Buffalo Marathon Q&A with Meb Keflezighi

On May 29th I will be running the Buffalo Marathon (half marathon!) representing BibRave and the BibRave Pros.  Leading up to the race I had the opportunity to interview Meb Keflezighi.  He will be speaking via Tele Conference at the Buffalo Marathon Expo.

Meb is the 2014 Boston Marathon Champion, 2009 New York City Marathon and 2004 Olympic Marathon Silver Medalist.  He was a 4x NCAA Champ for UCLA and ran his last race as a Bruin in Buffalo at the 1998 NCAA Track & Field Championships.  A true champion and ambassador to the sport, Meb is also well known and respected for races that he did NOT win like the 2012 London Olympics and the 2013 New York City Marathon—if you don’t know, google them now!

2010 throwback with Meb & Hawi Keflezighi

I first met Meb at the Falmouth Road Race back in 2007.  He is always a favorite in Falmouth and his brother Hawi has become a mentor and friend over the years.  I was so pumped when I found out I would be interviewing Meb and I look forward to hearing him talk in Buffalo.

A few weeks ago I asked my friends and followers for help.  I wanted to know what I should ask Meb about the Buffalo Marathon, running in Buffalo, the city of Buffalo, marathon training, racing, etc.  I received lots of great questions but here are my Top 3 Q&A... 

1.  What is your favorite part about training for a marathon? Do you have a favorite workout?

Training for a marathon is what I enjoy most. I think of training as preparation and the marathon as the test. My favorite workout is the tempo run because it gives me the confidence that I’m ready for race day.

2.  How do you stay so positive in a race that just doesn’t go as planned? What is the most disappointed you’ve ever been in yourself and how did you get past it?

Learn from your mistakes and learn from negative experiences. You can’t do anything to take a bad race back but you can learn from it and make sure you come back better next time.

In college I had a chance to win a PAC 10 team title for UCLA if I won the 3k event. Unfortunately, I visualized winning the race to the point where I woke up sweating the night before the race. I came to race day exhausted. I didn’t perform well and cost our team the PAC 10 Championship. This taught me that although visualization is powerful, I must do so during training and not wait until the day before the race.

3.  Buffalo is famous for many great foods including its chicken wings. What is your favorite post-race meal? Do you ever splurge and treat yourself?

I love a good steak for a post-race meal! After a big marathon, I also enjoy eating the food I can’t eat in training. This means cheesecake and tiramisu! I’m so disciplined during training time, I make it a point to treat my body as a reward.

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#BillsMafia, how cool is this picture of Meb in a Tyrod Taylor jersey?  

Follow Meb on Twitter (@runmeb) as he prepares for his next big challenge: The 2016 Olympic Marathon in Rio.  USA! Team Meb all the way!

**The Buffalo Marathon is close to selling out! Use BRSKIBA05 for $5 off your entry & the last person to register causing the race to sell out will get a completely free entry!  Register NOW!