In our weekly Q&A segment we asked Jenny Simpson a few questions about life on and off the track. We caught up with her before she toed the line at the 5th Ave. Mile in New York.

Describe your childhood dream.

To go to the Olympics in Dressage with a horse I trained on my own.

Describe your fondest race memory.

After running my first sub-4 at the 2009 Prefontaine meet, I went on a walk in a park with my coach Heather Burroughs. I don't even remember us talking about the race much. We just had to get away for a while to let it all sink in. I think that walk with my coach is one of my favorite running memories of all time.

If you weren't running, what would you be doing?

I would probably be slaving away at a law firm having just graduated from law school.

Describe your worst habit.

I often hit the snooze on my alarm many many many times before waking up. It drives Jason crazy.

Describe the kind of kid you were in high school.

I was so absorbed in my own world of studying, church activities, and running. I was pretty square and probably pretty bossy. I think I'm a lot more laid back now than I was then if you can imagine that!

If you had a day off from your everyday responsibilities, describe how you would spend it.

I would sleep in and have a huge breakfast. I LOVE breakfast! Then, I would pack a backpack with lunch and go on a hike with Jason for a picnic. I never get to hike because I'm always so tired from training! Then, I would meet up with a big group of family and/or friends for a big dinner out at one of Boulder's many amazing restaurants. We would sit outside in Boulder's beautiful weather and socialize into the night. So basically my day would be no running and a lot of eating with amazing people!

Describe your most embarrassing moment as an athlete.

Miscounting my laps in Boston this winter. I hope I never do anything more embarrassing! I might not survive it!

Tell us about your favorite memory with one of your current or past training partners.

Can I tell two? After finishing my 1500m race in Monaco last year I hid out near the track so I could stay close and cheer for my fellow Buff, Shalaya Kipp in the steeplechase. It was in that race that she ran the time to qualify to go to the World Championships in Moscow. I was so proud of her and so happy I was able to be so close to the action. Equally as fun was when I was in the stadium cheering my head off for Emma in Shanghai. She broke away from the field in the steeple and had an unbelievable win in her first Diamond League race as a pro. In both instances I was right there on the track and able to celebrate big accomplishments by teammates I care so much about.

Describe the perfect post-race meal in detail.

The first thing I can get my hands on! If I totally had my choice, it would probably be a simple beef bratwurst with stoneground mustard and a super cold wheat beer.

Describe your favorite workout?

I love long runs. They're by far my favorite. Every week, I look forward to Sunday.

Describe the most unique experience you've had while racing in Europe this season.

This season I had the opportunity to travel to Shanghai for the Diamond League and while I was there I was hosted for several meals and a day out by the New Balance China crew. It was so much fun meeting and getting to know the team over there a little better. It was some of the best food I've ever had! Experiencing a culture and food so different from the West was fascinating and best done with the locals. I can't wait to return and have that experience again!

Dream place to run or try and why?

Boulder, Colorado. It's such a perfect place to live and train. The weather is perfect for all but a few weeks out of the year. The athletic culture supports my lifestyle and provides absolutely amazing places to eat and grocery shop. I also love Boulder because of the people and professional support available. It's a city that attracts people to it and so there are professionals in many industries who could live anywhere in the world and work with anyone they wanted and they choose Boulder. After traveling and training all over the world, I fly into Denver to drive back over highway 36 and when I see Boulder down in the valley, I wouldn't rather be returning to any other place on the globe.

Who is your childhood hero and why?

My dad. When I was small we weren't exposed to a lot of pop culture and not even many sports outside of Iowa State basketball. When I was two years old my dad went back to school to get a higher degree and make a better future for his family. So, I grew up with my dad dropping us off at school on his way to his own classes. I remember him being anxious for tests and writing papers. At the end of the year when we got our grades, he would report to us his grades too! He was going to school just like me and I thought that was so cool and tried to be just like him.

Now that I'm older, I admire him even more for it. He had three kids, ages 2, 4, and 6, and he and my mom were absolutely fearless facing a future of very tight means, difficult schedules, and hard work. They made it the other end of his schooling with great jobs, three good kids, still married, and probably premature grey hair! Their sacrifices and willingness to fully commit to things that are difficult are an example to me.

If you had to listen to 1 song in your head every time you ran for the rest of you life, what would it be?

"Beautiful Things" by Gungor

Dinner for 3 (living or dead) who and why?

This is so tough! Since you said living or dead, I'll take the liberty to make two lists! Living: hands down, my sister Emily, my brother John, and my 2-year-old niece, London. The toughest sacrifice with my running is that I don't get to see my family often enough. Once a year I see them both and I never get enough of my siblings! The other reason I would choose them for dinner is there would be no awkward introductions or anxiety about what to talk about. The party would be started the second we got together with stories, updates, and lots of laughing.

Dead: Ernest Hemingway, Antoine de Saint-Exupery, and Pablo Picasso. All three masters of their craft and having lived in France during the same era, I think they would have things to chat about. I also imagine their appetites for good food and drink along with their strong opinions and memorable adventures would make for a fascinating party!

Describe your pre-race ritual.

An hour before I leave the hotel for the stadium I always put on some upbeat music (actually, Jason usually puts it on) and it cues me to get up and begin the countdown. I usually shower, put my hair up, organize my backpack, check my uniform and spikes, and have a last little snack. It's from this point until the start of the warmup that's the most difficult on my nerves. Once I get to the track I usually begin my warmup pretty quickly. I stretch, jog around for 15-20 minutes, get some snappy strides in and then report to the call room. From high school to today the race day ritual hasn't changed much!

What happened in Zurich?

When I returned home in July after the first half of the season I knew that the only real chance I had to win the Diamond League was if I was prepared to win the last two races. I worked hard with fast times and wins as the goal but I also know the incredible difficulty of actually pulling that off. After Stockholm I was truly in the hunt for the title. When we got to Zurich I knew I had to win again but this race didn't have Dibaba which changes the dynamic. Anyway, I knew Hassan was right on me coming down the last 100m and I never even felt Shannon coming on the inside. When we made contact and I fell I was just so surprised because I never felt it coming. When I saw them come at me with the flowers I realized I had actually pulled it off. I had won both of my final 1500m races of the season. I am so proud I hung on despite the unusual four week break in the middle of the season and came back to Europe even stronger.

What does running/racing look like for you in the next 6 months?

So right now I'm getting ready to race the 3000 meters in Brussels and then I will cap off my season at the 5th Ave mile in NYC. Both races are going to be a lot of fun and I can't wait to see what I can do in the two different distances. Then, I'll take a few weeks completely off from running. I'll take some time to squeeze a few trips in that I can't manage when I'm training hard. Then, about mid October I'll gently begin to build mileage again. October and November are a lot of just basic maintenance and truthfully, enjoying the last few weeks of fall weather before we mentally brace for winter training! I'm not sure yet if I'll take a crack at XC again or focus on an indoor season. Both will require me to ramp up the workouts again probably December-ish. Then the whole cycle of workouts, long runs, easy days, and racing starts all over again for another Spring/Summer season!