Meeting Meb
The day after I signed up for the Dallas Marathon, it was announced that Meb Keflezighi (along with other elites) would also be running the event as part of a male-female two-person marathon relay team. I was stoked to see this – Meb was a race ambassador for Dallas last year, and when I signed up, I seriously hoped he’d be participating in the event again too, and that I’d have a chance to meet him.
My wish came true!
Gina text me last Wednesday with a screenshot of an upcoming event at a local running store, Luke’s Locker, and asked “Anyone want to meet Meb?”
Um, yes, please! Sign me up! (She graciously did)
The event started with meeting Meb and getting his autograph, then went in to a question and answer session. I was nervous about saying something stupid to Meb when it was my turn to meet him. Ha ha. I jokingly told Gina and Steve I was going to ask him who he thought the other two male Americans would be to go with him to run at the Olympics, but I didn’t. Instead I told him I was excited to see him race at the trials, and asked how he felt like he was in a good spot after his race in Dallas, and whether he planned to finish out most of his training in California or go someplace with a higher altitude.
He was done signing my bib, then asked me how my marathon went. I told him “good,” then Gina says “It was a 25 minute PR!” Ha! So Meb says to me, “I wish I could run a 25 minute PR!” Then he added the “P.S.” bottom of the bib.
Everyone always talks about how humble, relatable, and down to earth Meb is, and he definitely seems that way! But I don’t recall anyone talking about how funny he is! UCAN sponsored the event and they had someone there leading Meb through some of the Q&A (before a few audience questions) and Meb’s responses and stories cracked me up. Meb talked about trying to keep going at the London Olympics when he was struggling, and thinking to himself, “Okay, if I pass the guy in fifth, I will be in fourth place. If someone gets caught with drugs, I want to be the guy that gets the bronze. I want to be that guy.” Ha ha. He also joked about how he doesn’t notice the scenery during races, because he’s focusing on how his body is performing, but that at London he thought (at one point) – “This place looks nice. Like a nice place to stop.” Hee hee.
He was positive and inspiring. He iterated over and over “when you believe in yourself and do things for the right reasons, great things will happen.” He also said several times how important it is to encourage kids to succeed. He mentioned how supportive his family is, and how that made him and his siblings so successful, and how he wants that for his three daughters.
I’m very happy I got to meet him and hear him speak – it truly inspired me! (And I am super grateful Gina saw he would be speaking and signed us all up to go! Thanks, Gina!!!)
Can you find us in the Meb selfie?
Here are a few quotes/notes from him that I jotted down so I could remember them:
- “If you do the marathon, you can do anything in life, as long as you work hard.” (Re: his first marathon and how hard it was, and coming back from that)
- “Running teaches you a lot about unity and the running family.” (Re: Boston 2013-2014)
- “Even though I run 100-120 miles a week, I watch what I eat.” Sigh. Ha ha. Meb talked about how he grazes throughout the day, doesn’t eat big portions in one sitting, and hydrates a lot before eating. “Nutrition is important – you are what you put in your system.” He promotes whole grains, and weighs himself every day when he is training. There is a part in his Meb for Mortals book where he mentions going to a gathering after church and being sad he can’t eat a donut, but thinking to himself how important his goals are, and that none of the other members of his church have running goals like that (so they can eat donuts). Reading that made me feel sad! But, like he kept saying at the event – running is his full time job, and he takes it very seriously. I… just can’t imagine being that healthy with my eating. Ha ha ha ha ha.
- He only runs on pavement two times a week – for tempo and interval runs. The rest of the runs are on soft surfaces.
- “Prehab instead of rehab” and “Longevity is huge.”
- You don’t have to perform every day, and should take off time when you need it. “Easy days are as important as the hard days, and a lot of people forget that.”
Themocracy
I recognize a few people in his picture. Gosh I hang out with a lot of runners LOL 🙂
PS that Lukes Locker is 15 min from my house—next time I swear I am going to come see y’all 🙂
We’ll have to meet up sometime when I am down here! My bestie lives in McKinney. Sounds like we aren’t that far away?
Ha! That is so fun!!!!
Thanks for taking notes and relaying some of his humor!
And I totally found you in the group selfie 🙂
You’re welcome! 🙂
Hee hee.
How cool that you got to meet Meb! That story about wanting to be the guy with the bronze in case of drug use was amusing 🙂 And that’s interesting that he only runs on pavement twice a week.
I had read this interesting article somewhere about how elite marathoners rarely run pavement and when they are prepping for a road race, do more pavement runs to get ready. So different than us!
Yup…definitely read this while I was eating donuts.
Ha!
Meb is the best! He and Deena Kastor are two of the most inspirational people I’ve ever heard speak. And they’re both so down to earth, too! I think that’s one of my favorite things about this sport: even though the elites are superhuman in our eyes, they don’t all seem to see themselves that way (I’m sure some do, but the ones I’ve met/heard speak haven’t). It makes them seem so much more relatable and approachable, and I love that. Are you going to frame that bib?! Because I definitely would! Haha.
I love that about the elites in running. I wonder if many other are that way… and I wonder if any athletes are known to be this way in other sports?
I think I may frame it! 🙂
Since I wasn’t doing any of the races, I was really out of it when it came to the news. I didn’t know Meb would be there until the broadcast showed him at the starting line. Wait, what?
So cool that you got to meet Meb. I like the question about who the two other runners will be besides him! I think Meb has the 2nd fastest Olympic Trial qualifying time so he is a favorite. At his level of performance one pound of extra weight could mean something like running a marathon 30 seconds slower, which at the trials could be the difference between 1st and 4th, so he certainly has lots of motivation not to eat those donuts!
Yeah, I totally get why he has to watch his weight! I just can’t imagine it, ha! What did he say he gains the weeks after a marathon? 5-10 pounds? lol, I can imagine THAT part 😉
I’m so glad u got to meet him! I thought he was lovely and at least you talked to him ha ha!
SO many thoughts…
OMG, Meb how do run so many a week and stay healthy, that is amazing. How do pass on donuts! lol I have a issues with nutrition to over come ha…
SO awesome he signed your bib and recognized your PR! That is bib to be framed 🙂
So awesome you PR and have sub 4!!
You are looking beautiful which you always have, but I can tell how you have leaned lately! Good job it is heard work 🙂
He kept saying how he believes he was born to be a runner, and I believe it too – how else could he run so much?! But he’s also very smart about recovery. He was telling us about the importance of cross training and easy runs, etc. Sounds like he has figured out what works really well for him, and that’s probably why he kicks so much but!!!
I will have to frame that bib.
And thank you! 🙂
I LOVE Meb! I met him at a wedding (I know right!?) and then when I got his autograph on my Houston bib in 2014, I mentioned that I met him before and he was so apologetic and said he was sorry that he “didn’t recognize” me. He is the most humble champion EVER and I loved the lessons in Meb for Mortals (I reviewed it on the blog). My fave was about always having a B goal.
Congrats again on your HUGE PR!!
Ha! How cool is that?! And of course he said that about not remembering. I am surprised he can remember people’s names even after they tell him, coming up to him! Gosh! There were so many people there Monday night! I wonder how many he meets a year?!
I read that book and really liked parts of it!
Thank you! 🙂
LOVE this!!! You are so lucky you got such a great opportunity to ask Meb questions and hear him speak! Honestly, I think the reason most of don’t know of his humor is because most of us only get to meet him for a few brief moments! LOL at the doughnut story. Man’s got some insane willpower! No wonder he’s an elite. =)
Wow! I’m glad Meb is a cool, funny guy. I had a poster of him in my college dorm room, but I’ve never gotten to meet him. I’m always happy when celebrities turn out to be down-to-earth and just genuinely nice people.
I’m surprised to hear he has to watch what he eats so much, but I guess he is an elite because he watches what he eats and he watches what he eats because he’s an elite. Things that don’t apply to me!
I found you in the photo!!
How fun that you had a poster! I hope you get a chance to meet him someday, if you’d like that!
When I was reading his book I was like I COULD NEVER EAT LIKE THAT. But I could also never run that fast. So… there ya go. But man, can you imagine?!
Yay! 🙂
I feel like I already commented here but maybe it was on Facebook? Love this post! And yes I found you in the photo.