10 Questions with @CoachKastor at 2014 @ASICSAmerica @LAMarathon

Coach Andrew Kastor (http://www.coachkastor.com/blog/) was in LA for the 2014 ASICS LA Marathon with his runners and we got some time to sit down with him to ask him 10 lightning round questions. Coach Kastor spent 15 years as a competitive runner and has trained some of the world’s finest athletes and worked with other renowned coaches including Damon Martin (Adams State), Bob Larsen (2004 Olympic Team, UCLA & Team Running USA), Terrence Mahon (Mammoth Track Club) and Joe Vigil (2008 Olympic Team, Adams State & Team Running USA).

Coach Kastor is the consulting coach for ASICS, New York Road Runners online coach from 2008-2010, contributing coach to SHAPE Magazine, FITNESS, HEALTH, Women’s Health, New York Runner, LIVESTRONG.COM and Runner’s World. He has been involved in the daily lives of dozens of Olympic distance runners and continues to work personally with runners of all abilities, from world class marathoners to first time 5km run/walkers. Coach Kastor currently resides in Mammoth Lakes, California with his wife, Deena (Olympic Marathon medalist and American Record holder in the marathon, 2:19:36) and his daughter, Piper Bloom.

1) Who's was your Childhood inspiration?
Coach Kastor : Spud Webb (http://www.spudwebb.net/). He loved basketball when growing up and when he was 7, Spud was making a name for himself in the NBA and Coach Kastor was the same height at the time.

2) What's your favorite race?
Coach Kastor : 2001 NYC Marathon. Immediately after the WTC attack, they didn’t even know if they would run the race. It was so patriotic to be a part of.

3) What's your favorite post race treat?
Coach Kastor : Bloody Mary. Nothing better than recovering after a marathon in a hot tub with a bloody mary.

4) What do you hate about racing?
Coach Kastor : The last minute urge to pee before a race and the mad dash to find a bathroom or hold it.

5) What’s your best training tip?
Coach Kastor : Get a coach. They can see so much an athlete cannot. They know when to cancel a workout and when to test an athlete.

6) Does Training improve or sink your love life?
Coach Kastor : Since he is married to an Olympic runner in Deena Kastor, their life revolves around running and training, so it works well.

7) What’s your most embarrassing career/race moment?
Coach Kastor : In school after a track practice, Coach Kastor was a nude model for an art class so in the first session he rushed over and proceeded to pose on a stand with wheels. He stepped on with one foot, didn’t realize it had wheels and proceeded to do the splits in front of the art class, nude.

8) How do you push yourself through the pain?
Coach Kastor : Envision all of the pain going from you to the person next to you. Don’t compare your pain to theirs, actually think about taking the pain in your body and placing it in theirs.

9) Is winning everything?
Coach Kastor : Winning is a product of solid training and planning. If you train and plan to win, winning on race day will take care of itself.

10) What would you do if you were not a pro athlete?
Coach Kastor : Watch the movie Quicksilver. He would love to be a bicycle messenger running around LA like Kevin Bacon in Quicksilver.