T&Fn Interview
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T&FN INTERVIEW Meb Keflezighi by Sieg Lindstrom ho would have imagined Meb Keflezighi’s ’14 fourth Olympic appearance in Rio a Wseason a decade ago? That’s how long it has distinct possibility even as he edges been since Keflezighi scored Olympic silver, the first toward his post-competition career U.S. men’s Olympic marathon medal in 28 years. through his role as Vice President Even Meb (he’s one of the sport’s only-one- Of Running at The Competitor name-needed guys), now 39, admits that from that Group, Meb spoke with T&FN a exultant Athens vantage point he’d never have week after NYC. thought about breaking a 31-year spell of no Yanks He was multi-tasking in a sense— atop the podium at Boston 10 years in the future. hooked up to a NormaTec recovery Nor that he might follow up with a 4th-place device, determined not to miss a run at New York ahead of the reigning Olympic step in maximizing his remaining champion and the Big Apple’s course record holder opportunities. 5 years after his own historic ’09 NYC victory. In the ’80s, Keflezighi’s father, Russom, fled T&FN: Congratulations on a war-ravaged Eritrea, walking 100 miles to the stellar year in the marathon. How is Sudan border in order to rescue his wife and 10 the 39-year-old body feeling a week children from desperation and start a new American after New York? life in San Diego. Meb: The body’s actually feel- The lesson for 3-time NCAA champion Meb, ing pretty good compared to other who obtained U.S. citizenship in ’98, the year he races in the past. I think 2003 was graduated from UCLA, was never waste your talent my best recovery ever and this is or an opportunity. close to that, which is great news Fourteen years after making his first Olympic because in 2003 in Chicago I just team, 13 after setting his 10,000 AR, and 371 days went for a time, more like a tempo run and to run the sub-2:12 A- standard; I ran 2:10:03. Meb In A (Large) Nutshell This time around, similar to •Personal: Mebrahtom Keflezighi was born May 5, that I could have done more that 1975, in Asmara, Eritrea; 5-6½/128 (169/58) day but I’ve been having blister •PRs: 1500—3:42.29 (’98); Mile—4:02.79 (’99); issues since 2007. This time no is- 3000—7:48.81 (’03); 5000—13:11.77 (’00); 10,000— sues with that and I’ve run twice 27:13.98 (’01) (3, 5 A); Half-Mar—61:00 (’09) (4, 5 already. I’ve been doing quite a A); Mar—2:09:08 (’12) (5, x A) (2:08:37 aided course bit of elliptical but usually I can’t ’14—4, 10 A) even run for 2–3 weeks. •Schools: San Diego HS ’94; UCLA ’98; now repre- This was, if not the best, one sents Skechers of the best recoveries coming out • Ed Ramos (San Diego); Bob Larsen & Eric Coaches: for a few reasons. Peterson (UCLA); Larsen (pro) One was that endurance- •Major Meets: 5000—5)NC ’95; 9)NC ’96; 1)NC ’97; 3)NCi, 4)NC wise my stamina was good. ’98; 2)US ’02 Two, I ran 2:13 versus 2:09 or 10,000—1)NC ’97; 4)NC, 4)US ’98; 4)US; 1)OT, 12 OG something where you have to ’00; 2)US, 23)WC ’01; 1)US ’02; 2)US, 16)WC ’03; 1)OT make moves, and I didn’t get ’04; 2)US, dnf)WC ’05; 2)US ’06; 13)OT ’08; 6)US ’09 depleted that much because of Mar—9)NYC ’02; 7)Chi ’03; 2)OT, 2)OG, 2)NYC ’04; 3) the [cool] weather conditions. NYC ’05; 21)NYC ’06; dnf)Lond, 8)OT ’07; 9)Lond, 1) That was a little more friendly NYC ’09; 5)Bost, 6)NYC ’10; 6)NYC ’11; 1)OT, 4)OG for the body, I guess. But the ’12; 23)NYC ’13; 1)Bost, 4)NYC ’14 wind, that was rough. 8K ’03–’04; 7M ’02, ’09; 15K ’01–’04, •U.S. Road Titles: T&FN: You must be more than ’06–’07; 20K—’03; Half-M: ’09, ’14; Mar ’09, ’12 pleased with the season? •World/U.S. Rankings: 5000—x/7 ’98; x/3 ’00; x/3 ’01; x/1 ’02; x/2 ’03 Meb: I am definitely pleased. 10,000— x/5 ’98; x/5 ’99; x/1 ’00; x/2 ’01; 9/1 ’02; x/2 I always tell people that are close ’03; x/1 ’04; x/1 ’05; x/6 ’06; x/5 ’07; x/10 ’09 to me any time you finish top 10 Mar— x/4 ’02; x/1 ’03; 4/1 ’04; x/1 ’05; x/4 ’06; x/1 at a major marathon it’s a huge On running in Rio at age 41: ’09; x/2 ’10; x/2 ’11; x/1 ’12; ?/? ’14 accomplishment just because we all train hard. I’m not the “That would be huge. only one that’s training hard or after a terrorist bomb killed 3 and injured 264 at is trying to make good moves or That would be something, the 117th Boston Marathon, Keflezighi won the wants to win. 118th for America. So to have won Boston on the wouldn’t it?” Married since ’04 and a father of three, with a most important day, Patriot’s Day, 24 — January 2015 Track & Field News after what happened last year, been visualizing for over 365 days; just what that in itself was huge, but even can I do positively. But if that’s going to come before that just to win the Half- altogether? There’s no time out or chance to Marathon national title at 38 restrategize. Once the gun goes off you’ve got was a good race in itself. to race smart. I would have been com- T&FN: You and Josephat Boit opened a gap at pletely satisfied with that 8 miles and then in the 16th you had the solo lead. season at the end of the year Did you plan that? but when I’m healthy I like to Meb: Definitely the strategy was not that. compete the best that I can. I always say running to win doesn’t mean getting Consistently Improving 1st place but getting the best out of yourself. Going into In his 20(!) post-high school seasons, Meb Boston I was shaken up a Keflezighi has had one coach, Bob Larsen, the little bit by the New York UCLA head who recruited him in ’94. Larsen City Half-Marathon [10th in has said more than once that he coached ath- 62:53] for a few days. letes whose early career workouts eclipsed The big vision was Bos- Meb’s. Needless to say, none of them matched ton and that was not a good Meb for longevity. performance but I came out We asked Meb how he has improved so healthy and built on the consistently and stayed competitive for two training with a big prize in decades: Boston, the win. “I was not the most talented guy but tal- Boston was a great race ent can take you so far. I’ve always believed for me. It was probably the that nobody should outwork me; I’m going only marathon where I ran to do everything that I can. I stayed away my own race. In the others from alcohol, I stayed away from women or I had to cover moves or whatever you want to call it. you’re trying to group with “I was pretty focused on what I wanted to people, but in that race I accomplish. It was nice to have coach Larsen felt in control and did what as a mentor and people guiding us to do the I wanted to do. right things, including my parents. In the end I didn’t make “For me it was get the best out of yourself it easy but I ran a smart and each time and every time. But at the same tough and gutsy race. time I don’t get pissed if I don’t win. Inter- T&FN: The greatest race of nally I’m thinking and writing down what I your career or does the mara- can do to improve: ‘In training, OK, I made thon silver in Athens compare? this mistake…’ Meb: It is my most mem- “Especially in the marathon, on race day orable race ever. There is no I write down what I learned and what were other way to cap that one, the good things, positive and negative. I usu- and it’s because I have a ally look at those every time before I go for silver medal and because I a marathon. Not the last couple or 3 years, won New York. but before that I was, ‘Don’t make a move too But you have to un- early,’ or ‘be patient,’ or ‘don’t throw away derstand also that I was your gloves, keep your beanie.’ Notes in my just happy to be a league training log that I kept for a long time.” champion when I started running. Then I wanted to be a State champion and that The strategy was just to hold on for dear life was my dream to accomplish, most likely because there were a lot of great and then I wanted to be NCAA guys with fast times [including ’13’s Nos.