COACH JEN

Hi! I’m Jennifer Rooks (that silly runner on the far right over there), coach and owner of Forward is a Pace Coaching. Forward was born out of my belief that no matter who you are, where you are in your life, you can discover new potential in yourself through running (and walking and run/walking!).

I firmly believe that there is no one size fits all approach to helping individuals build confidence and reach their running goals!

Did I mention fun!? To quote one of my favorite coaches, “We all went pro in something else.” Meaning, as busy adults, we all have a lot of pressures on our time: work, family, volunteering, etc. While running is a challenging sport, I also believe that if you make the time in your life for it, it should be fun and rewarding. Even when it’s hard.

My road to running began with a wedding anniversary. Looking for a unique way to celebrate our first anniversary, my husband and I signed up for a Warrior Dash obstacle race and 5K taking place on that same day. I’d never been much of a runner up to that point, but I loved the energy, comradery, and overall sense of accomplishment that running that race—and the many that followed—gave me.

Since then, I have tackled many more 5Ks, 10Ks, 10 milers, and more than a dozen half marathons. I also participate in triathlons–from sprints to the 70.3 distance–despite an unreasonable fear of sharks lurking everywhere!

I’ll be honest, running may not be my best sport, which is a funny thing for a running coach to say. But I do believe running is one of the most incredible ways to build confidence, get outside, and challenge both your mind and your body. You also get to meet some pretty darn great people along the way!

I love motivating people to start moving, getting outside, and testing the boundaries of what they think they are capable of, and as long as you are willing to keep putting one foot in front of the other, you can achieve more than you ever thought was possible!