Below is a quote from the amazing ultra marathon runner Dean Karnazes. If you haven't seen or heard of Dean yet you should definitely look him up and have a read about his life.
Dean started running at a young age and raced cross country as a teenager however upon his senior years at Secondary school decided that he was 'too cool' to run and spent his time socialising focusing on getting into college. He got a good degree from college and managed to achieve highly in his field. However at the age of 30 while out for drinks with his friends celebrating his birthday he decided that he was going to run to a town 30 miles away. Not only did Dean make it to his destination but the next day he decided to become a runner. From then on the achievements are endless.
Since then Dean has managed to complete and win some of the hardest races in the world such as the Bad Water Ultra Marathon, South Pole Marathon and 50 marathons across every US state in 50 days.
Not only does Dean have a very unique race history but he also has another card up his sleeve. Dean has a very unique condition that allows him to buffer lactic acid. When you exercise, your body uses oxygen to break down glucose for energy. During intense exercise, there may not be enough oxygen available to complete the process, so a substance called lactate is made. Your body can convert this lactate to energy without using oxygen. But this lactate or lactic acid can build up in your bloodstream faster than you can burn it off. The point when lactic acid starts to build up is called the "lactate threshold." This can feel like a gentle burning sensation to extreme pain depending on the individual. In Deans case he has such a high lactate threshold that he barely feels any pain, therefore he is able to push himself hard and further.
Deans main advice to any runner no matter their ability is to live in the moment and to make yourself the best person you can be in the moment. He loves the fight and pushing his body to new limits.
Personally I see Dean as a great role model with his mindset of challenging himself everyday and trying to be the best he can every time he runs.
If you would like to find some more out about Dean and his adventures he has many books, online footage and social medias you can follow him on.
As always happy running
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