Hellooooo! I’m having a blast here in Orlando!
After sleeping in a little bit on Friday morning, our group headed over to the race expo at the ESPN Wide World of Sports.
Sarah, Julie, and I called each other the night before and coordinated our outfits for the day. (FYI: We are wearing is the Moto Pullover from the Heidi Klum collection.)
The expo was really great with all sorts of awesome vendors, brands, and Disney gear. I think it was actually one of the best expos I’ve ever been to!
While wandering around the expo, I saw the special, limited edition New Balance 860v3, a Mickey and Minnie-inspired sneaker for 2013.
Earlier this year, New Balance produced 1,000 pairs of this special Disney-inspired shoe and sold out within hours at the very first Disney race of the year. The shoe was such a hit with Disney runners, New Balance made more and, in 2014, New Balance will create an all new, more customizable (with special race-specific inserts) sneaker!
A few of the fun shirts I saw at the expo:
After spending some time at the expo, our group headed to the New Balance Track & Field Complex where we ate lunch and then had a chance to meet Jenny Simpson.
Lunch was delicious””salad, roasted veggies, pulled pork, grilled chicken breast, fresh fruit, and cookies””all of my favorites!
During lunch, we had the opportunity to watch Jenny do a track workout.
She was cruising!
When Jenny finished her workout, she chatted with our group and answered a bunch of questions.
In the video below, Jenny talks about her workouts. She averages about 70 miles per week!
Other interesting tidbits from Jenny:
- Before workouts and races, she typically eats oatmeal or cereal.
- After workouts and races, she eats as soon as possible. She said she once met with a registered dietitian, who said the recommendation about eating within 20-30 minutes of exercise is a good one, but you should really consume some calories ASAP. Jenny’s usual picks are yogurt, smoothies, chocolate milk, or something with a 3:1 protein to carb ratio.
- Jenny’s recovery day workout pace is 7:10 and she runs for 60-90 minutes. Recovery days are all about time not distance for her.
- Jenny takes a full rest day once every 8 weeks.
- When she went pro, Jenny was pitched by 7 different athletic brands, but ultimately chose New Balance.
Jenny was really sweet, friendly, and down-to-earth. She even ended up chatting with a group of us for quite awhile after the formal session ended.
credit: Instagram @rungiarun
Questions of the Day
Who is your running hero?
If you could ask Jenny anything, what would you ask her? (New Balance offered to coordinate interview with her, so I’ll send along your questions!)
