Girl Hero Jen

Girl Hero Jen is a bad azz.

She is a wife, proud mother of three girls, 2 time Ironman finisher (2.4 mi swim, 112bike, 26.2 mi run),  3 time New York City Marathon finisher and an Inline Skate Marathon finisher.  In 2009, she competed in her first Xterra off road triathlon and her first adventure race.   In total she has completed over 65 smaller distance road races and/or tri’s and she is only 40 years old.  Told ya.  BAD. AZZ.

Despite her impressive racing resume she is humble and loves helping others reach their goals.  In 2003, Jen and her husband, Clint, started a multi-sport team, The Shoreline Sharks, to support athletes of all ages and abilities achieve their competitive goals.  Read on to find out from Jen what it’s really like to finish an Ironman and why fat is the other “F” word.

What does it feel like to complete an Ironman?  I can’t even imagine and I want to live vicariously through you!
It is an amazing experience.  The first is like any other first in life.  You have feelings of nervousness, trepidation and insecurity.  If you’re lucky, there is someone special in your life who has guided you up to race day in such a way that you also have feelings of confidence and excitement. Race morning you wake up early around 4:30 am. You have to eat breakfast now so that you can digest before the race starts at 7am.  You have already racked your bike the night before and your transition bags are in the transition area full of anything you may need. After I eat, I like to sit quietly and visualize my race.  I go through the whole thing in my mind from start to finish. You go get body marked where race volunteers write your race number on your upper arms and your age on your left calf.  This is to identify each athlete. Most people have wetsuits on in the swim so you will also have your number written on your swim cap to identify you. You give a quick check on your bike which has been sitting in transition overnight.  You pump up your tires and fill your aero drink bottle.  You will also take off your morning clothes leaving just your swimsuit on.  I usually have a family member there to take my clothes back to the hotel room. The music is blasting from the swim start, everyone is there, and the crowd is huge!!!   It’s a final potty stop before the race begins then you walk over to the swim start.  You kiss your loved ones good bye and they wish you good luck. Only athletes are allowed in this area of the start. You put on your wetsuit, your cap and get a good seal on your goggles.  Some people are already wadding into the water, including me.  I like to get wet before the race starts. Then as you’re floating in the water in a lake of 2200 strangers, someone is singing the “Star Spangled Banner”, then there is a moment of silence and then BOOOOOM… the cannon goes off.  All the butterflies fly away and it’s pure adrenaline.  There is nothing you can imagine like the mass swim start in an Ironman.

Swim start at the 2008 Lake Placid Ironman

There are hands and feet flying everywhere. People have had their goggles kicked off, lost their chip timing straps and gotten black eyes.  I’ve been swum over and pulled backward under water.  You come out of the water after swimming 1.2 miles and head back in for your second loop. As you approach the swim exit you cross over the timing mat (this is your actual time from the start of the race).  Race volunteers called “strippers” are waiting to strip your wetsuit off of you.  This is a BIG time saver because a wetsuit is difficult and time consuming to take off.  You lie down on your back and get “stripped”. The volunteer hands you your wetsuit and then you take a brief jog to the transition area to get changed and ready for the 112 mile bike. The changing tent is crowded with other female athletes all trying to make quick work of getting dry clothes onto a wet body.  Thankfully, again there are volunteers on hand to help.  I change into my dry clothes put on my bike shoes, sunglasses and helmet.  I fasten my race belt with my number attached and I run out of the ten to my bike rack.  I walk my bike to the mounting line where I get on and prepare for a long ride.

Ironman Lake Placid Ride

As I come through town after the first loop of the bike I pick up my special needs bag at mile 56.  I grab a couple of snacks and keep on going.  The crowd is so big that it’s 4 people deep in some areas.  People are cheering all kinds of things at you and you feel like you’re in the Tour De France for a moment.  I hear my name and see “my girls”.  It’s a rush and they yell, “GO MOMMY GO!!!!”  I yell, “I LOVE YOU!!”  Off I go for 56 more miles.  Finally you come into T2 and you just never want to see that bike again. A volunteer takes you bike from you and they re-rack it.  You go and retrieve your “run” bag and head into the tent again.  I usually change my shorts and socks.  I put my running shoes on, I replace my helmet with a visor and now I go run a marathon.  The marathon is also a two loop course.  If you have planned your nutrition properly, you’ll be feeling good knowing that it’s just 26.2 more miles and you’re done.  As the sun goes down race officials are driving the course handing out glow necklaces.  The course is mostly closed to traffic but there may be sections of one lane traffic opened up.  It’s a bizarre feeling running down an unknown street, in an unknown town in the dark and you’re hearing the breathing, and huffing of other runners.  You also hear conversations between newly made friends going on around you.  Athletes sharing what kind of day they have had so far.  Strangers telling each other that they will finish and be an Ironman today.  The shuffling of so many feet all with one thing in mind at that point…the finish line. Where the music is blasting and the MC is calling out names of finishers in the distance.  You can see the bright lights and hear the crowds of spectators ringing their cow bells, blowing their horns and clapping the loudest clapping you’ve ever heard. All for YOU!  You can see the pride in strangers faces as you run down the finish chute.  Adults and children holding out their hands for high-fives, saying they could NEVER do that.  If they tried they could. As you cross the finish line the MC announces your name and says “YOU ARE AN IRONMAN”.  It feels FAAAANTASTIC!  Now you know anything is possible.

Do ever have moments when you are racing when you feel like you can’t keep going?  If so, how do you push through?
This is such a common occurrence, for so many reasons.  Especially in longer distance races when you hit the wall. Your body is SO depleted of glycogen, electrolytes, water, sodium, etc…all the elements that keep our bodies balanced.  You can be an elite athlete but if your body is out of balance it WILL shut you down.  Weather can be a factor too.

Ironman Lake Placid Run

I’ve raced 140.6 miles in the pouring rain and that was more of a mental race than a physical one for me.  My hands were pruney (like when you’ve been in a bath for too long). I just wanted to GET DRY!!  In the Ironman, the company of strangers helps keep me going.  There are usually several athletes around you moving at the same pace as the night goes on and the sun sets. Talking to other athletes out there helps to pass the time. Nutrition is another important factor and getting it right is just as important.  If you take in too much, you’ll be puking on the side of the road.  If you take in too little, you’ll get dizzy and find yourself sitting on the ground with the world around you spinning.  When I did Ironman Florida in 2003 this happened to me at mile 2 of the 26.2 run.  The medical volunteers didn’t want me to continue.  I said, “I have to finish this race!!.”  They gave me some chicken broth and put ice under my hat, in my shirt and on my legs and made me sit there in the road for 15 minutes.  That was hard because other athletes were going by me.  I felt like I was losing time.  My blood pressure was elevated and I was dehydrated.  My electrolytes and sodium were also depleted.  I know now, that I didn’t drink enough on the 112 mile bike.  My Gatorade was warm and totally disgusting from the hot Florida sun.  I couldn’t stomach it and that decision came back to bite me.  Luckily, my body and mind fought back and I was able to get up and walk.  It’s all about moving forward.  Eventually, I was even able to run again.  Lesson learned, hydrate, hydrate, hydrate on the bike.

What is a typical week’s worth of workouts like when you are training for an Ironman?
Well, for all the Ironman North America events you are required to sign up a full year prior to the race.  The events sell out sometimes within 2 hours.  Most people will hire a coach about 8 months out from the race.  I like having a schedule because I know exactly what I have to do. Swim 2-3 times a week.  Bike 3 times a week and run 3-4 times a week.  Most coaches like you to strength train a couple times a week as well.  The swim is 2000-4000 yards depending on how close you are to the race.  Sometimes you do swim drills which break up the work-out and sometimes you’ll swim straight through the set.  The bike, I love!!!  I’m very comfortable in aero position and I do alright on the hills.  I’m not afraid of the downhill either which looses time for many people because they hit the brakes.  I like to make up time there and take advantage of it.  Each week I have at least one distance ride which will eventually be as long as 6 ½ hours outside.  Running is my challenge because I’ve had a foot injury for 2 ½ years. My running days are broken up into a long run (up to 3 hours), a tempo run (to help build speed) and moderate/recovery run.  60-90 minutes is normal. I also do brick workouts. Brick workouts are when you combine 2 of the 3 disciplines in one workout. It helps your muscles get used to the transition that you’ll do on race day.  At this point in training and 4 months out from the race a brick would be a 2 1/2 hour bike followed by a 30 minute run.

Do you ever struggle with “excuses” when it’s time to workout? If so how you get past them?
Oh my gosh…doesn’t everyone?  Yes, I totally do. Getting out the door is the hardest part of the workout.  But sometimes those are the days that you have the best workout.  Sometimes I’ll procrastinate around the house before I check the clock and finally get my butt out there.  I prefer to get my workout in when the kids are in school because as the day goes on, it gets harder to find time between homework, play dates, dinner, and extra curricular activities.  With an Ironman on the agenda, it’s a given that you BETTER do your training or your race will suffer.

How do you eat to fuel your long workouts?
Unless I’m working out 2 hours or more, I eat and drink normally.  If my workout is over 2 hours, I’ll have some extra carbs the night before or in the morning prior to my workout.  I’ll also use electrolyte replacement drinks like Gatorade or Gu2o instead of plain water.  During my workout I’ll use gels for fuel.  They give you instant carbs that are easily digested to keep going.

Your husband races too, right?  Do you train together?

Yes, my husband Clint also races.  He takes good care of me. I never have to worry about tuning up my bike or cleaning it.  I always have new tubes and tires ready to go for race day.  My tires are pumped up and all my equipment is in perfect working order. If I need anything he makes sure I have it.  Lately we’ve been able to get some training in together.  We have our racing bikes set up in our spin studio so we can ride together.  I like that because he’ll wear the watch and keep track of timing and the set we’re working on.  When we run together he’s a wonderful Sherpa and carries the fluid or offers to carry my gloves, shirt or help me in any way possible.  Training with him is the reason I’ve gotten faster and PR’d (personal record) so many races lately.  He pushes me… I say, “Shut up” and he pushes me more.  At the time I hate the process but I really like the outcome.    No one knows me better than he does.  He’s my biggest fan.

I’m curious…how did you meet?  Were you both already racing?
We have been together since 1988.  I was a senior in high school and Clint was a freshman in college. I was at the mall with a friend and saw this hot guy standing in front of a trendy clothing store. I said to my friend, “I’m going in there!!.”  NOT to shop but to talk to the hot guy.  We talked, I gave him my phone number, he called, we went out and the rest is history.  AND YES, I did skip over the good parts.  Neither of us were doing triathlon at the time although he was familiar with the Hawaii Ironman World Championship because his mom had always dreamed of doing it.  P.S.  She achieved her dream in 2005.

Do you get nervous before the race?
I do. The day and night before are a bit nerve wracking.  I’m going over and over my clothing choices and other stuff that I’ll need or want in the race.  It’s all laid out on my bed in front of me. I’m planning what I’ll be wearing for each leg of the race and making sure my bike is in order.  There is always a catered welcome dinner for the Ironman athletes and their families.  This is two nights before the race which is cool because they show video of past years. The MC is fantastic and he really gets everyone pumped up to race. They call up on stage the oldest and youngest competitors and then have the elder giver the youngster a word of advice.  It’s always very witty. It’s held two nights before the race because athletes are eating an early dinner and going to bed early the night before the race. On race morning, you just have to tell yourself that you’ve done your training and you have to take what the day gives you.  Some things will be out of your control, like the weather or how many flat tires you get.  Once the race starts, it’s all good.  It’s what you’ve been working for.

What is XTERRA and adventure racing?  I’ve never heard of them.

XTERRA Schiff Scout 2009 where Jen won her age group

XTERRA is an “off road” triathlon.  It still consists of swim, bike and run but you’re doing it in the woods usually.  Sometimes there are groomed trails and sometimes there are rock beds, rivers to cross (carrying your bike overhead) and cliffs to navigate as in the XTERRA Nationals. Adventure racing is a bit more intense.  It requires map skills and compass use to find check points (C.P.’s) in the woods.  Each check point has a “point’s value” and you need to acquire a specific number of points to move on to the next leg of the race. It is a timed race so you want to move quickly and NOT get lost. The more difficult a C.P. is to get to, the more points value it has.  At each C.P. you punch a card to verify that you were there.  The adventure race that I did started on mountain bikes.  We had our water proof map bags with our map, our compasses, C.P. cards and all of our nutrition and fluids on us.  You never know how long you’ll be out on the course.  I hit some rocks and took a horrible fall over the handle bars of my bike.  My handle bar nearly impaled my leg but didn’t break the skin.  I still have a slight indentation on my thigh 7 months later.  The injury made it really hard to continue but I was part of a Co-Ed team of 2 and couldn’t let my partner/husband down.  After we acquired enough points we came back to base to check in.  Our C.P.’s were verified and then we were off to kayak on the lake.  After completing the kayak we went out on foot back into the woods to acquire more points and then it was a run to the finish.  It was fun and I would do it again even though I’m not a good map reader and next time I won’t cleat into my bike pedals.

How do you balance your responsibilities as a mother with your training?

It’s hard but you find a way.  Balance is my middle name. Luckily, my husband and I both do this so we understand what goes into it.  It’s a tag-team effort. On occasion, I let my oldest babysit for her sisters when I have a shorter workout scheduled.  My girls are also active with karate and soccer so they have their own commitments.  My oldest is in the drama club at school as well.  It takes some juggling but we have 2 cars and we make sure everyone gets to do what they want to do.  I’ve had to miss a workout for a holiday or because of general time constraints on the day but that’s life and it does get busy with 3 children.  My husband will take them to karate so I can workout or I’ll bring everyone to soccer with me so he can workout. My girls have grown up with mom and dad training, racing and going to the gym.  It’s what they know.  They’re very proud of us and they always ask how the race went if they aren’t there to see it. I love when they ask me “Did you win?”

As a mother of young girls, what are your feelings regarding body image? What are you doing to help them develop a healthy body image?
I think it’s very difficult to raise a girl in today’s media hyped society.  The graphic natures of the television shows that are on during the “family hours” are outrageous!!  The printed media is no better.  The glorification of “skinny” girls and air brushed actresses is really deceiving to young adolescent/tween girls.  It’s difficult to convey to a young girl that “those” women were sitting in a hair & make-up chair for 3 to 4 hours prior to being photographed.  Even then, if the editor in charge doesn’t think the woman looks good enough they will remove moles, wrinkles, stretch marks, freckles and any other unsightly “NORMAL” features of her with a computer.  It really is quite a joke.  NO ONE is perfect and yet there are hundreds of thousands of young girls starving themselves to fit into the latest fad jeans.  They are literally dying to be thin. My goal is to be positive about myself so my girls can copy that.  Children learn what they live…positive and negative.  All I can do is set a good example for them.  I don’t weigh myself in front of them and they never hear me say, “I think I’m fat.” FAT is the “other F word”.   I tell them to love themselves and that I love myself.  They see me exercise and go to the gym regularly to be active and fit, not to achieve a specific body type.  I’m short 5’1.5” and I’ve never been skinny.  I have always had an athletic body.  They see me eat well so that I can be healthy on the inside too.  I want to live a long life and see them get married and have babies.  I don’t deprive myself or them of anything.  I also never require them to clean their plate.  Food should be used as fuel. I don’t want my kid to be the one at the lunch table with the boiled egg because mom is hung up on eating SO healthy.  We have cut out high fructose corn syrup (which by the way, is in EVERYTHING).  It’s challenging to find items without it. I am a label reader when I grocery shop, for sure.  We also eat whole grains like brown rice and quinoa.  We put Flax meal in our yogurt and eat whole nuts for a good snack.  My girls love veggies and fruit too so I’m very lucky with that.  Eating is a lifestyle and snacking is ok and junk food is even ok in moderation.  I want them to have a healthy relationship with food.

What are you most proud of?

Ohhhhh, it may sound cliché, but I’m most proud of my girls.  I think I have the best kids in the world and I’m so proud to be their mommy everyday.  They’re my North, my South, my East and West.  My working week and my Sunday rest.  I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my little girlies! Whether they’re up on stage in a musical or throwing punches in karate, making the honor roll, or scoring goals on the soccer field they are awesome!  I think they like me pretty good too as evidenced by the flock of girls that overtakes me when I sit down on the couch.

What is your favorite part of racing?
Hehehe you mean besides seeing the finish line?  I love it when teammates are out on the course racing with me.  It’s a boost to see a familiar face or hear someone you know cheering you on.  Knowing that there are people supporting your efforts out there is very uplifting.  My next favorite part of racing is getting a PR.  That’s a great feeling that’ll last a few days.

Can you tell us a little about Shoreline Sharks?

I love talking about the Sharks.  My husband had an idea to start his own triathlon team so in 2003.  The team, Shoreline Sharks, was formed on my back porch with about 20 local athletes. We are the best multi-sport team in the galaxy!!!  We’re a group of CT athletes that mentor and motivate each other.  It’s such a friendly group of people. Personally, I love helping other people reach their goals. We currently have 150 members. Since its conception we’ve added Adventure racing, Inline skating and we even have an indoor Sharks soccer team.  We have 3 annual Sharks races.  In January we have a “Run from the Pack” 4 miler which is $5 to race and a $5 hand off to the “chase pack” as they run past you.  The proceeds go to charity.  Then we hold a free Fall Classic 20k in September and we host (inviting 2 other area tri teams) a free Half Marathon in March.  Sharks that aren’t racing come out to volunteer so we have aid stations for our races and they’re timed with bib numbers for accuracy.  All our races are always a great time. We have team meetings once a month and we hold an awards meeting every November to acknowledge each athlete’s achievements for the past season.  The team has sponsors who offer us great deals on everything from running shoes to wetsuits and everything in between. We have team gear that we race in and we hold group training rides and runs of all levels and abilities.  Our oldest member is 65 and has completed 3 Ironman and our youngest member is 7 and did her first 5k last year taking second place in her age group (my daughter).  If you live in CT you should check us out!

Do you have a Favorite Quote?
I have SO many.  “Face your fears and live your dreams”  “If it was easy everyone would be doing it”  “Suck it up princess”  “I can do anything for _____ minutes”  “The meaning of life is to live life”  “It doesn’t matter how slowly you go as long as you keep moving forward”  â€œYou can quit and no one will care but you’ll always know”

What are your goals for this year?
This year I have PR’d my half marathon distance by 6 minutes on a VERY hilly course.  So that’s a thrill!  My next goal is to PR my Ironman Lake Placid time.  I want to break 15 hours.  Again, it’s also a very hilly course. I LOVE HILLS! Or at least that’s what I’ll keep telling myself. After the Ironman people sometimes experience the “post Ironman blues”.  You’ve spent the better part of the past year training for this big event and then it’s just over. You ask yourself, what’s next?  You feel like you should be doing something with your time that was spent training so often.  This usually enters your mind after a week of rest following the race. Many athletes will sign up for the same race but for the following year.  Registration for the following year opens the day after the race.  It’s funny to hear the athletes in that registration line who said they’d NEVER do another Ironman.  I said the same thing after my first race.  But it’s a worthwhile goal to do another, a carrot on the stick of life.  Having a goal gives you that extra push to DO something, to train, to achieve something great.  Maybe something you never thought you could do.  If I can do it anyone can.

What motivates you?
I guess I’m motivated by the goal itself.  I’m motivated to do better than I have in the past.  I’ve always liked a good challenge.  It’s not easy but it’s worth it.

What advice would you give to a woman training for her first triathlon?
First, I’d say you can do anything you put your mind to. I tell my girls this everyday.  “Face your fears and live your dreams.”  I think the swim is the most threatening part of a tri for people. Open water makes many people nervous. Always get in and get your face wet prior to race start so it doesn’t shock you.

I know people who have experienced this and hyperventilated because of the cold water mixed with their adrenaline at race start. Whatever you do…DON’T panic in the water.  Most likely you’ll be wearing a wetsuit so just flip over onto your back and take some deep breaths.  Your wetsuit will allow you to  float while you concentrate on getting your breath back. When you’re swimming, JUST focus on the swim.  The same goes for biking and running.  Before you know it, you’re seeing the finish line. Oh yea…and remember to smile at the finish for your picture.  

Just for fun…if you could meet anyone in history who would it be?
WOW, I’ve never really though about that.  I’d like to meet Lance Armstrong.  I think he’s an inspirational athlete who has a great “never give up” attitude.  Most people don’t know that he’s a triathlete. I wouldn’t just want to meet him though, I’d want to bike and run with him to get some pointers. Keep an eye out for him to do Ironman Hawaii.  It’ll be happening very soon.

Any thing else you’d like to share?
I’m always helping to raise awareness for ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease).  I would love for people to visit this website and read about Jon “Blazeman” Blais. He is the only person to ever complete an Ironman with ALS.  He did so in The Ironman World Championship in Hawaii in 2005.  I’ve added the URL to watch a video of him in the race.  I promise you’ll never be the same after the 10 minutes it takes to watch it.  His picture should be in Webster’s Dictionary under the word “courageous”.  (Brent and I watched it you really don’t want to miss it.)

Is Jen not amazing!!!!   As I said, she loves helping others and even offered her email to GH readers who may have questions for or are seeking advice on anything to do with triathlons or an Ironman.  She can be reached at Zuzupetalz (at) comcast (dot) net Thank you so much Jen.  You are a Girl Hero!!!

Hugs and High Fives,
Jenn

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Tags: Girl Heroes, ironman, Motivation, Parenting, training, triathalons

About jennincat

I'm so happy you stopped by my little corner of the web where I write about fitness, food, and amazing women I "meet". I live in California with my wonderful husband and two rambunctious boys. I'm a personal trainer and dreamer. I enjoy most things but some of my favorites are reading, acting, camping, cooking, music, writing, traveling, and being in the moment with my favorite people! You can read more about me here! I hope you stop by often!

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