3 Inspiring Triathlon Books To Kick Off 2016

Three triathlon books to bring renewed inspiration to your upcoming season.

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Three triathlon books to bring renewed inspiration to your upcoming season.

Triathlon! A Tribute to the World’s Greatest Triathletes, Races and Gear

By Matthew Baird
Quarto, $40, Quartous.com

Read it: For a coffee table-worthy collection of profiles on the sport’s top athletes (both past and present), photos and stories from the best races around the globe and a guide to the evolution of triathlon technology and gear.

Snapshot: “Triathlon may have a short history compared to its single-discipline components of swim, bike and run, but the sport has already packed a treasure trove of iconic moments, athletes, races and kit into its four-decade lifespan. It reached its 40th birthday in 2014, and we felt now was the time to celebrate triathlon in all its grueling, gritty and grandstanding glory.”

RELATED: The 25 Greatest Male Triathletes Of All Time

The Women’s Guide to Triathlon

Compiled by USA Triathlon
Human Kinetics, $22, Humankinetics.com

Read it: For both a guide for women just getting into the sport and also a female-specific approach to everything from injury prevention to hormone fluctuations for the elite-level triathlete. It contains advice on gear, life balance, racing and fueling from more from 20 experts, including Siri Lindley, Sarah Haskins and Gale Bernhardt.

Snapshot: “Besides the obvious differences, women have a physiology that is different from men’s. Until very recently, most of the studies regarding nutrition and training were conducted on men. That’s great for the guys, but women have a menstrual cycle that prevents generalizing, that is, concluding that what’s good for a man must be good for a woman.”

RELATED: The 25 Greatest Female Triathletes Of All Time

Racing the Sunset: How Athletes Survive, Thrive, or Fail in Life After Sport

By Scott Tinley, Ph.D.
Sky Horse Publishing, $17, Skyhorsepublishing.com

Read it: For a mostly first-person glimpse into how professional athletes transition into life after sport from a two-time Ironman Hawaii winner. He befriended Bill Walton, Greg LeMond and Tony Gwynn in his research, and draws some surprising parallels between athlete retirement and other life transitions.

Snapshot: “When I climbed those steps to the plane that would carry me home, tired, sore, more than a bit confused, I carried with me a growing resolution to understand not so much what the hell my life had been for 20 years, but what it would be for the next 20, should I live that long. And through it all, what role would physical movement play.”

RELATED – Recalled: Scott Tinley Wins The 1985 Hawaii Ironman

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