Meet Jennifer Brown
(aka "Brownie")
8/20/2007
Jen in Munich, Germany overlooking Olympic
Stadium
We finally caught up with Tornado member Jen Brown after she
returned from her long trip to Europe and we stapled her running shoe laces to
the floor to ask her a few questions. Jen has been a Tornado for 3 years. She
was awarded the "Tornado New Comer of the Year" in 2004. Jen is full of life and by the looks of
her answers on her profile questions she's definitely not letting anything stop
her from achieving her goals.
How young are you?
31...AAAGGGHHH...I'm not used to writing that yet!
Running
Related Stuff
To Run or Not to Run...that
is the question - so why do you run?
I run because it makes me feel good. I stay in shape, I work through problems
and think about things, and I accomplish goals. I also run for the
camaraderie...it's nice to be around like minded people pursuing similar
interests and to see the light in their eyes...it only helps to light my own.
Tell us
your story about how you became a Tornado?
I met
Jack at Paige's party and he pumped me up about the speed sessions they were
having at the time...which fit perfectly with my 1/2 iron man training...and he
told me there was this really fast chica, Alex...who used to run for RICE. He
enticed me to come out and once I met everyone, there was no hesitation...I knew
this was a great environment for me!
Tell us a
little about your training, (how do you train)?
I
train at Memorial Park on Tuesday/Thursday for speed/tempo work and then
sometimes on Saturdays for pace runs....and of course Sundays for the group long
runs.
On
Mon/Wed, I usually run near my house and try to go to the gym...I like to add
stairs/hills to my off days to help build strength as well as some overall
toning. I don't have any unique training style...I just try to push myself as
hard as I can...but if I need a break, I try to listen to my body. I just know
mentally I feel better when I'm active! I also don't have "typical" miles per
week...but even when I'm not on a schedule, I workout 5-6 days/wk. Right now,
I've just returned from Europe...and I'm jumping on the marathon training
wagon. It's hard to "come back"...I feel a bit out of it. I'm using a mix of
Hal Higdon's Advanced training program...and the words, wisdom, and practices of
some of my very own Tornados buddies...ie, Leno & Jack.
Jen, at the 2007 Tornados
Pasta Party
What's your favorite
running event/distance?
WELL...I'd like to say the mile because it's pretty
short and sweet, but it really hurts. 5Ks are fun too...and marathons feel
like SUCH an accomplishment...but I think my favorite events are trail runs
because I focus so much on watching my step and pushing through the ups and
downs....while the beauty of everything just makes me kind of forget the pains.
Ya know?
Truly...each different type of
run brings me a different satisfaction and sense of achievement...so it's hard
to say I truly have a FAVE.
What's your favorite
running shoe?
ASICS...DS Trainer, DS Racer, 2120. Cool slogan...nice fit...and I've scored
some PRs with those on my feet
What's the best running
advice you can offer?
Train hard...don't be afraid to hurt...it's only temporary...BUT, listen to your
body...AND take care of it by getting enough water, eating right, and getting
enough rest to fuel your enthusiasm! OH...and TRAIN with people who will push
you.
Which one of your PR
times are you most proud of?
YAY! My 18:46 5K in Deer Park in June 07. Last year I
struggled and worked so hard to lower my 5K time. I was doing all I could
to break 19:30 and finally could do that pretty consistently. So this year I
was amazed when I busted out my first 5K race of the season in under that and
quickly realized a sub 19 was in my future. Once I had my new PR of 18:55,
I couldn't wait to try to beat
it...and it was just such a great feeling because the race was so SMOOTH...it
felt good...and all the timing was there for a great race!
Which has been your most
memorable race or race where you had the most fun in?
I had the most fun at my first BOSTON
MARATHON in 2001. I had worked really hard to qualify...I didn't train with a
group...I just wanted to go...and put in the miles to run the Houston
Marathon...my 2nd. At the time I lived with a roommate in the same apartments
as my little group of friends...kind of like that show, Melrose Place. When I
qualified...they were so excited for me they pooled money and sponsored me to go
through their work and donations...air-miles for the flight, hotel,
food...everything! AND 5 of them journeyed with me to cheer me on. We went a
few days early and saw some sites...and upon my return I had flowers and a
banner and a fan club waiting for me at the airport. It was a truly memorable
experience and I was very fortunate to have people care that much!
What's
your
secret weapon training
technique that has worked for you.
No secret...it's
mostly time and dedication to follow the program...OH, and keeping my eye on the
cute boys in front of me...and trying to catch them...they're good "carrots"!!!
hee hee
Any
short term or long
term running goals?
My short term goal is to run a sub 3:10 in the Tucson
Marathon...I would be SO ecstatic!
Long term...I'd like to do more endurance runs and possibly an Iron Man.
 OK,
so here comes the...
Personal
Stuff
Marital/Family status:
SINGLE
Where are you originally
from? Colfax, Iowa
What brought you here to
Texas?
Student teaching promised me a job when I
finished...and the salary was better than Iowa.
What is your occupation now
and when you were growing up what did you really want to be?
When I was growing
up, I always played "school" and graded papers and wanted to be a teacher (my mom
was a preschool teacher). HOWEVER, many people told me not to do that because
there was no respect or money in the profession...so I hesitated and floundered
a bit in college...but once the switch was made to education...I realized I was
in an area that interested me. I came to Houston and taught for 4 years before
going back to attain my masters in Counseling...and now I'm an elementary school
counselor in Aldine ISD.
What do you like most about
your job?
I know I make a difference everyday. I
influence kids to do and be their best...and I help them try to cope and work
through this thing we call life...and I try to make them smile.
So what's your
favorite food?
MMM...Mexican...chips/salsa/margaritas... OR granny smith apples, IOWA corn on the cob... hmmm...it's hard to choose just
ONE!!! My moods require different tastes!
What's your favorite kind
of music?
AAAGGHHH...there's not a fave...I appreciate all
types...but right now I'm really KEEN on SALSA and Latin beats. I love
listening to music in Spanish even though I can't always translate and
understand it all.
What other hobbies do you have besides
running?
Biking, swimming, most any sport...travel...trying
to read more...
What's your favorite movie?
Freedom Writers because it's an awesome inspirational movie about making a
difference and how the good deeds of one can inspire many! AND I have many
other movies that make me "think"...those are my fave
types...feel goods.
If you could meet someone famous,
who would it be? (Victor doesn't count)
??? There are so many influential people, interesting people, AMAZING
people...the pressure of a name. I could say I'd like to meet Hugh Hefner and
try on a bunny suit for him...hmmm...just kidding.
Actually, it'd be cool to meet David Letterman or Jay Leno...they CRACK me
up...and I LOVE to laugh...and I'm sure they'd come up with plenty of one liners
for me. I think it'd also be cool to meet someone like Jimmy Carter or Buzz
Aldrin...someone who truly stands out in time...
What's your favorite destination for
vacation?
Iowa for family and nostalgia...Colorado for
my sis and the scenery...and then...WELL...just about ANYWHERE because I LOVE TO
TRAVEL!!!
If you could meet someone in
heaven (or hell), who would it be?
My mom's parents and my
dad's father...they all passed before I was born or before I could KNOW them...
Jenn with her Mom and Dad at one of our Tornado
Parties
Tell us about one of your most embarrassing moments.
There are probably too many to count or even think
about...and they seemed DEVASTATING at the time. BUT to name ONE as a MOST
embarrassing??? NAH...PLUS, it obviously didn't KILL me sooo...it couldn't
have been THAT bad!!!
I think
Jr. High signifies the most torturous years of embarrassment...like the moment I
learned that Milli Vanilli had been lip synching all those years...and I
actually went to the concert, screamed my little heart out, and danced on a
chair...??? Some things in life are inexplicable.
OR the time the boy I really liked and had been writing a "code" name
for...found out it was him...and so did EVERYONE else!
OR the time in Jr. High when I was the first one to fall asleep and my little
bra got soaked and frozen in the freezer and my underwear got thrown WAY HIGH in
a tree outside for the whole world to see...OH...and they did...and I heard
about it... Kids are MEAN!!!
If you could have any job in the
world, what would it be?
??? I'd just like more money for what
I do now...
When you were growing up,
what did your
friends used to call you?
Brownie, JAB, RocketArm, Rumhead because obviously I'm so SWEET, Anne is my
middle name, I had a wicked serve in volleyball, and Wednesday night MUG
NIGHT at the Dean's List always packed a good punch and a good time when my mug
was filled with rum and coke! (Thursday morning 8AM class -MATH
METHODS...was NOT FUN after those nights out)
Jenn and her Sister (another corn fed Iowan)
coming off the dance floor
during an outing with some Tornado Club Members.
Tell us something about
yourself that no one knows about you.
My dad made me 7
pancakes on my 7th birthday when we were camping in Colorado...it was my
birthday cake!
After an
interview panel and essay I was voted as Cardinal Relays Queen my senior year in
high school. (A county-wide track meet we competed in every year...Jasper
County Iowa...Newton held the Relays and COLFAX still gets to have the COUNTY
FAIR!!! WHICH leads to the STATE FAIR and YES...if you saw the news this week
and heard the clip about the IOWA STATE FAIR...the outhouse competition DOES
exist...I just asked my mom about it...crazy corn fed Iowans...designing
outhouses...then racing with them, smearing chocolate sauce off the seat,
bobbing for corn in a mucky muddy mess...then running back to the other side???
WHO comes up with this stuff??? I'm just sorry I missed it!
Any closing words of wisdom?
Yes,
READ
THE BOOK, 212 Degrees by S.L. Parker:
"It's
your life. You are responsible for your results. It's time to turn up
the heat."
Any more words of wisdom?
Yes
(In 1925) Margaret Thatcher said, "You may have to
fight a battle more than once to win it."
Any more ...
Hall of Famer and record
holder for most World Series played and won (1925), Yogi Berra, gives this
advice, "You give 100% in the first half of the game, and if that isn't enough,
in the second half you give what's left."
Jenn and her friend, Dorcie
floating down the river in Paris
Summary:
OK, so there we have it. Jen is a crazy corn fed Iowan that can best be
described as a rum spiked brownie with a little Tobasco sauce on top.
She's dedicated to her job in education, but watch out when she goes on her
lunch break, she might be caught eating chips, salsa and corn on the cob and
listening to Ramon Ayala accordion music on her MP3 player. We'll have to talk
to Joe Oviedo about getting IHOP to make her a stack of 32 pancakes for her next
birthday.
There's also something going on with the corn they grow
in Iowa. We need to get these Texas gals to start eating some Iowan corn!
Thanks to Brownie for being such a good sport while
we pried into her personal life for this member profile.
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