area that you know as well, all those senses are kind of new to you, so I do feel like I’m a little more hyper alert in places that maybe I’m new to running in, rather than the ones I’ve done many, many times.
HC: No, for sure. That makes total sense. Going back to the group aspect, how do you feel connected to others when you run, when you’re in that group run?
KK: I feel probably- so the group we’re in, everyone really does go at their own pace. So a lot of times, I am running by myself, but there’s people all around and you are running, moving in a big blob. And so at night- because once a week we meet at night, and you do probably feel a little safer, when you’re running at night, especially in the wintertime when the sun’s down, and it’s a little darker out, so there is that sense of safety in numbers and moving as a group when you’re running around. And I will say too, if you pass someone or you’re passed by someone, it’s always nice to hear that, you know, ‘looking good’ or ‘doing great,’ ‘keep it up,’ ‘need anything,’ that kind of sense of camaraderie. But, really for me, the reason I enjoy it, is the before-camaraderie, and after-the-run-camaraderie of just being around, like-minded [people] in the sense that you all enjoy running, but meeting new people, and coming together, because again, at 51, I’m one of the older ones in this group, everyone’s got a different background, so it’s just been a great way to meet some new people and obviously there’s a common interest there, so there’s always something to talk about.
HC: For sure. In that same sense, how would you describe the difference between running alone and running with the group? I know that the group might be a little more solo, but everyone’s together, do you feel any distinction between those?
KK: And again, early on in my running career, I needed the group, or to sign up for a race, just to get to the finish line. I mean, I couldn’t just step outside my house and do a 5K unless I knew I was being timed and it was going to be posted. I needed that motivation just to get to the finish line. Nowadays- What was the question again? Sorry.
HC: Just, how would you describe your feelings when running solo versus running in a group?
KK: So now, I think for me, having that- I find myself, I usually run a little quicker when I’m with the group, probably because you’re just trying to keep up with others or that group in front of you, and I feel like the miles can click by a little quicker when you’re in a large group, and it just doesn’t seem as monotonous, especially if you’re used to running alone. And again, I appreciate that. I mean, I appreciate both, but it’s nice to have that variety, and if you are going to run alone two or three days a week, that one day a week to do something different, and it almost makes it feel like it’s not a run day because you’ve got others helping you to carry you through the run, so to speak. So it definitely helps.
HC: For sure. Speaking of the group run, can you describe to me the experience of training for a race or an event, whether that was with a group or solo?
KK: Sure. And again, for me, so, really one of the things- as I started to get into running- in 2015- so I’d never run more than a 10K, in my life, until 2015, I decided to sign up for a half marathon. Primarily because, well, I had a little bit of an interest I would say, but as other groups of my friends got into running, specifically your dad, who might’ve been running marathons and all these other things, it made me feel like these feats were actually achievable by people that, you know, I knew and was familiar with. So I’d decided to sign up, but anything that I do, I wanted to understand what I needed to do, because my only real goal was to run the whole time, not to have to stop and walk. I just want to know I can start and finish and do the full thing. And with that, I realized talking to people that have run marathons and whatnot, that there are all these training programs and plans out there to follow. So I found one for the half marathon, and followed it pretty strictly, just thinking that plan is going to enable me to get from point A to point B and accomplish what I’m trying to do, without a real time goal in mind or anything. So I think for me, especially doing that race the first time, it just gave me the confidence that if I could keep up with this training plan, it’s going to help me accomplish that goal come race day. And sure enough, that’s exactly what happened, and it gave me great confidence moving forward. And from there just kind of took it and then maybe challenged myself a little more with the goals, ‘okay now that you know you can do that, let’s see if you can do it in this amount of time’ and kind of set your goals that way, but always kind of following those training programs. And then, as you kind of run enough, you just kind of realize what works for you, and what motivates you to do it, so that’s really what- I mean, the training programs helped me immensely, really just build confidence, especially as someone who’d never done it before.
HC: For sure. Can you describe to me how the pandemic affected your running journey?
KK: I would say it helped it. It helped a lot because I am not a treadmill runner, and not a fitness-center-indoor-person runner. I’m an outdoor runner, and during the pandemic, that seemed to be one of the things you could actually do. And so for an hour a day, I was able to get outside and live normally, and not be cooped up and get your exercise, and see things, and you pass other people and see folks. And then as people learned a little bit more about Covid and what you could and couldn’t do, it was a great way to meet up with other people in a group and run together and socialize, which a lot of people were struggling with at that time. And the other thing, that everyone kind of had during Covid, was more free time than they thought, because whether it be you weren’t going into an office, a lot of people weren’t working period. So you just had more free time, ‘oh, you were at home,’ that’s it. So you had more time on your hands, which allowed you, you know, the time to find that hour to go outside and go for a run, and being outside was one of the things you could actually do. So, it actually helped my enjoyment of running, and that’s really the first year I probably started to see how much I actually ran and found a fitness tracker that would log your miles for the year, and kind of set goals on a yearly basis instead of a weekly or monthly thing, so it actually helped my running for sure, and enjoyment of it. So that was great.
HC: Yeah, that’s awesome. Speaking of tracking and making those yearly goals, broadly, how has your relationship with distance running or your running journey changed throughout your time participating?
KK: And again, I don’t know that I really consider myself a long distance runner so much, depending on what you define as long, but-
HC: Not long, just recreational runner, let’s go [with that].
KK: That’s a good question. I don’t know that it has changed too much, other than, like I said, if you just treat it as the last 10 years, I mean, I definitely started with a goal of maybe finishing a half marathon, and then once I got the confidence to do that, kind of running one a year. But then, for me, it’s more about just that personal exercise and like I said, enjoyment of being able to get outside and having the time to yourself to think and just step away from whatever else might be going on, and find that own personal health and exercise space. And therefore for me, it’s not so much about peaks and valleys of training and stopping. I just maintain, and really just kind of consistently go out there, every week, and do kind of my standard runs, and that’s really helped me. So I think from growing from that kind of first half marathon, where it might’ve been more peaks and valleys, to lean into, just really the last five years, of finding that consistent zone of what I just do every week, and try to stay as consistent to that as I can, which, then does help knock off, ‘Hey, I know if I run, you know, 25 miles a week, I’m going to do a hundred miles a month,’ which will cross the thousand miles a year goal, is kind of the way I look at it, and just staying consistent to that is what I find helps me and what I enjoy.
HC: For sure. Excuse me. Can you tell me a little bit about your routes that you run or if you have any favorite ones?
KK: Yeah, sure. Well, I like different ones, obviously a couple things. Yes, I have a number of routes just from my front door, because I love running without having to travel to go to the run, and that just takes too much time, if you can just leave your front door and do it, boom, you’re done. But I’ve got a number of different routes I can take. Most of those are urban, or on road running and on streets, but there is one kind of greenway trail that I can be on within a half mile. And then likewise, I also tried to- like I said, I like variables, between road and trail. There are two or three great trail runs I can take within 10 minutes of me. And then likewise, because I try to vary things, and because, maybe as a consultant or someone that does different things, I’ll find myself in different parts of town, regularly, or at least once a week, so I will plan ahead, and either before or after I’m done with my obligation in that part of town, I’ll do my run in that area. So whether I’m downtown, which I love the Cleveland downtown routes, and that’s kind of where the running group is, or on the east side, west side or the other thing- Cleveland. Maybe the best part of Cleveland, relative to other cities, is they do a great job- they have what’s called the Cleveland Metroparks, which there might be what, 20 of ’em in town? But they’re really beautiful spaces that they’ve reserved for parks. Many of ’em have asphalt trails, you can take our paths, greenways, and others are natural surface trails, but for hiking, walking, horseback riding, whatever, but they’re great for running, and they just make for a great safe space for running that are different. And because there’s what, 20 metroparks in town, you’re always sort of near one, and so going to one of those to run, I really enjoy. So today’s a perfect example. So today talking to you, then I’ve got a one o’clock golf tee time, at a place 20 minutes away, and it’s a golf course we’ve never played before, but, two minutes from the golf course is a Metropark. So I’m bringing my running clothes, so after golf, going to hit the trails and my flashlight, and do this new Metropark trail run just to experience something a little different. So for me, whenever I go to a different part of town, I always like to see, ‘is there a good running place over there?,’ and maybe just pack the running clothes just in case.
HC: Yeah, there you go. It’s perfect for today.
KK: Yeah.
HC: How should I phrase this? What advice would you give to a runner just starting out?
KK: You know, don’t quit, and find what works for you. Because like I said, I was never a runner, and never really would think I would enjoy running. And when I first- kind of as I was turning 40, and like I said, living in Memphis and when I was trying to find what is going to work for me from a health standpoint, I don’t think I could run a hundred yards from my driveway just to the end of the street. But, I had a goal of running a 5K to help the charity that I supported, and wanted to do that race and do that run. And if you just stick with it, whether you walk the three miles, run, walk, whatever it is, just go a little bit further. Not every day, but every week. And it’s okay to build in rest days. You don’t have to go out there every day and run five miles, in fact, that’s probably not good for you. So it’s really just set goals that work for you, and expand them over time, and don’t quit no matter how hard or bad you think it is or you are, you will get- it’s just like anything, if you do it, you’re going to get better and you just kind of have to stick with it.
HC: Oh yeah.
KK: And also, like I said, don’t get caught up in what other people are doing. Find what works for you. I mean, I’m not the fastest, and I don’t run the farthest, but I’ve kind of found what works for me and what I enjoy and what I’ll stick with. So that’s what’s worked for me.
HC: No, that’s perfect. Personally, how do you foresee your running journey progressing as you move into the future, if at all?
KK: Well, I like to just- I mean hopefully, just continue doing what I continue [to] do now, and maintain. Obviously, my future isn’t as long as some others that are still younger, and I’m definitely reaching that age where the decline is probably going to start sooner rather than later, relative to speed and everything else. So, try to stay as healthy and injury free as possible, but also continue to find those- continue to sign up for an event, and hopefully new events, that you can enjoy doing in the future. And I will say too, as I reach this stage, one thing that’s fun for me is destination races, or places that you can do a vacation around some fun event too. So I think for me, those are probably them- instead of just the local 5Ks, are there beautiful vacation spots or places you haven’t been that also have a running event that you can take advantage of to encourage you to go to that spot? And those are always fun.
HC: Yeah, definitely. Thanks for sharing that. If you can think of a time, can you tell me about a time you felt proud to participate in a running group or organization?
KK: Proud in a running group? Well, I think, I was proud of myself just for going the first time, that’s always hard, especially if you don’t know anybody in the group. So just showing up might [make me proud] of myself. But I think more so, if anything, I’ve taken some pride from the- like I said, so I’ve run a few races and supported and raised money for St. Jude, and that always makes me feel good, not just about myself, but about the charity and about St. Jude, and then also about my friends and family and those that are willing to support and send money to donate on that behalf. So, I think if anything, that’s the pride I’ve taken. And then the other thing I would say to that is the enjoyment I get from others that I’m running with, especially maybe if I’ve helped encourage them to come. So you mentioned family at the beginning, one of my- and again, my sister is probably one of the ones that kind of challenged me or gave me this belief to be a runner. So again, she’s seven years younger, so when I left for college, she was in the fifth grade, and I never went back home. So you’ll probably experience some of this with Tommy [my younger brother] where your whole life, you’re going to remember him as 10-year-old Tommy, especially, depending on where you start living and all that stuff. So Whitney’s [Kevin’s sister] always kind of been 10 in my mind, but when I was in college, I came home at one point and we ran- she and I ran together the big Knoxville running 10K, and there’s a photograph of us running together, that’s just always been in my bedroom at home, and so that memory just always sticks with you. But then after she graduated college, she went on to run three or four different marathons, and she was never the ‘athlete’ of the family, but she was by far the best runner in the family, and that was always amazing to me. And then that gave me some- so taking pride in watching her do that. And now, with my partner Kelly, who comes to the running events with me, because she’s got a busy life and a busy schedule, and she can’t find the time all the time to do it and be there, but when she and I do go out together, it’s great. I mean, you just find pride in them enjoying what they like to be doing too. So it’s more about, for me, I find pride in what other people are doing that are close to me, but I’ve been proud to raise some money for charity and those are the people again too, that I get inspired by folks that run for a cause too- that almost anyone that’s run, almost everyone’s done that [run for a charity] at least once. And that’s always- I find that to be one of the great things about this community
HC: For sure. That’s awesome. And then this is my last question, I feel like you’ve given a great summary of it so far, but how overall has running impacted your life?
KK: I would say, it’s made me healthier. A, number one, it’s made me healthier from when I picked it up, from what I was doing at that time, to what I’m doing now, you know, 10, 11 years later. It’s made me healthier. It’s probably given me a sense of confidence, a little bit more, and then it’s just added to my social life as well. So I’d say those three things maybe in that order are probably what running has done most for me, and kept me sane during Covid.
HC: There you go. That’s important too. Well, that is all I have question-wise. Just wanted to say thank you again for your time and participating in this project.