If there is one person who embodies the sport of running – all that it is and all that it should be – it is Meb Keflezighi. As the 2015 Boston Marathon is nearly upon us, it’s hard not to think about Meb’s historic and victorious win at the 2014 Boston Marathon. Just one year after the devastating attacks against our running community and our country, Meb’s win in Boston united an entire nation. On that day and in the days that followed, we were all runners. We were all Boston. People who don’t run or never cared about 26.2 miles before that race cared that day. And they now know Meb.

When it comes to running, I like to think of myself as a student who never wants to graduate. I seek out and suck in running knowledge like a sponge. You can imagine my excitement for the opportunity to learn more from Meb himself. I had the chance to meet Meb in 2013 when he spoke to the Atlanta Track Club. He shared so many inspiring and helpful suggestions I still think about today. I immediately learned that Meb’s greatest triumph and contributions are not his running, but perhaps his character and the way he lives his life.

This week, I finished Meb’s latest book called Meb for Mortals, where he opens up about specific details related to his training, running, racing, nutrition, stretching, recovery and much more. My friends at Runner’s World sent me a copy to preview, and I really enjoyed taking a peek behind the curtains at what Meb does regularly and what he attributes to his running success.

After I finished the last page and closed the book, I reflected for a while on whether Meb’s advice really translates for us mere mortal runners as the title suggests. I think the answer is yes and no.

Meb does a great job trying to relate to the everyday runner who does not run 130 miles a week or get paid to solely focus on running and nutrition. The book does a tremendous job focusing on the “small things” in running that can make a big impact (like stretching, strength training and form). But this isn’t a book where the reader should expect to walk away with a suggested training plan or specific nutrition strategy. Here were my key takeaways from Meb for Mortals.

What Works for Mortals

Pre-hab, not rehab
The most powerful concept Meb introduced in his book was the concept of doing targeted things every day to prevent injury and maximize performance. Meb has been lauded for being so good for so long because he does the little things right – eating well, recovering well, working on running form, cross-training, stretching, strength training, etc. However, Meb doesn’t consider those little things, because they’re integral to being the best runner he can be and because over time, they have a big impact. I had a lightbulb moment reading this book regarding just how much an elite like Meb does to stay a healthy, stronger runner every day. Meb has a stretching routine and strength training routine that he does daily and religiously, along with form drills. He goes into them in depth and after you read the book you will have a solid plan and routine to also do and apply every day in your own training.

A reference guide
I enjoy running books that can serve as a reference guide to me long after I’ve read their pages. I consistently refer back to a handful of books when I’m considering training strategies, paces, etc. One thing that I loved about Meb for Mortals are the running form drills, strength training exercises and stretches that Meb provides in detail with photos in the book. This is something I plan to scan and print out to keep handy and really start focusing on more religiously.

Patience is a virtue
I’ve written before about patience being the key to running success. I loved how Meb shared that “long-distance running is not a sport for people who crave instant gratification.” He talks about goal-setting and building over time and how to enjoy the small successes along the way that lead to big success and learn from the runs and races that don’t go as well as we hoped.

Learning from the best
It was very valuable to me to read about what Meb really does – how early he gets up before races, what he does for his warm-up routine, what a day in the life of his diet looks like, etc. I enjoyed seeing snippets from his training log and what he thinks is most important to getting better. A few things that sparked ideas for my personal training included:

• You should leave a workout being able to do more. I don’t always feel this way after one of my key workouts for the week. This is a great strategy to keep in mind when assessing effort.
• Running strides should be better integrated into my training plan and warm-up routine (strides are something easy to cut when time is strapped but so important).
• Most elite runners are running twice a day. In my next marathon training cycle, I’d really like to integrate one to two days of double running to see if that helps break up the pounding while adding mileage and endurance.
• I need to be stretching and strength training more specifically and with more purpose.
• Meb’s fuel of choice during a race is sports drink mixed with a caffeinated gel. I’d love to try this and see how my body would react to that fueling.

Not So Mortal

When you train and perform at the level Meb does, I think it is hard to be highly specific and also basic enough to appeal to the everyday runner. Overall, I don’t think this is a book for beginners. While there are some excellent take-aways for beginners on goal-setting, patience, mental training and injury prevention techniques, the nutrition and training plan portions of the book are a bit more advanced in my opinion.

Don’t expect a training plan.
If you are expecting to get a 16 or 21-week training plan to follow from this book, you will be disappointed. Meb shares very basic guidance on the types of runs that should comprise a weekly training regimen (e.g. intervals, tempo runs, long runs, recovery/easy runs) which you will find in any guidance about training. Meb provides a slice of his training during a peak and taper period which is very different for people just starting out to build a base. The workouts offered for mortals are more advanced for people who have a very solid base and have run several half marathons/marathons and perhaps not for someone just starting out. That may have been the intention, but I would caution new runners to ensure that doesn’t overwhelm you.

Nutrition is not for mortals.
Meb opens up in his book about his nutrition strategy. I agree with all of his points about the kinds of foods to eat and on his pre-race and fueling advice. However, I don’t like the book’s discussion on running weight. Most experts will suggest that the everyday runner not try to lose weight and maximize performance at the same time. Meb has a goal to lose weight during his goal marathon training period, and I think without very personalized guidance for a mortal runner, readers should be careful about that. Meb also eats no sugar and even limits his intake on fruit and honey during a training cycle. That probably isn’t realistic for most people who have birthday parties and dinners with friends and work meetings for lunch. It could feel a little deflating to read Meb’s nutrition thoughts and then think about your own. I would encourage readers to remember that this is an elite runner who gets paid to eat and train with excellence and perfection.

Hello Sponsors
There were parts of the book that felt a little overly “sponsored” in the book. Meb clearly loves his sponsors and he includes them all throughout his books as part of his strategy. While the book is authentic, I do think it feels a little sponsored.

The Bottom Line

Overall, Meb for Mortals was a good book worth your time to read. Meb is the ultimate ambassador for our sport and someone we can all learn so much from about running and life. Make sure you set your expectations that you will get more out of it on the “prehab” side than you will in receiving specific training plans or nutrition plans.

Have you read Meb for Mortals? If so, what did you think? What other running books would you recommend?