Customer Reviews

50/50: Secrets I Learned Running 50 Marathons in 50 Days -- and How You Too Can Achieve Super Endurance!

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I thoroughly enjoyed Ultramarathon man, so when I heard he was writing another book about his Endurance 50 Challenge I couldn't wait. Karnazes account of his experience running 50 marathons in 50 states has some very good information in it. He, of course, went over the running he'd done to that point, as well the type of running that he had wanted to do, which led to the Endurance 50 challenge. This was right up my alley because I have become a huge fan of running as many marathons as possible. My body tends to recover easily so the urge to run more often has only grown with time.

So it amazes me to follow Karnazes trek from state to state with a marathon every day. He offers some gems of knowledge on various aspects, such as eating, hydration, recovery, pacing, conditions and on and on. With 50 marathons in a row there is plenty of fuel for the fire.

For the most part the chapters correspond to some aspect of running and how it related to that day's marathon, or sometimes two to three marathons a chapter. As would be expected, this couldn't go on for every chapter. Some chapters would reference that days marathon and the chapter would not mention more than a sentence or two, sometimes none, of the actual marathon, instead going off on a tangent about something entirely different.

What was amazing was to find in the appendix a doctor's evaluation of Karnazes' health from running all 50 marathons, and came to the basic conclusion that running that many all in a row had no adverse effects and that he indeed seemed to be getting stronger as each marathon went on. In fact his last of the 50 marathons in New York was his fastest, coming in at a little bit after 3 hours!

I whole heartedly recommend all runner's to get a hold of a copy and read this extraordinary account. Fascinating read.

5 stars.

Dean's first book was excellent and I recommend it to all sorts of folks, both runners and non-runners alike, as an interesting story of a guy who does truly amazing things. I must admit to being a big Dean fan and I even ran four marathons with him during his Endurance 50 tour. That said, this book is pretty weak compared with UltraMarathon Man. Anybody who has run a couple marathons should be able to give you the advice from this book. If you're a runner you should still read this book as it does have some interesting anecdotes and Dean's such a nice guy, but his first book was much better.

I will never be a ultramarathon racer because I am a bit tall, a bit overweight but Dean's book makes me want to be a better me in all that I do in my life. I was lucky enough to get a signed copy of this book at a book signing in Costa Mesa last weekend and met Dean. He is a great guy. He is humble, funny and stresses that he is no superhero. He was so positive and I was inspired! I loved his first book and this one is even more interesting.I am more of a long distance walker but after reading this book I want to walk a bit further and maybe aim for a 5k (which for me might as well be a ultramarathon) and I think Dean would be just fine with that!!!!

And by "Incarnate" I mean "In Karno." If you're into running, adventure, logistics, being inspired, getting motivation, losing weight, getting fit, or life, you have to read this book. Dean Karnazes is a legend, a hero, and an icon, and if you haven't read his first book, you must.

I thought the book was well written, interesting, and fun to read. Both beginning and veteran runners would find Dean's experiences and/or advice
worth reading about.

I didn't enjoy this book as much as Ultramarathon Man, but it's still a good read. This book is about the Endurance 50, when Dean Karnazes took on 50 marathons in 50 states over 50 days. Unlike Dean's first book, this is probably 50% sports auto-biography and 50% running guide with tips on topics like nutrition, training regimes, shoe election and stretching. The inclusion of so much advice seems a bit odd, but presumably these are the sorts of things that Dean gets asked about on a regular basis.

Dean starts the book by telling us that he is just an ordinary man with no superpowers or amazing genetic make-up. I don't know how he figures that unless the fact that he hangs out with so many other ultramarathon runners has severely skewed his perspective. He ran the 50 consecutive marathons on an average of 4.5 hours sleep a night, with a headcold and severe blisters - and he had no ill effects whatsoever. Although he claims that he wrote the book to explain how he did this, I have to admit that I finished it none the wiser. The man is amazing.

Having said that I was very interested in the sections of the book where he talks about the techniques he uses to motivate himself when he doesn't feel like running or the ways that he finds the strength to keep running when he feels like he can't manage another step because it all hurts too much.

And get this: when Dean finishes his 50th run in New York, he realizes that no one has booked a flight home for him to California. So he loads his gear into a baby stroller and starts running. He sleeps in parks and eats on the go, ending up in Missouri several weeks and some 1500 miles later. Then in true Forrest Gump style, he stops abruptly and decides that he misses his family and its time to go home. (All I could think when I was reading this is "your poor wife - she's been managing the family on her own for weeks and you're not going home to help out?!") The man is most definitely not average - but that's what makes his books so fascinating. I can't wait to see what he gets up to next.

To be honest, I was disappointed by this book. Dean's first book, Ultramarathon Man was a quick, but very inspiring, read - I actually re-read that book when I need a motivational boost / my training is lagging behind. While 50/50 does have some inspiring pages, the majority are pretty bland to be honest. I would recommend just checking this out at the library - you'll donate your copy if you decide to buy it after the first read.

As always, Karnazes inspires and motivates me. He seems to have it all together mentally as well as physically, as the well-roundedness of his character and his happy demeanor is written across every page. What a pleasant experience; reading one of his books. As a therapist, I always prescribe good nutrition and exercise to my clients., and cite the importance of positive physicality. To me, vigorous exercise is not only the cure but self-enhancement tool for many individuals suffering from depression and anxiety. I wish that Karnazes could speak directly to all of these folks..He's probably "fix" most of them..

This was an interesting account of Dean's journey, although certainly not on par with his excellent first book. However, the tips were very basic and any moderate runner probably won't learn much. Read for interest, not for information.

Running 50 marathons in 50 days is a feat almost beyond belief but Dean Karnazes did it. Not only did he run 50 marathons but he did them at an impressive pace; indeed his 50th, the New York Marathon, was his fastest. In this book he relates his routine (how did he do it on so little sleep so often?) and the logistics (much more complicated than I would have guessed). My only complaint is that he couldn't go into more detail about more of the actual marathon runs. It seems that the early runs received much more detail and as the 50 days progressed, he wrote less and less about the actual runs. As a runner myself, I marvel that his body held up without injury. His story is an inspiration and having read his first book, too, I can only conclude by saying that I can hardly wait for his next book. Any runner will gain inspiration from this book and Dean's amazing feat.