How I met one of the fastest men in the world

Last night I attended a press event at Nike. It gave us a chance to hear about the new shoes coming out that Nike has to offer, along with a sneak peak at the Chicago Marathon apparel which is now available at the stores and online (and is super cute! sidenote: they will be having Chicago Marathon FINISHER apparel available after the marathon!).

But that's not the coolest part.

After viewing the new products, they brought in a special guest to stop in and give us some pointers on running. Are you ready for this?

Michael Johnson.

MICHAEL JOHNSON! Four-time Olympic Gold Medalist! Fastest guy everrr!!!!

I was floored. He was super nice and gave us tips on how to be a top notch runner. Here's some things that stood out to me:

He stretches before and after a run

I totally do this too! Michael says that dynamic stretching is the way to go. He explained it like this: when you use a work tool, do you leave it out, dirty, and use it that way the next time? No, you put it away properly so that it achieves its optimal use.

Do things YOUR way

When asked what was the reason for his signature stiff, upright running technique, he explained that its what worked for him. People in the past critiqued his running style, saying that he should run a certain way. He cooly replied that they were trying to get him to run the same way that the people behind him were running. (ha!).

Think about something else

So of course I had to ask him a question. I mean, when will I get an opportunity like this again? I shot my hand up right at the end and asked, "What can I do to avoid the wall, or, even better, how can I not die at the marathon?" He told me that its important to work out your technique and all the kinks in the beginning to delay the fatigue. Then, when it hits, just think about something else. Like balloons and kitties. So I replied, "Ok, I'll just think about how MICHAEL JOHNSON told me to 'think about something else.'"

Now THAT'S how you get ready for the marathon.

Awesome.