A chat with Jennifer Spieldenner
Jennifer Spieldenner grabbed the win at Challenge Penticton recently and Ironman 70.3 Muskoka early in July. We had a chat with the Ohio native about racing, training, food, gear, coaching, life, and wieners.
Slowtwitch: Thank you for your time.
Jennifer Spieldenner: Thank you as well. I have always enjoyed reading these interviews so it is pretty cool for me to have my own.
ST: I think racing in Penticton was not on your agenda as you started this season. Word has it that 70.3 Worlds was on the plan.
Jennifer: That is correct. Racing Penticton was not the plan until about 1.5 weeks before the race. I had intentions of going to 70.3 Worlds if I qualified and was performing well. Timberman was my big race for August, but I had to withdraw from that race two days prior due to a back issue. I had heard good things about Challenge Penticton and I have always wanted to travel there as I’ve heard it is a beautiful place. So when I could not race Timberman, Challenge Penticton was a great option for me to race.
ST: When was it clear that you would not travel to Austria?
Jennifer: After my race in Racine. Paulo (Sousa) and I decided I shouldn’t invest in a big trip until I was able to prove that I could be competitive in a regional 70.3 (like Oceanside, Racine, etc.). Finishing 5th-7th places at those races just wouldn’t cut it in Austria.
ST: When you saw pictures from the Zell am See venue were you a bit bummed or was your mind completely on the task in Penticton?
Jennifer: I won’t lie, I was a bit bummed that I wasn’t over there. Austria is one of my favorite countries, so I was really looking forward to racing there. However, I dealt with the disappointment of not being able to go immediately following Racine when I had to decline my spot, so I was completely focused on Penticton. On the plus side, Penticton was gorgeous!!
ST: And you did not have to speak German in Penticton nor be tempted by so many European chocolates.
Jennifer: Haha, that is very true. I do love European chocolate! Canada has The Bulk Barn though, which is a dream for someone like me who likes to sample everything.
ST: What expectations did you have going in?
Jennifer: I wanted to win. I knew it would be challenging with how difficult the bike course was and some of the women that were lining up with me. But I was confident that I could win if I put together a solid race.
ST: Talk about your race.
Jennifer: I am happy we ended up not having a mass start with the age groupers because the start was such a cluster with just the pro men and women. After a bit of a rough start I was able to swim myself up and get on Heather Lendway’s feet and we exited the water 1-2. The bike was a bit crazy with strong winds heading out and a lot of pro men passing at the beginning. For the most part, the men ride by pretty quick and don’t alter your race, but there are some that stick around and it can really affect your race. Having to slow down when they pass and then sometimes having to re-pass can really zap the legs. Thankfully in this race I only dealt with that the first 15 miles and not the entire ride. The ride went by pretty quick as I had people around the entire time and the course had some great views and a lot of up and downs. I got off the bike in 3rd behind McQuaid and Lester, but Mel had gotten a penalty on the bike that she had to serve in T2. I passed Lester around 1k into the run and was able to extend the gap as well as hold off some fast charging runners.
ST: Did you know McQuaid had gotten a penalty?
Jennifer: I was riding maybe 30 seconds behind her when I saw someone in the group she was riding with get a penalty. Mel was in a group with two other pro men. When I rode past the official I saw them writing a number down so I knew someone got a penalty I just didn’t know who it was. When I got off the bike and ran past Lester someone told me I was in first. That is when I knew that the penalty given was to Mel.
ST: Would it have mattered?
Jennifer: Possibly. I would have maybe had to run faster to catch her. I know she had a couple of minutes on me off the bike.
ST: What placing in Penticton would not have been acceptable to you and your coach Paulo? Or is there a difference?
Jennifer: I think as long as I gave my best on the day with whatever form my body showed, then I would have been okay with any placing. That is not to say I would have been happy or accepted a sub-par performance. I know I would have been disappointed with anything less than a podium and I think Paulo would have been, too. We both want to win races so that is always the goal and what we strive to do. But there are a variety of factors that come into play during a race so you really need to go into it ready to fight and be ready for any challenges that are put in front of you.
ST: How did you initially connect with Paulo Sousa in 2010?
Jennifer: I filled out an application that I found on his blog. A friend of mine suggested I look into having Paulo coach me. Back in the day the process to get on the squad had three parts. First an application, then a phone interview, and finally an in-person 2 week training camp. Joining the Triathlon Squad and working with Paulo was the best decision I have made in terms of my triathlon career. He taught me what it meant to be a true professional and I owe a lot of my success to him and the squad. I have grown so much as an athlete under his guidance and have learned a lot about myself personally and professionally.
ST: Looking back at your career so far, which result means the most to you?
Jennifer: Finishing 6th at Hy-Vee last year was pretty special for me. It was a very competitive field and being able to compete amongst that caliber of women was something I am quite proud of.
ST: Your background is swimming, but at one point you decided that running was the way to go. What caused that transition?
Jennifer: I did grow up swimming, but fell into running during middle school when the boy I had a crush on ran track. He ran distance so I thought I would run distance too. I continued to run in high school because my best friend did and swim season was in the winter while running was fall and spring so they did not interfere. I excelled at running the last two years of high school and was recruited by a lot of universities. I could get my undergraduate education paid for if I chose to run so it was a no brainer. Plus I had really fallen in love with running. I also walked onto the swim team while at The University of Toledo and competed for the Rockets as a swimmer too.
ST: You still swim very well though, but what do you consider your weakest link in triathlon?
Jennifer: I would say my weakest link is typically my bike. Unless I bike like an idiot with a bunch of surges, then I can run quite slowly.
ST: What have you and Paulo done to improve the cycling?
Jennifer: The first thing we did was ride a lot. I am fortunate to have two of the best cyclists in the sport on the squad, Heather Wurtele and Magali Tisseyre. I had workouts in the past when I was still racing ITU to just sit on Heather’s wheel. We also started religiously using a power meter. I was very fortunate to be sponsored by Pioneer Cycle this year. The amount of data their power meters provide is unprecedented. Paulo and I can really see where I am weak and need to improve.
ST: Which bike do you ride?
Jennifer: I ride a Cervelo P3.
ST: What about your position on the bike? Has anyone helped you there?
Jennifer: Paulo has done all of my bike fits. We typically are adjusting things slightly a couple of times a year. Since I am so small it was hard to fit a bottle in between the aero bars, but Paulo figured it out this year. I believe he took a drill to my bike to do it. That was huge in terms of improving my aerodynamics.
ST: Do you consider yourself mentally tough?
Jennifer: I would say I love challenges. I love being pushed and having to dig deep when things get tough. I thrive when situations are not easy. I sometimes doubt myself and my abilities, which is something I consciously work on daily because doubt contributes immensely to being mentally tough.
ST: Talk about the stress fractures.
Jennifer: I have had a lot of stress fractures. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 12-13 over the past 15 years. There are a couple of reasons why I have gotten so many. First of all I had an eating disorder for around 10 years starting during puberty. Because of my eating disorder I developed what is called “female triad”. This is a syndrome that is diagnosed when an individual has an eating disorder, amenorrhoea/oligomenorrhoea, and osteoporosis/osteopenia all at the same time. I was diagnosed with osteoporosis at 17, which I feel has contributed immensely to how many stress fractures I have had. It takes time to reverse the “female triad” and improve your bone density. I also was very stubborn and naive. I would run through pain and would not miss a workout unless I literally could not walk.
ST: What have you changed in order to minimize the fractures?
Jennifer: I am healthy now. I no longer have osteoporosis and I eat a well balanced diet. I am also a lot smarter. I know if something is bothering me to shut it down right away. It is way better to take a couple days off then to loose 8 weeks of running. I also have found that if I get ART treatment once or twice a week that it really helps keep my problem areas loose and functioning properly to avoid that extra strain on my bones.
ST: What did you do to deal with the eating disorder?
Jennifer: I did seek treatment during the initial stages of it. To be honest what finally helped me get over it was I decided I did not want it to control me anymore. I made a conscious effort to view food as a mechanism to make me faster and I need it to perform well. I still struggle with thoughts of wanting to go down that path again, but I am always able to identify and reverse them.
ST: When you look around in the sport do you see others who you think are in an eating disorder situation?
Jennifer: I think in all endurance sports like triathlon there are eating disorders present. It makes me very sad because I know how lonely and controlling eating disorders can be. I do not want to see anyone struggle with having an eating disorder because they can be so destructive and are lifelong illnesses.
ST: Anything else we should know?
Jennifer: I have the absolute best family that supports me 100%. I am so lucky to have parents like mine who have taught me what it means to work hard, chase my dreams, and never give up. My husband, Brian, is my biggest cheerleader, personal chef, and fixer of all my problems. If you follow me on social media you know I love wiener dogs and have one named London. My agent, Berk Boge from Endurance Agency has been fantastic this year in terms of helping me with sponsors and giving me advice about my career. Lastly, I am fortunate to have amazing support from my sponsors: Equal Earth, Brooks, Blue Seventy, Pioneer Cycle, Rudy Project, Powerbar, and Flag City Sport and Spine. I could not do what I do without them.
You can follow Jennifer Spieldenner on Twitter via @spielder
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