Meb Keflezighi - Meb For Mortals: How to Run, Think, and Eat like a Champion Marathoner

Praise for Meb Keflezighi and Meb for Mortals

Meb Keflezighi is one of the most passionate and dedicated runners in the world. He is an icon for American distance runners. Now Meb has chosen to share his training secrets and tips with the world. Every runner, from the beginner to elite, can gain tremendous insight and wisdom in Meb for Mortals. Get ready to take your running to another level with help from Meb.

K ara G oucher , two-time Olympian

Since our days at UCLA, I have seen Meb work hard to get the best out of himself. The longevity of his career is simply amazing. Meb for Mortals gives unique insight into how Meb has been able to get better with age.

B aron D avis , two-time NBA All-Star

Having trained with Meb over the years, I know first-hand his love of running and his commitment to improvement. In Meb for Mortals, runners of all abilities and motivation levels will be inspired and able to develop with his sage advice.

D eena K astor , American record holder in the marathon and half-marathon

My experiences as a competitive runner have had a direct impact on the way I operate in business. To become a success in business, sports or life, you must set challenging, personally meaningful goals and be accountable to those goals. In Meb for Mortals, Meb shows us all how he does this, and how you can, too.

J ohn L egere , President and CEO, T-Mobile US

I have admired Meb Keflezighi as a runner and as a person for many years, and seeing him win in Bostonmy hometownlast year was deeply gratifying for me. If you want to achieve your distance running goals while maintaining a healthy balance of training and family life, Meb for Mortals is the book for you.

S halane F lanagan , Olympic bronze medalist and American record holder in the 10,000 meters

Meb is one of the greatest champions Ive ever known in all of my many different lives. His kindness, gentleness, persistence, perseverance, and steely determination have, combined with his unique athletic prowess, helped him to achieve remarkable things both as a runner and as a human force of nature. Please, I challenge you to take just one step in Mebs shoes by reading his brilliant and inspiring new book, Meb for Mortals. You will never look at life, runningor anything elsethe same way again.

B ill W alton , Basketball Hall of Fame 1993

Meb was a huge help and inspiration to me when I ran the New York City Marathon last year. He is without a doubt one of the worlds leading experts on training and running. I would recommend that anyone who is looking to participate in a running event of any length collect and absorb the insight and tips in this wonderful book prior to their race.

C aroline W ozniacki , winner of more than 20 career WTA singles titles

Running was a big part of my training back when I was competing on the ice and now, in my retirement from skating, Ive turned to running again both for fitness and for the challenge it presents. The wisdom and motivation I have gleaned from reading Meb for Mortals will serve me very well both in my next marathon and in life.

A nton A polo O hno , two-time Olympic gold medalist

To the running community.

You have given me so much

knowledge, great experiences,

and meaningful friendships.

MK

CONTENTS

FOREWORD

IN 2004, I was beginning my third season as head coach of the Indianapolis Colts. On August 29, I was in my office at the Colts training facility, working on the game plan for our final preseason game. I had the television on, trying to keep an eye on the Summer Olympics, which were going on in Athens, Greece. The Olympic Marathon was being run that day, and as the race unfolded, it became apparent that an American, Meb Keflezighi, was going to have a chance to win a medal. In the final miles of the race, three men broke away from the pack and staged a grueling charge to the finish line in the quest for gold. Meb ran his best time of the season to finish in second place and become the first American to win a medal in the Marathon in 28 years. I didnt know him at the time, but I remember being so proud that an American man had done so well in the signature event of Olympic track and field.

Little did I know that I would one day get to meet Meb Keflezighi. Five years later, in 2009, I was retired from coaching and working for NBCs Football Night in America. Our Sunday evening broadcasts were done from Rockefeller Center in New York City, and my normal routine on Sunday mornings was to take a walk through Central Park before heading into the studio. On this November morning my walk was disrupted because the park was blocked off to accommodate the runners in the New York City Marathon. And who would win that day but Meb. At the age of 34, he would run his personal best time and become the first American man to win the race in 27 years.

Shortly afterward we got a chance to meet, and I found out that we had a few things in common, including our love of competition and our Christian faith. I had been blessed to win the biggest prize in football when our Colts team won Super Bowl XLI in 2007, but along the way Id had some disappointments. I always felt it was my faith in God that allowed me to keep chasing after my goals, and I found out that the same is true of Meb. But, as I got to know him, I came to see that some of the disappointments I had experienced were nothing compared to what he had gone through.

As I learned about his life story, I was blown away. Meb was born in Eritrea, one of ten children. He and his family were refugees who came to the United States in 1987. Distance running became his love and he enjoyed tremendous success, but he had to overcome several injuries along the way. Hed actually had treatment in Tampa performed by one of our Buccaneers team doctors after a particularly severe injury. There was no guarantee that he would ever be able to run at such a high level again.

Through all the injuries and disappointments, however, he never gave in to discouragement. He always felt the Lord had other things for him to accomplish, so he continued to set goals for himself. In 2013 there was a tragic bombing at the Boston Marathon, which resulted in 5 deaths and injuries to almost 300 people. When that happened, Meb told himself he wanted to win the Boston Marathon as a tribute to those people. As noble as that goal was, it just didnt seem possible. It had been almost 30 years since an American had won this race. But the next year, just two weeks shy of his 39th birthday, Meb won the Boston Marathon. That made him the first person ever to win the Boston Marathon, the New York City Marathon, and an Olympic medal in the Marathon.

How did he do it? In Meb for Mortals, he shares his secrets. Actually, theyre not secrets but merely the things that he has learned throughout his career in running. In detailing his steps of setting goals, working hard, and persevering no matter what obstacles may come in his path, Meb gives his formula for success in running and in life. This book will give you instructions on running and training that will help you whether youre a casual runner or pursuing an Olympic medal of your own.