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TCS NEW YORK CITY MARATHON

October 29, 2015

Meb Keflezighi

New York City, New York

Q. Meb, four years ago the trials, turnaround was less than 2 1/2 months, you turn around and actually did both. This time you actually have an extra month before the trials. Was there any doubt you could do both as you did four years ago?
MEB KEFLEZIGHI: No, I mean I'm older, but I'm wiser. I did look back at what I did in 2004, finished in second at the Olympic Games, and coming back here and running my personal best and finishing second to Hendrick Ramaala. 2008, unfortunately, I played it really safe.
My only DNF was London Olympics because my Achilles was sore. Achilles is something you don't mess around with. I stopped even though I thought I could finish because you want to think long‑term. April to November until the trials, I didn't do any marathons, and I didn't make the Olympic Team. Why? Because I was training so hard. Sometimes it's nice to have a goal, go for it, and then Monday till Sunday or the week after, I'm completely off. There's nothing I'm going to do. I'm going to rest. I feel I'm prepared. And it all depends how your preparation has gone.
With any hesitation coming to this race, I wouldn't have come, obviously. I feel comfortable where I am. My training has been good and solid and consistent. And I think my recovery will be easy because there was no hiccups. I feel excited to run my tenth TCS New York City Marathon. I finished, I think, seven in the top ten, I believe, from first, second, third, fourth, sixth, and ninth my first time. If I can land any of those, it would be awesome. Obviously, the closer to No.1, the better.
But New York City Marathon has been a great contributor to my success, and they've been investing in the long‑distance running. They give me the opportunity. How many times do you hear a person goes back and forth to the New York City Marathon or any marathons, and I attribute it to the New York Road Runners to allow me to have this opportunity now to be ambassador for Team for Kids is another notch. That's where my passion is. The MEB Foundation, maintaining excellent balance. I try to live my life that way. I think athletics helps academics. I think athletics helps society, the workforce. I think athletics helps in general in society.
Next time you're around, look around, when people are outside exercising or doing something, they're smiling. I want to give that to the kids because I think it helps with school, I think it helps with the workforce, and I think they're going to be positive contributors to our society.

Q. Meb, do you view this marathon and Olympic trials as one big training period, or do you compartmentalize?
MEB KEFLEZIGHI: You're a genius. That's what it is. You don't put all your eggs in one basket. This is a good fundamental, good base for training. I don't have to start all over again. I need to take time off and use what I have built in. I run 130 miles. I've done 27‑mile run. I've done tempos and intervals. I've done a 23‑mile run and a 27‑mile run like I said. On paper I finish a marathon, but that's my secret in training.
Hopefully, it will be a fast Sunday race, to do my best effort that I can and recover from that and get ready for the trial.

Q. You did a 27 and a 23 building up for this? And 130 was your biggest?
MEB KEFLEZIGHI: Yes.

Q. How much time would you take off? Could you sort of talk about taking time off and building up again?
MEB KEFLEZIGHI: I am unable to move until Thursday, for sure. I jokingly said, if you want to know how to feel like an 80‑year‑old, run on pavement 26.2 miles, 12 miles an hour, and you won't be able to get up comfortably out of your seat for five days. I might get up and walk around, 10, 15 minute jog three or four days later just to see if there's any injuries or tenderness I need to pay attention to. So when I'm traveling, I can work on that in therapy. But it's all about hard work and training. If you've done the work, then you should pass the test. I hope to do that on Sunday.

Q. So Deena is running great, plus 40. Joan is running great, plus 40. You're running great at 40. What has changed about the marathon that allows people to be at the top of their game still at 40?
MEB KEFLEZIGHI: Deena and I are rewriting the books again. Marathon is supposed to be the old men or old women sport. But recently you see people run at 19. The last who won the gold in the Worlds was 19. You never heard that before. Deena and I went through traditional 5K, 10K, and maybe half marathon and marathon. I did my first marathon before I did a half. I did the 20K at the U.S. Championship.
But it's the amount of miles that you have under your belt. Then you have to hit‑‑ I didn't hit a home run on the workouts. I didn't expect to like I did 10 years ago or 11 years ago. You have to know that. You have to understand, I have to hit those to be able to be successful. Those are still the same person. You just have to retrieve it, maybe three, four seconds per mile or over up to a minute for a 15‑mile run. But it depends on the weather, depends on the hills, depends on your fitness at that time, whether you're getting ready for the Olympic Games or the trials.
So a training log, I keep that, and I said I have run over 100,000 miles, and all those logged in. I can't imagine doing the workout that I did in 2004, but if I get close to it, confidence should be high.

Q. Do you have to change your workouts?
MEB KEFLEZIGHI: I have to change some workouts according to my age.

Q. Give us an example.
MEB KEFLEZIGHI: I think first nutrition is important. Training in terms of recovery is important. Before, I was doing a 6:00 pace. 6:00, 6:15 every run. Now I start at 7:15 and sometimes 8:00 and work my way up to 6:10. Same miles, just two minutes faster. You have to loosen up as you get older and then, boom, gone.
In terms of intervals, I do more longer repeats versus six fast 4:20s or 4:30s. 4:40, 4:35, I'm okay. I don't have to run 4:19, 4:17, or 4:20 two‑mile repeats. If you do that‑‑ I wish I had the wisdom that I had with that fitness, but you have to learn from your mistakes and try to make the most of it each and every day.

Q. This is your tenth time here. What's your favorite part of the course?
MEB KEFLEZIGHI: My favorite part of the course at the New York City Marathon is First Avenue and then Central Park because you have to be in the game at First Avenue. If you can make it to 20 and come to Central Park, you're going to be‑‑ the thrill of the sound, and you know you're almost home. You become competitive. And whether you're trying to win, trying to be in the top three, top five, it's exciting.
As many of the 50,000 people that are participating, they want to come to Central Park, and once you see that, there's another spurt of energy. Getting to that finish line is huge no matter how difficult it is. I just have respect for anybody who finishes a marathon. My hat's off to them. Hopefully, they'll do the same thing for me, because we know the journey. We did it together through the five boroughs, and come to Central Park and hope to have a good one.

Q. If you could be a spectator in New York, where would you choose to be if you were going out on Sunday? Where do you think would be the best place?
MEB KEFLEZIGHI: For us leaders, probably someplace not so loud is probably going to‑‑ Brooklyn Bridge. Then probably the 20th mile. You see, there somebody can tell you work on your form or pull your head up and posture, things like that. That would be encouraging. If I had to choose, it's always an exciting finish. I love Central Park. For me, the city background, green trees and the color changing, it's an epic moment to be there this time of the year. I don't know a lot of places in New York, but I know where Central Park is, even though I've done it ten times because it's a blur. You're concentrating. Somebody's breathing, somebody's mechanics, somebody's move, and it's gone like that. You don't enjoy it as much.
You see tradition. You see people on their lawns or some people pulling different flags of heritage and things like that as you go through the different boroughs. But if I have to choose, I'd probably sit by Columbus Circle. A lot of excitement happens there.

Q. Did you spend some training time in Mammoth as part of the buildup.
MEB KEFLEZIGHI: Yeah, I usually like to be in Mammoth Lakes where I used to live, 3 1/2 weeks. I was there this time 4 weeks. Thanks goes to my wife. We have three kids, and she had a lot of injuries. She's walking around, but she's recovered from that. I said, hey, my running means a lot, but if you want me to stay here with the kids and stay in San Diego with the nice weather, I can do that, but she believes I'm trying to be the best that I can still, and I was up there in Mammoth staying with a couple of friends that I stay with, and it's been good training. The weather cooperated. I guess the next portion is how‑‑ I like to go to Mammoth Lakes and come last minute like I always do. I just flew redeye after driving 400 miles to San Diego, catching up with the family and spending time together.
The past two days, I probably slept about six hours. But when you're fit, you can do a lot of things sleepless.

Q. You built your career excelling at difficult courses and huge races, Boston, New York, Olympics. Why do you think you excel at those kinds of races as opposed to the speed, flat courses?
MEB KEFLEZIGHI: I didn't have a lot of opportunities going on fast courses. I really badly wanted to do Chicago this year. I'm not going to lie. New York Road Runners would understand because I'm trying to make another Olympic team, but things didn't work out. I was trying to run the world record. I never had a world record. It was 2:08:46 when I started out.
But with Mary leaving and Michael and Peter here, I would explain to them, I've been a very big contributor to New York, and it would have been the last opportunity to run and see the results. It was like, mm, because the win time was 2:09 something. I won Boston. I won New York. I won a silver medal. I only done one Chicago, and I finished seventh. I played safely to get to 2:12.
London did give me a chance once, just my injuries did not let me. 2007 I pulled out. 2009, I had a fibula issue. I was not really, really there. But I would love‑‑ I ran fast on the track, and I think I could have put it together in a marathon, but sometimes I have to click. It never clicked for me on the fast courses.

Q. On the other hand, you have excelled on these others. Is it just your love of tactical running?
MEB KEFLEZIGHI: I love to compete. You know like Chicago, I just said, I'm not going to go for the win. I'm just going to go for the time.
When I excelled in Boston and New York and the Olympic Games, it's because I love competition. I love to be in the front, and I like to mix it up. When I mix it up, you analyze tactically what people are doing and you make moves when they counter. There's a reason why I finished first, second, third, and fourth and fifth and sixth here. Those are all great ones, and there's about seven, eight guys that can win those days, but we all know the winner, not who finished second, third, and fourth. I feel proud of all those accomplishments.
Probably 2004 was a good tactical mistake, but 2003 was the one that gave me hope that I can still win this race even though I was only third place. But I knew I was under trained. I knew I hadn't done the work but to finish behind the world record holder and Hendrick Ramaala, the champion, that was good.

Q. We know you hope to be running the marathon in Rio in August. Have you thought at all about beyond that?
MEB KEFLEZIGHI: If you ask me am I double training for two marathons? I am, the trials and this. I have not looked beyond the trials because what's the point? I'm a realistic person. I'd like to make the team. If I have the great honor to represent our country and be in the top three, then I'll start doing my homework of Rio. Right now doing that, that's not the point in many ways.
I feel good about this race and see what happens and then get ready for the trials. Probably thinking about this is my 22nd marathon. Hopefully, the trials are 23rd. The 24th will be in Rio and that will be great. And then maybe one Boston, and then finish up in New York would be huge.

Q. The American Masters record for the marathon, are you looking at that? It's 2:13, I think it is.
MEB KEFLEZIGHI: Most definitely, I know. 2:13:52 or something. I'm here to compete. Goal number one is to try to win. Goal number two is to be top three and top five, and top six. If I can't do that, top ten. Then the time, hopefully, will be in the back of my head, and I'll try to go for it.
It's a tough course. This is New York. But I've done nine New York City Marathons, and they've all been under that, 2:11, 2:12, or faster. Hopefully, I can replicate that result again.

Q. In Chicago, there was a lot of bonus money that didn't get awarded to anyone because there were no pacers and a slow time. Do you think that's going to make the athletes and the managers of this race be working together here for a bonus time?
MEB KEFLEZIGHI: Absolutely. If you have countrymen that you can ride on and say, hey, let's help each other, then yeah. Some of us make appearances money and make bonuses money, and things like that. But those bonuses, they have run some of them on a fast course. We're not getting them in New York. Even if you encourage one of your teammates to take it on.
Yeah, in the future it would be, maybe they would bring their own pacemaker. For sure they would think of that. But I always enjoy the championship‑style races, and I'm glad Chicago did it that way. I thought maybe even myself, Nathan, or Ryan Hall would have a shot of winning that race, you know.
You have to place yourself, just like I placed in Beijing. I told my wife, when I was watching the race in Beijing, the Olympics, I thought how could I not get a medal? But you've got to be in it. If you're not in it‑‑ you can gain confidence from that and say, hey, I could have done this. Only you know that. My goal was to do as many as possible and finish out here in New York, it was huge. I won the silver medal. You want to prove yourself.

Q. If you look at the men's field this year and there's a lot of big stars, but sort of the depth of the field is maybe half of what it was last year. There's only five 2:08 guys versus nine last year and seven sub‑2:10 guys versus 11 last year. Does that give you more confidence that you've got a shot at winning. If there's five studs, counting you, there's six, and two or three of them have an off day, it's a lot easier‑‑
MEB KEFLEZIGHI: My mentor, Bob Larson, and I talk about those things. Come to race day, you've just got to be are you the most ready. That's what it comes down to. I'm as ready as I can be, like last year when I finished fourth. Just because the field isn't there and there, the finish doesn't help anymore. Whether there's ten guys, whether there's six guys, whether there's 20 guys, your finish will carry you into that finish line.
Going in, you do think. I only saw the list once when the press release was out. I haven't seen anybody pulled out or anything like that. I have to see also what they've done in the past two months or so and how they've built up. I have to do more homework and study my competitors.
It's probably the highest I've been in the faster times with 2:08:37 since the Olympic Games, since Boston, since the New York win. But because I have that time doesn't mean necessarily an easier win.

Q. You've been saying for years now that any additional accomplishments would be gravy for your career at this point. What keeps you wanting to go to the Olympic trials again, keep wanting to do things, to try to make another Olympic Games?
MEB KEFLEZIGHI: Because the frosting just gets better and better. Any time you have an opportunity to represent your country is huge. If it was another two years, three years, I would not be talking about the Olympic trials. My two daughters remember what I did in London. Johanna, the youngest one, she said, oh, I've been here in New York. She's starting to remember.
That's my motivation. Give them as much opportunity as they can to look for me. If they say, oh, my daddy was a runner, or this, or that. Yeah, I remember coming to New York or Boston. I try to give them clues and show them countries where we've been.
And I feel my God given talent, that seventh grade class, I could have quit when Nike dropped me and kind of moved on, but I feel inside of me, you know what, I still got it. I still feel I still got it. I don't want to be hanging on to see, oh, the Masters, I finish 20th or 30th, which is not to discount anybody, but for me, I was able to win. I was able to accomplish what I wanted to accomplish, and very few athletes can say that.
If somebody asked me to pace them three hours for a marathon, that's why I did the 27‑mile run at altitude‑‑ I'd be more than happy to do that. It's giving back to the sport that has done so much for me. If I can be here more years to help others engage, I would love to do that. Some of the press have told me, you need to come back here every time because you've genuinely care about the sport, and I would love to do that.
The sport has given me so much, and I want to be able to keep going as long as I can, till the body says you can't, and then move on to other things.

Q. Your family came from Eritrea, fleeing a war there. In the summer, you've seen this migrant crisis in Europe. Have you watched that and had any perspective on that that you can share, seeing these people? It's an amazing thing.
MEB KEFLEZIGHI: You never know what the future holds. People are trying to‑‑ just like I didn't risk, but my father risked everything. Leaving six kids behind and a wife behind trying to find a better opportunity. So I understand why they go and how they have to do it because a war or some of them come from Africa or even Europe itself is having some problems. So immigrants go to Greece and others.
We tried to go to Canada. There was no way. We tried to go to Sweden. We got put in a refugee camp, and they sent us back. U.S. was lucky enough to adopt us and give us a red cross for me and my sister.
I understand their pain. It's tough. We start from scratch, from zero, just like I did, just like my dad did, and my siblings. You never know what that future can be.
There's so many people who helped us be who we are, and you have to think about those people because I wouldn't be where I am if it wasn't for those people giving me opportunities in the United States.
I was asked to come for refugees seminar. Unfortunately, I was booked already. But it's huge, the stuff that's going on. You've got to work. I was poor as eating dirt to survive because your mind tells you to get some nutrition or minerals. That's how my life started.
I pray for them. My wife and I pray for them. Our family pray for them. The church praise for them. You can't solve it all. I wish them the best, and hopefully there will be something out of that that's positive.

Q. How many boys and girls in your family?
MEB KEFLEZIGHI: Six boys and five girls.

Q. All of you have college degrees, is that right?
MEB KEFLEZIGHI: My half sister Ruth doesn't have it and my youngest brother, no. But everybody else, yes.

Q. So 9 of 11?
MEB KEFLEZIGHI: Yes.

Q. I read, I think in your book, that your family went through Italy on the way here, is that right?
MEB KEFLEZIGHI: Correct. My dad walked through Sudan 250 miles, stayed there a year and a half. Went to Italy for a year and a half. We came and lived almost two years in Italy and came to the United States.

Q. Two years in Italy?
MEB KEFLEZIGHI: Almost two years.

Q. That's a true story when you ran New York the first time and said "That's it"?
MEB KEFLEZIGHI: Oh, yeah, I remember it like it was yesterday. It was 38 degrees. My parents came, and my dad was trying to give me a massage to warm me up, and my mom was like‑‑ she always says, my mom always said, because I would look too skinny, and I would get tired. She'd say, why don't you stop this running thing and do some work like your brothers and sisters in the office. Mom, it's okay and this and that.
And then she saw me run my first marathon, and she says, 5K, 10K is okay. No more marathons for you.

Q. That was here?
MEB KEFLEZIGHI: That was here, yeah. I remember they asked me, how is your experience running the marathon? I said, David, you might want to wait a day or two. I have nothing nice to say about running the marathon.

Q. How did you do in that first one?
MEB KEFLEZIGHI: I was ninth, 2:12:35, but I went for the win. I went for the win from mile 16 to 19, and then I poured cold water over my head, and it shut the engine off because the water, you know how long it stays there. I was getting my gloves off to get fighting because you hear the story, after 20 miles it starts the race. And there were four of us. I think I could win or be top four, and all of a sudden, I got slower and slower. I think it was 35 something my last 10K. I hit the wall. It was like seven minutes something.

Q. What year was that?
MEB KEFLEZIGHI: 2002.

Q. Two years later, you're an Olympic medalist.
MEB KEFLEZIGHI: That was my fourth marathon.

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