Read This Book

I just finished reading Ultramarathon Man by Dean Karnazes. I read quite a few books every month, and this one was so good I finished in about two days. Which is how long Dean can run without stopping.

You may have heard of Dean Karnazes lately. Most marathon runners don’t suffer from media overexposure. In fact, most of them fly under the radar until they win a big race, like the one in Boston every year. Chances are, the most famous marathoner you know is your buddy from work who is training for one a few months from now. But Dean has made headlines by trying to be the first person to run 300 miles without stopping.

You read it right. 300 miles. That’s the distance between Boston and Philadelphia, Chicago and Cincinnati, or Las Vegas and Phoenix. Sometimes, the drive alone between cities like this leaves me a little batty. And as someone who has run two marathons, the notion of running this distance is even less appetizing. But reading how Dean does it is exciting.

My friend Justin recommended the read to me, and I thank him for it. Sometimes Dean’s descriptions of his own accomplishments border on arrogant, but hey, I’ll let you think of yourself however you want if you run 130 miles in 130 degrees without stopping.

As you read, fascination turns to admiration. The pages turn quickly as you feel as though you’re running with Dean (minus the blisters, the swelling quads, and the nausea). His obsession becomes your personal quest to see just how far and how long he can go. His life adventures take both of you to the extreme cold of the South Pole and the extreme heat of the Badwater Ultramarathon.

And at the end, Dean keeps us interested in wondering how much more he can do. Breaking barriers of 199 miles, 226.2 miles and then 262 miles, we find that one reason he does it is because of the innocent lives of little children who need major organ transplants. We know that we can’t be Dean, but maybe we can have a little bit of his determination and sacrifice and share it with others.

You’ll have to read the book to find his other motivation(s) for pushing his body to the limit. Enjoy the ride on the open road from the comfort of your easy chair.