Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner
As an athlete, ultrarunning legend (Men's Journal) Dean Karnazes has run 350 miles without rest and is probably the first person to eat an entire pizza while running. As an author, he has inspired countless couch potatoes to get off the couch, cancel the cable, and start running. In September, Karnazes embarks on his most monumental feat ever, The North Face Endurance 50. Beginning September 17 (at the Lewis & Clark Marathon in St. Charles, Missouri), Dean will run fifty marathons (each marathon is 26.2 miles) in fifty states on fifty consecutive days. The North Face Endurance 50 will culminate with Dean's run in the New York City Marathon on November 5.Promotional blow-in cards for this unprecedented run, sure to receive extraordinary media coverage, are inserted in this paperback edition of Ultramarathon Man, which also includes a new epilogue with Dean's diet and training tips.Product Details
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Review
Ultra-marathoner Dean Karnazes claims "There is magic in misery." While it would be easy to write off his habit of running for 100 miles at a time—or longer—as mere masochism, it's impossible to not admire his tenacity in pushing his body to reach one extreme goal after another. Sure, it's gory to read about how he lost one of his big toenails from shoe friction during the Western States Endurance Run. But what registers more is that here's a guy competing in an event that includes 38,000 feet of elevation change--the equivalent of scaling the Empire State Building 30 times.
Despite his considerable athleticism, "Karno" argues that the first half of any race is run with one's body, and the second half with the mind. Without delving into excessively touchy-feely territory, he explores "the possibilities of self" as he completes an ultra-marathon in 120-degree heat in Death Valley, and later the first-ever marathon at the South Pole. It's an odd combination: a California surfer dude contemplating how, as Socrates said, "Suffering leads to wisdom." But Karnazes's self-motivation is utterly intriguing, and it's impossible to read this memoir without wanting to go out and run a marathon yourself.--Erica Jorgensen
From Publishers Weekly
Many would see running a marathon as the pinnacle of their athletic career; thrill-seeker Karnazes didn't just run a marathon, he ran the first marathon held at the South Pole. The conditions were extreme—"breathing the superchilled air directly [without a mask] could freeze your trachea"—yet he craved more. Also on his résumé: completing the Western States 100-mile endurance run and the Badwater 135-mile ultramarathon through Death Valley (which he won), as well as a 199-mile relay race... with only himself on his team. This running memoir (written without a coauthor) paints the picture of an insanely dedicated—some may say just plain insane—athlete. In high school, Karnazes ran cross-country track, but when his favorite coach retired, he quit the sport. Fifteen years later, on his 30th birthday (in 1992), on the verge of an early midlife crisis, he threw on his old shoes and ran 30 miles on a whim. The invigorating feeling compelled him to pursue the world of ultramarathons (any run longer than 26.2 miles). "Never," Karnazes writes, "are my senses more engaged than when the pain sets in." Yet his masochism is a reader's pleasure, and Karnazes's book is intriguing. Casual runners will find inspiration in Karnazes's determination; nonathletes will have the evidence once and for all that runners are indeed a strange breed.
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Review
Charming and surprisingly quirky, providing the perfect escapist fantasy for couch potatoes and weekend warriors alike. -- Kirkus Reviews, January 15, 2005
Customer Reviews
Inspiring
I've always been curious on how anyone can run past the regular 26.2 miles. On what it takes to run 100 miles. 100+ miles? It's just not possible.
Dean describes in detail what it takes to do just that. My favorite part of the book is about his first run of the Western 100, a feat accomplished by a very elite group.
It motivated me to get up and run longer, to push harder, to improve.
Karnazes makes running a marathon look like a joke.
Runners and non-runners alike will enjoy this book if they enjoy reading about exceptional people who go beyond what is ordinary in the athletic world. Karnazes is no ordinary human! This book is basically a biography of someone who shows the world what someone can do when he believes in himself. Karnazes tells the story of how he became one of the greatest ultra-distance runners in the world. He tells of running distances that most people wouldn't believe possible. At times while reading this book, I felt as if I were there running next to a super human who does things most people couldn't imagine. This book is very motivational and may inspire you to go out and run like never before!
Funny and inspirational
Ultramarathon Man is an enjoyable read. The chapters are short and read like someone sharing a funny story with a friend. Dean Karnazes is one of a kind -- an adrenaline junkie in a never-ending quest to outdo himself and put his body to the test. He recounts his journey from yuppie desk-jockey, to running marathons, 50-mile races, the 100 mile Western States Endurance Race, the 135 mile Badwater Ultramarathon through Death Valley, running the first marathon in the extreme cold of the South Pole, and running a 200 mile race alone whereas all other entrants run as 12 person relay teams. Dean has a great sense of humor and comes across as the kind of guy who might work in the office next to you or who you might strike up a conversation with at a bar rather than an aloof world-class athlete. I am currently training for my first marathon and found this book to be particularly inspiring as it recounts the highs and lows of Dean's various running excursions. I would recommend this book for weekend warriors and anyone who enjoys learning about what it means to truly put yourself to the test and still be able to laugh about it.
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