Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner

Karnazes is an ultramarathoner: a member of a small, elite, hard-core group of extreme athletes who race 100 miles and longer. They can run forty-eight hours and more without sleep. They can scale mountains, in brutally hot or cold weather, pushing their bodies, minds, and spirits well past what seems humanly possible. Karnazes has run 226.2 miles nonstop; he has completed the 135-mile Badwater Ultramarathon across Death Valley in 130-degree weather; and he is the only person to complete a marathon to the South Pole in running shoes. With an insight and candor rarely seen in sports memoirs, he 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.--From publisher description.… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member csayban

An amazing read about an amazing individual. Even if you never run a step in your life, Dean Karnazes' story of remaking his life through the simple act of running coupled with a willingness to follow his heart and ignore those who would tell him to stop should be an example to us all of how to

better live a fulfilling life. A must read for anyone who has ever dared to dream a big dream.

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LibraryThing member ethanr

On his 30th birthday, Dean decides to devote his life to accomplishing insane feats, measured in miles. Inspirational, but a little cheesy. The story feels somewhat incomplete because it focuses entirely on a few races.

LibraryThing member tjsjohanna

I'm the farthest thing from a runner, but I found the author's obsession with running fascinating. I'm always amazed at the lengths to which people will push themselves physically in pursuit of their passion. Plus, amazing stuff about practicalities of eating and equipment and planning etc. for the

lengthy runs he routinely executes. Interesting stuff.

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LibraryThing member sandpiper

Ultra Marathon Man is Dean Karnazes' story of how he became an ultra-runner. He's an American guy who ran at school/college, but then did no running until he was 30 (although he was pretty active in other sports). His writing style is very easy to read and light; the pages fly by, and I think the

whole book took me less than 4 hours to finish over one evening & a lunch hour. But his easy style is my main problem with the book; although he has a jolly interesting story to tell, he tells it in a way that just doesn't convey the suffering he must have felt during many of his runs. Sure, there are gory tales of blisters being lanced and filled up with superglue, then taped and him set on his way again. On another race he hallucinates in the heat of the desert. But his language doesn't make you *feel* his pain, his discomfort.

I certainly don't regret reading the book, and I'm full of admiration for the races he's run (particularly when he can knock out a sub-6 mile after 200 miles!), but I'm sure there was more going on in his head which he could have shared with us to help us understand what he went through in order to run those distances, in such extreme conditions. There was one section of the book, near the end, which brought a tear to my eye, when everyone around him in a race starts to realise he isn't doing a relay, like the rest of them, but running the full (amazing!) distance on his own. A couple more moments like that would have improved the book no end.

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LibraryThing member tyroeternal

Dean Karnazes reveals the driving motivation behind his running: obsession. His descriptions of different ultra events was both frightening and at the same time inspiring. The scale of his accomplishments matched against his previous sedentary lifestyle speak volumes for the ability of motivation

and hard work to overcome incredible obstacles. His accounts are those of a skilled runner, not always a skilled writer. While his stories at times felt overly romanticized it did not spoil the whole book.

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LibraryThing member nebreader

If someone asked me to write a review of this book using one word, the word would be -- Inspirational. I picked this book up while suffering from hamstring tendinitis. After reading "Ultramarathon Man," I felt like a real wimp for being sidelined because of a little tendinitis. Dean Karnazes has

expanded my outlook on what is possible for a human being to accomplish. Not only is this an inspirational story but it's written quite well. This isn't a howto manual. It's a book about Dean's experience as he runs the Western States 100 for the first time. You get to go along during Badwater, a 135-mile romp through Death Valley, a marathon in Antarctica, and his 199 mile relay race. You also get glimpses of ultramarathon culture, Dean's personal life, and philosophical musings about life. I'm not going to go out and run 50+ miles tomorrow, or anytime soon, but this book certainly will be in my mind, as I run and find my own limits. This book was great.

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LibraryThing member BookMarkMe

If extreme human endeavour is your thing, well worth a read

LibraryThing member rogerm213

A great read for anyone who loves distance running. Karnazes takes you from his early years in school through the toughest race of them all the Ultra Marathon. He describes in detail the ultimate test of willpower and fitness through the mountains and the deserts. It will inspire you to get of f

the couch and get moving yourself.

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LibraryThing member crazybatcow

It is rather motivational. Even if you never plan (or want) to run extreme distances, it does pick you up for those short runs too - i.e. if he can drag his butt through 199 miles, why can't I just finish this 5 miles?

He is very extreme and I imagine it's a good thing there are few like him - I

believe that running is good for body and soul, but don't think we should push ourselves to the extent that these extreme runners do.

I find it amazing that he can fit a family life and a job into his reality, but he claims to do so. Makes me feel lazy with my one hour a day to hear how he runs, literally, from Friday night to Sunday evening, then goes back to work on Monday morning.

Sigh... I really gotta keep his drive in mind when I give up my marathon training mid-season because I find it too time-consuming.

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LibraryThing member FireandIce

This fantastic piece of running lore chronicles Dean Karnazes' running career from his first cross country win in middle school through a 200 ultra-endurance race. At times, he gets a little egotistical, but face it...anyone who can do what he does deserves to have an ego. The book ultimately

served as a reminder to me that first you run with your legs, then with your mind, and finally with your heart.

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LibraryThing member soam

This is a great book. A short, easy read, Karnazes style is engaging. He's also completely insane - read the book to find out why. I found this book to be very motivational. It didn't make me want to run an ultramarathon, but it did make me want to push myself harder.

LibraryThing member JechtShot

On the morning of his 30th birthday Dean Karnazes wakes in a state of panic, fearing his life is reaching an end and he is no longer moving forward. He is rising up the corporate ladder, drinking in excess and at risk of losing his family. A change was needed. Dean comes home from a drinking bender

strips down to his boxer shorts and starts running - for 30 miles. This was Dean's indoctrination into the world of ultra-running.

Ultramarathon Man is a motivating read. The stories of Dean's adventures are candid, heartfelt and brutally honest. Running 100+ miles in a given day is no walk in the park, but it does speak to how far the human body can be pushed. This book is about running, but I don't believe his message is that everyone should strap on shoes and start training for a Marathon. The message is that everyone should find something they love and though it may be a challenge, persevere and push until you achieve your goals.

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LibraryThing member Dangerboy

Inspiring. Though Dean is crazy. Very engaging book to read.

LibraryThing member dukefan86

I found this book to be very encouraging! I can see where running can be addictive, and Dean Karnazes takes long distance running to the nth degree. Yet, he enjoys other sports as well, and seems to take the time for his family and 9-5 job as well.

One thing he mentioned toward the end of the book

that I could relate to was that the solitude experienced while running helps him to enjoy his time with people more. I can understand that.

I also enjoyed reading about his running for charity, several children who needed organ transplants, since I'm thinking about running for a charity in the coming year.

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LibraryThing member Jeremy_Palmer

Fairly interesting even if a bit self-admiring at times (I'm guilty of this too). Some powerful insights into running and how it can transform the human experience. Dean is pretty much amazing.

LibraryThing member thebradking

I may have to go back and give this book another read. The first time I read it - after Born to Run - I was annoyed by the memoir because it didn't offer any substantial detail about WHY. Instead, the book read like a list of accomplishments from an ultra marathoner.

The point (as far as I see it)

of running ultra marathon distances isn't just about winning, it's about what happens inside while you are running. There is very little of that in this book.

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LibraryThing member cookierooks

This man is completely insane. Also completely egotastic, but the book is still a page turner.

LibraryThing member sarcher

Dean Karnazes has a family and he runs. It's a limited subject, but engagingly told with a good message about setting goals and finding joy.

LibraryThing member wineisme

Fantastic read about a fantastic athlete and person. Dean Karnazes is unbelievable in his mental drive, and certainly his physical capacity to push the limits of human athleticism. I only caution against heeding his wisdom of working through the pain. This might be OK for some who are incredibly

tuned in to their body's biofeedback. But don't get overzealous and push to the point of permanent injury. His stories will make you laugh, perhaps cry, and definitely lace up your sneakers for a run. I am a proud half-marathoner, who may be catching marathon fever after this enticing read...

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LibraryThing member Chris.Wolak

Very motivation read. It inspired me to run regularly. It also got me excited about spending a lot more time outside. I wish he would've gotten a bit more into what he thinks about when he runs and how he thinks--what struggles does he go through?

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