"Like the marathon, life can sometimes be difficult, challenging and present obstacles, however if you believe in your dreams and never ever give up, things will turn out for the best.” – Meb
"For the everyday athlete, the biggest piece of advice is enjoy what you’re doing and work really hard at it. What you put in is exactly what you’ll get out of it. You’ll have results." – Desi
So you might not run recovery runs at under six minutes per mile. You might not have earned a silver medal. You may never finish on the podium at the Boston or New York City Marathons, let alone qualify for either. However, you might have WAY more in common with our two newest athletes, Meb Keflezighi and Desi Davila than you might think.
The great thing about the sport of running is that no matter how your genetics read you still have to put in the hard work. Both Meb and Desi are what hard work and dedication are all about. Meb, who ran at the collegiate level for the UCLA Bruins has won just about every distance event there is at some point in his career. He is one of the most down to earth and humble world class athletes out there, who has always expressed how important his family is to him. It was not only his silver medal in Athens (2004), his NYC Marathon victory (2009) or his other amazing on the track and the road feats that drew us towards him, it was his character and vision to use his success to promote healthy and active lifestyles.
"It’s just calm, calm, calm, relax, relax, relax." When you see Desi out on a run, one of the first things you'll notice is her eyes are always looking forward. If you took the planning and strategy in which a chess player executes and combined it with the strength of a lion, you would get the expression on Desi's face when out there battling the world's top runners. Desi ran her collegiate career for the Arizona State Sun Devils and like Meb has had victories and accomplishments across the board. Desi is quick to remind herself, "that nothing comes easy," and determination is the name of the game.
Just like the careers of these two amazing athletes, Garmin too started at the line at one point and shot out of the blocks in a race toward our goals. We started with the Forerunner 201, and Meb started with a pretty sweet flat top (that's him on the right). We then moved on to the Forerunner 305, and Desi started her sports with that same intense expression (can you guess which one she is?)
Today, Garmin , Meb and Desi have grown, learned from past experiences and are leaders within their disciplines. We now have the Forerunner 210 and 610, and Meb and Desi are about to embark on the summer of their lives as they prepare for their next Marathon. Check back each week for insider training tips, nutrition advice and some running secrets from two of the top runners in the world and members of Team USA! Meb and Desi, welcome to the Garmin Family.
You can meet Meb and Desi this weekend at the Boston Marathon Expo where they will be signing autographs at the Garmin booth on Friday at 4-5pm EST. Also at the expo is Garmin athlete Josh Cox, who will be at the booth on Sunday from 2-3pm EST. Come stop by and say hi.
Source: Garmin
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"We’re Just Like You, Only Faster"