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It takes a pretty special kind of person to inspire a hit song.
For Tom Higgenson, the lead singer of indie rock band Plain White T's, Delilah DiCrescenzo was that special person. Soon after the two met at a party, the sweet, catchy tune "Hey There Delilah" was born.
"I thought she was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen," Higgenson told USA Today in 2007. "I told her, 'I have a song about you already.' Obviously, there was no song. But I thought it was smooth."
DiCrescenzo, now 28, may not have been interested, but either way she ended up with a catchy anthem and built-in name recognition, which may or may not be helpful for her chosen career: competitive distance runner.
DiCrescenzo training in Prospect Park, Brooklyn
(That's right -- the woman beautiful enough to inspire a love song is also a successful professional athlete. OK, we might be just a touch jealous.)
She's currently living in the Netherlands, racing around Europe to prepare for the World Championships (her event: the 3,000m steeplechase), and she's the subject of an online video series produced by PUMA and KIMbia. Catch the latest episode here!
"Being filmed makes me slightly nervous and self-conscious, but I'm lucky to be part of this project," DiCrescenzo says. "It's important to showcase the life of a female professional athlete because it legitimizes what we're doing and hopefully will generate mass appeal."
That's important to DiCrescenzo on both a professional and personal level.
"Before this series, so many of my extended family and friends thought of my running as a hobby, but now they can see exactly the time, effort and stakes involved in training full-time," she says.
We traded emails with DiCrescenzo to find out how she does it.
What's your exercise routine?
It varies from day to day. Easy days are usually an hour run at 7:30 pace. Workout days can be anything from a 5-mile tempo run at 5:30 pace to half-mile repetitions with 2-minute rest to short, fast intervals with longer rest, depending on the time of year. I'll also include an hour of work in the weight room twice a week working on core, drills and weights.
What's your go-to breakfast?
Oatmeal, skim milk, a scoop of almond butter with a banana and honey. It just feels like a perfectly well-rounded breakfast with the dairy, fruit, fiber and protein. Plus, honey is a miracle food. I'll eat this about five times a week and always before a workout and race.
What about lunch and dinner?
I will have some variation of rice, beans and avocado nearly every day. I don't do it nearly as well as my grandma, but it gets the job done.
What's your most unhealthy habit?
I'm a night owl. I like to stay up late and sleep in, which is not ideal as a professional athlete.
What's your favorite gadget?
My molcajete! I got it from my mom for Christmas. It is a 15-pound mortar and pestle kitchen utensil, which made it very difficult to bring back to New York City from Chicago, but it was very much worth the effort. Needless to say, I make a really good guacamole now.
What item of clothing (or accessory) will you NEVER get rid of?
A chunky, elegant, black and silver abalone necklace from my mom. I wear it whenever I am getting dressed up. It just pulls the entire outfit together. As far as workout gear goes, I would be lost without my PUMA Faas 300's. They're super-lightweight and make my running natural and effortless -- I never train without them.
What cause are you most passionate about?
I would love to see more females in executive sports positions. There were a handful of us women in my Master of Science in Sports Management program at Columbia University. Once I am done training, I'm looking forward to putting my degree to work and entering the male-dominated sports world.
--Anna Maltby
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