Ultramarathon Man

by Dean Karnazes

  II. EXERCISE AND TRAINING

  When it comes to exercise and training, my philosophy is that you’ve got to love what you’re doing. If you don’t, it will feel like drudgery and you probably won’t keep at it for very long.

  My thing is running. Well, that and windsurfing, mountain-biking, surfing, snowboarding, triathlons, adventure racing, and mountain climbing. (All right, I dig the outdoors. Hey, I’m from California—what would you expect?) What is it you love to do? Is it hiking or walking? Swimming or yoga? Is there a sense of adventure in what you do? Do you look forward to it every day? Could it be a priority in your life as important as any other? Those are the types of questions I would encourage you to ask yourself when choosing an exercise and training program. It’s got to be something you look forward to and feel passionate about.

  If you like to run, what would it take for you to love to run? As I’ve heard from some of you, it’s the challenge of trying to better your time at a given distance, such as a 5K, 10K, or marathon. For me, it’s a sense of adventure that keeps me running. I love nothing more than to put a credit card in my pocket, tuck the kids in for the night, and head out the door for an all-night run. If I want a latte, I stop by Starbucks and grab one. If I see something interesting, I stop and check it out. I spot wildlife, watch the moon rise, feel temperatures cool and the air grow damp. I talk to people along the way. Most are friendly, intrigued by my strange custom. Some wave as they pass, others honk and gesticulate single digits as they whiz by. It’s all very exciting to me, like a journey on the wild side. It’s never tedious when I’m immersed in the adventure. Being fit is a natural outcome of doing what I love.

  Q. How often do you train?

  A. As often as I can. But just like many of you, I’ve got a day job, a family to support, aging parents to worry about, kids to get to school, field trips to chaperone, soccer games to attend—basically, a life to live—so running remains a passion that gets attention when time permits. I take my shoes with me everywhere I go and run seven days a week if I can. Realistically, it usually averages out to about four or five days a week. When I’m ramping up for an ultra event, I’ll try to log at least 70 to 100 miles per week. My routine consists of rising at 4:00 a.m. and running for three hours before I take the kids to school and head off to the office. If possible, I’ll try to get a quick 45-minute to an hour run after work as well (I rarely break for lunch unless I have a lunch meeting scheduled or something). On weekends, I’ll try to log a 30- to 40-miler on Saturday morning (again, heading out about 4:00 a.m. so I’m back early to spend the weekend with the family). It’s pretty full-on but I wouldn’t trade it for the world.

  Q. Any tips for running an ultra?

  A. Depending on the distance you select (i.e., 50K, 50-mile, 100K, or 100-mile), you’ll likely be on your feet for much longer than you’ve experienced in the past. For a 50K or 50-miler, I suggest doing at least one eight-hour training run. Just being upright for that long without a break can be challenging. Try to focus on total hours of running time versus total mileage covered. If you’re training for a 100-miler, I would recommend doing an all-night run to acclimate yourself to the sleep deprivation you’ll encounter during the event. Take your lighting systems with you and try to simulate race conditions as closely as possible. Run for ten to twelve hours if you can. Come race day, as nervous as you might be, try to relax and enjoy the experience. Yes, it’s going to hurt, but most things worthwhile in life usually come with a measure of pain. Remain flexible—things might not go as anticipated. There will be unforeseen circumstances encountered along the way, seemingly insurmountable challenges will plague you, demons will enter your mind and tell you to quit. Don’t listen. Keep going. Run when you can, walk if you have to, crawl if you must—just never give up.

  Q. Do you cross-train?

  A. I cross-train by windsurfing, mountain-biking, and surfing regularly. All of these are great muscle-building activities—not to mention great fun! I’ve never suffered a running-related injury, and I think part of the reason is that I’ve conditioned my entire body by doing more than just running. Having a bit of muscle bulk is not necessarily a good thing if you are trying to be the fastest runner out there. If you look at the build of the elite contenders in most running events, there’s typically not a lot of upper body muscle. Having bulk generally slows you down; it’s more weight to carry around. But to me, having the extra muscle mass is worth it. It’s essential for the other sports that I love, and, at least anecdotally, I believe it helps with injury prevention. So, for me, the trade-off ’s worth it.

  Q. How often do you train on the road versus the trail?

  A. About half and half. I prefer the trails, as I like the scenery and serenity, and trial running is less jarring on the body. But running on the trails is not always a viable option, so I spend plenty of time on the road. Regardless of the terrain you choose, let me encourage you to invest in a good pair of running shoes. My suggestion is to go to a reputable running specialty store and have a knowledgeable salesperson help you find the shoe that’s right for you. That typically means trying on a number of different shoes, by a number of different manufacturers, and taking them for a test run around the block. Having a shoe that fits well and is comfortable will carry you a long way, be it on the trail or on the road.

  Q. What’s the longest you’ve gone without running?

  A. The longest I’ve gone without running in the past ten years has been three days. It wasn’t pretty. By day two, I was grumpy and depressed. On the third day, all I wanted to do was lie in bed all morning. This may sound peaceful to some, but relaxing to me is really stressful. By day four, I couldn’t take it any longer and went for a run, even though I had the flu and a 103-degree fever.

  Q. After I run a marathon, I can barely move for days. Is there anything that can help?

  A. There are a couple of “tricks” I believe help speed recovery. One is that I always force myself to go running the next day (though it’s more like hobbling than running). Even if it’s just a short two or three miles run very slowly, I make myself do it. It seems to help flush out the byproducts of the race and get the blood flowing again. I also drink a ton of water post-event. For the next several days following a big run, I carry a water bottle with me wherever I go and drink constantly throughout the day. Again, this appears to help “flush out” the system of cellular debris and metabolic byproducts. Just be sure you’re near a bathroom because you’ll be making plenty of pit stops throughout the day.

  Q. How often do you lift weights?

  A. Though I love outdoor sports, the gym has its place. I find myself in the gym a few times per week, especially when I’m traveling on business. My routine principally consists of eight to ten reps with dumbbells, focusing on lower chest, upper chest, biceps, and shoulders. I typically do three sets of each, “super-setting” between them (i.e., changing from one lift to the next after each set). Super-setting helps to keep your heart rate elevated throughout the duration of the workout and allows the recruitment of several muscle sets concurrently. I also do pull-ups (six sets of twelve), dips (three sets of thirty), and crunches (four sets of ninety). On days when I can’t get to a gym, I’ll do four sets of fifty push-ups, and four sets of ninety sit-ups—once in the morning and once in the evening. That seems to do the trick.

  Q. How do you stay motivated?

  A. I work at it. For me, motivation requires self-discipline and a personal commitment. It doesn’t come easy. There are certainly days when I don’t feel like getting off the couch. But I make myself. Having an activity you love certainly goes a long way toward making it easier to be motivated. Something else that can help is having a goal to shoot for, like an upcoming race. Then you’ll have a reason to get moving. If it helps, get a friend to sign up, too. Then you’ll have a training partner to confide in on the off days, the days you’re dragging. You can share the burden, weathering the lows together, and celebrating the highs. Then go light it up on race day
, knowing you paid your dues.

  Q. What do you think about when you run?

  A. Sometimes a lot of things, sometimes nothing. It really depends on the length of the run and my mood. If it’s an hour run, I might just decompress and let my mind wander. Other times I use running to accomplish specific tasks. For instance, I wrote much of this book “on the run.” I carried a digital recorder with me and would go out on these all-night runs and dictate into it (hence the subtitle of the book, Confessions of an All-Night Runner). I found that I did some of my clearest thinking while running. Then when flying around the country on business trips, I would type up my notes. It was the only way I could figure out how to write a book with my schedule.

  Q. Do you ever listen to music when you run?

  A. I’ve got a 1GB iPod Shuffle, and love it. The thing weighs less than an ounce and holds something like 250 songs. My daughter and I share a playlist and I’ve got a core mix of about 100 songs of my own—’80s punk stuff from college, some reggae, some classic rock, and some modern tunes. I don’t listen to music on every run but enjoy it periodically.

  Q. How long will you keep this up?

  A. As long as my heart’s still in it, I’ll keep going. If the passion’s there, why stop? What I’m finding as I get older is that my endurance is actually improving. Granted, I’m getting slower. But my ability to run longer distances is getting better. There’ll likely be a point of diminishing returns, a point where my strength will begin to wane. Until then, I’ll just keep plodding onward, putting one foot in front of the other to the best of my ability. Smiling the entire time.

  Appendix

  Food Log from The Relay

  Acknowledgments

  I’d like to thank all of you who believed in me, even when I sometimes found it difficult to believe in myself. The list is long, way too long to include here everyone who’s provided inspiration and encouragement along the way—the Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run has some 1,200 volunteers, to each of whom I offer my gratitude.

  Thank you to Carole Bidnick, my agent, who has been by my side through many marathons, even though she hasn’t run a mile in the past ten years. Your insight and wisdom guided me, and your tenacity and fire got me across the finish line.

  Thank you to Ken Siman, my editor, for constantly pushing me to do better, dig deeper, go farther. Though it was a different sort of ultramarathon, writing this book was a daunting challenge. You’ve been a great coach, mentor, confidant, and friend.

  Thanks to my wife, Julie, and our children, Alexandria and Nicholas. Julie, you’ve been a source of inspiration for most of my life, and I continue to learn from you every day. Thank you to our extended family member, Valia Naumova. In caring for Alexandria and Nicholas, you’ve brought so much love, compassion, and laughter to our household that you’re one of us.

  To my brother, Kraig, and his lovely wife, Carolyn, you are the best. Thanks for putting up with my antics all these years. Some things never change. At least I’m consistent. I remain forever grateful for all the support you’ve given me.

  There are many friendships I’ve enjoyed over the miles, but I am especially appreciative of those shared with Kim and Topher Gaylord, Jim Vernon, Tom Servais, Christopher Bergland, and Tim Twietmeyer. It’s been a blast, and it just keeps getting better.

  A special note of appreciation to Lessley Anderson, at San Francisco Weekly, for coming up with the moniker “Ultramarathon Man.”

  Finally, thank you, Mom and Dad, for always being by my side.

  About the Author

  An international bestseller, Dean Karnazes’ Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner has inspired both hard-core athletes and former couch potatoes across the globe. In 2004, Karnazes won the Badwater Ultramarathon in Death Valley, California—“The World’s Toughest Footrace,” covering 135 miles in 120-degree Fahrenheit temperatures, in 27 hours and 22 minutes of nonstop running—and was also named one of GQ’s “Best Bodies of the Year.” A columnist for Men’s Health and the president of Good Health Natural Foods, Dean lives with his wife and their two children in San Francisco. Visit www.ultramarathonman.com.