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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 JorgensenBook Description
There are those of us whose idea of the ultimate physical challenge is the 26.2-mile Boston Marathon. And then there is Dean Karnazes. Karnazes has run 226.2 miles nonstop; he has completed the 135-mile Badwater Ultramara-thon across Death Valley National Park-considered the world's toughest footrace-in 130-degree weather; and he is the only person to complete a marathon to the South Pole in running shoes (and probably the only person to eat an entire pizza and a whole cheesecake while running).

Karnazes is an ultramarathoner: a member of a small, elite, hard-core group of extreme athletes who race 50 miles, 100 miles, and longer. They can run forty-eight hours and more without sleep, barely pausing for food or water or even to use the bathroom. They can scale mountains, in brutally hot or cold weather, pushing their bodies, minds, and spirits well past what seems humanly possible.

Ultramarathon Man is Dean Karnazes's story: the mind-boggling adventures of his nonstop treks through the hell of Death Valley, the incomprehensible frigidity of the South Pole, and the breathtaking beauty of the mountains and canyons of the Sierra Nevada. Karnazes captures the euphoria and out-of-body highs of these adventures.

With an insight and candor rarely seen in sports memoirs, he also reveals how he merges the solitary, manic, self-absorbed life of hard-core ultrarunning with a full-time job, a wife, and two children, and how running has made him who he is today: a man with an überjock's body, a teenager's energy, and a champion's wisdom. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (139)

Good Stories; Better than average Blog Writing
I'll confess up front that I'm a bit of an endurance nut myself.I've completed several 100+ mile bike rides and am just starting to get into longer distance running.

That being said, I love reading running and cycling endurance stories online, mostly in Blog format, and I bought this book more for the running stories than for a well-written, comprehensive autobiography.

Of course Karnazes is not a professional writer, but he certainly puts sentences together better than the average blog writer out there.The running stories are what it's about, and Dean delivers high-quality accounts of the highs and lows of endurance events.He offers strong insight into the (crazy) minds of ultra-runners.

Yes, the autobiographical sections are a little weak and border on cheesy, but they do come across as genuine to me, and they end up being a decent supplement to the running stories.

I recommend this for runners and perhaps spouses of runners seeking some insight into their partners' crazy obsessions.

Inspirational read
This book an interesting insight into what drives people to do outrageous things to their bodies. I found that I was drawn in by the first chapter and had a great deal of difficulty putting the book down. Its an interesting easy read but I do wonder how he remembers so much detail of the Ultra events considering the physical state he gets himself into. It also serves as a great introduction to the sport of Ultra running. I was considering running an Ultra Trail marathon but after reading this book I have changed my mind. I have a huge respect for those who do these events.
This book is hugely Inspirational (pehaps not to do an Ultra) and a real eye opener.

Running with the Devil
An upfront admission - I am a horrible runner. Maybe the worst ever. We have to qualify in a PT test every quarter and the 1 1/2 mile run kills me. Every time.

That said, Mr. Karnazes made me want to be a runner. Maybe not enough to go out there and run for real, but in my heart he made me a runner, which would amaze any of my friends who know me well.

Since I can't run for anything but have always been a kind of extreme guy in the hobbies I pick (mixed martial arts, shooting, skydiving, etc.) I decided to employ Mr. Karnazes' philosophy in other directions - weightlifting. I'm currently learning the Olympic lifts and am looking to see how far I can push my body in executing them.

Find that itch you have to scratch, then read Karnazes' book - it will inspire you to get off the couch and go life live. And to live it hard.

Inspirating
In november (2007) I stumbled upon a Nissan ad on the net that featured Dean Karnazes and my interest was born. I googled him, read a lot of articles and saw a lot of video clips and I got more and more intruiged. Then I ordered the book and waited. Got it on a monday and finished it by friday. Every chance I got I read. Dean isn't the greatest of writers, but he writes in a way that ordinary people would write. I smiled a lot at his adventures and recognized myself in many of his thoughts and situations. Some gripping moments almost brought a tear to my eye.
Read it if you're a runner (at every level), read it if you're not a runner. This book is not about running, it's about not giving up and about following your heart.
As a newborn runner since 1½ year, I wasn't interested in ultrarunning before I "met" Dean, but next year I'm aiming for my first 50K.

so, so
Interesting world that I had no idea existed, but written by a guy with a pretty big ego. Some good anecdotes, some bravado, overall entertaining read. ... Read more

Book Description

Running to the limits of human -endurance.

For those who are not content to run merely 26.2 miles, there is ultramarathoning. Some of the biggest ultras are 50 or 100 miles long, races in which people run all day, through the night and on into the next day. What makes them tick? What thoughts go through their minds at mile 93? How is the pain different from that of a marathon? How can you train for such a colossal undertaking? All these questions are answered in 35 interviews with ultramarathoners. Ultramarathoning is the logical next step for those who burn with a desire to achieve and explore their limits. Every kind of ultra runner is included here, and this book will be an indispensable volume for anyone dreaming of running long.

Customer Reviews (22)

Pure motivation and inspiration
I have just started on the adventure of long-distance and ultrarunning and was in need of some motivational reading material. And this book is it!

The accounts of these ultrarunners - ranging from housewives, mother of 3, accident survivors, people you can relate to - is both motivational and inspirational.

If reading their stories about the joys and hardships of running ultra events don't get you to put on your running shoes and get out there, nothing will!

When the going gets tough on my long runs now and I need encouragement to continue, I recall some of these stories and remember what made those particular runners persevere no matter.

Excellent book!

Experiences to learn from
As a newborn runner without any experience from running ultras or any friends that do, reading this book is like sitting round the camp fire and listening to all these seasoned ultra runners telling their stories. It gives you a taste of what one can go through when pushing ones bodyand mind to and through the barrier (or wall) of human endurance. It also shows you that almost anyone can do it if they set their mind to it.
It made me decide to give ultra a shot!

Inspiring
Most of the essays in this book are wonderfully written.I can only think of one or two that were poorly written and not exhilirating.This book is absolutely inspiring, and has inspired me to want to run an ultra myself.Of course, never having been in any race in my entire life, I have to run a marathon first, which I will be doing in October.

I love the fact that such a diverse group of people were called upon to contribute to this book.The diversity of it is definitely its strongest suit.

Great Book
I am just getting into marthathons, but see myself running at least a 50 miler.This book is great for giving you real people's experiences with ultras.You truly get a taste of the good, the bad, and the ugly.You begin to understand that you can do far more than you think you can.I also learned from this book that you must have dogged tanacity toward your goals.It also gave me a different perspective while I was training for my marathon (which I just ran my first this past weekend - the 07 Flying Pig in Cincinnati).I saw it as just a step toward my ultras instead of an end in itself.

Great Motivator and great read
If your an endurance runner this is a great book for you.It has given me a lot of ideas of different races to run and has been a great motivator for me. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A classic athletes manual
This book is beautifully written and portrays the suffering of an ultramarathoner in a way that makes you feel like you're out there too. Written long before ultrarunning was fashionable, this account of the writer's odyssey through the classic long races of the time forms a piece of history of Ultramarathons.Brendan Mason

Capturing the essence.
"Ultramarathon" by James Shapiro was, for a brief moment in the history of literature, THE standard by which other athletic tomes would have to measure. Long out-of-print, and only issued in paperback (as far asI know), Ultramarathon was of such quality, that Sports Illustratedmagazine saw fit to publish an excerpt, venturing down from the mountaintopand bringing to the die-hard major sports fanatic, a lyrical treatment ofendurance running. Shapiro, the primary subject of concern, authors a truemagnum opus of enduring legacy.Excelsior ! ... Read more

Book Description
This digital document is an article from Nutraceuticals World, published by Rodman Publications, Inc. on December 1, 2004. The length of the article is 901 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Waiting for Dr. Godot: the wait for a "Carl Sagan" for evidence-based nutraceuticals has morphed into a relentless ultramarathon.(PROPRIETARY PERSPECTIVES)(Bionutritionals division)
Author: Anthony Almada
Publication: Nutraceuticals World (Magazine/Journal)
Date: December 1, 2004
Publisher: Rodman Publications, Inc.
Volume: 7Issue: 11Page: 32(2)

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more