I got this little book yesterday and have been charmed by it ever since. I think this is one of those “off the radar” self-published books that is an absolute gem.
Author Roman Mica does a hauntingly perfect job of capturing the Ironman experience of the everyman- guys like you and I. We can read the books by Mark Allen and Dave Scott and Joe Friel- but this book describes *our *Ironman experience- the experience of the everyman trying to hold down a job in the real world while trying to moderate their relationship with one of the toughest, fastest growing endurance sports in the world.
Reading Mica’s book is a self-affirming experience. It makes you feel good about your shortcomings, the things you don’t know, the things you learned awkwardly. Mica’s book is invaluable for new athletes and new Ironmen and is a gem of reassurance for those heading to Ironman not knowing if they will have what it takes on race day- which is all of us.
Roman Mica’s book, “My Training Starts Tomorrow” is a must read for us guys. I highly recommend it and I think you will really enjoy it. You can buy it on Amazon at the following link:
“I admire a guy with the dilligence and creativity to use the available, user-generated media to promote his good work.”
I don’t, not at all. Coming to a forum site for information and gossip or whatnot and flogging one’s product while pretending not to is classless and cheap.
On the other hand, 'Hey guys, I am a new writer trying to get a book picked up, please check out my writing" is actually tolerable.
Some folks get a free pass when they otherwise use the forum in a normal manner, not just to flog one’s own product. That author of that book did none of those things.
“Coming to a forum site for information and gossip or whatnot and flogging one’s product while pretending not to is classless and cheap.”
I hear you.
I guess I identify with this author for a few reasons:
I like to write myself.
The book is pretty darn good.
I identify with the story since I am struggling to prepare for IMMOO myself right now.
I do hear what you are saying although I wasn’t exposed to the original posts you mentioned. I still think the book is worth a look for almost everyone on this forum.
I don’t, not at all. Coming to a forum site for information and gossip or whatnot and flogging one’s product while pretending not to is classless and cheap.
As Tom stated though, he doesn’t sell it, didn’t write it, has nothing to really gain from it. So I think he is just putting something out there (in this circumstance) that he enjoyed and thought he would pass it on. Thanks for the thought Tom.
Always welcome. It may be worth reinforcing at this point that:
I do not sell this book. I am not compensated in any way for endorsing it. I do not know the author. I have never met the author. I simply thought is a very good read.
Here’s a favorite excerpt of mine from “My Training Starts Tomorrow” by Roman Mica:
pp. 94:
“Ten Commandments of Triathlon”
“1. Resist the urge to discuss your workouts
You’ve done the work so be proud *and *quiet. While a century ride may be intersting, tell others about it is certainly no… espeically if they’re not triathletes. Let your race times tell the story. There is nothing more fun than breaking a personal best and letting others wonder how you did it.”
1. Resist the urge to discuss your workouts
You’ve done the work so be proud *and *quiet. While a century ride may be intersting, tell others about it is certainly no… espeically if they’re not triathletes. Let your race times tell the story. There is nothing more fun than breaking a personal best and letting others wonder how you did it."
That’s good advise although now I’m curious as hell to find out why he’d have a blog and a book if he doesn’t feel it’s right to discuss workouts.
I don’t have a problem with Tom, I’ve got a problem with the original author.
I was commenting that we have kinda come full circle on this guy and his writing. It’s the fact that the author used to come here, tno and probably lots of other places and try to market himself but pass it off as being genuine.
Well maybe I’ll start saying that about you as well
I’m not sure what the line is where someone goes from product flogger to forum user. Not sure exactly how to define it.
But as I said I give a forum user a free pass, a product flogger I don’t.
So in your own case I’d have to weigh the number of posts you have put in about products you sell in your store or your store itself vs the number of posts you contributed to about say, women, being single, being attached, being single again, being married, desert triathlons, fat teenagers, etc etc and say you’re a forum user, not simply a product flogger.
There’s no hard definition, but like porn, I know it when i see it.
Interestingly enough (or maybe not…) a few years ago I was getting hammered for hawking products on this forum and for self-promoting. Guilty as charged.
It did lead me to conduct an audit of 500 posts I made on this forum evaluating them for self-promotional content. I was pretty strict about my interpretation of what was and was not self-promoting, although you could argue (and some do) that *every *post I make is self-promoting.
I came up with about 8% of total content at the time. The Republican in me says to spin that as being 92% non-promotional contributions to the forum at the time I conducted the audit- which is a little like the cat watching the henhouse, but all 19,335 of my posts on this forum are a matter of public record so if someone was demented enough to conduct a more thorough audit- I’d be interested to see the results.
…but I digress.
Check out this book guys. I read it and it is very good. You’ll like it I think:
