An email conversation with the Ultramarathon Man - Dean Karnazes

Many distance runners are familiar with the saying, "Marathon training is 80% mental toughness and 20% physical fitness." Endurance athlete and best-selling author Dean Karnazes lives well beyond these words. He has pushed and continues to push the limits of human endurance.

A short list of Dean's accomplishments include: 

• Named by TIME magazine as one of the “Top 100 Most Influential People in the World”
• Has Run 350 miles non-stop
• Ran 135 miles across Death Valley in the middle of the summer numerous times (The Badwater Ultramarathon)
• Ran a marathon to the South Pole in negative 40-degree temperatures
• Ran 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 consecutive days
• Awarded an ESPY for Best Outdoor Athlete
• Was a guest on David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Regis and Kelly, and featured on 60

In a course of five days (March 15 through the 19th), Dean got up on a bicycle/elliptical trainer like contraption called the ElliptiGO and rode nearly 500 miles from San Francisco to Los Angeles. He then ran the LA Marathon the following Sunday (March 21).

Dean was gracious enough to take time out from his busy schedule to answer a few questions via email about his recent "trip to LA". The following transcript outlines the conversation:

1. The ElliptiGO is definitely a unique form of transportation. Is it similar to a bicycle in terms of gears and breaking/stopping? How about the overall riding experience? Furthermore, how did you discover ElliptiGO?

Dean Karnazes answers: Unique is right! There are similarities to a bicycle (i.e., two-wheels, dual hand-brakes, finger-shift gears) but the motion of an ElliptiGO more closely emulates that of running than a bicycle does. Also, with long-distance endurance biking, the issues of saddle-sores and neck/back stiffness from hunching over for so long are big problems. Because you’re standing, not sitting, when riding an ElliptiGO, you effectively remove these discomforts.

I first saw an ElliptiGO at last year’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon in San Diego. At first, I was skeptical and unconvinced that it was legitimate. But when I tried it, that all changed. Now I’m a big believer in the benefits. I think the ElliptiGO is the best cross-training tool I’ve ever discovered.

2. As I understand it, you rode close to 500 miles from San Francisco to Los Angeles in five days. You averaged around 98 miles a day. What kind of speeds were you averaging during this time?

Dean Karnazes answers: The thing climbs like a beast, so the hills were manageable (the route we followed for the first 4-days was nothing but climbing and descending). On the flats, it’s a better workout than on a bike because you’re having to deal with wind resistance (remember, you’re standing up). Averaging 15 mph on the straights is sustainable.

3. Was your nutritional strategy similar to your endurance/ultramarathon fueling requirements? What were you using for nutrition the five days that you were on the ElliptiGO?

Dean Karnazes answers: Because there’s no jarring action, like with running, you can maintain more solid food in your stomach without discomfort. So, instead of relying heavily on gels and shot bloks like when running, I was eating more solid foods (though still easily digestible foods like bananas and energy bars). To maintain caloric homeostasis, I tried to consume 500-600 calories per hour when really hammering.

4. What is commendable about you as an endurance athlete is that it isn't "All About Dean". Right after a challenging event, instead of regrouping and recouping, you take the time to meet every one of your fans (that is a feat in itself). As you have previously stated, to you, running is about inclusion and not making it a one-man act showing the world what you can do. Do you have an upcoming "Dean Karnazes" exclusive event that will involve inclusion with the masses?

Dean Karnazes answers: Thanks for the kind words. Yes, you are absolutely right. The power of running is it’s unique ability to unite people regardless of race, creed, socioeconomic status, age, etc. My dream is to run a marathon in every country of the world within one calendar year. There are currently over 200 countries in the world, so this would be quite an undertaking. I’d like to invite people from each of these countries to come out and join me. I think the world could use something like this. There are so many things that divide, so many things that separate us and tear us apart. Running is an activity that brings people together, that unifies and unites us. It would be a great forum for humanity to put aside our differences for once and join together side-by-side to celebrate the things we have in common.