The REAL Running Man

I'm self-indulgent. If I decide on a whim that I want to go get a cupcake, I'm going to get a cupcake. If I want a nap, I'm taking a nap. I just don't buy into the whole "existence is suffering" ethos. I lean more toward measured hedonism: enough fun to stay happy, but not enough to get me into (too much) trouble.

Dean Karnazes seems to be my exact opposite. He probably buys himself things, then immediately breaks it just so he can feel the loss. He probably adds glass to his food just to toughen himself up from the inside out. He'd probably taunt you to kick him in his dangling duo just so he'd know he could take it. For all of those (now-tired) statements about Chuck Norris' badassery, Karnazes is the real deal. He doesn't just run marathons, he runs ultramarathons. Hell, I don't even run to cross the street if a car is coming, let alone from Portland to Vancouver, BC. He is made of much tougher stuff than I am. Hell, he's made of tougher stuff than my car. He's like a real-world comic book character. He runs while sleeping! While sleeping people!

Tonight Dean is going to be at the Seattle Running Company to give a talk and sign copies of his new book. He'll also probably be laughing at all the weak mortals in the room, knowing that not only could he kill the population of King County without breaking a sweat, he could run to Boise before anyone even realized what happened.

[via Metblogs]