Dean Karnazes on Ultra Running: Challenges and Tips

Summary

In this article, we delve into the world of ultra running with Dean Karnazes, a renowned ultra marathoner and author. Karnazes shares his experience of running long distances, including hallucinating during a run, managing to eat while running, dealing with nipple chafing, and breathing techniques. He also talks about running for fundraisers, managing bowel movements while running, and the tradition of giving out belt buckles as rewards in ultra marathons. Additionally, Karnazes provides tips for getting motivated to start running again, improving running speed, and staying injury-free.

Hallucinating and Eating While Running
Nipple Chafing and Breathing Techniques
Running for Fundraisers and Belt Buckle Rewards
Getting Motivated and Improving Running Speed
Managing Bowel Movements and Staying Injury-Free

Hallucinating and Eating While Running

Karnazes shares his experience of hallucinating during a run, seeing trees turn into people and vice versa. He also talks about managing to eat while running without slowing down, suggesting easily digestible foods such as gels and bars.

Nipple Chafing and Breathing Techniques

The speaker discusses the issue of nipple chafing and suggests using lubrication or tape to prevent it. Karnazes also talks about breathing techniques while running, suggesting a 3-2 rhythm of inhaling and exhaling.

Running for Fundraisers and Belt Buckle Rewards

Karnazes talks about running for 24 hours on a treadmill for a fundraiser and running for 81 hours over the course of 350 miles. He also explains why ultra marathons give out belt buckles as rewards, recounting the history of the Western States 100 mile trail race where a man who couldn’t participate on horseback decided to run it instead and received a rodeo-style belt buckle as a medal.

Getting Motivated and Improving Running Speed

To get motivated to start running again, Karnazes suggests investing in a good pair of shoes and signing up for a race, even a half marathon or marathon for charity. To improve running speed, he recommends trying the hard-easy technique and quantifying workouts to track progress.

Managing Bowel Movements and Staying Injury-Free

Karnazes discusses how runners manage their bowel movements while running and suggests staying hydrated and avoiding high-fiber foods before a long run. He also talks about cross-training to stay injury-free and recommends incorporating a percussion gun for muscle recovery.

Conclusion

In conclusion, ultra running can be a challenging yet rewarding experience. With tips from Dean Karnazes, runners can learn how to manage common issues such as nipple chafing, eating while running, and bowel movements. Additionally, they can improve their motivation and running speed while staying injury-free.