I am truly amazed by this guy. He takes endurance to a whole new level. What preplexes me is that I cannot understand how he maintains his muscle mass. I would think he would become a stick with so much running.
Ideas?
Simplest answer would be that he must take in enough kcal to offset what he burns- which is mindblowing. I love to eat, but I could not imagine eating that much on a daily basis- it would almost become a chore in and of itself.
Apparently he doesn’t stretch, either, but i guess he has plenty of time to warm up.
“Ever see a lion stretch?” Jack Lalanne
PSSST! I know a guy, who knows a guy, who can get you the same stuff Dean uses.
One’s called “the cream”, and the other one is called “the clear”.
Works like a charm. Ask: Barry Bonds, Jason Giambi, Sammy Sosa, Mark McGuire, Jose Canseco, Rafael Palmeiro, etc etc etc.
Naturally I’m just kidding.
I’d imagine he does exercises to keep the muscle he has. There was an article in Outside not too too long ago which featured him and his workout tips. Plus, he wasn’t always a runner. It’s not like the Kenyans and Ethiopians were power lifters or ML baseball players or (American) football players before they became runners.
My guess is genetics.
I agree with you… genetics definitely play a major factor.
Funny you should ask:
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/16/books/16runn.html
It’s a review of his book. One interesting factoid:
“By his own estimate, he consumed nearly 28,000 calories while running for 46 straight hours in a race in California in 2000. The book even includes an appendix of what he gobbled, from a whole cheesecake to three large beef burritos.”
If I were running 10 minute miles for 46 hours, I’d burn up something like 38,000 calories.
Just depends on how you are built, I guess. Some really good ultra runners are almost beefy. I think Twietemeyer (sp? guy who used to win Western States in the 90s) is like 6-1, 175; I trained with an ultra guy who was chubby with a gut! He couldn’t run 7 min. miles but he did 8-9 hour 50 milers, which is nothing to sneeze at.
I’m built nearly identically to him. I think its genetics. Even in a year where I did an IM, 12 marathons, and a 50 miler, with all the attendant training…I never got below 165 and never lost any of my upper body lean mass. While I never get really huge if I lift weights, I do quickly build up lean mass, even now at 36 years old. I cannot lift upper body weights for any appreciable period of time in the year or I start to feel the extra upper body mass. My bf is usually 6-8%, dipping to about 5% around A races. Heck, I haven’t even been in a pool for nearly 2 years since an accident…and I still can’t get rid of any upper body mass. Even a couple of pounds would be nice…let me race a marathon at 160 and I have no doubt I’ll break the 2:40 barrier.
Other than taking the Lance cancer approach…I don’t see much prospect of me ever getting under 160 again. At 160 I’d be about 3% bf right now…just not gonna happen…even with the big volume I’m doing this year.
Adrian…
Dean ROCKS! I believe it is called genetics and passion. He has a beautiful mix. His muscle balance and strength probably aids him in prevention of injury and recovery and of course his fluidity.
Most of the ultra family I know have strong muscle build that they supplement with weight training and building as close as 2 weeks out from a race. Most ultras you rely on what the body has to sustain the drilling and burning --you can’t possibly put in what you are burning.
It’s mostly genetics.
Eating a lot doesn’t help for the rest of us. You burn muscle while you train/race, so eating afterward only replaces the glycogen and fat, not the muscle. You have to earn that back (or not burn it in the first place). Someone like me loses muscle mass just thinking about it (seriously – stress = cortisol = muscle catabolism). Meanwhile, a muscular friend of mine can be under monster stress, barely sleep at all for months, and just get ripped and kill it at the gym as a result. Genetics, baby, genetics.
“Ever see a lion stretch?” Jack Lalanne
Yup.
I know Dean and he spends a lot of time in the gym lifting. I guess the muscle mass helps to keep him from breaking down on the long runs.
A few years ago he ran Hood to Coast solo (196 miles) and I met up with him to run for a while. he doesn’t go very fast…probably 8:00-8:30 pace and he eats ALOT. I only ran with him for about an hour and he ate 3 times…chicken broth and crackers mostly.
He also ran the Providian Relay (199 miles) solo and unassisted…(no support vehicle)…a couple of years ago. He put on a backpack full of food and powdered drinks and set off from Calistoga on Friday and arrived in Santa Cruz Sunday. He bought water to mix his drinks along the way.
Nice guy too.
I cannot understand how he maintains his muscle mass.
In his book he says he does 200 push-ups, 400 sit-ups and 50 pull-ups TWICE a day. Not bad for a toning routine.
I met him at a group run/ book signing here in Chicago over the weekend. He is cut, but not as big a guy in person as he looks in pictures and on TV. He’s only 5% bodyfat and looks real defined.
He was asked about strength training and he down played how much he does. Said he prefers sit ups, pull ups, push ups to being in the gym.
I trained with an ultra guy who was chubby with a gut! He couldn’t run 7 min. miles but he did 8-9 hour 50 milers, which is nothing to sneeze at.
One of Karnazes’ quoted feats is that he ran 100 miles all night to the start of the Napa Valley Marathon, and then completed the race in 3:15.
Not a bad pace after knocking off an easy 100 the night before.
He did a good interview on NPR this morning. Running all-night to the family vacation destination, with his family driving up and meeting him the next morning. Now that is fitting your long run into your family time.
Now if he is eating cheesecakes, pizza and all those high calories, high fat, high cholesterol foods, I wonder how his internal body looks like??? (clogged arteries, etc.)
In his book, he says he only eats that stuff on the very long runs, eats well at all other times. I’d guess his arteries are fine.
I’d agree that I’m amazed by Dean’s accomplishments and his perseverence. However, I just finished his book and it was pretty poor.
I want to emphasize again…Great athlete, sounds like a great guy. BUT THE BOOK READS LIKE AN XTRI RACE REPORT…Very disappointing after reading “The Perfect Mile” which was MUCH more insightful.
Cheers,
Jonathan C. Puskas