Meb For Mortals: Harness the Training Methods of a Champion Marathoner to Achieve Peak Running Performance

by Meb Keflezighi, Scott Douglas

Train like Olympic marathoner and 2014 Boston Marathon winner Meb Keflezighi

With his historic win at the 2014 Boston Marathon, Meb Keflezighi cemented his legacy as one of the great champions of long-distance running. Runners everywhere wanted to know how someone two weeks away from his 39th birthday, who had only the 15th best time going into the race, could defeat the best field in Boston Marathon history and become the first American man to win the race in 31 years.

Meb For Mortals describes in unprecedented detail how three-time Olympian Keflezighi prepares to take on the best runners in the world. More importantly, the book shows everyday runners how to implement the training, nutritional, and mental principles that have guided him throughout his long career, which in addition to the 2014 Boston win includes an Olympic silver medal and the 2009 New York City Marathon title.

Genres: Nonfiction, Sports, Fitness, Audiobook, Biography, Ebooks, Self Help

208 pages, Paperback

First published April 7, 2015

About the author

Mebrahtom "Meb" Keflezighi is an American athlete, specializing in long distance running. He and his family were refugees from Eritrea via Italy to the United States, when he was age 12.

He is the driving force behind the MEB Foundation, the "MEB" standing for "Maintaining Excellent Balance," which principally promotes healthy living, and other positive lifestyle choices and motivation for school-age youth.

Reviews

[Mary Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Were there a lot of sponsor mentions? Yes. Is it basic? Yes. But Meb's ideas on recovery and training volume re:hard balanced with easy resonated with me. It's simple, but not everything needs to be complicated. I don't understand the vitriol from other reviewers. Meb's a professional runner. He views running through a different lens and is way faster than most of us. He still shares some valuable insights with the everyday runner like me.

[Kristi Mangan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like many avid runners I adore Meb, not only because he is an outstanding athlete, but because of his tenacity and resilience, and because he also manages to be (despite what the title implies) a down-to-earth, thoughtful and kind human being. This book is a fascinating look at his training, covering every type of run as well as nutrition, mental preparation, strength training and recovery. He includes several additional tips for aging runners, such as working in cross training and greater emphasis on recovery. It's comforting to know that even a running god like Meb deals with aches and pains. This is a great supplement to the myriad other training tomes out there and an interesting insight into the workings of a running legend.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Got an autographed copy, so per the inscription I shall now "run to win". It was reassuring to see that I already had possession of some of the secrets (Meb uses a 9-day training microcycle rather than 7-day week; so do I! Meb takes epsom salts baths--me too! Meb does pushups with his feet elevated -- same here!), but in other respects I have a long way to go -- need to jack up my form drills about 8x for instance.

It's not an autobiography, though many points are illustrated with anecdotes from his racing career (if, by the end, you don't know that Meb won Boston in 2014 and NYC in 2009 and has Olympic silver medal [and another 4th] on his marathon CV, you need to do some serious reading comprehension cross-training), and not as much detail on training advice as might be typical.

Instead, each chapter takes one major issue (nutrition, cross-training, stretching.......) and breaks down quite specifically what Meb does, sometimes with a little acknowledgement that other elites do it differently or that he used to in younger days, followed by at least a stab at how it might differ for mortals. So yeah you probably can't sneak off for a month at a high-altitude training center, but maybe you can.......

I see that many goodreads reviewers were put off by the extensive product placement, and Meb's many sponsors indeed get their money's worth -- at times it almost read like an SNL parody skit ("....so I woke up and walked to the kitchen to pop a Meb Bagel from Lender's [they're one of my sponsors] into the toaster before spreading some Meb almond butter [I wouldn't endorse it if I didn't love it] on there and eating it while putting on my Meb compression socks, which you can also buy....."), but somehow it was so over the top and obvious it didn't bother me. I know he lost his shoe company contract during an injury-plagued mid-30s slump, so he's I guess making it up in volume of other products.

Stylistically it is straightforward, clear, earnest. I don't know how much collaborator Scott Douglas got involved in the writing. It doesn't sound like Scott's other books, even the others in his "co-author with Olympic marathoner" genre (Pfitzinger, Rodgers). Different sense of humor in particular.

So I wouldn't use this as my sole or main training guide, but any runner can doubtless pick up a few good usable tips and some inspiration. I'll never forget finishing Boston 2014, the year after the bombing, and walking down the street toward Boston Common to pick up my bag, hearing a volunteer say "Meb won". First American male winner there since I pushed Greg Meyer (also from 40+ mins. behind him -- it's a special talent I have) to the 1983 title. Way to go, Meb!

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was really just borderline OK. I think the title is very clever, and it is what attracted me to the book. But so much of the content was pretty brain-dead. It was like Meb was writing it aimed at kindergartners. "Have goals to motivate yourself in running". Duh. "Make sure the goals are specific." Duh. "Here's how to do a pushup". Duh.

I mean, MAYBE this would be helpful for extremely novice runners...? But who doesn't understand the concept of goals being motivating, or how to do a pushup?

Granted, I am cherry-picking the most obvious examples. But the whole tone of the writing was as if he were writing it for people with sub-80 IQs. Now, once he got past the incredibly basic and obvious stuff, there might have been some more useful content in here. He did detail out some training plans, and some strength exercises that were more complex than pushups. But in general I felt this book was way too simplistic. Still like the title, though.

Oh, and one more annoying thing was he kept pushing his "products": his Meb(tm) shoes, his Meb(tm) mp3 player, his Meb(tm) Ellipti-GO bike, and his Meb(tm) power gels. That immediately turns me off.

[Colleen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meb is a wonderful human being and phenomenal athlete. I admire him. Yet, Let me give you examples of why I found this book completely exasperating. It comes across an exercise in corporate prostitution. Within 2 paragraphs on a single page: "It's not like I suddenly became superhuman from having a sports drink and a banana, Powerbar (sponsor) or Krave Jerky (sponsor) soon after my workouts...I'll go for my cooldown job and then immediately mix 10 ounces of water with a packet of protein-enhanced chocolate-flavored Generation UCAN, a sports drink made by one of my sponsors." In another chapter on cross training, the number of times he mentions Ellipti-GO (sponsor) must total somewhere around 50 mentions. And then, of course, there are the Meb-edition Mp3 players (sponsored), and the ubiquitous photos of Meb wearing Sketchers (sponsor) from head-to-toe (hat, shirt, shorts, shoes--all Sketchers), and compression gear (sponsored). It is completely nauseating and distracting, and despite him making disclaimers about his sponsorship and how he believes in the product, it really makes you take a step back and makes him seem like a tool of his sponsors. Other athletes like Chrissie Wellington, Ryan Hall, Scott Jurek etcetc. have all written books which are no where near this level of sycophantism. I just went to his Twitter page and my god, each tweet involves some kow-towing to the sponsor gods.

Aside from that issue, which really influenced my reading of the book, I think it is best for beginning runners--a lot of common sense, well-trodden training and diet tips (although his nutrition regime strikes me as bordering on eating disordered) and glimpses into his training for key events. Meb keeps trying to bring it to the everyman level, but the book is most interesting when it talks about his routines, which in spite of his attempt to appear "normal" show you to what degree professional running is a 24/7 job. I love how he takes down (politely) the OCD running streak folks and those who never rest in the amateur scene. In short--this book would have been good, if not for the Sponsorship parade.

[Việt Anh Nguyễn Lê · Rating 5 out of 5]

Concise and informative

[Alisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good book that collects a lot of running resoures into one place: stretching, body strength exercises, drills, all with photos of Meb illustrating how to do them properly. I come from a swimming background, so I have hundreds of swimming drills in my back pocket but zero running drill knowledge. I know that there are many free resources online for this type of thing, but it's nice to have all of it in one place.

As other people have said, there are some goofy sponsorship messages (at least he is honest about saying it's a sponsor), and some of the advice is basic (set well defined A, B, and C goals, for example) but it was still interesting. As an athlete who literally has decades of professional running experience, it is nice to learn what training principles he lives by:
- It's better to be undertrained than overtrained
- Constantly evaluating choices in light of the bigger goal ('Can I have this doughnut? No, because my goal is to win the Boston Marathon.' -- maybe a little extreme for recreational runners but... he did go on to win the Boston Marathon. A more relevent question might be: Should I log on to facebook after 9:30pm? No, because it will tempt me to stay awake too late and compromise my workout tomorrow, and my goal is to run a sub-4 marathon.)
- Patience is key. Long distance running is not for the impatient.
- Diligence, discipline, and consistency in all areas of life
- Stay humble and honest

I understand why Meb is such a beloved figure in American running. His stoicism, commitment to excellence in his professional and personal life, his faith, and his humility are very inspiring.

[Laura Skladzinski · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really quick, easy read, but got me thinking about a lot of actions I could take to enhance my running BEYOND the workouts. Meb did a great job explaining exactly what he does as a world-class athlete, but also suggesting how those things could be adapted for regular people who don't have the same time/resources. I thought it was incredibly realistic, while also still being inspiring.

[Carianne Carleo-Evangelist · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little Meb history, but mostly an advice column for runners bucketed by topic. I really mostly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to runners of all stripes. While Meb is a legend and has done what almost none of us reading this book could or would, his advice scales. What I found especially useful is his tips about using the pace you feel you're running on a recovery run to judge whether you're recovered. I also liked how in the the Kindle edition the graphics actually worked vs. being laid out weirdly. I look forward to trying some of his stretches and wholly agree re: prehab. He plugs his sponsors, mostly within reason. I think he could talk a little less about Elliptigo though.

My one quibble. Most of the book he said "now this is what I do, but it might not work for you" but he's weirdly anti water bottle:

"Now, let’s be honest—if you carry a bottle for a 5-K or a 10-K, then we have some problems. But for a marathon or a half-marathon that’s going to take more than 2 hours, if carrying your own drink will make you feel comfortable, I’m okay with that."

Who makes Meb the police of what drinking frequency works for other runners? Does it really affect him if John Q. Runner needs a drink on a mile fun run?

[Julia P · Rating 2 out of 5]

I hate running. Why did I read this book? I thought it would be the story of his running career interspersed with some how to's along the way. Instead, it's a straight practical how to book. Great for people who want to improve their running abilities, but that's not me. The section that got the closest to my hopes for this book was the section on eating. He started to delve more into what his life is like as a runner and that was very interesting.

I don't get the criticism I saw levied at the book that it read like a sponsorship ad read. Yes, he talks about his sponsors; I assume that's part of the sponsorship contract. What would people rather him do? If he didn't mention the specific tools he uses, people would be complaining that his advice was too general.

Overall, it was just a mismatch of what I thought this book would be and what it actually is. Maybe I'll follow this advice if I ever challenge myself to "not suck at running" but that is not any time soon.

[Kris Lodwig · Rating 3 out of 5]

Would have liked this book more if I read it, not listened to it. There were times that the narrator was reading training plans, exercises, and captions of pictures. Overall very good book with practical advice from one of the most popular runners in America. Definitely a lot of take aways. Meb and I are the same height and weight, and that’s pretty much where the similarities end, lol! He is so knowledgeable and in tuned to his body, and so disciplined. He absolutely earned his marathon wins.

[Farrah L Cossairt · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was okay. I wish the book more about his running career, not how training should be. I do like the how he talks about his stretching and his warm up process. Otherwise, I got bored reading.

[Chema · Rating 3 out of 5]

Perfecto para entrar en la mente y el día a día de un gran campeón. Flojito si esperas grandes revelaciones.

[Jeni Enjaian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book and downloaded the kindle version instead of purchasing the hardcover so that I could read it before Monday's running of the 2015 Boston Marathon.
Not all of the information was new to me, in fact a lot of it was not. However, Keflezighi and Douglas present the information in an engaging manner carefully tied back to Keflezighi's personal experience throughout his running career and specifically to the training leading up to his historic 2014 Boston Marathon win. Too many books "authored" by an elite runner (*Kara Goucher) cater to beginning runners and almost completely ignore the fact that the purported author is an elite runner whose training looks quite different from the everyday, average, beginning runner.
I loved all of the warm up drills and strengthening and stretching exercises included in the book complete with Meb posing as the model for the demonstrations. Some of the faces made me laugh a little. I hope to make many of these various exercises a part of my own daily routine as I try once again to qualify for Boston.
I recommend this book for all runners whatever your final goal is and especially if you are Meb fan.

[Shaun · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great step-by-step book about running and racing from a guy who knows what he's talking about. Meb won the Silver Medal in the Sydney Olympics and won the 2014 Boston Marathon. He's not a young, spring-chicken either. He went into his training routine, how he stretches, eats, rests and cross-trains. He has pictures to demonstrate the exercises and stretches he does. It's a great book to learn more about running, to become a runner or improve your skills as a runner.

[MaryBeth Thompson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Always loved Meb and had the opportunity to meet him at the Rock and Roll expo in March. The book give good practical advice for aging runners like myself.
Lots (too much per some?) product placement- like one person reviewed, it can read like an SNL parody. I'm glad he thanked his physical therapists, a lot of his stretching advice may have come from them.

[Anh Arabe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great motivation and tips, however not very practical for a working runner.

[Sean O'Dwyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Straightforward, solid advice for runners at any level. Super easy to read.

[Matt Hooper · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you are a runner and are in any way serious about the sport of running, then you know Meb.

Meb Keflezighi is perhaps the most famous American distance runner. He's the only person in history to have won the New York City Marathon, the Boston Marathon and medaled in an Olympic Marathon. When he won New York in 2009, he became the first American man in 33 years to do so. When he won Boston in 2014 -- at the ripe old age of 39 years -- he became the first American in 31 years to do so.

You don't win marathons at any level -- much less two of the world's premiere races -- without a strong training and self-care regimen. "Meb For Mortals" -- co-written with Runner's World's Scott Douglas -- goes into considerable detail about that regimen. We get specifics on Meb's mental and physical conditioning, his eating habits, his strength and stretching exercises, as well as his theories on cross-training and recovery. You have everything you need to completely conform your training plan to Meb's.

Of course, all runners are different. There are some first principles, sure -- you need to fuel properly, you need to put in the proper amount of pre-race mileage, you need to develop strong core muscles, you need to take time to recover, and you should probably cross-train to alleviate stress on your feet and knees (without sacrificing cardiorespiratory fitness). Meb is a true believer in all of these principles -- and he shares how he adheres to them in this book.

But Meb is quick to point out that he's a world-class marathoner and that distance running is his profession. To get in his weekly mileage -- occasionally north of 100 miles -- he might run twice a day (or do a run plus cross-training in a day). For the rest of us, trying to train for marathons and half marathons while working office jobs, squeezing in pre-dawn long runs on weekday mornings and hoping to accrue 25 to 30 miles in a week ... some of the Meb regimen is simply infeasible. And that's okay. His definition of success with regard to distance running is different than mine, and is likely different than yours. If you're good with that, then you can glean some great tips from this book and discard what isn't feasible for you.

Case in point -- I read the majority of this book on a recent flight from Dallas to Pittsburgh, where I was running the Pittsburgh Half Marathon. During that race, I actively practiced Meb's advice, specifically keeping my shoulders relaxed and low, and making sure that my arms and hands were swinging low and parallel to my body (rather than diaphragm-high and crisscrossing in front of my body). The result? I shaved five minutes off my last big-city half, which I had completed less than two months earlier. So, consider that a "Meb For Mortals" success story.

You don't even have to be a marathoner to benefit from the book -- as evidenced by the diverse lineup of famous athletes, coaches and businesspersons who have praised it. You can learn a lot about a person by the company they keep, and Meb is no exception. Former NFL head coach Tony Dungy wrote the forward. Tennis pro Caroline Wozniacki and Olympic champion Apolo Ohno provided back-cover blurbs. NBA legends Bill Walton and Baron Davis, Olympians Kara Goucher and Shalane Flanagan, and T-Mobile CEO and President John Legere provided praise, as well. People love Meb for reasons beyond his running talent. The opinion that Meb is a good guy and a relentless cheerleader for professional and amateur runners alike (he was spotted handing out medals here at the BMW Dallas Marathon in 2017) is virtually unanimous.

His book is chockablock with valuable information. Runners, I'd recommend you grab a copy and start putting some of that information into practice.

[Tom]

Great book with a full range of running tips from Meb, an inspiring marathon runner who grew up as an Eritrean refugee in the United States and who trained to become the only person to achieve an Olympic medal and win both the New York Marathon and Boston Marathon. Here’s a few of his tips:

“Your goals should have [a] pull on you. They should be things you want to achieve for yourself, not to meet someone else’s expectations. Training to reach a goal requires a lot of hard work. When you hit a tough stretch, either physically or mentally, if the goal you’re working toward has deep significance for you, you’ll find a way to persevere. But if someone else thrust the goal upon you, when you hit tough stretches, you’re going to think, “Wait, why am I doing this?””

“IT’S BETTER TO BE UNDERTRAINED THAN OVERTRAINED. As runners, we tend to think more is always better. We all want to be known for going the extra mile. At times, that used to be me, but not these days. In my own running and that of many elite and recreational runners, I’ve seen more problems arise from going 1 mile too many than 1 too few.”

“There’s always a balance between taking others’ advice and doing what’s best for you.”

“On the start line, I take time to calm myself and just be thankful I’m there. One of the things I was thinking before the 2014 Boston Marathon was “Last year I wasn’t healthy and couldn’t run here. Now I’m healthy. I’m thankful to get to run this race, and I hope to give my best.””

“For me, goal A is usually to win. For you, it might be to set a personal best or, if it’s your first time doing a race of that distance, to get to the finish line. My goal B is usually to get on the podium (finish among the top three). Yours might be to run the fastest you have for the distance in the last 5 years. My goal C might be to be the top American. Yours might be your fastest time ever on the course you’re running. And so on down through several more possible outcomes.”

— Meb For Mortals: How to Run, Think, and Eat like a Champion Marathoner by Meb Keflezighi, Scott Douglas
https://a.co/j492BJq

[Yuriy Bezsonov · Rating 4 out of 5]

Книга описывает подход Меба к целям, тренировкам, еде, сну восстановлению. В целом интересно. Тот кто прочитал несколько книг о беге много нового не найдет, но довольно хорошо систематизирован подход к бегу для возрастных атлетов, DOS AND DON’TS.

Думай как Меб - ставь цели, измеряемые, реалистичные, но амбициозные. Используй цели что бы стать лучше, но не впадай в депрессию если что-то не получилось. Извели урок и или дальше.

Бегай как Меб - беговая форма важна, улучшай, делай СБУ (примеры в книге).

Тренируйся как Меб - лучше недотренироваться чем перетренироваться! Постоянство важнее всего, вариативность важна, учет важен. План - важен. Примеры планов для разных дистанций в книге есть, но не стоит рассматривать их как руководство к действию, для этого есть более подходящие книги.

Соревнуйся как Меб - что делать до забега, что есть, как подготовиться ментально, когда бежать до конца и когда сойти. Здоровье важнее гордыни, но не сходи только потому что тяжело, а только когда есть риск травмы.

Ешь как Меб - будь проще :), проверенная здоровая еда лучше всего. Не бросайся в крайности. Веганом или LCHF можно быть, но для бега лучше больше углеводов, белки и достаточно жиров для поддержки систем организма. Вес важен перед соревнованием, но зацикливаться на нем не надо. Секретных диет нет :(

Силовая подготовка - круговой тренинг, часто этого достаточно: планки, подтягивания, отжимания, приседания. Что бы лучше бегать - надо бегать. Все остальное - для поддержки и не должно мешать бегу.

Растяжка как у Меба - растягиваться полезно, особенно после тренировки или забега. Когда болит, осторожно, есть риск повредить больше.

Кросс тренинг Меба - конечно EliptiGo - спонсор Меба :) Микс велосипеда и степпера. Интересное устройство, но дорогое.Заменяй кросс-тренингом только легкие беговые сессии, но не ключевые воркауты, занимайся кросс-тренингом даже когда нет травм, что бы предотвратить их!

Восстанавливайся как Меб - легкий бег, компрессия, массаж. Но главное - СОН и ПИТАНИЕ!

[Jimbo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meb for Mortals is the best all around running training book. Other running books have too much fluff. Meb doesn't focus on what readers should do. Instead, he just tells the readers what and why he did what he did.

It has everything covered, and is very too the point. Lots of images and advice that readers can practically use now.

The first part of the boo is self help. It's very appropriate. Running is one of the most self helping things a person can do. Running is easy to measure, and has the easiest barriers to enter, a pair of running shoes.

Then each chapter summarizes what Meb did. It's anecdotal, which brings me to the aspect I like the best about this book.

The book really captures the professional athlete. They have to have the natural ability, but then on top of that they have to have faith in themselves, their training, and all the other aspects of their life that influence their sport. It takes attention to detail. It takes insistent persistence. It's not just about doing the best thing, that's probably impossible, but athletes need to have faith that they are giving their all and their all is the best plan. That confidence may make or break at the highest levels!

[(a)lyss(a) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a hard book to rate, I'd say it was around 3.5 stars for me.

This book is not just a biography, but a sort of how-to guide for running. There are pictures of stretches and work out examples Meb does to stay in shape. But the book is also fairly repetitive and because it's a 'guide' it reads like some things are out of order if you read it front to back. We hear about the ElliptiGo for several chapters (one of many product placements Meb endorses!) and in almost the end Meb talks about his introduction to the ElliptiGo and why he uses it. Similarly, we hear repeated lines about how professional athletes get drinks from their sponsors throughout their race (with their names, of course) throughout the book.

I will say I appreciate Meb acknowledging that he's only human and taking care of your body is important. He is honest about how there isn't a running hack and as a professional athlete he has a leg up on training. His suggestions may not be doable for the average person, but it's interesting to hear how he did it.

[Shuo Jiang · Rating 5 out of 5]

(9.5/10) "Meb for Mortals" stands out as one of the best running books I have ever read. Its value lies not only in systematically teaching running-related knowledge, which it does excellently, but more importantly, in reinforcing principles that runners may have already learned and updating some misconceptions—because even a world champion adheres to these methods.

Creating such an impactful book is no easy feat. First, the author must genuinely believe that a lot of small things can make a difference. Second, they must write and share with immense sincerity. Marathon running is not about surviving a few grueling workouts; it's about choosing the right training direction and executing it consistently and unwaveringly over the long term.

Regarding the book itself, I found the sections on strength training, cross-training, and recovery particularly beneficial. The details are less important to mention individually because no single point can fully capture the essence of the book: everything you do in your running life is interrelated.

[Mandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great book for older runners like myself. Meb takes an approach that improves performance while staying healthy. His thoughts and ideas are very practical and very doable. He covers topics such as eating, weight control, exercises to help avoid injury and improve running form, how to train, how the mind comes into play, strengthen/stretch/recover ideas, and cross training. I found it easy to read, his ideas made sense to me, the exercises are something I can do at home. It was very inspirational and I'm looking forward to implementing his ideas into my training program. He was honest with his successes and his disappointments. He covers ideas in his running that have transitioned from his younger days to his current 40+ age, explaining why he has changed his tactics and how it has helped him to stay running injury free. This is a great book for an older runner like me who wants to run injury free.

[Alex Kacprzyk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meb quite in detail presents his approach to all aspects of training, including strenght, stretching and importance of active recovery as well as the mental aspects of training and racing. No secrets are revealed but Meb proves that a radically comprehensive approach to training allowed him to achieve marathon victories in the age when his fellow runners were already retired, which resonates well with me as 45+ runner.
Unfortinately, to me, a mere mortal, having a demanding job and family duties, it is hard to pick which of those elements to prioritize as all of them seem important.
Another quite annoying quirks are: repeating on every page his Boston and NYC victories, recommending products from his sponsors and strange narrative which sounds artificial (although I'm not a native speaker).

[Mai Anh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ban đầu đọc có cảm giác rất giống sách self-help dành cho runners vì cách viết khá là giống mà mình thì hơi nhạy cảm với kiểu sách này nhưng sau đó đọc thì học được nhiều kinh nghiệm có thể bỏ túi chơi môn này long term được.
Meb trở thành huyền thoại khi là người Mỹ đầu tiên có huy chương Olympic, thắng NY marathon 2009 và Boston marathon 2014 (nghe nói đã từng trở thành giấc mơ Mỹ gì gì đó). Năm ngoái 2017 thì Meb đã giã từ nghiệp chạy đua và hình như chuyển qua coach thì phải.
Sách hầu như viết theo kiểu truyền kinh nghiệm (như Meb từng nói "Im happy to divulge the secrets of my success) hơn là theo khoa học (tức là ko có lý thuyết). Sách viết rất dễ hiểu (câu chữ đơn giản). mình nghe bảo sách sắp được dịch ra Tiếng Việt.

[Amandanoel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel like Goldilocks! If the Higdon book was a bit too aimed at beginners then this was the opposite. Meb’s book does exactly what it promises- describes how he goal sets, trains, eats, etc… and most of those things are in ways you can’t really replicate if being an elite runner isn’t your job. (I would LOVE to get massages several times a week but that os not happening… I am not going to have the same diet as him being vegetarian and honestly just not prioritizing running to the point of never indulging in an alcoholic beverage etc)
That being said, Meb is a huge inspiration and I kind of want to go back and re-read his book 26 marathons which was full of so much kindness and inspiration. It also reminded me of some stretching and recovery work.

[Marty Coleman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished this book on the flight to Oakland to run the Oakland Marathon. I implemented his suggestions for getting ready on the morning of the race and it made a huge difference in how I felt for the entire race. As a result I achieved my goals in every category and am primed for the next phase in the fall.
It's a fantastic manual on how to properly train and race as a runner. It includes sections on everything from pre-race routines to recovery techniques, eating and nutrition, race strategy, training on the road and cross training.
I highly recommend it for the information but even more so for the inspiration Meb gives for being the best runner you can be.

[Moi · Rating 3 out of 5]

a fantastic primer on how to Sport like meb: covering mental training, form, racing technique, nutrition, and strength training. approachable and candid.

the most helpful section—and perhaps reason for some to purchase it for their permanent libraries—covers the dynamic and static stretches and running drills meb performs almost every day. they include photographs and step-by-step instructions, and he helpfully explains which he performs when, during which workouts.

definitely worth a read for the distance runner, but you likely won't need to reference it after reading it once.

the ebook had layout and text errors.