Episode 57: Jennifer Conner - Keep Showing Up

Episodes

May 17

Jennifer Conner ran her first marathon as part of the Dopey Challenge, then chased all six World Marathon Majors through a pandemic, finishing in Tokyo. Next up: the Olympic course in Paris.

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About this episode

Jennifer Conner is an Army veteran of 12 years, a dermatology physician assistant in Indianapolis, and a mom of three who gets her runs in at 5 a.m. Her first marathon was the final race of the 2019 Dopey Challenge, and after seeing friends' names on the Six Star wall at the Chicago expo, she spent the next five years chasing the Abbott World Marathon Majors, finishing in Tokyo in 2024.

Jennifer and I share a coach, and I waited to have her on until that Six Star medal was around her neck. We talk about virtual races and lotteries, running Berlin and London a week apart in 2021, raising more than $13,000 to run Boston for IMPACT Melanoma, waiting in line nine and a half hours for the Queen's lying in state, her early-morning crew, the Sloths, her time in the Army, and the surprise email that got her into the Paris Olympics marathon for the public.

In this episode, we discuss

Running her first half, the Indy Mini, in 2003 before becoming a commissioned Army officer
How the Princess Half led to running her first marathon at the end of the Dopey Challenge
Seeing friends' names on the Six Star wall at the 2019 Chicago expo
Running New York virtually on a sleety Halloween to earn a deferred entry
Berlin and London one week apart in 2021, sick and testing for COVID throughout
Raising more than $13,000 for IMPACT Melanoma to run Boston in 2022
Waiting nine and a half hours for the Queen's lying in state before Berlin 2022
Kilometer-marker math in Berlin and finally breaking four hours in Chicago two weeks later
Learning from Des Linden and Jared Ward in a virtual coaching program
Her 4:30 a.m. running crew, the Sloths, and pushing for Ainsley's Angels at the Indy Mini
Twelve years in the Indiana National Guard, from medic to Army physician assistant
Why the Gold Mile at the Indy Mini means she won't race that course
A desperate mile-18 water bottle and a 3:45 PR at Mesa
Years of virtual races and a 100K challenge before running Tokyo for Ronald McDonald House Japan
Getting into the Paris Olympics marathon for the public and her mantra, keep showing up

Chapters

Intro
From Princess Half to Dopey
Chasing the Six Star
Virtual races and lotteries
Berlin, London and New York in one fall
Boston for IMPACT Melanoma
The Queen's lying in state and Berlin again
Coaching with Des Linden and Jared Ward
Early mornings and the Sloths
Twelve years in the Army
The Gold Mile at the Indy Mini
Mesa and a mystery water bottle
Paris Olympics marathon news
Tokyo and the sixth star
Motherhood, mantra and next finish lines

Mentioned in this episode

Races: Tokyo Marathon, Boston Marathon, Chicago Marathon, New York City Marathon, Berlin Marathon, London Marathon, Dopey Challenge, Disney Princess Half Marathon, Indy Mini Marathon, Mesa Marathon, Monumental Marathon, Flying Pig Marathon, Paris 2024 Marathon Pour Tous
Organizations and charities: IMPACT Melanoma, Ronald McDonald House Japan, Ainsley's Angels, Indiana National Guard, Marian University, Runbook, Tokyo Marathon Foundation
Other: Abbott World Marathon Majors, Des Linden, Jared Ward, Gold Mile, Final Surge, teamLab Planets

Previous guests mentioned

Rachel Sinders (Episode 8)

Related episodes

Frequently asked

How did Jennifer Conner run her first marathon?

Jennifer Conner ran her first marathon as the final race of the 2019 Dopey Challenge at Walt Disney World, after a 5K, 10K and half marathon on the previous days, and finished in 5:06.

How did Jennifer Conner earn her Six Star medal?

Jennifer Conner completed the Abbott World Marathon Majors between 2019 and 2024, running Chicago, New York, Berlin, London, Boston for IMPACT Melanoma, and finally Tokyo for Ronald McDonald House Japan.

Who is Jennifer Conner?

Jennifer Conner is an Indianapolis dermatology physician assistant, mom of three and 12-year Army veteran who has run 19 marathons, including all six World Marathon Majors and the Dopey Challenge five times.

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Transcript

This transcript was generated automatically, so it may contain errors.

Welcome to Finish Lines and Milestones with Ali Bretnacher. Incredible stories and tales of triumphs with everyday people achieving their goals and fitness. This podcast brought to you by Athlete Bouquets. Celebrate finish lines and milestones of the people that you love by visiting athletebouquets.com. Hello, and welcome to episode 57. This is Ali Brettnacher. And as I record this, it is Sydney's last day of kindergarten, my oldest daughter. And while the days of this month have been so long, this year flew by. You know, as they say, days are long, years are short. So accurate. It was our first year, you know, having a kid in school.

I learned a ton. Feel a lot more ready for next year, but also so, so ready for the summer. And we are going to kick it off by going to Lake Wawasee, which is in northern Indiana, a little over two hours north of us here in Carmel. And my sister Morgan, her husband Mike are coming. My friend Alyssa and her family are coming. And hopefully we get some good weather. We'll watch the Indy 500 or at least part of it on TV and just enjoy some lake life. And then this week's episode, I'm so excited to finally bring to you because Jennifer Connor has been on my radar since I started this podcast.

She and I met really on Instagram through our running coach, Rachel Sanders. Rachel Michelle running. Hello, Rachel. I hope your run is going well this morning. But Jennifer just completed her 6th world major this year in Tokyo. So if you're not familiar with the Abbott world majors, they are Chicago, New York, Berlin, London, Boston, and Tokyo. And so Jennifer completed that journey and we talk all about how she did that and how it was certainly not easy, not just running the marathons, but making them all happen. Many of them are super hard to get into. So we talked about that. She has had some incredible adventures.

Alongside that. She is in the Disney running community and she actually ran her first marathon while doing a Dopey Challenge, which is where you do 5K10K, half marathon, marathon, all back-to-back in the same weekend, which is how she thought, you know, hey, I can complete, you know, three world majors in a year. So she is a crazy, crazy runner like a lot of us are. And I can't wait to tell you some more of the stories. She served in the Army for 12 years. She volunteered in the medical tent at Boston this year, and she's done 37 halves, 19 marathons, 5 Dopies. She's part of the sloths, which is Amanda and Jason.

I, I think Jill is unofficially or officially part of that as well, but a crew that runs very early in the morning in order to fit it all in. I'm just so impressed that Jennifer, you know, being a full time working mom, you know, marathoner is just, it's really impressive. And then she has some super exciting news about something that's going to happen in August, which I'm not going to give away. You have to listen. It's insane. You know, after you complete something as big as the six world majors, I'm like, what's next? But now she has something maybe even more incredible. I don't know.

We'll have to let her decide that. But I'm excited to finally bring you this episode with Jennifer Connor. Enjoy. Oh, and one more thing. Sorry. I also want to point out that the audio for this is not my best work. We ended up in a conference room with all hard surfaces, not ideal for recording. So it's a miracle that this is listable. And I apologize, Jennifer, but we made it through and please now enjoy. Hello Jennifer Cotter, we are here and we're doing it. And I hope it doesn't sound like we're in an echo chamber, because now that I'm speaking out loud, I feel like we are.

But. It's fine, it's fine, it's great. Is mom life at its finest? Right Mom life at its finest. This is the first year that I ever heard the term May December. I've literally never heard that until having a kid in. Elementary school. Oh, it's a thing. Yeah, it's really a thing. You are a veteran, Yeah, 'cause you have three kids in the double digits. How old are your kids? My kids are 1011, almost 12. He'll be 12 in a couple of weeks and 14. So I literally open my phone calendar every day and I'm like where am I going today with which kid and where and I look multiple.

Times a day because I can't keep it straight. So yeah, it's wild. It's such a thing. It's crazy. So we're making it through. Yeah. What do you do in the summer with your kids? Are they all in camps? So my daughter dances my middle one. I'll go to Rubik's Cube competitions and the little guy's playing baseball, so we'll still be all over the place. Gosh. Well, we're gonna, we're gonna talk more about mom life at the end of this because I want to hear, I want to hear more about being a dance mom and the Rubik's Cube thing. I want to hear more about that.

But you and I originally met through our coach, Rachel Cinders, and we didn't meet in person forever. Yeah, when was the? First time we met in person. Feel like it was Carmel maybe a couple of years ago. Maybe Carmel marathon weekend. Yeah, frankly. Yeah, so weird because I felt like at that point, I knew you because just, you know, social media, right? But this is the first time you and I have hung out really, like, one-on-one outside of being in a race environment or with other people. So I'm so happy we could finally make this happen because we had to wait until you had that beautiful medal.

Oh, my gosh. People are just gonna have to make sure. I'm gonna have to make sure I post this video with you, with the medals, with the shimmy. See it with the shimmy. It's so cool. So I want to know how the heck that happened. How do you become a six star finisher? And for anybody who may not know what the heck that. Means. So for me it started way back actually with my my Disney running. So my first half marathon was the Indie mini in 2003, and I did that really as kind of AI want to get in good shape. I was getting ready to become a commissioned army officer and I thought, I'm going to train for 1/2 marathon.

So that was my first half. I didn't particularly like running even still, but I did it because I had to. And and then I just kept running to stand shape for years and years after that. And then in 2018, I decided I was going to run the Princess half marathon. I was getting ready to move from San Antonio back home. So I convinced the girls that I ran with in Texas, I was like, hey, let's go do this Princess race in Disney World. It's kind of a bucket list for me. I don't know if I'll find good running friends when I when I move home.

So come do this with me, please. And they're like, OK, fine. So we went and we did it and I loved it and I had so much fun. So in the process of that, I'd ran another half marathon in Texas and I ran like a 152 I think. So in in the Disney World, you can submit a proof of time to get corral seating and get moved out. And so after I'd done that, I thought, well, and I'd see people online doing this Dopey challenge. And I remember being in Disney writing groups thinking, oh, that's crazy. I will never, I'll never do that. That's how I think about it.

Because as we were gearing up to run our first The Princess Half Marathon weekend, we were doing a 5KA10K and a half marathon three days in a row. And I saw the people running Dopey and I thought, oh, those people are absolutely insane. There's no way. But after I did it, I thought, well, that wasn't so bad and I've got this 152 half that puts me in like one of the first two corals. Maybe I could do it. And so that's how I kind of stumbled into running my first marathon. Your first. Marathon. Was at Dopey, was Dopey in 2019, Yeah. And I did it because I had this, this proof of time that would put me kind of towards the front.

So that's where I was six years ago. I thought, well, this will give me the best chance of finishing. I didn't even know if I could finish a marijuana at that point, but I was like, I'm going to give it a go. I'm going to sign up for Adobe because I love running at Disney. And so I did it. I signed up and I finished in five O 6. I stopped and I took pictures of careers and I had a blast. And when I finished, I thought, well, that wasn't so bad and I still feel pretty good. So after that I was kind of like, well now that I did that, I kind of wonder what I could do running a marathon on its own when I have it ran A5KA10K and 1/2.

Marathon. Oh my. Yes, Jennifer, the three days before it. So I kind of poked around. I was like, well, what, what marathon do I want to run? And I I found Chicago and I end up running Chicago in the fall of 2019 for a Melanoma charity. Wow. And so as I was training for Chicago, got there, and through the Disney running community, I'd met a couple of people who had just finished their six stars. So when I was at the Chicago Expo, I went to the Abbott booth and I'm like looking on the wall and I find their names. And I was like, wow, this is really cool.

I think I want to do that. And so here I am. So then in 2019 or in Chicago, and then I started chasing the six stars. Jeez. OK, I didn't realize, and maybe I did know this, but I've forgotten completely that you ran your first marathon during Dopey. Yeah, it's crazy. That's so crazy. Yeah, I can't fathom, you know, as somebody who's done, you know, a bunch of halves, handful of fulls, like thinking about doing Dopey terrifies me. The idea that you've never done a marathon, you're like, well, I'll just tack that on to the end. My heart was it'll be fun. It'll be an environment where it's fun.

No pressure of like. No time pressure. Yeah. And my, my goal there was just to finish it and to have a good time. But then it just kind of snowballed. And and then I met these people who had who had done this thing. Right? Yeah. And I thought, well, hey, I want to do that. And so I started choosing it. And here we are. I mean, I literally went into Dopey with the intention of this is going to be my one and done marathon. Wow. Ha. But here we are in 2024 with the six star medal. Yeah, on my neck and 19 marathons under my belt.

So. Oh my gosh, that is just. Incredible. It's been a wild ride. Well, and I the reason you haven't been on this podcast yet was because we had to wait for you to get that six star because then I wanted to hear all about getting there. Yeah. So getting there in that amount of time with a global pandemic sandwiched in there is insane. Yeah, so it's, I mean, it's a challenge. So I'm not, I'm not the fastest. I'm kind of like AI don't know. I consider myself an average runner. My best is a 345. So I still have a BQD even I ran Boston for a charity in 2022 and that sort of just, I sort of stumbled into that.

I didn't think I would run Boston that soon, but I'd sort of poked around with a different Melanoma charity looking at opportunities, and it just sort of fell into my lap and I thought, OK, I'm going to take it. And so was that and it was second of the two then. Boston was #5 Boston was #5 SI ran Chicago in 2019, and then I had signed up for the New York virtual program, so that's why I got New York City. So I ran New York City Virtual in 2019 for guaranteed entry 2020, which was cancelled, obviously because of the pandemic. And I was terrified that they weren't gonna honor my entry.

And I had ran here. It was, I ran on Halloween in horrific conditions. I was out there by myself. It snowed, it sleeted, it rained. I ran through like everything. It felt like I ran through all the seasons. And so when that race got cancelled, I was like, if they don't honor that, I'm gonna freak out because I, I really worked so hard running that virtual marathon by myself. But they did. So I ended up able to run New York City in 2021. I also had gotten into the Berlin Lottery for 20/20/2020. It's hard to keep them all straight. Yeah, which got deferred to 2021.

So in 2021, I had Berlin and New York lined up. And then sort of, I don't know how many months out it was, I got an e-mail from one of the marathon tour companies, Runbook. I'd been on their wait list for London and they had a space open up and so they emailed me. And this was when London had shifted their race into the fall because of the pandemic. So London for two years was in October, the week after Berlin. And so they offered me a spot for London and I thought, well, you know what, I've at that point I'd done Doby twice. And I thought if I can do Doby, if I can run 48.6 miles in a weekend, then I can do 2 marathons a week apart.

So I said yeah, I'll do it. I'm going to knock out two world majors a week apart with one trip to Europe. So I did Berlin, London a week later and then New York City four weeks after that in 2021. Jeez. And then the intention was came back, talked to coach, said OK, let's slow down for the spring, try to get faster and with the intention of running a fall BQ marathon. So the spring, I was supposed to just run a fast half, and then this opportunity to run Boston for Impact Melanoma came my way, and I thought, well, I'm gonna take it. Yeah. I remember calling Rachel and just saying, yeah, so that thing I stand about not running a marathon in the spring, I lied.

I have to do this. And so I did. And it was, it was the best experience, I feel. Like, run coaches have to be used to that because runners are just yeah, we're free. We're just nuts. We're all nuts. Yeah, yeah, I damn near called her to be like, I want to run the full mode this year. I I almost. Did done the full mode? So some at some point, but yeah, but I'm sure she's used to people being like, you know, I said I was not going to do this again. Well, I want to do it again. This so I just sort of happened and I ended up I had to raise I had to raise a lot of money.

So I raised a little over $13,000 for impact Melanoma and crap. Yeah, it's a lot of work, but it was it was so worth it. And I I went in with this. I don't sense of gratitude was probably one of my favorite races just because I felt like as a charity runner at Boston especially, you sort of get this sense of like, gosh, I really do. I belong here, you know, and there's a, there's a different feeling of Boston. And so I worked really hard training, but I also worked really hard losing money and I went out there and I and I ran hard. That day was APR for me, but I was just so happy to be there.

And I don't think I'd ever enjoyed a marathon as much as I did that day because I didn't think I would be there at that point. And I just remember running thinking, Oh my gosh, I cannot believe here. I can't believe this is happening. So that was number 5. And then I had to wait a while to get to Tokyo for number. Six. Yeah, which was this year. Yeah, which was this year. So for Tokyo, I, gosh, I tried everything. So I did the, the Abbott has these roads to the majors half marathons that you can do virtually to try to earn a spot for whichever major that you're missing.

I did those for a while. Tokyo Marathon Foundation has virtual half marathon. So I, I did those alley for I think three years that literally would sign up for every single one of them. Wow. Last year, I think in May, I did 100K in a week challenge for the Tokyo Marathon Foundation. I thought, this is it. Not many people are gonna do this challenge just as that this is gonna be my ticket to Tokyo. So I ran 100K in a week. I which is how many miles? 62 OK, yeah, which is, I mean, it's not that big of a deal for a lot of people, but it was more than my normal.

Right. Yeah, that would be a lot for me. So I thought, this is it, I'm gonna get in. And they drew, they they like assigned you a number, right? And they drew one number off of mine. So. So after that, I was like, OK, that's it. I'm just gonna, I'm gonna go for a charity spot for Tokyo. So that's how I ended up getting into Tokyo. So I ran for the Ronald McDonald House Japan. Wow. OK, so couple questions. There's so much to dig into. Yeah, there's a lot for that whole journey. That's just again, Congrats. So virtual races since you've done quite a few of those.

I've done one. I did the mini virtually in 21 or 20/20/20. How did you plan those? Would you just run your kind of normal training route? Did you do anything special for those at all? Yeah, so when I was doing the ones for like the Tokyo Marathon Foundation, I wouldn't do it as a race. Like it would just fit into my normal mileage. So I literally just go and hey, so yeah, I'm going to do it. And it's just like a normal Saturday run at this point, you know? And I'm literally doing it to try to get myself a spot in Tokyo. Do they send you anything for those?

Did you get? No, no, no, no. They're literally just to enter a drawing. Yeah, yeah. I did do the virtual Monumental in 2020, though, with my friend Ryan. So Ryan came, signed up. So that was his first marathon. And so he had kind of reached out and I told him to help him train. So we did a lot of long runs together. And then of course, the race got cancelled. And I was like, I can't let him do this by himself. And so I said, you know what, we're going to run this virtually. So I planned us a, a route from downtown Indy. So we started downtown and our friend Anya came with us.

So her husband dropped her off with her bike. She was like our Sherpa. It was great. And we ran from downtown Indy on the mountain on all the way to Westfield and finished in Quaker Park. And, and he didn't know it at the time, but I contacted his family and had them there with like a finish line tape. So when we came around the corner, he. Got his family. Special. It was awesome. That's really the best. Thing Did you let him break the tape? Oh yeah, of course of. Course, I'm just kidding. I'm. Competitive, but I'm not that bad. Excuse me, I'm going to go ahead.

And of course. Great job buddy. I'm going to go take this one. Well, that's really. Cool. Yeah, yeah. So that was a great experience. Yeah. Wow. And, you know, I mean, in that time, you just had to make do with with what you could have for sure. That was a pretty special virtual experience. Yeah. Everything else I was doing to just try to get myself a thought in these majors. How much did you have? To pay to register for those virtual ones. Oh, they're not, they're not much. They're like, I don't know, like ¥1500, which is the equivalent of of like $10. OK, OK, they're really inexpensive.

It's. Expensive enough, this whole thing. Like, yeah, just. Getting, I mean, not, not only just getting in and then then going, you know. So then let's talk about when you did all those in a row. So was it was London first or Berlin? Berlin. It was first Berlin, then London, then New York. And with that, New York was in person. It was in person. Yes. OK. So kind of talk through that. Experience This is fall 2021, so there were still COVID restrictions in place in England. So Germany had loosened their restrictions up. So I didn't have to do anything special for Germany. So that was fine.

But England you had to test before you flew into the country. Once you arrived, she had to COVID test before you could go to the race next though, before you raced. So I had and then before I had to, before I could come home, so I had like 5 COVID tests that were required. I got sick the day before the Berlin marathon. So I woke up with a sore throat and a headache, which was also the day I had to do my first PCR COVID test in order to fly to London. And I was like, Oh my God, I'm going to get stuck in Germany.

I've got carpet. This is not good, I'm supposed. To be running 3 marathons and I was. I was freaking out and I went into like, I mean, I'm a healthcare provider and I started like Googling like all the things I could do to like make myself test negative even if I was positive. Like like all medical knowledge, like rationale out the window. I'm like, can I squirt rafford in my nose to make myself like negative? Even if like, who cares what the science is? I don't care. I'll do whatever and still get stuck in Germany. Don't want to get stuck in. I didn't have COVID, but I did end up getting sick.

But I I tested negative all throughout. But every time I took a COVID test, I was so nervous and really stressful. Yeah, So I just tested before I went because when I landed to Heathrow and I was pretty sick in between the two races. So Berlin was a really hot race. So you ran sick? I ran sick, yeah. But and then I got to London and I remember, I think it was like the Thursday, Friday before at London, I just didn't not feel well. I just kind of stayed in my room and I would COVID. I wouldn't even do an extra test for myself before I'd go out for the day 'cause I was convinced.

I'm like how you feel like crap. Yeah, I must have it. I must have it. And I didn't want to be out and about in London, like if that's what I had. So I would test myself before I'd go out, but I spent that day just resting, thinking like I'm actually going to be able to get through this race on Sunday. I'm not sure, but I did carried a snot rag in my pocket and I got through it. It wasn't pretty. It wasn't my my best finish time, but it was an amazing race. I'd love to go back. It's a point, from what I hear, the crowds are, are better when it's, you know, a little bit a normal time.

And yeah, and I'd obviously love to run it when I'm not sick. Yeah, so, but I got through it and I got done so. Jeez. And then you're like, OK, now in a month. Yeah. New York City. Were you able to at least recover? Yeah, I recovered fine. I actually ran New York City faster than than those two. But New York was hard. Yeah. Which I kind of, I mean, I knew there were, there were bridges and there were some some inclines that had the King, the Queensboro Bridge in New York. It's yeah, and it's kind of deceptive. So you're on the lower level of it.

And so you don't, you can't really tell how much of an incline you're going up. So I remember running along and I just don't feel good. It's like mile 1617 somewhere in there where a marathon starts to suck anyways. Right, Right. But I get in my head and I'm like, what is wrong with me? Is it hydration? Is it fuel? And I just what is going on? And I remember after the race, I had another friend who ran and she was like, did you see the views of Manhattan from the Queens borough? And I was like, your views? No, I felt, I felt terrible. I didn't.

I was too busy to get good luck. No, I was busy being mad and trying to figure out what was wrong with me. That's funny. So, but another amazing race. The crowds in New York City are insane. I mean, I I eventually just shut off my music and I'd set my phone to read my text messages to me. So if someone sent me like a motivational message, it was read it in my ear, but I couldn't hear it. So I would hear it say, you know, like if you had sent me a message. Ali said go, Jennifer, but I couldn't hear when it was saying miss.

The crowds were so loud. Yeah, yeah, it was just a party. So silence on the bridges because they couldn't be on the bridges. But then you come off the bridge and it's. Just you could hear the roar warrior and get. Yeah, completely off. Absolutely. You've you've ran your. I did in 2018. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, 'cause it's incredible. It's wild out there. Sounds fun. Well, I'm glad you got a healthy day for that. Yeah, for Berlin and London. And you've been over to Europe before? So I had been to London. Oh my gosh, when I was. In high school, OK, so I hadn't been to Europe since then, so I've been a very long time.

Yeah, yeah, I hope to get I hope to get a international race at some point, whether it's a major or not. I just want to be able to, yeah, go explore somewhere. It's. So much fun and I actually went back to Berlin in 2020. Two, I thought you had done it. Yeah, yeah. So I entered the lottery and I got in again and I thought, well, I'm gonna go, OK. Yeah, you're like, this one's easy to get into. Easier. Yeah. And, and because I didn't feel well and I was like, well, let me go right back. And Berlin is really the the flattest and the fastest of the courses.

So I went back to Berlin in 2022. And that's kind of a fun story too, when you think about going overseas. So I had planned to stop in London on my way. So it was the the year of the Queen's Jubilee. And so I planned myself a night in Windsor 'cause I went to go to Windsor Castle and see the Jubilee collection and then a Jubilee tea at the Shard. So I was going to stop in London for a couple of days and then be on my way to Berlin to run the marathon. So we're leading up to a well, the Queen passes away, right?

So I'll never forget, Like, I see this message come from Buckingham Palace, you know, on social media that the Queen is not well. And all. Everyone at work knew that I was looking forward to this trip. Yeah. And I was, I think something's going to happen to the queen before I go. And I come out of like seeing a patient and one of my nurses just looking at me and I was like, Queen died, didn't she? She was like, oh, and so I was looking at all the, you know, online, like, what is this going to look like? When is the funeral going to be at?

And I figured it out. I was like, I'm going to just miss. It means free funeral based on what my flight is. And it's like, that feels really silly. Like I've already got a flight to London. I was able to switch my flight, get something to cover one day of clinic for me that I that I needed to miss. So I got there ahead of the Queen's funeral. I literally landed to Heathrow, changed it to a dress, dropped my bags, got in line and went to the Queen's Lion State. So I was there for, I was in line for like 9 1/2 hours, which seems terrible, but I had the best experience, honestly.

So I loaded all these books on my Kindle thinking I'm going to be bored. Yeah, right. I just met these British ladies in line who were so kind, shared their food with their little biscuits with, oh, that's so nice. We would save each other's place in line if you need to go to the bathroom or whatever. I just, I just spent time with them and I'll never forget. There's this man from Wales named Gordon. He was like 80 years old. He traveled all by all the way by himself. He was in a suit and tennis shoes. And so anytime we see a bench, we're like, Gordon, go sit down, we'll save your spot.

And it was just, it's such a good memory and and a good experience. So got to experience that. And then I went ahead and went to Windsor the next day and I was just walking around the town with the castle was still close. And I see this crowd. And so I kind of wander up there and say, what's going on? And people are whispering. There's supposed to be a royal, you know. OK, We just hang out. Yeah. And next thing I know, a Range Rover pulls up and William and Kate step out like no further than you are for me right now, right in front of me.

It's the craziest thing. And I, now that you're telling this story, remember seeing your pictures. Yeah, it's just. Like you can't make this up. So after all of that, I was like, OK, now I need to focus because I'm going to Berlin the next day to run marathon. To. Run this marathon. My gosh. Well, now you have all this added excitement. I know, yeah. Yeah, it was so much fun. So just traveling overseas is just, it's so much fun, yeah. For going back to the the Queen's funeral, what did you wait 9 1/2 hours for? Like what was the end? Like what? Did the lying in state so when she was at Westminster.

So you're basically you're you're able to walk through the Queen's casket was there with the crown jewels. Oh wow. OK, Yeah, yeah, I was. Kind of like, did you wait 9 hours to like get to stand to like watch her pass by? But no, it's like actually her funeral. Like it wasn't her funeral. Her funeral was the next day. OK, so I watched her funeral from Hyde Park the next day. But that was where she was like, it's kind of like where we would have like our visitation. Yes, here. So they call it a lion and stain from Royals. So it was, it was beautiful.

You know, the guards like surrounding her. And then the crown jewels were on top of the casket. And she's really neat. It's, it was interesting. He's outside. You kind of, it's almost like going through Air Force security, turn off your cell phones and you know, like we had to go through like metal detectors and those kind of things. It's when everyone outside is kind of excited as you get close. And then when you walk in there, like you could hear a pen drop. There's just late silence. All you could hear was like the sound of like the air. Wow, the heater. And so how much time did you get to spend there?

Not much. Literally, like literally, yeah, no, you're literally like, I mean, 'cause there are thousands and thousands of people who who are there to pay their respects with me. So I literally walked through the little courtesy and was on my way. Wow. So I have a very blurry video of it that one of my friends caught on BBC. It's like I saw you. Oh my God. It's so woody. Yeah, that's wild. Yeah. Wow. And then Berlin for the second time. Yeah. Where you almost broke 4 hours there, right. Yes. Oh my gosh. Yeah. So I had AI had a hard lesson and remembering that there are kilometer markers, not mile markers and.

Yeah, just not. And I and I know better. I've been there, right. You know, and just not calculating it correctly. And yeah, by the time I realized it and I was like, come on. But turned it around and came home. When we were in Chicago. It was 2 weeks later and and broke 4. Finally, 2 weeks later he peed back into that. Yeah. And right now it's a 349 in Chicago. Finally she's came back with a vengeance. Had a little fire in my belly. I was ready. Yeah, you're like, God damn it. Yeah. I was like, I'm doing it. Not gonna make a mistake again.

I'm doing. It I'm just gonna ride and not even worry about my stupid garment, 'cause I can't rely on Chicago, right? Anyway, which it turned out to be a blessing, you know, just not be. Sometimes it's good, right? You have your little stickers. I know. I tell you what. For your easy runs like to not be tied to it because you get in your head and and. It's so funny because literally nobody cares about what pace. You're right, nobody cares, but at the same time you just get so wrapped up in it and it's like, oh, I'd really like to run this easy run within this and I want it to be on the highest end of my And it's like, who hears hears just cares.

Relax and enjoy it and like, look around, not your watch. So yeah, it's funny. I've thought about like, taking my watch off too, but that, yeah, I. Love to run I've thought about it I've I would love to run a race without it. I don't know if I could do it, but, but I, I mean, I, when I ran in Chicago in 2022, I literally just, I mean, I, I had my garment on, I used it and I just manually lapped the miles because the buildings there the. The GPS so is so wonky. And so I went into it like realizing, you know, you can't rely on it, you can't trust it.

So just run by field and just go and just manual lap it. And it was the best thing because every time I would manual lap it, I was like, OK, oh, that was good. You're still doing it, all right. And then your confidence just continues to, to build and you keep doing it. The only time I I caught myself there was, you know they had the little the cart with like the video camera guys, right? Oh. Yeah, a little. And they were there and I started like goofing off, like trying to get on camera. And then I kind of slowed down. I was like shit, whoops.

You're right. Getting back at it, yeah. That wasn't too slow. I was trying to get myself on camera. Let me pay attention. Yeah. Oh man. So at what point in this journey of running did you start working with a coach? Did you start working with Rachel? So I had a coach like early, early on, gosh, probably 2018, I, I started with a coach so. Before you did your. First Dopey before my first dopey. Yeah, I think just training for the many. Maybe in 2019. So you used to coach for your very first race? Yeah, well, let me try to think. I had a coach for a mini and then I actually did a kind of a unique coaching program before Rachel was my coach.

So going into like fall 20, what have been trying to pick the timing fall 2019 into early 2020, there was a program called Endure Straw. And so there was a guy in San Antonio who set it up. But does Linda and Jared Ward were the coaches? And so I'm a big fan of Des Linda. I just adore her and admire her so much. So it was mostly a virtual program, obviously. And we, we used final search was the the platform, But we would have a coaching call every week and either Dez or Jared or both would be on there and they would have like a set topic, you know, where there was feeling or the mental game or whatever it was that they would talk about.

But then we could just pick their brains. It was. Yes, it was the coolest thing ever. I mean, I totally geeked out. I still have like pages of notes that I took, little things that Des said. And, and one of the coolest things too is that they would, I mean, they really did pay attention. Like they would say, Oh, I remember when I ran Yopi that year, so in 2020, right before the pandemic, I remember getting a shout out from desk on the call. They're like, she was like Jennifer just ran Yopi like that. She's freaking nuts. Like 5K and then a 10K and a half and then a marathon.

I was like, yes, can you just give me a shout out? I was like, can somebody record that please? So I did that 2019 going into 2020, wow, amazing experience. I learned so much just about the mental side of the game. There are a couple of books that I read that does recommended and so that kind of like, really, I felt like kind of launched me into it, my path as being a better runner. The program ended in May of 2020 because people just couldn't afford it anymore because obviously it was expensive. Yeah. How did you find out about us online somewhere? I don't know.

That's so crazy. Yeah. And how many athletes were there? I don't know. I don't remember. Yeah, like hundreds. No, no. No, it wasn't. No, I don't know how many of us there were, but it wasn't, it wasn't a crazy amount. I feel like it was a relatively small group, OK. And did you pay like a lump sum for that program? I think I paid a monthly fee. OK. It's hard to remember. I've got mom brain, Ellie. I don't know. Yeah, and me. What I did last week, five years ago, but it was awesome for the for the amount of time that I got to do it was incredible, yeah.

And I learned a lot, so. That is so wild. Yeah. So after that ended because of COVID, because there's so many people were dropping out of the program that I was kind of like, OK, what I do now. So that's when I sign up for Rachel. Wow. Yeah. Cool. Yeah, well, I'm envious of that. Like almost from the beginning of your running journey, you like were given the tools you needed to be smart and successful. Yeah, I looked for him. I would say I was given. I don't know. Well, that's true. And looked for and looked smart enough to look for him. Yeah, yeah, I don't know.

I just Googled, you know, training plan and then I would run every mile as fast as I could and I feel. Like, I'm still figuring it out though. I mean, well, honestly, there's so much to, you know, there's so much to learn. Yeah. Well, and just fitting it all in. Yeah. For you again, as we mentioned, sorry, this mom of three. Yeah, shepherding kids all over the place, having a full time job and training for marathons. I feel like almost just constantly you're in a training cycle. I'm just like, how? How do you do that? I wake up early, so I mean, I literally go from like Dance Moms shuttle at night, get home and I'm like, all right, guys, bedtime.

And also I'm going to bed too. Yeah, because I wake up at 4:30 and I start running at 5:00 in the morning and get it done before work because that's literally the only way. Yeah, if I don't get it done in the morning, it's just not gonna happen in the evening. We have kids activities and or I'm just too darn tired because I've been in clinic all day seeing patients and I have no energy left mentally or physically by the time I get home at the end of the day. So it's a lot of early mornings. But luckily I've, I've, I've got some good friends that I've, I've met along the way that that are crazy enough to meet me super, super early in the morning.

It's it's hard to find people It took me a few years that would find people that also have this kind of schedule, right. And that you that you like with yeah, that you actually like. Yeah, yeah, Cause a lot of people, I mean, you know, I kind of get envious sometimes I'll see people I'm like, oh, you're running at 10 in the morning. I've already been at work for. Yeah, that's me. Yeah, I get to run when I when I want. It's so nice to have people who get it who are like, Yup, Yup, I've got to be at work at 7:30 too. Let's Yeah, that's me.

Yep, I've had that season of life as well, so I've been there. But yeah, yeah, not currently and not with kids. I did it. I did that before kids. I would run before work, which is kind of weird to think about now 'cause it's like, what was I doing now? Were you doing that? No, I don't know why I'm laughing, but but I think this is a good opportunity to bring up Amanda and Jason. Do you guys have a name for your crew? We do what is that we do? We're the slots, the slots, which is kind of funny because we that all came about.

We have this Thursday run group and I think it was Amanda that ended up calling us that. So there, there's a group of us there, Amanda, Jason and I, and then a couple of other gals, Jill and Ashley. And those two tend to be a little bit quicker, right? And so we run together, you know, we're very much like, Nope, we're keeping our easy pace easy. We've got to slow down and they're just naturally faster than we are. And I think one day Amanda was like, gosh, you guys are like little rabbits and we're just sloths back here. We're just going to flow and it's stuck.

And we've just kind of gone with it ever since. I love that. Yeah. But those two are just, you know, one, like I said, we we get each other. We've all got full time, full time jobs and kids and just having people that, you know, are willing to get up with you. And it's, you know, if one of us has something going on, I mean, a couple weeks ago, Jason had an 8:00 AM flight and it was like, hey, can we do our speed work at 4:30? And we're, we're Amanda and I were like, Yep, we'll be there. Let's do it. So having people in your corner that are willing to do that is, is so amazing.

A huge part of, of being successful in this running game too, because it could be hard. Yeah, it's hard enough to always have the motivation. None of us always have the motivation, right. But when you have friends to help hold you accountable even when you don't feel like it or you show up even when you don't feel like it and know that you're at least going to have fun even if you have a crappy running day. Because we just, we just make each other laugh. I mean, some of the stories we're, we're running and we work really hard, but we also do a whole lot of laughing while we're while we're out there, which is makes the time go by.

Yeah. Well. And you and Amanda met through Rachel, right? We met to Rachel, actually. No, actually, I referred to Amanda to Rachel, but we met through Instagram. Really kind of because of the red Disney community. Yeah. I didn't realize that. Yeah. It's sort of like you kind of start to follow people that are in the community and realize that, oh, we live in the same area. Oh, we should. Yeah. Get together. Hey, let's get together. And so I invited her to one of our Thursday morning runs. And so she showed up and we instantly just clicked. Yeah, well, it's funny, when I was, I forget, I think maybe I was talking to Rachel before a race or something.

Like I was talking about you and I was like, yeah, I'm going to get Jennifer on the podcast after she gets that six star. And we were joking about how you and Amanda should come on together. Oh my gosh, like a comedy show. And I was like, I don't think I would need to be there. I feel like they would need to have their own like podcast episode together because I could only imagine how fun it would be. Oh my gosh, we've talked about it, actually. The three of us, actually, Jason and I, like, we should just have a podcast or just, I don't even know the sloths.

Yeah, the Sloth Podcast. Yeah, well, and Jason, I talked to this morning actually, because I sent him a text that I said, hey, I'm, I'm interviewing Jennifer. What should I, what should I ask about? What should I say? And and yeah, he, he just, I and Amanda and both of them are just so grateful for your group. And and he was introduced to you guys from Jill, right? OK, Yeah. So he was training for his first marathon last year in Chicago. And so Jill brought him to the Thursday run group. She texted us and said, hey, my neighbor is training for Chicago. Do you guys mind if he joins us on Thursdays?

And we're like, yeah, sure, why not? Or the merrier. And so then it turned into I'm like, hey, I was also training for Chicago. Amanda was training for Monumental and we were all kind of around the same pace. And so we started meeting for long runs on the weekends. And Jason's a brain tumor survivor, which is amazing that he does this, right? And so one thing for him is not being out there alone, yes, for safety reasons, right? In case something happens best for him. His wife Mindy also doesn't want him to be out there alone, right? And, and I understand that. So he was doing his 1st 20 mile long run and I think I had like 17 that day.

And Amanda, mine had 18. And this was like early on in our friendship and we were like, well, that's OK. We'll just, we'll just stay out there. Yeah, so we did. And we just kind of hung with him and made sure he finished. And we were just talking about it. He and I, we ran yesterday. He said, I remember I finished my, my 20 mile and you two were, you two were right there waiting on me. You weren't going anywhere until I finished. I'm like, yeah, of course we're going to make sure you got through it. And now we just do all of our runs together for the most part.

But yeah, it's just such a fun group that again, just good people. We laugh and we don't know. It's, it's hard to describe. We just, we have such a good time when we're together. Yeah. Yeah. I love running, running and runners so much. Yeah. Because yeah, having that community, it's almost then not even about the actual running anymore. No, which is now, and you just think about some of the people that like from it's your life, right? And I mean, here's Jason, his brain tumor survivor who's out here doing this, right? And, and he pushed with me for Ainsley's angels. Yes, he did on a whim.

I mean, that was a last minute thing. Like we weren't signed up for that. And we just sort of stumbled on it. I had a a guy come into my clinic with his shirt on and he's his Angel's shirt on. Really. And I said, oh, said Ainsley's angels. He said, oh, yeah, my wife runs the chapter central, and I have the chapter. And I was like, oh, awesome. I got some friends pushing for you guys. I'd love to do it someday. And he said, well, let me give you her number. We could use some more people. Why don't you text her? And I thought, oh, OK, so I text her.

Then I immediately text Jason and like, hey, do you want to push with me for the mini? So he's just, you know, a good sport. And he's like, yeah, I'll do it. Why not? Because Amanda was Amanda doing Flying Pig. She's doing Flying Pig, Yeah, which is the day. After Yeah, Yeah. Wow. Yeah. So cool, man. Yeah, I he also told me, and I mentioned this in my notes to you, that you're a veteran. Yeah. And I knew this, but then my Googling and like, scrolling through social media couldn't find proof. And then Jason calls me and we and he's like, hey, you should know that Jennifer and I had this in common.

And I said, well, it's like my prayers were answered. I couldn't figure it out. So. So tell me about your time in the Army ROTC. How Yeah, how you ended up doing? That yeah. So I, I was in the Army for 12 years and I started like fresh out of high school. I left the day after I graduated high school to go to basic training. So I was a medic and I really, I honestly did it to help pay for school because my mom was a single mom. We did not have a lot of money for me to go to school. And I had big dreams.

I knew I wanted to go to Mendosa and I knew it was a long road and expensive road to get there. And thankfully one of my friends in high school, his mom was a even time, maybe a Lieutenant Colonel or something in the Indiana National Guard and sat me down and said, look, you know, this is a way for you. And I'd never even considered it personally. Are you crazy? But then the more I looked at it, this kind of doesn't make sense, right? So, so I did it. So I joined. And so I joined the Army National Guard, the Indian National Guard. So I went to basic training.

I came back, did my freshman year. Where was basic training? Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri. OK, came back and I went to Marion from my undergrad, which was marrying Holland's right back then. I'll date myself. I can tell you how old I am. And then I did my medic training the following summer and then I ended up doing ROTC and doing an ROTC scholarship, which helped quite a bit. So that kind of paid for the rest of my undergrad educational. And then through my military experience, I worked with PAS. And so I didn't even know what PA which were. OK, yeah, I'm just saying tell the people.

So that's how I ended up, Yeah. So I, ever since I was little, I'd wanted to be a doctor and, and the military started working with this TA, these TAS and I was like, huh, these people are pretty awesome. They, they do the same thing. And, and then I found out about the military PA program. And so I applied when I graduated, when I was graduating from, from my undergraduate, Marion and I got into the military PA program. So I told myself I'm going to do this. If I'm not happy, then I'll, then I'll go back and go to medical school. So I went off to school at Fort St.

Houston in San Antonio for the Army PA program to my clinicals in Georgia. So that was a two year program and I've been APA now for 18 1/2 years and I've never looked back. But it was that I ended up serving for 12 years that such a great experience for me, the people I met along the way, the education that I got the experience obviously, and just, I mean, it really shaped who I am as a person, as a leader. And and there are a lot of times when I'm running too, that I'm out there and I'm like, it's so funny to to look back and we had to take these military physical fitness tests, which was a two mile run, by the way, which seemed like such a big deal, right?

I'm sure way that then I was like, got to do this. I'm going to do it in under like 16 minutes. I mean, can you know, as like an 18 year old, that was a big deal. And now I'm like, Oh my gosh, I'm almost 43 and I could smoke my 18 year old self, which is hilarious. Yeah. So. But you know, you, you learn and you grow, but those experiences just shaped me so much. Also part of the reason for me that I can't race the many. So I lost a friend and I rap in 2006. I wasn't there, but part of my unit that I kind of grew up with in the Indian national Indiana National Guard deployed to Iraq right as I was graduating from PA school and one of my friends was Gilbert.

So so you know, they have the gold mile at the Indy Mini and so his pictures there and I just, I finally learned I finally last year I tried to race the mini and I, I told Rachel after that, I'm like, I can't race this race. I can do it. The gold mile like does me and I just need to do it for a cause or for fun with friends because I need to be able to stop and pay my respects. And usually I see his mom out there because she's very involved in the the Gold Star family. So the any menu for me is just like a giving back kind of fun because that gold mileage is still that is so I mean that and I don't know anybody but.

I always look and just try to take that in. Yeah. And really think about what that all means because it is so incredibly meaningful. Yeah. Yeah. 12 years. Thank you for your service. Thank you. It's so that whole time, like you're in the Army, you're also doing all this education. It's all like kind of together as one and what is APA? What does that stand for and what is what do you do as APA? So it's a physician assistant. So I work in dermatology as my specialty. So I work in dos crates in dermatology here in Indianapolis. And so I, I do pretty much the same thing as as our dermatologists do, but I have them there if I need them.

So if there's something that's particularly challenging or I can't figure it out or something's not getting better, then I've got someone by my side that I can go say, hey, I need some help with this. So, but I prescribe, I do skin cancer surgeries, pretty much all the same things that that our dermatologists do. It's just nice to have someone next to me if I need it. But it's been a great career for me. She's yeah, I love what I do. And The funny thing about Jason and I both being veterans is, you know, you have those little things that you don't even we didn't serve together in the same units or anything, but they're little just military nuances.

So there there will be times when he's like, oh, it's it's raining, Jen. I don't know. And I'm like, dude, it's not fitting rain. And we training. He's have you. He's like you had to bring that out. Like those are little military things that that you'll just hear like when you're. That's when you've served. Yeah. And he's like, I knew. You were going to say that I knew it. And I'm like, get your ass up. We're running. It's raining. Put a hat on. You're fine. That's so good. Yeah. Yeah, well, in the way he described it too, He said, You know that you can just tell, you know, the the nuances of that and like why you do so well, like in a group, like in a pack and like.

Just. How you treat your training and running, you know, just kind of all weaves back to that experience. Yeah, yeah. And it's funny though, because when I was in the military, I didn't love running, honestly, which is so funny cause often people ask me and they're like, oh, were you like a cross country star in, in high school? And I'm like, God, no, no, I've always been an athlete. I played volleyball, basketball, softball at high school. I, I did track in, in junior high. Just kind of a funny story because the coach, you know, I think everyone goes into like their first track season in school thinking like, you're going to be like an Olympic, Olympic sprinter, right?

Like we all think I'm so fast, right? And she wanted me to do the mile. I was pissed. That's too far. I don't want to run a whole mile. I just want to do like 100 meters, you know? I have to run a whole mile and try to run it fast. I was so mad. This is like 7th grade. Yeah, that's so funny. But now here I am running half some marathons for fun. But even when I was in the Army, I didn't. I did not love running like I did it because I had to. I did it to stay in shape. It wasn't truly until I was out of there and out of out of the military and, and really trying to get myself back in shape after, as you know, having three kids, right, That I that I found my love for running and just kind of a happy place where I can zone out and, yeah, be away from the craziness of being a mom to three, being a mom of being a mom of being a clinician.

Yes, yeah. Gosh. Yeah, and the tally today I looked up on your Instagram 37 half marathons. Is that right? Yeah, that's what it says. Probably didn't. Well, I don't know. Did you update it after the mini? Sometimes I forgot. And then 19 marathons it says that. That's right, That's right. And then Dopey five times. Is that right? Yeah. That's right. Five times. Yeah. And your PR was at Mesa last year. What time of year is Mesa? It's in February. February. That's right. Yeah. It's a great race. Did you go? With Rachel, I did. Yeah. With Rachel and Jill, you really, really enjoyed Mesa? Yeah. Great race.

I would highly recommend it. So well organized. I had a little dehydration problem when she told you that story, No? No, till. Well, now you got to tell I'm. Not going to tell you it's hysterical. So OK, so there I was in Mesa on on pace to BQI was doing really, really well. What's BQ for you 34040 OK, 340 I was running really well. Mesa's really dry and hot, but you start early in the morning and so it was kind of chilly when you start. But once the sun comes up in Arizona, holy crap, it's like a whole different long, right ball game and it's dry and it gets warm.

So I, I had this system where I would start with a water bottle with like some electrolytes. I don't even know what I had in there. And I would toss it. And I'd done this for several marathons. It works well. And then I would just rely on the water stops on the course, right? And I'd done this and it works for me. It did not work for me in Mesa. And I don't know what the problem was, but I'd already tossed my water bottle and I get to like mile 18 and I was just like, so thirsty. Like I felt like I was looking for a mirage in the desert like I was.

So I've never been so desperate for water in my life to the point where I was, I start to think like this whole dialogue in my head. And like, if somebody could have been like in my head, I would have been like, oh, what is wrong with her 'cause I start thinking, well, I threw away a water bottle, Maybe someone else did too, right. So I'm like looking on the ground. I'm looking on the ground. There's gotta be a water bottle somewhere. I finally found one and pick it up. Yes, I pick it up and there's yellow liquid in there and. I'm like, I'm like.

Running along. Is this piss or is it Gatorade in this water bottle? I don't know. No, I don't know. Like this whole thing is happening in my head and I'm still going. I'm still running. I'm like, oh God, what am I going to do? I'm so thirsty. What am I going to do is I'm going to smell it? He's like take off the lid, sniff it. I think it smells like Gatorade, lemon, like Gatorade, which I hate, by the way. I don't like that flavor. Interesting. Hate it, hate it. And I'm like, OK, think that's what it is, but can I trust my sniffer? I don't know.

I think I'm delirious right now. Like I'm so thirsty. I'm like, I'm screw it, I'm just going to have to taste it if I take a little swing and it was gathering. I was gonna say like the idea that somebody would have peed in the bottle and like, discarded. It, but I just also ran past a homeless man. So I was like, this is probably not my smartest choice right now, but I'm so desperate. Yeah, yeah. And then my intention was to fill it with water at the next water. So yeah. Which I did. I don't OK disgusting urban lime out and put water in there.

Well, you shouldn't just choke down that those electrolytes probably I. I did drink it, but I did. I drank some, but I could not drink all of it. Yeah, I don't have home line. Well, that's unfortunate cause pretty much every. Race is lemon line. Yeah, it is. So which is why I like to carry my own thing. Yeah, yeah. But yeah. And then shortly after the 340 days just caught me and I let out unexplicative and and then I kept chugging a lot and ran in 345. So yeah, it was still a good day and still a huge PR. Yeah, yeah. Are you coming after that?

Yeah. PR I'll get there, I'll get there. What are you signed up for this year? So Chicago and I fall again, but I just like 2 weeks ago got an e-mail. It's just a funny story too. So I had done, I had, you know, the marathon Porsches Paris like during the Paris Olympics. So I had download, downloaded the app and done all these challenges where you just go click and you you don't have to pay for it, but you just like connect your garment and all your training runs like give you points basically. OK, so I've done this for, I don't know, a year or two and collected points and they did a bunch of drawings early in the year.

So I thought it was done. I had deleted the app off my phone. I entered another drawing through World Athletics. So I don't know if that's how it happened. But anyhow, like 2 weeks ago, I get an e-mail in French, but I almost deleted like I literally spam. This was the morning that we ran at 4:30 in our speed work, Jason and Amanda. So I, I had extra time before work like soaking my legs in the top and I get this e-mail in French. I was like, what is that? And I said, wait, I think that might say marathon in French. I'm gonna translate it.

And I got into to the marathon during the Paris Olympics. So I get to run between the men and the women's Olympic marathons. On the Olympic. Course, No, you don't. Yes, in August, This August. This August. This is an Olympic year. Yes, you're going to what? Yes, yes, I know, I'm here. How have? We waited. I don't. I'd be like, guess what I'm doing? I know, it's crazy. How did I miss that on the Internet? I didn't. I haven't even posted it. I'm still trying to soak it in and like, plan my trip and like, get my head together. I'm like, oh God, I had a book, a trip to Paris.

So yeah. OK, yeah, how? But where are you? Going to stay. I found a place what Thankfully one of my fellow 6 star friends. He and his wife are like huge Paris people so it's the first person I'm like. What do I do? What do I do? Where do I go? They're like, getting ready to buy an apartment in Paris and, like, did you buy your apartment yet? But they didn't. I was like, I was like, can I just stay there? Yeah, but gave me tips and like, look in this area, look near this mentor station and they found a place that's reasonable. Thank God.

Yeah, 'cause that's like. Then it turns out my friend Jamie, who I finished, we both finished our six stars in Tokyo. She got the same e-mail on the same day, so my friend is gonna be there as well. So, yeah, so. I just keep thinking like crazy, you know, you finish the six star adventure and that has to be hard in some ways because you're like, OK, the end of this chapter of like chasing that dream and now you get to do this and then you're kind of like, now what? Right. Exactly. It's kind of like the post, you know, people talk about the post marathon Blues where like you have this race, you train for it, you do it and you're like, now what?

Yeah. And how cool. Yeah, I'm so excited. It's gonna be hot and it's gonna be hilly and I will not be fast. But I don't care, Yeah. Who cares? And it's at night. It's a 910 race, so it starts at night at 9:00 PM. Which is it'll be beautiful, 3:00 AM or whatever. I think they're six hours. Ahead. So it'll be like 3:00 PM here or something. Oh, right. Oh, I did that afterwards. OK. Yeah. So. Yeah. And then, you know, just working that into mom life, I also have sure. Like that's when the kids start school. Oh. Gosh, my daughter starts high school right so I'm like OK, I can't fly out until the evening of the 8th because I need to get my kids off to school on their first day of school at least see my well, I'm.

So glad you get to do that because and then I'll go to Paris. That would make me a really tough decision to have to choose one over the other, yeah. 'Cause so I'm just gonna go. I'm just not gonna spend a lot of time in Paris ahead behind me busy, which is get Microsoft to school and I'll spend a couple of days after go to Disneyland Paris because I'm me and I have. To, of course. Yeah. OK, Well, shoot, I should have waited to have you on. See. Damn it. No. It's. Because that is gonna be me. OK, Your friend Jamie is gonna come on, tell her yes.

I mean, I need to hear about that experience. Yes, and she's super interesting here. She's gone the Disney, the Disney 5K, and she's fast. Oh my gosh. Yeah, which I also learned at one point. I've had two other Disney people on this podcast. Dalis, Do you know her? She was on. I met her at the Orlando airport. And met her and I was like, well, I have this new podcast. You should come on. She's actually 15. And then Bailey Smith, she was episode 20. And so yeah, so she's done so much great charity work, so much cool stuff. So anyway, I forgot it's like. So I was getting at too.

I learned from them that fast holes or maybe you told me that you're technically a fast hole even though you're say you're you're average. But yeah, so Jamie is also a she's a fellow festival. OK, excellent. I have a shirt. Actually, that's a more festival shirt. Yeah. Well, for people who can't see you, you're wearing your six star shirt. Yeah, which is an awesome. Yeah, Oh my gosh. So cool. All right, I want to hear more about Tokyo, because you did Tokyo right, it looks like anyway, from all the pictures of your adventures there. How long were you in Tokyo? I was there for eight days, so not nearly long enough to be honest.

You packed a gun and I did. I planned so much. So I got there and I immediately got on the bullet train and went to Kyoto for, I say two days. So it was truly like a day and 1/2. So I booked this tour. I had this tour guide which. Was in your solo? Yeah, yeah. So I had this tour guide pick me up at my hotel. He was like a college student, the nicest kid. Is this the first time? You've been to Asia? Yeah. By yourself. Yeah. Cool. I had other friends that were running. So like, once I was, you know, back in Tokyo.

Yeah, OK, it's fine. But I've done enough of these and I'm like, it's fine. I can handle it. But the store guide picks me up at like 6:45 in the morning 'cause I was like, OK, I want to do this, this, this, this in Kievo. How the heck am I going to fit it in 'cause I don't have a lot of time? Yeah. So I found this tour. Tour guide picks me about 6:45 in the morning, took me to see the Fuchini and Ari shrine, the Golden Temple and the bamboo forest. We get all that done in, like half of a day. Yeah, crazy. But that was the only way 'cause I was like, yeah, I try to do this on my own.

There's no way to get to all these places. And he was so great. He was a college student, so knowledgeable, just fantastic experience. And then that afternoon I went like kind of more downtown to a traditional Japanese tea ceremony, which was amazing. So I walk in and Japanese woman has me sit down and she does my hair. And then they had me pick a kimono and they just dressed me like standing there and they dressed me in a kimono. And then go across to the tea house and they take you through a traditional tea ceremony. Incredible as the tea ceremony left. So a traditional tea ceremony is over 4 hours.

Ours is a little over an hour. So they obviously condense it. Yeah. Yeah. That's nice. So they kind of teach you the history and they teach you how to whisk your own matcha tea. And they had little bean paste, like pastries to help compare your palate because the tea could be quite better. So just amazing experience. And I was in a room with maybe, maybe 10 other people. It was a small group, 1015, very small group of us. It was just amazing and had a little garden with like, you know, bonsai tree and umbrellas and fans. You can take pictures and just so well done.

So that was probably one of my favorite things. And then back-to-back to Tokyo and the bullet train the next day and. What's the bullet train like? Oh my gosh, amazing. So I mean just crazy fast. I forget what the, what the statistic is on how fast it goes, but I booked the seed and like, the, like, what they consider like their first class because I had all my luggage, right. And like, I need luggage storage because I'm coming straight from the airport. And it was awesome. Like, my seat would lay back and I went right past Mount Fuji on the way there and back. So I saw Mount Fuji at sunset on my way to Kyoto, which is beautiful.

Yeah. How long of a ride was that? About two hours, Yeah, a little over two hours. So not bad. I mean, if I did it again, I would go for longer and go to Osaka and and see more. I mean, there's just so much to see you do there. And then I was back in Tokyo on Thursday morning and what else did I go? It was a hedgehog cafe. Hedgehog and Otter cafe. OK, what is that? It was it was wild. Like you just go in and you can feed them and. Oh, hedgehogs. Like hedgehogs? Like hedgehogs? Like animals? Like a little cute little Yes.

Are they? Pokey. Kind of. So they give their Yeah, they give you gloves to wear so they don't poke you. Yeah. So I took my did they shoot? There's like, what do they call what's? The other one, Porcupine, thank you. Oh, I don't know. They didn't shoot him over. Well, that's good. I don't know anything about hedgehogs at all. My friends, and who used to be my nanny for my kids when I lived in San Antonio, lives in Tokyo with her, too. Yeah, so cool. So I took them and we went to this Hedgehog and Otter Cafe, and it was just OK. And Otter and otters.

What are the Otter? Are they? Not in water then. No. They're like little. They're just running around and they stop their hands like grab food from you. They're so funny. So it's just hilarious. These are like things you can only do in Japan, right? Yeah. Yeah. So that was that that I went to the Expo. How did you how do you compare the Expo? To Expos here. So by the time I got there I went to the Expo on Friday. Oh, I went to this Art Museum on Friday. Also, it's called Team Lab Planets, which was it's hard to even describe it. It's like this immersive.

It's kind of like digital art. It's hard to it's hard to put it into words. I just have to show you pictures. But the only thing I can say about it is there was this room that was like mirrors and they had all these twinkly lights from the ceiling. And it looks like it's endless. Like it looked like it went on forever. And I got emotional. I walked in there and I was like, it was, it was kind of one of those moments where you're like, I can't believe I'm here. I can't believe I'm doing this right now. I'm in Japan, you know, I mean, like, I come from small town Indiana.

Like I think I'm the only person in my family who's ever travelled abroad, let alone to to Asia. I mean, yeah, my dad passed away last year. He never even went on an airplane in his whole life, you know? Really. No, he was terrified. So. And I'm, I'm, I'm here and I'm like, I was there and like, I can't, I can't believe I'm doing that. It's like, it's just like a moment of like pure gratitude. Like, wow. Like I get to experience this. Like I've made my way here. I get to do this. And wow, I'm so thankful, you know? So, yeah. So that was the the Art Museum, but the Expo was, it was crazy.

So by the time I got there, all of the merchandise is gone. Like, the shelves are bare, like, completely bare, which was fine. Yeah. I was like, I, you know? Saved you some money. Exactly like I spent enough money on on Ray's merchandise, I was like, it's fine, I just wanna get my bed the most. The thing I was looking forward to the most was going to the to the ABBA booth and right, you know, like you get your little bid that says. This is my 6th. Today's the day that goes on your back. And yeah, so that's what I was looking forward to the most.

So that was super fun. And then because I was running for the Ronald McDonald House Japan. Oh yeah, I went to the charity section and they had a Japanese Ronald McDonald, which was so much fun. Like, when else would you see the Japanese Ronald McDonald picture? I'll have to show you the picture. It's hysterical. Yeah, it's so great. I mean, you walk up and Ronald McDonald's like Konichiwa. And you're like. OK. Yeah. So. And what is Ron I I should know this just the US what is Ronald McDonald is that kids with cancer. So it's it's basically kids who not just cancer, but kids who need like prolonged hospitalization.

So the Ronald McDonald House provides that extended for their families, for the families, for the families. To be OK, I didn't, I didn't know that. So they can, the families can be nearby. So actually one of my colleagues that I work with her, their son had had a heart surgery. But anyhow, so they had actually utilized the Ronald McDonald House. And so it's a really neat organization. Yeah, Yeah, that's real wide. So yeah. So did you do? Was there a special dinner or anything you did with the charity or? No, they didn't have a special dinner. They had a reception after, but I also I couldn't find my way there after I finished running.

I was like just hired and and I was going Mario Karting after I ran the mirror, right? So I was like, I can't figure out how to get there and I need to go shower and get ready for this Mario Karting adventure. So. I'm just who? Did you Mario Kart with the friends that you knew that was from my run Disney friends. So I mean, this is the beauty of the run Disney, right. So, I mean, I've met people through run Disney mostly that run all over the world. And so even though it sounds scary to travel to Berlin, to London or to Tokyo, I go to these places and I'm never by myself.

There's always someone that I know there and it's usually from the right to see. That's so cool and it's so fun. So, yeah, my friend Ryan that I mentioned that he and his wife left Paris. He's the one who set up the the Mario Karting for all of us. So there was a big room with us and he messages and he said, OK, if you want to do this, you've got to get an international driver's permit. What? Yeah. Yeah. So I had to go to AAA get an international drivers meant because you're actually on the road. You're not like on it. You're not it's not like the go karting we have here where you're on the road next to the cars, like driving next to Tokyo tower.

OK, that's wild, terrifying guys. It was a little bit a little bit. I was like, please don't let something happen to me because I would hate for someone to have to call my kids and be like your mom got her 6th star. But then and then she like, you know, wrecked her Mario Kart in Tokyo. She makes you're unsafe. But it was great. We had a guide and she was awesome. She kept us safe and took pictures for us and it was so much fun. Clearly I need to look back at those photos. So you were. You're on the roads. We're on the streets, Yeah.

So much fun. Were you like? Did you like racing? Or racing. No, no, no, no. We were in like a formation. So we were either side by side, like two by two or in a yeah. And she had like, we had like little hand signals. So she would tell us like whether to be two by two or in a line. Yeah. So to get your international permit, was that just did you just pay? It was to do. It was like $20. I went to AAA. OK, so you didn't? Have to like I. Didn't have to do a test or anything. Yeah, I literally went there and said I needed international driver's permit for Japan.

And did they, did they take your? Picture and you get this like official card. It was like a little little, almost like a little vaccine booklet, kind of. Yeah. OK. No. Did they take my picture? I can't remember. Yeah. It was really easy, very simple. And are they on the right side of the road? They are, right? It's just. Oh, I know. Australia's not. No, I don't know. No, they're on the opposite side. I don't remember. I mean, I don't know. It has to be all blur or you're just following the line doing. What? They say no. If I get there on the opposite wait, I forget.

I'm trying to look at my pictures. Yeah. Look it up. So wow, that's so wild. So much fun. Yeah. So I did that. That was after the marathon. How was the marathon itself? Oh my gosh, it was. I had the best time. And they're. Kilometers as well, right? They're kilometers as well, Yeah. But I went into that one with kind of like, I'm going to, I'm going to soak this in and enjoy it and just run a good race. But like, I don't care all that much about my finish time, honestly, because I ran Dopey and then had gone straight to Disneyland in January and I got really, really sick coming home from Disneyland.

Did you do the Dumbo thing? I did Dumbo, yes, I did Dumbo. I don't even. Know why? I asked. And came home with some kind of God awful virus that I don't know what it was, but it was not good. I was sick for a while so I just did not have a good training block. And anyhow I just wanted to have fun. So I went into it with kind of like I'm going to enjoy this. And I felt like for the first time, I really did that. Like I mentioned, I, I did enjoy Boston when I ran Boston and I definitely enjoyed Tokyo. I, I found myself like really looking around, which I historically am not good at.

Like I kind of get into my, into my garment, like looking at my time. That's my case. But I really just like looked around and soaked it in. I was like, oh, wow, we're running past, you know, this or that. And the way the Tokyo courses, there's a lot of like turnarounds kind of out in back sections, which is a bit odd for a world major I remember. I tracked you. And it's like, hard to kind of figure out what was going on. It's weird, but, you know, and it's not ideal if you're trying to run super fast. But we got to see the elites come through.

So. Oh, that's kind of cool. I mean, you know, like I stopped and cheered them on. I stopped and took a video of Khashoggi running with me. And I was like, I'm going to enjoy this. Yeah. You know. And then another, another kind of fun run, Disney Story. I had a run Disney friend from the Netherlands that was running and we kind of messaged back and forth and I hadn't seen him since 2020. And he and his wife had a baby since then. And we we were in the same corral in Tokyo. We were going to try to, I was like, I'm going to try to get to the front of the corral.

We didn't see each other. So running along and all of a sudden he comes up next to me. And so we found each other on the course. And so we ran several miles together. And you know, at that point he was like, are you trying? He's like, I don't want to slow you down. Are you trying to, you know, what's your, what's your goal? And I'm like, I don't care, honestly. And so he does a fun, he does like a, he has a YouTube channel And so he, he actually films part of us running together and sounds fun. So it's run our run, our don't run.

And so we had done this big costume crew, like a big group of us at Disney. So it's just fun to catch up. I was like, Oh my gosh, how are you? How's the baby? It's, you know, it's just such a small. And again, just the beauty of of run Disney and like, what are the odds that you're running in Tokyo and you see your friend from the Netherlands run up beside you, Right. Yeah. It's crazy. That's so crazy. I think it's crazy when I like find somebody at the indie mini. Yeah, I'm like, oh, hey, yeah. And that's not that small of a world.

So to be able to share part of that race with, you know, with people that I knew was, yeah. That's really special. And to just, yeah. And then I kind of like, I got closer to the finish line and I was like, oh, maybe I'll speak in under four. And then the finish line was like forever. I'm like, where is it? I'm on this like a brick road. And then I was like, OK, well, it's newer here. I'm just gonna enjoy this then. Yeah. And I, I still didn't, I didn't know what my finish time was for like a couple of weeks after 'cause I just didn't care, you know?

So I'm just like, whatever, I was like, whatever, I don't know. And then I finally got an e-mail, I think, and it was like 04/01, whatever, it's fine. It's fine, but I I want to I. Honestly didn't care. Yeah. Which is amazing that that's what you ran when you were just taking an in. I just had so much fun and yeah, really looked around and like, gosh, I can't believe I'm here. I can't believe this is happening. Oh my gosh, I can't believe you. Then now you get to run in Paris to remain Olympics. That's crazy. Insane. I know, I know. That's wild too, that you know all the ends of Hells and all these like and to like things you can enter in these contests.

I have like. That's got to be like an underground. There's so many little like nuances and ways to try to get in. I haven't had super great luck with them, but I've sure tried. Well. Now it's all paid off. Yeah. Yeah. Jeez. You get there one way or the other. I mean, you just have to be gritty enough to keep working on it and and be willing to, if you can't get in any other way, then you can always raise money for charity. Yeah. Which is always worthwhile. Yeah. I wanted to ask you about we still have a lot to cover, I think. So I wanted to ask you about your experience this year, 2024 Boston, because you went and volunteered.

In a Med tent. Yeah, What was that like? That had to be wild. That was it was it was so wild and it was kind of part of my like post six star, what do you do now? Right in part of the things that I've had in my head is I want to give back to the running because I feel like as a whole, running has given me so much yes, as a runner, as a person. And that's one way that, that I can get back because I have the skills and the, you know, the knowledge. And so it's an application process to even be able to, to be on the Boston medical team.

So I'd actually applied last year and didn't get accepted. Okay. And I, I kind of heard through different groups, they're like, oh, it's hard to get a Boston volunteer spot. It's harder than harder than getting into the race. And I'm like, oh gosh. Wow, I would never. Guess people say that like once you get a volunteer spot, people don't give them up when they just keep them. So. So I was like, OK, so I went into it this year with kind of like, well, I need to approach this like I'm applying for a job then like I didn't realize it was all that serious. I just thought like I've got the credentials and I've got a volunteer.

So I I'm available. I'm available. I'm willing to fly and help. Yeah. So I approached it differently and like beefed up my application and like did it like I was applying to a job and got a spot. It's always placed at the Saint James medical tent at the finish line finish. Yeah. So it was incredible experience from start to finish. So when I first found out I was selected, I was kind of like, Oh my gosh, okay, I need to start reviewing things and, you know, doing some studying because my day-to-day job is dermatology right now. I trained in the military. I was trained and I've worked a lot of things and I have a lot of background knowledge outside of dermatology obviously, but I want to refresh those things because I don't use them every day.

So I started pulling articles on like, endurance athletes and things that you see and, you know, doing some reading. And then I got these emails from the Boston Medical team and they've got this whole training module, which was amazing. It was so cool to see as a runner. And it's just, and as a volunteer. So part of it was just the logistics and understanding the whole operation and seeing everything that happens behind the scenes. Like it's unreal. Yeah. To realize what goes into planning these races. So it kind of gives you a little perspective, you know, because as runners, I think we get into this like, oh, why can't they just let 20,000 more people run this race?

Well, now I get it. Because you see like exactly what goes into planning these things. And then along with that, there was a whole medical training module with like almost 9 hours of, of medical training that I did and I got credit for it and continuing medical education credit. And it was so well done. Everything you could possibly think of. There was a module on para athletes, so special things to think about wheelchair athletes that you wouldn't see in a runner. And those are obviously things that I didn't know. So it was it was just so well done and things that you learn too that they're prepared for in medical that I also never realized as a runner.

So like if someone comes in with heat stroke, like we've got a heat deck, we've got cold water immersion tubs that we can cool them down. And I'm saying, wow, I never knew that that was a thing that, that they're that prepared for us as runners, You know, 'cause you're out there sometimes and you're like, I'm pretty sure I might die if I go faster. Yeah, there's myself anymore. But the reality is those medical teams are so well prepared and trained to take good care of us. And so I get there that morning, we had to check in at 7:00 and we get our credentials and our old medical jacket.

And then we had a big meeting for like an hour and a half and just kind of going through like all of the logistics and it was going to be a warmer day than they thought initially. So kind of preparing us for that and what to expect and and then we all disperse to our areas to go to my tents and in our tent specifically, I mean, this tent takes up like a whole block. It's huge. I've been in Chicago. 'S and New York's. Yeah. As a as a patient, yeah. So, you know, yeah, it's just ginormous. I think we had like 15 sections, an ICU and a heat deck in there.

So my section, there were two physicians, myself, SO1PA2 registered nurses, two physical therapists, and then we had two scribes that were medical students. So that was just my team, just my section. So we were Section 2 and there were fourteen others just like us spread throughout our tent and then outside of our tent. So we're kind of in like that finished shoot area where Rudders has just finished and they're walking through to get their gear checked bags. We had medical medical suite teams out there. So they're just watching, watching for people who are struggling and they literally put them in a wheelchair and bring them to us.

And then they just go right back out with their wheelchairs and look for the next set. Yeah. So initially we we had TV's in there, so we watched the elites and I saw them finish. So that was fun. And then at about 12:30, we got our first runner in from the first wave. So this is the guy who finished in like 2 1/2 hours, right? And then it just never stops after that. It was like non-stop. I ended up with the last patient in our tent, Swedish sweetest little lady from from the UK, and I left there in 6:15. So it was, it was a long, long day, but it was so rewarding.

You have a lot of runners with heat. Yeah, you know, heat exhaustion, dehydration, low sodium, those are kind of the main things that we saw, muscle cramps, that sort of things. But it was, it was a neat experience that I think you need to be there as a clinician, but also as a runner and be able to relate to them 'cause it's one thing to be there, you know, when you're, you're there as an athlete and you don't feel well, right? You're cramping or you're nauseous and throwing up. But they're also disappointed in their race time, right? And there's a psychology to that. And I think for me, being able to relate to them was really special.

So there's one in particular that I'll never forget. And I hope that she keeps running. But she was a 27 year old and this was Boston was her third marathon and she wasn't feeling well. But she was also very disappointed in her. I think she'd ran like a 340, right? And so I was, I was looking at her and one of the dogs had already talked to her and it was just kind of keeping my eye on her and could tell she's just, she just kept crying. So went over and squat down next to her. I'm like, what's going on? I just don't have my hands are numb.

And, you know, so just start talking to her. And. And part of like how we assess their mental status is asking them about their race. Are they qualified? And that gives us a sense of like, do they are they there? Are they there or not? Right. And as I'm talking to this gal, she's just, you know, she starts telling me she's like, I just I just don't think that, you know, this is going to be my last marathon. I just don't think I'm made for this. And I pick up her chart and I look at it and you're 27, right? She's like, yeah. She's like, I just, I just had a terrible day and I was like, OK, I was like, let me show you something.

I took out my phone and they pull up my tracking for all of my friends that are out there running. I said, do you see all these people? She's like, yeah. I was like, nobody had a good day today. No one. I was like, one of my friends today ran well. Everyone else is like 10-15 minutes behind what they normally run. Like it's a tough day. It's hot. No one's doing their best today. Yeah. It's just it's a rough day. It's hot. And you're going to have rough days even when there's good weather. It's normal, you know, like you're not going to run your best every, every time.

And she looks at you, she's like, you're a runner, aren't you? And I was like, yeah, she said, how many have you ran marathon? Yeah, ran a few. You're like, how much time do you have? No, I was like, I was like, how many of you ran? I was like, I ran 19. She was like, I was like, listen, I was like, you're not done. You're 27. Do not give up because we're going bad race. Like we all have bad races, bad training runs. Like you shake this one off and you mark from it and you move on and you're gonna be just fine. Like you got here, you're new third verified and you ran Boston, you're just fine.

And so you talk to her a little more and finally get her to get up and start walking. And that's kind of like our litmus test. Like can we get them to walk so that we can get them out? So then don't get her. You know, we don't want our tent so full that we have to divert. We finally got her moving, was able to get her out to her family and friends. And you know, so just being able to make that connection with her and hopefully, hopefully make a difference that doesn't, she doesn't give up, you know, because it's the disappointment. And I think for her being disappointed like was almost making her feel worse physically too.

And we've all been there. Yeah, that's so cool. It was the best experience. So for me, I'm going to continue to go back and and volunteer until I can qualify. So there you go. That's so cool, Jennifer. Oh my gosh. OK, well, before we do end of the podcast, I wanted to ask you a little bit more about your kids because they're doing some really cool stuff too. Yeah. So somewhat quickly because we don't have all the time and you're got a lot to do on your day off, I'm sure. Tell tell us a little bit about each one of your kiddos, Like what makes each one of them special in terms of what they're what they do?

And. Yeah. Yeah. All right. So I've got three kids. My oldest is my daughter Juliana. So she's 14. She's. She's such a cool kid. So she's she's brilliant. She's very sorry. She's a dancer. So she does ballet, modern contemporary dance and she's actually performing this weekend, Snow White Ballet. She's 17 dwarfs. She's bashful. So I can't, I can't wait to to watch her perform. She's also a musician, so she plays the flute. Wow. And Speaking of going to Europe, she just got invited to do this Indiana Musicians Abroad tour next summer. Yeah, so we'll be going to Europe next summer for like 2 weeks for her to tour to perform in London, Paris, Switzerland, Germany, and Austria.

I mean, she's just wow, That's, she's, she's incredible. She works so hard. Well, we all know where she gets it from. She's a great kid and she's just. I couldn't be more proud of her. She she works hard in school. And I mean, I hear it from her teachers. And. But the thing I'm probably the most proud of her. She's she's so kind and, you know, she's a she's a good friend. And which at 14, at 14 can be hard. Yeah, Yeah, it's a tough age. Yeah. So we're going into high school next year and hope and praying, fingers crossed that, you know, it's not too rough for her 'cause we've all been there.

But yeah, so that's Juliana. And we have Jacob, who's 11, almost 12. He's my, I call him my little quiet genius. He's my little Rubik's cubber. I can't with that. But it's so crazy. Yeah. This kid, I think is, is smarter than I ever thought about being, honestly. I mean, he just, he did his first Rubik's Cube competition at Wabash in March. And. How did he even get into? Doing that, he, his dad taught him and then he just, I mean, he's been doing it since he was probably 5. So he would, we would, when we would go to Disney, like that's what he would do in line to entertain himself and just sit there and solve the Rubik's Cube.

And he, I mean, it takes me longer to scramble the thing than it does for him to solve it. So we'll be standing in line and like he'll hand it to me. I and I give it back and people are be like. How old is he and. I remember back then I'd be like he's 5. Yeah. Then they're like, oh. You're like, wow. And and then now he's just taking it to like he wants to do it competitively. And he there are there are these like YouTube like videos of algorithms. So he studies them. And yeah. So he's going to a competition next weekend in Ann Arbor.

He's had a couple more competitions over the summer. So yeah, it's really. Cool. He's just crazy smart kid. Yeah, crazy, crazy smart math little Wiz. And yeah, really, really fun to see what he does with his life and his career 'cause he's got, he's got way more higher IQ than I think I could even imagine. So. Yeah, you. Know I was talking to one of my colleagues she's like well you're pretty smart. I'm like, I'm smart but I also worked really hard to get where I am. He's just like, I don't even know, like it's, it's a different, it's a different kind of smart. It's really cool.

And then Justin, our youngest is 10 and he he's like my joyful, just little ball of energy, that kid. So he's playing baseball right now and he just truthfully like he, he just started playing at the age of 10, which is kind of scary. That's wild. It is super scary, especially in this area. Yeah, well, it's scary as a parent to find a sport for your kid when they come to you at the age of nine or ten. I'm like, hey, I think I want to play baseball. OK, well, how do we do this? Because most of these kids have been playing since they were 4I So he's playing through WISI and he luckily he's got the best coaches who are amazing and so patient and he skill wise, he's got a lot to learn.

But the thing that I love about this kid is that he he's out there and he is just so full of joy. Like he a ground ball might go right past him, but then he's just so excited to put his hands up and be the cut off for the person behind it who has to get the ball that he just missed. Yeah, and throw it to him like he doesn't even like he's not getting down on himself, you know, he's just, he's out there having a good time and cheering on his teammates. And I hope that he doesn't lose that the reality is eventually it'll probably change.

But he's just such a a happy kid. He's my most empathetic kid, you know, so he's always, he's my one that like, you know, found a little sad. He's so he's just he's so much fun and and just full of joy. That's the best way to describe him. Well, and I love that you have Speaking of joy, you got Juliana Jacob, Justin for J names. We did. We did s s for Sydney and Sloan. Do you like call the especially the boys? Do you like interchange their names all the time, all the time. It's tricky. I feel like I would do that even if they had names that started with different letters just because mom brain, as we've mentioned a couple of times, and especially when they're fighting, which they they love to do.

The boys are 20 months apart and so they like. Yeah, they're best of friends and then the worst of enemies of times. They just like to get on each other's nerves, which I think is probably normal. But yeah, well, gosh, you're just such a great mom. All that you do is show them like how hard work pays off. Clearly that's, you know, shining through and all that they're accomplishing and doing as kids. It's pretty cool. Yeah, So, you know, I think one thing for me that, and it took me a long time as a mom to, to figure this out and to and to find my way.

But when I first had my kiddos, all I did was work and, and, and raise my kids, right. And it took me a long time to kind of find my way and realize it was OK to have my own goals. Yeah. Things that that I wanted to do. And I think it's, it's important for us to have things that were striving for and cheating and for our kids to see that and set those examples, you know, and you find, you find the balance, right? I don't want to be gone all the time, but it's OK that my kids see that. And they're like, I, you know, I get little, the kids are making me little signs like go mom, you're going to Tokyo, you know, And it's, I think it's, it's important for them to realize, especially as, as they grow up too.

I think a lot of times as young, young mothers especially, we get lost in motherhood. We lose ourselves. And I definitely did for a while. So running helps me find myself again. Yeah. So good. Wow, Jennifer. Like, wow. I can't, I can't blame this. I can't wait to listen to this episode back. So I'm gonna now ask you the end of the podcast questions 'cause I have to. What is your favorite running mantra and or song? My gosh. So my favorite mantra is probably keep showing up, which comes from Des. Yeah. And it's kind of just that's that's just what I do in running and in life, things get hard and you just, you just keep showing up.

Yeah. And things will go your way sometimes and they won't in others. And whether it's a race, a training run or, or, you know, in life in general, just keep showing up and. And work hard. Things will eventually swing your way or or maybe your your goals will change or your perception will change. Yeah, that's good. Do you have a song? No, not one particular song. I assume I'm all over the place. Like sometimes I'm listening to Hamilton, sometimes it's hip hop. It depends on my mood honestly. Yeah, so my, my running playlist is, is all over the place. Yeah. So it's mine, actually. OK.

And then we talked about the next finish lines. I I still Paris is like blowing my mind, blowing my mind. Yeah. And then Chicago, you said so in Chicago. Are you gearing up to BQ in Chicago or are you? What's that like? We'll see. I, I'm kind of just seeing how summer training goes. I'm historically not a great summer runner. I mean, I get out there and I do it and I put in the miles, but honestly, when it gets hot and humid, like I go out there and I feel like I've never done this in my life. I struggle too with the heat. I struggle so bad.

It's every summer. Like I, I had a run last week where I was like, have I ever run ever? I mean, it's just crazy to me. Like I can go out and when it's like 3540° and run for days and, and a good pace. And then I go out when it's hot and humid and I'm like, yeah, no, yeah, this is not working for me. So yeah. So I just have to get my mind and like that, yeah, it'll be easier in the fall. It'll be. Fine, but I also kind of have this like because I finished the 6th I'm kind of chill and relaxed and not putting pressure on myself.

Honestly like I think the BQ will come. I don't know if I want to pick a certain race like it has to be. Chicago, this is what I'm doing. It has to be this one. I think it'll come when I least expect it. And so if I just chill out and enjoy running and it'll happen, yeah. It will. Yeah. That's what I'm going to be telling myself too. Yeah. Because I definitely don't want. I can be patient, is what I keep telling myself. Yeah. I have to be yeah. And I'm gonna get older, so. There's that I know I'm getting close to the the 40 buffer.

Well, you know, just help me that much more. So I'm like, you know, I'll just be patient, work hard while I can and. Yeah, I'm like, if I don't get much slower and I hold on a couple more years, 4:00 to 5:00. But then we always wonder, like, are they gonna change the standards, right. Who knows. Yeah, whatever. Who knows? Yeah, it's fine. But I again, I'm relaxed because I've been there and I have had, I've had the opportunity to to do it once. Yeah, and for me it's, I mean, I want to do it, but Boston's not the end all be all. There's so many other things that I want to do.

And I've kind of like now that I've I did the Boston medical team, I also I would love to give back at all six. Yeah, that's cool. Kind of would like to do the medical team at all six. That's. Interesting so or do something to volunteer and and to be able to give back. So I'm kind of, it's really, I'm a little more focused on that if I'm honest. And I'm still gonna keep running and putting in miles, and I'll just let the chips fall perfectly well. Well, thank you so much for doing this. It's a long time coming yes and wow, just you're incredible.

Likewise, Thank you. Well, thank you everyone who has listened and happy running.

Ally Brettnacher