Jen Ator Tackles IRONMAN With Apolo Ohno

Jen Ator Tackles IRONMAN With Apolo Ohno

Sep 25, 2014 by Lincoln Shryack
Jen Ator Tackles IRONMAN With Apolo Ohno



A year ago, Jen Ator could have never imagined the position she is in now. Coming off ACL surgery just 14 months prior, the idea of competing in the IRONMAN World Championship was an afterthought, something she didn’t think she could manage given her recovery and busy schedule. 

But when TeamChocolate Milkapproached her last year and asked if she wanted to train with world-champion short-track speedskater Apolo Ohno for the IRONMAN World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, in October, Ator was taken back. “My initial reaction was shock, I thought ‘you have the wrong person,” Ator told Flotrack. Of course, Ator’s first response was to find reasons why she couldn’t take on this grueling 140.6-mile challenge. “I came up with excuses why I couldn’t do it.” 

Those excuses included the knee injury that had required surgery and her busy work schedule as the Senior Fitness Editor at Women’s Health Magazine, a position that has her working 50 hours per week. After a conversation with her doctor, Ator quickly realized however that the only thing standing in her way was herself. She was scared of failing. “Once I realized that was a block in my way, I just embraced the unknown, and said this is a once in a lifetime opportunity, and to do it with someone as amazing as Apolo and Team CHOCOLATE MILK; I realized I had to seize the opportunity and make the best of it.” 

Luckily, Ator wasn’t starting from scratch with this undertaking. As a former lacrosse player at the University of Ohio, Ator has experience pushing herself to the limits. Even though training for the IRONMAN World Championship would test her endurance like never before, Ator knows the level of discipline it takes to be a successful athlete. The first big obstacle was recovering from the knee surgery. “I was a different athlete. I hadn’t been running, I was taking on a new sense of fitness that was much more scaled back from what I was used to,” Ator told Flotrack. Although the training would be different from what she was accustomed to, she was still facing an enormous challenge, compounded by her schedule and recovery from surgery. 

Included in that challenge was a shift in nutrition. Ator has always considered herself a healthy person, but training for Kona has given her a better appreciation for how important diet is at this level.  “I’m always on the go. I really have to make sure I’m planning ahead. It’s made me prioritize the timing. I have something immediately after I work out. If I’m at the gym swimming, I have a Chocolate Milk and I drink it in the locker room as soon as I’m done.”

Ator says that nutritionist Wendy Bazilian has helped her immensely in planning out the nutrition she needs to be successful in the triathlon. The resources that Team Chocolate Milk has given Ator have made it possible for someone with a high-stress job to train at the level required to compete at Kona. “They have given me every resource that I need. I couldn’t do this without all their support,” she said.

The resources provided by Team Chocolate Milk included training with IRONMAN champion Luke McKenzie as she prepared for her first IRONMAN 70.3, half the distance of the race in Kona. As a six-time IRONMAN champion, McKenzie was able to give Ator advice on the mental obstacles she will encounter. “It’s a lot about staying in the moment. You can’t start thinking at mile one of the swim about the last miles of the bike,” Ator said. That advice from McKenzie was just as important as any physical coaching she has received during this journey. When the process of balancing her work with the training requirements became overwhelming, Ator focused on planning out individual weeks of training to not stress herself out or allow doubt to creep into her mind. “If I put my head down and work the system, the process will work, and when I get to Kona I’ll be ready,” Ator said. 

Of course, Ator would have to hone the craft in preparation for October. To get a better idea of what she was up against, Ator competed in an IRONMAN 70.3 race during her buildup. Ator was nervous before and during the entire race, compounded by her watch malfunctioning halfway through the race. This prevented Ator from seeing her splits, and she was left in the dark for the remainder of the competition. Fortunately, Ator was able to push through, remembering all along Luke McKenzie’s advice for staying in the moment. When Ator crossed the finish line in 5 hours 45 minutes, she was in disbelief and was overcome with emotion. “It reaffirmed that the training works,” Ator told Flotrack. 

With Team CHOCOLATE MILK's help, Ator has come to realize that the only thing that held her back was her own mindset. “I had this striking revelation when I crossed the finish line at IRONMAN 70.3 Muncie, we are the only thing that holds us back. Everybody else around me believed in me, but I still had doubts. I learned that there’s really nothing out of reach for anybody. It comes down to you wanting it and believing you can do it.” 

The lessons that Ator has learned during her journey with Team Chocolate Milk have given her a new mindset that will last even after she crosses the finish line in Kona. The discipline required to take on this challenge has not been easy, but Ator has trusted herself and stayed motivated by staying in the moment. That advice will get her to the start line on October 11th, and will push her when that self-doubt starts to creep back in her mind.  

Check out www.gotchocolatemilk.com for more on Mission Apolo: BUILT WITH CHOCOLATE MILK, which chronicles Apolo’s and Jen’s training and recovery journey to the IRONMAN World Championship.
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