Jessica Jacobs is a C26 Coach, currently living in Germany. After serving in the military, she raced successfully for seven years winning 4 x Ironman titles, 3 x 70.3 titles. She was also crowned the National Duathlon Champion in 2009 just before winning the Birmingham Marathon in 2010. At last year’s Ironman Wisconsin she joined Mike and Robbie for a special #300 Crushing Iron Podcast (embedded below). For more information on Jessica and her coaching, please visit the C26 Triathlon Coaching Page.
What two or three books would you recommend ……. it doesn’t have to be triathlon related, but may have helped you with motivation/balance or to get through a tough time… create a new approach to the sport.
Ok: 2 best best best books! a.) Last Days of Summer by Steve Kluger (novel taking place in the 1940s Brooklyn, the bulk of the novel consists of letters written between fictional NY Giants third baseman Charlie Banks and Jewish 12 yo, Joey Margolis.)b.) The Heart of a Soldier: A True Love Story of Love, War, and Sacrifice (written by one of my best friends – story uncovers Kate’s journey from friend, wife, Solider, wife of a Soldier and ultimately losing her husband in Iraq.)
What is the one thing (other than a bike or power meter) you purchased that you use and benefit from all the time? Name a specific brand and where you got it so others can share in your love.
Honestly – my Air Pods – love these things! The Bluetooth technology is amazing and gives me a chance to run with my podcasts or music with my iphone tucked into my sports bra! As a mom, I don’t get a lot of time to myself, so listening to podcasts while I run is like killing two birds with one stone!
Additionally, listening to podcasts versus music while I run has FORCED me to slow down! I was one of those “grey zone” runners that was pushing the pace WAY TOO HARD and listening to podcasts helps tremendously from going to fast!
Headlamp: I use it to run in the dark either in the early morning on the trails or later at night – love love love running in the dark – it’s my “quiet time” and the head lamp I use stay on perfectly and charges easily. ONLight 710 for $39.95
What is a specific “failure” or “apparent failure” in a race or training that set you up for future success? Or what was a turning point in your triathlon career that changed how you approached the sport/lifestyle?
CONTROL THE CONTROLLABLES. Once I got that concept-driven home into my head it released so much pressure off me. All I can control is myself. I can only control how I race my race, how I take care of my body, how I approach (mentally and emotionally) mishaps in a race.
I would find myself getting caught up in the “what if she does this, what if this happens, what if I don’t get on this person’s feet, etc, etc that before the gun even went off, I had already found myself self-sabotaging my own race.
The other wonderful “aha” moment I still, to this day MUST remind myself of is this…now, listen closely because MANY don’t realize this little secret…NO ONE CARES…seriously – no one gives a flying “eff” how you do…seriously, 90% of people are more concerned with themselves and the 10% that are overly concerned with how you did, did you “win”, why didn’t you do better….well, those ppl are losers and you don’t need them in your life.
I found myself putting A LOT of pressure on myself thinking that I needed to perform for others or they wouldn’t like me or think I was good enough to be a pro or whatever and I literally walked away from the sport once those negative thoughts and emotions engulfed me.
Today – I barely tell anyone what I’m doing because I only train for me – I love the process of training and the racing is a simple by-product of all the hard work you put in. I will go do races without telling many because I really don’t want to revisit those demons of pressure I put on myself. I’m in a very good place now, where I enjoy training more than racing and honestly if I never race again, but get to enjoy the daily journey of training, well – I am fine with that!
If you could make an Instagram post you knew would be seen and shared by millions, what would it say? It doesn’t have to be your quote, just something you love and think would make a difference.
“Be the type of person your dog thinks you are”
What is the best or most worthwhile investment you’ve made in triathlon. (this could be financially, time, or energy investments).
Getting a coach you trust, can be honest with and will LISTEN to you but still push you mentally, emotionally and physically or hold you back when you need to pull tight on the reigns.
What is an unusual or absurd habit or superstition you have that relates to training or racing?
I LOVE LOVE LOVE petting a dog before starting a race…it gives me good vibes and calms my nerves. Reminds me what’s important and that dogs don’t care if you win or lose or how you do – they just want love and food!
In the last 5 years, what is the behavior, habit or new belief that has most changed how you train?
Less is more. I had to come to terms with 3 things:
- I’m no longer a professional, therefore DO NOT NEED to train 25-30 hours a week nor can do the intensity I once did
- I can’t do the intensity I once did because I’m older and don’t have the volume to do said work
- I’m a full-time coach now and have 2 children and a military husband (which means I do most of the parenting and work around the house) – my stressors are different, my limits have changes and frankly so have my aspirations. Chilling out and enjoying training for the sake of good mental and physical health is what is MOST important to me over any outside goals.
What advice would you give a friend your age who is just getting into triathlon? What advice should they ignore?
HAVE FUN!!! Enjoy the process and watching your body and evolve! Ignore all the noise! There is a lot of “experts” out there that will tell you contradictory advice regarding how to train, what to train with, what to eat, how much of this and that you need to use, blah, blah, blah – at the end of the day…this is a HOBBY!!!
Don’t turn this into a stressor or another job! That’s negating the entire purpose you got into the sport! Plus, it’s expensive and can be very intimidating, so do not think you need all these outlandish products and training tools all at once!
What are bad recommendations for training that you hear a lot?
Where do I start? Ummm….I hear a lot of bad advice regarding swimming and running and diet. So, I’ll give you three bad examples from each:
- Swimming: Bad advice – you HAVE TO SWIM 5, 6, 7K at a time to get better and you shouldn’t use toys….ok, so, what do I recommend – less yards per session, but get in the water more frequently! Touch that water more, but make the sessions shorter so the technique is solid and get out once the form begins diminishing! Why practice crap form? USE A PULL BOUY!!!!! A PULL BOUY IS YOUR FRIEND!!!
- Running: Bad advice: you gotta run fast to get fast. Well – sure, if you’re ready for it, but many don’t have the strength, stamina, recovery, etc to endure the speed, you’ll only end up getting injured! Also – no you do not need to do track workouts…those will likely injure you and frankly, running on a track creates a lot of wear and tear that we don’t need to attempt to absorb!
- Diet: FOLLOWING ANY DIET THAT TELLS YOU TO ELIMINATE A CERTAIN FOOD Group…I can not emphasize enough on how much I hate hearing about this latest fad diet and that – eat foods that are good for you, drink a lot of water and enjoy that ice cream once in a while – life is too short!
In the last 5 years how have you changed your approach to nutrition? What are some specific benefits you’ve found?
Well – now that I’m into my 40s I’ve noticed I enjoy different foods more than I ever have – veggies, salads, fruits, and lean proteins really encompass a large part of my diet – BUT, having two kids and needing my energy, yes, I have embraced coffee as well – at least 2 cups a day is definitely needed! 🙂
When you feel overwhelmed, unmotivated or distracted what kind of things do you do to get back in the game and re-center/focus? If helpful, what questions do you ask?
I’ll watch a video of a trail running youtube documentary or something like that to get my blood going and excited. I’ll remind myself to NOT LOOK AT THE FORREST (the entire workout) but just the first 10-15 min…let the body COME TO YOU – by the time that all happens, I’m in a much better headspace and I’ve turned a mental corner. I always say to my daughter, you will likely never finish a workout saying, “yeah – I wish I hadn’t done that!”
Of swim, bike, run, what is your toughest sport and what kind of things have you found helpful to improve?
Hands down – the swim has been my Achilles heel. It was the sport I didn’t learn properly till I was 28 years old and as a natural runner, I would try to “muscle” my way thru the water, ultimately fighting and punching the shit out of it, instead of allowing the water to “hold me” and work with me.
Getting someone to really look at you at ALL ANGLES and give you 1-2 things to focus on for 4-6 weeks and then re-visit your form and readjust the next issues is likely the best approach. Add to that making your sessions purposeful and not just “garbage yards” and making yourself mentally present through the session is key.
Oftentimes I’ll see people swimming and just going thru the motions – to become a better swimmer you have to mentally concentrate on 1-2 aspects of your body, your stroke, you finish, your position, etc at a time – once you turn off your brain, that’s when things begin to unravel. You should get out of the water not only physically fatigued but mentally fatigued as well.
What is your “why” when it comes to triathlon and how do you keep it present in your mind?
My “why” is my happy place…I’m a much happier and stable person when I get in my ME time – and my best ME time is when I’m swimming, biking or running. I have never found a better outlet than movement…shopping doesn’t do it for me, getting my hair or nails done, drinking wine or eating….they are all nice things to do AFTER I’ve worked out but, my happy place is moving. Always has been and likely always will be!
I know if I don’t get in that time, I’ll be an anxious and aggravated person to be around. I know myself – I’ve always been this way – when I was little I ran around the house 10 times (outside) to get my energy out – we didn’t come home till it was dark – biking for hours a day was a norm and playing was better than sitting around watching TV.
I’m eternally grateful for how I was raised and that I was raised without cable TV, that we lived out in the “boring” country and thank GOD there wasn’t the internet to distract us! My parents wouldn’t even think about buying us Nintendo when it came out…first of all, $100 was like a $1000 back then and “it will rut your brain” – those hidden blessings are what made me into the athlete I am today!
For more information on Jessica Jacobs and her coaching, please visit the C26 Triathlon Coaching Page.
There is a full, over an hour long, interview with Jessica from 3/31/20 available in our online membership hub. We currently have a “pay what you want” available through September 30th. For more information on the C26 Online Hub, click here for a preview.