Pro Runner Jen Rhines's Tips For Epic Runs
This Marathoner Gives Young Runners Her Top Tips For Epic Runs
We joined forces with adidas and pro marathoner Jen Rhines to give a girls cross country team the tools they need to reach their running potential.
Jen Rhines can attest to the commitment it takes to be an elite athlete — both in strength of body and of mind. The three-time Olympian not only represented the USA at the Sydney, Athens, and Beijing Games, but also set two US Masters' records after the age of 40. She began running at age 12 on her junior high track team and will be 45 this year: that’s over three decades spent hitting the pavement. So how does she maintain the health of her body and mind with an eye toward longevity? It all comes down to four main pillars: flexibility, hydration, nutrition, and mindset.
Now, Jen is motivating the next generation to reach their full potential, on and off the trail. She recently took to the bluffs overlooking Santa Monica Beach alongside the young women of the Pacifica Christian Sea Wolves Cross Country Team — read on to find out all the empowering insights Jen shared with the group, as well as her favorite stretches and moves to help any runner recover.
For Jen, flexibility is the key to unlocking faster run times and maintaining a healthy body in general. "Focus on active stretching prerun, passive stretching postrun, and plan to attend a yoga class once a week," she said. She stresses the importance of those warmup exercises, especially on days when you plan to run fast. “Even when you’re planning a hard day, don’t be afraid to start easy and work into the faster pace,” she said. “Give your body a little time to warm up!”
Her favorite way to warm up includes doing dynamic exercises (aka stretches that require movement) such as leg swings, bodyweight squats, and lunges. “Static stretching, where you do longer holds of each stretch, is better to save for after your run,” she said.
Building that training schedule can be a little daunting, especially if you’re new to the running world. However, Jen says it all just comes down to showing up for yourself. “Honor the commitment that you made to yourself, or on behalf of someone or something that’s close to your heart,” she said, also mentioning it’s important to create a balance within your training plan.
Even if you’ve always seen yourself as a solo runner, or if running is a personal moment where you can put your headphones in and let your mind drift, running can open up a great community that offers a sense of comradery and support. “Running buddies” can be people you actually run with or people who you meet up with postrun to decompress. “My favorite way to wind down from a run is to do some light stretching while chatting with friends,” Jen said.
That community can also play a bigger role in your life overall. “If you’re feeling down and your belief in yourself is wavering, ask yourself the question, 'Who needs my help today?'” Jen said. “This can be help with a run, a workout, or something completely unrelated to athletics. Helping someone else can shift your focus and alter the negative path that you’re heading down. This establishes a pattern of people helping each other when we need it the most.”
When it comes down to it, Jen wants the next generation of women runners to remember to take their struggles with a grain of salt. “If you are human you are going to make mistakes, but it doesn’t define you as a person,” she said. “Acknowledge them, let them go, and move on. Make the adjustments to the things that you need to work on, and ask for help when you need it!”
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Credits: Photography: Laura Austin; Art Direction: Samara Grossman; Production: Andi Nash; Models: Jen Rhines, Pacifica Christian Sea Wolves Cross Country Team