On the last Friday in April, Meb Keflezighi and I met somewhere along the eastern slope of the Sierra. I was traveling north on Highway 395 to reach the trout opener at Crowley Lake. Neither knew what the other was up to that afternoon, but on May 5 Keflezighi let the nation know. During the Cardinal Invitational at Stanford, his runs along Hot Creek and on a dirt track in Bishop translated into an American-record 27 minutes, 13.98 seconds for 10,000 meters. If not at Eugene, somewhere soon.
Workouts suggest the ability is there.
That privilege was not lightly accepted. I must use every ounce of it. To not maximize my potential would be a waste. This was at the ARCO Olympic Training Center, where I'd just witnessed a demonstration of commitment. Only a jog lap separated each distance.