http://www.deenakastor.com New Blog Post Updates from Olympic Medalist Deena Kastor en-us http://www.deenakastor.com Hi Runners,

It felt great to start my 2010 season on the right foot. I ran the PF Changs Rock and Roll half marathon in 1:09. Although the temperature in Phoenix was perfect, the headwind was my biggest competitor. Just when I thought the marriage of music and running couldn’t get any better, I learned that adding PF Changs as a sponsor made the weekend extraordinary. I was very well fed by the title sponsor. My favorite dishes are the Mongolian Beef and the Oolong marinated Sea Bass. I should add that I ate PF Changs the night before the Olympic Marathon Trials in 2008. Andrew got our food to-go and we ate in our hotel room while watching the movie Juno. The Rock and Roll events are so festive and an awesome celebration in the running community. Thanks to Matt who took this photo on the sidelines and sent it to me.

Traveling home was a little challenging, in fact, I’m not home yet. My flight to Mammoth was cancelled due to a large snow storm. I was rerouted to LA and decided that I would rather spend the remainder of the week in Southern California. Rain seems better than the many feet of snow the mountain was anticipating in the next 5 days. It was raining pretty hard and I was heading out the door to run when my mom said “Oh no. You are not going out in this. It’s so dangerous”. My dad shrugged his shoulders as if to say, “You may be an adult, but you are your mother’s baby”. I went for my run. As the rain turned to hale, I noticed a car pull over to the side of the road. The lady told me to get in, but I assured her I was fine. My hat was protecting me from the pea-sized hale. The rain eased up so I was dry when I walked in the door. The remainder of the week was perfect. It would rain all night, only to clear for a couple hours for me to bolt out the door to train. When I came into the house, the clouds would open up again. Timing is everything.

I am heading back up the mountain in a couple days to get ready for the Virgin London Marathon. It is a stacked field this year and I love being where the competition is. Running against the best is when we get the best out of ourselves. It should be no surprise that Andrew and I are taking my family out for PF Changs before heading home to Mammoth. I am sure we will need to shovel a path to our front door, but it will be good to get home. There is nothing I like better than having weeks of uninterrupted training ahead of me. I look forward to sharing the journey of the next three months with you.


Click Here to go to Deena's Website »]]>Mon, 25 Jan 2010 08:15:37 -0500by Deena Kastor Blog Posts http://www.deenakastor.com/blog_posts.php?id=79 http://www.deenakastor.com Hi Runners,

Happy 2010! I hope you are all sticking to your New Year’s resolutions and aspiring to make this your best year yet! We should all be excited for the challenges and promise ahead of us. As I type this, my back is sore from shoveling the snow that accumulated over night. The storm makes me all the more excited to head to Phoenix this weekend for the Rock-n-Roll Arizona Half Marathon. This will be the first time I am flying from our hometown of Mammoth Lakes as we just got flight service. The flight over Yosemite and the remaining Sierra Nevada Mountain range will surely be a beautiful one. If you are planning to run this weekend, I hope to see you at the Expo and on the starting line of the race.

I am most excited that this year marks the time that we will be putting a track in our hometown. My husband Andrew and our friends Jim & Elaine Smith have been working hard to bring a Track and Field facility to Mammoth Lakes and it looks as though we are breaking ground in April. Please visit the website and see The Mammoth Track Project that will be open to the public. The Town of Mammoth Lakes and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power have been great to work with and we are grateful for their support. We could use your support as well. Visit www.mammothtrackproject.org to learn more about the facility and how you can help. Happy 2010!


Click Here to go to Deena's Website »]]>Wed, 13 Jan 2010 18:49:10 -0500by Deena Kastor Blog Posts http://www.deenakastor.com/blog_posts.php?id=78 http://www.deenakastor.com Hi Runners,

We are getting a great accumulation of snow here in Mammoth Lakes. My husband is happy to try out his new powder skis and I am happy to have the house warm while typing this in front of the fire and sipping very rich hot cocoa. The snow is a great reminder that the holidays are right around the corner and I’d love to pass on some runner-friendly gift ideas.

- ASICS hat and gloves (it may be gloomy outside, but wearing this gift will cheer anyone up!)

- Vosges Bacon & Chocolate Chip Pancake mix (Every runner loves a stack of pancakes after a long run. This is the ultimate pancake mix I’ve ever tried.)

- GARMIN FR60 (This is the best training tool I own. It keeps my mileage and pace honest while running in places I am unfamiliar.)

- USATF membership (give the gift that is practical for any runner and has privileges throughout the year. Like a gift that keeps giving.)

- Born to Run by Christopher McDougal (If your favorite runner hasn’t read this yet, they’ll be glad you gave it to them.)

- Subscription to magazines such as Runner’s World, Running Times or Track & Field News. You can also sign-up for accurate email results in Race Results Weekly.

- For the wine lover, get them 26.2 labeled wines. The Cabernet is delicious while being a great way to celebrate the marathon distance.



If you are still in need of the perfect running gift, join me at Future Track running specialty store in Agoura Hills, California on Sunday, December 20th. I will be there at 8:30am to take visitors on a 3-5 mile run followed by a pancake breakfast , autograph signing and last minute shopping at the store. It is bound to be a festive morning and a great way for all of us to stay in shape over the holidays. If you can’t make the trip, please get your holiday autograph requests in soon to ensure it arrives on time. Please see the contact page for details on how to get your autograph poster. If time is running short, you can email me at mailto:deena@deenakastor.com to get something in the mail ASAP. I hope to see many of you on December 20th. Happy Holidays.


Click Here to go to Deena's Website »]]>Fri, 11 Dec 2009 20:38:41 -0500by Deena Kastor Blog Posts http://www.deenakastor.com/blog_posts.php?id=77 http://www.deenakastor.com Hi Turkey Trotters,

This is a great time of year to reflect on all we are grateful for. I am most grateful for the people I have chosen to share my life with. When we surround ourselves with positive people, it is easy to stay positive as we pursue our greatest dreams. My mom has been sending me inspiring quotes every day for the past week and I’ll include one here. “Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much because they live in the grey twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.” - Teddy Roosevelt

My mom is at the very top of the list of people who inspire and support me. Sharing quotes with me this week, she reinforces her commitment to see me succeed in sport and in life.

As you gather around the table this holiday, it is fun to take turns and voice your gratitude. This year I am adding a fun conversation to the mix. Ask your loved ones sharing the table with you, “If you could invite any famous family, from any time in history, to join your family for Thanksgiving dinner, what family would you choose and why”? In recognition of the quote my mom shared, I am inviting the Roosevelt family to the table. Franklin D. Roosevelt offered extraordinary inspiration through challenging times. His words are timeless and apply to individuals and organizations aspiring to be greater no matter what the odds.

As you reflect on this, make sure you are eating my cornbread recipe found on the recipe page of my website. It’s delicious and sure to please everyone joining your table this time of year.




Click Here to go to Deena's Website »]]>Mon, 23 Nov 2009 20:02:49 -0500by Deena Kastor Blog Posts http://www.deenakastor.com/blog_posts.php?id=76 http://www.deenakastor.com Hi Marathon runners,

I hope this posting finds everyone excited for the upcoming ING New York Ciry Marathon. My teammates Ryan Hall and Meb Keflezighi are running against a strong field of men, but are looking good in their chances to make the podium there. If you are in New York City, I hope you will come visit me at the marathon expo. There, I'll be signing posters for visitors at the ASICS booth. If I'm not at the Expo, you can be sure to catch me running in Central Park or at the recently opened ASICS store at 51 West 42nd Street. Did you know that ASICS is an acronym for Anima Sana in Corpore Sano, a sound mind in a sound body. If you want to be zen in the big city, make sure you visit this great store.

As I am fully recovered from the Chicago Marathon, I spent the past two weeks working on the Mammoth Track Project. I would love for you to be involved with this great running venture. Please visit the website at http://www.mammothtrackproject.org to see the beautiful facility we are bringing to our town of Mammoth Lakes. If you would like to be a part of the project in these early stages, we would be most grateful. If not, we hope you come to visit the facility after we break ground in April. Mammoth Lakes will be a great destination vacation for any runner or outdoor enthusiast. We are even getting flight service starting this winter, so coming to run on the mountain will be that much easier.

Next up on my racing tour will be the Great Australian Run which is a 15K in Melbourne. The race is the last weekend in November. I follow this race with the USA Track and Field Annual Meeting in Indianapolis. That will wrap up my 2009 year and I look forward to a Spring marathon.
Click Here to go to Deena's Website »]]>Mon, 26 Oct 2009 15:27:18 -0400by Deena Kastor Blog Posts http://www.deenakastor.com/blog_posts.php?id=75