2:45 and Beyond: Jen Goff

I met Jen in the elite fluid drop line before the IndyMonumental Marathon 2019. A few of us were talking about our self-named “conservative start 2:45 pace group”, and she was interested in pacing with us.  You could see the excitement and encouragement in her eyes!  I was heartbroken for her when I learned that she had to drop out of the race due to an injury, and have since followed her journey back to health and fitness.  She is one determined woman!  She noted that she loves the process and even if she didn’t compete, she’d train anyway – which is exactly how I feel.  She is also my first interviewee who has participated in the soap box derby world championship.  :-)  Read her story and her plans to be faster as a master!

Name: Jen Goff

Age: 39

City/State: Greensboro, NC

Occupation: Running Coach at Fleet Feet Greensboro and Team Wicked Bonkproof

 Hobbies/interests outside of running:

I love to write (http://runjen1.blogspot.com), read guilty pleasure girly books, drink wine, eat good food, spend time with my hubby and two boys (ages 6 & 3), and laugh with friends!

When did you start chasing the OTQ and what inspired you to try?
Less than a year after my first son was born, I broke the 3-hour barrier in the marathon. I then kept dropping time pretty quickly down to 2:51, and I thought to myself, yeah...yeah, I can def do this!

Tell us about the races you attempted to OTQ at and the outcomes.
I was not attempting an OTQ yet, but after I ran 2:51 at Indy in 2017, it became my full-on goal. Unfortunately in 2018, I dealt with a slew of health issues that kept me out of training & racing for half the year. My comeback race was the Myrtle Beach Marathon in 2019, which I won in 2:51. It was at this time that I devoted myself to getting the 2:45 at Indy again later that year. Training had gone very well, but unfortunately about four weeks prior to the race, I strained my calf, which turned into a tear. I dropped out of Indy at mile 5.

What did you gain from this journey?

Given that my training pointed towards being ready to hit the time, it took me a while to fully pick my head back up. However, once I accepted that it was not meant to be, I was able to realize how much I gained...confidence in my abilities, new friends (like you!), and a lot of perspective... Having been so laser-focused on that ONE goal, I've opened myself up to more; I want to run lots of different distances, train more often with other people, and have more flexibility with myself in my training.

What are you most proud of about your OTQ pursuit?

That I know I can do it. I'm at a point where I feel okay not having officially done it because I hit workouts in training that I never thought I could! And honestly, I love the training anyway. I'm appreciative to truly enjoy the process. Competing is almost like a secondary thing for me... if it didn't exist, I'd still train anyway!

Do you have any regrets or things you wish you’d done differently in your OTQ pursuit? 

None! I went for it! I wouldn't change a thing.

What message would you like to send to those following your running pursuits?

A goal is simply a dream with a deadline. I'll never stop dreaming. And my gosh, you have no idea how appreciative I am for all the support in my community.

Tell us something unique about yourself.

Before I ever started running, I raced soap box derby! I competed in the world championships in 1991 at age 11. I think I always need to be chasing something.......... :)

What’s next for you?

Now that my calf is healed, I have a few races planned for the year. I just won a marathon relay this past weekend with three of my awesome gal pals (2:36), and we had a BLAST! I have a 10-miler coming up in March, a marathon at the end of April, I'll run a half marathon leg as part of a 70.3 relay in May, and I'd like to hit new PRs in the 5K and 10K too. So, as you can tell, I'm opening myself up to some new adventures!

Anything else you’d like to share?
I turn 40 this year on the day of the Boston Marathon! I'm looking forward to being #fasterasamaster and hopefully proving that age is just a number! :)