Chasing Kona: From back of the pack smoker to racing the Ironman World Championships in Kona


Rob Cummins - 2017
    There was some sort of bike race on and I half watched while lighting another cigarette off the butt of my last one for a minute before switching channels again. Just as I hit the button on the remote the commentator mentioned something about the athletes swimming before and running afterwards as well as racing the bike. I thought he said something about the run being a marathon but that couldn't be right. This sparked my interest and I switched back, but he was talking about something else so I waited for him to get around to describing exactly what this race was. I didn't have long to wait as he said they first did a 2.5 mile swim, then 112 miles on the bike all topped of with running a marathon. I was stunned. I didn't think that would be physicially possible and as I lit another cigarette I wondered how many days did they have to do it. I guessed it would have to be three days. Swim the first day, bike the second and run the third but it still sounded like a crazy thing to do. Then he said that they did it all in the one day, one after another without stopping. I was completely incredulous. And hooked. I remained glued to the TV and learned that these bronzed, muscular Greek God looking athletes weren't all professionals either. There was an amateur or "age group" race as well Although I could hardly tell the difference between the pros and amateurs. They all looked unbelievably fit. As I sat there mesmerised I swore to myself that I'd race there someday. I'd stop smoking and drinking and somehow do "The Ironman" At the time I had no idea what that meant or how I would do it and after a while as things have a way of doing I got busy with life and I forgot all about The Ironman and Hawaii. I forgot until several years later when I had actually given up smoking and had taken up triathlon. It had taken me two years and sixteen races of swimming breast stroke before I learned to swim properly. I never once looked even remotely like Kona material but I wanted to have a go at doing an Ironman. It took another three years before I plucked up the courage and lined up for my first one in Nice, France. I finished in the last quarter of the field, hours behind the athletes racing for those precious Kona slots. Nothing I had done up to then had given any indication that I should have had a reason to believe I had a chance at qualifying, but three years later when I asked Aisling, my wife if she thought it was possible she immediately said yes and then she added let's do it. Aisling's belief in me started us on a journey that led to me treading water on the most iconic start line in triathlon, waiting for the cannon to fire at the start of the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii. This is how we overcame all of the odds and discovered what it would take to get to the Ironman World Championships. This is our Kona story.

I'm Sorry, I Love You: A History of Professional Wrestling


Jim Smallman - 2018
    

Training for Speed, Agility, and Quickness


Lee E. Brown - 2000
    Exhibiting a combination of power, speed, and quickness, they've raised the bar on performance, competition, and training. Training for Speed, Agility, and Quickness is the complete workout guide you need in order to perform a step ahead of the competition.With this total training package, you'll have exclusive online access to a video library of the most effective drills and exercises for developing movement skills, and you'll see how to perform key tests and execute the best and most complex drills from the book. Sample training programs are included for these sports:Baseball and softballFootball and rugbyBasketball and netballCombat sportsTrack and fieldSoccerLacrosseTennis and badmintonRacquetball and squashThe top sport and conditioning experts present the best information on testing, techniques, drills, and training programs to maximize athletes' movement capabilities. The book includes 262 drills and proven assessments for customizing programs and tracking progress.If you're serious about elevating your performance, Training for Speed, Agility, and Quickness is a must have.PLEASE NOTE: This is not an official book from SAQ International. For details of books including SAQ Soccer and SAQ Rugby and official SAQ resources, please visit www.saqinternational.com.

Mid-life Cyclists


Chris McHutchison - 2012
    This is the account of Chris, an Australian, who took up cycling in order to win over his Belgian girlfriend and her cycling obsessed father, and Neil, a Briton, who took up cycling when he realised it was the last sport left for him to try. Together they are two friends entering their midlife crisis years in a hurry, on bikes. Although living thousands of miles apart on different continents, Neil and Chris join forces through this addiction to cycling and play out an unforgettable and funny path to cycling greatness on the fields of Hong Kong, Sydney, England, Flanders and the French Alps. They lay it all out here; the training, the kit buying, the crashes, the clashes between family time, work time and cycling time, and the harsh realities of cycling together on the European continent alongside experienced club riders. This is a wonderfully humorous tale exposing the light-hearted determination of midlife cyclists everywhere.

Galloway's 5k and 10k Running


Jeff Galloway - 2007
    Galloway's 5K/10K Running is packed with expert advice, hints, and tips from a former Olympian who has been injury-free for over 25 years. It includes a section dedicated to beginners who simply want to run for fun, as well as a section for those who want to run a specific time. Also featured in this comprehensive volume is easy-to-read advice on medical information, nutrition, fat-burning, aches and pains, getting the right shoes, motivation, and much more.

Kaiser: The Greatest Footballer Never To Play Football


Rob Smyth - 2018
    He’s the most loveable of rogues with the most common of dreams: to become a professional footballer. And he isn’t about to let trivial details like talent and achievement stand in his way. . . not when he has so many other ways to get what he wants.In one of the most remarkable football stories ever told, Kaiser graduates from abandoned slumdog to star striker, dressing-room fixer, superstar party host and inexhaustible lover. And all without kicking a ball. He’s not just the king… he’s the Kaiser.

Mastering Mountain Bike Skills


Brian Lopes - 2005
    World champion racer Brian Lopes and renowned coach Lee McCormack provide you with all of the key techniques and skills you'll need to take your ride to the next level. This new and improved edition of Mastering Mountain Bike Skills provides detailed, technical instruction for every mountain biking discipline: Trail Downhill Cross-Country Racing and more The high-quality photo sequences and demonstrations combined with race stories from Brian Lopes will give you the tools you need, whether you're a recreational rider looking to rock the trails with friends or a rider looking to beat the competition. Let Mastering Mountain Bike Skills help you ride with more confidence and have more fun. author: Lopes, Brian Pages: 264

Rafael Nadal: The Biography


Tom Oldfield - 2009
    He was 19 years old when he won the 2005 French Open in his very first appearance at the event. A left-hander with a booming forehand, Nadal had been known as a clay-court specialist since playing his first pro tournaments in 2001. His aggressive style, flowing hair, and muscular build have made him a fan favorite as well. He won his first singles title in 2004, and had a breakout season in 2005, winning at Monte Carlo, Rome, Barcelona, and Stuttgart as well as at Roland Garros. He won the French Open again in 2006, 2007, and 2008, defeating rival Roger Federer in the final each time. In 2008 he broke through at Wimbledon, beating Federer to win the men's singles title in a spectacular fashion. No Nadal fan will want to be without this comprehensive biography.

On the Clock: The Story of the NFL Draft


Barry Wilner - 2015
    No passing, running, tackling, or kicking. Hey, there isn't even a field. Yet the draft has become more popular than many other sporting events, including the National Basketball Association (NBA) and National Hockey League (NHL) playoff games, against which it goes head-to-head for viewers. In fact, the draft has spawned its own cottage industry in which names such as Gil Brandt, Mel Kiper, Jr., and Mike Mayock become as well-known as any of the first-round selections.In On the Clock, Ken Rappoport and Barry Wilner chronicle the history of the proceedings. The veteran sports writers take you from the first grab bag in 1936, when Philadelphia chose Heisman Trophy winner Jay Berwanger of the University of Chicago and saw him decline to play in the NFL, to the 2014 draft—considered one of the deepest in talent ever.Along the 78-year journey, learn about the competitions for the top overall spot (Peyton Manning vs. Ryan Leaf), the unhappy No. 1s (John Elway and Tom Cousineau), the big flops (JaMarcus Russell) and the late-rounders-turned-superstars (Tom Brady).Meet the draft wizards, from Paul Brown to Bill Walsh and Jimmy Johnson. And the draft whiffs that cost personnel executives their jobs.On the Clock takes you behind the scenes at one of pro football’s yearly major events. Barry Wilner has been a sportswriter for the Associated Press since 1975. He has covered virtually every major sporting event, including twelve Olympics, nine World Cups, twenty-six Super Bowls, the World Series, and the Stanley Cup finals, and has written thirty-nine books. He lives in Garnerville, New York.Ken Rappoport is the author of more than sixty sports books for adults and young readers. Working for the Associated Press in New York for thirty years, he has written about every major sport. His assignments included the World Series, the NBA Finals, and, as the AP’s national hockey writer, the Stanley Cup Finals and the Olympics. He lives in Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey.

Dave Pelz's Putting Bible: The Complete Guide to Mastering the Green


Dave Pelz - 2000
    Once golfers grasp his concepts, they can perform on the greens as never before.Using decades of scientific research from studying thousands of golfers, Dave shows readers the simplicity of putting that escapes most golfers and lays out the fifteen well-defined building blocks of the putting game that each of us already has and owns. This comprehensive guide from the internationally revered master of the short game and putting game--packed with charts, photos, and easy-to-understand instruction--will be the essential volume for all golfers who want to take strokes off their score with better putting. A former NASA physicist and founder of the World Putting Championship, Dave brings a scientific rigor to his instruction that has made him the top putting expert in the world.  Observing and teaching thousands of golfers to better their scores, Dave's body of knowledge in putting is unequaled.  By uncovering the mysteries of this part of the game, Dave Pelz's Putting Bible raises putting instruction to a new level.Dave Pelz's Scoring Game Schools and clinics are renowned worldwide, attracting top players like Jesper Parnevik, Tom Kite, Colin Montgomerie, two-time U.S. Open Champion Lee Janzen, Vijay Singh, Steve Elkington, and many LPGA players including Annika Sorenstam and Liselotte Neumann.

Marathon and Half Marathon: The Beginner's Guide


Marnie Caron - 2006
    It also includes tips from elite runners on such subjects as motivation, consistency, log books, and running partners. Finally, the book describes strategies for how to change from a sedentary person to a runner, how to build the mental strength needed for distance running, and what to expect on race day.

Your Body Is Your Barbell: Lose Weight and Get into the Best Shape of Your Life in just 6 Weeks Using Nothing but Your own Bodyweight


B.J. Gaddour - 2014
    No machines. No space. No hassles! With Your Body is Your Barbell, a reader will have no excuse not to get into the best shape of his or her life…simply, easily, and in just 4 weeks in the convenience of his or her own home. How? Using nothing more than what God blessed—a body with unlimited potential.Metabolic training expert BJ Gaddour, CSCS, who Men's Health magazine calls one of the "100 Fittest Men of All Time," has created a remarkably efficient and effective body-transforming diet and workout program based on just a handful of simple moves, the Bodyweight Eight. These no-equipment-required exercises are all one needs to build a strikingly symmetrical, perfectly proportioned, and classically beautiful physique, just like BJ's. (Not long ago, he was a fat guy with bad knees and an addiction to ice cream sundaes.)But it doesn't stop there. Once readers master each legendary fitness feat with perfect form, he will use BJ's "Sweat Spectrum," scalable, step-by-step progressions to go from ground zero to super hero. From these exercise variations, readers can construct hundreds of personalized workouts. Dozens of sample workouts are already demonstrated through big, bold how-to photographs within the book, and organized by goal, duration, intensity, and targeted body zone. This is the only book a man or woman needs to achieve the body he or she has always wanted anywhere…and without gear.

Runner's World Train Smart, Run Forever: How to Become a Fit and Healthy Lifelong Runner by Following The Innovative 7-Hour Workout Week


Bill Pierce - 2017
    This book will teach you how to become a fit, fast, and healthy lifelong runner by following the authors’ innovative 7-hour workout week. In this new approach, Bill Pierce and Scott Murr show how overall fitness and total body health are the secret to longevity as a runner.Runner’s World Train Smart, Run Forever is appropriate for all runners, but is especially helpful if you’re frustrated by injuries or looking to maintain your healthy lifestyle as you age. This book addresses the controversies surrounding the dangers of over training and the stress associated with the constant craving for faster race times. Complete with a comprehensive program to enhance overall fitness, improve race times,and support healthy aging, this book will show you how to achieve your fitness goals at any stage.

Progressive Calisthenics: The 20-Minute Dream Body with Bodyweight Exercises (Calisthenics)


John Powers - 2015
    When it comes to bodyweight training, there is nothing more frustrating than losing fat, without building muscle on top of that fat loss. Most people just aim for a lower number of the scale, but if you want a powerful, functional body, you should also be gaining muscle, as you are losing fat. This is where Calisthenics training comes into play.It is one of the best, most effective ways to improve your overall health. But how can you learn the right calisthenics exercises, the right nutrition for your workout, and the right lifestyle to compliment your new body? This is where Progressive Calisthenics comes in! In this book, you will learn twelve of the top bodyweight exercises, designed to make you not just lose weight, but actually build muscles and improve flexibility. You will finally have not just a body that looks great, but a body that is strong and is primed to take serious punishment. These exercises make you live longer and your body stay healthy longer. Addition to that, you will find the most effective advanced bodyweight training exercises and 30-Day Challenge to take your body to the whole new level! And the best part of this book is that the results happen FAST! No more waiting around for your diets or workout regimen to show results. With this program, you will begin to see the fat melt away and the muscle mass packing on. What could be better than that? Only twenty minutes a day and you will be seeing great results, which will only motivate you to work harder! This book is equipped with workouts that are great for beginners and for advanced athletes. No matter your level, you can find a workout and a diet plan that fits your lifestyle and helps you achieve what you want to achieve. Can it really be that easy?With this book IT IS! Not only will you find detailed workout and nutritional guidelines, you will find answers to all of the following questions and more! • Is a bodyweight workout the same as weight training? • Can calisthenics actually help you build strength and real muscle? • Is calisthenics mass easy to build? • How do you do calisthenics exercises and for how long? • What kind of exercises can be done without equipment? • Do I need to take supplements? The best food choices to make. • What kind of exercises you should do to lose weight fast? • How to amp-up the basic bodyweight exercises to increase lean muscle growth? • How to have a killer abs? • and much more...

Grandma's Simple Cookbook:OMG EZ 120 Recipes


Mary Jo Montanye - 2013
    Encourage restoration of Joy in the kitchen with these easy recipes.