Dean Karnazes_迪恩·卡纳西斯_迪安·卡纳泽斯出版的书籍：
Ultra Marathon Man（第1版）: Memoir Of An Extreme Endurance Athlete_Dean Karnazes_2005
Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner_Dean Karnazes_2006
Run! 26.2 Stories of Blisters and Bliss_Dean Karnazes_2012
Run! 26.2 Stories of Blisters and Bliss
In his follow-up to the best-selling Ultra-Marathon Man, world-renowned ultra marathoner Dean Karnazes chronicles his unbelievable exploits and explorations in gripping detail; Karnazes runs for days on end without rest, across some of the most exotic and inhospitable places on earth, including the Australian Outback, Antarctica, and the back alleys of New Jersey.
From the downright hilarious to the truly profound, the stories in Run! provide readers with the ultimate escape and offer a rare glimpse into the mindset and motivation of an extreme athlete, one who has, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer, “Not only pushed the envelope but blasted it to bits.”
Karnazes addresses pain and perseverance, and he also charts the emotional as he pushes to the edges of human achievement. The tales of the friendships he’s cultivated on his many adventures around the world warm the heart, and are sure to captivate and inspire readers whether they run great distances, modest distances, or not at all.
The hardcover edition was met with the enthusiastic support of Karnazes’s devoted fan base, and word-of-mouth excitement as well as media coverage from LIVE! with Regis and Kelly brought the book to the attention of scores of new readers. Karnazes’s colorful tales of his extreme running adventures are as entertaining as they are innately human, giving the book potential as a perennial paperback favorite.
Run! 26.2 Stories of Blisters and Bliss Review
“Running with Karnazes [is] like setting up one’s easel next to Monetor Picasso.” —The New York Times
“The undisputed king of the ultras, who has not only pushed the envelopebut blasted it to bits.” —The Philadelphia Inquirer
About the Author
Dean Karnazes was named by Time magazine as one of the Top 100 Most Influential People in the World. A New York Times bestselling author, he has written for Runner’s World and Men’s Health. He lives in the San Francisco Bay area.
Perhaps I had higher hopes for this book. Perhaps I was expecting something else, but frankly, I did not like this book.
First off, I was expecting what was pitched "26.2 short stories about running." What I got though was 26 snippets - with a few fuller "stories" included - in there about how Dean Karnazes is A) the greatest ultra runner ever, B) how Dean Karnazes thinks he's the greatest adventurer of all time C) and finally about how many other people think Dean Karnazes is great.
Now don't get me wrong, he's quite a guy and most people will never come near his level of superior running, but the 272 of self congratulatory stories, page after page, made me cringe countless times.
One of my favorite traits of this book is his ability to write about how he is "humble," doesn't like the spot light, and doesn't think he's great. But then conveniently, the next line is always some friend, family member, or fan praising his amazing accomplishments.
An additional issue I find in the book is his constant use of "us runners" or "we runners" or "only fellow runners understand" as a gimmick to tie the author closer to the reader. Let's face it, "runners" and what Karno does should not be confused. The weekend warriors that are getting winded doing a 5k don't understand what he goes through, and vice-versa. It's been a long time since he and his "fellow runners" were even on the same planet. He runs at such an extreme - and impressively so - that he shouldn't belittle his achievements by pretending I have any idea what sort of training and focus he has.
What frustrates me most about this book though is at its core, there was a great story to be told.
It's rare to find an athlete who is as good with words as he is with his body. Dean Karnazes might be the exception. In this, his third book, he shares 26.2 tales of life as an ultramarathoner. From trekking across the Sahara to running for 48 hours straight on a treadmill on display in a New York City window, Karno (as he's affectionately known) bares his soul and his blisters to his loyal fans.
Karnazes writes with a combination of poetry and tell-it-like-it-is imagery (if you're squeamish about bodily fluids, you may want to skip a few chapters). Through his honest self-reflection I finally understand WHY he runs. At no time does he feel so alive as when he's lying in a puddle of the aforementioned bodily fluids, trying to roust himself to run one more (or a hundred more) miles. He loves it. It's like going to the edge of death and back again and again.
Whether you're a casual runner, a couch potato, or a dedicated ultramarathoner, there's something for you in Run! But be careful - reading it just might change you.
