Athlete Interview -Jenny Lorenz
Your Name Jenny Lorenz
Where you live Marion, Iowa
Number of years in triathlon 17
Athletic back ground High School and Collegiate Track Athlete (Sprints/400/800, specifically)
Number of years working with Marilyn Is 9 years
Profession President/CEO at Linn Area Credit Union ($450 million in Assets, 105 employees in 5 locations)
Family- Married, two adult children (Travis (27) and Brooke (20) – Travis is living and working in Des Moines and Brooke is a Sophomore in college.) And we have Lola, our 1 year old Weimariner puppy. She’s crazy. My parents live here in town as they moved here when my mom’s health started to decline. And I have one brother who lives in the Dallas area with his family.
Typical training week: 3 swim sessions, 3-4 run sessions, 3-4 bike sessions, 1-2 strength and/or flexibility sessions. The volume depends on the time of the year. As I typically am training for long course, the closer to my event the longer the weekly hours. It will range from around 12 hours in the lighter times of the year to around 20+ hours right before an Ironman. I typically work out twice each day with the exception of a “recovery” day where I might do a light spin or easy swim.
What adversity have you had to work around training and racing: Working around my work schedule is always a challenge. I travel some and work a lot so that’s something I’ve dealt with for years and years. I’m looking forward to 2022 when I’ll be retiring! J From a physical standpoint, since I’ve been racing, I’ve had a number of injuries that have created setbacks; some more than others. I tore one of my ACLs in a bike crash and that took about 9 months to get back to form from. (That was my 2nd ACL surgery and 3rd knee surgery). I’ve separated a shoulder and torn ligaments in both hands from bike crashes. My most recent setback was a labrum tear repair, femoral head re-shaping and removal of loose bodies in my right hip. This has been a big setback that has taken over a year to recover from. Frankly, I’m still not 100 percent.
What has been successful and worked well for you: Being disciplined and consistent with my training, listening to my coach and heeding her advice with respects to my workouts, (for example: intensity, frequency and patience with my recovery, etc.). Also, aligning myself with training partners who help me to be better, are passionate about the sport and whom I enjoy spending time with. Using data as a tool to benchmark and get better and going to camps to learn from others and train in big blocks. Lastly, taking care of myself by making sleep a priority and doing my best to eat healthy to fuel my body to take the beatings.
What are your strengths: I’m a strong cyclist, I’m very disciplined, I work hard and am willing to suffer (most times) and I love to have fun!
What is the biggest thing you’ve learned that has surprised you: That I can continue to improve even though I’m getting old!! At some point, I’m sure that tide will turn, but at this point there are things I have continued to see improvement on and that makes me happy.
What works well in your coach / athlete relationship: Honesty, support, someone who is willing to share best practices and data in a manner I can understand. I am EXTREMELY time-poor. As a result, I need a coach I can trust completely to help me meet my goals by designing my program - I don’t have the time to figure that all out. I want to spend what precious free time I have actually training, not figuring out what I need to do to train. And lastly, I want a coach who likes to have fun and who shares my passions; basically someone I want as my friend who will celebrate my successes with me and pick me up when I need a lift.
What does triathlon bring to your life athletically and personally: It keeps me looking fit and healthy. I have much more energy for other things when I’m in a normal workout routine. It “burns off the crazy” as I like to say. I have a fair amount of stress in my days and training is a great way for me to blow off steam. I like to compete so it serves that need. I love the atmosphere and positive energy at a race and I get a lot of satisfaction in setting a big goal, working toward and achieving it. And last, but certainly not least important, I LOVE the opportunity to train and race with like-minded people who share my passion. Some of the people I’m closest to are those I race and train with. Those people “in my room” make me not only a better athlete but a better person.
Any closing thoughts: One of the biggest thoughts I think some may not realize is that the lessons I take away from training for ultra-distance sport so often can be carried over into our career and personal lives. I use analogies all the time at work when trying to motivate my staff in one direction or another. I talk about commitment, persistence, dedication, openness to new ideas and change…. The list goes on and on. All of these things can make one better at sport, in their careers and in their personal lives. I think that is something we can all take from this lifestyle we choose to be a part of.
