As the Track & Field U.S. Olympic Trials begin this week in Eugene, Oregon (a.k.a. Tracktown USA), one notable athlete will be missing from action: Deena Kastor, 39, who won the bronze medal in the 2004 Olympic Marathon in Athens. After placing sixth at the 2012 Olympic Marathon Trials in January (just one spot shy of making the team), Kastor was on a quest to qualify for her fourth Olympics—this time in the 10,000 meters (that’s a 10-K or 6.2 miles). But an ill-timed back injury has forced her to the sidelines. While her spikes may be hung up (for now), Kastor shares with WH the training tips to her long record of success.
WH: We’re so sorry to hear that you’re hurt! What’s happened?
DK: My back was tight going into the Bolder Boulder Memorial Day 10-K [in which she placed third]. After the race, my muscles started spasming. I have been in trouble since. The pain is hindering my entire day, let alone my running career. I haven’t run since that day and have been simply trying to figure out the root of the problem.
WH: Back and sacral issues can haunt some women after they’ve had a baby. Your daughter was born in February 2011. Do you have a sense that there’s a link?
DK: I actually don’t think my injury was related to pregnancy. I had an MRI, and my bone structure was sound. Most of the specialists agree that it is strictly a soft tissue problem, and the chiropractors and therapists I’ve seen all seem to agree that I’m in a pain/muscle spasm cycle that my body is having a hard time of letting go of. It’s complex, which is why this hasn’t been an easy fix. I have been getting a lot of ART—active release technique—which is a great form of massage and stretch therapy. I’ve had some relief, but need much more in order to get back to training.
WH: At what point did you realize you’d have to pull out of the Trials?
DK: I had taken three weeks off of running and cross-training [after the Bolder Boulder Memorial Day 10-K]. After going to all the therapists and people I believe in, I was left only a fraction better. I ran out of options, and unfortunately, I have to be a spectator at what will be a truly amazing Olympic Trials.
WH: Throughout your career, you have faced—and overcome—your share of challenges. Does that help you maintain a healthy perspective now?
DK: There are always setbacks as we strive to evolve and grow, but it shouldn’t detour us from making strides forward. I was really excited to make my fourth Olympic team and share the Olympic experience with my 1-year-old daughter Piper. Right now I need to focus on getting healthy, but I’m positive that I will share more success with my daughter in the future.
WH: Your past two trips to the Olympics have been as a marathoner. [In the 2000 Sydney Games, she ran the 10,000 meters.] What made you decide to pull out your track spikes again?
DK: I was disappointed after the 2012 Olympic Marathon Trials since that was the first time I had failed to make an Olympic team. After a short recovery, I got back into training thinking I would run another marathon. I found myself running with my teammates who were all training for the Track & Field U.S. Olympic Trials and felt a great desire to attempt to make the U.S. team in the 10,000 meters.
WH: How is training for a marathon different from training for a shorter track event?
DK: Training for the 10,000 meters is very much like training for a marathon. They both require hard work and discipline; however, the marathon requires patience and a long enduring effort. As I prepared for the track, I felt a greater intensity and burn. Runners call it “booty lock”: the moment at the end of a race or hard workout when you’re at the physical limit of your muscles. I had not run a track race in five years, so it was fun to feel the difference while asking my body to get extreme again.
WH: Is there a particular aspect of your training you really enjoyed?
DK: I won’t be competing at this high level much longer, so I was making a big effort to make the team for London. Experience speaks loudly, but when there is feisty young talent nipping at your heals, you need to dig down for something new and refreshing. Returning to the track made me feel like a kid again, and I really embraced the workload.
WH: Is there a part of training that you dreaded?
DK: I love the workouts I dread the most! When I see weakness in my training, I get excited to overcome or become stronger. In the past, I have not been very good at shifting paces, so I worked on the mental and physical tools to thrive when my competitors shift the pace.
WH: You know better than anyone that you can’t completely safeguard yourself from injury. But how to you attempt to stay healthy?
DK: I believe the key is balancing rest with work. When my training program gets heavy, I make sure I balance that work with extra rest. We can’t keep asking of ourselves without something giving in to the pressure. I work hard, rest hard, and on top of that live very joyfully and eat well.
WH: What do you usually eat while in training?
DK: I typically don’t get in the habit of eating the same things. Variety is much more fun—unless you’re talking about coffee. I begin each day with coffee and breakfast (a piece of fruit with any of the following: eggs and toast, bagel with lox and cream cheese, my husband’s French toast). Post-workout I enjoy another breakfast different from the one I had earlier. I always try to get in a good balance of protein and carbohydrates with some veggies or fruit for vitamins and minerals. I always have Snickers Marathon Bars on hand so I can have a well-balanced bar within a short time after working out. My favorite is Caramel Nut Rush because it’s high in protein. I carry them with me so I can begin re-fueling quickly after a workout.
WH: Do you have favorite foods you enjoy splurging on?
DK: I enjoy cooking and eating, and nothing is off limits. I workout hard twice a day, and I’m a full-time mom of a speedy toddler. It doesn’t seem fair to add more discipline to my day, so food has always been fun for me. We eat a lot of nutritious foods, but enjoy fine chocolate, well-made pastries, and wine from all over the world.
WH: Do you listen to music during a workout?
DK: Music has a way of inspiring many of us, but I enjoy listening to the sound of my footsteps, my breathing, or my thoughts while I’m running. Give me a windy day, though, and I’ll grab my MP3 Player to block the sound of the wind. Beautiful Day (Sunburst Radio Edit) by Matt Darey is the ultimate running song for me. Good Feeling by Flo Rida is also a great running tune.
WH: Do you have a mantra that helps you stay focused when things start to hurt?
DK: The ability to continue when training gets difficult is the greatest opportunity to grow as an athlete and a human being. If you can find the right encouragement within you during a tough moment, you’re giving yourself a vital tool to accomplish many great things. Sometimes the same verse can get stale, so I think it’s important to keep mantras fresh and effective. That being said, the most significant words my coach Terrence Mahon ever told me was as I was heading to the starting line of the Chicago Marathon in 2005. My goal was to win the race, and my training had gone very well. He is a guy of many words and on this day he simply said “Define yourself.” It was such a powerful statement and I rehearsed it a million times on the streets of Chicago that morning—and got my first marathon win.
WH: How has becoming a mom affected you as an athlete?
DK: Being a mom is the most important thing I have ever committed to. I have always had a lot of passions, but this one takes the cake! I have a deep love for running, cooking, writing, and reading, but watching my daughter grow is the greatest experience I can ever image. Running has made me very goal oriented in everything I set out to accomplish. I thought striving for and reaching goals was the epitome of my existence. Now I know better.
WH: Who would you love to go on a run with?
DK: My dream running partner would be Kihachiro Onitsuka, the founder of ASICS. He passed away a few years ago, but I would have wanted him to join me on a long run because I would have had so many questions. How he came from such a humble background and built the most successful running shoe company in the world is a truly fascinating story. ASICS is an acronym for the Latin Anima Sana In Corpore Sano, or A Sound Mind in a Sound Body. He lived and worked by this motto his whole life.
Editors Note: From all of us at Women’s Health, we wish you a speedy recovery, Deena!
photo: GettyImages
More from WH:
Olympic Athlete Workouts
Gotta Run: The Women’s Health Running Blog
101 Greatest Running Tips
Lose 5 pounds in just 7 days! Find out how with The Vitamin D Diet. Order your copy today!