Review by Booklist Review
Karnazes is the New York Times best-selling author of Ultramarathon Man (2005) who, in 2006, was named one of Time magazine's "Top 100 Most Influential People in the World." His marathon résumé includes winning the Badwater Ultramarathon (across Death Valley) and running a marathon at the South Pole. He also ran 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 consecutive days. In this engaging memoir, he recounts his running adventures, including attempting the Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run at age 55, feeling like "an aging fighter getting back in the ring." Can he still conquer this grueling challenge, which he ran earlier in his career? A gifted storyteller, he captures the jubilant highs and soul-crushing lows in this chapter of his running life as well as offering a tender tribute to the evolving bonds he shares with both his father and his son. Of particular note is a fascinating chapter, "Silk Road Ultra," about his 326-mile, multiday run through Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan. Runners are sure to be captivated by this account of an unconventional endurance athlete who tenaciously challenges physical and mental boundaries.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Karnazes (Ultramarathon Man) returns with another in his series of ultramarathoning memoirs, now triumphantly chronicling his preparation for and run of one of the world's most difficult courses, the Western States 100, a 100-mile ultramarathon through the Sierra Nevada mountains. While he memorably describes the pains of pushing his body to extremes and celebrates the mindset required to do so, his narrative style is also laced with humor--such as when he playfully remarks, "running an ultra is simple; all you have to do is not stop." Karnazes also reflects upon a few other memorable treks, including his time on a "sports diplomacy" mission as a goodwill representative for the U.S. in Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan ("It didn't matter our language, creed, or skin color, running was a commonality we all shared"). Opening up about his family life, he details his somewhat distant relationship with his son and his anxieties over fatherhood. Fans of extreme sports will consider this a must-read and appreciate the pithy motivational bits peppered throughout, such as "To know thyself one must push thyself." But the winning tone and message will lend this broader appeal to inspiration-seeking readers and those who appreciate accounts of the grueling end of human endeavor. Agent: Carole Bidnick, Bidnick & Co. (Apr.)
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
In his latest running memoir, Karnazes reckons with age. Since his debut, Ultramarathon Man (2006), the author has done as much as anyone to bring ultrarunning to the mainstream, extolling the virtues of the sport as he recounts his astonishing feats of endurance. In this book, Karnazes demonstrates his outsize influence; seemingly every few pages, another runner approaches him (often midrace) to show their appreciation. If this setup sounds boastful, be assured that the author has a knack for self-deprecation that he deploys smartly in these scenes. Such humility seems easier for Karnazes to achieve than it has been before, and this book finds him at a kind of nadir in his career. He's in his late 50s, out of shape (relatively speaking), and running a 100K ultra in an attempt to fitness-cram before another extremely difficult race he hopes to run. The narrative is less the story of another Karnazes triumph than a tale of reckoning with an inevitability faced by all athletes: decline. Lying on the ground after a fall, he reflects, "my younger self could waltz through a 100K, but now such contests invariably digressed into Homeric slugfests. Maybe I didn't belong out here anymore; maybe it was time to quit. I continued staring at the sky, contemplating my reason for being." The tinge of self-pity reads as appropriate to the circumstance, and the author's openness to introspection gives this book more depth than some of his others. He won't be mistaken for a belletrist, but the text's more lyrical sections are appropriate to the moment. As ever, Karnazes is at his best telling the simple truths of running: "To me, running is a grand adventure, an intrepid outward exploration of the landscape and a revealing inward journey of the self." A book that will inspire athletes of all stripes, whatever their aches and pains, to hit the ground running. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
