Dean KarnazesCritiques

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 it.

I never know what to make of Dean Karnazes. Dude can spin a good yarn, but the humblebrags get to be too much after a time. For every instance that he insists that he's just a normal, average guy, he also goes to great pains to talk about his 0% body fat. I guess you have to be good at self promotion to be able to make a living being an ultra runner, but as a reader, I find it hard to get over that aspect of him when reading his books.

The majority of athletes perform their sport in obscurity. Some become famous, a select few become household names. Dean Karnazes should be a household name. He has performed some of the most incredible feats of athletic endurance any human has ever achieved. This book is a practical, humorous, and inspiring account of Dean's 50 marathons in 50 days Odyssey. Runners will no doubt love the book. And even the most sedentary of readers will admire Dean's positive message,that if a person gives it their all; they can accomplish anything.

Love love love love love! Love so much! I am being convinced that people who are just ridiculous athletes for the fun (or stubbornness) of it all are just happier human beings (how they can be when the world's dying is admirable) (I think all I learned in biology class was the word "endorphins.") Loved again the way that family played such a huge role, from Dean's sister to his parents to his wife (stop being so cute I can't handle it) to his kids playing catch with him as he runs. This one was well-written and not at alll egotistical, just kind of matter of fact and also incredibly tense, like a dramatic movie. I'm a sap and I know it (and I'm also quite sleep deprived right now) but I was tearing up multiple times during this book with the sheer exhilaration and emotion that came across the page. Also. the Antarctica aspect was absolutely astounding--cool! Who would've known?

I will say I still prefer Jerker's books partially because I missed the community aspect in this one--which is totally fine, a different lifestyle that I'd be more likely to be in personally, but Scott did talk so much about the people who paved the way around him whereas Dean just hangs out with his family so there's less of a greater context to the challenges he achieves.

Very motivation read. It inspired me to run regularly. It also got me excited about spending a lot more time outside. I wish he would've gotten a bit more into what he thinks about when he runs and how he thinks--what struggles does he go through?

This book was gift, bought for me because 'you like running'. I wasn't sure what to make of the book before I started it. I had no idea who Dean Karnazes was but I was aware that an ultramarathon is any run that is more than 26.2 miles long. This prompted the question in my head, 'how far can a person actually run?'

As it turns out, with the right genes, training and mental fortitude a hell of a long way. The blurb on the back of the cover says that it has inspired thousands of people to push beyond their boundaries. I'm not sure about that claim but it's difficult not to feel inspired by reading this book. It put into perspective my struggles at anything over 12km in length. That wouldn't even be considered a warm up for Karnazes but I now want to to push on beyond that.

The book is extremely well written and it's easy to see why it is a national bestseller. The chapters just flew by as I was sucked in to the descriptions of the insane race distances involved. They are not all huge successes and the bad bits of his experience are also covered in great depth. One thing that really struck me was the fact that Karnazes managed all this while keeping up his 9 to 5 job.

After finishing the book I read a few negative reviews and they are all based around the fact that Karnazes can come across as an egotist. Although I can see where the reviewers are coming from, it's his book about his feats of endurance. It would have been nice to see a few more people from the ultramarathon world included. There are people who have run further than Karnazes but again, it's his book.

This is a great read and I think runners and non-runners alike would enjoy it.

Reading this book really makes you appreciate what a human being can do with motivation and determination. It's almost limitless. And while I found myself really admiring Karnazes' endurance feats, I slowly started focusing more on his obsessions to find the most extreme of extreme challenges, which took something away from the book for me.

Karnazes is known in the sport as an egotist. This book is a fun read, but he acts like he is the only guy out there to ever run an ultra. I know that running is an attractive sport for individualists, but there are less self-absorbed memoirs out there if you want to learn about the sport.

not as inspiring as his first book - the premise just isn't as open ended as his first: you know he'll end up running 50 of them.. he just dispenses running advice along the way - and his northface sponsorship gets annoying when he provides product spots... altogether not very enjoyable

Patchy but inspiring tales from an ultra-marathon runner (100 miles? No problem.) As a runner myself - albeit of far shorter distances - much of it rings true and the book will push me further I'm sure. Works best when he's talking about how his mental strength pushed him further rather than the "amusing" anecdotes from life on the road.

Fun. He considers himself just an ordinary person.

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 marathon time.

My feeling upon finishing the book was similar to his upon finishing the 50 marathons. 'Aw shucks, it's over.'

First read: December 2009
Reread: August 2013

To be able to endure 50 marathons, Dean, with his advisors decided upon a racing heart rate of 111 for the 50 marathons. What a conservative approach! With that gentle approach to his runs, Appendix E gives the results of his blood work, and it paid off. After 50 marathons, markers of stress were less than that of a typical runner after one marathon. I had a somewhat similar experience last weekend (2013.08.03) when I ran a half marathon at a conservative heart rate. I didn't feel that I had an adequate training base to race it, so I held back for the first half, and ended up with a delightful experience. Not only did I place in my age group, but set a personal record for that course!

This reading I paid especial attention to the sidebars and appendices. It is delightful how much good advice is packed into this book in those little sidebars.

On a whim, I checked this out from the Tempe Public Library the last time I was there. It was in the new book area at the end of the shelf and caught my eye. I've enjoyed reading it. Having read his other two books, it was just a fun read.

Not a patch on ultrmarathon man.

An amazing man with almost superhuman abilities but this book really didn’t hit the mark.

If you haven’t already read ultra marathonman, I’d unreservedly recommend it.

Dean has a pretty big ego, but you'd have to in order to run that far. Or be completely insane. Or both. But it was still an interesting read.

Dean Karnazes has a family and he runs. It's a limited subject, but engagingly told with a good message about setting goals and finding joy.

This man is completely insane. Also completely egotastic, but the book is still a page turner.

This was a very quick and easy read which is fairly enjoyable, but not particularly memorable or well written.
A couple of times in the book, his tone did come across slightly smug, that kind of "you only know if you're a runner" type mindset (I'm "a runner" too, by the way) which always annoys me.
But overall it was really enjoyable and in parts, pretty inspirational, particularly in how he conveyed his pure enjoyment of running and how that is probably why he is so good at it, not because he is some kind of super human or running machine. Basically, if you like running enough, you'll want to do it all of the time. And if you do it all of the time, you'll get to be really good at it. If there is anything exceptional about Dean Karnazes, it wouldn't be his body, it would be just how much he freaking loves running.
If you're already running 10k's or longer, then I think this is a fun little read to get some more tips and inspiration to take your running to the next level.
If you're just starting out then I don't think it would be so encouraging.

Dean Karnazes is my running idol. He's also my writer-runner idol. His first two books were a thrill-a-sentence joyride, but somehow he hit the brakes with this one. Much territory is tread upon again here, and nothing really new is told. I'm afraid he kind of mailed it in, and I'm terribly disappointed. I still liked it though, because I love his completely false self-deprecating braggadocio. I'm like that, so I get that. It's just I wanna run like him too. I'll get there.

Within the pages of Run! there are 26.2 stories all related to running in one way or another, one for every mile of a marathon. Sometimes a chapter was simply to express the joy of running. Sometimes it allowed Karnazes's wife or friends try to explain what makes him tick. Other times it was just to tell a funny story if only to reiterate Karnazes is human and can fail from time to time. There is a wicked sense of humor threaded through every mile/story.

My favorite element of the book was the idea Karnazes talked into a tape recorder while running; essentially telling the tales while doing what he does best - running for miles and miles and miles. My second favorite element of the Run! was the curiosity it sparked in me. I immediately needed to research the Marathon Monks of Mount Hiei and the art of "vanduzzi" or cupping.

I may have to go back and give this book another read. The first time I read it - after Born to Run - I was annoyed by the memoir because it didn't offer any substantial detail about WHY. Instead, the book read like a list of accomplishments from an ultra marathoner.

The point (as far as I see it) of running ultra marathon distances isn't just about winning, it's about what happens inside while you are running. There is very little of that in this book.

Fairly interesting even if a bit self-admiring at times (I'm guilty of this too). Some powerful insights into running and how it can transform the human experience. Dean is pretty much amazing.

Dean Karnazes – The Ultramarathon Man – has gone for days without rest, run in some of the most inhospitable places on Earth and even ordered a pizza for delivery on a barren road in the middle of the night and ate it all while running. Now he tells some of his favorite, most unbelievable and hilarious stories from the long and winding road with charm and exquisite detail.

“My suspicion is that, like me, most of you reading these pages are drawn to extremes. Moderation bores you. You seek challenges and adventures that dwell on the outer edges. The path of least resistance is not a route often traveled.”

Dean Karnazes is sort of the pied piper of the long distance running world. Beginning with his hugely successful book Ultramarathon Man, Karnazes has accomplished amazing feats of running endurance. Combined with an “everyman” persona and a wry wit, he has captivated people around the world with his achievements and the attitude he has brought to the distance running community. With Run!, Karnazes continues to tell of the adventures he has encountered while running insane distances. While interesting and motivational to many (especially obviously, runners) I didn’t find the stories in Run! quite as captivating as Ultramarathon Man.

Karnazes’s writing is adequate, but he makes up for this with his wit and sense of what is interesting to people. He isn’t the greatest distance runner, but he might be the greatest distance running showman – the PT Barnum of running. Let’s face it, long distance running isn’t exactly a spectator’s sport. Yet somehow Karnazes has managed to strike a nerve with the general public. His stories are nothing if not fascinating. Still, after a while the inspiration wears a bit thin and it comes back to spending a very long time coxing your body to keep going.

Run! will certainly find its place on the shelves of hardcore runners. The stories were good and Karnazes is always an interesting personality who does a lot for charity. If you are big into running or endurance sports, I would say you won’t be disappointed with this offering. If you are not a runner, I would suggest picking up Ultramaration Man for a more interesting and inspirational set of stories.

I found this book to be very encouraging! I can see where running can be addictive, and Dean Karnazes takes long distance running to the nth degree. Yet, he enjoys other sports as well, and seems to take the time for his family and 9-5 job as well.

One thing he mentioned toward the end of the book that I could relate to was that the solitude experienced while running helps him to enjoy his time with people more. I can understand that.

I also enjoyed reading about his running for charity, several children who needed organ transplants, since I'm thinking about running for a charity in the coming year.

This book was a fascinating and inpirational book for me just now, as I'm training for my first marathon! Dean Karnazes' running just amazes me!

In addition to the marathon stories, I enjoyed the gray boxes of tips and extra info, as well as the stats about each race at the beginning of each segment.