Have you had awkward conversations about Dean Karnazes with co-workers, relatives, etc.?

look at Suze Orman in the financial markets. Look at most of the talking heads on TV. Most are decent in their industry, but certainly not dominant. But they have figured out how to market themselves to the ignorant public, who, in the absence of any other insight, views them as experts in their field.

It's all about branding yourself. Dean has figured out how to do it. It doesn't matter how slow he runs, the public doesn't know or care what is a good time for a long race. They just know he's in their magazine, or on their TV, or on their computer screen, and so they assume he is the best at what he does.

Jennifer Lopez is another example of someone who isn't really that good at anything except self-promotion. Can't act, can't sing, can't dance, looks good but not great.

Yes, just today with a coworker, but it wasn't awkward. Told him I knew who the guy was, and explained that real runners don't like him because he's a publicity hound.

Just enter the next marathon that he runs after this whole 50 in 50 is over, and when people bring him up, you can say that you kicked his ass.

If you cannot beat him, you shouldn't be talking trash about him.

I have rocked his world in like 7 different races, and I carry around proof so no one can ever give this guy any credit. I ripped it out at church the other day, showed the stupid minister who used him as a rolemodel. I told as many people as possible after the service how awful Dean really was, and how I had beaten him 7 times.

I sure showed them.

I didn't realize that anyone outside of the letsrun world actually knew who this guy was. I can't say I've ever heard his name mentioned anywhere but here.

Wow, I hope that was sarcasm, cause it was kinda funny. Unless it was serious, then it was funny in a different way.

Anyway, I usually explain to people (like my wife) that 50-50-50 thing has already been done by others, and for better causes, and in much faster times (Sam Thompson), but that Dean has big corporations and marketing behind him and gets press. I also point out that 180 miles a week (26 X 7) is pretty crazy, but that some of the top marathoners do that much in training.

Even decent runners have it in their head that Dean is a god. He just finished a trail marathon here in Louisville in 4 plus hours. I ran into this female runner who has become obsessed with ultra marathons and Dean. She won the women's race, has run a 3:00 marathon, and was a pretty fast runner. I was joking that I should have shown up and trounced Dean and she made some comment about the course being pretty rough and that I might not have been able to. I told her this guy RACES marathons in 3:30...a full hour behind me. She said that he's been racing a marathon EVERYDAY. No...he's been running 26 miles a day, 182 miles a week.

I don't mind the fact that Dean is running 26 miles a day, at least he is doing it for a good cause (KARNO Kids). There's a guy I know who's running 30 miles today to raise money for Metro United Way. That's a good cause. The problem with Dean is that he makes it appear as if what he does is impossible, like no one has ever tried to run 26 miles a day.

Alan

Yeah my penguin boss at the job I left... he is doing NYC too and is jacked up. Its like Hoopin it w/ MJ. He's a big LA fan too.

Agreed on the CNBC talking heads - my dad is a stockbroker and can't stand Suze or Cramer. But I love Crame-dogs!

Booooooooooyaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!

Did you see the post race interview at the San Jose Rock and roll half with Duncan Kibet(1Hr26Seconds) He told told Todd Williams in the post race interview he trains 3X's a day including 25K kilometers in the morning. What kind of Mileage do you think this guy is doing a week? Sounds like over 150 to me total? BTW- Kibet Younger brother in Kiptoo-Biwott who runs at oregon with Rupp.

Not Dean wrote:

Also, what is it about running that causes the general public to be so misinformed?

Stupid articles like this...

He finished and hardly broke a sweat...

Whatever.

Yeah, a buddy of mine brought up the Dean subject.

I really couldn't help myself, but after 10 minutes, my buddy lost any respect for Dean that he had.

if u finish and dont break a sweat than ur not even jogging

THIS GUY SUCKS!!!!!!!!

Only awkward when I started yelling Dean's name while making love to my wife.....

...um, does any one remember a certain someone called Terry Fox (!!!!)? This guy at like 21 years old ran a marathon a day, for 143 days in his attempt to run across Canada in the name of Cancer research - oh and I almost forgot to mention he did it with one leg! He was on a varisty sports team at SFU (competes in NAIA)...he is the reason I dislike DK.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terry_Fox

http://images.ctv.ca/archives/CTVNews/img2/20050916/160X_terry_fox_050916.jpg

http://www.gailharvey.ca/posters/terryfox.jpg

I don't know if you can find it online anywhere, but ESPN did one of their segments on Terry Fox and his run across Canada during Sportscenter.

I thought it was very well done.

Are you shitting me?

"...In every city that Karnazes visits, dozens of runners wake up before 7 a.m. and pay to run with him. ..."

"...Karnazes follows a police escort and invites people to pay $100 to run with him...."

I wonder how much of this money goes to the "cause".

Alan

...and this...

"...A handful of major sponsors — North Face, Timex, Nature's Path and others — fund the tour and pay Karnazes. He makes a six-figure living through sponsorship deals and speaking engagements, which annoys other endurance runners. Karnazes is not the top-ranked ultramarathoner, but he has used good looks and business savvy to become the face of the sport....

Just last week, I had an extremely awkward conversation about Dean Karnazes. I overheard two of my co-workers, Alison and Greg, talking in front of the water cooler. Alison said to Greg: "Have you heard about that guy running, like, a marathon a day? Wow, that's really amazing."

Upon hearing the comment, I jumped out of my chair and sprinted over to the water cooler. "What the f*** is a matter with you!?!? That guy is a joke," I screamed.

"Oh," replied a shocked Alison. "I...I...just read about the guy in the paper, and he...."

I cut her off. "Shut the f*** up! That 'guy' you are talking about is named Dean Karnazes!! He is a publicity hound. He doesn't care about running."

At this point, Greg (unwisely) decided to enter the conversation. "Wow. I thought you would like the guy because you are a runner. I mean, I thought..."

Before Greg could finish his thought, I picked up the five-gallon water jug and smashed Greg across the head, knocking him to the ground. "You thought I would like the guy BECAUSE I AM A RUNNER?!?," I yelled. "Dean runs 8 minutes a mile! That is not running; that is jogging. The mere existence of Dean Karnazes is offensive to everything I stand for."

At this point, Alison started to run away. I used my 5-minute mile speed to catch her before she could get to the front door. I pinned her to the ground and started screaming some more: "Dean is nothing. HE IS NOTHING. I would kill him in a 5K." Then, I started sobbing. "I should be on the cover of runner's world, not him. It's not fair!!"

Before I knew it, the building security guy came in and had me in handcuffs. He thought he was so tough. But he must have weighed 230 pounds. I would absolutely own his ass in a 5K. Stupid idiot.

Anyway, I have to admit that the whole event was pretty awkward.

Most people understand basketball, or at least think they do.

Tell them to look up the guy who holds the record for most consecutive free throws. I don't know who it is, but I guarantee it's a guy who's not in the NBA and wanted to be in the Guinness Book of World Records.

Ask your subject how this person compares to Michael Jordan, etc, or really any NBA player...

He's nowhere near as good a player as those guys. He might be decent, good enough to beat most HS varsity guys, but not all of them. Good enough to play on some D1 teams, but not all American. He knows it and made a claim to something great.

At best, DK compares to this guy.

giffypop17 wrote:

He's nowhere near as good a player as those guys. He might be decent, good enough to beat most HS varsity guys, but not all of them. Good enough to play on some D1 teams, but not all American. He knows it and made a claim to something great.

I can't think of a single respectable D1 XC program (or D3 program for that matter) on which DK would be a scoring runner. And he is not good enough to beat most HS runners. If anything, your analogy gives him way too much credit.