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Dean's latest favorite toy - the ElliptiGO - is the basis for his attempt at the record books for "most distance covered on an elliptical bike in 5 days". He will be ellipting (?) his way down the coast from San Francisco to Los Angeles, a distance of over 500 miles. You can follow him here.



I first saw the ElliptiGO at the Death Ride last year. Pretty cool that you can get the athletic benefit of an elliptical trainer while enjoying the outdoors. Here are some pics, courtesy of Eric C Gould:

Last Sunday, I had the pleasure of joining 3,000 runners for the Dean Karnazes Silicon Valley 5k/Half Marathon/Marathon in San Jose, CA. It was a wonderful romp through San Jose that introduced me to some great running areas, and a chance to test my speed at the half marathon distance.

Just when I thought Dean's announcement from the Chicago Marathon was big time branding (he thanked his sponsor, Volkswagen...whoa!), lo and behold a marathon that bears his name and face. He's definitely in a whole new stratosphere this year. I said hi to Dean and his wife after he spoke at the Expo on Saturday, and there were plenty of folks asking for autographs and pictures. Most of them, and I'm talking dozens of people, said his story was a key element to inspire them to get off the couch and do their first race. Say what you will about his promotional prowess, but there's no doubt in my mind he is using his powers for positive change.

My goals for this race were a bit more self-serving. I had one more long tempo run on my training agenda for the weekend (15 miles with 13 at 6 min/mile pace) before tapering down for the Lithia Loop Marathon in two weeks. I figured the DKSVM09 would be a good place to do it, since mile markers and snacks would be provided. And, of course, a t-shirt for the shwag hag (that's me!).

At 7am, the race was off, and at 7:00:30 I finally crossed the starting line (the port-o-pottie line was a bit longer than I had planned). The marathoners and half-marathoners took off together, and we made our way through the streets of downtown San Jose before heading into a nearby neighborhood. I saw some familiar faces in the pack, including Michael Kanning (shooting for a sub-7 min pace in the marathon), John Burton (marathon), and Jon Kroll (half marathon, his first race after States in June and pacing friends at Leadville). I ran with Jon for a few miles, chatting as we watched the sun come up on a clear, cool day. At mile 3, we were 18:22, just a tad behind my goal pace. I bid a good luck to Jon, and picked up the pace and we headed into Willow Glen.

25-year-old Lenin Zapata was in a league by himself, off the front clocking 5:15 min/miles for the half marathon. It didn't take long before none of us could see him on the multi-block straightaways. A few more runners were spread along the course, and I was cruising with Brian Winco, Ironman Fred Haubensak, and marathon leaders Ed Conrad and Bruno Fiore in the first "pack". As we hit the bike trail, I spent most of the time hanging on the shoulder of a hard-running Rhodes Walton, who was doing a great job of surging on the tops and bottoms of every hill, making me pick up the pace to catch him again. The pace was a perfect tempo run - solid, hard 6 min/miles that always felt like I could go a bit harder.


We caught up to some early marathon starters/walkers as we cut through one of many parks, and wished each other well. The sun was peeking over the trees and warming up the course. At mile 10 (1:00:20), runners split in two different directions after the aid station, and I hesitated just enough for Ed Conrad, Brian Winco, and Fred Haubensak to fly by. I caught up to Ed, but Brian and Fred were clearly in their final kick.


Ed Conrad is an extraordinary runner, and his steps were so light they weren't even scaring away the birds and squirrels (I took care of that when I caught up). The crowds let us know that Ed was leading the marathon and I was 7th or so, but Ed kept his cool and focused on his fueling. At mile 12 he stopped for bio break, and I set my sights on the two runners in front of me.


As we hit the track in the last half mile, Seaside, CA's William Swick sprinted by me with a phenomenal kick. Rhodes was just ahead, glancing over his shoulder to keep tabs on us, and William gave it his all to pick off one more. Unfortunately the track wasn't the last bit, and as we crossed into a grass field I was able to repass William as he faded. I finished in 1:19:34, good enough for 7th place, and turned around and congratulated William for laying it on the line! I love seeing that.


My pace felt good, and I had plenty left in the tank at the finish. The first thought I had was "Wow, am I ready for Lithia!". I guess that's the point of those last few tempo runs. It may not bring much to your body, but your mind is thoroughly convinced you can kick butt. I was all smiles as I got snacks and cheered in the finishers.



I took the bus back to the start just in time to see Bruno Fiore (2:41:43) edge out Ed Conrad (2:41:47) in a close finish for the marathon. Age over beauty? Perhaps it was that bio break, Ed. ;-) The kids race also kicked off, with plenty of smiles to go around. All in all, a great way to spend a perfect California morning.





I packed up my goodies and headed home, so we could hit the pumpkin patch with Sophie before the three of us went to the Bridge School Benefit Concert to hear Wolfmother, Sheryl Crow, No Doubt, Chris Martin, Neil Young, and a VERY impressive Adam Sandler who covered The Doors "Break On Through to the Other Side" and Led Zeppelin's "Hey, Hey, What Can I Do" with screamtastic accuracy. Sophie loved it!


Exhausted? Yes! But I wouldn't want it any other way.

- SD

I was lucky enough to get a preview copy of the new film Dean Karnazes, Ultramarathon Man (50 Marathons, 50 States, 50 Days) which is set to debut in theatres across the US on July 31st (go here to find a screening near you and buy tickets). This documentary by JB Jenna (also an ultrarunner) gives an insider peek at the 2007 cross-country adventure where Dean, his family, and his support crew take on the epic challenge of running a marathon in each state for 50 days straight, rain or shine.

I found the film entertaining and enjoyed how filmmaker JB Jenna mixed snippets of each marathon with "jogging interviews" with Dean and his family to tell his story. Make no mistake - this movie is about Dean, so you will hear a lot of what is in his book repurposed to get folks up to speed. But once it hits marathon #4, there is enough new material for even the Dean-overdosed to enjoy. At that point the focus is less about Dean, and more about how he interacts with fans, family, and a PR machine firing on all cylinders.

One of the first things that struck me about this film is the significant logistical challenge of running 50 marathons in 50 states, particularly when you are coordinating press in each location and inviting a random number of strangers to come with you. All it takes is a spat of bad weather or a no-show from the police escort, and a casual run becomes a liability nightmare as runners get strewn along the course. The film does not hold back on showing these issues, from runners stopping due to hypothermia (ironically surrounded by runners in North Face spring attire), potentially lost runners, no-show police escorts, physical injuries, and more. It's really quite amazing this went off without a major catastrophe.



What kept the film close to my heart was the stories and faces of the runners who come to join Dean on his marathons. Whether is it the woman from South Dakota who survived cancer and ran 50 marathons in 3 years (this one with Dean was #50, and she just about drove him into the ground with her pace), the Japanese newlyweds who felt inspired enough to reroute their wedding to Hawaii so the groom could join in on the run, or the endless amount of stories of people getting off the couch to run their first marathon, you can't ignore that the power of this film is the real stories behind the story of Dean. I'm not sure if this elevates Dean to the level of "American Hero" like the promotional material states, but you can't ignore that he has positively impacted hundreds with his adventures.

The film concludes with his sub-3 hour finish at the New York Marathon, and his first steps out the door to run back across the US to continue the journey. Did Dean find himself on this adventure, or keep going because he wasn't able to? It's hard to say. But for someone like Dean, perhaps that's the best way to conclude that it is not about the goal, but about how you get there.

If you see it, come back and let me know what you thought!

- SD

Dean Karnazes was part of the Beijing Olympic torch run in San Francisco yesterday, just days after winning the Atacama Crossing desert race in Chile. The number of China/Tibet protesters was so large, that city officials changed the course at the last minute for safety reasons. It was a huge controversy.



Then again, Dean is probably used to a little controversy by now. ;-) Be sure to read his comments about why he ran., and the blog comments that followed. A fascinating and polar discussion.

On a side note, I was tagged by PinkCorker (thanks!) to come up with a six word memoir and link to five more bloggers. The rules are:

1) Write your own six word memoir
2) Post it on your blog and include a visual illustration if you want
3) Link to the person that tagged you in your post, and to the original post if possible so we can track it as it travels across the blogosphere
4) Tag at least five more blogs with links
5) Leave a comment on the tagged blogs with an invitation to play!

Here's my six word memoir:

Live life to have good stories.

Why? Because life should be epic! Be adventurous in life, love, work, family, friends, and your community and the rewards will amaze you. After you are long gone, this is how you will be remembered.

Next to be tagged - Devon Crosby-Helms, Mark Tanaka, AJ Wilkins, Tom Clarke, and Sean Meissner.

If you're out running this week and need a boost to keep you going, just say to yourself "I could be in the middle of the Marathon des Sables right now". This six-day, 156 mile run across the Moraccan desert is as tough as they come. You have to carry everything, and get through 6+ marathons in a week. Phew! Today was the longest stage - a 52-miler of heat and sand - and there is still plenty to come.

Lisa Smith-Batchen (who has competed many times, and won in '99) is tracking race progress on her blog if you are interested. She reflects back on her own experience, which sets a great background for understanding the unique challenges of this grueling race. You can also check out videos by stage on the official MdS Web site. If you want to know more about Lisa, check out the new podcast on EndurancePlanet.com.



The Dean Machine (aka Karnazes) has started his own "Desert Slam" that oddly doesn't include the MdS. He's at the Atacama Desert in Chile in right now, and you can follow along here.

Which is the toughest desert? Which is the toughest race?!? Honestly it boggles the mind just to think about toeing the line at any of these races.

SD

Jonah Keri from ESPN did a good overview of ultrarunning in a recent online article at ESPN Page 2. Some quotes from Scott Jurek, Dean Karnazes, and Yiannis Kouros, as well as descriptions of the more high profile ultras. I didn't realize there were over 350 ultras run last year! My favorite quote:

"Ultra running is a metaphysical event," (Yiannis) Kouros explained. "If you don't have that kind of idiosyncrasy, you will never become an ultra runner, even if you train all your life. I am one of those people who recommend and try to inspire people to get involved with running. But ultra is not a fun-running sport -- it's only for unique souls."

Ultra is not a "fun running" sport? I think Yiannis needs to slow down and carry a camera. ;-)

Read the whole article here.

I caught a recent podcast on EndurancePlanet.com where Scott Jurek was interviewed about his recent course record at Hardrock 100. What really surprised me was his commentary about Dean Karnazes. Apparently, he's had enough of the Dean Machine.

Here's a rough paraphrased transcript of the interview (bold added by me):

It's good we get attention for the sport, but sometimes I wonder what kind of attention is good for the sport. At times I think that some of the Dean attention can hurt athletes like myself and other individuals performing well. There are athletes like us doing all kinds of amazing things and somebody else is walking around and actually accepting these titles and awards. You wouldn't see that in any other sport. I can't think of a sport where this happens - maybe once in a while somebody a bit lower on the elite status might pop up there for doing something extraordinary.

It's good to bring [ultrarunning] to the general audience, but from the standpoint of elite athletes who are working their butts off, training and racing, not making any money...it's not like I'm jealous or envious since I have gotten my share of publicity...but it's getting a little old. It's time the media began focus on the true champions of the sport and those that are doing amazing things because we kind of get lost in the shuffle.

I'm not saying it should be about me, there are runners like Nikki Kimball and Karl Meltzer, there are different distances, and those people deserve their shots too. This is a prime example of how a lot of media is working in this country these days, grabbing onto somebody who has a great publicity machine, great sponsors and media outlets. I would rather earn my titles and the recognition I deserve out on the race course. If you look at other sports, the guys that are finishing mid-pack on the PGA Tour or batting .500, they aren't getting any publicity. Maybe once in a while they get a shot here and there. Generally, it's the winners that are getting the attention. It's just kind of odd that that's happening in our sport often nowadays, where we're just seeing one person stealing the show and winning awards. In other sports, that wouldn't happen.

Again, I would rather earn my titles and if I'm not winning races and performing, I shouldn't be gracing the cover of magazines, getting a title, or even being okay with accepting a title such as Outside Magazine's "America's Best Distance Runner". I would feel ashamed to have that title.

Given the commentary already coming in on the EndurancePlanet site, this is certainly going to be a heated topic:

I was singularly unimpressed with Scott's disparaging comments regarding Dean Karnazes. Dean does good work. I was thoroughly unconvinced by Jurek's (pronounced "Jerk") repeated claims that he isn't jealous of Dean's media exposure. Methinks he doth protest too much... Keep up the good work Dean! Jerry | 07.31.07 - 7:03 am | #

Who says you have to win an endurance event to be known as a great athlete? Many, many, many age groupers are excellent athletes. I think that Scott should be ashamed of himself and respect all athletes, especially in his sport. Dean shows heart and loves running. That is all you need. Iron Eric | Homepage | 07.31.07 - 11:05 am | #

jurek is an athlete, dean is a con man. keep the tall tales coming dean (looks like everyone prefers them) lazarus | 07.31.07 - 12:37 pm | #

So, there it is. Even in the sport of ultrarunning, egos can't sit on the sidelines.

- SD

The polls are in, and Dean Karnazes won the ESPY Award for Best Outdoor Athlete by a large margin. A great day for Dean, I'm sure, and certainly a good day for ultrarunning. Congrats, Dean! You can check out the ceremony on ESPN this Sunday, July 15th, @ 9pm PST.


Dean passed on the following:

"Much thanks to the many of you who took the time and energy to vote and pass along the word to others. It was a tremendous evening at the ESPY awards ceremony in LA last night, and I got to rub shoulders with some of the great names in sports today (actually, my shoulder rubbed somewhere near their midsection, those basketball players are huge).

I was fortunate to be an ESPY winner in the category of Best Outdoor Athlete, and I really appreciate your support. It is a great honor to have won this award, and I thank you many times over.

Best always,

Dean Karnazes"

Dean Karnazes was nominated for the ESPN ESPY Award for "Best Outdoor Athlete". If you're a Dean fan, you can go vote for him here. Just scroll down and select "Best Outdoor Athlete" to see the list.

And if you're not a Dean fan, perhaps you could be convinced that Dean winning an ESPY is better than having it go to a bass fisherman or musher? ;-)

- SD

Kevin Braddock of The Financial Times Deutschland(Germany) did a nice article this week about ultrarunning (here). I thought you might enjoy it.

Highlight quotes:

About 70,000 exceptionally fit individuals are thought to take part in "ultramarathons" around the world and the sport is pushing for recognition at Commonwealth and Olympic level.

"Some people are running away from something, some are running towards something," he says. "For most people, running a marathon is a huge barrier. My personal best was 3hr 24min and I knew I wouldn't get any faster than that. I'm better over 150 miles. Then it becomes mind over matter. If you want to do it, you'll do it."

Karnazes argues that to complete the challenge is to win. "Ultra people do it more for themselves than for bragging rights. Marathon is all about beating your personal best times. Something like Badwater is to most people just incomprehensible. Even though I won Badwater, I prefer to say I survived the fastest. Anyone who crosses the finish line is a winner because there are so many elements to overcome."

Enjoy!

SD

Enough is enough, says Dean. Time to get back with family. 28 days and 1,300 miles into his cross-country trek from New York to San Francisco (this was started the day after his 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 days), Dean is throwing in the towel. He made it back to St. Charles, MO, where he began his Endurance 50 challenge, and felt it was enough closure to stop and and head home.

A quote from an LA Times story:

"I had a kind of epiphany," he said. "I missed my family and my kids so bad, and even though I saw them at Thanksgiving and thought I had gotten my fill of them, I realized I hadn't...as encouraging and supportive as everyone has been throughout all of this, I wanted to be with my kids and be back in their lives."

This quote is from his blog:

"I’ll be taking some time off now. Doing what I’ve been doing, running and getting after some great adventure with others, has been like a dream. I say “like” a dream, because the one critical element missing from the equation is my family. If they were with me, it would be a dream. Without them, my heart is forever torn. I need to get back to them."

I'm glad Dean is back with his family for the holidays. The whole thing reminds me of that scene from Forrest Gump where he's running through the desert and stops to say "I'm kinda tired...I think I'll go home now."

Life imitates art once again. ;-)

SD

Dean Karnazes has decided to jog home after his last marathon. Good way to cool down? Sure, unless of course your last marathon was in New York, and your home is in San Francisco.

Yup, that's right. Krazy Karno has decided to cap off his 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 days by running across the country to get home. He really IS Forrest Gump! He's made it to Philadelphia, PA so far (you can track his progress on the Runner's World site here). I wish him the best of luck - it's going to get damn cold in the Rockies, that's for sure.

Below is the YouTube link to the Epilogue of his 50-50-50 adventure. I know not all ultrarunners like his self-promotion, but he's clearly inspiring a lot of people to run. I've met a lot of first-time ultrarunners who signed up because of his book, and I know some of them will stick with it forever. Totally cool.

The Red Bluff Daily News wrote a great article about the 2006 Vermont 100 from the perspective of Bev Abbs. The Vermont 100 is part of the Ultra Grand Slam of the US' four original 100-milers, and like Western States, began as a horse race (although at the Vermont 100, the foot race and horse race continues to happen on the same day).

Dean Karnazes won the event in 16:26:12, with Bev Abbs placing 2nd overall and breaking the Women's course record by 57 minutes with her 16:52:33 finish (and even beat the first horse!). 2004 Trail Runner Magazine Ultra Champion Eric Grossman, Jack Pilla, and Darcy Africa finished out the top 5. Alan Abbs placed 7th in 18:45.

Bev does a great job talking through the race in this article, including running with Dean, the great work of her pacers, wrong turns, running with horses, and more. Definitely check it out.


I'm also pleased to see Dean rack up another 100-miler win. If anything just to remind his critics you can say what you want, but you can't deny that Dean is a phenomenal ultrarunner.

Congrats to Dean, Bev, Alan, and everybody who gave the Vermont 100 their best!

- SD

The Monterey Herald wrote an article about Dean Karnazes, who doubled up at the Big Sur Marathon. I bet he would love any company he can get on his upcoming challenge to run 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 days.

Quote:

"Beginning Sept. 17, he will run 50 marathons in 50 days in 50 different states.

Only eight of the 50 marathons will be actual events. For the other 42, Karnazes has reached an agreement with race directors in each of the cities to set up the marathon course just for him.

"That doesn't mean you can't run with me," says Karnazes. "Please, join me. The Tuesday run in Iowa won't exactly be crowded."

I've run with Dean before, and he's super-nice. You can contact him on his Web site about running with him, but if you have trouble, let me know.

Thanks, SD