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NEW YORK ROAD RUNNERS MEDIA CONFERENCEFebruary 8, 2011Meb KeflezighiMARY WITTENBERG: We're really thrilled about today's announcement. To welcome back to New York three of the best men American distance running has ever seen, and three gentlemen that have had career highs here in New York at different times, and three of the most favorite of athletes to those many runners in New York City and well beyond throughout the nation. So it is an honor to announce Ryan Hall, Abdi Abdirahman, and our special guest, Meb Keflezighi who will be joining us for our New York City Half on March 20. As always, it is a special privilege when we can host and really feels like welcome home our 2009 ING New York City Marathon Champion, Meb Keflezighi. MEB KEFLEZIGHI: Thanks, Mary. Appreciate the great introduction. As always it is a thrill to come back to New York and to be able to compete against the best in the world. You have set up a great field, and I'm just delighted to be healthy and coming back. It's a home away from home, New York, where I've had such great success and hopefully can duplicate another win. DREA BRAXMEIER: Questions for Meb. Q. Just to review what you've done in the past in terms of setting up your marathons. This is sort of a typical thing for you to do something like a half marathon about this far out either from your spring or your fall marathon; is that right? MEB KEFLEZIGHI: Not typically and not always. I've done that before I won the ING New York City Marathon. But as of spring, right now I'm not going to -- most likely not going to do a marathon, so that's not in the plan. My only commitment right now is the New York City Half Marathon, and I look forward to having a good show there. Q. There are an awful lot of runners with people at your level and the neighborhood guys who do everything from 5K to the marathon. It seems a lot of them that I've talked to, their favorite race is the half marathon. Besides the fact that the marathon is the one that gives you all the prestige and all that, is the half marathon a race that you actually like a lot? MEB KEFLEZIGHI: Well, I haven't done a lot of half marathons. I jumped right into the marathons in 2002 doing the ING New York City Marathon. So the last one I believe was 2006, correct me if I'm wrong. I think the New York Half Marathon was my first half marathon. But other than that I haven't done much half marathons. I look forward to doing more now. But it's a fun event. You can walk the next day after doing the half marathon. I really enjoy the distance, but I haven't had a big breakthrough on the half marathons, besides my win in San Jose in 2009. But other than that it's nice to have a great mix in the field and see what I can do. Q. I was wondering if you could talk a little bit about anything specific to the half marathon that you're doing in training or if there are just small tweaks that you would do compared to what your normal training would be? You're facing a couple of other top runners. Would you alter anything in terms of mileage or speed as you get towards the race? MEB KEFLEZIGHI: This will be the first time I'm concentrating on a half marathon for the next five weeks to go or so. I'm hoping to do a spring marathon. To do Boston was my anticipation, but that's most likely to happen. And hopefully online we'll do something whether I'm going to run or I'm not going to run a spring marathon or not in a few days on Thursday on my website. But for this right now I feel like I get back to the 5K, 10K training, and that will carry over for the half marathon. But right now I'm just doing the mileage. I'm excited to be running over 100 miles a week, but I'm not going 130 just because I'm not running a marathon. I think it's going to be more intervals and also higher thresholds intervals with the 1K mile repeats. I just got back from out in Round Valley doing three time mile repeats. It went pretty well, and that's what I'm going to do to get it done. And it will be good to specifically train for shorter races, as opposed to doing 26 mile runs for the marathon. So I won't be doing that. Q. Last time you were in New York for the New York City Marathon you were saying that winning the New York City Marathon ranked as your best favorite accomplishment in running. How does that, now another year further away, how does that feel? Are you thinking of coming back to New York next year? MEB KEFLEZIGHI: Oh, winning New York made me who I am and more notoriety and changed my life. Anytime you're on the plane and you look down landing somewhere, whether it's L.A. or New York or other places like that, where you did it. A lot of population, the amount of people in the world, and to have won the biggest marathon in the world is a big weight off my shoulder. But also it makes me realize how special it was in 2009. There was a reason why it took 28, 27 years to get it done, and 28 years to get it done. But I'm just delighted to be able to accomplish this too. Very, very thrilled to have that what you dream of. Thanks to Mary and her team and others that gave me back-to-back -- even when things didn't look very bright, they gave me the opportunity to come back. They were committed to me and U.S. distance running to be able to come back and give me a chance. They asked me to compete against the best in the world, and I definitely rose to the occasion to be able to win the ING New York City Marathon in 2009, and there is no better feeling. It still is that way. Q. I'm a little unclear from your comment. You're probably not going to run a spring marathon? Maybe the best question to ask, could you take us from the New York City Marathon last November through the trials ahead kind of what your plan is, and what has led to you not running a spring marathon or maybe not running a spring marathon? And how do you plan to map out your training or racing between now and the trials? It seems like getting a fall marathon in might be difficult. Might that be in the cards? MEB KEFLEZIGHI: It might be in the cards, yes. I didn't decide yet. I was hoping to do Boston to break a streak. I obviously have done great things of breaking the streak winning the New York City Marathon or getting the Olympic medal. Now things have not worked out the way they should have, and it may be best to keep the spring marathon and get ready for a full marathon. Yeah, it's close to January 15 (Indiscernible) that I've done something else myself, and I have to believe in the people that I have around me to support me through the good and the bad. And I've done 70 days before. Making the team would be huge, but my guess is the fall marathon. So we're just deciding with the coach. Sit down and analyze and see what's best. But right now I'm just excited to be healthy and training and getting ready for the half marathon March 20th. Q. How did you decide to do a half marathon now instead of a fall marathon? Was there injury problems or what is the situation? MEB KEFLEZIGHI: What do you mean fall marathon? Q. Well, how did you decide to focus on the New York City Half or the winter/spring period as opposed to the half and then a spring marathon? Did you have some injury setbacks or what happened? MEB KEFLEZIGHI: No, I didn't have injury setbacks at all. I was sick most of after Thanksgiving and December and January. I was hoping to do the half marathon in Houston, and eventually I was hoping to do cross country in San Diego. But no injuries, just I was sick. I couldn't shake it off. I was sick for six weeks or so and that's what happened. In terms of the spring marathon, we were hoping to do Boston, but things have not worked out that way. Q. What were you sick with? What illness did you have? MEB KEFLEZIGHI: I just had a cold virus that was going around really bad. Both the kids and my wife and everybody had it. It was just going around. But better then than now. We are over the hump and excited to be training in Mammoth since January 1st. We're going down to Bishop which is 40 miles from here and at 4,000 feet, and I'll train at 7,000 on my easy days. So the most important is to be healthy, and things are going that way so far. Q. Why did it not work out being able to run Boston this spring? MEB KEFLEZIGHI: I like to focus on the New York City Half Marathon right now. You can read more about it why and why not on my website probably by Thursday. Q. Watching the cross country this weekend and seeing what Brent Vaughn did. I know he thought he was fit. It seemed sort of like a quantum leap and an enormous elevation of his status of what he was in this one race. I'm just wondering if you can remember any time in your career -- maybe it was back as far as high school or college or maybe early in the pros -- when you had a race that was so much superior to what you thought you were capable of at that time and gave you a redefinition of what kind of runner you thought you were? MEB KEFLEZIGHI: More like I think it would be going back to '97 at UCLA, winning the double of the 5K. Thinking on Wednesday, Thursday, 5K prelim, Friday off and Saturday final. I won both those races, and to be able to do that I thought well, I guess I can do this. At that time you ran basically 50, 60 laps in the span of four days. It's a huge accomplishment. That was probably what for me turned it around. I could do this for a living or I'm good at it. I congratulate Brent Vaughn for doing that. He did a great race, and just kind of broke away from everybody else. Then people didn't respond really right away, so there was kind of a run for second place. So sometimes, it's in disguise obviously. He didn't finish the Houston Half, and to be able to come back from that mentally, that was really courageous. Q. It sounds like you're still planning your season ahead, but just to talk about it. Any interest in going back to the track for 10,000 meter USA Championships? Any possibility there? MEB KEFLEZIGHI: There's always a possibility (laughing). I like to mix it up, whatever the competition is. Usually the last few years you haven't seen me do track and field championships because I did a spring marathon. But now that I'm running the spring marathon, we'll see what other options there are. But there are other races that I would love to do than in the past. I would consider it. Shorter races whether it's a 10K or 10 mile or half marathon or things like that. I'm just going to have to sit down with coach and kind of map it out right now. The only commitment that we're very happy to make is to do a half marathon in New York. I'm definitely excited for that. Q. I just wanted to say thanks for the invite you sent out to everyone for the "You Can" reception in Boston. Because thanks to that we did get to chat with Coach Larsen for a few minutes afterwards. So that was a great pleasure, thank you very much, Meb? MEB KEFLEZIGHI: No problem. I'm always delighted to be thankful for my sponsors who have been with me through the good times and the bad times. And (Indiscernible) is what I use on a day-to-day basis, and Sony and Power Bar an others. We can make the invitation, but thanks for accepting it and being able to make it there and some other people. Getting a chance to meet me with who I am as a person. Q. I think this is, correct me if I'm wrong, but I think this may be the first time you're running the New York City Half Marathon? I think you withdrew from the field last year; is that correct? MEB KEFLEZIGHI: I did run the inaugural. I believe it was in 2006. When it was in August, I was going to Europe to do some races but then definitely got sick. And (Indiscernible) to Europe and Brussels to run, not having an A-game there. I was second to Ricky. I was second in the New York City Half Marathon which was only separated by two seconds. It was fun. I look forward to being my first win in March. So I'm pretty excited. We've got a lot of snow in Mammoth, hopefully, it won't be snowy or cold. I look forward to having nice weather in New York. I've got a lot of my supporters and I have a lot of great friends that are there, so I'll have a good time. DREA BRAXMEIER: Yes, that was the 2006 New York City Half Marathon that Meb finished second. Q. How's the book tour and how's the book? MEB KEFLEZIGHI: It's great. At last my dream came true. Right now after New York, I did six weeks or so going around to Texas, to Cape Cod, Indiana, and New Jersey to talk to kids. It's been a lot of fun. I was very well-received. A lot of the principals have written letters to me telling me it was great to come and share my story. People got inspired. A lot of people who have read the book are touched by it. They didn't know a lot of the obstacles that I had to overcome. They were delighted that I wrote it. And right now it's on pause in terms of me making appearances until I finish my races, but, hopefully, I can do some of that stuff after the race. Q. Will the New York City Half Marathon sort of be a checkpoint for you after you've run that to see how things go? Will you be making firmer decisions about what you're going to do going forward in the summer and fall? Is there any chance that you would consider running the World Championships marathon? MEB KEFLEZIGHI: I haven't gotten that far yet. I think it's usually in October, I believe, the World Half Marathon. I think I always believe in practice. Practice makes perfect, and my training is where my indication is. But you always need a goal to shoot for something. March 20th is the day now. Whether it's the tempos or doing my repeats or semi-repeats, the clock doesn't lie. I'm excited to kind of start. This is my third session of intervals and upper tempos, and hitting over 100 miles a week at the same time. So I'm very excited to get my body back into racing and being strong. Definitely excited to come to New York and kind of see where my finish is. But I don't think it's going to be the decision maker of where I'm going to do or where I'm not. It's just by racing I get in better shape. That's what my training has shown in the past since high school. I train and get fitter and fitter, and after racing more we'll see what happens. Q. To clarify, the World Marathon Championships in Daegu. Any chance you'd run that? MEB KEFLEZIGHI: No, I will not run that. DREA BRAXMEIER: Will this be your first race of the 2000 running season in the New York City Half? MEB KEFLEZIGHI: That's the plan. I'm just excited to hopefully be in New York healthy and strong. Q. Can you speak to the significance of coming to the starting line with Abdi and Ryan and coming together with the 2009 Marathon? MEB KEFLEZIGHI: Yeah, it's always exciting to have your fellow Americans on the starting line. It's definitely -- I don't know if -- you said Ryan and Abdi. I just spoke to Abdi yesterday and I've been texting with Ryan. It's very exciting to have my fellow Americans there. But that's not the only your men you're competing against. You're competing against the best in the world, and New York does a great job to bring in the best of the best to compete and elevate to another level. So hopefully we can come through for USA and compete to our best potential. MARY WITTENBERG: Meb, as we always say here, we feel as lucky that you had your big day here among many big days in 2009. So we always get to call you one of our own for decades to come. It means a lot to us that you're running our New York City Half. We're so pleased to have you back as a headliner among our top Americans in what is going to be a stellar international field. DREA BRAXMEIER: Thank you, everyone, for coming. End of FastScripts |
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