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Superhuman or just a good Endurance Runner? (Read 459 times)

pedaling fool


    Someone please explain to me....This guy  http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/the-running-blog/2013/aug/30/dean-karnazes-man-run-forever   is suppose to be so good that he can't get sore.

     

    If that were the case then why doesn't he set a WR in a marathon, such as Boston/NY/London... or some other world class course?

     

     

    I don't doubt he's a very good runner, but it just seems there may be a little too much hype in his "superhuman" abilities.

     

    Here's another link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dean_Karnazes

     

    Excerpt:

     

    Media appearances

     

    "The "Ultra Marathon Man" episode of Stan Lee's Superhumans documentary television series maintained that Karnazes is able to reduce the build-up of lactic acid over long periods of time. Karnazes also ascribes his endurance feats to an extraordinary ability to remain under his lactate threshold - his body's ability to clear lactate from his blood and convert it to energy.[27]

     

    Yet Chris Carmichael, former coach of Lance Armstrong, reported that tests of Karnazes at his Performance Center in Aspen in 2006 showed a VO2 max (64.8) and lactate threshold (63.4% of VO2 max) that was merely "above average".[28]"

     

    It's important to note that reference 28, concerning Carmichael's test is an invalid reference, so I don't know if that last sentence is true (it's wiki, so what do you expect).

     

    Here's his showing on Stan Lee's Superhumans  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZiC4fK3jFY

     

     

    So what's the deal, is this guy a superhuman? And if so why doesn't he go up against the best marathon runners in the world and put the matter to rest?

      NO way he could beat the Kenyans. His calves are too big.


      running metalhead

        Dean Karnazes is an ultra trail runner.

         

        I know he does participate in some marathons, but that's not his discipline. DK is one of the top names in modern trail ultras. But the question on why he hasn't done a WR in Boston or the like is almost like asking why Hussein Bolt or Mo Farrah hasn't done it yet (*)

         

        I agree the documentary is "somewhat"  over-hyped, but you know how things are. Statements like "He doesn't build up lactate in his muscles...". Of course not, he is running at a sub-maximal effort and trained to do just that... exactly as any other ultra runner.

         

        BTW, a question for the experts: Marathon runners would not build u any excess lactate either, isn't it? (just finished an introductory course on sports physiology and I'm interested).

         

          (*) in the case of  Farrah there are however precedents of 10K runners switching to marathon and actually winning: My hero, the legendary Emil Zatopek

        - Egmond ( 14 januari )            :  1:41:40 (21K)
        - Vondelparkloop ( 20 januari ) :  0:58.1 (10K but did 13.44!!!)
        - Twiskemolenloop ( 4 maart )  :   1:35:19 (3th M45!)

        - Ekiden Zwolle (10K)   ( 25 maart )
        - Rotterdam Marathon ( 8 april )
        - Leiden Marathon Halve ( 27 mei )
        - Marathon Amersfoort ( 10 juni)

        Trent


        Good Bad & The Monkey

          This thread is soooooo 2008.

            This is funny and total tv garbage. Lactate threshold is related to the level of intensity, not distance. Everyone would have a limit where it would build up, but they never pushed him hard enough to build it up. They just let him cruise along at a level that he could handle. He is a trained runner so his threshold is probably higher than most, but it is still there just like every other person. He really wasn't going too fast at any point in the video. We already know he can run for really long times, but that's a whole different thing. As long as he's running under his threshold of course his lactate levels will stay low. His ability to excel at ultra distance events isn't really explained by lactate threshold. That only dictates his pace during the races. "Karnazes also ascribes his endurance feats to an extraordinary ability to remain under his lactate threshold" ...So his ability to not go too fast and stay at a pace comfortable for him for extremely long periods of time. Lots of runners out there can go faster than him in a marathon (partly because of higher lactate thresholds), but few are able to or even want to run for as long as him.

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            Feeling the growl again

               

               

                (*) in the case of  Farrah there are however precedents of 10K runners switching to marathon and actually winning: My hero, the legendary Emil Zatopek

               

              Farah is a poor example to show in there.  10K specialists turn into exceptional marathon runners quite frequently...former WR holders Geb and Tergat and many others.  The 10K and marathon are a heck of a lot more related than the marathon and trail ultras.

               

              The most superhuman thing about DK is his self-promotion ability.  Smile

              "If you want to be a bad a$s, then do what a bad a$s does.  There's your pep talk for today.  Go Run." -- Slo_Hand

               

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              TripleBock


                2000 and late

                 

                This thread is soooooo 2008.

                I am fuller bodied than Dopplebock

                Mr MattM


                  Dean is still around?

                  be curious; not judgmental

                  AmoresPerros


                  Options,Account, Forums

                    He wins Western States and Badwater every year, right? Right?

                    It's a 5k. It hurt like hell...then I tried to pick it up. The end.

                      DK is one of the top names in modern trail ultras. 

                       

                      Hmm, maybe I missed something but according to ultrasignup, DK hasn't won an ultra since 2006.


                      ultramarathon/triathlete

                        This thread is soooooo 2008.

                         

                        hahahaha I was about to type "10 years ago called, and want's its Dean bashing thread back" ;-P

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                        bhearn


                          Hate to bump this thread but... I have it on good authority that he was pulled from the Kauai Marathon (9/1) results for cheating. After accepting his 1AG award. Evidently he "didn't start the race, he jumped in from his condo location, the Ultra Marathon Man couldn't jog to the start line". Oh, and he was also the official host of the marathon.

                           

                          I know he's a shameless self promoter, but this is a line I wouldn't have thought he'd cross.

                          bhearn


                             Hmm, maybe I missed something but according to ultrasignup, DK hasn't won an ultra since 2006.

                             

                            Huh. Well, I've got him beat there. And his ultrasignup rating is not that much better than mine. New career?


                            Feeling the growl again

                              Hate to bump this thread but... I have it on good authority that he was pulled from the Kauai Marathon (9/1) results for cheating. After accepting his 1AG award. Evidently he "didn't start the race, he jumped in from his condo location, the Ultra Marathon Man couldn't jog to the start line". Oh, and he was also the official host of the marathon.

                               

                              I know he's a shameless self promoter, but this is a line I wouldn't have thought he'd cross.

                               

                              WOW.  KerCan is an animal then for still passing him.  ;D

                              "If you want to be a bad a$s, then do what a bad a$s does.  There's your pep talk for today.  Go Run." -- Slo_Hand

                               

                              I am spaniel - Crusher of Treadmills

                               

                                 

                                WOW.  KerCan is an animal then for still passing him.  ;D

                                 

                                That's funny.  I did run the Kauai marathon this past weekend.

                                Yes, I did pass him at mile 9 or 10 (the downhill portion).  FWIW, I was doing the 1/2 marathon, and he was doing the full marathon, so our game was different.  The split was at mile 10.8.

                                I didn't see him at the starting line, but I did see him as I passed him.

                                 

                                To counter bhearn's point, I think Bart Yasso was more of the host of the marathon.  He was the one on the pamphlets as a speaker as well as the host at the post race ceremony.  But, maybe Bart took the stage since DK was DQ'd.  Bart took the 1/2 marathon real slow (12:20/mile?)

                                MTA: I'll take that back... he was a speaker on Friday.

                                Also, I didn't even know about the race until 2 days earlier when we arrived in Kauai.

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