In The Lead Pack with Jenny Lind DeWeese

(Photo courtesy of Jenny Lind DeWeese)

Jenny Lind DeWeese will be competing at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials- Women's Marathon on April 20th in Boston, Mass. A graduate of Western Carolina University ('00), she obtained her trials qualifier at the 2006 LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon with a time of 2:44:55. While competing for Western Carolina University, she became a two-time Southern Conference 10,000m champion.

Interview by: Derick Lawrence (1/27/2008)


What initially drew you to the marathon?
I have always loved running lots of miles. The more miles I can run a week the happier I am. The summer of 2005 my husband began to persuade me to start training for a marathon because he believed I would be capable of qualifying for the 2008 Olympic Marathon Trials. Up to this point, I had always seen myself as a 5-10km runner, so I didn’t know how to react. What ultimately changed my mind was when my husband said, “Just think, you can run as many miles as you want to”.


You competed collegiately at Western Carolina University (’00) and became a two-time Southern Conference 10,000m champion. Describe your collegiate running career (experiences, pr’s, memorable moments, etc.).
I remember entering Western Carolina and wanting to just be one of the top 7 girls on the distance side of the program. I never thought I would win two Southern Conference titles. I have to say my most memorable moment was when I won my first 10,000 meter Conference Championship as a sophomore. I felt great the entire race and was really focused since I had someone literally stepping on my heels throughout the whole race. I ran a 37:10.

Other memorable moments would be making All District at the NCAA Cross Country Regionals my Junior year, going tubing with the team at Deep Creek, having team parties, being yelled at for running too much mileage, and being part of a 3-Time consecutive Southern Conference Championship Track & Field Team.


You are currently a kindergarten teacher. How do you balance teaching and training?

(Photo courtesy of Jenny Lind DeWeese)

Since I have to be at school by 7:30am I do all my runs in the afternoon. I am lucky to have such an understanding boss. The principal at my Elementary School understands my goals as a runner and allows me to occasionally miss work due to doctor’s check-ups and races. While I am at school I use my spare time very wisely. My students receive extracurricular classes three and half hours during the week. During these breaks I work on lesson plans, schedule parent teacher conferences, and other tasks that fall under my job as a teacher. I usually leave school at 3:30pm (unless I have a meeting or workshop I have to attend), go straight to run (changing clothes in my car), drive to the University of North Carolina at Asheville, lift weights for an hour, arrive home around 7:00-7:30pm, finally eat supper, relax for an hour, and hop in bed by 10:00pm. I enjoy my weekends, Christmas break, spring break, and of course the summer break.

I have to say that I love my job! No matter how I am feeling in the morning I have 20 beautiful little faces that enter my classroom with a big smile on their face which reminds me what it was like to be a kid and to enjoy everyday. I receive hugs and “I love you’s” all day long. I am consistently getting comments on how pretty my clothes are even though I may have paint or ketchup all over them. I am always sharing my running experiences and goals with my students. They love it when I race and bring them back a medal I have won.


Who has influenced you the most in your running?

(Photo courtesy of Jenny Lind DeWeese)

My mother and father! My parents taught my sister and I to never give up. They would always make us finish what we had started whether it was piano lessons or softball. Thanks to my parents I have become a very determined person. Thank you Mom and Dad!


In your first marathon attempt you won the 2005 Saint Jude Memphis Marathon. What was this experience like and how did you approach the race?
I was scared to death! My constant thought was, “What pace could I run and hold for 26.2 miles without hitting the wall in the last 10K of the race”. I had no race tactics going into the race except to run 6:40 pace and hopefully finish in the top 5. At the two-mile mark I began running with two guys from Alabama. I really give most of the credit to them. They helped talk me through the race and kept my mind off counting each mile. At mile marker 16 a spectator yelled that I was currently in third place. I got a little excited and tried to stay focused. At mile 18 we could see what looked like a female in the far off distance. The guys then encouraged me to gradually catch up to her. Once we passed this female, we eventually worked our way to passing the lead female. At this point I started to feel very emotional. I could not believe that I may be able to win the first marathon I had ever run. These emotions keep me feeling good up until mile 23. I began to feel a little fatigue and told the other guys to go ahead without me (I did not want to hold them back). I made it through the next 3.2 miles alone, hitting a big wall at mile 25. However the thought of winning my first marathon kept me focused and determined to win. I knew that my husband would flip out when he saw me entering the stadium as the first female. As the volunteers helped me locate my husband at the finish line we both could not believe I won. It was very emotional and exciting.


Your U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials qualifier came at the 2006 LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon with a time of 2:44:55. Tell us about this race.
My husband and I knew that this would be a race for me to try and qualify for the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials since Chicago is very flat and many other women were also trying to qualify. We had decided long before the race to run an average pace of 6:20, which would give me a time of 2:46:00. I planned on using a pace bracelet to help me keep track of my pace during the race, however, as I was taking my warm-ups off I lost my bracelet. All I knew to do was to try and hit 6:20 for every mile split and hope that would be good enough. At mile marker 13 my sister had a second pace bracelet (2:45:00) for me to grab. I then focused on that pace for the remainder of the race. Many of the girls I was running with picked up the pace and left me behind since I did not want to ruin my chances of qualifying. I began to feel a little sluggish during miles 12 through 16 but tried to stay focused. At mile 17 I began to feel a little stronger. At mile 21 the crowd was playing the song “Chariots of Fire” through a speaker system. Hearing the song brought tears to my eyes because my colleague had prayed with me the day before I left for Chicago. In her prayer she prayed that I would run like the “Chariots of Fire”. I believed it was an answered prayer. Although I ran the last miles of the race alone it went by really quick since I was picking off many of those girls who had left me at mile 13. I felt really strong at the end of the race. It was such a relief to know that I had qualified and know I could focus on training for the Olympic Trials.


What key workout(s) or training element(s) do you incorporate into your marathon training?
I live in the Mountains of North Carolina, which gives me access to what I believe, are the keys to my training. I feel that I am able to do a lot of mileage because I do the majority of my runs on trails. I do a lot of strength work on the mountains and occasionally try to do elevation runs up the Blue Ridge Parkway.

I believe in speed work in order to keep my fast-twitch muscles activated, so I try and do short sprints once a week (especially in my volume loading phase) that consist of distances around 50m. On the track, my workouts consist of long intervals typically between 1k and 5k. I usually offset track workouts with AT runs on the trails. My AT runs vary anywhere from 8 to 14 miles.

I am a big believer in strength training. I lift three or four days a week focusing mainly on total-body and core strength.


What key concept(s) do you believe are necessary for success of a marathon runner?
I believe that a successful marathoner has to put in the adequate amount of aerobic work, although I think that this may vary from athlete to athlete. Rest is just as important as any other training factor. Always listen to your body, knowing the difference between aches, pains and injury. Eating healthy would be another factor since many people think that they can eat anything if they exercise enough. Eating the right foods and at the right time can help with recovery.


How do you go about setting up a marathon training schedule? Are there any resources/references you commonly refer to throughout a season?
In order to come up with my marathon-racing schedule, my husband and I worked backwards from the trials. We set up a master calendar and looked at races that fit into the areas of the schedule that allowed for adequate training time and recovery. Neither my husband nor I believe in over-racing. I find it very hard to race and train for the marathon at the same time. Once we determine what marathon would be most suitable, we then sit down and plug in other races that may benefit my training.

As far as resources go, I spend a lot of time researching marathons using marathonguide.com. This gives me insight on results, typical weather patterns, elevation, entry fields, and prize money.


Could you outline your last two weeks of training?
The last two weeks of my training are not as intensive as in the past. I am currently recovering from a bout of plantar fasciitis in my right foot that has prevented me from running consistently higher mileage and workouts that I am accustomed to. However, due to aggressive therapy such as ultrasound, massage, ice and stretching, I am feeling much better. Right now my workouts have either been mile repeats (typically 8-10 miles), or 10-12 mile AT runs. Other than this, I am keeping my long runs between 18-22 miles and supplement my training with strength and plyometric training.


What will your racing schedule look like leading up to the April 20th trials?
My main focus is to be ready for the trials. I am planning on racing the Dasani Myrtle Beach Half Marathon in February to gauge where I am at in my training. Other than this race, I will probably spend most of my time on the trails, track and in the weight room.


Thanks to Jenny for a great interview.