Running Insight

knowing I gave every ounce of my body and effort to the sport and I'm blessed to go out on my own terms," he says. One chapter in a spirited, remarkable life closed, another one awaits. But first, Meb would like to catch his breath. Meb's Next Chapter In the weeks leading up to the New York City Marathon, the farewell stories and well wishes began to accumulate – and for good reason. A counter to the entitled, elite athlete archetype that's come to overlord our world, Meb earned a legion of adoring fans with his humility and grace, will and spirit. He kissed the hands of Boston Marathon attack survivors, encouraged the average Joes and Janes plodding their own miles and dazzled with impromptu push-ups and a self- deprecating laugh steps from the marathon finish line in Rio, his final Olympic Games. Indeed, the U.S. running landscape has known few like Meb, a soft-spoken, resilient "gamer" who is among the most influential distance runners in American history. Now that the intense, 100-plus mile weeks have concluded, Meb's immediate plan is "not to do anything." "That's the simplest thing, isn't it?" he asks in an understated, completely Meb-like way. For the last 27 years as a competitive athlete – and the last 20, in particular – Meb embraced the grind of elite training. He saved his deep breaths for the end of threshold or tempo runs, not life. "The marathon demands a lot and I gave it everything I had," he says. "When you're constantly turning your attention to the next race, knowing that you're only as good as your last one, you miss out on a lot of things in life and I want to start by taking a break." A break, of course, does not mean binging on "Game of Thrones" or barricading himself in his San Diego bedroom for peace and quiet. Not for Meb, a man who prizes movement, whose energy for life gleams in an omnipresent electric grin powered by gratitude and passion. His retirement plans involve spending more time with his wife, Yordanos, and the couple's three daughters – ages 11, nine and seven. He also plans on finally ac- complishing some long-rainchecked plans, including camping with his girls and a Sierra Nevadas hike with his massage therapist, Gary Ochman. "He's been on me since 2004 about that," Meb says of Ochman, "so it's about time I take him up on that offer." Beyond those immediate plans, various other ideas percolate. Over recent years, Meb's focused on building up his resume to navigate this exact transition, one so many elites struggle to negotiate. He's interested in speaking engagements at expos, clinics, road races and running shops built around themes such as nutrition, fitness and perseverance. He also looks to become more deeply involved with the MEB Foundation, the nonprofit he launched to promote youth health, education and fitness. Owning a running specialty store holds par- ticular intrigue as does coaching. Days before the New York City Marathon, in fact, Meb's personal website introduced a potential training advisory program and Meb 2.0 (continued) 80 runninginsight.com © 2017 Formula4media LLC. "I want to be involved with the sport and definitely have ideas floating around, but I honestly don't have a specific plan of attack."

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