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Gwen Talks About Important Stuff...

Friday, 04 November 2016 23:10

By Fred Dreier (triathlete .com)

Most of us would celebrate winning the Olympics by drinking our bodyweight in beer or relaxing on an empty beach. Of course most of us aren’t Gwen Jorgensen. In the two months since Jorgensen won Olympic gold in Rio de Janeiro, she has finished second at the final round of the ITU World Triathlon Series, third at the USA Track and Field 10-mile Championships running race and first at the recent three-day Island House Invitational Triathlon in the Bahamas.

Jorgensen isn’t done. This Sunday, she will participate in the TCS New York City Marathon. Not only will it be her first marathon, the 26.2-mile race will mark the furthest distance Jorgansen has ever run continuously....

In the lead-up to the race, Jorgensen spoke to a small group of media about her race preparation, her desire to start a family, and her expectations for the race.

Q: Can you talk about your training for the marathon? What was your longest run, and did you continue to swim and bike in the leadup to the race?

Gwen Jorgensen: Leading up to the Olympic games my longest run ever was 12 miles. Since the Olympics I’ve had a couple of other triathlons and I sat down with my coach, Jamie Turner, and decided there was no way to just change everything and strictly become a marathon runner. That would risk injury. I’ve continued swimming and biking. It’s maybe unconventional, but maybe the best thing for me. I look at [2012 Olympic champion] Nicola Spirig, and a few weeks before the Olympics she did a 70.3 triathlon which people thought was crazy. Since the Olympics, my long run has been increasing, and my longest was 16 miles. My coach has given me one marathon-specific workout a week....READ MORE