Dean's Blog
Dean Karnazes, mega-endurance athlete and bestselling author, blogs about ultra running, life, and the human spirit. Not necessarily in that order.
In the hallway of the house where I grew up, my parents had a plaque that read:
“This marriage was created in Heaven, but so was thunder and lightning.”
The same could be said about the relationship between runner and crew during an ultra. When people ask me what it’s like to crew during an ultra, I sometimes tell them, “On good days it’s like forced labor, only more thankless.” You don’t want to know about the bad days.
Since I’ve spent a reasonable amount of time on both sides of the battlefield, I thought it would be useful to start a dialog on some of the most common mistakes between a runner and his or her crew. Let me start by freely admitting that I’m no expert on the matter. I’ll start the discussion thread, but will rely on the many of you to provide your perspective and insight. I know we’ll all learn plenty!
Okay, so here’s my take:
The most common mistake I see the runner make is to expect his crew to be mind readers. This is especially true when it comes to the sometimes bizarre food cravings one has in the middle of the night (in the middle of nowhere). “What? You don’t have a toasted chocolate-chip pickle sandwich prepared for me? What kind of crew are you!”
Much of this tension can be averted with a little planning. While it’s impossible to predict the weird midnight cravings a delusional runner might have, one thing I always ask them beforehand is what’s the one food they have a particular weakness for? FYI: fudge brownies seem to be consistently near the top. Then, surprise them during the event by having a fresh fudge brownie available at the most unexpected time.
Your action will inevitably produce one of two results:
1. You’ll breathe amazing new life into this runner.
2. They’ll be so nauseous when they see the brownie, you’ll forever cure their cravings.
Either way, they’re usually pretty thankful.
As for the most common mistake I see crews making, I think Nikki Kimball captured it best when she explained that the runner has been out there pounding away for hours, she’ll know exactly what she needs when she reaches her crew. Too often crews begin deluging their runners with suggestions: “Would you like some gel?” “Do you need some salt?” “Do you want some water?” etc...
This is often more detrimental than helpful. All this stimulus can be overwhelming and leave the runner feeling confused and rushed. Rather than being a wealth of suggestions, the greatest quality a crew can have is a good set of ears.
Alright, those are my initial observations. Now let’s hear your comments on the matter.
For those of you who followed the Gabby Awards last week, I was fortunate to win. It was a glorious victory shared with my family, in a spectacular theater, during a grand white tie event telecast live. I was on top of the world.
Today, I am on the bottom. In an attempt to complete my 12th Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run, I failed spectacularly. Surrounded by family and friends, I completely blew up and dropped out at mile 62. I had sacrificed so much, as had my family, and here I now sit in defeated ruin, wrecked and destroyed.
What constitutes a life worth living? Is it high achievement? What I’ve come to believe is that more than anything, it’s having the courage to try. Perhaps no one has stated this more eloquently than Theodore Roosevelt when he wrote:
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”
May you strive for greatness, may you set your sights on the stars, but more than anything, may you always have the courage to try.
Battered but not beaten,
Dean
P.S. If you have any stories of great victories, or stupendous failures, please do share by leaving your comments below. Right now, I could definitely use some consoling to lift my spirits.
If you’re lucky, once in a lifetime you’re fortunate enough to get nominated for something really grand. For me, being nominated for a Gabby Award is such an occasion. I was chosen for an award in the field of Athletics. There is only one contender in the category of Athletics who is a runner; the others come from more mainstream sports.
This is a supreme honor for me not just because I’m 100% Greek, but because I feel a kindred brotherhood with the patron saint of marathoners, Pheidippides. You see, my father has always insisted we’re from the same village in the hills of Greece as Pheidippides. I always tell him, “Dad, we grew up in Southern California, what village are you talking about?”
Then there’s my uncle Leo from Chicago who’s always saying to me, “Why do you want to run marathons? Look what happened to Pheidippides after he finished his!”
Uncle Leo tells me he’s smart -- he only runs if he’s being chased, he says.
I always rebut Uncle Leo by informing him that we Greeks are renowned for our endurance. (If you’ve ever sat through one of our church services, you know exactly what I mean.) He’s not buying it, however, “Run a marathon? Look, if I want something that leaves me numb and comatose at the finish, a bottle of Ouzo works just fine.”
What can you say to that, besides, Oppa!
Your running hopeful,
Constantine “Dean” Karnazes
P.S. If you’d like to take a prediction on the outcome of the Gabby Awards, post your comment below. I’ll try to tweet from the awards ceremony in Chicago on Friday night, so if you’re on Twitter you can get real-time results.
OK, I’ll be the first to cast a vote. In the category of Athletics, my money's on Pete Sampras. He seems like the obvious “shoe in” to me.
I’d written in my first book that there’s “magic in misery.” Never thought much of it at the time; presumed every runner already knew this from firsthand experience. That quote’s been picked up by many sources, however. Guess some folks (probably non-runners) find it telling.
In certain situations, there’s also a certain comedic value that can unfold out on the open highway, especially during times of great duress like in ultramarathoning. You could almost say, “there’s hilarity in misery.”
You’ve got to hand it to the crew at Brooks, they seem to really “get it” when it comes to capturing the essence of this magic. If you want to see what I mean, take a look at this video: ULTRAMARATHON
If your response was anything like mine, you’re probably just now getting up off the floor.
Alright, who else thought that was a classic? Let’s hear it! Leave your comments below, and then let’s get Carl some mylar wrap, quickly!
First, a warning: If you’re under the legal drinking age, you might want to skip this posting. Now, an admission: Some of you above the drinking age might not approve of it, either. Suffice it to say, I’m not trying to push this upon anyone, rather just stating an observation; which is, red wine seems to help with athletic recovery.
We’re not talking about massive quantities, which would likely have the opposite effect, but a glass or two. An Ironman triathlete friend of mine first suggested having a glass of dry, dark red wine after a hard workout or endurance event. Admittedly, I am hardly a wine aficionado. In fact, I rarely drink. But I decided to give it a try, and it worked.
Two phenomena I readily noticed were that my muscles were more relaxed and that I slept more soundly than usual. Whether there was something additional going on below the surface, I’m not sure. I did some investigation for this post, but there wasn’t much research on the topic of red wine as it relates to athletic recovery. There is one particular bioactive ingredient in red wine, called resveratrol, which is a highly potent antioxidant and could play a role. I really don’t know. All I know is that I felt more recovered the next day than usual.
Since that first try, I’ve periodically had a glass of red wine after hard workouts. The results have been comparable; better recovery. Of course, I’m not suggesting you run down to the nearby wine store and stock the cupboards. I’m simply noting a casual observation I’ve made and wondering how many other endurance athletes use red wine for recovery?
Let us know of your own experience. If you do find red wine beneficial, which varieties? I’m sure we’ll all learn plenty from the comments you leave below. And please, if you do go out drinking, always be sure to choose a designated runner for the jaunt home.
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