Coach Jen Rock
Hi, I am Coach Jen! I am a former professional marathoner for the Hansons-Brooks Distance Project and now a mom to twin boys, Colton and Reid. I started running in high school and went on to run at Loyola University in Chicago before transferring to Wayne State University in Detroit. At Wayne State, I was a Division II NCAA All-American in the 10K and a 2x GLIAC Champion on the Track. In 2021, I was inducted into Wayne State’s Athletic Hall of Fame.
As a professional, I competed for Hansons-Brooks from 2014-2016. While on the team, I qualified and competed in the 2016 Olympic Marathon Trials by running a 2:40:55 at Grandma’s Marathon. Shortly after the Olympic Trials, I transitioned into event management and race marketing. I have organized a few of my own races for local charities, including the Dogs Who Jog 5k (a race that is all about dogs running with their humans), while also working in marketing for Trivium Racing, a family-owned race management company based in Michigan and North Carolina. My twin boys were born at the beginning of 2021 and since then I have gained a lot of perspective and practical tips for fitting in training while balancing life as a mom. While I have experience training at a competitive level, I believe that my strength as a coach comes from my ability to relate to those balancing training with life, work, and being a parent. I love to help others reach their goals while building a plan that fits realistically into their busy schedules. |
PERSONAL BESTS: Marathon: 2:39:47 Half Marathon: 1:14:46 |
COACHING & EDUCATION BACKGROUND:
Coaching is so much more than writing training plans. It is about getting to know your athletes on a personal level. I believe that your mindset and mental approach to training and racing makes just as much of an impact as your physical training. A coach is someone who helps you through down periods and is flexible in their approach to training— while also motivating you and holding you accountable to your training in the right way. In my experience, the best coaches were those who believed in me when I struggled to believe in myself and this is the type of coach that I strive to be for others.
My interest in coaching started in 2013 when I joined a local Metro Detroit High School as an assistant cross country coach. It was such a positive experience that I decided to move to North Carolina to coach at University of North Carolina Greensboro. While working full-time as an assistant cross country coach, I ran my debut marathon in 2:39 which brought me back to Michigan to join Hansons-Brooks. I couldn’t stay away from coaching long and found a few different opportunities to coach at local high schools while training for the Olympic Trials. This eventually led to coaching former athletes who were now training for their first marathons and Boston Marathon Qualifiers.
My interest in coaching started in 2013 when I joined a local Metro Detroit High School as an assistant cross country coach. It was such a positive experience that I decided to move to North Carolina to coach at University of North Carolina Greensboro. While working full-time as an assistant cross country coach, I ran my debut marathon in 2:39 which brought me back to Michigan to join Hansons-Brooks. I couldn’t stay away from coaching long and found a few different opportunities to coach at local high schools while training for the Olympic Trials. This eventually led to coaching former athletes who were now training for their first marathons and Boston Marathon Qualifiers.