My wife got me Dean Karnazes's book "50/50" for Father's Day. I have gobbled up about 100 pages already, it's a great read, and I highly recommend it. I've been wanting to read it for awhile, so I'm very glad she got it for me.
One of the first things Dean says in his book is that "I'm just an average guy." I'm not so sure about that. He seems pretty "non-average" to me. This is a guy that has run over 100 miles a day on multiple occasions. I can't even imagine.
The book chronicles Dean's journey in running 50 marathons in 50 consecutive days in 50 states. (sidenote: one of the pictures in the book is of him running through Aviston, Illinois, where my mom is from. It's a small town of about 1,500 people, so I thought that was neat and showed my mom) Almost amazing as the physical accomplishment in the feat is the incredible coordination it took to pull off these events. The logistics, the cost, the man-power, etc took a lot of prep work and planning.
I really like his little tips and advice that are sprinkeld throughout the book too. Tips on what to eat, how to lose weight and stay healthy, injury prevention, etc. I can't wait to read the rest.
I did skip ahead to the "Stats and Musings" chapter at the end of the book. Check out some of these stats from his 50/50 journey:
Total mileage during the journey: 1,310
Calories burned while running: 160, 355
Avg marathon time: 3:53 (the fastest was his last, the New York City Marathon, in 3:00:30)
Hottest temperature: 104 degrees (Arizona)
Coldest temperature: 38 degrees (Alaska)
Number of shoes: 5 pairs
Lost toenails: 3
Blisters: 2
Avg hours of sleep per night: 4 1/2
And amazingly, after running 50 marathons in 50 consecutive days, he had lost only one pound. Dean is one totally fit guy, and a real inspiration. If you haven't read this book, get it. It will inspire you. (I also learned that he has attached his name to the Silicon Valley marathon in October, for those interested.)
15 comments:
all of that and only two blisters? I'm impressed!!
I'm impressed with him as well. Sometimes I wonder what he's chasing though~he's fascinating to me and would love to have a lunch date with him.
Dean's books are also well written (keep your interest) - which can be hard to find in a book by a runner! If you haven't read UltraMarathon Man, pick that one up too.
he is such an inspiration. i'm working on my 50-states goal but not quite that quickly :)
i get 2 blisters running 5 miles! he must have some pretty resilient feet!
Yes! It's a great read. My dear friend is briefly mentioned as she attempted to run with him in Wichita. She was taken out by the weather.
When you get to his words during the Marine Corp Marathon, be prepared for pure motivation and emotion.
I happen to have the sound track playing from Spirit of the Marathon while I was reading that chapter, so I'm sure it intensified the moment, but I felt like I could run and never ever grow weary!
Good gift! Enjoy!
Only 4 1/2 hours of sleep? That is crazy! I may have to get a copy of it because I would like to know how he coordinated it.
It is a very good book. I actually reviewed it earlier this year (4 stars). The movie he released to DVD about the 50/50 is also really good. Check it out if you get a chance. It serves as a great companion to the book.
I'm impressed he only lost 3 toenails! I've only done 1 marathon and in the process of that I lost 2!! I feel totally inferior now. :)
I need to find out what KIND of shoes he's usin!
LOVE this book too! It's so inspirational :)
you should rent the movie if you havent seen it! its great :) also i LOVE his other book if you havent read it yet.
Good book for sure. I thought the tips he provided throughout were really helpful. More worth it to me than the story itself really. Another interesting book is "Juggernauts", by Steve Adkisson, if you can find it. I thought it read similarly to "Once a Runner".
I've read the book...and loved it. Though I tend to agree with you...he is no average guy!
i agree with your recommendation, it was a really great and inspiring book!
Thanks for pointing this out. I've been thinking about reading his books for awhile - I guess its time I take the plunge!
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