On the Run Pushing limits in business and life keeps the ultramarathon man going.
By Sara Wilson
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When Dean Karnazes, 42, hits the ground running, there'salways a possibility he may not stop. Known as the"Ultramarathon Man," Karnazes counts his longest race at350 miles, which took him 80 hours and 44 minutes nonstop to run.During the countless hours on his feet, he learned some lessonsthat helped him rise to what he considers an even greaterchallenge: starting a business. In 1995, Karnazes co-foundedEnergyWell Natural Foods, a San Francisco-based manufacturer ofall-natural and organic snack foods. It has since been acquired,but Karnazes remains president of the company, now Good HealthNatural Foods. We caught up with him to get his advice forentrepreneurs competing in "marathons" of their own.
Entrepreneur: What did you learn as a runner thathelped you as an entrepreneur?
Dean Karnazes: The idea of never giving up, of being ableto persist through very low times. When you run a marathon orfarther, you experience some deep lows, and you start questioningyour ability to succeed. It becomes a mental battle as well as aphysical battle. It's the same thing in business. Every day,there are battles to be waged.
What keeps you going?
Karnazes: You have to dedicate yourself wholeheartedly toyour goal. There's no faking your way through it. You have topay your dues, and it isn't easy. The other factor that isimportant is passion. If you're not passionate about whatyou're doing-if you don't love it-then it becomes work, andit's very hard to accomplish your goal.
What advice can you offer to entrepreneurs who are strugglingto cross the finish line?
Karnazes: Success, a lot of times, requires breaking abig goal into baby steps. The last time I ran 200 miles nonstop, Icouldn't stand up at mile 165. I still had 35 miles to go.Instead of sitting there, saying, "I can't even stand up.How am I going to run 35 miles?" I just set a goal of standingup. I took a bigger goal and broke it into smaller pieces, and loand behold, eight hours later, I was at the finish line.
A lot of times, you're better than you think. Until you putyourself in those situations, you really don't know what yourlimits are. Continually test your edge. Push as hard as you canevery day.
