Jen Van Allen

Jen Van Allen
Resides in: Bryn Mawr
Works at: Runner’s World
Years Running: 13
Links: Runnersworldchallenge.com, Runnersworld.com/vanallen, Jenvanallen.com

What are your favorite training foods?
Hammer products, sweet potatoes, and the spinach we grow in our backyard.

What is your biggest running accomplishment and why?
It’s four accomplishments strung together: The fact that I finished my first marathon in 4:51, my fastest in 3:08 (the top 1% of female Boston Marathon finishers), and won a national ultramarathon championship, and that 15 years ago, I couldn’t run around the block even if someone was chasing me. To me, it’s indisputable proof that if you do what you love, and ignore anyone who tries to make you feel small, anything is possible.

Favorite race distance?
Anything over 100 miles.

Best piece of running advice you’ve ever received?
“Give it all that you have,” and “Never let someone else’s definition of success be yours.”

What is your favorite running mantra?
Hold it, hold it, hold it, then run like hell.

Best race experience?
To me there is no moment more magical than the turn on to Boyleston Street on the final stretch of the Boston Marathon. (I’ve run Boston six times.) Everything but the finish line fades from your line of vision; all you can hear is the roar of the crowd. It is the everyman’s red-carpet moment, the ultimate victory lap, and one of those instances where running becomes way more than a sport or a hobby, but a glorious celebration of the noble pursuit of one’s very own personal best. A very close second would be running in the 24-Hour World Championships last year in Bergamo, Italy. It was an honor to be a member of Team USA, and compete with the fastest ultrarunners in the world. The course was a 1-K loop of cobblestones and pavement in the center of town. By the end, I was hobbling around so slowly that spectators were laughing (out loud!) and urging me to quit. Some might have found it humiliating; I couldn’t have felt determined or more proud. My teammates – Jamie Donaldson, Annette Bednosky, Debra Horn and Carilyn Johnson—were battling hard for the top spots in the race at a much faster pace, and quitting just wasn’t an option. They won a silver medal for Team USA. I’d never competed as part of a team before, but on that day, feeling so honored to be among such accomplished athletes, I learned what teamwork is all about.

What gets you excited about running?
Any form of exercise has the power to help you enjoy your life more. But I love it that running is the most accessible form of exercise by far. There are no barriers to entry; you can do it any time, anywhere, no matter what kind of shape you’re in, how much money is in your bank account, how badly your SAT scores were, or how crappy your childhood was. I love that you don’t need any special gear to start, or any particular weather condition. I love it that there is no room for arrogance. No matter what pace you run, you are never too good to get pounded to the ground, or make a rookie mistake. I love it that there are an infinite number of ways to reinvent your running life, and a million different ways to achieve a personal best. You can measure success by the reading on your heart-rate monitor, splits on a stopwatch, the weekly total in your training log, the number of scars on your knees, or by how many toenails you’ve lost. As long as you don’t let someone else’s definition of success be yours, there are no limits to where running can take you. My colleague and hero Amby Burfoot said it best: “Winning has nothing to do with racing…it’s about struggle and effort and optimism, and never, ever, ever giving up.”

Do you have a favorite race?
I loved the Mason Dixon Longest Day 100K Challenge, which is organized by the TrailDawgs. The goal of the event is to cover roughly 100K of the Mason-Dixon Trail during daylight hours on the longest day of the year. You travel through three states, and cover every type of terrain from paved roads to boulders to mud and dirt trails. To me, the event captures the true spirit of adventure that running can be about if you let it. I also love 24-hour events. Sure, people say it’s crazy to run in circles for 24 hours, but to me it’s the perfect way to test yourself. Since you don’t have to worry about getting lost, or breaking a bone on technical terrain, and you’re never far from an aid station, you’re free to just explore how fast and how far you can go. Some people say that’s crazy but who cares. If you ever let what someone else thinks stop you, you’ll never get to know just how far you can go, and what it’s like to achieve your own personal best.