Ironman comes home to run GB marathon

GREEN BAY - The 2010 Cellcom Green Bay Marathon's elite field is 79 strong this year. Of the 79 racing, 17 are women. But only one of the 17 is a Green Bay Preble graduate and Ironman Tri-athlete. Click on the headline to read the full story.

Since 2008, Green Bay native Jessica Umentum-Jacobs has been competing as a professional tri-athlete, a sport that easily takes up to 35 hours of training per week.

"You know swimming, you're going to swim about 10-15 miles a week," says Umentum-Jacobs, a Green Bay native. "You're going to run anywhere from 60-70 miles a week, and cycling, easily 250-350 miles per week."

But the road to becoming an Iron-man wasn't an easy one. Jacobs graduated from Preble High School in 1995 without a track or cross country scholarship.

"She might not have been the most talented in terms of natural ability or whatever. But, she tried to make the most out of the ability she did have," says Jacobs high school track coach Jack Drankoff.

That ability took her to the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse, and later the United States Army, where she realized her passion for racing.

"You do the sport because you love it, not because you have to do it, says Jacobs. "It's like anything in life, if you want something bad enough you will figure out a way to make it happen and you can't blame anybody but yourself."

That message brought the 33 year old back to her alma mater this week to share her story of inspiration to aspiring racers.

"Running, multi sports, swimming, biking, running is a life long education, journey and it can be a committment."

The Cellcom marathon Sunday will be her 7th open 26.2 mile race, which she says will be a welcome change to the 142.6 mile competitions she's used to.

"The marathon is going to be great because it's going to be over in under three hours where as in Ironman, your out there 9-10 hours for me."

While this weekend's marathon may only be one leg of a typical Ironman competition, Umentum-Jacobs won't be taking it lightly.

"When it comes down to it, you still have to gut through the last six-seven miles, and those are always hard."