Dean Karnazes: The Writer Inside the Runner
Interview with Ultramarathon Man on his unconventional writing methods, his love of Ancient Greek literature, and much more.
Dean Karnazes holding the Greek edition of his latest book, A Runner’s High (Key Books, 2021), translated by: Katerina Michail
Constantine (Dean) Karnazes is a superhuman nonpareil. A familiar face in the ultrarunning arena, a sought-after public speaker, an online media personality, and a faithful and long-standing supporter of his motherland, Greece, Dean Karnazes is also the author of New York Times best-selling books focusing on his running career, his trials and errors, his mind-bending adventures and his numerous accolades. Through his writing and social media presence, he gives the wider audience sneak peeks into the life of an internationally recognized endurance athlete. Here, we are presenting the “writer inside the runner,” his writing method, his aspirations, and, eventually, his life.
Dear Dean, it is my great pleasure to have you on “Corners of the Mind.” As the world-renowned “Ultramarathon Man,” you spend your days running around the world but still manage to find time to read and make your writing inspirational for the wider audience. Apart from five best-selling books, you have written extensively for sports publications and on your online blog. How and why did you start writing in the first place? Has it always been in the back of your mind or was it an unexpected but welcome “side-effect” of your running career? Have you ever had a mentor?
Like many people, I had aspired to write a book. It was just one of those things in life I wanted to accomplish. So I wrote a book. Was it any good and would people want to read it? This, I had no idea. My first book, Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner became an instant NY Times bestseller. I was as surprised as anyone about the success.
My mom has been a wonderful mentor to me. She is a literature teacher and always encouraged me to read broadly. She told me the best writers are the best readers.
“Motion stirs emotion.” - Dean Karnazes
Tell us about your writing process. It is hard to imagine you sitting at your desk for long! Does the traditional writing routine or writing rules apply in your case?
My writing is very nonconventional. I never write while sitting down; I always write while at my standing desk and I prefer to write outside, not indoors. I also do a lot of writing while running (by recording voice dictations). As any runner can attest, we have some of our clearest thoughts while running. Motion stirs emotion.
What does writing mean to you? How deep is your “burning” desire to put your thoughts and feelings on paper?
To me, good writing comes from a place of pain and from a place of passion. I want my readers not to read the words on the page but to experience the story on a visceral level. If people tell me they’ve laughed and cried while reading what I’ve written then I have succeeded.
In the process of translating your latest book, A Runner's High: My Life in Motion, into Greek, I found it mentally exhilarating to “accompany” you on your physical, mental, and psychological adventures, navigating through fatherhood concerns, family dynamics, and esoteric preoccupations. In your most personal book so far, what has prompted you to include family incidents and personal recollections? Was it some kind of catharsis for you?
Thank you for the thoughtful assessment of my latest book. My writing has matured as I’ve written more, and I’ve come to realize that people derive literary pleasure from learning about the inner workings of the writer, his thoughts, feelings, relationships, hopes and aspirations. Thankfully I have a rather colorful family and writing about their quirks and peculiarities is quite entertaining!
In “A Runner's High,” the reader encounters laugh-out-loud punchlines and the emotional grind side by side, all the while "running" with you through muddy valleys and dusty alleys, around the world and in your Californian backyard. One can sense your personality (and delightful sense of humor) beaming through the pages. How long did it take you and how hard was it to complete this book?
I’m glad you detected my lightheartedness and sense of humor. People think that I’m a guy who runs hundreds of kilometers nonstop so I must be very intense and unapproachable. But when they read my books they realize something different.
As for duration, this book took me about eight months to write. I’m not a full-time writer, otherwise it would take less time to complete. My dream is to become a full-time writer, but I have much to improve before I can make this dream come true.
You are the ultimate embodiment of the famous maxim “A healthy mind in a healthy body.” In your opinion, how important is fitness for a clear mind and good mental health in general and vice versa?
We learn who we are through the movement of our body. There is a reason our forbearers so prized physical excellence. Arête cannot be achieved without the mind and body in harmonic alignment.
Upon meeting you up close, one senses your down-to-earth and friendly attitude, which is the exact opposite of what is expected from a famous personality. What has forged this quality of yours? Has it been a direct outcome of your upbringing or a certain experience in your life?
Humility is a quality I value. People are sometimes trembling and so nervous when they meet me; I can’t understand it. I’m really nothing special at all, I assure you of that.
Your parents are Greek immigrants to California, USA, where you were born and raised. Did you feel the blending of cultures in the Karnazes’ household while growing up? Did you have any special literary encounters during your childhood, especially with regard to your ancestry?
The Greek-American experience when I grew up was an interesting dynamic. I was raised in a very Greek household. My yiayia lived with us and she had a garden in the backyard and used to bring food to the table every night. I embraced my Greek heritage and as I’ve grown older and studied more about ancient Greece, I realize the profound and everlasting influence our ancestors have had upon humanity. I don’t want this ever to be forgotten and I want more people to understand and appreciate what being Greek means. And I also see this as an obligation to do justice to our ancestors and live our lives in accordance with their teachings. This is what I strive for every day, and I wish all Greek people throughout the world would do the same.
When they asked Lord Byron if he could be anything what would he be? He answered, “I would be Greek.”
In “A Runner’s High” it becomes apparent that you navigate your “own course through life,” the way “a nonconformist does.” Like other pioneering athletes in their own fields, you have been a trailblazer, opening roads and doors for yourself and others. This continuous struggle to discover or invent new ways to “pay the bills” can leave someone drained of energy and filled with disappointment, time and again. How much does writing and reading, embedded in your daily routine, help you combat these grueling and lonesome feelings?
Truthfully, I love every second of it. I love being destitute and desperate, having to scrape and grovel and hustle to maintain a living. The loneliness I sometimes feel is crushing, yet I thrive on the struggle and adversity. I want to feel the entire range of human emotions, from the lofty highs to the crushing lows. And I want my writing to convey this essence and immediacy. I don’t ever want to grow comfortable and content. There will be plenty of time for that when I die.
“My favorite writer? Homer.” - Dean Karnazes
You read a lot. Do you have a favorite writer or preferred genre you occasionally turn to for comfort?
Yes, I read a lot. And nowadays I focus on anything and everything related to Greece, from the ancient text to the War of Independence to poetry. I have memorized many Greek poems and recite them when I run for practice. Once you discover the classics you are forever doomed for there is nothing throughout history that can even come close to approaching these great works; every else fall short in comparison.
And my favorite writer? Homer. Anyone who would answer otherwise is simply naïve and hasn’t read Homer.
If you were to recommend the “one book to rule them all,” which one would that be?
Some might consider these two books, but I consider the Iliad and the Odyssey a single piece of connected literature. It remains unfathomable to me that one of the first pieces of writing ever composed remains the greatest of all time.
Do you have plans for a new book? Are you working on anything in particular at the moment?
Currently I’m working on the screenplay version of my first book, which is being made into a movie. And I’ve also recently completed a movie script about the life and times of Socrates. My desire is to elevate Greece to the modern prominence it deserves. I owe it to our forbearers and this is my mission in life.
Thank you for the honor, Dean. Looking forward to your next writing endeavor!
Dean will be traveling to Greece starting 12 June for a language and history course on Spetses. He also has meetings in Athens with his Greek business partner, Active Media, and will be scouting locations in Crete for a Greek Running Tours operation he is hoping to launch this fall.