Are you ready to be inspired? And maybe have some fun while we are at it? Then this is the episode for you.
For most of us, qualifying for the Olympics is a completely unrelateable accomplishment, right? Well how about qualifying for FIVE of them?
Abdi Abdirahman is the only American distance runner to qualify for five Olympic Games. At age 44, Abdi is also the oldest American runner to qualify for the Olympics, the oldest male to podium at the New York City Marathon, and the USA Track & Field master’s record holder in the marathon.
Born in Somalia, he came to Tucson, Arizona, at age 16 after his family escaped civil war. He became an American citizen in 2000 and has represented the United States as a 10,000m runner at the 2000, 2004, and 2008 Olympics, in the marathon in 2012, and has qualified for the 2020 Olympic marathon to be held in Japan this year.
Coach Claire Bartholic wanted to talk to “The Black Cactus” as Abdi is also known, not just about his amazing accomplishments, but about the things that are relatable and helpful to all runners–not just elites.
Because the truth is that we are all runners and while Abdi just happens to be one of the fastest runners on the planet, we are all just putting one foot in front of the other.
His new book is called, Abdi’s World: The Black Cactus on Life, Running, and Fun, and in it, Abdi not only tells his incredible life story, but he also talks about how he leads a fulfilling life that is not all about running.
It’s like a guidebook that is part life lessons, part training tips, part autobiography, and all uniquely Abdi.
Claire talks with him about his 5 rules of running that might just help you have a better run today. It’s kind of hard to believe that such a dedicated, durable and resilient runner like him sometimes has to convince himself to go for a run, but it’s true and she asks him all about it.
This conversation is as much about living a passionate life as it is about running and it’s hard to find someone more passionate about both than Abdi.
Questions:
- One of the things you are most famous for, besides running, is your sense of humor. We’ll talk about running in a bit, but I’d love to hear more about how much you value fun first.
- You mentioned in your book Abdi’s world that your long time coach, Dave Murray, calls you 44 going on 16. What did he mean by that?
- One of the cardinal rules of racing is “nothing new on race day.” But you have a habit of wearing new race shoes. Can you tell us about that?
- One of the things I find interesting about how you run is that you are a heel striker and you run by feel. You’ve never really tried to change your form. Can you talk about that?
- Your nickname is “Black Cactus.” It’s not super common for endurance runners to have a nickname, so tell us how that came about.
- In your long career, you’ve had some incredible highs and some devastating lows. But through it all, you endure. Can you help us understand how you do that? And how we can learn to do that? How do you bounce back?
- The main goal of this show is to help runners to become better by the end of every episode and I think there are a lot of words of wisdom in your book. One quote I liked is “the last week of taper cannot make you fitter.” That can be hard for competitive runners to believe! Can you talk about that?
- What do the words “believe in yourself” mean to you?
- You outlined 5 rules of running: rock steady, practice balance, stick with what works, play the long game, and give yourself 10 minutes. Can we talk about each one? (It’s hard to believe that someone at your level has trouble going out the door sometimes to run!)
- I’m sure you get asked all the time about your secrets for longevity in the sport. I’d like to ask you instead how you have needed to change your training or recovery as you have aged? Or do you still train the same way you did 20 years ago?
- It’s still unclear whether Tokyo will go on or not. How do you deal with uncertainty?
- What’s next for you?
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