A few days before Rock N Roll San Antonio, Sony contacted me asking if I'd like to interview Meb. After doing a happy dance checking my schedule, I let them know I had a few minutes to spare for him.
Up until that point, all I really knew about Meb was that he was super speedy. (Olympic Silver Medalist, 2009 NYC Marathon winner, first to the dinner table, that kind of thing) So, I knew I needed to do a little research in order to keep my Brooks Ghost's out of my big mouth.
"Run To Overcome"
Luckily, he released a book last month, and his publisher Tyndale House,very kindly sent me over a few copies. The book arrived three days before the marathon. In all honesty, I figured I would only have time to browse the book and hopefully glean a few tidbits of information. Imagine my surprise when I devoured the book within 24 hours.
"Run To Overcome" isn't just the story of his running accolades, its the story of Meb's life. As a child he grew up in poverty stricken Eritrea, at age 12 his family escaped during a war. He came to America, not being able to speak English, and more surprisingly having not ever ran for sport.
Through hard work, and with the support of his family, he became successful academically and soon discovered a passion for running. Meb describes his family life, which put an emphasis on education and faith, not just athletics.
The book follows him through college at UCLA, and through each of his major races. He discusses his training and recovery schedule and also touches on his nutrition. I enjoyed the peak into an elites mind with his race recaps.
Meb's determination, faith in God and a supportive family helped him overcome a childhood filled with obstacles, and a running career fraught with injuries.
Last year, he started the M.E.B. Foundation, which stands for "Maintain Excellent Balance". He believes a balance between Health, Fitness and Education is the key to success. His foundation provides youth with the tools necessary to live a healthy lifestyle. You can find out more about it HERE.
"Run To Overcome" is filled with helpful tips to mentally prepare for races, and to overcome adversity in general. It was an easy read, and the perfect inspirational way to kick off my marathon weekend.
*I will post my interview with Meb next week.*
GIVEAWAY:
Tyndale House is giving you an opportunity to win "Run To Overcome". I have two copies that I got autographed for you during my interview.(you're welcome) The giveaway runs until 12/26. Please leave separate comments for each entry.
1. Be a follower of my blog
2. "Like" Meb on Facebook HERE.
3. Read about the Meb Foundation HERE and come back and tell me something you learned.
4. Tell me YOUR tips for overcoming rough patches in running or in life.
5. Follow me on Twitter HERE.
6. DONATE to any of the charities listed in THIS post and receive an entry for every dollar you donate (ex: $5=5 entries/comments)
7. Spread the word, these can be done DAILY. (separate comment for EACH)
-link this giveaway on your blog
-put this giveaway link in your facebook status
-send out this tweet
I just entered the @TriciaRunning #giveaway to win a signed copy of the @RunMeb book "Run To Overcome" http://tinyurl.com/25atete