Monday, September 24, 2012

Books

Since leaving the world of FB, I have actually been able to carve a few minutes a day out to read.  I am working on my 3rd book of the "summer" which is highly unusual for me. I read often with the kids and for knowledge, information, and growth, however, rarely do I have the opportunity or time to read just for the fun of it.  

Of late, I have read You Are an Ironman by Jaques Steinberg.  


This was a quick read, though, admittedly, I really did not want to get to the end of the book.  I really enjoyed learning about each athlete, his/her challenges, and learned quite a bit about triathlons that I had not yet experienced.  There were moments in this book when I had to stop reading to keep from bawling my eyes out!  I get so inspired by the stories of everyday people overcoming their various challenges and doing what most would never or could never dream of doing.  I recommend this read to anyone who is considering doing an Ironman or to anyone who knows anyone who is doing an Ironman.  It will give you a small peek into the thinking that goes into and behind these types of events.

The next book I "read" though an audiobook.  I had never really "listened" to a book this way, outside of  a children's story.  It was a bit weird at first as my hands weren't occupied while reading.  I found it hard to focus at first, but then started listening while running and began to enjoy the format very much.  
Eat & Run by Scott Jurek is a fantastic read!   I had the opportunity to meet Scott Jurek in 2011 when I ran Rocky 100.  He and several other "big dogs" showed up to run, and by far, he was the most personable!  I have always admired Scott, and after reading this book, connecting dots of things I knew of him from blurbs on the internet, and meeting him, I feel as though I have a real feel of who he is and what drives him.  Definitely one of those people I would love to have dinner with and chat with on a good long run.  
I hate this picture of me, but it was such an amazing meeting during my first 100 miler, I will always treasure it!

His story is inspiring, heart-breaking, and real.  I found myself not listening to it because I didn't want it to end.  I have never really felt as though I'd like to re-read a book, but this is one I definitely will re-read.  I plan to buy a hard copy of it though, because I am one of those people that like to mark my favorite lines, and Scott's book has many favorite lines for me!

Currently I am listening to Rich Roll's book, Finding Ultra and next on tap is Chrissie Wellington's A Life Without Limits. 

What are your current reads? 

3 comments:

  1. You'll love A Life Without Limits! It's one of my top recommendations for anyone who likes sports-or the human experience for that matter.

    Ray A. gave me 'the elements of effort': reflections on the art and science of running. Just the name sounds cool.

    Happy Reading!

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  2. I've come to love running long solo runs to audiobooks as they can help me concentrate on a secondary item when my body knows just what to do. Listening to these books has allowed me to keep up with some new books when I don't have the time to read a "real" book. It's never quite the same, but an acceptable substitute.

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  3. I have read numerous books over the past year with the intent of reviewing them on my blog. Thank you for the reviews and for inspiring me to get off my duff and post those reviews! BTW, Life without Limits was awesome...however, Joseph had a hard time getting into it.

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