You Are an Ironman
How Six Weekend Warriors Chased Their Dream of Finishing the World's Toughest Triathlon
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3.4 • 151 Ratings
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- $4.99
Publisher Description
A New York Times bestselling author takes readers inside the Ironman triathlon.
As he did so masterfully in his New York Times bestseller, The Gatekeepers, Jacques Steinberg creates a compelling portrait of people obsessed with reaching a life-defining goal. In this instance, the target is an Ironman triathlon-a 2.4-mile open-water swim followed by a 112-mile bike ride, then finally a 26-mile marathon run, all of which must be completed in no more than seventeen hours.
Steinberg focuses not on the professionals who live off the prize money and sponsorships but on a handful of triathletes who regard the sport as a hobby. Vividly capturing the grueling preparation, the suspense of completing each event of the triathlon, and the spectacular feats of human endurance, Steinberg plumbs the physical and emotional toll as well as the psychological payoff on the participants of the Ford Ironman Arizona 2009. His You Are an Ironman is both a riveting sports narrative and a fascinating, behind-the scenes study of what makes these athletes keep going..
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
New York Times reporter Steinberg (The Gatekeepers) collects the personal tales of six people who set the completion of an ironman triathlon as their goal. All completed the Ironman Arizona in 2009 except for one who was injured and unable to compete; the title is taken from an iconic announcer's proclamation as each triathlete crosses the finish line. Their preparation is an engrossing story of pain and perseverance, which, while accessible to a general audience, may be mundane for triathletes. Steinberg, who is not yet a triathlete, states that the book is an "attempt... to capture what this experience feels like, not just for the participants themselves but for their spouses and children." Only one of the triathlete spouses was unsupportive; her voice is largely silent until the end when she "shed the ambivalence, sometimes bordering on hostility, with which she had once greeted her husband's Ironman dream." While the narrative is compelling, more focus on her perspective would have captured the complete experience. Photos.
Customer Reviews
Inspiring
This is a very inspiring book, make me want to jump in the water and conquer 140.6
Mediocre at best
The book didn't really gel until page 200 (the race itself). A little too much jumping around with the characters. I would not recommend this book.