The Ultra-Marathon Man

If anyone ever needs motivation to go running... read this book! This guy is insane, in a good way. On Dean Karnazes' 30th birthday he found himself on the border of a mid-life crisis. He lived a good life. He had a successful job in the Bay Area. He had a family whom he loved. But he felt unfulfilled. Something was missing. Was this all life had to offer?

Feeling somewhat depressed, he went to a bar with some friends. A woman made advances on him despite the ring on his finger - and on hers. Feeling sorry for himself he played along for a few minutes. Before things progressed too far he excused himself, walked out the back door, stripped down to his boxer shorts, and began running. He ran all night! 17 miles later and the next morning he stopped at a pay phone, called his wife and asked her to come pick him up. His feet were blistered and bleeding. His shin splits lasted for weeks. But he had found his passion.

And he hasn't stopped running since. Running provided an out for him. It fulfilled him, completed him. In the years since turning 30, Dean has completed seemingly un-human feats. He ran a 135-mile race in Death Valley in the middle of summer. After the pavement melted one pair of shoes, he had to be sure and run on the white traffic lines for the remainder of the run. He has also run a marathon to the South Pole. Most recently, he completed the Enduro50 - running 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 days. And these are just a few of his accomplishments - in addition to regular races of over 100 miles (who does that?).

Here are some quotes from the book which I particularly liked:

“Most dreams die a slow death. They’re conceived in a moment of passion, with the prospect of endless possibility, but often languish and are not pursued with the same heartfelt intensity as when first born. Slowly, subtly, a dream becomes elusive and ephemeral. People who’ve let their own dreams die become pessimists and cynics. They feel that the time and devotion spent on chasing their dreams were wasted. The emotional scars last forever. ‘It can’t be done,’ they’ll say, when you describe your dream, ‘You’ll never make it.’” (Pg. 139)

“If you’re not pushing yourself beyond the comfort zone, if you’re not constantly demanding more from yourself – expanding and learning as you go – you’re choosing a numb existence. You’re denying yourself an extraordinary trip.” (Pg. 263)

“The greatest rewards of high achievement are intrinsic” (Pg. 161)

“In running, the muscles work a little harder, the blood flows a little faster, the heart beats a little stronger. Life becomes a little more vibrant, a little more intense.” (Pg. 276)

And my favorite:

“Immerse yourself in something deeply and with heartfelt intensity – continually improve, never give up – this is fulfillment, this is success.” (Pg. 262)

This last passage is what makes Dean Karnazes such a compelling person. He found "something" which he not only loved, but had been blessed with a talent and an ability to succeed at - and he ran with it. He cultivated it, dedicated himself to it. He found fulfillment. He inspired others. And, most importantly, he does this without loosing sight of his ultimate priority - his family.