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Endurance 50
Dean Karnazes has run 350 continuous miles through three sleepless nights, ordered pizza during long runs, and inspired fans the world over with his adventures. So what does a guy like this do when he wants to face the ultimate test of endurance? He runs 50 marathons in 50 states-- in 50 consecutive days.
With little more than a road map and a caravan packed with fellow run...more
With little more than a road map and a caravan packed with fellow run...more
Paperback, 304 pages
Published
August 12th 2009
by Warner Books
(first published 2008)
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Dean Karnazes' athletic memoir ’50 50 – Secrets I Learned Running 50 Marathons in 50 days – and How You Too Can Achieve Super Endurance!” is less of a training encyclopedia and more of a inspirational bio of one individual who dared to take it to the next level. The amazing descriptions, clear cut language and the sincerity by which every paragraph has been ubiquitously crafted, takes the reader right to where the incidents took place.
26.2 Miles each with 42 Staged Marathons and 8 Live Mara...more
26.2 Miles each with 42 Staged Marathons and 8 Live Mara...more
This was a quick read and I enjoyed the stories from the different marathons, but I wished there was more about the individual events. It seemed to me that he was insincere when describing his fears of completing the task or expressing the difficulties he faced in completing the marathons. Due in part because he kept telling stories of other ultra-events and grander achievements rather than the marathons themselves to make his points. Also, he made it clear that after his sponsor took control of...more
This crazy man ran 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 days and lived to tell us about it in this book. My one complaint was that he didn't tell much about the races themselves and the unique geography of them; each race instead was a jumping off place to talk about different aspects of running, endurance, injury-prevention, shoes, gear, race prep and post-race tips and the like.
A few interesting points:
* Before running this brutal schedule, he worked to be able to run a f...more
A few interesting points:
* Before running this brutal schedule, he worked to be able to run a f...more
Where to start?
I run. If you stacked up all of the runs I've ever done, they'd be a blip compared to the amount of running Karnazes does in a year. I couldn't even try to keep up with him in a race. Let's just get that all out in the open first, okay? I admire what Karnazes can do, honestly. It takes dedication and training to run a marathon, even more to run ultramarathons, and it must take some serious endurance to run more than 1,310 miles (50 marathons) in 50 days. I've also never ...more
I run. If you stacked up all of the runs I've ever done, they'd be a blip compared to the amount of running Karnazes does in a year. I couldn't even try to keep up with him in a race. Let's just get that all out in the open first, okay? I admire what Karnazes can do, honestly. It takes dedication and training to run a marathon, even more to run ultramarathons, and it must take some serious endurance to run more than 1,310 miles (50 marathons) in 50 days. I've also never ...more
This book is awesome - I actually listened to it as I ran in the mornings and I both sympathized for Karnazes' pains and frustrations and cheered for his continuous, spectacular successes.
Even if one has less than any desire to run around the block, let alone, complete a race of any distance, this book is a worthwhile read. It details the amazing capacity of the human body, and the lessons learned can be applied to any monumental goal.
I loved how Karnazes incorporated other heroes...more
Even if one has less than any desire to run around the block, let alone, complete a race of any distance, this book is a worthwhile read. It details the amazing capacity of the human body, and the lessons learned can be applied to any monumental goal.
I loved how Karnazes incorporated other heroes...more
My husband and I decided to pick books that we wanted the other person to read. He chose this one for me since I'm a runner. I thought it was an interesting story and that this guy was/is crazy (since he ran halfway home from NY to SF after completing 50 marathons in 50 days).
While he gave some good tips on running throughout the book, I don't know that I came away with enough information on "How You Too Can Achieve Super Endurance!" as the sub title suggests. I actually...more
While he gave some good tips on running throughout the book, I don't know that I came away with enough information on "How You Too Can Achieve Super Endurance!" as the sub title suggests. I actually...more
Karno ran 50 marathons in 50 different states in 50 consecutive days, an outstanding accomplishment. Unfortunately the book he wrote about it, primarily a diary, gets a little tiring before you get to the 35th marathon, not to mention the 50th. (His website at www.ultramarathonman.com is more exciting). This is rather shallow writing, just about meeting people, and the weather, and other trivia. There are no profound or deep thoughts here, like you would expect from the contemplations of someo...more
I admire what Mr. Karnazes has done. I think he's incredibly inspiring. However... this book just wasn't very good. I was expecting it to be mostly stories from the 50 marathons he ran, interspersed with running advice. In actuality, it was mostly running advice with a few short marathon stories. Very disappointing.
While the advice was good, it was running advice you could obtain from various sources, including the Runner's World forums. This book is supposed to be about "super...more
While the advice was good, it was running advice you could obtain from various sources, including the Runner's World forums. This book is supposed to be about "super...more
The ending caught me off-guard, but it was also entertaining. I liked how this book was sprinkled with advice about distance running within the descriptions of each marathon. It does make you want to get out and run just for the sheer joy of movement. I liked the commitment he made each morning when he awoke, "Today I will do the best that I can. Today I will try my hardest." Through the reading of his book, one can definitely sense that he cherishes "the journey, not crossin...more
It was fun to follow along on Dean's journey through 50 marathons in 50 days. I was hoping for some deeper insights to accomplish this myself rather than it simply relaying the experience of each marathon. I did find it inspiring and interesting in some regard. I would recommend it as a read for those interested in following along on a journey like this, but not for those looking to do it themselves.
I think I was hoping to get some perspective in how to actually accomplish this my...more
I think I was hoping to get some perspective in how to actually accomplish this my...more
Geoff
rated it
·
review of another edition
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
everybody
Recommended to Geoff by:
Runner's World Magazine
Although he claims to be average, Dean is a truly amazing person. At age thirty, Dean started running as a means to stay fit. Before long, Dean became interested in running marathons and ultramarathons. Dean continously challenges himself to run longer distances. These challenges have included a 200 mile run, a 300 mile run, and several other ultra-endurance challenges.
In this book, Dean tells his experience running fifty marathons in fifty consecutive days - each in a different st...more
In this book, Dean tells his experience running fifty marathons in fifty consecutive days - each in a different st...more
nun ja. Entgegen Karnazes' Darstellung ist die Idee, Marathons in Serie zu laufen, weder extrem noch neu noch lebensbedrohlich. Das einzige, was ihn von anderen Unternehmen unterscheidet, ist die viele Fahrerei durch die USA. Und natürlich die Vermarktung mit/für The North Face - nicht zufällig sind alle seine "Lieblingsausrüstungsgegenstände" von dieser Marke. Das Laufen der Marathons wird mit zunehmender Dauer auf der "Tournee" auch immer unwichtiger. Stattdessen entwickelt...more
At first I definitely had a "oh come on" attitude about this book. It was not at all what I expected--I had hoped for a more nitty gritty discussion of each race. Instead, each chapter addressed a few of the races and a different aspect of endurance running. I ended up really liking it, and being totally blown away by Karnazes. I was inspired, and I'm already on the marathon bandwagon! Plus it was a quick easy read. Some of his pointers were things I already knew (but was grateful...more
A delightful read. Suggestions for marathon runners are interspersed throughout the narrative as sidebars. Appendix C has a beginner's marathon training program that assumes zero previous running to a full marathon in 26 weeks. Most people recommend taking a year before considering a marathon. But after not running in 15 years Dean ran 30 miles on his 30th birthday. He is not an ordinary person. Appendix D is more typical with an 18 week program for an experienced runner to better his marat...more
Dean is still the man.
I wish he elaborated more on each actual marathon instead of using each race to tie into the theme of marathon advice he's giving. For example, he didn't mention anything about the Delaware Marathon except for the fact that there was a bomb scare at the hotel, no actual mention about how the race was. This sort of information would be useful to someone who plans to run a marathon in each state, such as myself.
I would have liked to have seen an individual...more
I wish he elaborated more on each actual marathon instead of using each race to tie into the theme of marathon advice he's giving. For example, he didn't mention anything about the Delaware Marathon except for the fact that there was a bomb scare at the hotel, no actual mention about how the race was. This sort of information would be useful to someone who plans to run a marathon in each state, such as myself.
I would have liked to have seen an individual...more
Dean Karnazes is a truly incredible endurance athlete. He runs ultramarathons (50+ miles) for fun in places like Death Valley in the summer. This books summarizes an amazing goal that he accomplished by running 50 marathons in 50 states on 50 consecutive days. I will someday be happy to run 1 marathon.
This book was motivational and instructional. There is an accompanying video that chronicles each of the marathons with video footage. It is truly inspiring. Along the way he me...more
This book was motivational and instructional. There is an accompanying video that chronicles each of the marathons with video footage. It is truly inspiring. Along the way he me...more
Dean's first book, Ultramarathon Man, was exceptional. His stories and writing pulled you in. This book, not so much. From the beginning it seems disjointed and it lacked the spark that makes you want to read more. It was part diary, part training log, part how to guide, and none of those things were very well written. Some of the stories were ones he had previously told in Ultramarathon Man, however they seemed much more 'safe' and censored this time around.
It was interesting to re...more
It was interesting to re...more
An entertaining, simply written read that is ostensibly about a man's attempt to run 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 consecutive days (props to Vicksburg's own Sam Thompson for doing this first), but actually about one man's attempt to market every product for every one of his sponsors. I am a little irked that I paid for a book that is basically a walking North Face/Accelerade ad, but there are enough good endurance running tips to make this one a recommended read for the budding endurance run...more
Ruth left this book on my shoes outside during one of her early morning jogs. It reads as part motivational, part marathon primer, part travelogue. I guess the motivation part worked, because Ruth and Olivia and I, who all just read this book, just signed up for the New York marathon.
The tone was cheerful and grateful, and he (and his love for his family and his Greek-American pride) were likeable, but reading about 50 consecutive marathons gets tiresome (HA!). Still, it's worth bor...more
The tone was cheerful and grateful, and he (and his love for his family and his Greek-American pride) were likeable, but reading about 50 consecutive marathons gets tiresome (HA!). Still, it's worth bor...more
I really, really enjoyed this book. This man, Dean, is amazing and totally inspiring. As he tells the story of his effort to run 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 days, he also gives advice to first (or second or third...) time marathoners. I loved all the tips. I loved reading about each of the races. I was inspired by his dedication. And I look forward to putting his advice to good use (and already have on some training runs). I would recommend anyone who has any interest in running, competitive...more
I'm really glad I read Ultramarathon Man before reading 50/50. This book was good, and I liked it, but it wasn't as awe-inspiring as his first one. Additionally I was somewhat disappointed throughout the entire book since I knew that this event was most likely a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence and I probably wouldn't ever be able to participate. It made me wish that I had known about it when it happened - and that I would have been in shape. Still a good read and an even more amazing ending. ...more
This audiobook is truly inspirational. It's wonderful that Dean narrated the book because it felt more personal coming from him, like you are listening to a podcast or a good friend telling you about this crazy adventure he had. I really liked all of the aspects of the book, my only complaint is that it felt short and i would've like to have known more about each race. I dont think the audio book carried the sections on how you too can achieve super endurance because i dont remember hearing a...more
Leonda Keniston
rated it
·
review of another edition
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Runners who need inspiration, beginning runners
Recommended to Leonda by:
No one
I enjoy reading Dean Karnazes books for sheer inspiration. I haven't finished this book yet but it has inspired me to get back on the running "wagon" and run another marathon next year. I will say however, that the book is a little redundant at times considering he is describing most of the races he ran in and the people he met along the way. Nevertheless, if you are interested in learning running tips, getting more advice, and getting inspired to push yourself a little farther, then y...more
Ok, this is most certainly the longest book title of any book I have ever read. To start with, I have read Dean's first book - Ultramarathon Man - a couple of times now. I have enjoyed the rereads of that book and I'm pretty sure the same will be true of this book. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Dean and his running quest, in 2006 Dean attempted to cover a marathon in each of the 50 states on 50 consecutive days culminating at the New York City Marathon. This book brings to life the hi...more
I think I would have really enjoyed this book if it was what it promised to be on the back. A third of it WAS a book about running 50 marathons in 50 days and the many interesting people he met and places he saw along the way. Sadly, the rest of it was advice about running that didn't feel very well fleshed out or researched, but rather was random advice and tips that seem to work OK, most of the time, for Mr. Karnazes. What this guy has done is amazing and phenomenal and is deserving of much ad...more
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....more
So when I got a chance to review 50/50, I jumped at the chance....more
At the time that Dean Karnazes was running his fifty marathons in fifty days, Ian and I were preoccupied with new born Harriet. Although he is a local sports celebrity, I have only just heard of him this year promoting his account of those fifty marathons: 50/50.
For the 50/50 challenge, Dean Karnazes ran fifty consecutive marathons, each in a different state. All of the marathons were on official marathon routes, but not all of them were run during the normally scheduled marathons. ...more
For the 50/50 challenge, Dean Karnazes ran fifty consecutive marathons, each in a different state. All of the marathons were on official marathon routes, but not all of them were run during the normally scheduled marathons. ...more
Kind of surprised myself; I ran right through this book in one marathon session. (Sorry - couldn't help myself.) Anyway... I enjoyed this more than I expected to. Never been a big Karnazes fan, for no particular reason, but picked this, his latest, up for a quick read. The description of his 50 marathons in 50 days is fascinating, both from a logistical and endurance standpoint. He intersperses the travelogue (runalogue?) with lots of tips for runners, from beginners to endurance runners. ...more
A book that I read to try to help motivate me to start running. It was a fun, quick read (took me maybe 2 hours to complete the whole thing) and is full of the author's pointers on how to do more than your brain thinks it can. Several inspirational stories, but this guy is a bit crazy! Also included are training plans to run your first marathon and to improve your time on following runs. Will I actually find the time to train this year? That is still undecided.
Not a fan of the book or the guy. I used to like him - he's a pretty amazing athelte -- but this book just annoyed me. How many times can he tell me how many people find him so awesome that they drove/flew hundreds of miles and disrupted their entire life to spend 26.2 miles with Karno? I'll tell you how many - 50 times! If you are a veteran runner this book holds no new tips and it's really just a big book how how "great" he is. Glad I borrowed this instead of paying money for i...more
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Dean Karnazes (b. Constantine Karnazes) is an American ultramarathon runner and author.
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“Unless you're not pushing yourself, you're not living to the fullest. You can't be afraid to fail, but unless you fail, you haven't pushed hard enough."
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