Secrets from Meb’s Coach: What are the Best Workouts for YOU as a Runner?

If you’ve been listening for a while, then you know there’s someone very specific I’ve been working on bringing to the show: Meb Keflezighi. I love hearing his stories, and it seems like everyone always has something positive to say about him.

Today was no exception — I had the pleasure of speaking with his longtime coach and mentor, Bob Larsen. He has coached at almost every level of the sport, all the way from high school students to olympians. He is also the founder of the Mammoth Track Club, where both Meb and Deena Kastor led the way.

Bob is just as humble as you would imagine. He gives some sneak peeks into what training involves, as well as why he thinks Meb is so special. We dive deep into his experience and training philosophies, and I think you’ll really enjoy it.

Today’s topics include:

What Bob enjoys about each level of running
His experience coaching at UCLA and San Diego State
Why he recommends coaching high school at first
The importance of threshold runs
How Mammoth Track Club started
What it is like to coach Meb
The effects of using altitude in your training
Bob’s thoughts on the number of post-collegiate groups
Why he loves using the ElliptiGO

Not only does Bob have a documentary out right now, but you’ll find out how it came to be. He detailedly describes the reasoning behind his love of running, and how he has overcome the toughest parts.

Bob goes into detail, not only about himself, but about his experience as Meb’s coach and mentor.

He tells me two techniques you should be applying to reach your maximum potential, and if you implement them, you’ll be applying the same techniques Meb has been applying for years. Bob tells me that to this day, Meb doesn’t really need coaching.

There are so many different ways of coaching, but in this interview, we discuss Bob’s style. The bottom line is that his answer is always to come up with an individualized program, and he really hones in on why that’s important, too.

Bob also explains how their relationship has evolved over the years, and describes exactly what has allowed Meb to be so good for so long. With today’s tips, you may be on your way to following this path yourself!

Remember that you could be one of our ten winners for either a kettlebell, foam rolling, or stretching program, all written by founder of RunnersConnect, Jeff Gaudette. Be sure to tune in to see how you can be one of our lucky winners!

Don’t miss my interview next week with friend and author of You Can Run Pain Free, Brad Beer, where he’ll be answering all of your common questions about injuries.

Quotes:

“Start extremely easy.”

“You want to do a workout that you can live with.”

“When your complementing a coach, your complimenting his or her athletes.”

“Meb brings that drive; he comes out and pushes hard. He doesn’t compete in workouts, but he does everything right and does all the extra stuff.”

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