Past Book Review (November 26, 2020): "26 Marathons"

New book review for 26 Marathons: What I Learned about Faith, Identity, Running, and Life from My Marathon Career, by Meb Keflezighi and Scott Douglas, Rodale Books, 2020:

Great read about all the marathons Meb ran during his 2002-2017 career, which just happen to equal 26! Almost half of these, 11, were for the New York City marathon, 5 were for the Boston marathon, 4 for the Olympic trials, 3 for the Olympics, 2 for the London marathon (one of which he did not finish), and 1 for the Chicago marathon. The appendix provides a table listing the dates of all these running events alongside his finishing place and time. And while very short, the introduction and epilogue provide some additional context, with the epilogue in agreement with my philosophy that "the run never ends"!

At the outset in the introduction, Meb discusses what this book is all about. "The undercurrent running throughout this book is my 'run to win' philosophy. 'Run to win' doesn't mean always trying to finish first. Even for elite runners, finishing first is the exception, not the rule. I broke the tape at only three of my twenty-six marathons. Sure, I hoped to and tried to win most of them, but when I placed something other than first, I was content as long as I had 'run to win' in the broader sense. What do I mean? Simply that 'run to win' isn't about finishing first, but about getting the best out of yourself. I started using this philosophy long before I became a marathoner."

Meb mentions during high school that the parents of his academic tutors would ask him about his goals for upcoming competitions. "Thinking about my races that way helped me broaden my definition of success. I realized that it could be just as satisfying to finish fifth instead of first if I could honestly say I'd given my best. Setting personal records took on new meaning, because they were indisputable evidence that I had done better than I ever had at a particular distance. With [their] help, I learned how to evaluate my performance in less-objective situations than a timed race on the track, including ones outside running." And later, "I carried that mind-set into every marathon I ran. It was key to the many successes I had in my career, and it helped me through some very rough times. I hope that this book inspires you to 'run to win' on your terms, in running and in life."

In evaluating the subtitle to this book, what Meb has to share here obviously is about running, and his identity as a runner and thoughts about running with respect to his life are also very evident. Unfortunately, after reading Ryan Hall's "Running with Joy: My Daily Journey to the Marathon" and "Run the Mile You're In: Finding God in Every Step", including what he wrote about his friendship with Meb, I expected to hear more about Meb's faith, especially considering the fact that it is listed first in the subtitle to "26 Marathons: What I learned about Faith, Identity, Running, and Life from My Marathon Career." This aspect of his life, while it may be important to him, just seems misplaced, and would have likely been better left out of the subtitle, or moved to a different position in it.

While I may have missed something, I didn't notice anything that might allude to faith until the end of chapter 8 when he mentions the serenity prayer about accepting what you can't change, working on what you can change, and having the wisdom to know the difference, but when he revisits this prayer in chapter 20 he explains that it is about self-control. Some thirty pages later in the latter half of chapter 12, en route to discussing his New York City marathon win, he mentions in passing that he prayed "give me your strength, this is for both of us", but the object of "your" was Ryan Shay who unfortunately passed away at the same marathon two years earlier. Meb finally mentions his "God-given talent" at the beginning of chapter 15, he later comments in chapter 19 that "I strongly believe there was a higher purpose at play that day, that the stars were all aligned for me", subsequently writing that an opportunity to move ahead at around mile five of the Boston marathon "was the moment I had prayed for" and that he "relied on the cheering crowds and the victim's angels to give me strength" a year after the bombings.

One of the things I like best about this book are the "key lessons" that start each chapter, each of which covers a separate marathon event. Some of my favorites are as follows. For the 2003 marathon (Chicago): "You don't have to swing for the fences in everything you do. Cruise control can be an effective, low-stress way not only to run your fastest but to reach your full potential in many areas of life." For the 2004 marathon (New York City): "Celebrate your accomplishments but don't rest on your laurels. Use the momentum from one success to work toward others." For the 2005 marathon (Boston): "The marathon is a metaphor for life in how it rewards patience." For the 2010 marathon (Boston): "It is better to be 90 percent ready and make it to the start line than to panic and become either overtrained or unable to start the race." For the 2013 marathon (New York City): "You never know who you're going to touch and what you're going to learn about yourself when faced with adversity."

Of all the chapters, I enjoyed the last aforementioned one the most. Meb comments that he stopped at least seven times during this marathon, and with about 5k to go a Staten Island resident named Mike, whom he had just met before the race, caught up with him and agreed to finish the race together even though Meb admittedly was having a rough time, writing that Mike could have easily pulled away from him. In representing New York City and Boston, they ended up finishing the race holding hands raised high. In closing this chapter, Meb discusses the camaraderie of competition, and comments how one can inspire others even on days that aren't their best. As a lifelong runner, I've always enjoyed the waves, smiles, and hellos every time I encounter other runners on the trail.