Running To Extremes

Ray Zahab was always the last to be picked for team games. Eventually, he quit trying and as he got older, he took up smoking and drinking. But after his grandfather and uncle died, and his father suffered a stroke, Ray realized he had to take charge of his life. Ray gave up his destructive habits and started looking for new challenges. When he read about the 160-km Yukon ultramarathon, he knew he had to give it a try. Everyone thought he was crazy. Ray had never even run in a regular marathon. One ultramarathon quickly led to another and Ray now combines his zeal for the race with a passion for fundraising.

The ultra-marathon runner takes on some of the world's most extreme races in an inspiring look at the reality of a long-distance runner.

Running every day for 45 years (Mark Covert) Winning the Badwater Ultramarathon twice (Pam Reed) Running 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 days (Dean Karnazes) Setting four world records for most marathons in a calendar year (Larry Macon) Finishing the Badwater Ultramarathon with a prosthetic leg (Amy Winters-Palmiero) These are just some of the incredible and inspiring achievements of the endurance athletes profiled in this book. Each one of them has pushed the limits of human endurance and is an inspiration for people around the world. Their achievements are profiled in individual chapters, each introduced by prominent ultrarunners and friends. In addition to the most prolific endurance athletes in the world today, one section is dedicated to the ‘Father of American Ultrarunning,’ Ted Corbitt. Including a foreword by his son, Gary Corbitt, and a special section on his life and achievements, the book serves to preserve his legacy. Whether you are an ultrarunner yourself or a casual runner, a fan, a historian, or a scholar, this book and the incredible people and their stories in it will inspire you and ignite your passion for living life to the fullest. Above all, this ‘Who’s Who’ of ultrarunning proves one thing: The impossible is possible!

"In Going to Extremes, renowned legal scholar and best-selling author Cass R. Sunstein offers startling insights into why and when people gravitate toward extremism."--Inside jacket.

Running is an inexpensive, convenient and increasingly popular sport, but some take it to the limit. From cold weather running in Alaska to the intense heat of the Sahara Marathon, a number of athletes choose to pit themselves against the elements. Extremes of environment, route and geography are another challenge, from trails through dense jungle to soaring mountain ranges. The rewards are the experiences of a lifetime, the sense of having been to largely unexplored places and the realisation of unique ambitions. Never before has there been a manual to pull together all the elements of this new, but fast growing sport. The book features over 150 stunning images and amusing, informative text.

In his follow-up to the best-selling Ultra-Marathon Man, world-renowned ultra marathoner Dean Karnazes chronicles his unbelievable exploits and explorations in gripping detail; Karnazes runs for days on end without rest, across some of the most exotic and inhospitable places on earth, including the Australian Outback, Antarctica, and the back alleys of New Jersey. From the downright hilarious to the truly profound, the stories in Run! provide readers with the ultimate escape and offer a rare glimpse into the mindset and motivation of an extreme athlete, one who has, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer, “Not only pushed the envelope but blasted it to bits.” Karnazes addresses pain and perseverance, and he also charts the emotional as he pushes to the edges of human achievement. The tales of the friendships he’s cultivated on his many adventures around the world warm the heart, and are sure to captivate and inspire readers whether they run great distances, modest distances, or not at all. The hardcover edition was met with the enthusiastic support of Karnazes’s devoted fan base, and word-of-mouth excitement as well as media coverage from LIVE! with Regis and Kelly brought the book to the attention of scores of new readers. Karnazes’s colorful tales of his extreme running adventures are as entertaining as they are innately human, giving the book potential as a perennial paperback favorite.

Contestants have died, been maimed, and spiraled down into the nightmarish realm of madness. Half of them don't finish--in fact, only 200 racers have ever made it to the end. "Outside" magazine calls it "the toughest test of endurance in the world." RAAM (the Race Across America) is a bicycle race like no other. This epic race is the most brutal organized sporting event you've never heard of and one of the best-kept secrets in the sports world. Author Amy Snyder follows a handful of athletes before, during, and after the 2009 event, the closest and most controversial in history. "Hell on Two Wheels" is a thrilling and remarkably detailed account of their ups and downs, triumphs and tragedies. By experiencing the race from the perspective of the racers themselves, "Hell on Two Wheels" breaks new ground in helping us appreciate how such a grueling effort can be so cleansing and self-revelatory. This is more than just a race; it's a monster, a crucible, an unforgettable allegory about the human experience of pain and joy and self-discovery.

In one of his most ambitious physical efforts to date, Dean Karnazes attempted to run 50 marathons, in 50 states, in 50 days to raise awareness of youth obesity and urge Americans of all fitness levels to "take that next step." "UltraMarathon Man: 50 Marathons - 50 States - 50 Days", a Journeyfilm documentary, follows Dean’s incredible step-by-step journey across the country. Ultrarunning legend Dean Karnazes has run 262 miles-the equivalent of ten marathons-without rest. He has run over mountains, across Death Valley, and to the South Pole-and is probably the first person to eat an entire pizza while running. With an insight, candor, and humor rarely seen in sports memoirs (and written without the aid of a ghostwriter or cowriter), Ultramarathon Man has inspired tens of thousands of people-nonrunners and runners alike-to push themselves beyond their comfort zones and be reminded of "what it feels like to be truly alive," says Sam Fussell, author of Muscle. Ultramarathon Man answers the questions Karnazes is continually asked: - Why do you do it? - How do you do it? - Are you insane? And in the new paperback edition, Karnazes answers the two questions he was most asked on his book tour: - What, exactly, do you eat? - How do you train to stay in such good shape?

Presents information about the skills, training, and determination needed for the sport of ultra running, covering such topics as the history of runners, running records, and building endurarnce.