karno in the house

If in case you haven't heard, Dean Karnazes (aka Karno) is coming this Saturday at 2:00pm to Barnes & Noble in Costa Mesa to sign his latest book 50/50: Secrets I Learned Running 50 Marathons in 50 Days -- and How You Too Can Achieve Super Endurance.

I met Karno in February of last year for a book signing of Ultramarathon Man. Before I'd read the book, I had no realistic expectations of completing an ultra. I struggled with the previous marathons I'd done, and I'd resigned to the thought that ultras belonged to elite and gifted athletes of which I have never considered myself as such.

Reading his accounts of how he got started and his exploits with endurance running was inspirational to say the least. His dedication on the book said, "Best wishes in running & in life. You will do great at your first ultra and beyond." Three months later, I ran and finished my first ultra marathon, the San Juan Trail 50K.

While some people have been critical of Karno for what they perceive as his commercialization of ultrarunning, his accomplishments in the sport and his ability to tell his stories fueled my interest in endurance running and have helped me achieve something that I previously thought impossible.

If you'd like to see him, click here for more info about the book signing event.