Keep on running

Everyone, meet Dean.

Let's learn a little more about Dean, shall we?

A while back, Gig enlightened me about a man that was an "ultra-runner." She read that he could basically defy the standards of the human body and run absurd distances. Luckily for me, the History Channel had a show that highlighted him yesterday to test his "superhuman-ness."

This is the episode synopsis:

"Full Name: Dean Karnazes
Hometown: San Francisco, USA


Dean Karnazes was an average beer-guzzling Joe, stuck in a job he hated and sick of the rat race. Then, while celebrating his 30th birthday at a bar, he suddenly decided to walk out the door and go for a 30-mile run. That moment changed his life forever.


As an ultramarathon runner, Dean runs distances far beyond a normal marathon and often in grueling environments--including 146 miles in the 120-degree heat of Death Valley and the 40--below temperatures of the South Pole.


In 2005, Dean ran nonstop for over 80 hours and 44 minutes, and in 2006 he ran 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 days. Then, after he'd finished that, he ran the 1300 miles back to the start.


Dean's life-changing story and incredible endurance have inspired thousands to get off the sofa and hit the open road. He has also been voted one of the "Top 100 Most Influential People in the World" by TIME magazine.


Dean's ability to just keep on running defies human biology. Daniel Browning Smith joins him on a 12-hour dawn-to-dusk run through Marin County to find out how Dean's body is able to endure levels of exhaustion and fatigue that would defeat an ordinary person."


So they did some tests on Dean to try and figure out why his body was able to withstand so much more than the average person. What they learned was that Dean does not produce lactic acid at normal rates. This acid is what gets in a person's blood and causes the muscles to fatigue. The more activity, the more acid that should be produced, therefore more fatigue. However, Dean's lactic acid rate was actually going down with the increased activity, meaning it was virtually painless for him to keep running.

Cheater.

Just kidding.

No, but really.

Considering that my muscles hurt after running a single mile, I am going to assume that my lactic acid is being produced just fine and normal. Guess I am going to have to take the "Run 50 marathons in 50 days" off of the bucket list. But cheers to you Dean Karnazes. You are using the gift God gave you to inspire more and more people everyday. It should be each of our goals to try and do the same.


Thanks History Channel.
"Ultra Marathon Man." 2011. The History Channel website. May 13 2011, 2:44 http://www.history.com/shows/stan-lees-superhumans/bios/ultra-marathon-man.
Picture courtesy of here.