BY LANDON BRIGHTAfter his New York City Marathon win, Meb Keflezighi was thrown into the spotlight again. The 34-year-old San Diego resident was the first American male to win the race in 27 years. But only a year ago he was a forgotten figure in distance running. The silver medal winner from the 2004 Olympic marathon finished a disappointing 8th in the 2007 Olympic marathon trials. Worse, he left the race with a stress fracture in his hip that cost him a year of his career. The race was also marked by the tragic death of close friend, Ryan Shay. SDNR talked to the San Diego High and UCLA grad and asked what life has been like since the NYC win and where he is going from here.
Did any aspects of your training change in preparation for NYC Marathon?
The training was great. Just to be able to focus on the marathon was new. Before, I perhaps did a 10k or so in early September, but for this one we decided to skip that and focus on the big goal in New York. I was healthy and it was consistent training. Without God’s work in my life I would not be able to walk or turn from one side of the bed to the other. To be able to say ‘I won the New York City Marathon’ is a miracle in itself. God gave me a second chance; it was a tough route back. Everything just clicked together on that day on Nov. 1.
How many miles a week were you doing?
The most I did was 136, which is the most ever for me. I peaked at 136, but I consistently did over 100 miles a week. I’ve hit 130 before, but I had more weeks of hitting that. I did probably four weeks of 130 to 136 miles leading up to New York.
What was the hardest workout you did for your NYC Marathon training?
It’s been good training. I did a 12-mile tempo at altitude in 59 minutes flat (4:55 mile pace). That was early, way before San Jose, but that’s probably the fastest I ever went. Running is not too big of a secret; you just have to be healthy and have consistent training and put everything together.
How much of your training was done in San Diego?
This year, I did a little bit less in San Diego. The summer was all in Mammoth Lakes. We wanted to experiment with staying longer at altitude and coming down last minute from altitude. In that past, I’ve come down 10 days before the marathon, I’ll stay in San Diego four or five days then travel to wherever I’m going. This time we went straight from Mammoth to Reno, which was a little bit of a shorter drive.
After your injury and the Olympic Trials, did the thought of retiring ever cross your mind?
The day of the Olympic trials was a very tragic and disappointing day for me, in terms of running and my good friend Ryan Shay. Yes, retirement was in my mind. Only because the way I finished. I was ready to win the trials and things were going really well. Unfortunately, the most tragic was losing a friend. For me not making the team, it was OK. I’ve been there, done that and I was a medalist. I was hoping to go back and get on the podium, which was my goal. But, I didn’t make it that far.
After the race, I wasn’t able to walk; I was crawling to restroom, which took me five or seven minutes to move 20 meters. I couldn’t put any weight on my legs. When my wife found me this way, she said ‘Hey, that’s not a good sign.’ I had my UCLA degree and could make something else happen. But she understood if I wanted to continue running, I needed to get medical attention and move forward. I knew from the previous workouts I could run a personal best and run well again, but it’s hard to admit it when you’re just crawling.
Did the death of your friend, Ryan Shay, change your perspective on running or affect your training in any way?
It gave me a new outlook on life. Running is just running. I love to run and would like to do it as long as I can. Unfortunately he didn’t get the chance to do that and was taken at a young age. The air we breathe in, we just take it for granted sometimes. It just gave me a different perspective on running and life in general. Obviously, he was fit and strong, but anything can happen.
With a mile to go in the race, what was going through your head?
I thought ‘even if I fall, I have still have enough energy to win.’ So, I was just counting my blessings and how I dreamed of this race. There was a lot of emotion about how I wasn’t able to walk and now this is happening. A lot of praises to God. I was at the bottom of the bottom a year-and-a-half ago and here I am winning the New York City Marathon. You dream it and visualize it, but to actually do it is a huge accomplishment for me, my family and the USA. For the other guys who finished really well, six out of the top 10 is a tremendous accomplishment for U.S. distance running. We are seeing a resurgence going on right now.
Was the push-up at the finish line spontaneous or did you have that planned?
You just let the emotion out. I was pointing the U.S. jersey out and had a lot excitement and pride. Whenever someone wins a race it’s really emotional. None of it was planned; you just let the emotion ride you. I just had tears of joy.
You’ve been with your coach Bob Larsen for awhile, what makes him a good coach?
We’ve been together for a really long time—15 years. He’s been like a father figure. I was 18 or 19 when he got a hold of me and we’ve been together ever since. He’s a great mentor. I’ve dealt with a lot of downside that last year-and-a-half and he’s been dealing with a lot of it with me. He’s also been bearing a lot. He sacrificed on his side to be able come to Mammoth. The final conclusion was that it was worth it for both of us; we take a lot of pride over what we do.
Tell me about the San Diego running community?
San Diego is a beautiful place to train and live year round. I got a very good welcome when I came back from the 2004 Olympics. Everyone has been very supportive and they have always believed in me. I grew up here since I was 12 and there have been a lot of people who encouraged me to be the best I could be and be the best athlete I could be.
You’ve received a lot of publicity since you won, were you expecting all this attention? What has it been like?
The attention I have gotten since winning the New York City marathon has been great. To be on Letterman was huge and it was a lot of fun. Chris Paul (New Orleans Hornets) was astonished with what I’ve done. He said ‘How could you do that? How do you have the energy to do that push-up? I just need to have your kind of stamina for 45 minutes.’ He was just excited for me as a lot of people have been. The attention has been great; I’ve been doing a lot of interviews and appearances. Right after I finished the race, they asked me to join the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade and I’m happy I get to do that. It’s just a lot of fun. I’m going to represent the country as best as I can.
What are your future racing plans?
I probably won’t race until the Houston half marathon, and that’s just an idea. Probably Boston or London is what we are looking at marathon-wise. Right now, we’re just enjoying this ride for awhile and we’re happy to be in San Diego. A marathon in April is what we’re hoping for.
Will you give the 2012 Olympics a go?
Yes, 2012 is my goal and 2013 is also the World Championships, when I’ll be 37. Carlos Lopes won the 1984 Olympics (marathon) at the age of 37, so it can happen. I hope to be on the podium, that’s my ultimate goal. But first things first, I got to make the team. Just like 2008, a lot of things can happen.
What is your favorite run in San Diego?
I like the Rancho Sante Fe, there’s some good trails out there. But, it’s hard to beat Mission Bay Park running next to the water. Those are the two spots. But there are plenty of beautiful areas. I ran by the beach a lot when I was rehabbing in early January and February. I have lots of choices.
ShareThis