David’s second-to-last podcast was with Dean Karnazes, a household name to most serious runners who know that he won seven of the tough Western States 100s.  While the average American might not know him by name, a large percentage know him when I mention that he ran 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 days.  Dean has a ton of other accolades, including winning the Badwater 135, an ESPY, and being named Competitor magazine’s endurance athlete of the year three times.  His best-selling book Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner convinced legions of people to become runners and/or to greater challenge themselves.  He has written several other great books like Run: 26.2 Stories of Blisters and Bliss.  In this episode, Dean and I have a great chat about his latest book, A Runner’s High, My Life in Motion, in which he describes in vivid detail as a now-aging runner, his adventures competing in the Bishop (CA) High Sierra Ultramarathon, returning to Western States, being a running State Department ambassador in the Borat-like world of three former Soviet republics in Central Asia, and getting pulled into the White House as an unexpected guest on one of the most momentous days in U.S. history.  His family has supported him throughout his adulthood of pushing himself to his limits, and he describes now wrestling with his relationship with them in ways both real and imagined in his own headspace.  I have no doubt this endorphin-fueled book will fire you up to go lace up your shoes and set the bar higher on your goals.  I liked one observation in particular when he said, “I didn’t run to live longer, I ran to live fuller.”  I think we are all missing out on the deeper meaning to why we run if we strike out on this key point, just as he said, “Reaching the finish is not the ultimate prize, it’s the story that’s lived along the way.”  Whether you are a hardcore or casual runner, or not an athlete at all, I think you will enjoy this chat with the Ultramarathon man himself.

Dean Karnazes
ultramarathonman.com
[email protected]
Facebook @DeanKarnazes
Instagram @ultramarathon 

Bill Stahl
[email protected]
Facebook Bill Stahl
Instagram @stahlor