ST: I think you swam in high school, and ran XC and track for the University of Oklahoma. But I believe you started your athletic career with gymnastics?

Jenny: Yes. I began gymnastics when I was 6 years old and competed for about seven years. I left the sport when I was 13 after suffering a back injury. My dad was a collegiate gymnast, so it was fun doing back flips and challenging him to handstand contests in the back yard when I was a kid. I don’t think I ever beat him!

ST: And you walked onto the track and XC team in Oklahoma?

Jenny: Yes. Looking back, it’s amazing that they gave me a chance! I only ran about 5-10 miles a week in the two years before attending college. I consider myself very fortunate that I was even allowed to be part of the team. I also asked our head football coach if I could play football (on a dare), but that didn’t work out as well.

ST: It likely worked out well for you and your brain that this was request was not accepted.

Jenny: I think it worked out even better for the football team!

ST: In 2004 you competed in the Marine Corps Marathon. What had you done to prepare for what I believe was your first marathon at age 24?

Jenny: I don’t remember having any formal training plan for this race. I definitely piled on the miles, but I’m pretty sure I didn’t do it in a very smart fashion!

ST: What were the temps on that day?

Jenny: I remember the morning being in the low 60’s with some humidity, but pleasant. By the time I finished I think it was about 77 or 78 and sunny.

ST: What pace were you running and what time did you think might be possible?

Jenny: I can’t remember what I thought I could run at the time or what my goal was…but I can tell you that my race strategy was a great example of what not to do! I took off like a bat out of hell. I crossed the half in a 1:22:47 (6:18/mi). And not surprisingly about two miles later, I hit the wall! I finished the second half in a 1:46:14 (8:06/mi).

ST: I think you were passed relatively late by the eventual winner and 9 more females charged past you before the finish. Were you crushed?

Jenny: I don’t think I really cared at that point. I just wanted to cross the finish line and stop running. I put myself in the hurt locker!

ST: Your finish time was 3:09:01. Have you beaten that time since?

Jenny: Yes, I ran another four marathons after that one, which was my slowest. I’ve lowered my time by exactly 10 minutes. But I haven’t run a marathon in 8 years, and am looking forward to attempting another soon!

ST: Do you have a specific marathon in mind?

Jenny: Not really, though I think I’d like to run one that I’ve never done before…perhaps CIM or Twin Cities? I’ve also never been to Chicago, so the marathon might be a good excuse to visit!

ST: You were an active duty Marine at the time and you did that from 2002-2008. Now you are a Major in the United States Marine Corps Reserves. How often do you get called upon?

Jenny: I generally drill one weekend a month, and serve two weeks of active duty a year. That said, there is always more work required outside of those drill periods. Recently I took some orders to serve on active duty, so I will be doing that for the next few months.

ST: Do we have to worry about you in terms of your active duty task?

Jenny: Not at all. But driving to and from work in traffic can be dicey at times!

ST: You have a very intriguing day job and it has to do with unmanned aircraft. And I am pretty sure we are not talking about small drones here.

Jenny: I work at an aerospace company that makes large unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). I have a background in Air Traffic Control, so I currently serve as the air traffic management lead for our UAS Civil Integration team at my company. In this role, I work with a collaborative team of experts across the globe to influence new regulation and policy for unmanned aviation, and am a member of several committees within the Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics (RTCA) and European Organisation for Civil Aviation (EUROCAE), among others. I do a lot of traveling! Basically, my job revolves around trying to figure out how to integrate UAS into non-segregated airspace around the world.

ST: How large are we talking about?

Jenny: Over 10,000 lbs.

ST: You also have a commercial pilot’s license. When have you last flown and what kind of plane was it?

Jenny: I haven’t flown in a couple of years because I’ve been so busy (but I hope to start again soon!). The last plane I flew was a Focke-Wulf Piaggio P-149D. It was so much fun!

ST: One would think that someone who likes to fly also would like bikes and bike technology. Is that true of you?

Jenny: I do like bikes, but I wouldn’t consider myself an aggressive rider. I’ve had a couple of nasty spills, so I have a healthy fear of downhills and riding near automobiles…and the bike in general. I’m definitely not as comfortable on the bike as I would like to be!

ST: You have done triathlons, but mostly as cross training?

Jenny: Yes. I started doing them mostly as a way to cross train, as I’ve suffered a lot of broken bones while running. I think the training definitely helped keep some of the injuries at bay, but would rather focus my race efforts on running and swimming.

ST: Do races like Norseman or Swissman intrigue you at all?

Jenny: I’m certainly intrigued by them and super impressed by anyone that attempts and/or finishes one of those races! However, they are not on my bucket list of races to enter.

ST: Recently you competed in the USATF Cross Country Championships and how did that go?

Jenny: I had a great time. It was my first time running a 10K XC race. I think I went out a little fast, and the punchy hills on the backside of the course ate my legs up at the end of the race. I ran a couple of minutes slower than I had hoped, but overall it was an awesome experience. I am looking forward to running XC again next season!

ST: Your finish time was 38:47 and that was 21st place. What is your fastest 10km on the road recently?

Jenny: My fastest 10K on the road is a 35:30.

ST: I think your first SwimRun was the big daddy of them all, OtillO in Sweden. How did that idea come about and how did you do?

Jenny: My friend, Kristen, sent me an email one day with a link to the race website, and a note that said “You are one of the few people that I could think that would maybe do this”. I responded to her with “You wanna be a team? Is that what you are asking me? Yes.” And the rest is history! We did pretty well considering we had never done a race quite like this! We finished 8th in the women’s race, and met some pretty incredible athletes and people in the process.

ST: How tough were those swims and how cold was the water?

Jenny: The water was pretty cold, somewhere in the low 50s I think. I remember my teeth chattering so hard while swimming I wondered if they would fall out! The pig swim was probably the toughest one of the day. It was important to swim a good line so we didn’t get swept in the wrong direction by the current, and it was extremely choppy with a lot of swells.

ST: Where would you rank that race in terms of difficulty compared to other challenges you have done?

Jenny: I think that is probably the toughest race I have ever done!

ST: And this year Rockman SwimRun is looming large. Are you ready and excited?

Jenny: Absolutely! I’m really looking forward to it!

ST: 4400 steps?

Jenny: Challenge accepted! But, I hope there is a hot tub to sit in at the end. That’s a lot of steps!

ST: Will this be your first trip to Norway?

Jenny: Yes.

ST: What other races are on your calendar?

Jenny: I’ll do a few road races this spring (5K distance through half marathon) as well as SwimRun Lake James, and Rockman in August. After that, I’ll compete in the Dirt Dog XC series in San Diego this fall.

ST: I think you have ridden an ostrich and played basketball while on a donkey. Is there anything else we should know?

Jenny: I think that’s about as interesting as I get!