About: Named by TIME magazine as one of the, “Top 100 Most Influential People in the World,” Dean Karnazes has expanded the limits of human endurance and along the way has inspired countless others to be the best that they can be. Men’s Fitness says, “Dean Karnazes might just be the fittest man on the planet,” yet it is his unique ability to enthuse athletes of all abilities and backgrounds that truly sets him apart.
An internationally recognized endurance athlete, Dean has pushed his body and mind to inconceivable limits. He has raced and competed on all seven continents. Among his many accomplishments, he’s run a 135-mile ultra-marathon across Death Valley in 120-degree temperatures and a marathon to the South Pole in negative 40 degrees. He’s run a 200-mile relay solo, racing alongside teams of twelve, and has completed a 350-mile run. In 2006, he ran 50 marathons, in all 50 US states, in 50 consecutive days, finishing with the NYC Marathon, which he completed in three hours flat.
Dean and his incredible adventures have been featured on The Today Show, 60 Minutes, The Late Show with David Letterman, CBS News, CNN, ESPN, The Howard Stern Show, NPR’s Morning Edition, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, the BBC, and many others. He has appeared on the cover of Runner’s World, Outside, and Wired magazine’s, and has been featured in TIME, Newsweek, People, GQ, The New York Times, USA TODAY, The Washington Post, Men’s Journal, Forbes, The Chicago Tribune, The Los Angeles Times, and the London Telegraph, to mention a few. He is a monthly columnist for Men’s Health, the largest Men’s publication in the world.
A New York Times Bestselling author, his first book, Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner, was the #7 bestselling sports book worldwide in 2005. His much anticipated second book, 50/50: Secrets I Learned While Running 50 Marathons in 50 Days—and How You Too Can Achieve Super Endurance!, is slated to be released in conjunction with a feature-length documentary film chronicling his cross country marathon tour.
Dean is a member of the California Senate Task Force on Youth Wellness, and serves on the board of Girls on the Run, a non-profit prevention program that encourages girls to develop self-respect and healthy lifestyles through running and outdoor exercise. He is a 2008 winner of the President’s Council on Physical Fitness & Sports Community Leadership Award.
Benefits Seen With Zone: I’ve been a personal acquaintance of Dr. Sears’ for years and was an early adapter of 40/30/30 nutrition. I’ve followed the principals of the Zone diet regimen for over a decade and believe that it has helped me to both perform better and to feel better overall.
Favorite Thing About Training: It’s about the journey. If you don’t enjoy training, you’re doing something wrong. I’m passionate about what I do, so training is something I look forward to, it comes naturally.
Least Favorite Thing About Training: Redundancy. I don’t have the discipline to get on a track and do repeats. I’d rather just go find a trail and run on it.
Biggest Challenge Overcome: The fear of failure. You can’t find the edge unless you’re willing to push yourself over it. Failure provides invaluable lessons on how to improve.
Favorite Race: Of all the hundreds of races I’ve done across the globe, my favorite was running a 10K with my daughter on her 10th birthday. That was the most memorable race ever for me.
Hobbies: Surfing, mountain-biking, snowboarding, hiking, windsurfing.
One Fact No One Knows About You: I’m highly introverted. Most people think I’m a gregarious, outgoing person, but I’m really quite a loner. My public persona is a bit different than my true nature.
If You Weren’t An Athlete, You would Be: Probably fat and unhappy (hee! hee!)
Average Day Consists Of: Wake at 4am, run marathon. Fix breakfast for kids and get them off to school. Go to office. Knock-off at 4pm. Do speed training or cross-train. Have dinner as a family. Go over homework. Read to kids in bed. Go back to office until 11pm. Repeat on day 2.
Favorite Charity: Karno Kids (which I founded). Our mission is to inspire and motivate our youth to get outside and become more active, and to restore and preserve the environment and urban open-spaces for their ongoing use and enjoyment.
What do you like about the Zone?: I’ve taken Barry’s principles and applied them in a very real way to my athletic pursuits. The results have been undeniable. Zone foods are a convenient way to follow the Zone diet. Plus, they taste great.