Last week on 60 Minutes, Ultra Marathon Man: Dean Karnazes was featured. Dean is 46 years old and is believed to have run further than any other human being alive.
He regularly competes in races over 100 miles long including a course which is considered globally to be the toughest foot race around. The Badwater Ultramarathon.
The Badwater Race takes place in Badwater, Death Valley which is the hottest place on the planet. Temperatures sore at 130 degrees. It is so hot that runners run along the white line of the road to keep their shoes from melting. The race is 135 miles long and started yesterday. Maximum time allowed is 60 hours to complete the race ending on July 16.
This year, 83 will push the limits of endurance in this race. For most, just to reach the finish line is victory enough. The oldest competitor this year is 66 and the youngest 27. The average age is 47.
In the 60 Minutes segment, Dean said some good stuff I think you can glean from, including:
- How to move through the pain. He says he creates baby-steps using "micro-goals." Things like, "Get to the bush, ok...now get to the stop sign." This he says helps him to work through the pain
- Attitude towards pain. Dean says, "I've learned to embrace the pain and it makes me feel more alive."
- Why push the limits of human endurance. Dean says it teaches you to push yourself to your maximum, you learn to never give up and about the rewards that brings you.
So why does Dean do this? Running over 100 miles on a regular basis? He says it is an "Exploration of what his body will do--what the human body can do."
And what about pain and injuries? Dean has stories of those too. He talked about running a race where he had bad blisters on his feet. The doctor lanced his blisters, stuck in a tube of crazy glue and then put duct tape over them.
Having relayed that story, I'm not recommending all you weekend warriors try this at home, but I can tell you some fundamentally sound practices in the proper way to deal with pain.
For example this week in my Q & A, Sara B. asked when do you use heat and when do you use ice in treating an injury.
Go to http://www.mikeryanfitness.com/faq.php to find out the answer and while you're there, why not submit your own question? Just click on the "submit a question" button and you're off and running.
With Healthy Regards,
Mike Ryan PT,
ATC, PES
P.S. Coming up on www.mikeryanfitness.com will be an interview with
Olympic Gold Medalist and Past Boston Marathon winner, Joan Benoit
Samuelson. Joan just competed in the Olympic Trials where she set an
American record for the women's 50-54 age group. Also ahead is an
interview with Dr. Anja Strehlow who just completed her first Alcatraz
Triathlon. Both interviews will give you tips on how they train and
continue to stay healthy and active.
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