Monday, March 18, 2013

Cross Train and Book Review

Tonight I completed 3.35miles on the bike at the gym in half hour.  My legs were feeling much better then I thought they were going to feel after my long run yesterday. 
I am only a week late but here is my review for A Life Without Limits: A World Champion's Journey by Chrissie Wellington
A Life Without Limits By: Chrissie Wellington
Synopsis:
In 2007, Chrissie Wellington shocked the triathlon world by winning the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii. As a newcomer to the sport and a complete unknown to the press, Chrissie's win shook up the sport. A LIFE WITHOUT LIMITS is the story of her rise to the top, a journey that has taken her around the world, from a childhood in England, to the mountains of Nepal, to the oceans of New Zealand, and the trails of Argentina, and first across the finish line.

Wellington's first-hand, inspiring story includes all the incredible challenges she has faced--from anorexia to near--drowning to training with a controversial coach. But to Wellington, the drama of the sports also presents an opportunity to use sports to improve people's lives.

A LIFE WITHOUT LIMITS reveals the heart behind Wellington's success, along with the diet, training and motivational techniques that keep her going through one of the world's most grueling events.


I wasn't sure how I was going to like reading another triathlon book, but I quite enjoyed reading this book.  I enjoyed hearing of her thoughts during training and races and how she overcomes the mental aspect of both.  I felt it was interesting how she kept referring to the poem "IF" by Rudyard Kipling. The funny thing is that the same day "IF" came up in the book, someone in my training group had posted the poem on our facebook page.

If

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too:
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream---and not make dreams your master;
If you can think---and not make thoughts your aim,
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same:.
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build'em up with worn-out tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings,
And never breathe a word about your loss:
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings---nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much:
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And---which is more---you'll be a Man, my son!

2 comments:

Aimee said...

What a great poem. Thanks for sharing it along with the book review. I hadn't heard of the book, but I'm going to check it out.

Jamie said...

Thank you for the review and the posting the entire poem, I never did look up the entire thing!

I'm glad you enjoyed the book!