Marthon of Life: Dean Karnazes Inspiration

Today will be a little different than my norm. Not that I really have a norm. Instead, today we'll be taking a quick look at a book a brother Marine recommended. Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All Night Runner by Dean Karnazes. Now before I get into it, I'll take a second to remind you, I'm not big on running. If you recall my previous blog on fun exercise, I made it pretty clear. But this book made me want to lace up and hit the pavement. To sum it up quickly, it's a great read.

Dean writes this, picking segments out of his life. Where he first found his love of the run, to where he is now. Throughout his story, you come across humor that makes you want to yell, "Run, Forest, Run." At the same time though, you get presented with something that most sport/athletic books leave out, injury. And I'm not talking the occasionally mentioned bumps, bruises, and barely mentioned breaks. I'm talking details that make you take notice, and say, "Holy COW!" At the same time, however, Dean doesn't go into painstakingly descriptive rants about it. It's simple, and straight forward with just enough detail.

From the get go, the book pulls you right in. It's not written like a biography, nor is it written like a sports journal. Which lets face it, too many sports books are. Instead, Dean writes like he's talking directly to you. And why not? He is in fact telling his story to the world. It reads like a casual conversation that you'd have with a close friend. This is seriously the fastest read I've had in years.

Even though it's about him and his exploits, he doesn't just ramble on about himself. He talks about his family, what they've been through, how they've grown, and how they've hit the high's and low's of life together, adapted and overcome. Love and loss, it's all right there. He talks about some of the people he's met, and who all he runs for as well. If anything you find love and tragedy throughout this book, but in good portions. Neither overshadows the other.

Ultimately this book is about the ultra marathon we call life. Running is just how Dean gets through it. It's inspiring, a breath of fresh air, and a lost toe nail all at once. While I'd love to give more detail, I'm afraid I'd get carried away and give out too much. So I'll simply say go read this book. It will make you feel good.

P.S. Thanks for the great recommendation Adam. Semper Fi brother.

What Exercise Should Be

There's one word that so many people hate. Even the hardcore individuals who do it, and preach it everyday. Exercise. It hurts, and isn't something we look forward too. But exercise isn't exercise when it's something you enjoy. At that point, it no longer seems like work.

I, like so many others, HATE running. I can't stress that enough. I've tried to get into it. Even when I was in the USMC I hated it. For a while I even ran twice a day during those years. That actually made me hate it even more. Briefly I enjoyed lifting weights while I attended NMMI. But it wasn't a heavily crowded gym, and I had a good friend to lift with, who was very knowledgeable. It was a rush to see my max increase. But after that, it bored me to death. And I know I'm not alone on this. However, everyone has something they enjoy.

Some love running. Some love weights. Some live for bicycles. The list goes on and on. For me it's swimming. For that matter, it's just about anything that has me completely surrounded by water. SCUBA, snorkeling, so long as I'm in the water, I'm happy. It's the one exercise that isn't exercise to me. It doesn't matter what I'm doing in it, just that I'm there. When I'm in the water, it's a whole different world. Above the water is noisy, people laughing, screaming, having fun, and the chaos of life is nearby. But under it, below crashing waves, and the splashes of divers, it's a silent and peaceful world. Much like riding my motorcycle, it's a place that lets me clear my mind, and just enjoy what nature has provided me.

But it doesn't end there for me. A pool is good, but it's not the best. Don't get me wrong, I love going to the pool too. But I like moving water. A lake, creek, or river a great. But the ocean is ultimately where it's at. Riding the waves, hovering in the water, and feeling the undertow and currents pushing me here and there. And then there's SCUBA. You can go to the same spot often, but no trip is ever the same. Strap an air tank on your back, some fins on your feet, and then you make an escape into the deep blue. The fish in the area vary, every approach on the coral is different, and sometimes you'll find a boat, or some other man made creation to explore. And sound. Sound is totally different under the sea. Crabs, and lobster clicking away, boats cruising by, bells and various things banging and clanging. To those who are land locked, these things don't seem so special. Once you're under water though, you can't tell where it's coming from. Not only that, but how close it is. You're surrounded by muffled, unique sounds, and all the chaos of the world is blocked out.

You can kick, pull, wiggle, and more. But there's nothing like that feeling in the water where you briefly get that point of weightlessness. You're in a space all your own. That's how exercise should be. It's not work. It's just an escape that helps you reset. And at the end of it, when you're all done, you'll realize just how hard you pushed yourself without knowing it. You'll know from the aches and pains. You won't curse it though. You'll welcome it, and go back for more.

Me in the East China Sea