Dean Karnazes is either a freak of nature or just a freak. On his 30th birthday, Karnazes hits a mid-life crisis (a little early, perhaps) and decides to turn his life around. Immediately. "I'll go running," he thinks, "a mile for every year I've been alive." It doesn't matter to him that he hasn't run since high school or that he's just gotten blitzed at a local bar. He's going running.
And he does.
That's the least impressive story in Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner. Not only does he begin to run marathons, Karnazes tackles 50-mile runs, the Vermont 100 Mile Endurance Run, the Badwater Ultramarathon (135 miles through California's Death Valley), the Western States Endurance Run (another 100 mile run through mountainous areas of California), and (get this) a marathon at the South Pole.
Did I mention that Karnazes also single-handedly completed the 199-mile Providian Saturn Relay? Six times.
Clearly the man is out of control.
Cindy and I had already seen the documentary Ultramarathon Man: 50 Marathons, 50 States, 50 Days (2008), which takes place after the events described in the book, so I knew that Karnazes was a little, shall we say, different. But come on!
Ultramarathon Man is an entertaining and often inspiring look at personal achievement, passion, drive and commitment. The fact that Karnazes can successfully complete any of these events is incredible, but even more incredible is the fact that he holds down a full-time job and has a wife and kids.
I wanted to know more about how Karnazes balances running and work, running and family life. He spends a little time talking about how his family supports his passion for running, but very little about how it affects his job. This has to take an enormous toll on his family. Even if he quit his job (which he possibly has done by now, with all of his endorsements), how does he have time for his family? Does he have any time for friendships, even inside the running world? Does that bother him? We never really find out.
The book ends with a detailed recounting of the 199-mile Providian Saturn Relay, a race Karnazes ran by himself with no other "team" members. Maybe it was because the event was such a grueling contest that Karnazes felt compelled to sprinkle lots of comic relief and cuteness on nearly every page, but I found this section just too sticky-sweet. There are lots of family scenes here, but they feel too manufactured and scripted.
Yet the book is very readable, interesting and inspiring. It's certainly made me want to run more, although I'll stick to 5Ks and five-milers, thank you. Yet as a look inside Karnazes, it doesn't go far or deep enough. Still I recommend the book, especially for anyone interested in running or getting in shape.
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