The run is over
Posing with Karno, originally uploaded by Rich.
48 hours and 211.7 miles later Dean’s challenge of the Guinness World record is over. (See Dean’s final minutes of the run.) In total, he run close to 8 consecutive marathons. He performed exceedingly well given his bout of diarrhea and suffering badly from dehydration after the first night. Where most of us would give up, he did ’survive’ and completed the whole 48 hours and stuck to his motto of never giving up. Congratulations Dean!!! For now the record has to wait… FWIW, for the first 100 miles, or so, he was on a record-shattering pace running approx. 7 miles in an hour.
As for myself, I’m glad I found about this on Outside magazine blog beforehand and did go down to watch him run. I stopped by 5 times during the past two days and was amazed by his total coolness, always smiling and appreciating his fans. He really is a great ambassador not only for ultra-running but also for living healthier and more fulfilling life, in general. Simply put, he is the dude! I’m glad I had a chance to meet him and shake his hand. Plus, it was interesting to chat with similarly ‘endurance-obsessed’ folks cheering him on or with random passerbys who couldn’t believe what the hell was going on. So, go get out there: run, cycle, swim, do whatever it makes you tick and happy and live it out… If you are not ’suffering’, you are not living!!!
PS: Read his books, they’re truly inspirational!!!
- Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner
- 50/50: Secrets I Learned Running 50 Marathons in 50 Days — and How You Too Can Achieve Super Endurance!
