Reading: Dean Karnazes – Ultramarathon man

Dean Karnazes: 50/50: Secrets I Learned Running 50 Marathons in 50 Days

Dean Karnazes: Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner

Dean Karnazes is one of the, if not the, fittest man on the planet – at least Men’s Fitness magazine has given him that title and looking his achievements one cannot really argue against. He has run 135 miles nonstop across Death Valley in 120°F temperatures, and a marathon to the South Pole at -40°F. He won 4 Deserts Race Series in 2008, Vermont Trail 100 Mile Endurance Run in 2006, Badwater Ultramarathon in 2004. In 2005, he ran 350 miles (560 km) in 80 hours and 44 minutes without stopping, and has completed single-handedly the 199-mile Providian Saturn Relay six times. He is eleven-time 100-Mile/1 Day Silver Buckle holder at the Western States Endurance Run (i.e., better than ten twenty-four hour finishes), 1995-2006. In short, he has run awfully lot and awfully long.

But besides running ultramarathons, Karnazes has also written two books: Ultramarathon Man (2005) and 50/50 (2008). They both are excellent reads, but probably don’t give too much unless you’re an avid runner. I finished the 50/50 just before starting to prepare for my own marathon last weekend and I must admit that some of the Karnazes’ words were with me on my run. At one point I had to take baby steps just to conquer a steep hill and after that I had to stop to a grocery store and pick up a popsicle to give me some extra energy to finish the run. I wasn’t obviously in an optimal condition to run a marathon, but at least I finished it.

Ultramarathon man is a personal account about Karnazes’ passion on running. The book has probably done more to promote ultra endurance running for the general public than any other book. After the release of the book Karnazes, has told that he had became famous as “the man who eats pizzas during his all-night-runs” (an episode he described in the book).

50/50 is on his quest to run 50 marathons in 50 states on 50 consecutive days in 2006. The book is written almost like a blog, daily writings after every event on the bus hurrying to the next race. Karnazes managed to accomplish the task and finished his 50th marathon, the NYC marathon on the official race day, in 3 hours and 30 seconds. But besides being his running log, 50/50 offers many great tips for any runner; ranging from nutrition to training and equipments to psychology of running.

Running teaches you that there’s a difference between working hard and feeling bad. Consumer culture tries to teach us otherwise. How many television commercials talk about “making life easier”? If everything you knew about life came from TV, your goal would be to live the easiest, most comfortable and unchallenging life you possibly could. You would believe that the only good feelings are sensual pleasures such as the taste of a good soft drink and the fun of driving an expensive car and lying on the beach.

But it’s not true. Challenging and testing your mind and body, even to the point of exhaustion, failure, and breakdown, can feel as wonderful as anything else life has to offer. I suppose the enjoyment of hard work is more of an acquired taste than the taste for pleasure and fun, but once you’ve acquired it, you’re blessed with more ways to feel good, and life is better. Harder and better.

50/50 p.88