New Balance professional athlete Jenny Simpson joins DyeStat editor Erik Boal to discuss a potential return to competition next month at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix, along with her recent experience as the keynote speaker at the Florida Athletic Coaches Association clinic and the addition to the family last March of Jack Russell puppy Truman.

Simpson, an 11-time U.S. indoor and outdoor champion, reveals how adopting a dog during the pandemic became more realistic for she and husband Jason, who competed at the 2020 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials, and how positive the experience has been during the past 10 months. She reflects on not having competed since Feb. 14, when she ran 14:58.67 in the indoor 5,000 meters at the David Hemery Valentine Invitational at Boston University, after clocking 8:51.49 in the indoor 3,000 meters Feb. 8 at the Camel City Invitational at JDL Fast Track in North Carolina.

Simpson, 34, reminisces about her previous longest break in between races since 2007-08, when she went 210 days in between competition, and how she has maintained a consistent racing schedule with limited interruptions at the high school, college and professional levels since 2001. She expresses gratitude for all the meet directors and organizers who have continued to create, develop and coordinate events during the pandemic, in addition to her own support team and coaches Mark Wetmore and Heather Burroughs in Colorado, for helping her maintain consistency in her training and recovery throughout the summer and fall. Simpson speaks about her role as an ambassador with Rising New York Road Runners, and the opportunities she had last year to work with their Active at Home initiative, along with the virtual Fifth Avenue Mile program. She looks forward to a return to racing, along with pursuing a fourth consecutive Olympic berth in June at the U.S. Trials at Hayward Field in Oregon, looking to extend her streak of major international appearances for the Americans that began with the World Championships in 2007 and has included 10 straight Olympic or World Championship berths since.