Book picks similar to
How to Run a Marathon: The Go-to Guide for Anyone and Everyone by Vassos Alexander
running
sports
health-fitness
non-fiction
Running on Empty: An Ultramarathoner's Story of Love, Loss, and a Record-Setting Run Across America
Marshall Ulrich - 2011
The ultimate endurance athlete, Marshall Ulrich has run more than one hundred foot races averaging over one hundred miles each, completed twelve expedition-length adventure races, and ascended the seven summits-- including Mount Everest. Yet his run from California to New York--the equivalent of running two marathons and a 10k every day for nearly two months straight--proved to be his most challenging effort yet. In "Running on Empty "he shares the gritty backstory of his run and the excruciating punishments he endured on the road. Ulrich also reaches back nearly thirty years to when the death of his first wife drove him to run from his pain. Ulrich's memoir imbues an incredible read with a universal message for athletes and nonathletes alike: face the toughest challenges, overcome debilitating setbacks, and find deep fulfillment in something greater than achievement.
Around the World in 80 Days: My World Record Breaking Adventure
Mark Beaumont - 2018
78 days, 14 hours and 40 minutes earlier he set off from the same point, beginning his attempt to circumnavigate the world in record time. Covering more than 18,000 miles and cycling through some of the harshest conditions one man and his bicycle can endure, Mark made history. He smashed two Guinness World Records and beat the previous record by an astonishing 45 days. Around the World in 80 Days is the story of Mark’s amazing achievement - one which redefines the limits of human endurance. It is also an insight into the mind of an elite athlete and the physical limits of the human body, as well as a kaleidoscopic tour of the world from a very unique perspective; inspired by Jules Verne’s classic adventure novel, Mark begins his journey in Paris and cycles through Europe, Russia, Mongolia and China. He then crosses Australia, rides up through New Zealand and across North America before the final 'sprint finish' thorough Portugal, Spain and France, all at over 200 miles a day. This is the story of a quite remarkable adventure, by a quite remarkable man.
Keto-Green 16: The Fat-Burning Power of Ketogenic Eating + The Nourishing Strength of Alkaline Foods = Rapid Weight Loss and Hormone Balance
Anna Cabeca - 2020
There is no question that keto eating is the biggest diet trend in years. And it really works--dieters often report super-fast weight loss. But they also complain about the rigidity of the diet, as well as the flu-like symptoms that often accompany this high-fat/low-carb way of life. The solution? Add alkaline foods to your plate--leafy greens, other vegetables, broths, healthy oils, nuts and seeds--for a lifestyle that's more sustainable and easier on your body. In other words: go Keto-Green!A triple-board certified physician, Dr. Anna Cabeca developed this unique method through years of careful patient and test panel research. In Keto-Green 16, she explains the science behind her innovative plan: Pairing keto staples with foods that bring the body's pH to a more alkaline level (lots of greens!) is the best way to balance the hormones responsible for hijacking intentions and increased belly fat. An added bonus: a Keto-Green diet also sharpens thinking and boosts mood. With 16 days of what-to-eat instruction, more than 50 delicious breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack recipes (many shown in the mouth-wateringly beautiful four-color photo insert), information about the 16 best alkaline foods, a 16-hour intermittent fasting strategy, and 16-minute HIIT exercise routines, Keto-Green 16 will ensure that readers skip the flu and get on with rapid and amazing weight loss.
Rolling with the Punchlines: A Memoir
Urzila Carlson - 2020
Urzila talks candidly about her childhood with a great family, apart from her abusive dad, and about growing up in South Africa. She shares crazy but true tales about her OE, her move to New Zealand, coming out, getting married and having children, and her life in comedy. This is a great listen from one of our most loved and most popular comedians.
Confessions of an Unlikely Runner: A Guide to Racing and Obstacle Courses for the Averagely Fit and Halfway Dedicated
Dana L. Ayers - 2015
Over the last ten years, Ayers has completed a vast array of races. She runs them all while admittedly not getting much faster, much thinner, or much more disciplined—though she has managed to be on national television, split open her pants, and get electrocuted. Ayers intersperses her hilarious yet relatable struggles with insights about how and why she keeps running.A self-proclaimed ambassador of slow runners, Ayers has completed dozens of endurance challenges, including Tough Mudder, the Ragnar Relay, Muddy Buddy, Warrior Dash, Run Amuck, the Army Ten-Miler, the Country Music Marathon, and many more mud runs, obstacles courses, and races. Her race descriptions will entertain seasoned runners and non-runners alike. Woven into the chaos of her running adventures is compassionate reassurance for anyone who feels like they aren’t fast enough, athletic enough, or strong enough to finish a tough race.Though told with humor, Confessions’ stories share an underlying theme of Ayers’ serious reverence for the sport of running and the running community. Ayers describes experiences such as participating in a 1,000-mile relay for Boston Marathon bombing victims, and being overcome by emotion while observing wounded veterans struggling to finish a race. Her stories prove how life-enriching it can be to physically fight for something and to cheer on others who are doing the same.For anyone who has considered trying a marathon, an obstacle race, or simply taking up running for the first time, Ayers is your ambassador. If she can do it, you can too.
Mastermind: How Dave Brailsford Reinvented the Wheel
Richard Moore - 2013
Leading cycling writer Richard Moore's profile of Dave Brailsford, the head of Team Sky and the man who masterminded the British Cycling revolution, gives a unique insight into the psychology of one of the most fascinating figures in world sport.
The Coconut Ketogenic Diet: Supercharge Your Metabolism, Revitalize Thyroid Function, and Lose Excess Weight
Bruce Fife - 2014
The secret is a high-fat, ketogenic diet. Our bodies need fat. It’s necessary for optimal health. It’s also necessary in order to lose weight safely and naturally. Low-fat diets have been heavily promoted for the past three decades, and as a result we are fatter now than ever before. Obviously, there is something wrong with the low-fat approach to weight loss. There is a better solution to the obesity epidemic, and that solution is The Coconut Ketogenic Diet. This book exposes many common myths and misconceptions about fats and weight loss and explains why low-fat diets don’t work. It also reveals new, cutting-edge research on one of the world’s most exciting weight loss aids—coconut oil—and how you can use it to power up your metabolism, boost your energy, improve thyroid function, and lose unwanted weight. This revolutionary weight loss program is designed to keep you both slim and healthy using wholesome, natural foods, and the most health-promoting fats. It has proven successful in helping those suffering from obesity, diabetes, heart and circulatory problems, low thyroid function, chronic fatigue, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and many other conditions.
Running Well: Run Smarter, Run Faster, Avoid Injury... And Enjoy It More!
Sam Murphy - 2008
'Running Well' shows runners how to minimise the risks of injury and other problems by showing the difference between training and straining, avoiding overtraining, varying speed and distance, keeping the running muscles strong and supple and honing technique.
Do Life: The Creator of 'My 120-Pound Journey' Shows How to Run Better, Go Farther, and Find Happiness
Ben Davis - 2012
Depressed, addicted to food, and morbidly obese, he thought he’d lost all hope. But after a Christmas Eve conversation with his grandmother, Ben promised himself that he would finally take control of his life. Ben decided to “do life,” and so can you. He started running—slowly at first, but as the pounds came off and his outlook on life started to change, he went faster and further. At first, he couldn’t run a mile, but before long he was running five, ten, and then twenty miles at a time. His father and brother joined him, and as a team they ran a marathon and went on to complete one of the hardest physical competitions in the world, the Ironman. Throughout his journey, Ben captured his transformation in a series of YouTube videos, inspiring countless others around the world to “do life” along with him. In Do Life, Ben shares more of his personal story--from his lifelong struggles with food and obesity to each goal that he set for himself along his journey, including the pitfalls, setbacks, and hard won victories. But in Do Life, Ben does more than tell his story. He illustrates how you can use his techniques to start living your own life to the fullest, whether that means making a complete transformation, losing weight, or simply running further. Running taught Ben how to “do life” and here he teaches you what he’s learned along the way—how to set aside crippling fear and self-doubt, finally find your smile, and ultimately share it with those around you. By sharing his discovery of what was holding him back and how he was able to push forward, Ben will teach you how to break free from any obstacle and live the life you’ve always wanted. Do Life isn’t just about diet or exercise, depression, or addiction—it’s about stepping out of your ordinary life and becoming who you want to be. It’s the story of one man who decided to live life his way. And it could be your story, too.
The Trail Runner's Companion: A Step-by-Step Guide to Trail Running and Racing, from 5Ks to Ultras
Sarah Lavender Smith - 2017
The Upside of Being Down: How Mental Health Struggles Led to My Greatest Successes in Work and Life
Jen Gotch - 2020
Hallucinating that she looked like Shrek was terrifying, but it led to her first diagnosis and the start of a journey towards self-awareness, acceptance, success, and ultimately, joy. With humor and candor, Gotch shares the empowering story of her unlikely path to becoming the creator and CCO of a multimillion-dollar brand. From her childhood in Florida where her early struggles with bipolar disorder, generalized anxiety, and ADD were misdiagnosed, to her winding career path as a waitress, photographer, food stylist, and finally, accidental entrepreneur, she illuminates how embracing her flaws and understanding the influence of mental illness on her creativity actually led to her greatest successes in business and life. Hilarious, hyper-relatable, and filled with fascinating insights and hard-won wisdom on everything from why it’s okay to cry at work to the myth of busyness and perfection to the emotional rating system she uses every day, Gotch’s inspirational memoir dares readers to live each day with hope, optimism, kindness, and humor.
A Life Worth Living
Lady Colin Campbell - 1997
She enjoyed privileges, but her teenage years were blighted, leaving her unable to receive essential medical treatment until she was 21. She became a model and a designer, and in the 1970s embarked on a short and violent marriage to Lord Colin Campbell. In this autobiography she writes of a life-long struggle to be accepted as the woman she is. She tells of her formative years in Jamaica and New York, her many love affairs, her connection with members of the Royal Family, her activities as a socialite and international charity organizer, and her current life as the fulfilled mother of two adopted Russian children.
Liferider: Heart, Body, Soul, and Life Beyond the Ocean
Laird Hamilton - 2019
You are amazing. You have untapped potential in you that would blow your mind. — From the introduction. While the world increasingly seeks happiness in fads and self-help books—millions of us reaching upward every day toward some enlightened being that we wish to be—surfing icon Laird Hamilton is more intent on looking inward and appreciating the brilliant creature we already are. In LIFERIDER, Laird uses five key pillars – Death & Fear, Heart, Body, Soul, and Everything is Connected – to illustrate his unique worldview and life practices, offering inspiration to anyone who wants to elevate their ordinary, landlocked life to do extraordinary things. This is Laird Hamilton in his own words—raw, honest, and unvarnished–on topics he has rarely explored before. Based on extensive interviews and conversations between Laird and his cowriter, Julian Borra, with additional insights from Laird’s wife, pro-volleyball player Gabby Reece, LIFERIDER takes on human resilience, relationships, business, technology, risk-taking, and the importance of respecting the natural world, all through the lens of Laird’s extraordinary life both in and beyond the ocean.
The Wim Hof Method: Own Your Mind, Master Your Biology, and Activate Your Full Human Potential
Wim Hof - 2020
You can overcome disease, improve your mental health and physical performance, and even control your physiology so you can thrive in freezing temperatures.” With The Wim Hof Method, this trailblazer of human potential shares a method that anyone can use—not just extreme athletes or spiritual masters—to supercharge your capacity for strength, health, and happiness.Wim Hof has become a modern legend for his astounding achievements, such as withstanding extreme temperatures, breaking world records, and running barefoot marathons over deserts and ice fields. In his gripping and passionate style, Hof shares the story of how he developed his method, along with testimonials and new insights from the university research studies on its amazing results. With guidance suited for any reader—young or old, sick or healthy—you’ll learn how to harness three key elements of Cold, Breathing, and Mindset to take charge of your own mind and metabolism.Yet the most important result of Hof’s method goes beyond improved health or performance—it is a path for reconnecting with your spiritual nature. “With these practices, you awaken to your inner source of power and fulfillment,” he says. “You find you can control your destiny.”
Man and Ball: My Autobiography
Stephen Ferris - 2015
It was, however, preferable to his day job of paving driveways, and that day in 2005 saw the start of an incredible journey for Ferris, Ulster and Ireland rugby. A Celtic League title in his very first senior season with Ulster. A Grand Slam in 2009, followed by a sensational Lions breakthrough. A starring role in Ireland's greatest World Cup win, over Australia in 2011, when Ferris famously picked up Will Genia and carried him ten yards. And leading Ulster from nowhere to the Heineken Cup final.Stephen Ferris had an incredible rugby career, tragically ended by ankle injuries so severe they will never properly heal. He is an inspiration to the population of Ulster, an emblem of the sport that serves as such a positive expression of its culture and identity, and earned the respect and admiration of fans across Ireland for his strength, pace, skill and courage. Fearless, funny and full of an incredible array of stories from behind the scenes of Ulster, Ireland and the Lions, this is the must-have rugby book of the year.