Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner

I hate running. Or at least I used to. And it had been a long time since I've run more than a few steps.
The most I have ever run in my life was 3 miles. And that was when I participated in a 3k race.

After reading a 1/3 of the book, around 11pm, I just went out and ran 4 miles.
Two days later, after reading another 1/3 of the book, I went outside and ran 6 miles.
Two days later, after finished the book, I went outside, and like Forest Gump, I ran 12 miles.

At times, I had to walk, and there were a few times when I felt like I was crawling.

The quote from the book, "When you can't run, walk. When you can't walk, crawl" continued to echo in my mind.

The narration is very engaging and I enjoyed reading it.

After this book, I read Born to Run by Chris McDougall. And while I did enjoy that book as well, Chris does take a few shots at Dean Karnazes. And so does Scott Jurek. There seems to be some resentment within the ultra community re: the amount of publicity and recognition that Dean has been receiving. I'm not aware of all that but all I know is that this book in itself, has inspired me to run again and that's all that matters.

I'm a runner, and although I have not done and probably never will do an ultramarathon, I know quite a few ultramarathoners and thought this book would give me a better idea of the sport. But, wow, this book is a piece of crap.

Rarely have I read something by an author so completely self-absorbed, self-worshiping, self-indulgent, and egotistical. He feigns modesty throughout the book, but its insincerity is crystal clear. Yes, Dean, I know that you're an amazing runner (although there are other ultrarunners who are even better, and they get no mention in this book) but I really don't care that you have 5% body fat, that you are "cut like a prize fighter," that "over the course of the decade [you] managed to amass nine more Western States Silver Buckles...dozens of medals, plaques, and trophies" but that although "it's cool to have mementos like these, [you ] didn't have them out on display in the living room."

Also, the writing is just plain bad. Dialogues with other people (all of whom, even his family, are portrayed as completely one-dimensional characters) are unrealistic.

And finally, he's sexist. No mention of the (many) incredible female ultrarunners, but he does send a tampon as a joke to a male friend who'd just finished his first Western States 100. Implying, I assume, that because the guy didn't run it particularly quickly, that he was no better than a woman. No matter that a woman, Pam Reed, beat Dean TWICE in the 130-mile Badwater race, and that she was the first person to run 300 miles continuously.

This book is not about the sport of ultra running. This book is about Dean Karnazes, and an ego the size of Canada.

Dean exaggerates a lot of stuff in this book and in general. He lies about his marathon PR (see his 2005 Letterman interview, where he lied about his marathon time by ~20 minutes), made up a few characters for the book that don't actually exist in real life, and refers to himself as the champion of a race category in which he was the only participant. In recent years, he was disqualified from a road marathon for accepting a prize in his age group category when he never actually crossed the finish line (suspiciously, his hotel was a couple miles from the start, and the word from people involved in the race is that he jumped in a couple miles in). Further allegations of cheating are less concrete with no other formal disqualifications, but the guy has a track record of exaggerating things on his website in regards to his pace (falsifiable based on official race splits). This is perhaps an interesting work of fiction, but I wouldn't read into any of this too much.

I think that the most telling thing about Dean stems from when I inadvertently ran into him in real life. I walked into a local running store and Dean was there to lead an organized group run. It was mid-Fall, not terribly warm outside, and the sort of weather in which most people would be running with a shirt on. That didn't stop Dean from parading around the store shirtless for no reason, visibly flexing his chest and ab muscles. The apparent back-of-the-pack runners swarming him seemed impressed, but as a runner with substantially faster PRs than Dean, I found myself rather unimpressed by his undeserved ego and got out as quickly as I could.

Check this book out at a library if you really must read it. There really is no use purchasing it because the book lacks any definitive training strategies so it will mostly end up taking space.

Karnazes story telling is horrible. The book has an OK beginning but then it gets progressively worse. There are points in the book where I shouted out loud "oh my god, I can't believe he said that." For instance, he met this "Indian chief," during a race who told him to keep pushing on through a race because... "You can." Please Dean, stop with the stereotypes and the clichés.

The entire book comes off as an egotistical rant. Dean talks about his "chisel cut body," how crazy he is, how he never gets any respect, and how much of a great family man he is. He does try to include other people in his praises but it is often superceded by another explanation of how great of a man he is.

I do not know if what is put out in his book is really his personality. So, I will not judge him that way. He is an awesome athlete... but a horrible writer. Again, the best one can do is just check it out at a library or find it for sale in the used bin.

As an avid runner and reader, I was looking forward to gathering some helpful training tips and to be engaged throughout by compelling narrative. I got neither. It's a very narcissistic and hamhanded account that reads more like a college essay and induced a lot of groans and "is this guy for real?" from me and my wife. I lost count of how many times he filled space reminding us of his quest to "know how far he could go", "stretch the limits of self", "test the limits of human endurance". He tries to present himself as a hardworking Everyman, but his endless trophy counting and false humility make him totally unrelatable.

I gave this book two stars and not one based only on his candor regarding a family tragedy.

Other than that, I struggled to finish this book. Here are some bullet points: Sexism, arrogance, poor writing
- He makes some problematic sexist statements.
- His story about sending his friend a tampon as a joke about a bad race was particularly offensive. I guarantee that there are women in this world who have completed ultra-marathons while menstruating. I, as a female runner, would like to personally ask him WHY this joke is funny. I get the jist, but it is a sexist and immature joke, not to mention embracing the "boy's club" culture among distance runners.
- He refers to feeling "manly honor" and "full of testosterone" when cheered on by a group of men.
- When he won a place in Women's Sports Illustrated "sexist athletes" edition, he and his friends referred to it as "The Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition." Yeah... Women's Sports Illustrated is NOT the swimsuit edition. It's Sports Illustrated for women. Women who are athletes and women who love sports, not women models posing in swimsuits.
- He makes comments about how surprised he was that he didn't get hit on more by female runners, given that he was so chiseled. Which brings me to my next point:
- More than once he refers to his "chiseled body" and his sub-5% body fat...
- He says very ridiculous things about his diet, such as, "a simple jelly bean could send me into a glysemic tizzy." OK... Or, "My pupils grew heavy..." How do one's pupils grow heavy?
- He actually, literally refers to HIMSELF as inspirational.
- He has an immense superiority complex over people who choose not to inflict the kinds of pain and suffering onto themselves that he chooses to. He is very impressed at his own fortitude, and prides himself on the potential dangers he puts gimself in.
- He loves to talk about how much people adore and fawn over him.
- He loves to reference jokes he and his friends make, and they are not funny. No matter how much he tries to convince the reader that he is VERY funny, he isn't.
- The anecdotes in the story are heavily scripted, and are, by and large, unremarkable.

So yeah, that's about it. It was like my own personal ultramarathon getting through this book.

I heard Dean Karnazes speak on the Spartan Cruise and was thoroughly entertained, and ordered the book as soon as we had internet service again. The book reads just like he speaks. This was an entertaining book. I didn't expect it to be a guide to running, or a historical book - the title is as tongue in cheek, and so is the book. It's an auto-biography, so it's a mix of being intentionally self-effacing while also claiming his victories.

Do not read this book to learn how to run, to learn how to run further, or to learn about the history of ultramarathons. Read it because it's fun, and because, even if you're a crazy guy going through your own mid-life crisis through athletic endeavours, he'll probably make you feel relatively normal. (Take it from me).

It's a light read - 269 pages in the paperback - and I read it faster than I ran my first marathon (and, not coincidentally, on the same day....)

Like the massive amount of calories needed for a 100 mile endurance run, I devoured this book in two sittings. I would have read it start to finish the day I got it, had I not had to go to work. Yes, it is that good. Yes, it is that inspirational. Yes, Dean is a machine. Yes, Dean will enlighten you about how if you get off the couch and actually follow your dreams and commit to a certain level of resolve that you too can complete any task ahead of you! This book is an absolute breeze to read and the pages fly by almost too quickly. You feel yourself being drawn out onto the trail or road with each paragraph. This book makes you want to run. If you are already a runner, this book makes you want to run more. Why? Because as runners we all have something to prove...to OURSELVES! We can do it! We can go over the next hill. We can run all night if we have the drive and desire to do so. We can do all these things, and with Dean's inspiration, we will all find ourselves accomplishing more than we ever thought possible. Now, that being said, the haters are still going to hate. Who wouldn't want a $100,000 a year job? Who wouldn't want the media attention? Who wouldn't want the accolades? Here is the thing, if you want all those things, you CAN have all those things. Just get out there and do something unique and original. Push yourself to the limit. Don't hate on Dean because he did what so many people thought was impossible or AFRAID to try. Most people fail because they are not willing to make the hard sacrifices. Do you think what Dean accomplished (and continues to accomplish) was done without sacrifice? Hell no. The thing is, Dean does not dwell on those things in this book. Rather, he admits that he has sacrificed some things for his greater, more important (to him) personal goals. Those are his priorities. Don't hate because they are not your priorities. If you are going to be above average as a runner, you have to make sacrifices. If you are a runner, you know that there are times that you go for a run before doing ANYTHING else. Why? Because in the end, everyone follows their own path. What you think you are sacrificing for OTHER PEOPLE for delaying YOUR dreams will likely mean nothing when you are six feet under. Live your life for the now. If others do not understand that, or think they are more important, then maybe they need to re-prioritize their own dreams. I am not saying to be selfish, but I am suggesting that it is often the glares, words, and opinions of others that cause many to stray from their own personal goals. If this book teaches you anything, it will teach you how, with the right attitude and scheduling, you can have BOTH...if you are willing to make the commitment to your dream. If you are a runner and you do not read this book, you have truly missed a wonderful experience. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

This is one of the most captivating, and intriguing books I have ever read! Love! Love! Love!

This book was one of the best books I have ever read in my life. The author has a similar personality as mine though, so It read really easily and was probably why I enjoyed it as much. Read it as a motivational tool or just entertainment, I went from not exercising and 260 lb's to biking and running daily and now weigh 160. It really helped my bridge my goals but more importantly this is a story of a man changing his outlook in his life. I bought this and read it over the course of 3 days ( could not stop, had to force myself to put it down).