If you subscribe to any fitness magazines such as Runner's World or read up on fitness news at all, then you have probably heard of the ultramarathon man, Dean Karnazes. Dean Karnazes is well known for his endurance to run for hundreds of miles. For example, here are a few of his accomplishments:
- Ran 350 miles without sleep (took over 3 days)
- Ran 135 mile marathon across Death Valley
- Has ran several 100-mile endurance runs
Those are just some of the things Dean has accomplished besides other achievements in mountain biking and swimming, not to mention his 50 marathons in 50 consecutive days, in 50 states. He will be participating in the Badwater Ultramarathon (135 miles in 130 degrees) on July 14 - 15.
I thought running 3 miles on a treadmill was torture but there are people out there like Dean Karnazes that push their bodies to the ultimate limits in endurance races such as The Badwater Ultramarathon. So how do you build up your endurance for long distance running? Very slowly.
First off, you either enjoy running or your don't. I love running and some days I am pumped to do it and some days I just want to skip it all together. The times I make myself go, I always end up being thankful I did because I feel better in the end. If you're new to running don't try to run for a long period of time right from the start. I am no expert but I know for myself, when I got back into running, I had to start off slow.
You may need to start off with walking, then a brisk walk, a jog, and eventually running - all of this over a period of time. I used to run 3 miles a day then I stopped. I had to start all over again by working my way back up to 1 mile, then two, etc. Building up endurance in exercise is simply pushing yourself to do a little more each time. It doesn't have to be massive, even 30 seconds longer than usual helps.
If you want an idea of how Dean preps for an ultramarathon here is a quick snapshot of what he does:
- Runs 30 miles in the mornings (starts at 4 am) before kids go to school
- Runs 100 miles on weekends
- Strength training in the gym or 4-sets of 50 push-ups
I have no desire of pushing my body to the extreme so I'll stick to my goal of 3 miles per day. I would eventually like to run 5 miles per day but it will take me awhile to build up to that.
You can learn more about Dean Karnazes on his site at UltraMarathonMan.com.
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Wow. I’ve never heard of Dean Karnazes before but this is very impressive. I’ve been wanting to get back into my running when I move back to Manchester next week (I’ve always been good at running but really haven’t been giving it enough time in my training routine). As a result I’ve been reading up on professional runners and came across Kenenisa Bekele. Whilst he doesn’t do the same distances as Dean he’s another runer who you can really admire. Athletes like this are (as you say) a great way to see what’s possible and push yourself that little bit further everytime you train.
Wow! Impressive. I just wish I could run 3 miles a night. I’ve had some setbacks-healthwise-but I’m not going to give up.
I’m going to buy his latest book to read about his nutritional guidance, and I hope to see his movie.
Hi,I have always had a tremendous amount of respect for runners and after reading about Dean I am amazed at his accomplishments.I am a personal trainer and have always been more of a strength athlete but always admired the endurance trainer.Your article really tells of a superstar.
Great work