After the press conference SR and Monica came over to our hotel and we had a big makeup/hairspray/spanx/snacking on apples party before heading over to a pre-party VIP event.
Thanks Monica for letting me steal your pictures.
My heart stopped beating when I saw Abdi Abdiraham and thank goodness for SR because she started a conversation with him. We were able to talk to him for about 10 minutes about everything. I love asking these athletes about their workouts and Abdi started out his day with an ‘easy’ run around downtown LA, 13 miles at an 5:45/mile pace, isn’t that all of our easy paces?
Abdi has a marathon PR of 2:08:56 and a 10,000 Meter PR of 27:16. He qualified for his FOURTH Olympic team in January to run the 2012 Olympic Marathon. Some fun facts: During peak training he runs about 110 miles a week (right now he is doing 80 until his next race is over, the Shamrock 8k in Chicago), he does take a Gu (not mixed with anything) at mile 16 of the marathon but he dropped it during the trials and went without it. His half marathon pr is 1 hour flat! Abdi is almost 6 feet tall and weighs 138 lbs….I am pretty sure he is .7% body fat. Abdi has won $250,000 for winning a race! He also acknowledged how we are more hardcore than he is because we run 3+ hours for a marathon and he only has to run for 2:)
The next stop was for the red carpet as the Chocolate Milk Correspondent. Microphones are tricky, I kept moving it when they started talking and forgetting to put it by my mouth when I was talking, Abdi and Chris are making fun of me.
Next up to talk to was Lukas Verzbicas. He is the 5th American high school runner to ever break the 4 minute mile, he did it in 3:59.71, no big deal;) He also set the National High School record for the 2 mile with an 8:29….currently my one mile pace:)
Remember how I watch The Bachelor obsessively? Well, Andy Baldwin (the Bachelor in 2007) was up next, he has ran a bunch of marathons and has done an Ironman. He was hilarious and very sarcastic, I had no idea whether or not to take him seriously….still trying to figure some stuff out. I got to talk to Apolo again which was a blast and the full interviews will be up soon!
Yes, this happened. It still feels like a dream. Chrissie Wellington came next. See the road rash on her leg, that was from an awful bike crash two weeks before Kona, she had huge wounds all over her body but still went on to WIN her 4th Ironman Championship. She is taking this year off from competing but of course her workouts are still out of control awesome. Her boyfriend is also an incredible triathlete and they do their training together…isn’t that cute? I loved her accent and her smile is contagious!
Jenny Simpson is pure muscle, she is so fit looking, strong and beautiful. I really enjoyed talking to her about winning the 5th Avenue Mile and being the first American Woman to win the 1500 m at the IAAF World Championships in 29 years!
Meb must be a good person because I thought I was going to miss him as he was walking away but I started yelling his name, jumping up and down and begging him to come over and he did with a huge grin on his face.
Meb is a huge inspiration to me, he suffered a pelvic stress fracture where he could have quit running competitively for good but he decided to take this situation to make him stronger. Two years later he is setting PR’s and winning the Olympic Marathon Trials.
After fulfilling my dreams of talking to the above people we went in for dinner and the awards ceremony. We started with salad and most importantly….
Chocolate milk. Anna poured our glasses and I went to town on it.
Dinner was steak (good thing I crave that every day of my life) with potatoes and sea bass with spinach.
Dessert was my absolute favorite and it reminded me of my mom. Once upon a time when my mom and I were on vacation in Hawaii we went to the Cheesecake Factory every day we were there. We would split an entree and get our own strawberry shortcake because we were in love with it. I promise it is a million times better than the cheesecake there and the portion size is out of control….try it!
Go Jenny!
Dean Karnazes made sure to run on and off the stage, I don’t think the man ever stops running.
After the awards ceremony we left inspired to sign up for the Ironman along with a million other races but I guess I should hold back on that kind of stuff for a a few months.
Afterwards there was a party but I didn’t last too long, heels plus being overly excited all day long made me tired and we headed back to the hotel for a few hours of sleep before going back home! Thank you so much Chocolate Milk….best weekend ever.
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New post HERE on HRG Baby!
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What was the last thing that you dressed up for? Do you enjoy dressing up?
What was the last thing you ate?
Is there a dessert/restaurant/meal that reminds you of your mom?
How many hours of sleep did you get last night?
– I made up for the weekend with a nice 9 hours.
62 comments
Claire @ Live and Love to Eat
Looks like such an incredible event – and really unique opportunity! Love all three of your dresses, too!
Janae
Thanks Claire!
Kristen @ notsodomesticated
Wow, what an incredible experience!! I bet you did a great job interviewing everyone!
Dessert that reminds me of my mom … chocolate chip cookies. She would always pop a few “break and bake” cookies into the oven on a weekday night and we would watch “Gilmore Girls” together haha. ;)
Janae
I LOVE the ‘break and bake’ cookies…that is adorable that you would watch Gilmore Girls together!
Katherine @ Neon Blonde Runner
Janae, YOU LOOK GORGEOUS (as per usual)!!!
And big congrats for being chosen as the one to greet/interview all these people on the red carpet, that’s huge!
Janae
Thanks so much Katherine, how much is Billy paying you to be so nice?
Emily
Just ate a Sargento cheese stick for a snack! A dessert that reminds me of my mom is this Chinese egg tart (my family is Chinese), which we would always get after having dim sum in Chinatown. We tried to make it at home but let’s just say the pros are better at it than we were.
Last time I got dressed up was for my best friend’s wedding in Puerto Rico in January. I wore a sari for the first time (borrowed from her, and all the aunties had to help me tie it on!) She had a traditional Hindu ceremony and it was a blast!
Janae
LOVE cheese sticks! A wedding in Puerto Rico? That sounds amazing, I bet you looked gorgeous! I need to try a Chinese egg tart…I have never had one!
Heather@Just a Colorado Gal
Out of all of those awesome athletes, I am the most jealous by Chrissie Wellington. That woman is absolutely amazing and she honestly seems so sweet!
Janae
She really is so sweet and an absolute beast when it comes to running/biking/swimming!
Brittany
You are so cute, loved this recap of the event!
Last time I dressed up was probably for my work Christmas party. I love dressing up and need to find an excuse to do it again soon.
Last thing I ate was pumpkin chia seed pudding.
Ravolis at Italian restuarants always remind me of my mom…she rarely every strays from them! Also, mimosas and chocolate cake always among things I love to share with her when we go out to a restaurant.
I only got about 7 hours of good sleep…no bueno! I must have at least 8. Have a great night!
Janae
You better make up for that sleep tonight:) Dressing up really can be fun, as long as I have cute things to wear. YUM….your mom is a smart woman:)
Pam
I’m really happy for you that you got the opportunity to meet all those people! That part is really exciting. But I’ve got to admit that it makes me really sad to see all those people advocating America’s horrific dairy industry. :(
Lindsey
I think it was a New Years Gala we went to! I love dressing up :)
I had a Think Thin PB protein bar for a afternoon snack.
Homemade chocolate chip cookies and banana bread remind me of my Mom she was always baking up a storm when we were younger!
8 hours :) It was perfect!
You looked awesome, love the dress! And that would have been so much fun and such a awesome opportunity – good for you!
[email protected]
What a great opportunity that must have been! You are so lucky and I am sure they all loved you, as you have such a great personality that really resonates in your blog! Plus you looked wonderful!
Alyssa @ fit and fun in third
You look like such a natural interviewing famous people! I’d prob have an anxiety attack and run away!
Ashley @ My Food 'N' Fitness Diaries
you ladies look gorgeous!! glad it was such a fun event. :)
the last thing i dressed up for was a company dinner we went to for my husband’s business on saturday night. it was a fun time! i like dressing up every once in awhile, but not allll the time. i prefer casual and comfy most of the time!
the last thing i ate? a LARABAR while we’re waiting in the airport. yumm.
mimi’s cafe always makes me think of my mom… we used to go there all the time for mother-daughter days when i lived in AZ. good times!
Bekah
This is fabulous! (As are you.) I am so freaking jealous that you got to meet all these amazing people! Wow! Meb? Excuse me? And Jenny Simpson? (She’s got the runner’s slump my ART therapist just told me I have this morning.) Thank you so much for recording it and sharing it so well!
Annette@EnjoyYourHealthyLife
SOOOOO amazing!! I am blown away. Looks like an awesome night with such amazing athletes.
I can’t wait to do my HALF Ironman now. Hehe :)
chelsey @ clean eating chelsey
You look absolutely GORGEOUS!!!! <3
IDK My BFF Jes
It looks like you had such a fun time!
It’s been a while. I think the last time I dressed up was a month ago when I went on a date…hopefully I’ll dress up this weekend because it’s been wayy too long.
I had hot chocolate…and I’m going to have Edamame in about 30 min.
Tacos. We would have Tacos every wed before church.
I got about 7. I need more though!
Hikermom
What an amazing night! Congrats!
HollieisFueledByLOLZ
You all look stunning. It looks like so much fun!
Ricole Runs
I really cant say it enough times : this is sooo awesome!!! I am jealous of you and you are my hero and tell me more tell me more (like does Meb have a car!)! :-)
Yellow Haired Girl
This is so great!!! What a fantastic experience – and all you ladies look lovely as well :) Last thing I ate was Subway – work was suuuuper stressful and I didn’t take my lunch break until 2pm. It was the closest thing nearby to grab so I could keep working!
Amba
Dean Karnazes! Awesome. I love dressing up but it’ll only occur a couple times in the year for date nights (when we have a babysitter on hand). Just ate salad for lunch and a cola ice block. 7 hours sleep. And Chocolate caramel square reminds me of Mum!
Liz (Little Bitty Bakes)
You look like you were a natural on the red carpet! Move over Ryan Seacrest ;)
Liz @ Tip Top Shape
What a fun event!! I would have been an absolute mess interviewing all of those people!
Angela @ Happy Fit Mama
What an awesome opportunity! I’m sure the weekend was on your top 10 list of greatest times ever.
I can’t even remember the last even I got really dressed up for. I know it’s been at least 2+ years (my twins will be 2 in June). I love getting dressed up, I just need an event now! :)
Amanda
Love the shoes you wore! Sometimes the pain of heels is worth it :)
Megan D
Six foot and 138lbs?! That is insane. Pretty sure I dated a guy with those stats in high school. Lol. Not a good thing for a self conscious teenager.
I just ate a southwest salad from chick fil a (currently hanging out with my mom) and then I am off to a bachelor finale party with some friends. Good food + great friends + trashy tv= awesome.
Michelle (Better with Berries)
What an amazing day!! So many awesome athletes and they are all so inspirational – including you!
P.S. You look SO CUTE in that dress!!
Mara BHF
AGh!!! OK, I admit it. I haven’t been your BFF and visited your blog every day. And, now, I find out … you’re pregnant (and you met Meb, hello). This is right up my five times been there alley. Love, love, and can’t wait to read all about it.
Liz @ iheartvegetables
What an amazing event! That sounds so cool!
Vanessa @ Gourmet Runner
What an exciting opportunity! Not to mention…that dress is beautiful on you Janae!
Laura @ Meet Virginia
Girl that dress was MADE for you! You look so gorgeous!!!
Heather @ Run Eat Play
I just wanted to say that I love your hair – it’s always so pretty!
Yeah, I can’t even remember the last time that i dressed up for anything. Maybe I should get my hubby to take me out!
Kate @ Chasing It
OMG I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU GOT TO TALK TO CHRISSIE WELLINGTON!!!!!! She is such a huge inspiration to me. And Meb. and Abdi. And Lucas. ummm WOW. this looks like so much fun! I want to go to one of these someday for sure. And I can’t wait for the interview with Apollo <3 <3 <3 hahaaha.
Also it would be totally awesome if you did a triathlon while pregnant. I seriously think that would go down in history!
Katie @ Peace Love & Oats
oh my gosh, those facts about Abdi are insane! And good job with interviewing, I am so not talented. I’d be like, hey, what’s your name? Oh okay… cool.
Kara
Congrats on being part of such an amazing event! You looked beautiful.
dorry
what an amazing experience! and you look so incredibly beautiful, my friend – just glowing. :)
Laura
What an awesome opportunity! I love Abdi– he sounds like such a sweet guy. I saw him run at the trials, and was just in awe. Great report from such a fabulous weekend!
Raquel @ Toned, Tan, Fit & Techie
How awesome for you! You look adorable! My bf has actually ran with Meb when Meb has been in town here to visit some of his family that lives in the Bay Area (Meb is buddies with my old coworker, who was an Olympic Qualifier for Canada). I hear he is a great guy! They also hung out after the Rock N Roll Half Marathon in San jose.
What was the last thing that you dressed up for? Do you enjoy dressing up?
I love dressing up! I don’t do it enough, and I have about 40 dresses burning a hole in my closet. I can’t remember what the last thing was I dressed up for!
What was the last thing you ate?
Steamed Swiss Chard, Mustard Greens and Spinach with Garlic
Is there a dessert/restaurant/meal that reminds you of your mom?
Baked pork chops with Cornflake crumbs on them with a side of mashed potatos
How many hours of sleep did you get last night?
too many, 11 :)
Katelin @ HealthyFatKid
You all looked so pretty at the event! The event looked like a blast and how cool was it that you got to do the interviews?! The last thing I dressed up for was my 6th wedding anni in December. I don’t dress up all too often, but I enjoy getting all dolled up when I do!
Amy
You look so gorgeous! Of course :)
It so wonderful that you got to meet so many of your heroes and I’m sure the little hungry runner is so proud of mama for getting on the red carpet and will probably be born inspired to sign up for a race :)
The last event I got dressed up for was dinner and a show with my Mum and sister on the weekend. We had such a great time :)
Khushboo
Love your recaps, J! Sounds like a wicked fun time? Red velvet always reminds me of my mom- I think she is more wowed by the look of it than the actual cake!
Cait the Arty Runnerchick
insanely awesome are the only two words i can come up with!! that’s soooo cool and i’m enjoyed u soaked up and relished every flipping minute of it! :) thanks for the inside peek and should we expect to see more HRG holding the mic and mixing it up with all the running celebs…oh, and even the reality TV show people too…haha. :P
kari @ Running Ricig
You guys look like you had so much fun! So awesome.
I got about 9 hours of sleep last night, too. This time change is trying to kill me.
The last thing I ate was a bowl of cheerios for breakfast.
Lizzy
love your dress and your hair looks awesome! what a total bummer about the hairspray … i’m getting ready to go on trip and this has inspired my packing strategy.
Kay
Looks like you had a great time! You look so cute in the interview photos!
Debbie
I’m soooo jealous of your weekend. You got to meet Chrissie?!?! She’s my idol! Looks like you had a blast. It’s so fun to see athletes all dressed up and not in spandex! You looked gorgeous!!
natalie@ southern fit foodie
I do like dressing up sometimes, but I’m more of a blue jeans girl.
My mom is a hardcore chocaholic, so basically all chocolate reminds me of her ha. Mainly homemade carrot cake – she makes it for Easter and Christmas, and she grates all the carrots by hand. SO yummy!
I only slept about five hours because I took my amiNO energy wayyyyy too late (lesson learned) and I was still wired at midnight. Oops!
Jake
Looked like an awesome event! So cool that you got to meet so many awesome athletes!
How big is Meb in person, like 5 feet tall? Gosh – I would look like a giant next to him :-)
Janae
You really would be a giant next to him!! He is 5’7″ but probably 90 lbs. ha. I was wearing huge heels and towering over him:)
Jess @ Blonde Ponytail
What an evening! You looked stunning and completely at ease with the mic! The food looks to die for. Lemon cake with lemon glaze makes me think of my mama–thats a clever question.
Holy athletes–wow. in awe!
So sorry your fav jacket was the victim in a hairspray assault :( Boo!
Tabaitha
Looks like so much fun, and you look fabulous at 17 Weeks pregnant!
Courtney
Meb ran by me once on run (I’m from San Diego) and I thought I was going to die (in a good way)! My husband didn’t get why I was so excited and kept saying “OMG! It’s Meb Kaelfiushlkajdflkdsjflkjdsl!!!”
Joelle
You look absolutely stunning! Seriously! I saw this picture on Monica’s blog and thought, wow! That girl looks great in that dress! haha and then I clicked on yours and it was you! This event looks super cool ! Forgive my ignorance, but how were you able to go to it?
Missy
You look beautiful! What a wonderful opportunity! Thanks for sharing it with us!
michelle kim
I only kind of dressed up for a Cirque de Soleil show in Las Vegas over the weekend (meaning I wore a dress… accompanied by cotton tights and flip flops).
You look beautiful! And how wonderful for you to meet and speak to so many running rock stars!!!
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