TRAINING TUESDAYS: MEET JACQUELYN STEVENSON

Jacquelyn Stevenson, 28

Corporate Auditor Senior

Mountain Top, PA

Endurance Events completed: Steamtown Marathon, Nike Women’s Marathon, Chicago Marathon, New York City Marathon, Ojai 2 Ocean Marathon, Philadelphia Triathlon, SheRox Philadelphia, Steelman Triathlon, Tough Mudder 

What event(s) are you currently training for and what does that include?

My current training focal point is Pocono 70.3 – An inaugural half ironman through the Pocono Mountains which consists of a 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, and 13.1 mile run. This will be my first half ironman! I am participating in this event with Team in Training which benefits the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. In addition to training on my own during the week and with the TEAM on the weekends, I have several other races planned to help me prepare. In August I will be doing the Steelman Triathlon at Nockamixon State Park in PA. This is an Olympic distance triathlon. In September I will race in our nation’s capital at the Nations Triathlon, another Olympic distance triathlon.

What are your athletic goals for the year?

My athletic goal for the year is to finish Pocono 70.3 feeling strong and in the best shape of my life! I want to become stronger and faster at all three aspects of the triathlon. In addition, I want to work more strength training into my routine and focus on increasing my core strength. For me though it’s not just about helping myself, other athletic goals include becoming a better coach for Team in Training participants. I am currently a run coach for the Scranton/Wilkes Barre team and work throughout the season to help participants reach their goals of a half or full marathon. By learning more about running and sharing that knowledge with participants, we both can better achieve our goals!

What does your weekly workout out look like?

A weekly work out for me usually consists of 6 days of training and one day of rest. I generally aim for one day a week that I do a longer run of at least eight miles. The rest of the days generally contain a mix of swimming, biking, and running while trying to do two of those each day . Workouts vary and focus on trying to build speed through interval work or focus on endurance through building your base.

What do you think is the hardest part about training and doing an endurance event?

The hardest part of training for an endurance event is staying focused on the goal. It is easy to get sidetracked and miss a few workouts. You need to push yourself to stay on track and stick to your training plan. Another thing that I struggle with sometimes in training for a triathlon is focusing on areas where I need improvement. For example, I’ve completed 5 marathons in my life and more half marathons then I can count. I love to run. I’m good at it. This makes it fun for me and easy to focus on. However, when it comes to swimming, I’m still just learning and continuing to focus on my technique. I’ve gotten better but if I really just dedicated more time to it I could be even better than that! Yet, because I don’t enjoy it I often find myself making excuses not to swim. You need to leave your comfort zone and work hard to improve your weaknesses. This not only goes for training, but life as well.

What benefits/rewards do you get from competing?

Crossing the finish line on event day is one of the biggest rushes you will ever experience! The sense of pride and accomplishment overtakes your body and you cannot wait to sign up for another event. Looking great and feeling healthy is another huge benefit from all of the hard work you put in. Perhaps one of my favorite rewards though is being able to indulge in guilty pleasures without the guilt… Ice Cream!

What advice would you give someone looking to compete?

Do it! You will never look back after you cross the finish line and say you wish you hadn’t. Find a group to train with and meet new people. Having a support system makes training fun and will help with your questions as well. Don’t be intimidated by the distances. Start with something small and work your way up. If you want to start running, sign up for a 5K. Train and finish strong while then selecting a 10K or maybe a half marathon. You will be amazed how fast you are able to build those miles! You will be doing a marathon in no time! Keep challenging yourself a little bit each day and push a little harder. You will surprise yourself at just how much you can achieve! 

TRAINING TUESDAYS: MEET MELANIE SCHRANZ

 (Melanie is currently on the Anchor house 500 mile bike ride this week)

 Melanie Schranz

Occupation

Project Manager

Titusville, NJ

Twitter: @melanielschranz

www.facebook.com\melanieschranz

What event(s) are you currently training for and what does that include?

I am currently training for the Anchor House Ride for Runaways. This is a 500 mile cycling event, over seven days. The average mileage per day is 75. Its over moderately difficult terrain. The Anchor House is a charity in Trenton, NJ that provides services to youth who are unable to stay with their families, because of abuse or crisis situations. The Anchor House works to reunite youth with their families or assist in exploring adoption and foster situations.

I am also training for an Olympic distance triathlon at the end of July, and numerous 5k's, 10k's and half marathons thrown in there to keep things exciting.

What are your personal fitness goals for this year?

In the past I would be able to rattle off a long list of goals. However, this is a year of rebuilding. Last year, at this exact time I was at peak fitness. I was really happy with my fitness level, how I was riding and running. Then, my cycling partner was involved in a serious accident. He had multiple trauma that kept him out of action for almost nine months. It was startling because neither of us had ever taken that long off from fitness and activities. We were "brought to our knees" by this accident and the follow up care that was needed. As a gesture of solidarity to him during his recovery, I opted to hold off on running and riding until he was ready to come back.

Therefore, this year is a year of rebuilding. I lament the fitness that I lost, and all this comes full circle when I see how slow I am now at running and riding. I used to do yoga several times a week , now I can see my flexibility really took a hit. It's funny how long it takes to build things up, but it takes very little time to lose it all. Now that I am back on the bike (which was especially hard for my cycle partner after the accident), I am focusing on getting my pace per mile to drop. I will get there, but this time off taught me never to take my fitness for granted!

What do you think is the most difficult part about training and doing an endurance event?

Staying focused. We are not a society that is used to waiting. We want and can get things now. Endurance events teach me patience. I have to think in advance about my goals, then I have to map out my training, and then go for it! I've trained for many marathons and long distance cycling events, and you cannot start a month before the event to train. You must gradually build up endurance. That takes time. It takes focus. It takes discipline. Things our current society isn’t used to doing.

What benefits/rewards do you get from competing?

Confidence! There is nothing like finishing an event, a training ride, a long run and feeling like there isn‘t anything I cant do. I think sports has the ability to build confidence.

What advice would you give someone looking to compete?

Say to yourself “You can do it!” My 72 year old mom finished her first 5k a few years ago. She said my running pursuits inspired her and she wanted to be part of the fun. So she signed up the whole family, from her 5 year old grandson, to my 70 year old dad and all ages of family members in between. We all competed in the 5k (I did the half marathon). I just remember thinking as she crossed the finish line, "she didn't over think this, she decided she wanted to do it, and she did it". I was extremely proud of my mom. Recently, my 89 year old neighbor started walking around the block and now goes four times around (it's a very big block) and decided to sign up for a 5 mile race. When I hear someone say, "I can't do a 5k etc.” I think you can do it! As athletes, we should never forget how much what we do inspires others. We may not think we are very fast, talented or even worthy of being called an Athlete but what we do inspires others. That is the best reward I get from competing.

If you are an endurance athlete I would love to hear from you! Please email three photos and the answers to these questions. Along with your name, age, occupation and city to paparoxi.com@gmail.com! Happy training