Dec
2
Predawn Profile – Jenny Jowdy
It’s often been said that to be a good runner you first have to be a good athlete. I think that Jenny Jowdy epitomizes this philosophy and, while her participation in organized sports and events hasn’t been that deep, it is clear from the types of workout she posts and the progress she has made in her running in a very short time that she is a naturally gifted athlete. Not only does she show her commitment to her fitness and running by getting out early, she’s the type who can motivate others to do the same. I hope you’ll find that kind of motivation from this interview, or from following her on Dailymile.
Jenny Jowdy shows her versatility as a runner, even taking on the mud.
Predawn Runner: You only recently came to running, correct? If I remember right, your first race and first marathon were both in 2009? What drew you to running?
Jenny Jowdy: Yeah, until 2008, I had no interest in running more than 3 miles. In fact, I had a couple friends train for a 2007 marathon and I swore up and down that they would.NE-VER.catch.me.running.one. I thought they were nuts…seriously. In 2008, I went with a buddy to watch her sister run her first marathon. I had never been to a race or experienced the excitement. We froze our A’s off for 5 hours but it was one of the most enjoyable/memorable experiences in my life. Watching complete strangers cross the finish line was so inspirational. I have no soul, so rarely cry (ha!) and I found myself wiping tears away, so proud of these men & women I had never met. That was it. I decided right then that I’d train to be a runner. That was October 2008 and my first 1/2 marathon was May 2009. Realized I was halfway trained, so signed up for The Columbus full. October 2009 was my first marathon, and I’m such an addict now.
PR: Based on your overall approach to fitness, I’m guessing you were an athlete before you were a runner, is this right?
JJ: Eh, kind of, I guess. Gymnastics was my thing as a kid and I think it laid a good foundation for coordination. I played sports (even ran track) in high school but nothing in college and never really considered myself an athlete after that. My track days were all sprinting, though–nothing over 400m. Try-out for the track team consisted of a 5 mile run at 3:30pm in Phoenix…the temperature was around, oh, what I suppose hell feels like. I couldn’t walk upstairs for a week…knew I’d never be a cross-country runner after that. Off and on, as an adult, I ran a couple miles two or three times a week but they were such a struggle. My friend used to laugh at me because I’d take 3 steps and already be whining about a side stitch. I went in phases of fitness, too–I’ve never really struggled with weight but with three kids, there is definitely toning/losing to be done.
PR: How do you find time to balance not just the running but all the other types of workouts that you do?
JJ: I’m still trying to figure that out! I didn’t do any cross training through my first two training cycles but with a couple minor injuries, I’ve been able to broaden my horizons. I found that if I’m in hardcore (that’s totally relative, I know) marathon training, everything else suffers. I’m trying to balance things out better and work in some weights/core sessions. When I’m injured I find that I’m in better shape than when I’m solely running, because I pay more attention to things I’ve neglected…love core work. And it’s no secret that P90X Ab Ripper is one of my faves.
PR: I know you recently moved to St. Louis (from Columbus), and in both cities you have been able to manage to find good running partners. How did you manage to do this?
JJ: Um, yeah…this is because I’m a pathetic. I’ve always had someone to train with. My neighbor used to ride her bike alongside me when I trained for my first marathon. I have Dailymile to thank for my Columbus running buddies. Started off with Melodie P, then added Greg B and sometimes Annie S (I’ve known Annie for years but I dragged her along for the ride). They’ve added a ton of people to their group and are now called Run DMC. We ran for a few months before I moved–which I was devastated about. Couldn’t believe I had just found this great group of buddies and I had to leave them so quickly. Soon after finding out I was moving to St. Louis (husband’s work took us here), I signed up for a 10k that was run 3 days after arriving–moving truck hadn’t made it but I brought along my precious running gear. 
While waiting for packet pick-up, I saw my little running buddy Brooke S waiting alone. Being all desperate, I basically asked if she wanted to be my friend. HA! Not quite but I asked her about her training, etc and we swapped phone #’s & emails. I even had my husband take pictures of her during the race. Gonna give her a big fat shout out because she drives to my house 4 times a week, 38 miles ONE WAY, to meet up at 5am. She’s seriously a rock star. Allie just happened to be running with her dog one day while Brooke and I were at the park…I told her she could tag along since her dog already was. Asked if she wanted to train with us, added her phone number to my cell (while still running, by the way…), and now she comes along a couple times a week, too!
PR: Umm, from what I recall, you weren’t always successful at dragging Annie S. out in the predawn. You made a pretty significant gain in your marathon time this past year, can you share a little bit about how you managed to do this?
JJ: I ran my first marathon to finish–no other goal. No, I take that back. I wanted to beat Oprah…I was super sick with the flu but I’m not sure I could’ve gone any faster had I been well. My next marathon, I didn’t really try to drop the pace but I think with more miles under my belt, it happened naturally–I never finished that race because of a tornado warning but it would’ve been faster than the first by about 20-25 mins. Then I got the BQ bug. Ariana Hilborn (another rock star) told me about the book Advanced Marathoning
PR: What races and goals do you have planned for the future?
JJ: My 2010 Columbus time qualified me for Boston 2012, so that’s on the back burner. Missed 2011 by a bitter 24 seconds. I’m so over it. I’d love to hit a 3:30, which I think is a realistic goal (if I’m healthy). Ragnar Del Sol has been something I’ve wanted to do since picking up the hobby. I’m from Phoenix, so this one appealed to me. I have 9 definites for a team…there’s so much camaraderie on DM, it won’t be tough to find three more. A 50-miler is on my list of to-do’s, too. I’ve signed up for the Hat Run 50k in March, so that’ll be a good stepping-stone and should give me a good idea if 50 miles is even appealing at that point. Eventually, I’d like to attempt a tri but I need to learn how to swim first. Kind of a bummer when you drown on the first leg.
PR: Yeah, I need to find a triathlon where the swimming is optional. And maybe the cycling too. What do you like best about running?
JJ: Hands down the sense of accomplishment. I feel awesome after a run, knowing I couldn’t have done it a few years ago…that and I can eat whatever the hell I want. I know running is normally a solo sport but I love the social aspect of it. I can’t wait to meet all these great virtual training partners I’ve gotten to know on Dailymile. They keep me going.
Pingback: Tweets that mention Predawn Profile - Jenny Jowdy | Predawn Runner -- Topsy.com