The man who can run forever. Dean Karnazes Interview

If any individual could be put forward as a prime example of an Endurance Athlete, Dean Karnazes would be the one.

His achievements are monumental by anyones standards and he just keeps on pushing the limits of what we understand as the bounderies of the human body.

Since rediscovering his love of distance running on his 30th Birthday, Deans achievements include:

 Running 50 Marathons on 50 consecutive days across the 50 states of America.Completing a Marathon at the South Pole in normal running shoes in temperatures as low as -40c!148Miles In 24 Hrs on a TreadmillSwimming across the freezing San Fransisco BayRunning 262 miles without stopping

The superhuman Dean Karnazes has taken the time some time to speak to EnduranceSource about his love of Ultra-running and what advice he might offer.

Dean you have achieved some amazing feats of endurance, what have you been doing recently and is there a next big challenge which you are planning?

This year I’m attempting to run the great deserts of the earth. We’re calling it, “The North Face Desert Grand Slam,” and it consists of running five of the world’s preeminent desert races in one calendar year, which has never been done before. These included: The Atacama Crossing, The Gobi March, The Badwater Ultramarathon, The Sahara Race, and the Last Great Desert race (Antarctica).

Have you always had an interest in distance sports or is it something which has developed over the years?

It started as a child, but it really didn’t blossom until my 30th birthday, when I walked out of a club (drunk, of course) and decided to run 30-miles all-night. That pretty much changed my life. Since then, I’ve travelled the globe and competed in hundreds of endurance events. It’s been a tremendous ride.

Endurance sports require dedication, sacrifice and discipline and yet they do not always receive the same press as some more popular events. Do you think this is beginning to change?

I hope so. Spectator sports, like football, will always be covered more widely by the press because there is such a huge business infrastructure built around these sports. However, you’re starting to see more and more coverage of endurance sports, and I think that trend will continue.

Due to the demands which you place on your body, is there a particular diet which you try to follow and do you ever stray from it?

I’ve been following what I call “The Neanderthal Diet.” The premise is straightforward, when choosing the foods I eat, I use this simple filter: would Neanderthal Man have access to this food? Pasta? Nope. Ice cream? Uh uh. Bread? No way. Fruit? Sure, they’d find a tree. Vegetables? Yep, they’d pull them from the ground. Fish and lean meat? If Neanderthal Man could catch it, he could eat it. That is how I eat. Back in Neanderthal days it was all organic, so I try to eat as many organic foods as possible.

Ultra-running is a sport which is really beginning to take off here in Ireland. What advice would you offer somebody who might have completed a marathon and be looking to take that next step to ultra-distance?

I love the Irish spirit! I recently returned from the Gobi March race in Asia, and my tentmates were all from Ireland. I don’t think I’ve ever laughed so much in six days as I did during that event. These guys were the best.

My guidance to someone going beyond a marathon is to focus on endurance rather than speed (at least initially). Bump up your mileage and get used to running for 6 or 7 hours straight. Slowly, of course, but still running.

Having read your book "Ultra Marathon Man", I managed to catch a glimpse of the incredible experiences you've had. What would you say is your funniest or most embarrassing running incident?

I once got chased by a barking dog and took off sprinting down the street without looking back. The beast pursued me for quite some distance with this tremendous roar. Then I notice a couple people snickering as I sprinted by. When I turned back, the dog was about the size of a poodle. It had this ferocious bark, but was no higher than my shins. That was pretty comical moment.

Is there a particularevent which you look forward to doing each year?

There is a race here on the west coast of the US called the Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run. It was my first 100-miler, and although I’ve now completed the event on eleven separate occasions, it still holds a special place in my heart.

So I'm guessing that time must be at a premium between your training, writing, being a family man, racing and also work commitments! What do you enjoy doing when you are not running?

I can’t slow down. “Relaxing” stresses me out. When I’m not running, beyond enjoying my family, I love to surf, mountain-bike, climb, windsurf, and, in the winter, snowboard. I live for outdoor sports.

Finally, if you were listening to music while you run, what would be in your playlist?

If I were in Ireland: U2, The Cranberries, Thin Lizzy, The Dropkick Murphy’s, Sinéad O'Connor, The Pogues, and The Undertones, to name a few. You guys really have some great music, and all of those artists are on my iPod!

Dean thanks so much for your time and the very best of luck with The North Face Desert Grand Slam. It sounds like an incredible adventure and I hope we can catch up afterwards to hear how you got on!

Dean is also the Author of the book "Ultra Marathon Man - Confessions of an

all night runner". This is a sports book which I highly recommend as it full of some incredible stories and inspiring achievements.

If you would like to learn more about Dean and his achievements, check out his website through this link

Endurance: The ability or strength to continue or last, despite fatigue, stress, or other adverse conditions; stamina