50 Marathons in 50 Days

Thursday, June 3, 2010 | by Samantha | Labels: , |


Tuesday night I watched an episode of 20/20 (a program I don't watch enough but almost always find interesting). The episode was titled "Superhumans" and showed interviews of people who defied their fears and put mind over matter to do things that would be impossible for most.

A woman who can hold her breath underwater for five minutes... A man who has trained his body to endure sub-zero temperatures... A man who can become fluent in a language in one week... and a man who runs, a lot.

Dean Karnazes runs marathons. He ran 50 marathons in 50 days. He started running one day and never stopped. It's pretty incredible but also pretty insane. He gets up early in the morning and runs a marathon distance before going to work. He runs a quick 10 mile endurance run in the afternoon, and in the evening... yup, you guessed it, more running.

An interesting quote from his interview: "I guess what I'm doing is a little bit extraordinary, I just don't think of myself as being extraordinary. I think the human body's extraordinary."

I want to feel like my body is extraordinary, no amazing, no really awesome, no, just good. I want my body to feel good. Right now it does not. I want to run a marathon, or 10, in my lifetime. I want my body and mind to be able to accomplish this together and I want to be able to call myself "a runner."

Wouldn't that be cool?

I'll get there... I swear I will.


PS - To learn more about Dean Karnazes visit his website, check out his book, or read the ABC News article.

2 comments:

kimert said...

If you run even if you run for just a few yards.. you are a runner! It took me a long time to believe that I am a runner. I run 3 days a week sometimes 5. I run races. Yet there was always a part of me that wouldn't call myself a runner because of my weight. Crazy? Eh. Who knows! But someone once told me that if you run no matter the distance, no matter your speed you are a runner!

Unknown said...

That would be cool and you can do it! I really do believe that the human body can do SO much, that our barriers and limitations are in our own mind!! Go Sam!!

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