Jenny Kincaid Boone

Jenny Kincaid Boone has been running since she was in eighth grade. She competed in cross country and track at Fort Defiance High School (Fort Defiance, Va.) and at Roanoke College, where she was all-ODAC in cross country for four years. When her knees and legs aren't aching from the wear of years of competition, she hits the 19 to low 20-minute range for a 5K.

Recent columns

• A five-miler at the Lake
• Virtual running
• Giving triathlons a try
• Packing energy for the long haul

Wardian, who played lacrosse for Michigan State University, qualified for the Boston Marathon when he ran his first marathon in 1996. Since then, he’s been making a name for himself in the American marathon scene.

Last year, the Arlington runner placed 33rd in the U.S. Olympic Trails in Birmingham, Ala. He was 26th in the Boston Marathon in April.

Michael Wardian in recent Vermont race.

Wardian, 31, doesn’t only run on the road. Last year, he broke the world record for the fastest marathon on a treadmill at Pacers running store in Arlington. He finished in 2 hours 23 minutes.

Wardian’s got a full racing and training schedule in the next few months, but he’s making one stop in Salem. For the second year, he’ll speak on Aug. 12 during the early packet pick-up time for the Lewis-Gale Foundation’s Salem Distance Run. And the next morning, Wardian will run the 10K race unofficially.

A broker with Potomac Marine International in Alexandria, Wardian recently spoke with me about some of his goals for the year, training tips and his life as a runner.

Q: What will you speak about on Aug. 12 in Salem?

It really depends what people are interested in. Last year, I talked about some of the stuff I’ve done in the past and my goals. It’s just really inspiring to be in front of all the people there and to see such support, especially for the Lewis Gale Foundation and the road race.

When I was there last year, there was a little kid who tried to make his cross-country team. It’s different goals but everybody’s trying to get better … so I’ll probably touch on that kind of stuff and open it up for questions, and see if anybody has anything they want to know.

Q: What did it take to knock off 7 minutes from your marathon time to qualify for the 2004 Olympic trials? (Wardian ran a 2:21 marathon in Detroit to qualify.)

A: I did a lot more mileage and a lot of tempo runs … The most important thing is to really increase the mileage. That’s how you get better.

Q: You have world record for the fastest marathon on a treadmill. Why do you like treadmill running?

A: I love the treadmill because you always know where you are. There’s no way you’re kidding yourself. You’re five and six eighths of a way through a mile … It’s very precise. You always know what pace you’re running.

Q: Do you get bored on the treadmill?

A: For me it’s not boring. I’m lucky one of my sponsors is Gold’s Gym. I go and watch sports center [at Gold’s]. For me it’s not any harder than going out and doing a long run by yourself.

Q: What are your running goals this year?

A: I’m shooting to try and win the Marine Corps Marathon in 2005. That’s an immediate goal for this year.

I’m not going to be to run the qualifier this year for the Marathon [Olympic] trails in 2008, but I want to qualify for the Olympic trials in 2006. It seems like it shouldn’t be that difficult. I feel like I’m getting faster.

My big goal would be to try to make the Olympic team. That’s a huge step, but that’s what I want to do.

Q: What advice would you give to someone who is just getting into marathon running?

A: Well, it really depends on the person’s background. The generic rule is to make sure you do the work before the race. There’s a famous Kenyan saying, “Train hard, race easy.” If you do the work ahead of time there’s no surprises when you get to the race. If you run the miles in training, and you’ve done the work ahead of time, it should be time to reap the benefits of that.

I would suggest that the first time you do some long runs, you practice taking the food or drink that you’re going to use in the race. Don’t do anything different and go out and finish. When I started all I wanted to do was quality for the Boston Marathon. I just ran, and I was lucky enough to make it under the time.

Q: What’s your strategy for training in the heat?

A: I love it. I think it makes you tougher. I do a standard run in the morning, and I do another run between 11:15 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. I figure that’s going to only help me when it comes to a race. Maybe somebody else hasn’t been out there doing it.

Q: How do you stay hydrated?

A: I love water, and I drink it by the gallon. I probably drink a gallon or so a day. That’s a gallon at work, not counting before work and after work. I’m one of those cheesy guys at Gold’s that carries around a jug full of water. I go through one of those at work. I don’t get sick of it. When I’m not drinking that, I have some Gatorade, water or organic skim milk.

Q: What is the most valuable lesson that you’ve learned since you’ve been running?

A: There’s a lot of things that running has taught me. It’s taught me to believe in yourself. I’ve never really had an issue with self-confidence. But to believe in yourself, to trust your work, that’s one of the most important things that I think I’ve learned and to really set goals. It’s all stuff that sounds so cliché.

It’s made me reach for things that I thought weren’t possible and to be able to attain those things. It makes your thirst for more success or more challenging goals, so it’s kind of neat…to never settle.

Meet Wardian at 6:30 p.m. on Aug. 12 at the Lewis-Gale Foundation during early packet pick-up for the 5K and 10K races on Aug. 13.

Lewis-Gale Foundation Salem Distance Run:

5K and 10 K at Longwood Park, Salem

Races begin at 8 a.m.

Entry fee: $20, $25 after Aug. 5

Prizes will be given to the first, second and third male and female finishers and to the top runners in each age division

Packet pickup on Aug. 12: 5 to 8 p.m. at Lewis-Gale Foundation

Race day registration and packet pickup: 6:30 a.m. to 7:10 a.m. at Longwood Park in Salem; cuts off at the first 600 runners

For more information, call 774-4022, ext. 200

Upcoming local and regional races:

Aug. 20: FAB 5K, Greenhill Park, Roanoke County

Aug. 20: Lynchburg Half-Marathon and 5K, riversiderunners.com