Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "It was approaching midnight as I wove up the deserted road, wearing nothing more than a pair of shorts and a sleeveless vest, a cell..." (more)
Key Phrases: polar plateau, endurance run, espresso beans, Western States, South Pole, Mother Ship (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

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 Jorgensen

From Publishers Weekly

Many would see running a marathon as the pinnacle of their athletic career; thrill-seeker Karnazes didn't just run a marathon, he ran the first marathon held at the South Pole. The conditions were extreme—"breathing the superchilled air directly [without a mask] could freeze your trachea"—yet he craved more. Also on his résumé: completing the Western States 100-mile endurance run and the Badwater 135-mile ultramarathon through Death Valley (which he won), as well as a 199-mile relay race... with only himself on his team. This running memoir (written without a coauthor) paints the picture of an insanely dedicated—some may say just plain insane—athlete. In high school, Karnazes ran cross-country track, but when his favorite coach retired, he quit the sport. Fifteen years later, on his 30th birthday (in 1992), on the verge of an early midlife crisis, he threw on his old shoes and ran 30 miles on a whim. The invigorating feeling compelled him to pursue the world of ultramarathons (any run longer than 26.2 miles). "Never," Karnazes writes, "are my senses more engaged than when the pain sets in." Yet his masochism is a reader's pleasure, and Karnazes's book is intriguing. Casual runners will find inspiration in Karnazes's determination; nonathletes will have the evidence once and for all that runners are indeed a strange breed.
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Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Tarcher (March 17, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1585422789
• ISBN-13: 978-1585422784
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (159 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #213,027 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

40 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A running and marketing sensation, August 4, 2006

By	David C. Burgess (San Jose, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Dean Karnazes is a phenomenon: frequent guest on television and radio shows; subject of numerous articles and magazine cover shots; regular columnist in Men's Health magazine; popular keynote speaker. Karnazes has been acclaimed in various magazines as perhaps "the fittest man in the world," "the ultimate running specimen," "the quintessential ultramarathoner," an "ultrarunning legend," and "the perfect beast." And it all was kicked off by his best-selling book, Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner.

Karnazes refers to himself as an ordinary person with no special talent, who has performed amazing feats simply by dint of high ambition and unwavering determination.

Karnazes' resolve is indisputable. But he underrates his inherent abilities. His book describes various endurance exploits accomplished as a child and youth, as well as the unusually quick progress he made when he seriously took up long distance running as an adult. These are signs of a person who has exceptional natural stamina. Determination (and even diligent training) alone would not be sufficient to produce his results as an endurance athlete.

Karnazes also has rare energy. He writes of frequently running much of the night during the weekends and then spending active days with his family. He says he often gets by on four hours of sleep per night for extended periods. He tells about running for almost 48 hours straight, covering 200 miles, and then devoting several hours to dash about an amusement park with his kids. Most people could not come close to matching his vitality, no matter how resolute they might be.

While Karnazes may consider himself an ordinary person, he asserts that he is accomplishing things that are extraordinary, even unprecedented. But his achievements, notable as they may be, are not always as great as some of the hype surrounding them might suggest.

Karnazes indicates in his book that he found it more and more difficult to find organized events that supplied the challenge he sought. Thus, he started creating his own extreme events. In that vein, Karnazes' next big endeavor is to run 50 marathons in the 50 states in 50 consecutive days, beginning on September 17, 2006. The website promoting this venture states that Karnazes "will transcend preconceived notions of human endurance." And Karnazes has declared, "To my knowledge, no one has ever attempted this before."

Nevertheless, a relatively unknown runner, Sam Thompson, raising money for Hurricane Katrina relief, is on course to complete the same feat on August 19, 2006, before Karnazes even begins his attempt. (Thompson is not charging anything for people to run with him, while Karnazes is charging $100 per person. Given Karnazes' star power, he very well may get more takers than Thompson has, notwithstanding the hefty participation fee.)

While presumably unaware of Thompson's plan, Karnazes certainly must have known that others have performed consecutive day running exploits that are even more impressive. A few examples:

* Participants in the 2002 and 2004 Runs Across America averaged over 43 miles per day for 71 days in running more than 3,080 miles.

* Finishers must complete the annual Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race in Queens, New York in 51 days or less, requiring an average of over 60 miles a day.

* In 2005, Andrew Thompson completed the rugged and mountainous 2,174-mile Appalachian Trail in 47-1/2 days, averaging over 45 miles a day.

* In 2005, 55-year old David Horton completed the equally difficult 2,650-mile Pacific Crest Trail (going from the U.S. border with Mexico to the U.S. border with Canada) in 66 days, averaging 40 miles a day.

In more standard competitive ultramarathon events, Karnazes' record, though quite respectable, is by no means unrivaled:

* His best time in the Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run is more than two hours slower than the best time of seven-time winner Scott Jurek.

* His fastest performance in the Badwater Ultramarathon is two hours and forty-six minutes slower than that of Jurek.

* In the International Association of Ultrarunners 2005 24-Hour World Challenge, Karnazes finished 29th in the male division, running 136.2 miles in 24 hours, compared to 166.5 miles for the winner, Anatoliy Kruglikov of Russia. In addition, five women finished ahead of Karnazes.

A cyclist who finished 29th in the Tour de France or a runner who finished 29th in the Olympic Marathon would not be lionized as Karnazes has been. Indeed, Karnazes has received far more attention than the 28 men and the 5 women who finished ahead of him in the 24-Hour World Challenge put together. Why?

Karnazes has been very skillful in promoting himself. He has put his background as a marketing professional to good use. He clearly has a hunger for fame. He has written an entertaining book. He is a good-looking guy, with what he describes in his book as a "chiseled build." He has a lively sense of humor. He is media savvy. He has astute commercial instincts. And since the sphere of ultramarathoning is relatively obscure and not as tightly organized as most more established sports, it is easier to create an exaggerated impression of an ultramarathoner's ability with the general public through clever marketing.

Some admire Karnazes for his marketing prowess. Others find him self-absorbed and overly concerned with image.

To his credit, Karnazes has used his renown to raise money for worthy charitable causes. He also has inspired people to stretch their limits beyond what they thought possible. He no doubt has more challenges in store.

David C. Burgess

54 of 63 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THE MAN INTRIGUED ME..., March 29, 2005

By	Tim Janson (Michigan) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)

i read this book in one day after seeing a piece that 60 minutes did on him as well as Dean's female rival. The amazing thing about these two as well as many of the runners who compete in the badwater is that they are not young by any means. I think this is a real inspiration to those of us in our 40's who think that athletics is for the young. if any thing, I think the maturity of Dean and the others is one of their greatest strenghts in running these ultra-marathons. It not only takes enourmous athletic ability, but also incredible discipline to pace yourself and an unbelievable tolerance for pain.

Dean's stories of stopping at the 7-11 store or ordering a pizza while running are hilarious and I did not find him to be sexist in anyway, especially since he was defeated by a woman twice in the badwater run. This is a truly inspiring story not only for athletes, but for people in general as Dean clearly displays that running these races is not all about body it's just as much, if not more, about having a strong mind and will. Something that people can apply in their everyday life.

This really was one of the most inspirational and fulfilling books I've read in quite some time.

43 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Masochist or Mentor?, April 1, 2005

By	Nelson Aspen "Author/Journalist" (Los Angeles & NYC, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

For those of us who are runners, either for recreation, competition or a bit of both, it is difficult to explain the mystique to non-runners. In the case of mega-distance runner Dean Karnazes, it almost defies rationale.

In this friendly, first-person narrative, Karnazes takes readers through some of his most grueling challenges and somehow manages to provide the "WHY" behind his extreme athleticism. It is both humbling and inspiring.

If you're like me, the tough choice is: Do I keep reading, or put the book down and go out for a really long run???! Do both!

Interesting and inspirational book for runners and non-runners of all fitness levels.