Meb Keflezighi is an Olympic Marathoner, best-selling author and co-founder of 26. He is the only runner to win the New York City Marathon, the Boston Marathon and an Olympic medal. Meb's "Run To Win" philosophy encourages runners to prioritize their own wellness. He is a highly regarded keynote speaker and global ambassador for running.
Despite suffering from an infection, I ran a personal best and qualified for the Olympic team in the 2011 New York City Marathon. Transcript: "Hi, Greg. I suffered in 2011 New York City marathon. I left-- unfortunately, my BreatheRight not on my nose, but on my foot, and I have to deal with it through the race. I suffer every step of the way, and got infected. But despite, I ran a PR and still made the Olympic team. Thanks."
My longest run is 28 miles, which I use to train for a marathon (26.2 miles). In training, I try to run at race pace for as long as 16-18 miles, and then add a filter of distance and speed, so that on race day I can cover the distance efficiently and faster than I trained for. Transcript: "Peter, thanks for that question. The longest race I ever done is a marathon 26.2 miles, but the longest I trained for is 28 miles. I want to make sure that I can cover the distance and then on race day, I can concentrate on getting faster but I try to do a race pace for as long as 16, 18 miles and then the long run, 26 or more. And then add a filter that is and then hopefully I'm Each day I can cover the distance, quite efficiently, and also faster than I didn't train. So that's the goal of doing the long run, this wishes and good luck."
For half marathon success, the key is preparation. Train for the course and visualize yourself on the day of the race. Have fun, put in the miles, and embrace the camaraderie of other runners to get you to the finish line. Transcript: "Aloha, great question. What does he have a half marathon? Half marathon is a perfect distance to accomplish your goal and the key to racing is preparation. I love personally for me. I love them by the water, wherever I travel, if I can and imagine yourself racing at the half marathon. Even tho you are at the mouse 60 find some pills or downhill for whatever might be that you train for the course, you prepare them training. The key to success is preparation, the key to life is education or profession for If so I'm going to go out there and have fun and put the miles and just like today's Sunday, I'm not ready. Getting ready for a half marathon. A full Marathon by just for health and and visualize yourself being there on that day, to accomplish your goals, with the running, a half marathon, a full Marathon bus practically for half marathon. If you can make it to 10 miles, the enderlin and camaraderie of people get you to that finish line. So have fun and enjoy"
When running or training for a competition, I like to do a lot of visualization so that on race day I know what to expect and how I'm going to do. I think about the other competitors and their strengths and weaknesses, and I plan out strategies based on that. On race day, I also take into account the crowd and the atmosphere, as well as any competitors around me. Training is key in order to be prepared and successful, and having fun is important too. Transcript: "When I'm running and training thinking a lot about the competition, I'm going to face with and I do a lot of visualization at that time to see how am I going to do a mile 16 of the New York City marathon or the Boston Marathon. So I start visualizing placing yourself in the moment. They know how many people will be there and how are you going to do compared to those and then also analyze what their strengths and weaknesses. If it's a hill, you think about conquering that hill in training? So when it comes on race day, it would be a second. Nature and competition. There you just try to calm as much as you can and be prepared. Obviously, it's mental game. So you think about sometimes he breathe harder, just to kind of fall other people that, hey, he's tire, and they will make a move. And then a minute later, or two minutes later, you make the move because they already shaded the move. So there's a lot of things that wanders your mind, but at the same time, you think about this competitions, what their strengths is what their weaknesses and I able to allocate them, or you have to be able to make that. That move way early. And obviously I also think about the audience and the the crowd and I've got a lot of feedback from them and you look at your Shadow to see you know if that person is next to you or how they're coming along. So it is fun to be interactive and have fun during competition and but more importantly training is the key to success. If you can do those important thinking then it becomes comfortable on race day so visualize have fun at the same time. I'm be cognitive of what's going around yourself."
In 2004, Mike participated in his fourth marathon and won a silver medal. In 2012, he was unable to participate due to injury but still pushed himself to come in fourth place at the Olympics. Transcript: "My 2012 Olympic Games and 2004 Olympic Games are different for many reasons. My 2004 Olympic Games was my fourth marathon. I was 29 years old. I was excited, new to the sport. I was looking forward to do great things and I came home with the Olympics of the first American in 28 years. And going to the 2012 Olympic Games was different because I did not get an opportunity. Well, I didn't get a chance to participate in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, Olympics, because I did not qualify. I fortunately had a pelvis fracture due to an injury. I was not able to represent the United States. But I wanted 2012 was more like I got to prove to them that I'm still competitive. And I was 37 years old. Carlos Lopez from Portugal wanted as a 37-year-old. I was trying to do similar things. So I pushed as hard as I could and I came in fourth place. Even though it was faster than 2004 Olympics, that fourth place got motivated to go because I didn't know I was 21st place with halfway to go and I struggle. I want to drop out, but at the same time, I just kind of prayed and collected myself and then Coach Larson, he was at the 5K to go. And I was in sixth place. So I wanted to win that, try to win for the bronze medal. I pushed as hard as I could. And guess what, if one of them get busted with drugs, I want to be the one moving in from fourth to bronze. So I pushed it and came fourth place."
Marathon runners can reach their potential without having a "traditional" body. The important thing is to maximize your natural talent and use effective tactics to get the most out of it. Good luck! Transcript: "That's a great question. Ron that I think marathon runners can reach their potential without additional Runners body. Well, that is not traditional body. There's no perfect person or perfect bodies. As just got to maximize your god-given talent. Like, for example, in 2000 Olympics, Haile, gebrselassie from Ethiopia, 55 and Paltrow got roughly about from Kenya that is about 62 or 63. They was great to on the 10,000 meters and Heidegger. Flash. Someone most people think that the longer legs, you have the color that you are, you going to have, you're going to be the wind, most likely, but that's not the case for everything about to maximize that potential can have an effective race and tactics. So just as long as you use your traditional body kit got it given talent and get the most out of it. You will have a great race and special in the marathon so best wishes and good luck."