Kevin Castille 28:57 10k at age 40!

Sagarin wrote:

the used to be cancer guy wrote:

I think, last time I checked, he does a steady diet of 100 mile weeks in the Lafayette area. Here are times going back to 2005.

http://athlinks.com/racer/results/82805183

Consistent 100 miles at age 40 is ITSELF quite a feat, but there's absolutely nothing on that list suggestive of a 28:57. Not even close. He had quite a breakthrough. Same for 14:01.

He's been running these sorts of times for 8 years:

I think his longevity is the amazing thing here. I'm not seeing a breakthrough, just unheard of maintenance of ability and fitness over time.

I haven't gone through this guy's results in super detail, but what I see overall is a consistent 30-flat 10K guy that dramatically went sub-29 about eight years ago and then again last weekend. Seem about right?

The Monk wrote:

This list was not intended as to the reasons behind Kevin Castilles breakthrough, but rather a list of supplementary stuff that he may or may not have included in his training.

However if he didn't then at least consider incorporating them into your training. By doing so, you might just be able to enjoy many more years of healthy running and even set some new prs; instead of becoming bitter about your injuries and jealous of others in your age group who are running faster times.

Dude, seriously? I don't run anymore at all because of a different physical disability, so how to train or not to train and envy is hardly in play here. I just pointed out what seemed to be an obvious fact. I followed it up with the statement about John Campbell to suggest it is possible at that age.

However, I agree with Reality Bath's statement. While this athlete has run those kinds of times earlier in his career and been consistent in his training, there was certainly no indication this was coming. When I first saw it, I thought maybe they got the lap counter a lap short. But if it's legit, then it's a jaw-dropping performance and good for him.

Sagarin wrote:

FWIW, New Zealand's John Campbell was running these kinds of times at 40.

I ran 1:09:06 at the Grandma's Half back in 1999 and Campbell passed me at 10 miles when he was 50 and he ran 1:08:28. I ran even splits, so he was moving.

What some of the non-Masters on this thread don't get is that s**t starts to strangely fall apart in the last 30's. I was never very fast, but I ran faster at 37 than I ran in college and I was thinking it would be a breeze to hold it together (I ran a 15:08 track 5k and a 31:58 at Sea Ray and a 31:40 on the roads). Those times would be ok at 40. I run decent at 41, but between 37 and 40 I got pneumonia (diagnosed late, I am wondering if I got permanent lung damange), had surgery on my groin, starting experiencing all kids of baffling biomechanical issues that put a bad hitch in my stride and made it look like I was limping on every run, etc. I feel like I am ironing out a bit, but 36 ain't 40.

Reality Bath wrote:

I haven't gone through this guy's results in super detail, but what I see overall is a consistent 30-flat 10K guy that dramatically went sub-29 about eight years ago and then again last weekend. Seem about right?

His 5K time seems to be very consistent too, but slower than the 10K splits on the track.

John Campbell story is a little obscure. He went thru lots changes in his personal life during his career. It is hard for me to believe that he was always able to come back and run such incredible times. Lots fantasy mixed with reality. I don't know much about his training, but his times are incredible for a 40-50 yo runner. The drug tests were non existent at that time. Is nandrolone the drug that most of the athletes used to take to recover from hard workouts? I don't know what they use these days. It is just a suspicious, there is no way to prove anything, and we will never find out. In the 80's and 90's many of these drugs were legal.

MyNameIsMud wrote:

Well, so we should all start doing some heavy hill training and in a few months we will be breaking the 55 minutes for the ten miles and the 29 minutes for the 10K.

I am glad to that someone finally explained the true reason why this guy is getting older and faster.

Marion Jones and Eddy were doing lots hill training...Too bad it was not enough for them. Maybe it was their diet.

I love the really nice guy image.

Whatever, dude.

You know, I was just trying to be polite and clue you guys in on what was a very nice 1-1/2 hour seminar (or clinic, if you like) that he gave to a bunch of hobby-joggers and wannabes. I'm not defending him out of some deep-held loyalty. In fact, this clinic was the first time I'd ever met the guy, and I was quite impressed with his candor and openness. He was very gracious in providing this free clinic, and he openly talked about training, racing, lifes ups and downs, and his own successes and failures.

I said more hills was the biggest change in the last year, I didn't say it was the only change. Most other changes you can probably figure out from reading through interviews that are already posted. He did talk about why things have been different this go around compared to all the earlier attempts to get it together. But quite frankly, I don't feel you've earned a right to be told more of the story...not from me, at any rate.

Tell you what, why don't you go ask him yourself, instead of hiding behind your anonymous veil making damning insinuations, all without having any first-hand knowledge. After speaking with him, I'm sure you'll see what I saw, which is a low-key, down-to-earth guy that really enjoys running and racing and providing encouragement to kids that often get overloooked.

Peace out.

Did you ever get a full exam and blood work after the pneumonia?cardiogram? I had a severe bronchial infection at 32 and it left me fcuked for over a yr from complications and one damn thong after another.

MyNameIsMud wrote:

Well, so we should all start doing some heavy hill training and in a few months we will be breaking the 55 minutes for the ten miles and the 29 minutes for the 10K.

I am glad to that someone finally explained the true reason why this guy is getting older and faster.

Marion Jones and Eddy were doing lots hill training...Too bad it was not enough for them. Maybe it was their diet.

I love the really nice guy image.

You seem like a sanctimonious prig, and I like to take doofuses like you on from time to time.

So here are some annecdotes from my N of 1.

Improved on college PR in 5K and 8K by 1 min, 3-5 years after graduating. Drugs?

Continued setting PRs into my early 30s even though I'd been running for 15+ years. Drugs?

Fell off the charts in mid-late 30s but came roaring back in early 40s, running 15 seconds faster in the mile at 40-41 than at ANY time from 35 to 39. Drugs?

Picked up xc skiing in my mid 20s and competed respectably at a few national meets in my late 20s-early 30s. In the 50K event (probably not my best then) I would be about 15 or 20 minutes behind the champions/top foreign guests (Olympic level skiers).

Kept running into my mid-late 40s and 50s, in my mid 50s now able to run just about at the same level I did at 46 and actually faster than 45. Drugs.

Restarted ski career at 46-47, and still compete. Can finish marathons at close to the same level as at 29-30, and have actually improved at 53-54 compared to 46-49. Drugs?

In a nutshell, and I won't be a nice guy about this, unless you have proof: STFU you spineless mud-innervated moron!

you don't mention any times so hard to judge. if you were a 4h marathoner in your 20s i don't think you are doping, but if

you ran elite times who knows?

I was working in a hospital at the time and got the flu and foolishly ran before it was completely well. I started getting worse again and ended up at the Urgent Care at night when I decided the rattling in my lungs wasn't normal and the Xray showed a large spot on my lung. The pneumonia was treated as resistant since I worked in a hospital and I got Levaquin, the H-bomb of anti-biotics - which has a reputation for messing up tendons. A minor groin injury that had nagged forever turned into an unrunnable injury soon after and I ended up not running much for a summer (I could take the pain for one run, then had to ride or pool run for 2 or 3) then got the mesh repair. After surgery and pneumonia, I never felt that great again and my stride was all different. I almost switched to cycling permanently out of frustration. Still feel oddly short of breath on runs. I am doing somewhat better lately, though, so I am hoping I am through a prolonged rough patch.

Recently, I had to go back to the ER for the second time in my life a few months ago for an A-fib attack that wouldn't fix itself. Had a full cardiology exam. Getting old sucks.

We are talking about someone that has been consistent for a long time. Actually he got faster as he got older.

I could be running very slow in my 20's without a coach, or a program, and just come back ten years later and start over and beat my 20's time under a different regiment. It is a very different situation.

As someone already mentioned, you did not showed us your times during your running career.

I don't need to prove anything to anybody. You can be suspicious about anyone you want. As I said before if this guy is clean good for him and I hope he runs even faster.

Thanks for the lovely words. Just show you are unable to keep your cool. Are you on drugs?

Similar story - H1N1, lung infection, staph infection - running 26 for 5 miles before the infection. Can barely run 29 over same courses post recovery...27 months later and still a shell of former self. Perplexing.

I'm cool, it's cool. You're not. I laugh at your face.

As others have indicated a fair number of top masters held near peak times at 40. Most don't, but some do. Drugs are the scourge of the sport and we've seen it creep into the masters ranks with EH and RJ. But just because someone has a great performance or string doesn't mean that they're on drugs. Deal with that.

Great - you are now referencing Kevin Castille's presentation last Tuesday night as does John's Run/Walk Shop - a clinic!

mp (you know who) wrote:

Similar story - H1N1, lung infection, staph infection - running 26 for 5 miles before the infection. Can barely run 29 over same courses post recovery...27 months later and still a shell of former self. Perplexing.

yeah I fell off a rock and my 10k was slower than my marathon pace !

I had the joy of levaquin for a sinus infection the following year. First sinus infection in my life at age 33 likely from the polluted sh!thole I live in :(Oh yeah, I had to fly to the US for a 50K having just unplugged my head enough to do so but raced on the antibiotics. Plane tic was bought before the poo hit the fan so couldn't cancel. I won the 50k but felt like a zombie from the sinus infection. But yeah, I simply sucked for a good 18-19 mos before I started coming out of the initial crap the yr before from the bronchial mess. I really thought I was done or had some disease or smthg because my half was OVER TEN MINUTES OFF!! I avoid sick ppl like the damn plague now. I was super fatigued, sleeping lots but not recoverng and later got diagnosed with iron deficient anemia while I was in the height of my sucking at running. Guess who now eats steak:) It was really fun. Hope you recover. Yup gettin' old is so fun but I am running better in my late 30s than in my early 30s now.

RE: Kevin Castille 28:57 10k at age 40! 4/8/2012 10:21AM - in reply to racerdb

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He is the first sub 30 on the track. There are slew of US masters that have broken 30 on legit certified road courses. And it can be stongly argued the track is faster than the roads.

Hussein, Plasencia, Simonaitis, Brown, Tuttle, Rodgers

___________________________________________________________

We are all forgetting the Elephant in the room. The last American masters runner to run times like these was Eddy Hellebuyck, and we all know what he was doing, and what happened to him.

Read more:

http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=4522732&page=2#ixzz2XqR5buTz

I remember this thread from last year. I didn't post at the time....not sure why you bumped it. But I thought I'd throw my 2 cents in. I ran in Louisiana for a short time in college a few years ago an would see Kevin at the track weekly. For a while he was coaching a group of kids then would do his workout after logging a few miles with his athletes.

Kevin is a nice, somewhat soft spoken guy. He loves the sport. He looks half his age and if had not been for mistakes he made in his past I'm confident he would have run some killer times when he was in his 20s. A doper?! Now I think that's a bit brave to throw out there. Kevin and Eddy couldn't be more different.

Kind of interesting story. I was a decent runner in HS in Louisiana but pedestrian compared to many of the PRs of many of the posters here. A few years after graduating hs (2001 or 2002), I would go out and kill myself to see if I still had any talent for running and do 7-10 miles, slow but exerting myself to the max.

One of the times I was out there I saw this thin professional runner looking guy come up to me and he asked me if I wanted to train with him. He told me he used to run and was getting back in shape and he asked me if I was serious about running... I guess I looked serious about running compared to 99% of the people in Baton Rouge (sad).

Anyway, I had no idea who the guy was and wasn't interested in seriously running at that time. A couple of years later, I register for the Elmwood Classic 10k in NOLA and see him smoke the field of much younger runners.

Maybe I should of taken him up on his offer.

Good guy... Amazing accomplishment... Wish him the best.