Ultramarathon Man

A couple of days ago I received an email from Fleet Feet Monterey that a Dean Karnazes was going to be stopping by for an hour as one of his stops from San Francisco to the L.A Marathon. His source of transportation , usually his two feet but this time via ElliptiGO.

This email also stated what he was was the author of ULTRAMARATHON MAN , which I had seen several times at Borders. Wanting to support Fleet Feet and check out a new book I RSVPed for the event.

So yesterday (last minute of course) I remembered to pick up ULTRAMARATHON MAN from Borders so I could get Dean to sign it. What ended up as book I just wanted to purchase to get an autograph turns out to be my now all time favorite book.

What is there to say about ULTRAMARATHON MAN , well that Dean Karnazes is THEE MAN. This guy is the ultimate beast. 100 miles in one day? Marathon to the South Pole? A 200 mile SOLO relay race to Santa Cruz?

I laughed HYSTERICALLY (seriously) and cried, then cried some more.

He shares his pain which is constant ( come one 100 mile run?), his family and how he uses his talent to help others. If you want the ultimate pump up book , this is it. The book left me thinking, if he can possibly run 100 miles in one day there is absolutely no reason I ( and YOU , thinking about YOU too) cant at least walk 1 mile a day.

Im not one for in depth reviews , but I can assure you this is an easy and enjoyable read.

Now to get to the cool part. After I spent my evening opening my heart and dreams to this book I got to meet THEE MAN.

Showing up fashionably late ( but who is to complain ? we sure as heck werent going to ElliptiGO from San Francisco) he cruises up on a elliptical on wheels. First thing I noticed were his legs! Now before I had left the house I had seen Ron W.'s picture post of this mans calfs and was shocked , but to see those bad boys in person was like "holy shit".

Next thing I noticed was he wasnt very tall ... he wasnt tall at all. I got over that and was surprised at how happy he was to be there and what a welcoming smile he had.

The line formed for book signing and people werent asking much ... I personally wanted to pepper him with questions but I silently waited for my turn . When I get up to him he informs me that he has to use the restroom. So I wait and all I could think about is in his book he talks about how he literally pees on the run. Finally we meet and I admitted to him that I didnt even know who he was till yesterday after I read his book and I was blown away. He was shocked I read his book in one sitting calling it "Ultramarathon reading" and just smiled and was glad that he could see that I had a "passion" for running. He met my husband and was sweet to my crazy kids. We talked about the "pain" of running and if he was trekking to L.A solo. Again I was blown away with his genuine smile and infectious spirit that was radiating from him.

To wrap it up this man was legit, hardcore, inspirational, and motivational.

" ...True, running is a simple primitive act. Yet in its subtleties lies tremendous power. For in running, the muscles work a little harder, the blood flows a little faster, the heart beats a little stronger. Life becomes a little more vibrant, a little more intense. I like that" - Dean Karnazes, ULTRAMARATHON MAN