FitSugar

Words to Move You . . .

FitSugar — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 16:00:00 PDT

"The best runner is the runner who is having the most fun."

Ultra Marathoner Dean Karnazes from his book 50/50

Need a little more motivation? Check out all my Words That Move You.

Weekend Reading: 50/50 by Dean Karnazes

FitSugar — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 03:30:00 PDT

You might know Dean Karnazes as the Ultra Marathon Man. In fact that is the url to his fancy website. Not only can this man run, run and run, he also writes entertaining and motivating books.

The subtitle of Karnazes' latest book, 50/50 ($25), which he co-authored with Matt Fitzgerald, explains the book: "Secrets I Learned Running 50 Marathons in 50 Days-and How You Too Can Achieve Super Endurance." I will admit, I find the thought of running a single marathon daunting, let alone 50 races back to back, in 50 different states. The endurance I gained from this book can be measured in pages per night. I flew through this book and thoroughly enjoyed it.

The tone of the book is very chatty as Karnazes explains how the idea for doing 50/50 evolved and how it came to pass. He details every race and peppers his prose with helpful running tips like what to eat, what to wear, how to catch your second wind. Mostly, he wants you to get out and go for a run. Karnazes emphasizes the importance of listening to running advice and then experimenting with it to find out what works for you and your training regimen. After burning the midnight oil many nights reading, I always woke up inspired to lace up my sneakers and hit the road. As a runner who struggles with both speed and endurance, I appreciated his humble preface where he repeatedly states that he is just an average guy. His average-ness is our opening to create and meet our own challenges. I think both running newbies and old timers will enjoy this book. You can find it at Amazon, but why not just run down to your local running store to get your copy.

Celebrate Solstice: Get Out and Do Something

FitSugar — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 15:45:00 PDT

Ultra-marathoner Dean Karnazes has decided to take advantage of the longest day of the year and run, since after all that is what he does best. Oddly enough he will be running on a treadmill.

Karnazes is attempting to break the world record for the most miles logged on a treadmill in 24 hours, and to do so he needs to run 153.76 miles. After running 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 days, Karnazes feels confident he can set a new treadmill world record. He began his run at midnight EST in New York's Times Square and hopes to get you moving too, as do I.

Celebrate summer solstice and get active tonight. Go for a walk. Go for a run. Go for a ride (wear your helmet and bring a bike light in case you manage to stay out after dark). Play some tennis. Play catch. If you can't make it outside do some sun salutations.

Happy Summer!!!

Source

You Can Be Your Own Hero: The Dean Karnazes Story

FitSugar — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 07:30:00 PST

Dean Karnazes is internationally known for his crazy feats of endurance and for pushing himself to reach one extreme goal after another.

He's run 350 continuous miles, not sleeping for 3 nights straight. He's run across Death Valley in 126 degree heat and he's run a marathon to the South Pole in negative 40 degrees.

On 7 different occasions, he's run a 200-mile relay race ALONE, racing alongside teams of 12. Dean has swum across the San Francisco Bay, scaled Half Dome in Yosemite, and mountain biked for 24 hours straight.

And a few months ago, at age 44, he completed 50 marathons in 50 consecutive days, one in each of the 50 states.

Dean wasn't always like this. On his 30th birthday, while drunk he found that he was disgusted with the corporate rat race he found himself "running" in.

He walked back to his house, found a pair of old sneaks on his back porch, stripped down to only his t-shirt and underwear, laced up, and started running.

He sobered up about 15 miles from his home - but decided to keep on running. After 30 miles, he had a realization: There were untapped reservoirs within him.

Some people find inspiration in desperate situations. The thing is though, it is up to you and you alone to make the first move toward change. Will this be your moment? Make yourself your own hero.

Want to check out a video about Dean Karnazes? Then

read more If you're interested, he found time to write a book too. It's available through Amazon for $13.57.

Interview With an Ultramarathoner: What It Takes to Run More Than a Marathon

Jenny Sugar — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 01:26:41 PDT

I run a few times a week, about 10 to 12 miles total, but I wouldn't consider myself a runner, especially not after interviewing Deanna Stoppler, an ultramarathoner. At 32 she has completed dozens of marathons and a handful of ultras - races that are longer than the typical 26.2 marathon distance. If you ever wondered what it takes to run such extreme distances, or why a person ~~in their right mind~~ would ever want to do it in the first place, check out this amazing interview.

FitSugar: How many miles long were the ultras you've completed and how long does it typically take a woman to complete?
Deanna Stoppler: I have completed ultras from 40 and 50 miles to 100 km (62.14 miles). I have not completed a 100-miler yet. It really depends on the course, weather, and fitness level, but I'd say plan to be out anywhere from six to 24 hours (100-miler) or more.

FS: How did you get into this type of racing?
DS: I started out as a marathoner. When I read Dean Karnazes book Ultramarathon Man, I knew that trying an ultra was the next step for me. He started completely out of shape and has gone on to complete extraordinary feats.

FS: How do you train for this type of race? What other types of exercise or cross training do you do to complement your running?
DS: The main thing is to run back to back long runs, usually on a Friday-Saturday or Saturday-Sunday schedule, increasing distance over time and tapering a couple of weeks before the race. I avoid running on pavement as much as possible. I do sit-ups and push-ups every night, and when I have time, I try to do core exercises with an exercise ball. I used to stretch but I don't do that anymore. It seemed to make me more sore the next day. I also use a Tiger Tail roll bar when certain muscles get tight.

FS: How do you keep going for that long? What techniques do you have when you feel like you want to stop?
DS: I try to start out slow because everyone runs like bats out of hell at first. I stay near the back and slowly work my way up. I don't sprint in ultras, although, in one race I did run faster for the last three miles because I didn't have a flashlight and didn't want to get caught in the dark. I continue to ingest calories even when my body says not too (digestion slows when you exert that much energy). I do math in my head for hours on end! Mostly it's math about the next time that I need to take a GU shot, ingest S-caps (electrolyte tabs), and fill my water. I try to think about how awesome it is that I'm doing this and that it's only one day out of my entire life.

Continue reading to find out what ultramarathoners do about going to the bathroom.