for LA Running Examiner by A. K. EastonWhen Meb Keflezighi ran his first marathon in New York in 2002, he told everyone that this was his first….and his last. Thankfully, he changed his mind.
After becoming the first American man in twenty-seven years to win the New York Marathon, Keflezighi made a stop at Niketown in Beverly Hills on Thursday to talk to a crowd of runners about his running, and his life.
He told the crowd about his days as a Bruin, running for UCLA, and that upon graduation he wrote a letter to marathon great Alberto Salazar to ask him for help in achieving his goals as a professional runner. Salazar, the last American man before Keflezighi to win the New York Marathon in 1982, agree to assist him.
Keflezighi went on to not only win this year’s New York City marathon, but is an Olympic silver medalist, and has set several U.S and Olympic records.
When asked about his training, Keflezighi outlined the months leading up to the marathon, when his mileage hit a high of one hundred and forty miles a week.
Revealing a few recovery secrets, Keflezighi talked about his use of icing to help his muscles recover. In a funny antidote, Meb told about how when goes to the store to get the big bags of ice, people at the store remark that he must be having a big party. For convenience sake, he usually just agrees, laughing to himself about the ‘party’ to come.
When training in Mammoth, Keflezighi uses nature for his ice baths, sitting on a rock in a stream. He’s there so often that locals have named the area Meb’s creek. Locals use the space, but when they see Meb coming, they vacate the rock.
During a question and answer period, a question came from Jordan Beck, 12, who asked, “Which is harder the mental part or the physical part?” Before he answered the question, Meb asked the boy about himself. When Beck remarked that he runs the mile in 5:02, Keflezighi responded by bowing to the young athlete and saying, “Call Salazaar we have a future Olympian here.”
When he finally did answer young Beck’s question, Keflezighi said that he believes training is 90% physical and 10% mental, but when racing, because all the physical work is done, the equation is reversed with the challenge being 90% mental and 10% physical.
With so many young runners in the crowd at Nike, Keflezighi emphasized that students should remember that it’s important to prioritize. He looked many of the youngsters in the eyes as he proclaimed, “Always remember that it’s academics first, athletics second.”
Having grown up in San Diego, Keflezighi proved to the group that he’s a true Californian. When he arrived from New York, at 9:30 a.m., the first place he wanted to go? In-N-Out Burger!
In closing, Keflezighi imparted his wisdom for running, and for life, on the crowd. “If you are consistent, patient, and work hard, all the rest will come.”
Oh, and when a runner asked Keflezighi what he ordered at In-N-Out Burger, he shouted out, “A Double-Double! Of course!”
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