688. Jenny Simpson, Soon-to-be-Marathoner

"I am not wired to do something halfway or to do something for fun. I don’t know what that means. Fun for me is going as hard as possible." After nearly two highly-decorated decades of racing the 1500m and the mile, Jenny Simpson is upping the ante and the mileage. In just a few weeks, Jenny will make her marathon debut at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials Marathon in Orlando, FL. In this conversation, Jenny talks about her decision to have a go at 26.2 miles, what she thinks of marathon training these days, how she's handling fueling, and whether or not she hopes the race comes down to a kick. SPONSORS: UCAN: Click here to get a FREE UCAN energy bar sample pack (you’ll just pay the cost of shipping), and use code ALI for 20% off your next UCAN order. Quin D'Amato! Click here to buy Girl Scout Cookies from Keira D'Amato's daughter! What you’ll get on this episode: All about Jenny’s run today, and how she feels about returning to the track for workouts (2:35) Meet Barkley: Jenny’s second dog! (5:55) On New Year’s Resolutions and looking at life after competitive running (7:20) Jenny’s high and low moments from 2023 (13:00) How Jenny’s body is feeling during marathon training, and how she feels about training right now (17:00) On being a contender at the Trials (26:25) "Do you love marathon training?" (34:10) The important stuff: how Jenny plans to wear her hair for her marathon debut (42:50) How Jenny is approaching and handling fueling for marathon training and racing (45:15) "It's so top of mind to me: You are responsible for everything that goes in your body" (53:35) What Jenny doesn't want to happen on race day, and where she sees her strengths (57:25) How Jenny anticipates measuring success on race day (1:09:00) Follow Ali: Instagram @aliontherun1 Join the Facebook group Twitter @aliontherun1 Support on Patreon Subscribe to the newsletter SUPPORT the Ali on the Run Show! If you’re enjoying the show, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. Spread the run love. And if you liked this episode, share it with your friends!