50/50 Secrets I Learned Running 50 Marathons in 50 Days

50/50 Secrets I Learned Running

50 Marathons in 50 Days – and How You Too

Can Achieve Super Endurance

By: Dean Karnazes

 

“I run because long after my footprints fade away, maybe I will have inspired a few to reject the easy path, hit the trails, put one foot in front of the other, and come to the same conclusion I did: I run because it always takes me where I want to go.”
— Dean Karnazes (Ultramarathon Man)

I have recently completed 50/50 Secrets I Learned Running50 Marathons in 50 Days – and How You Too Can Achieve Super Endurance by Dean Karnazes. This is Dean’s second book.  His first, Ultramarathon Man – Confessions of an All-Night Runner, spent considerable time on the New York Times’ Best Seller List. Dean’s running accomplishments are quite remarkable including twice winning Badwater 135-mile race in the Death Valley, completing The Western States Endurance Run eleven times, always under 24 hours, and his legendary 200 and 300-mile runs to name a few.

In the ultra running community, Karnazes has faced some criticism for his shameless self-promotion, but hey, if you could make a very lucrative living promoting the sport you love, making appearances on 60 Minutes, The David Letterman Show, and trading wits with Conan O’Brien, not to mention traveling the World sharing your passion with others, wouldn’t you?  I know I certainly would!

As the book title clearly suggests, 50/50 chronicles Dean’s attempt at running a marathon in each of the 50 states, but more incredibly, in 50 consecutive days.  The logistics of such an undertaking are as mind-boggling as the actual physical demands to accomplish such a feat.  The journey began in St. Charles, Missouri on September 17^th, 2006 at the Lewis & Clark Marathon and ended with his fastest marathon of the 50 (3:00:30) at the ING New York City Marathon on November 5^th 2006. Sandwiched between these two events, Dean Karnazes covers the official marathon distance of 26.2 miles in every U.S. state. A handful of the marathons were “live” events, running an actual sanctioned marathon with thousands of other participants, but most were “re-creations” of events in partnership with Race Directors and city officials. The North Face was the primary sponsor of the 50/50/50 and runners could even register and run in the re-created marathons with Dean.

In his many media appearances, the author maintains that the purpose of this quest was to motivate and inspire people, especially kids, to get outdoors and be more active.  Therefore, 50/50 is more that just an account of Dean Karnazes’ runs.  In fact, sprinkled throughout the book the reader will find tips on nutrition, training, race recovery, injury prevention and even travel.  The seasoned marathoner and the beginner alike can certainly draw from Dean’s expertise and experience. Although his running accomplishments are for the most part extraordinary, Dean continues to remind the reader that he is “an extremely average guy”.  Again, some of his critics and certain ultra running purists claim that Dean is bit egotistical and perhaps somewhat arrogant. Nevertheless, in 50/50 Karnazes, although extremely gifted, comes across as being a genuinely humble guy.  At a 50-mile race in Chicago, I shared several miles with a young man who ran in one of the re-created marathons and he too was impressed with Dean’s humility.

What Karnazes does not mention in his work is the fact that another runner started his own journey of completing 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 days before him. In an attempt to raise money to help rebuild New Orleans following Katrina’s devastation, Sam Thompson was already half-way through his journey when Dean set out on his.  Unfortunately for Sam Thompson and the thousands of hurricane victims for that matter, Dean’s media machine and sponsorships got him much more press.  This story does end well though, as The North Face added Sam Thompson to their team and donated generously to his cause.

In any event, 50/50 is a light, yet entertaining and inspiring read.  The reader gets whisked away on a journey from Alabama to Wyoming as Dean Karnazes pushes the limits of human endurance. What is next for Dean after having run 26.2 miles everyday for over seven weeks?  Pick up a copy of 50/50 to find out.

On a personal note, as a member of The 50 States Marathon Club, I plan to eventually run a marathon (but preferably an ultra) in each of the United States of America too. 50/50 has provided me with snapshots of a myriad of possible interesting running locales for my next endurance getaway. I certainly will not complete the 50 states in the next 50 days; however, I do hope to achieve this goal by my 50^th birthday. With over a dozen states already to my credit, I figure I need to average at least three new states per year in order to be successful.  Road trip anyone?

To learn more about Dean Karnazes, visit his website at: www.ultramarathonman.com