Coach Jan has been active all her life, participating in and coaching team sports such as basketball, softball and soccer. However, over the years she had let work and other business priorities cloud her ability to keep physically active. So, one day, at the age of 52, she just literally got up off the couch and went out for a run. It wasn’t pretty and she didn’t get far before she had to start walking. But she continued everyday until soon she was able to run an hour without having to walk. Over that period of time she was also able to drop 40 lbs. That’s when she decided to enter her first race in more than 20 years. It was a small community sponsored 5K, but it was a turning point in helping gain the confidence to continue with longer distances. Soon 5K’s led to 10K’s, which led to 10 milers, then half marathons. Next came Sprint and Olympic distance triathlons. Before she knew it, she was running 50K’s, signing up for 50 milers, then the 2013 Vol State Road Race 500K, 2014 Ironman Florida, 2015 Grand to Grand Ultra Stage Race, and June 2017, she was invited to the “Tunnel to Towers Memorial World Trade Center Stair Climb”. (2226 stairs, 102 floors, whew!)
Her friends and other local athletes began to take notice her progress. They began asking her to help with their training, specifically helping tweak and analyze specific form and effort issues. Additionally, she has become a sort of legend in the ultra running world as, “The Blister Queen”, providing expert blister care and advice whenever and wherever the need arises. Coach Jan also volunteers her time as Race Director for one of the local ultra distance Races, and is known to be one heck of a no-nonsense Crew Leader!
One of her proudest accomplishments, so far, is completing a Transcontinental Run across the US, from Oceanside, CA to Ocean City, MD, during 2016. She completed the 3154 mile journey solo, self supported. (no crew) Coach Jan is the oldest female to ever complete a solo/self supported run, ocean to ocean, across the US, wearing sandals!
While she enjoys coaching all athlete levels, she specifically takes great pride in helping everyday people envision, work toward, and believe they have the power to succeed!
