Let's get right to the good stuff! The first book for the LTE Book Club starting April 1, 2013, will be A Life Without Limits, by Chrissie Wellington.
So why did I pick this for the first book? Well, first of all, if you don't know who Chrissie Wellington is, she's a 4-time Ironman World Champion and has never lost an Ironman race. But that's not why I love her. I love her because if ever there was a "regular Jane," she's it. Like many triathletes (pro and amateur) she came from humble beginnings and just worked her ass off. She's relatable, and we all need role models to whom we can relate.
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| Me with Chrissie Wellington at her book signing last year... |
Finally, she teaches us that life is about more that just one thing. Before she became a professional triathlete, she was working for the British government in environmental issues/international development (something to which I can definitely relate). Through her travels and her work, she fed her passion for international development and continues to pursue that passion through charitable work today. Triathlons gave her a platform to raise awareness about some of these issues. Triathlons also gave her a doorway into a healthy lifestyle where she takes care of her body and appreciates what it can do for her. And then, after she accomplished all that she wanted, she stepped away from triathlons after her last championship in 2011 to go back to pursuing some of her other passions. She teaches us that life has many chapters, each one building on the next. It's a good reminder about how you can't get too hung up on any single one of them.
So I've picked this for the first book because it may inspire the regular Jane's and Joe's out there to accomplish more than they can imagine; it may teach women to overcome their body image issues; and it may help us all realize that life is about being well-balanced.
One little FYI: the foreward in the book is by Lance Armstrong, which obviously Chrissie had him write before he confessed about his years of doping. In recent public statements, Chrissie understandably has been very outraged about Lance's actions and has even said that she regrets having him write the foreward. So, whatever your feelings are about Lance, don't let the foreward deter you from her book.
The hard copy of the book is 274 pages and I'm sure you can download it for Kindle, iPad, etc. There are 30 days in April, so you'd only need to read nine - 9 - pages a day in the hard copy to finish it!! Now anyone can do that!
I'd love for people to post their thoughts on the book as you're reading; however, I don't want anyone to ruin the book for someone who may not be as far along. So try to (a) keep up with the reading and (b) remember that if you're reading pretty quickly, you want to be careful not to spoil the book for anyone else.
So please post your favorite quotes; inspirations, etc. as you're reading so we can generate a dialogue. You can also post questions for other LTE readers, like "What do you think about Chrissie's first coach, Brett Sutton?"
You can post your reactions, thoughts, quotes, questions, etc. on the blog here, on the Life Through Endurance Facebook page, or Tweet them to me @LifeThruEndure.
Happy reading!
3 comments:
Loved this book! Great choice for your book club. Sometimes, athlete's books can be really dry, but this one isn't.
Sounds like everything is good with you! So awesome!
I'm surprised by her admissions with eating and body acceptance challenges. It makes her more relatable.
Hey Carilyn - I'm glad you've read the book and I'd be interested in any of your other thoughts! I hope things are going well with you.
And Jen - I totally agree. You don't often see/hear of a pro who's had these types of issues. It makes her so much more relatable.
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