We've always loved crazy people.

Right now I'm comfily sitting in A/C.  But Dean's not.  Dean's just running here:

...through Death Valley in the annual Badwater Ultramarathon and then ascending up to 8,000+ feet to Mount Whitney (highest summit besides those up in AK).

It's only 125 degrees out.  And Dean wins these suckers (races).  Like a boss.  I love Dean!  Dean's crazy and he's made a fortune BEING crazy and writing about it.  Do you know anybody else who's done 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 days?



He did.

[  And I get to meet him at a conference this October in Philly.  BooYEAH.  ]

This is how I learn lower leg anatomy: Dean's lower legs.

Is Dean really inspiring or is he just someone we can be glad we are not...sorta.  I mean, I'm glad I don't run so far I end up metabolizing muscle tissue and sweating out my plasma NH3.  Yet, I can't deny that only long runs, marathons and the like the thought, "What would Dean do?" has crossed my mind.  And I liked it.  I love Dean.

So, coming up on Olympic season is a great time to ponder the meaning of life and wonder, "Why do these athletes do this?"  (Michael Phelps should have brain damage from keeping his head under the water so much of his life...)  You know those weird sports?  Like, yes, there really is badminton in the Olympics and people devote their entire lives to playing badminton so well you never even see the birdie.  Why?  What's the point?  Surely you lose your joy by say, mile 68, in the middle of the desert, or birdie whack 129,000 for the year (I am making this number up; I have no idea how many times a professional badmintonist whacks a birdie per anum)?  What's this  dedication to something that most people couldn't even do for an hour (can you play badminton for a whole hour????)?  And they do it for ten a day?  To be on a Wheaties box maybe!  Incredible!  Note on other weird sport: Yes, I love the trampoline at the Olympics.  Trampoline is cool and I like watching it and think it's weird-cool that people jump so high and spin around in the air.  It's so cool to watch!

 But.   Why do people inflict vertigo on themselves and break ankles flying high in the air over a strip of stretchy rubber?

[ Man, don't blink! ]

I'm not saying that we should all be in Death Valley right now, nearly killing ourselves with heat exhaustion and I'm definitely not saying that I don't appreciate trampoline artist (that IS an art!).  But, I think we should ponder our weirdness and be a little more extreme because there are Dean Karnazes out there who haven't discovered that their weirdness can be channeled into something that will actually inspire others to go far.

Dean, I can't wait to meet you this October!  Thanks for being weird for the rest of us!  And I hope that you find Jesus one day and embrace that RUNNING FOR LIL' PREBORNS & their parents is the best reason to run!