No. She's adamant and outspoken that long course has no appeal whatsoever for her.

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I wrote this, you should read it:
https://www.slowtwitch.com/...n_Swimming_6700.html

https://www.youtube.com/...2my9HbHoGoWapSYtKx0Y


New video...more "raw" and almost likely the most "real" video she's ever put out, titled "just the truth".....

13 months from last competition, something like 6 months post surgery, some real dialogue between her and Pat and life dealing with major injury.


I completely get why she moved to marathon, and any chance of her ever coming back is a pipe dream. But man oh man, I kinda feel like we are watching her just play out the running string until she finally quits on her own terms. I'm guessing she's still trying for trials?

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Brooks Doughtie, M.S.
Exercise Physiology
-USAT Level II

Curious what her training is like now and how many miles she’s able to run right now. Assuming there’s no further setbacks, we’ll see her at trials regardless of the shape she’s in (at least that’s my guess). I guess the biggest question I have, what’s the plan after February 29th? Side bar question, how much longer is left on her contract with Nike?

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blog

Well I heard through the grapevine that there’s an extremely high likelihood we’ll see her at track trials for the 5k and or 10k when the marathon doesn’t go well.

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I wrote this, you should read it:
https://www.slowtwitch.com/...n_Swimming_6700.html

I mean that makes sense. Marathon trials is 4 months before US trials on the track, so just likely find an race she can qualify in if she's not qualified already (haven't look for track trials what standard is).

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Brooks Doughtie, M.S.
Exercise Physiology
-USAT Level II

I had a hard time watching that whole 18 min video, as it was rather painful. I'm kind of surprised that she and her hub Pat would want to be so extremely open about all of their problems over the past 13 months. Not sure I would do a video like that.

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"Anyone can be who they want to be IF they have the HUNGER and the DRIVE."

I found it oddly interesting that they noted a few times she didn't want her sport to define her, yet it seemed like her whole demeanor and attitude are completely affected by how she was handling her athletic career and specifically this injury. I guess a bit more jadedness with her injury comeback and timeline it seemed. I guess this was more as the title suggested "real life" and not the fluff that a lot of people put out there on social media every day.

I had the same feeling you did, almost uncomfortable watching it. It was almost like preview of what life will be like post GJ's athletic career, w/ Pat starting his own career and focused less on being 100% all in on GJ's career. Of course I think with triathlon his background helped her tremendously, juggling 3 sports, and his own expertise was valued w/ cycling; with the running singular focused it's more coach/athlete/squad centric and Pat likely has a much lesser role.

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Brooks Doughtie, M.S.
Exercise Physiology
-USAT Level II

Good. Like many, I wonder if those are her best distances.

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Aaron Bales
Lansing Triathlon Team

Really it almost seemed like they are having "marital difficulties" but I can't understand why they would want to broadcast that to the world???

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"Anyone can be who they want to be IF they have the HUNGER and the DRIVE."

That dude comes across a little strange ...

I think you guys are reading way too much into it. Seemed like a real couple being honest. Regular marriage stuff.

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Aaron Bales
Lansing Triathlon Team

This. Just a married couple talking about married life and issues that arise.

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Let food be thy medicine...

Gwen and Pat are doing better than ever. Gwen is about 100X happier in her life now than when I started working with her just over a year ago. I think they wanted to share this video with the public because they wanted to be an encouragement to others that marriage / work / and life you go through trials. They wanted to be an open door about it and let people know stay strong during those times we all go through them.

The marriage stuff wasn't what I keyed on interestingly enough. It was the statements about "sport not defining her", that I thought was interesting they would say that. Of course that's just a viewpoint from 30,000' and from what they put out there to the world, etc. and the pathway/sacrifices they both did in the last 5+ years.

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Brooks Doughtie, M.S.
Exercise Physiology
-USAT Level II

She meant that from HER view point of herself. Yes, we all define and know Gwen because of Sports so it defines her to us but to herself, she does not let sports define who she is. She is great because she is a great thinker, a chance taker, committed to her goals, focused, a great mom, a great wife, bla bla bla, all the things that make successful people successful. Gwen could apply those principles to any career and become very successful. People like that can do anything they put their minds too. That is what defines her, not sports. Some people get carried away in their Sport then get injured and depressed because they let it define their lives. Gwen knows there is more to life then sports. It's just the path she chose to apply her great qualities that define her as a person.

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http://www.sfuelsgolonger.com

 
Great video, thanks

Very interesting, on the "motivation", "what is important in my life", "how do we deal as a couple" sides of things.

With her injuries, lack of racing, potential overthinking around this, it could have been much worse. To me (as a psychanalyst used to couple therapy) they look solid and stable enough :-)

On the sport side : US Marathon qualify is probably a long shot, due to lack of races, time references...
If it doesn't work in Atlanta, indeed, track qualif is a possibility.

Jorgensen's usual videos are a bit too focused on her sponsors and her detailed professional approach to keep my interest, so, for me, this video was a welcome change. It made me want to root for her more in the coming months.

Gwen's officially focusing on track:

https://olympics.nbcsports.com/...rathon-track-trials/

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I wrote this, you should read it:
https://www.slowtwitch.com/...n_Swimming_6700.html

Sounds like the smart move- at least on the surface. Having no insight on the track running world, anyone think she has a shot at a slot in the track 5/10k?

makes sense, this was probaly the progression she needed before jumping to the marathon to begin with straight from her itu volume. Smart pathway change will result in much better ability to get the most out of herself with her speed and also endurance training much safer, than this pigeon holed pathway she originally was going with the marathon goal so quickly.

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Brooks Doughtie, M.S.
Exercise Physiology
-USAT Level II

This also gives her until June to train.

Seems like a smart move all around.

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blog

So her high profile, nationally accredited coach, has finally come to the conclusion that Dan and I(and a few others here as I recall) proffered the very first days after she made the switch to running only, and did that very first track 5k.

And she says her coach is always spot on when guessing her race times, ok. He said she would run between 15 flat and 15;30, and she went 15;15. But excuse me, but I think every one here with an ounce of knowledge, would have guessed that spot on 30 second differential, probably leaning more on the slower time too.

I wish Gwen all the luck in the world in this endeavor, glad she has accepted the reality of her situation. It was not your choice either, or your coaches, it was reality crushing down on an unrealistic dream. Now going forward, I still think she could be a great marathoner, but suspect that maybe some intermediate success at the 5k and 10k might even derail that bump up. Just have to wait and see what happens now, still interested..

I don’t think it’s even about having a shot. I think this was the smartest pathway to actually producing the best GJ possible. This imo is going to taper expectations and create a better training platform for her. The marathon was simply breaking her, most especially in the rather weird timeframe she (or her sponsors) set herself for.


In a way this almost lets her get back to just being an athlete and seeing what happens. Not forcing anything, not creating stupid unrealistic goals that’s partly sponsor driven which she’s cornered the market on how to be the perfect sponsored IG athlete imo.

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Brooks Doughtie, M.S.
Exercise Physiology
-USAT Level II

She needs to run 31:25 to get the standard. That will be a big, uphill challenge.

I've long been in the camp that she had no chance to win the Olympic Marathon gold medal and probably could not even make the team. That has now come to pass. I think this is a smart move on her part but agree with you that the odds in the 10K, while much better than the marathon, are still a long shot. And I would guess she needs to make the team to keep her contract with Nike. So there's going to be some real pressure on her. Either way, I still do not see her in the Olympic marathon in 2024.