Tokyo Olympics 2020, in 2021. The Men's and Women's Marathons.

Based in Bergen County, New Jersey, Jennifer Heiner serves as a retail director at a New Jersey running company, and is an avid runner who has competed in six marathons. Jennifer Heiner volunteers with the New York Road Runners, and has helped organized numerous group training runs focused on preparing runners for the New York City Marathon. The New York City Marathon began 50 years ago, and is the world’s largest marathon. The race is also the main event of the New York Road Runners (NYRR) organization, a premier community running entity. Held each year in November, the event draws more than 50,000 professional and amateur runners from more than 125 countries. The 26.2-mile running route passes through five of New York’s neighborhoods, including Queens, Staten Island, Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Manhattan. Over 10,000 volunteers and a million spectators watch the marathon's runners compete from New York’s streets, while millions more watch the event on television. The New York City Marathon is a part of the Abbott World Marathon Majors, a group of major marathons that take place in New York, Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, and Chicago.

Right now, however, all of the focus is on the Tokyo 2020 (2021) Olympics.  One of the highlights of the running events is the Olympic Marathon, which will take place over the last two days of competition, August 7th for the women and August 8th for the men. And while most of the Olympic competition is occurring in Tokyo itself, the marathon races will be staged in Sapporo, which is located 500 miles north of the host city. This is in part due to the high temperatures Tokyo is experiencing - such heat would be too much for the athletes to endure for over two hours during competition. 

Some of the favorites to watch are: 

• Eliud Kipchoge who holds the men’s world record for the marathon, will be looking to defend his Olympic title in Tokyo. 

• Brigid Kosgei 

• Ruth Chepngetich who holds the world record in the Half Marathon

• Molly Seidel

• Abdi Abdirahman, at 44 will be the oldest competitor and participating in his 5th Olympics

The U.S. team, consisting of Aliphine Tuliamuk, Molly Seidel, Sally Kipyego, Galen Rupp, Jake Riley, and Abdi Abdirahman are expected to make a strong showing, and all of the runners have been waiting since February 2020 at the Olympic Trials to get the chance to race. A lot will happen in the Olympics before the Marathon starts, and it will be a fun few weeks of competition. 

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Creating a Workout Plan to Get New (or Returning Runners) Into (or back into) Running!

A graduate of Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Jennifer Heiner holds a bachelor of science in business administration, with a double major in Marketing and Economics. In addition to overseeing the daily operations for four branches of a New Jersey running company, Jennifer Heiner organizes group runs in preparation for the New York City Marathon, including the Three Bridges Runs, which are organized and produced by the New York Flyers. 

As if that did not keep her busy enough, Jennifer Heiner also works with local beginner athletes to help them get motivated, get moving, and work their way up to a running program. Some of these athletes are beginners, having never ventured into the running world before. Starting off slow, and gradually building up, is the right plan for any athlete at any level, trying to incorporate too much too soon can lead to burn out and injury. 

One of Jennifer Heiner's closest friends, and a person whom she met through work, has decided to embark on a new fitness journey and enlisted Jennifer Heiner's help in reaching her fitness goals. So far, this friend is almost six weeks into her journey. Not only has Jennifer Heiner given her workouts to do cardio wise each day for those six weeks, but has also gradually introduced strength workouts she can do at home with resistance bands, body weight, and free weights to get her started on her strength journey as well. 

Here is a sampling of weeks three and four on the schedule: 

4/12 - Caroline Girvan video; 6 minute abs 

4/13 - Emma Coburn Video; 90 minute walk

4/14 - Emma Coburn Video; 90 minute walk

4/15 - Caroline Girvan video; 6 minute abs 

4/16 - Caroline Girvan video; 6 minute abs 

4/17 - Emma Coburn Video; 30 minutes of run walk! 5 minute walking warm up; alternate 1 minute run/1 minute walk; 5 minute walking cool down 

4/18 - Emma Coburn Video; 30 minutes of run walk! 5 minute walking warm up; alternate 1 minute run/1 minute walk; 5 minute walking cool down 

4/19 - Rest! 

4/20 - Caroline Girvan video; 6 minute abs 

4/21 - Emma Coburn Video; 30 minutes of run walk! 5 minute walking warm up; alternate 1 minute run/1 minute walk; 5 minute walking cool down 

4/22 - Caroline Girvan video; 6 minute abs 

4/23 - Emma Coburn Video; 30 minutes of run walk! 5 minute walking warm up; alternate 1 minute run/1 minute walk; 5 minute walking cool down 

4/24 - Caroline Girvan video; 6 minute abs 

4/25 - Emma Coburn Video; 40 minutes of run walk! 5 minute walking warm up; alternate 1 minute run/1 minute walk; 5 minute walking cool down 

4/26 - Rest!

What are these videos, you ask? Some of Jennifer's favorite easy, quick, and effective videos that she recommends to everyone, not just beginners, are as follows: 

6 MINUTE AB WORKOUT!!! (no equipment) - YouTube

6 MIN AB WORKOUT!!! (no equipment) - YouTube

Caroline Girvan - YouTube

Pro Runner Emma Coburn's Pre Run Routine - Bing video

A good pre run, pre walk, routine is essential to warming everything up, and Emma Coburn's video, listed above, is a great one. Post run, doing an ab workout to work on core, and focusing on full body strength with one of the many Caroline Girvan videos (some of which are short, sweet, but VERY effective) just rounds out the perfect day of training and focuses on the whole body, something that runners often overlook or ignore. 

Stay tuned for more helpful links and tips on our fitness journey!