I was thinking about Marisol’s depression post and the posts about people not quite getting the definitions of tri-a-tha-lon (haha) and ironman.
One of my favorite books is the compilation Karen Douglass Thom (I think that’s right) put together of people’s first IM experiences. It’s got DNFs to amazing feats and everything in between.
It’s not a literary masterpiece by any stretch, nor does it have much for technical details. BUT…I have a hard time thinking any triathlete won’t be laughing out loud at Bob Babbitt’s first. Paraphrased, “I didn’t know the event was one day. I showed up with panniers on my bike with my tent.” He also gained weight during the run, attributed to race day food of McDonalds, rainbow snow cones, and Hawaiian sweet bread. Good stuff.
I have had some of my “athletic supporters” read it so they have a better understanding of what is happening on race day and what all is involved in the prep. I’m sure it’s not nearly as interesting to them, but I still read at least a few of the stories before every big race - helps get me motivated.
Anybody else like this one? Or have others to share??