Interview: Mebrahtom Keflezighi

By Mario Fraioli

Mebrahtom (Meb) Keflezighi will make his Boston Marathon debut on April 17, highlighting one of the strongest men's fields in the race's recent history. The silver medalist in the marathon at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, the 30-year-old Keflezighi also holds the American record in the 10,000 meters (27:13.98) and is a 15-time national champion in track, cross country, and road racing.

Keflezighi captured his fifth U.S. 15K crown in six years on March 11 in Jacksonville, Florida, outdistancing a strong American field that included Alan Culpepper, who finished fourth last year at Boston. Culpepper will once again be on the starting line this year in Hopkinton, adding to a strong American field that also includes the Hansons' Brian Sell and Clint Verran, who both represented the United States in Finland at the World Championships last August.

At the ING New York City Marathon last November, Keflezighi, who was coming back from a quad injury, finished third in 2:09:56, just three seconds off the personal best he set in the same race a year earlier.

Splitting time between his hometown of San Diego and the altitude training base of Mammoth Lakes, California, Keflezighi is still coached by Bob Larson, who mentored the Eritrean native during his collegiate days at UCLA.

Keflezighi and his wife, Yordanos, became parents on March 8 with the birth of their daughter, Sara. In addition to training and being a new father, Keflezighi is working with noted running author Kenny Moore on a book project.

MensRacing.com: First of all, congratulations on the birth of daughter and your win at the 15K Championships in Jacksonville last month. Given that the 15K was your first race since New York last fall, and the fact that your daughter was born just a few days earlier, what did that performance signify for you in your preparation for Boston?
Mebrahtom Keflezighi: That performance was definitely tough with everything that was happening at the time, and also because it was my first race of the year. It was a great field with Abdi [Abdirahman], Alan [Culpepper], Ryan Shay, and myself, and I was happy to be able to win. It was a good test to see where I was at, as well as to get an idea of where those guys were at. I was pleased with how it turned out.

Afterwards, I thought about returning to San Diego to train and then running [the] Cherry Blossom [10-miler in Washington, D.C.], or if I should go up to Mammoth Lakes for a few weeks of altitude training, which is where I am now. My race at Jacksonville, along with the birth of my daughter, was a great way to start 2006. So far it's been a great year, but it's just the start. Hopefully, there are more and better things to come.

MR: So you’ve been training in Mammoth Lakes for a few weeks now while your family remains in San Diego. How difficult has that been while trying to focus on getting ready for Boston?
MK: It’s hard to have to leave my family, but my wife and daughter are in good hands with my parents, brother, and sister in San Diego while I’m training here in Mammoth. I’ve been tremendously blessed in that way with such an understanding and supportive family. Sara was born on March 8, so it’s definitely not easy to be away so soon after her birth. My wife is very understanding and has given me her blessing. I believe we’re doing the best we can with the situation we’ve got. It’s just more mother time than father time right now, but there will be opportunity for more father time when I get back from Boston. I don’t want to look back with any regrets. It’s been difficult at times, but I believe that you have to give something to get something. Sometimes you just need to make that sacrifice.

MR: At the end of January, you came to Boston for a week to check out the course. What were your impressions of it, and how has your training changed, if at all, since returning from your visit?
MK: The course is definitely challenging. I’m grateful to the people at the Boston Athletic Association and John Hancock for allowing me to see it. You can talk to all the people you want, read the stories, and watch old videos, but it was much better for me to actually see it in person. There’s quite a bit of downhill on the course, especially in the early miles, but I’m not worrying too much about that. I’m more focused on finishing well and being the strong guy at the end.

We haven’t made many changes in my training, but have definitely been simulating similar courses in both San Diego and Mammoth Lakes. I’ve been trying to focus on finishing hard on the uphills at the end of a lot of my runs, which is what I hope to do at Boston as well.

MR: I understand that, while you were in Boston, there was a “Meet Meb” night held at a local club. How did that go?
MK: It went really well actually; we had a fun time. There were a lot of people from many different countries, especially Eritrea, my homeland, which surprised me a little. I met quite a few people and signed some autographs. One of my best friends from home, Danny Bariagaber, was the DJ for the night, and there was dancing and a question-and-answer session. It was a great night, and I was surprised to see how many people were excited for me to come to Boston.

MR: During your stay, were you able to get a pretty good feel for the significance of the Boston Marathon and the excitement it generates for the people of Boston?
MK: Most definitely. It didn’t matter what time of the day it was, but every time I went for a run or drove over the course there were people running on it. The tradition of the Boston Marathon is huge and the whole community, whether they’re running the race or not, is behind it. There was a great amount of excitement the entire time we were in Boston and it was exciting for us as well.

MR: As for the race itself, it’s going to be the strongest American representation at Boston in years. What does the presence of so many top Americans in the same race mean for distance running in this country?
MK: It’s going to be great to have so many top Americans on the same starting line. Hats off to the people at the Boston Marathon for making it happen. It’s a big step not only for Boston, but for distance running in this country in general. The marathon is a strange event, though. I hope that we can help each other out and I wish those guys the best, but at the same time we’re trying still trying to beat each other. The international field is strong as well, so it’s going to be a big challenge. The last three winners from the race are all returning this year, and there are 11 guys in the race who have faster times than me right now. It’s definitely a tough field, but that’s what racing is. I hope to have a good day.

MR: So ultimately, what led you to decide to run Boston this year rather than London, which is traditionally a loaded field with the opportunity for a fast time?
MK: Boston is one of those races that I’ve always wanted to run. It’s been a dream of mine for a long time. There’s a lot of tradition there with [Alberto] Salazar and [Bill] Rodgers, and I’m excited to be a part of that tradition. Everyone always asks me if I’ve ever run Boston, and until now I’ve had to say no. Hopefully in a few weeks I’ll have a great story to tell anyone who asks me about my race there.

At the end of 2004, I was planning on running London in the spring of ’05 and Boston in ’06, but my Achilles injury early last year didn’t allow that to happen. I would have liked to try for a real fast time at London, but sometimes God works in mysterious ways and it just wasn’t meant to be. I’m excited to be healthy this year and I look forward to being competitive at Boston.

MR: You just mentioned your Achilles injury, which kept you out of London last spring, and you also had a problem with your quad last fall before New York. Are both of those problems completely taken care of now?
MK: Yes, those are both completely taken care of, and I have no problems right now whatsoever. I really believe in complete recovery and did the necessary things to heal properly. I’m surrounded by great people, “Team Meb” you could say, who have been really instrumental in helping me recover properly. I’ve also made good use of crosstraining to take some of the stress off my body created by running.

MR: Crosstraining, then, is obviously is a pretty big part of your training program in terms of keeping you fit and healthy. What made you such a believer in the benefits of crosstraining, and what does your routine consist of?
MK: Crosstraining really works for me. I figured that out at UCLA when I was having some Achilles trouble my sophomore year and I was forced to spend seven weeks in the pool. After only five weeks of running on land I ran 13:37 for 5K, which was my PR at the time. Heading into the ’04 Trials, I was sick with the flu and found that biking worked out well for me, so I began utilizing that as well. I only run once a day now, but they’re always good quality runs. Like I said earlier, I believe in complete recovery, even when I’m healthy, so instead of a 30-minute run in the afternoon, I’ll do an hour or so on the bike to take some of the pounding off my legs. I stopped last Saturday, though, since it’s getting close to the race and I’m trying to conserve energy.

MR: Heading into the Olympic Marathon in 2004 in Athens, you were very analytical and specific in your preparation in terms of the course, weather, and anything else that you might have faced. Have you taken a similar approach to Boston, especially after seeing the course up close?
MK: In terms of the course, somewhat. I overtrained for the hill in Athens because I had never seen it. Mammoth is a constant up and down, so that’s a good simulation for what I’ll face in Boston. The weather is going to be harder to predict. We knew Athens was going to be hot, so we were able to prepare for that. For Boston, we just don’t know. It’s much more unpredictable. It’s 35 degrees right now in Mammoth, so it’s a bit cold, but I’ve been doing some heat acclimatization training just in case it’s warm. I’d rather it be warmer than cold, though.

MR: Can you be more specific about what kind of heat acclimatization training you’ve been doing?
MK: That’s my big secret [laughs]. No, no, just throwing on some extra clothes while I’m out running sometimes.

MR: You mentioned the weather, which at Boston is always unpredictable and difficult to prepare for, but there’s also the noon start, which can throw a lot of marathoners off. Have you done anything special to prepare for that?
MK: The start time itself is a small detail. The bigger detail is what to eat beforehand, whether or not just to have something small like a bagel and a banana, or maybe even some oatmeal or fruit. That will change a little bit, but the late start itself shouldn’t be a problem. The marathon in Athens didn’t start until 6 p.m., so that was a little tricky. I usually do my main workout at 9 a.m. here in California, so with the time difference, the noon start should feel normal to me.

MR: Both you and Deena Kastor prepared together in Mammoth for Athens in 2004, and the results there speak for themselves. As you get ready for Boston, she’s coming off an American record for the half-marathon in Berlin and getting ready to make a run at London. How have the two of you been able to feed off each other's successes?
MK: Deena is a great person. I was excited to hear about her American record in Berlin recently. It’s certainly inspiring. The thing about Deena is that she’s not just a great runner, but a great human being. She’s a very kind, giving person, and the two of us are great friends. I like to say we inspire each other. Hopefully I can have a great outcome in Boston that inspires her to a great race in London a week later.

MR: Bob Larsen has been your coach since your college days at UCLA. Talk about your relationship with Coach Larsen and how training under his guidance has changed, if at all, since you were in college.
MK: My relationship with Coach Larsen has been great. We’re very close. I’m really fortunate to have someone like him in my life. He has a great joy of running, but I think he gets more joy from seeing me grow not only as a runner, but as a human being. He’s like a father figure to me in that respect—not just a coach, but also a really good friend, a part of my family.

He’s very flexible and always has been. With coach Larsen, it’s not “my way or the highway.” Sometimes I have different ideas in terms of training that I want to try, and he lets me experiment a little to see what works best. He always gives me tremendous support and advice, not just with running, but also in other aspects of life.

In college I was more focused on racing the 5K and 10K, so we were doing faster intervals on the track twice a week. That’s changed a bit in the past few years since I’ve been running more marathons. Typically we do intervals on Tuesdays and a tempo run or something similar on Fridays, with a longer run on Wednesdays. The focus now is on holding a longer, sustainable pace, so the workouts aren’t as intense as in the past.

MR: Speaking of training, you do a great deal of yours at altitude in Mammoth Lakes. What do you think are the benefits of taking such an approach?
MK: I can’t really put it into words, but until you’ve experienced training up here and then racing down at sea level, it’s really hard to explain. Everything just feels so much easier after being up here for a while. I’ve been training in Mammoth Lakes since 2001, and it’s been a tremendous asset to my career. It’s a great town and the people here are very supportive of what we’re trying to do. There aren’t a whole lot of elite athletes, but the town itself has a lot to offer in terms of a great training environment, especially the trails and the altitude. It’s a small town, so the people know who you are when they see you at the gym or at the grocery store. It can get a little cold at times, but you can easily go 40 miles south and run at sea level in a t-shirt and shorts, so you have the best of both worlds.

MR: Besides yourself and Deena, the rest of the Team USA training group in Mammoth Lakes has had a lot of success recently. How much have you all been able to train together?
MK: Not much at all, actually. Everyone is on a different schedule right now so I’ve been doing almost all of my training on my own. I just got into town a few weeks ago, and Ryan Hall and Ian Dobson were in the middle of their cross country preparations, so we didn’t see too much of each other. I saw Deena for a little bit before she went to Europe, but mostly it’s been just me and my training partner, Mario Arce. Coach Larsen is here and follows me on the bike. They’ve been a tremendous help.

MR: As you said earlier, Boston is the key race on your agenda for 2006, but looking ahead a few years to the Olympic year in 2008, will the focus again be on the marathon, or can we expect a return to the track, or perhaps even both?
MK: I always like to have a plan for down the road, but like you said, right now Boston is my immediate focus. As for 2008, of course I’d like to be there, but it all depends on how things go at the Trials that year and whether or not I’m healthy. I know for sure that I won’t double, and I’ll probably focus on the marathon again and try to get another medal, preferably gold. Now that I already have an Olympic medal, I’d feel more confident taking a risk in the later stages of the race and going for gold.

MR: Lastly, you still have a lot that you want to accomplish in your running career, but what does life post-running hold for Meb?
MK: There are many things life has to offer that I’d like to take advantage of. I’m lucky in many respects, that I’ve been blessed with great talent and discipline from the time I was a young boy, as well as a hard-working and understanding family that has always inspired and supported me. There are still a lot of things I hope to accomplish in running, but someday I think it would be fun to get into coaching and also do some motivational speaking. I’d like to try and help people get the best out of themselves, whether it’s in running, education, or some other aspect of life. I have a great story to tell, and I’d like to share it with people so they can learn from it. My family came from nothing and made something out of it, so it goes to show that anything is possible.

I’d like to spend some time with my family. My family has always been a big part of my life and always will be. I’d like to spend a lot of time with my wife and daughter and give them a happy and healthy life.

I also have a desire to become a financial advisor for a bank sometime down the road as one of my future possibilities. After all, being a marathon runner does take some patience—so does investment and financial planning.

Lastly, I’d like to give something back to the sport. It’s given a lot to me, so hopefully through running I can do something positive and have a positive influence on somebody’s life. As long as I do the right things and surround myself with good people, you never know what blessings the future holds.

Editor's Update: Keflezighi finished in third place at the 2006 Boston Marathon in 2:09:56, behind first place Robert Cheruiyot and second place Benjamin Maiyo.

Interview conducted April 5, 2006 and posted April 13, 2006.