An Interview with Jamie Krzyminski

Jamie Krzyminski was an eight-time Michigan state champ in high school and a four-time NCAA All-American at Michigan State. Following an eighth-place finish in the 10,000m at the 2004 Olympic Trials, however, she took some time off from competition. Krzyminski returned to racing in 2006 and qualified for the Olympic Trials in her first attempt at the marathon.

Boston Athletic Association: How did you first become involved in the sport?

Jamie Krzyminski: My first exposure to running was middle school track, competing in the 1600m and high jump. Running the mile was not what I considered fun, but it was an opportunity to compete and push myself. Because I loved to push the limits, I decided I would attempt to break the middle school record in the 1600m. I knew if I could keep the same pace as one of the guys on the men’s team, I could beat the record. I did; however it was so painful I was unsure whether I ever wanted to run distance again.

For one reason or another, I decided I would run middle distance my freshman year and concentrate on the 800 – forget the mile it was waaayyy too painful! Training for the 800m meant training with the distance team so I began running under Coach Aldrich. The training was hard but I truly enjoyed it. The satisfaction from seeing self-improvement made me want to continue to run and yes, even run the “dreaded mile.” Throughout my first and second season of track, Coach Aldrich helped me see the talent I had and I realized I wanted to run cross country and track. Mr. Aldrich is one of the most motivating and positive people I have met and he’s the reason I continued to run in high school and pursue it at the collegiate level.

B.A.A.: You had a very successful high school career, winning eight Michigan state titles. Could you tell us a bit about your experience at that level?

J.K.: When I was in high school, the men’s and women’s distance teams were very close. We had a solid group of individuals who trained year 'round and a great coach to help us reach our goals. I think the reason I had a successful high school career was due to the fact that I was surrounded by a great group of people who were doing the same thing – running workouts together, pushing each other, and having fun doing it.

B.A.A.: How heavily were you recruited by college coaches, and how did you decide upon Michigan State?

J.K.: I wouldn’t consider myself heavily recruited. Most of the schools recruiting me were in the Midwest region. Deciding on a college was not an easy decision; however, when I met Coach [Jim] Stintzi, I knew it would be a great fit. His training philosophy made sense. Coming from a higher mileage high school program, I thought I would be able to transition well. He was honest and up-front, which I respected. All in all, I felt it was the right school for me.

B.A.A.: Your success continued in college, where you were a national junior champion, Big Ten champion, and an All American. What was the highlight of your career at Michigan State?

J.K.: Hands down [it was] winning the Big Ten and Regional titles as a team during my sophomore year in college. Not much compares to being part of a team and working together toward the common goal of winning a championship. The memories of running with those girls throughout the season and to always be able to say we won the conference and regional cross country titles is something no one can take from you.

B.A.A.: You placed eighth in the 10,000m at the 2004 Olympic Trials. Tell us about your goals and expectations heading into that event, and how the race unfolded for you.

J.K.: After finishing third at the NCAAs in the 10k, I knew I could place in the top 10 at the OT. My primary goal was putting myself in the 5th-10th-place for the first half of the race and [to] continue to cover moves, if someone decided to speed up the pace. It was one of the most painful races I can remember because the pack was speeding up and slowing down, which took its toll on my body/mind. Despite how I was feeling, I stayed in the race and placed eighth. Thinking back on the tough training I’d put in over my running career and have it come together for the race was a great feeling. To have an opportunity to run with the best in the country was unbelievable!

B.A.A.: When did you first decide to run a marathon, and how did you adjust your training to prepare?

J.K.: Deciding to run a marathon was a combination of a couple of events:

Seeing the 2005 Chicago Marathon. My friend, Michelle, and her boyfriend (now husband), Matt came down from Madison to watch the marathon. The entire atmosphere of the event really got me thinking about running a marathon.

Running the Valpo mini in the spring of 2006. Two of my friends from Chicago, Audrey and Jeremy, convinced me to run the half marathon even though I was on the fence about it. After not competing for 20 months, I ran surprisingly well without having run a single workout, and had a great time. It made me think, “how fast could I run a marathon?”

As far as adjusting my training, I didn’t change it a lot. At the time, I was running 70-80 minutes a day with Audrey but we weren’t running any tempo runs or track workouts. So I decided to do one track session/week and a long run on the weekend.

B.A.A.: Was qualifying for the Olympic Trials your primary goal in your first marathon?

J.K.: It wasn’t my primary goal. After not racing much after college, it was the first time I was excited about training for a race and I wanted to have fun. I saw the race as an opportunity to “see what I could do” at a distance which I had never run. Later on, as I began to compete in races throughout the summer, I began to realize I could run under the Trials qualifying time. From there, it became a goal I did strive to accomplish.

B.A.A.: You qualified comfortably, running 2:43 at Chicago in 2006. Tell us a bit about that race. Was the marathon distance what you expected?

J.K.: The crowds at Chicago made the first half marathon fly by. From 15 miles on, the race was a true mental test. I was fortunate another local runner, Ken Herrmann, was running approx the same pace and I ran with him for the remainder of the race. Around 21 miles, I could tell the wind and speed were taking their toll but concentrating on staying with him kept my mind off of the physical pain. The last three miles up Michigan Avenue felt like an eternity and all I could think about was finishing. It was unlike any race I have ever run and a challenge to say the least.

J.K.: After Chicago in 2006, I was injured the remainder of the fall, winter, and most of the spring with an ITB injury. I began training in the summer for Chicago, but again, had a few setbacks. Consequently, I decided it was more beneficial to have a few solid months of training and instead compete in a winter half marathon and run the Trials.

B.A.A.: What was your reaction when you heard that the Olympic Trials were going to be held in Boston on the day before the 112th Boston Marathon?

J.K.: I thought it was a great idea to have the Trials coincide with [the] Boston Marathon. It will be great to have the support of those competing in the marathon the following day and I’m looking forward to watching them compete the following day.

B.A.A.: Are you also planning to run the Olympic Track Trials as well?

B.A.A.: After growing up and attending college in Michigan, you've relocated to Chicago. What prompted that move, and who are you training with now?

J.K.: I relocated to Chicago for a job with PepsiCo as a financial analyst in the Quaker Foods division.

Twice a week, I meet a great group of people at 5:30 a.m. for a workout. We all have different events we are training for (half marathon, Ironman, etc) and its fun to get up before work to get in a quality session. I also run with a number of individuals from Universal Sole, a running store in Chicago. They are another great group of people I’ve been lucky enough to meet when I moved to this area.

B.A.A.: How would you characterize your training philosophy, and how has it evolved over the years?

J.K.: In college, the higher mileage (70-85+) range worked well for me. Tempo runs and longer steady states gave me the base fitness in the pre-season/early season time frame and then the track sessions in the mid to late part of the season helped fine tune for the big meets at the end of the season. However, since leaving college, my training philosophy has changed. I love to run and continue to enjoy it but not at the intensity of my collegiate years.

J.K.: Not one person in particular, but those who get out for a run every day just because they truly love the sport.

J.K.: My younger brothers, Kristopher and Brandon. Kristopher, a professional basketball player in Germany, is the most competitive person I’ve ever known. I’ve never seen someone work so hard and do whatever it takes to strive for his goals. Brandon is aspiring to be in the film/TV business. He has so much passion and is so driven to succeed at his goal. His perseverance is relentless.

J.K.: My family and friends mean the world to me so I take every opportunity I can to hang out with them. Coffee shops are also a place I go to relax, read a book, people watch, and drink good coffee. Also, exploring Chicago with family and friends because the city is a lot of fun and there’s tons of great restaurants, festivals, etc.

B.A.A.: What is something interesting that the running community may not know about you?

J.K.: I love shopping at Meijers. They have everything from groceries and clothes to kitchen gadgets and greeting cards. I even have a Meijer coupon book and I cut out coupons from the Sunday newspaper. Weird that I enjoy it, yes, but I’ve come to grips with my dorkiness.