Deena Kastor’s Cross Country Tips

Deena Kastor is one of the great long distance women's talents in United States history. An Olympian who won bronze at the 2004 Games in the marathon, Kastor also won two silver medals at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in 2002 and 2003. She graduated from Agoura (California) High, where she won two California Interscholastic Federation championships in the 3200m, and later went on to star at the University of Arkansas, where she was an eight-time All-American. The conversation below is recirculated from a conversation with FloTrack in 2013.

Adjusting for Conditions

How do you approach the conditions of a XC race...

"I think the conditions and the adverse conditions that can be welcomed in cross country is part of all the fun. The sloppy messes, the puddles, and all of that should always be greeted with a playfulness. I love not to dwell on the conditions. If it's cold, maybe I'll wear a beanie cap and gloves, maybe I'll rub a little olive oil on my forearms and my quads to keep them warm. But really just to get out and letting your core heat up by a good strong performance.

"The sloppier it is out there the more playful and fun I have there. I remember after one race that I ran in Portland, Oregon, and then the next year in Greensboro, North Carolina, the national championship, my sister was crying at the finish line. It wasn't because I won the race. It was because she had never been so cold in her life. It's definitely more miserable for the spectators and fans out there. But really, the conditions are part of the fun."

Speed training in XC

How do you navigate training at mile or 3K pace...

"I think speed training is really important. Because if you want to be aggressive and really want to be a player on your team and help your team win championships, that speed is very important. It's being able to tap into that speed, no matter what pace you were previously running at. Speed work is very important. It helps with neuromuscular reactions, popping out of the grass, whatever the terrain might be. Hopping over roots and rocks. Being able to pass wide or pass on the inside when you're going around a bend. That kind of training really gets you ready for XC agility."

Developing A Great Workout

What is your favorite XC workout...

"I think cross country is the foundation of every great athlete, no matter your sport. Outside of running, even, soccer maybe, I think cross country builds such great strength. My favorite workout, back home in Mammoth Lakes, California, is this place called Mill Pond. We do a 5-6 mile tempo run in the hills. And then we come to this grass field and do 6x800 meter repeats. I just love to coming back to this park a little exhausted from that tempo-y effort and trying to pop out of the grass for that fast pace again. That's by far my favorite cross country workout. We call them 'Lappers.' I absolutely love that workout in Mill Pond and it really brings out a better strength in all of us runners when we start to incorporate that into our training at this time of year."

Using The Terrain As An Advantage

How do you go into a course and use experience to your benefit...

"I think what makes cross country so special is that you do get to use the terrain as your strategy in beating your competitors and other teams. I love looking at a course, in particular, and really breaking it down into what barriers you have to go over. Whether there's a flat section you start off. Maybe the first mile is flat but there's a hill in there. Really, breaking it up that way. Sometimes there's creek crossing and hay bails you have to go over. Those are the type of cross country races that I love. With more obstacles you have your challenges, weather conditions and a tough course. I love putting that together as part of my race strategy."

Starting A Cross Country Race

What does it take to start strong in XC...

"In the past, I have always handled the beginning of a cross country race really aggressively. I'm one of the people who try to take it out hard and make people suffer from the beginning. That's always been my greatest strength. So I like to get out hard. It doesn't seem that positions change much after the halfway point, so I always can make a strong finish."

How is it different than taking out a track 10K...

"I've always been an aggressive racer from the beginning. It's probably one of my greatest strengths. I think more so in cross country, I try to be very aggressive at the start. I throw a few elbows to get in position, whatever it takes to get off the line and get in good position to get on to the course."

Balancing Pace and Aggressive Tactics

How do you balance pace while also having urgency...

"I think you can pace yourself after a race. I don't think of racing as pacing in cross country. Maybe when you get into the longer distance, half marathons and marathons, but to me, cross country is all about being aggressive and feisty and bringing out that competitor in you. It's what you train for all year long. If you think about 15 minutes or 30 minutes of aggressive racing, it doesn't seem like you're asking too much of yourself for the span of a day. It also takes training that way. You have to train with that aggression and feistiness. To me, that's not anger. It's fun and playful. I love cross country for that. It's time to get sloppy. It's time to throw elbows. It's time to surge and fight and get the best out of yourself. That's a huge thrill for me."

The Role Of A Long Run

Can you explain what role your long run plays in XC...

Sundays are always a fun day. I love long runs. As cross country season comes around, my long run will be about five miles shorter (than my long runs during the marathon season), so maybe 12-15 miles. Really, it's just about putting in the run. There's a less urgency to get the pacing perfect. But in cross country season, it's about putting that week together. Getting your interval session, getting your tempo run and getting your long run. And piecing that week together and piecing weeks together, week in and week out, that really build a great cross country foundation.