LONDON (Reuters) – Even though Dean Karnazes is one of the greatest endurance athletes of all time and completed 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 days, it is comforting to the average person to know that he is still capable of making simple rookie errors.

Through his million-selling book “Ultramarathon Man,” published in 2006, Karnazes is widely acknowledged for having contributed to the growth of ultra-distance running.

Since then, he has authored multiple more books and amassed an incredible record that includes running 350 miles in 80 hours without stopping, traveling 3,000 miles across the United States, running 148 miles in 24 hours on a treadmill, and winning numerous races, including the 135-mile Badwater Marathon twice through Death Valley.

In his most recent book, “A Runner’s High – Older, Wiser, Slower, Stronger,” he describes in forensic and poignant detail how he has come to embrace this stage in his extraordinary career as he turns 59 next month.

It is ostensibly the account of his comeback to the most difficult race on the calendar—the Western States 100-miler—in the untamed terrain of California.

It explores his inner motivations and how his incredible friends and family have contributed so much to his success, making it much more than just a dry racing journal.

In an interview with Reuters, Karnazes said, “I really put an emphasis on trying to capture the emotions that my family and I have experienced over almost three decades of doing this together.”

“My running career has been built on that support. We’ve had so many memories together and have been there for me from the beginning that I can’t imagine doing what I’ve done without them.”

There’s a great section in the book about how Karnazes was surprised by his son’s proficiency on race day, despite his initial doubts about his ability to play a crucial support role at Western States.

After his son dismissed his concerns that he was no longer able to challenge at the sharp end by stating, “Dad, you’re running 100 miles, that’s kind of enough,” Karnazes said, “I’d never seen that side of him before and it was quite beautiful.”

DULL CHORES

In spite of his extensive experience, Karnazes demonstrates in the book that he is still capable of making irrational, risky decisions. One such instance is when he fails to bring even a small amount of water for a scorching 100-kilometer warm-up race.

“After years of doing this, I believe there’s something deeper going on than just my conscious mind,” he said in an attempt to justify a basic mistake that would make even a novice blush.

“Obviously, I know what to do, but I wanted to see how this challenge would play out, so I just threw myself into it with no idea what to expect. I think that’s what makes it so intriguing and mysterious.”

“It’s refreshing to just go do something random like that and see how it goes in racing because everything in this world is so measured, calculated, and quantified.”

When Karnazes was sunburned, out of water, and bruised from a fall, he explained that he took comfort in the endurance athlete’s inner mantra of “just

He said, “You simply don’t think about how far you still have to go because that’s very demoralizing; all you think about is moving forward.”

“While doing that during a 100-mile race is absurd, I really need to break it down to that level of detail. You will be crushed if you consider how far you still have to go.”

TINY TARGETS

He claimed that after completing 50 consecutive marathons in 2006, his goals shrank even further.

He recalled that following Marathon 19, “I could hardly even think about running another marathon in the morning.”

“I reasoned that I should just head to the hotel room’s sink, lace up one shoe, then the other, and figure out a way to get to the starting line. Even though you can’t see your goal, each little step brings you closer to it.

24 years after first blowing up the race, Karnazes was faced with the dual challenge of learning how to park his ego and overcoming an incredibly difficult course back in the desert at the Western States 100 event.

“It can be frustrating at times when people who I’ve been passing for years now surpass me because I can’t compete at the level I once did,” he remarked.

Nonetheless, I adore ultrarunning because, despite the fact that the winners receive honors and recognition, we also celebrate the individuals in the background.

Watch the video of the guy who finished last at Western States this year; this deranged, impoverished man managed to cross the finish line after 30 hours with only a few seconds remaining. It’s truly an incredible display of human resilience.

“It’s exciting that the top players are becoming more elite, but I also hope that the quirky charm of the sport’s grassroots remains.”