2016 Triathlete Gift Guide: The Bookworm
Whether you’re drawn to inspirational reads or informational writing, we’ve found a book for you to curl up with this winter.
Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! Download the app.
The Bookworm
You are a lover of the written word, and your idea of a perfect afternoon is digging into a good story—preferably with a mug of hot coffee in hand while sitting in front of the fireplace. Whether you’re drawn to inspirational reads or informational writing, we’ve found a book for you to curl up with this winter.
Surfacing: From the Depths of Self-Doubt to Winning Big and Living Fearlessly
$25, Velopress.com
In her memoir, Siri Lindley, a former ITU world champion and now elite-level triathlon coach, reveals the true power of sports.
The book, written with Triathlete editor at large Julia Beeson Polloreno, follows Lindley’s life starting from her tumultuous childhood, marked by her parents’ divorce and her mother’s marriage to a controlling NFL superstar. Feeling lonely and forgotten, Lindley became insecure, and sports—she played field hockey, lacrosse and ice hockey at Brown University—gave her a sense of freedom, control and purpose. But when her lacrosse career didn’t take her as far as she’d hoped, she found triathlon.
Triathlon gave Lindley a direction in life, and despite how inauspicious her first race was, she knew she wanted to be the best triathlete she could. But even with so much athletic potential, that deep-seated self-doubt caused her to choke in the biggest races—until legendary coach Brett Sutton allowed her to join his triathlon squad in the Swiss mountains. Through his sometimes harsh and always extreme coaching methods, Sutton helped Lindley overcome her personal battles and become the 2001 ITU world champion.
With her newfound confidence and security in her identity, Lindley was able to find love as a gay woman. After her retirement in 2003, she also became a coach to some of the sport’s best athletes, using her own experience to coach them to Olympic medals and Kona crowns.
Surfacing is an engaging read that provides insight into one of the biggest influencers in the sport today. Lindley shares her story with candor and honesty. It’s an engaging, inspiring read for athletes who are looking to overcome personal hurdles or recreate themselves.
Are You Tough Enough?
$18, Ipgbook.com
Are plain ol’ triathlons not cutting it for you anymore? Writer and endurance coach Helen Summers has combed the globe to discover 80 of the hardest and bloodiest challenges. From a marathon on a frozen lake (the Baikal Ice Running Marathon in Siberia) to the highest mountain bike race on earth (the Yak Attack in the Himalayas), you’re certain to find your next adventure.
The Haywire Heart
$25, Velopress.com (available in December)
The more exercise the better, right? Wrong, says this new book, which is the first to actually take a closer look at heart problems in athletes. Written by a leading cardiac electrophysiologist, an editor from VeloNews and a former pro cyclist, this book is a must-read for any dedicated athlete—it examines the symptoms to watch for, what to do about your risks, and how to protect your heart so you can (safely) enjoy sports for the rest of your life.
Shut Up and Run
$25, Hc.com
Start here for some extra motivation to get outside this winter. Written by ultramarathoner Robin Arzón, this full-color book is part inspirational advice, part training platform presented in a graffiti-esque package. It features run training plans, music playlists, personal anecdotes and visual motivation, in addition to training advice for every distance runner. Once you read Arzón’s personal story, you’ll be inspired to get outside and “sweat with swagger.”
The Triathlete’s Training Bible
Beginning from a blank page, coach Joe Friel rewrote his “bible of triathlon” to reflect recent and rapid changes in endurance sports science and practice, including new ways to personalize training, speed recovery, boost strength, improve skills and technique, use power meters for cycling and running, save time, and cut out the noise in a flood of training data. The all-new fourth edition of The Triathlete’s Training Bible focuses on the best ways for triathletes of any level to improve in the swim, bike, run sport and meet their race goals.