Results for “Dean Karnazes”

I think most limits are self imposed. The limits we place on ourselves are between our ears – it's our minds telling us we could never do X, or achieve Y. It's our minds deciding what is possible, or impossible. Guess what… when you go out and do something you thought was impossible, it expands your perspective on everything.

Ultramarathon runner known for extreme endurance feats and adventures

To me, the very definition of success is living up to your potential – and the very definition of failure is not living up to your potential, simple.

Ultramarathon runner known for extreme endurance feats and adventures

I have this feeling that everyone should run a marathon once in their life- like a rite-of-passage. Most people think, 'that's not me, I could never run a marathon!' That's precisely why you should do it – a marathon is a way of proving to yourself that you're better than you think- that you can go further- and endure more.

Ultramarathon runner known for extreme endurance feats and adventures

So many things in life divide us – the colour of our skin, the language we speak, the god we worship, but when we run, we're the same. When we run, we're united, it's a commonality across our species like nothing else. You feel deeply connected with other people when running together.

Ultramarathon runner known for extreme endurance feats and adventures

Running is beautiful and simple – you just put one foot in front of the other at an accelerated pace. There's something primordial about it though – something within us – it's like we're born to run... in this modern era, people choose to run we don't have to run – we're not being pursued by Saber-Toothed Tigers anymore, but we still choose to run. It's something to do which is hard, it connects us to something – and when life gets easy, to feel alive, we need to do something hard.

Ultramarathon runner known for extreme endurance feats and adventures

On the night of my 30th birthday, I was at a bar in San Francisco... I walked out of that bar at midnight, drunk. I didn't even own running gear, I had some comfortable silk boxer shorts on – took off my pants – and took off down an alleyway stumbling south without knowing that a town called Half Moon Bay was nearly 30 miles away. When the alcohol wore off, I had this epiphany. I looked up and saw heaven – I saw the stars – it was the first moment of clarity I had since I'd given up running. It made me realise that perhaps I was on this earth to be a runner – I wasn't happy being a business guy, it was making me miserable. I was comfortable, but miserable.

Ultramarathon runner known for extreme endurance feats and adventures

When you go out to run 100 miles – the lessons of a lifetime get compressed into 24 hours of non-stop running.

Ultramarathon runner known for extreme endurance feats and adventures

Most people think, 'that's not me, I could never run a marathon!' That's precisely why you should do it – a marathon is a way of proving to yourself that you're better than you think- that you can go further- and endure more.

Ultramarathon runner known for extreme endurance feats and adventures

So many things in life divide us – the colour of our skin, the language we speak, the god we worship, but when we run, we're the same. When we run, we're united, it's a commonality across our species like nothing else.

Ultramarathon runner known for extreme endurance feats and adventures

When life gets easy, to feel alive, we need to do something hard.

Ultramarathon runner known for extreme endurance feats and adventures

I was comfortable, but miserable. I wanted to be out on my own, vulnerable, suffering, and in pain, but with the beauty of me versus the distance.

Ultramarathon runner known for extreme endurance feats and adventures