Podcast: Episode 89 with Jen Rhines

Mario Fraioli | December 3, 2019

“I think, for me, it’s just if I can help people along the way, that’s great. There isn’t any big thing that I hope to accomplish or be remembered for. A good friend of mine pointed out, ‘When you help someone, you don’t know the ripple effect of that.’ So, if I can help someone, and that helps them do something else that affects a large amount of people, I think I would be happy with that. I think it’s just having good intentions and helping whoever needs my help along the way.”

It was a real pleasure to sit down with three-time Olympian Jen Rhines for this week’s episode of the podcast.

Jen is one of the most versatile and accomplished distance runners we’ve ever had in the United States. She made three-straight Olympic teams from 2000 through 2008 and competed in a different event at each one of them: the 10,000m in Sydney, the marathon in Athens, and the 5,000m in Beijing. Over the course of her 20+ year competitive career Jen qualified for 11 world championship teams and she won 5 national titles.

Today, the 45-year-old lives in San Diego with her husband—and past podcast guest—Terrence Mahon, and together they founded The Mission Athletics Club in 2018, one of the top post-collegiate training groups in the country.

Related links, references, and resources:

— Follow Jen on Instagram and Twitter.

— Check out her website.

— “I think that having these training phases helped keep me healthy, physically, mentally and emotionally,” Rhines wrote in a recent blog post sharing her thoughts and experiences on weight, body composition and making choices. “No one can be in peak form all year round, as athletes we need these cycles to rest, regroup and get ready to be at our best again.”

— “A lot of recreational runners I’ve met have a phobia of taking days off,” Rhines told PodiumRunner in 2013. “Especially coming off marathons, they don’t want to take any time off. That’s when I take two weeks off. I took three weeks off last time.”

— “I’m not chasing the same goals that I was 20 years ago, but the reviewing and revising process is the same,” Rhines wrote in a 2018 blog post. “I feel that same buzz when I start a new training cycle or begin a new venture. Our environment is constantly changing – we can repeat the exact same things twice and not get the same results. In addition to our own learning curve we have to be ready to respond to these external challenges. In running, both the times we run and our experiences along the way are important. In all of our life pursuits we should continue to create new experiences for ourselves, while always keeping an eye on the big purpose.”

This episode is brought to you by Tracksmith. Tracksmith is a Boston-based running brand, led by a group of runners who are dedicated to building classically stylish, cutting edge running apparel for real world athletes. Whether you’re training through the depths of winter, or you need a special race day outfit to help power a PR, Tracksmith has you covered. I personally own a ton of Tracksmith gear and train and race in it all the time, including last month at the New York City Marathon. This holiday season they’re offering free shipping on all orders over $150 and new customers can receive a Van Cortlandt Singlet for free with their first order over that value. Visit Tracksmith.com/Mario to learn more and follow them on Instagram @tracksmithrunning.

Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford at BaresRecords.com