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  • January 16, 2018 7:28 PM CST

    SAN DIEGO - Its great being Meb these days.Crazy, too.Meb Keflezighi already was a big-time marathoner, with a silver medal at the 2004 Olympics and a win in the New York City Marathon in 2009. Then came his inspirational victory in the Boston Marathon a year after the bombings there, and his life went stratospheric.Its been a rush of appearances, speaking engagements and other commitments.The highlight? Being seated at the head table with his wife Yordanos at a White House state dinner in August. Keflezighi said President Barack Obama announced his arrival by saying, Here comes the fast guy. Do you know how fast this guy is?Meb being Meb, though, hes loving every minute of it, with his easy smile and laugh.On a spectacular early autumn San Diego afternoon, Keflezighi took a short break before heading to Mammoth Lakes in the Eastern Sierra for 3 1/2 weeks of altitude training prior to running in the New York City Marathon on Sunday.Sitting on the balcony of his house in the upscale Mission Hills neighbourhood, his view stretches from downtown all the way over to Point Loma and the Cabrillo National Monument, where he took the oath of citizenship on July 2, 1998. Its a far different scene than the one rife with war and poverty that he left behind.Theres an American flag flying from the front of his house. Hes wearing a red, white and blue USA shirt his sponsor, Skechers, made for him.The American dream is to be in San Diego, said Keflezighi. He was born in Eritrea in the Horn of Africa before his father was able to get the family to Italy and then San Diego.New York will be his first marathon since he became the first American man in 31 years to win the Boston Marathon. Keflezighi said life has been crazy since.Its an honour and privilege and it comes with a lot of responsibility, he said. Hopefully everybody that interacted with me before I won Boston, feel the same way after Boston. The demand on my time has changed drastically. Boston just went over the top. To be an American to be able to bring the home title back after what happened last year was a pretty amazing experience, and people appreciate it. Its not even congratulations. Its more, Thank you.Its been hectic but in a great way.Keflezighi knows some people will expect him to win New York. It wont be the end of his world if he doesnt.Hell do the proper amount of training, but at the same time, its not like I have to win New York. Not that I dont want to win New York. At the same time, its, been there, done that. Ive just got to go back to the basics and start working forward.Keflezighi points to last years New York City Marathon, when he was 23rd in 2 hours, 23 minutes, 47 seconds. It was his lowest finish and slowest time for a marathon. His training had been interrupted by injuries, and at one point he slowed to a walk.While other elite runners might grouse or offer excuses, Keflezighi ended up with a special moment. He and Michael Cassidy of Staten Island, whom he met before the race in the elite runners tent, ran the last three miles together. Approaching the finish, they held hands and then raised their arms aloft as they crossed the line.I won my age group, Keflezighi said with a laugh.Sure enough, the engraved crystal plate for winning the 35-39 age group is on a counter in his kitchen, near a box of breakfast cereal with his picture on it. It was made for him after he spoke at General Mills annual sales conference.A shot at the 2016 Olympics remains a possibility. The trials will be in Los Angeles.Since I know the date, Feb. 13, 2016, I guess Im gearing for it somehow, some way, he said.Keflezighi, 39, remains motivated by how his father, Russom, escaped Eritrea by walking 225 miles to Sudan. Because he had supported Eritrean rebels in their fight against Ethiopian soldiers, Russom Keflezighi felt it was too dangerous to remain. Five years later, he was able to get his family out.Meb was 12 when the family arrived in San Diego. He and eight of his siblings have received college degrees, while Admekom is attending San Diego State.For us it was never, Are we going to go to college? It was, When are we going to college? or Which college are we going to go to? said Keflezighi, who graduated from UCLA.Their half-sister, Ruth, grew up in Italy and moved to the United States first. She is the reason we came to San Diego, so she deserves an honorary degree for that, said Merhawi Keflezighi, who has a law degree from UCLA and is Mebs agent and business manager.Its a good bet Keflezighis Boston win will always be his career highlight.In the corners of his bib, Keflezighi wrote the first names of the four people killed in the bombing and manhunt.Not that we wanted 2013 to happen. But my energy was all on that race to be able to say, What can I do positively to change Boylston Street? I see the pictures that have been taken there, from the front, from the back, from the side; people are on their feet clapping or chanting U-S-A, U-S-A. It gives me great pride to have done that for the people.___Follow Bernie Wilson on Twitter at http://twitter.com/berniewilson Custom Charlotte Hornets Jerseys. -- During Kansas shootaround on Wednesday before the Jayhawks faced Oklahoma, coach Bill Self told Wayne Selden Jr. Nicolas Batum Jersey.K. Subban has picked the right time of the year to go on an offensive tear. http://www.basketballhornetsauthority.com/frank-kaminsky-hornets-jersey-c-16/. "He came up to me and said, I want to train," said Toronto coach Ryan Nelsen. The 26-year-old midfielder is expected to play Saturday night when Toronto hosts D.C. United, returning to his Major League Soccer squad with mixed feelings about the Americans World Cup run -- sad that it ended when it did but proud of his teams performance. Dwight Howard Jersey. Wayne and Cindy Tuck of Ilderton, Ont., closed out round-robin play earlier in the day with a 7-3 win over Finland but needed a win over Austria to reach the final eight. Michael Carter-Williams Jersey. Rasmussen didnt have a decision during his four appearances in May, when he gave up two hits and no runs in two innings. Toronto used five relievers while pulling off the second-biggest comeback in franchise history on Friday night, rallying from an 8-0 deficit to a 14-9 win.NEW YORK -- To Derek Jeter, it was just another day to get ready for spring training. On a minor league field at the New York Yankees complex in Florida, he took batting practice, fielded grounders and chatted with teammates. And then he drove away in his Mercedes, offering no hint that the countdown to his retirement had already begun. Hours later, Jeter alerted the sports world: This will be his final season. "I know it in my heart. The 2014 season will be my last year playing professional baseball," Jeter posted Wednesday in a long letter on his Facebook page. "I have gotten the very most out of my life playing baseball, and I have absolutely no regrets," the shortstop wrote. While it was no secret the team captain was getting close to the end of his brilliant career as he neared 40 -- especially after injuries wrecked him last season -- Jeters announcement caught many by surprise. In fact, some people wondered whether his account had been hacked. But it was quickly confirmed that one of the greatest players in the history of baseballs most storied franchise was serious. A 13-time All-Star shortstop who led the Yankees to five World Series championships, Jeter was the last link to the powerful Yankees teams that won three straight crowns from 1998-2000. Longtime teammates Mariano Rivera and Andy Pettitte retired after last year. "Derek Jeter is Mr. Yankee of his era," Yankees co-chairman Hank Steinbrenner told The Associated Press. "He was the face of one of the greatest teams ever." Jeter was limited to 17 games last season while trying to recover from a broken left ankle sustained during the 2012 playoffs. He hit only .190 with one homer and seven RBIs. "Last year was a tough one for me. As I suffered through a bunch of injuries, I realized that some of the things that always came easily to me and were always fun had started to become a struggle," Jeter wrote. "The one thing I always said to myself was that when baseball started to feel more like a job, it would be time to move forward." "So really it was months ago when I realized that this season would likely be my last. As I came to this conclusion and shared it with my friends and family, they all told me to hold off saying anything until I was absolutely 100 per cent sure," he wrote. "And the thing is, I could not be more sure," he wrote. His agent, Casey Close, said Jeter wanted to declare his intentions before the Yankees start spring training later this week so that his future status wouldnt be a distraction. The Yankees open camp for pitchers and catchers on Friday. Jeter has said hes healthy and ready to go -- at 39, his next birthday is in June. "Derek called me this morning to tell me that he planned to retire following the season," Yankees Managing General Partner Hal Steinbrenner said.dddddddddddd Said Los Angeles Dodgers manager Don Mattingly, a former Jeter teammate: "Im excited for him. Its kind of nice to see him go out on his own terms." Jeter is the Yankees career hits leader with 3,316. Hes ninth on the all-time list; a 200-hit season would put him in fifth place. Jeter is a lifetime .312 hitter in 19 seasons, with 256 home runs and 1,261 RBIs. He has scored 1,876 runs, stolen 348 bases and is a five-time Gold Glove winner. Added up, his numbers put him among the greats in Yankees history, with fans often invoking the names of Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle when mentioning Jeters legacy. But No. 2 is defined by so much more than his numbers. His backhanded flip in the playoffs, his diving catch into the stands, his speech to close old Yankee Stadium and his home run for career hit No. 3,000. An October presence for so many years -- Jeter is a career .321 hitter in seven World Series -- he also became Mr. November in 2001. His winning, 10th-inning homer came shortly after midnight in a Game 4 that began on Halloween. Jeter was the AL Rookie of the Year in 1996, the season the Yankees won their first World Series since 1978 and re-established themselves as a major force. He was the MVP of the 2000 World Series. Commissioner Bud Selig said during his tenure, "Major League Baseball has had no finer ambassador than Derek Jeter." A staple for so long in the Yankees lineup, Jeter missed the first 91 games last year. He felt pain in his right quadriceps when he returned July 11 and again went on the disabled list. Jeter came back for three games but strained his right calf. In early September, he was done for the year. The Yankees will open the 2014 regular season on April 1 in Houston. Their final game is scheduled to be at Fenway Park, against the longtime rival Boston Red Sox. Rivera announced a year in advance that he would retire, and was saluted everywhere he played last season. Jeter is sure to get a similar farewell tour. "I wish everybody does it like that," Rivera told ESPN radio. "I think that would be the right thing for him to do." Jeter wrote that he wants to pursue business and other interests "in addition to focusing more on my personal life and starting a family of my own." "And I want the ability to move at my own pace, see the world and finally have a summer vacation," he said. "But before that, I want to soak in every moment of every day this year, so I can remember it for the rest of my life. And most importantly, I want to help the Yankees reach our goal of winning another championship," he said. Wholesale Jerseys  Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Authentic Jerseys From China Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys ' ' '