rushourunner's book club - july

It's BA-ACK!  3 months later, I'm reading running books again.  I have FINALLY gotten over my fear of all things Alberto Salazar and can enjoy reading books about running.  So, here we go!

A Life Without Limits: A World Champion's Journey
By: Chrissie Wellington

I'm not gonna lie, all I knew about Chrissie Wellington before I read this book was that she won Ironman Kona, and that she spoke at my local running store.  That's IT.  I didn't even know she was British.  (This shows my ignorance, clearly.)

But really, I loved this book.  Once I got into it, I couldn't put it down.  It was less of a bio and more about the things in her life that led her to Ironman.  I loved reading about her adventures.  I wanted to know EVERYTHING.  What a fascinating woman.  And a total badass to boot.  I could never, ever complete an Ironman, much less complete it in 9 hours or less, and THEN spend all night cheering for the other competitors.  What a remarkable woman.

I will ALWAYS be rooting for you, Chrissie!

3 things to take away from this book:

1.  This passage reminded me of Renee and Sara - and made me wish I had a running bestie nearby!

"Running day in, day out with somebody is the quickest way to forge a friendship.  For a start you're talking together for an hour or two each time.  You see each other at your rawest, with no makeup or fancy clothes, just Lycra, sweat and sometimes tears.  There is no facade to hide behind.  You're running, it hurts and by the end of it you're feeling fairly broken and laid out bare."


2.  One of the reasons why I love running so much, put into words so beautifully:

"One of the beauties of our sport is that we professionals get to race on the same stage as the amateurs, sharing the smiles, the grimaces, the highs, the lows, the tears and the joy, united by the same goal - to cross the hallowed finish line.  We race together, suffer together and celebrate together."


3.  Every runner, even elites, worries about failure, whether they admit it or not.  I love how honest Chrissie was throughout this entire book about being afraid.  This is my favorite passage in the whole entire book:

"No one should ever be afraid of failing; it's being afraid to give it your all in trying that I urge against.  If there is one thing I have learned, particularly in my life as an athlete, it is that our limits may not be where we think they are.  And, even when we think we've finally reached them, the next time we go there exploring we often find that they've moved again."


On a scale of 1 to 5, this is a big 5.  LOVED it.  Please write more!

Now back to the Bill Veeck biography...