There are a lot of things you know about Jenny Simpson. She went to Colorado. She just became the first American woman to win an Olympic medal in the 1500m. And she is without a doubt one of the greatest distance runners in American history.

But there are some things you don't know about Jenny.

1) One Of Jenny Simpson's Most Motivating Races May Surprise You

Jenny Simpson is a world champion and an Olympic bronze medalist in the 1500m, but she jokes that the most important race of her life was getting second in the mile to Brittney Baxter in elementary school.



The pain of being so close motivated Jenny for decades.

2) Jenny Simpson Was Terrified While Meeting Mark Wetmore For The First Time

On a cold day back in 2003, wearing a pony tail and a trench coat, coach Mark Wetmore approached Jenny at the Foot Locker Cross Country Championships. She was a little intimidated.



Of course that didn't last long, and the rest is history.

3) Jenny Simpson Has Buffalo Skin

Who needs long tights on a cold, snowy day in Boulder after a tough tempo workout?



Not Jenny!

4) Jenny Simpson Didn't Really Know What The Steeplechase Was

During her freshman year of college, coaches Mark Wetmore and Heather Burroughs decided that Jenny's best shot of making it to an NCAA final was in the steeplechase.

Heather Burroughs:

She didn't know what the steeplechase was, she had never seen one.

Mark Wetmore:

She wasn't immediately great at the steeplechase.

Jenny Simpson:

The first time I ever went over a water jump, I superman-ed into the track... got track burn all over my body.

She quickly became pretty good at it, and won the 2006 NCAA championship as a freshman.

5) Jenny Simpson Makes Dinner 6 Nights A Week

A very typical week day at the Simpson household: workout in the morning, run a few errands, take a little nap, maybe do a second run and start making dinner around 6:00 pm.



Jenny says she is able to cook six days a week because she has the time, and so she knows exactly is going into her body for training.

6) Jenny Simpson Had To Quit Her Summer Internship Because She Made The Olympics

Jenny didn't think she would ever make the 2008 Olympic team. She even had an internship with a congressman that summer. But after she finished third at the Olympic Trials and qualified to compete in Beijing, she had to call up that congressman to tell him she wouldn't be able to complete her internship.



"Uhh... Last weekend I made the Olympics."

Don't try that one at home kids.

7) Nobody Was More Shocked Than Jenny Simpson At The 2009 Prefontaine Classic

The plan was to try and break the Colorado school record. The outcome was running 3:59.9 in the 1500m and shocking the entire world, including herself.



Jenny Simpson:

Everyone can say they were shocked at the Prefontaine Classic in 2009. But nobody was more shocked than I was.

Want to learn more about Jenny Simpson? Watch episode one of 'Jenny Simspon: Transcend' now:

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