I picked this book up at a local book store recently to fill the 3rd slot in a 3 for 2 purchase. I am a sucker for these kinds of deals even though I am aware of the marketing behind it. What can I say, I like buying books too much to not get sucked in. In recent years I have read a few books which have been nominated for 'sports book of the year' and they have been fantastic reads so I had high hopes for this book. The blurb on the front cover mentions that this was shortlisted for the 'best new writer' award so I decided to give it a shot.

I have had a passing interest in triathlons and specifically Ironman triathlons for a few years. There is something about the mindset required to do an ultramarathon or an Ironman which really intrigues me. Physically, doing a 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile bike ride and a 26.2 mile run is a huge task but the mental fortitude required is even more impressive to me. So, I understood the basics and a few of the technical aspects of triathlons but read this book as a relative stranger to the sport.

Andy has a 9-to-5 job, he is overweight and he feels like his life is slipping out of his fingers. In short he feels crap about life and is wallowing in self pity when a chance meeting/conversation happens. As a result of this conversation he finds himself agreeing to take part in a sprint triathlon. He trains with friends and despite having little experience with swimming and having to buy a second hand bike off of eBay he finishes and finds himself hooked.

The rest of the book details the trials and tribulations he encounters along the way as he takes part in a variety of events including marathons, Olympic distance triathlons, half Ironman triathlon and finally full Ironman events. Andy reveals that the book came about as a result of the fact that he had kept a blog and at times the book feels like a blog which has been edited into being a book. Despite this the writing is pretty good and even though it gets a little repetitive in places it is an engaging read.

There are a few negative about the book for me though. At no point is nutrition really mentioned. This a huge part of training and it seems that despite the super human distances he doesn't lose that much weight. Perhaps this is just something that would really interest me an not many other people so that is why it was omitted. The other negative for me is the fact that the blurb and title are misleading. Andy can run, and in fact, despite the fact that he has a history of knee problems as a child I think he would be best described as being a lapsed athlete/runner. As a frequent runner I can say without a shadow of doubt that a person cannot go from being a sedentary man in their 30's to doing a sprint triathlon in less than a month and then onto an Ironman in 10 months. Where running is involved mileage has to be added gradually, especially in the beginning, otherwise an injury will be suffered. He can also swim albeit not very well, this seems to be a common complaint about the book.

This does not and should not detract from his achievements though, it is a remarkable feat for anyone to achieve. Something which really stands out is the support, dedication and sacrifice needed to train for these events. This doesn't just apply to the athlete but also their respective family and friends. Andy has some great people as friends to train with and a very understanding wife. These things are clearly critical to his success and it is very nice that he is at such pains to point this out.

This book is a pretty motivational read and I couldn't help but feel like I fancied giving a triathlon a crack. ( )