We talked to Simpson today at the press event for tomorrow's New Balance Indoor Grand Prix about her goals for tomorrow's race.
Jenny Simpson doesn't know what to expect from the 5k; but don't expect her to move up from the 1500 this year
It was almost 10 years ago that Simpson ran her one and only indoor 5k, a 15:01.70 as a collegian at Colorado on February 14, 2009. While that came on an oversized track, it's easily the fastest collegiate 5000 ever run indoors or out as Kim Smith is the only other collegian ever under 15:10 at 15:09.72 (Simpson also ran a 15:07.64 outdoors that year). Now Simpson is returning to the event, and though she's starting to get up there for a 1500 runner (she's 32), she says that she still plans on being a 1500 runner moving forward.
"I’m not going to base the future of my career off of one switch in January," Simpson said. "The 1500 is my love and is the thing that I think I’m best at."
It's a smart decision. Shelby Houlihan surpassed Simpson to win the US title last year, but Houlihan is one of the best 1500 runners on the planet. Simpson is still the reigning silver medalist at Worlds, and her odds of medalling in Doha in the 1500 are way better than they would be in the 5,000. Consider: last year, six women broke 14:30 in the 5,000. Simpson's PR is 14:56. The American record is 14:34. Simpson would probably never have the strength to be a factor in the 5k globally, but she has the experience and tactical smarts to remain a threat in the 1500 even if she loses half a step.
Simpson said she's running the 5k on Saturday just to "mix things up" and has no idea what she is capable of. The American record (14:47.62 by Shalane Flanagan at this meet 10 years ago) has been mentioned, but Simpson wanted to downplay expectations on that front. It's unlikely that record goes as the pacer is supposed to go out on 15:00 pace.
"Shalane, a few years out of college, running 14:47 against incredible competition here, I have a lot of respect for how seriously good that is," Simpson said. "I don’t want to be so confident in my ability to just think as a 1500-meter runner I can step out and surpass that time."