Welcome Back IRONJEN Fans!

First off, let me sincerely apologize to those that have been hitting the site over the summer looking for news on IRONJEN. It's of course my fault. Busy schedule aside though I do have a technical excuse. The web publishing software that I use was discontinued and I got a new computer that could not run the old software. Learning the new package has been more difficult than I expected. Ok, the geek stuff is over!

Jen has had a very busy year, starting the off in January with the PF Chang's Rock 'N" Roll Marathon in Arizona. We took a family trip to cheer her on and visit with some friends. Jen ran the race with her childhood friend, Craig. It was his first Marathon. They both did awesome!

A few months later Jen went back to Arizona (Tucson this time) for a triathlon camp produced by Training Bible. There she bunked and trained with elite triathletes and coaches from around the country. The highlight was a group ride up Mt. Lemmon. 9000 feet. That's almost 4 hours of continual climbing! She also met former pro triathlete, Wes Hobson of the famous Cliff Bar commercial! We love that one! I you haven't seen it, you gotta check it out!

After camp, three months of hardcore training ensued as Jen prepared for her next race, The Spirit of Racine in beautiful Racine, WI. Well, usually. That weekend (in July) was unseasonably cool, and VERY foggy. (See the pix here.)That said, Jen completely rocked it! Knocking 23 minutes off of her previous time, she qualified for the 2009 USA Triathlon Halfmax Long Course and Club National Championships (70.3) next year in Oklahoma City! Way to go Jen!

Just this weekend, Jen competed in a field mixed with master swimmers and triathletes in USMS 2.4 mile Open Water National Championships in Madison, WI. Though she wasn't in it to win it, she did well. Her primary objective was to take advantage of the organized race in the same waters that she will swim at Ironman WI. She followed the race up with a 4 plus hour ride and a run.

Ironman Wisconsin is less than 2 weeks away, and IRONJEN is in the fittest condition she's ever been! She is stronger. She is faster! And she is out to beat her time in `07 in a big way! And this is the place to be, to see her through it! Stay tuned and follow Jen to Madison once more.

I'll be posting every couple of days leading up to IM WI and a little afterwards. Additionally, I'll be posting pix in the Gallery from the race. So leave a comment on the blog for Jen, or better yet, plan on joining us in Madison on Sept. 7th! (I'm hosting a dinner for all IRONJEN supporters Saturday, Sept. 6th. If you would like to come, please send me an email and let me know so I can make appropriate reservations. ) Jen and I would love to see you there. Check out the Ironman Race page for details about the race.

Thanks again for checking out IRONJEN.com

--Wes