Product Description

In the Fall of 2006, Dean Karnazes, known as the 'Lance Armstrong of the running world', took on the ultimate challenge: running 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 consecutive days. Dean set off in a caravan packed with fellow runners, with nothing more than a roadmap and a determination that defied all physical limitations. 50/50 goes beyond the incredible story of these 50 marathons. It is a firsthand, fascinating story of what it's like to push the limits of strength under grueling conditions - and how Dean Karnazes pulled off the extraordinary. This book is also packed with Dean's secrets that runners everywhere will want to know. These include what to do when you hit a wall, how to adapt quickly to drastic terrain, how to get motivated after a really tough day, and the best diet and exercise tips to improve your own best time. Complete with Dean's practical tips on building endurance, this book will appeal to marathon runners and athletes everywhere, as well as to readers who crave an inspiring story of incredible accomplishment.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #132195 in Books
• Published on: 2008-09-04
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 304 pages

About the Author
Karnazes has been called an "Ultrarunning legend" by Men's Journal, and 'One of the sexiest men in sports' by Sports Ill. for Women. He won the 2004 Badwater Ultramarathon in Death Valley. He's the author of ULTRAMARATHON MAN, a columnist for Men's Health.

Customer Reviews

It's no Ultramarathon man
I read Ultramarathon man a a year or so back and loved it. When this came out I was expecting more of the same but unfortunately something very key had changed...Dean had gained corporate sponsorship.

The book is still a good read but the product placement at times is shameful and I found myself getting more and more annoyed by it as the book went on. One chapter towards the end is devoted almost entirely to the exact make of shoe he wore and how they made it (and how far ahead of thier competitors they are...sigh!). I really like the guy and think what he's achieved is phenomenal but it's a real shame that he's now clearly under the thumb of a large corporate sponsor.

Still, like I say, an interesting read and an incredible feat of human endurance. 3/5.

50/50
Likely you saw Dean Karnazes on the news promoting his 50 marathons in 50 days. I remember watching him thinking "is this guy crazy?" For the majority of us, completing even one marathon would be a lifelong goal achieved. Here this guy is looking to do not one or two runs in a season but 50 without even a day of rest. Like many people, I wondered why this person would even trey such a feat. In fact, was it even possible?

So when I got a chance to review 50/50, I jumped at the chance. By some standards, Dean Karnazes is a little abnormal. I say so, mostly because of his ability to endure 50 days of traveling, running a marathon, being interviewed, and then traveling again before getting only a few hours sleep. Just keeping the body going at that pace would be difficult enough. Add in some jet lag, a cold, and a scary fall. It's pretty amazing.

What I liked most about this story is that this man seemed like a real person. He's definitely more athletic and driven than most people but all of us have the ability to make better choices and push ourselves just a bit more than we thought possible. Absolutely inspiring.

Far from average
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 selection 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.

And get this: when Dean finishes his 50th run in New York, he realises 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.