Helloooo!!!! Oh, how I have missed the reflection of a hot white computer screen bouncing off my eyeballs in the pre-sunrise darkness of a Tuesday morning! I mentioned in one of my last posts last year that one of my goals for 2021 is to write more detailed reviews of the books I read every month, and since I took full advantage of the heaving thirty-one day month, I read more books in January than any month in 2020, and they were all great reads that I will share more about shortly. However, before I launch into a synopsis and opinion of each book, let me catch you up on what I have been up to this year... Running. Okay, now we’re ready to talk about words on bounded pages!

It’s true, I ran a lot in January, well not so much a lot of mileage, (I actually have no idea because I do not track mileage), but I ran at least a 5K a day, (some days I ran more), while taking part in the Biscay Coaching Run Streak Challenge. I had not participated in a run streak since December of 2016, when we had one for TeamSFQ that required running a manageable twenty minutes a day minimum; a 5K, (3.1 miles), upped the ante a bit.

I felt the timing of such a deceivingly massive challenge was spot on, because starting the year with a quiet daily goal that does not demand a lot of time, (rather its aim is ingraining consistency and forging discipline), develops a sturdy foundation for fitness and confidence to build on the rest of the year. Many of those runs were slogs, and did not feel great at all, but about ten days ago I felt that glorious familiar feeling when my run fitness clicks in; my legs extend smoother and with more power, my breath feels lighter, and I start gliding vs. stomping on the street. In fact, I enjoyed the streak so much, that with my coach’s approval, it’s still going…

I swam, rode, and lifted quite a bit, too, but I also carved out time to tele connect with my family, and sleep. Oh, and Hannah started running, and asked me to run with her last Sunday, so really in just thirty one days, this year is already my favorite.

Onward to the book reviews!

First up was the biography of the legendary Czechoslovakian runner, Emil Zatopek, in Today We Die A Little, written by Richard Aswith. Zatopek is a running legend. He is most notable for winning gold in the 10,000M, 5,000M, and Marathon in the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki, Finland, but there are countless other feats he achieved that personify true grit. The timing of reading this book was perfect, because I have been running many laps around a track since late November in the pursuit of incorporating speed back into my run form, so visualizing the agony that Zatopek put himself through when he ran was excellent fuel for my fire. However, Zatopek is also a mysterious figure in history. He was an officer of the Army and member of the Communist party, and although he was known for his kindness toward his teammates and competitors, the truth about his political allegiance is unclear. I found his story fascinating and very motivating because he was a man clearly born with talent, but it was his insane work ethic that set him apart; he worked harder than anyone to be faster than everyone.

The second book I read was To Sell Is Human, written by Daniel Pink. This is the third book of Pink’s I have read. I enjoyed his most popular book, Drive, and more recent release, When, The Scientific Secrets Of Perfect Timing, but this one was tougher to get into. Actually, it is a book I started and stopped reading a couple of times over the last two years, but I needed a book to read, so I just plowed through those hurdles this time around. There is plenty of nuance throughout the book that is worth exploring, but it mainly comes down to how we are all selling something all of the time. I completely agree, I am doing it right now.:)

This next book was excruciating to read, but incredibly important, Dr. Bessel Van Der Kolk’s, The Body Keeps The Score: Brain, Mind, And Body In The Healing Of Trauma. I had heard about this book on various podcasts, (Rich Roll, The Armchair Expert), and since I am interested in psychology, (especially child psychology), I decided to finally read it. Wow. I do want to give a disclaimer that if you have experienced trauma at any point in your life this book might be triggering, and not a safe choice, because it provides detailed accounts of real life trauma. That said, it is very powerful, and a vital source of understanding the realities and life-long consequences that trauma inflicts on people. I have not experienced any kind of trauma similar to what is revealed in this book, but I was affected by events in my childhood that carried on throughout the rest of my life, and I believe adults need to respect that fact about children, they remember, so I do recommend this book to parents who are healthy enough themselves to handle it, because it could really help them understand their children better.

Up next was a refreshing change of pace, Derick Lugo’s adventurous tale, The Unlikely Thru-Hiker, An Appalachian Trail Journey. This book was loaned to me from my friend, fellow TeamSFQ member, and voracious reader, Kristin Orr Winstead. I really enjoyed following Derick’s cool and honest point of view as a black, metrosexual man hiking the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine. His journey over five months along the legendary 2,200 mile trail is more about friendship than physical effort, kindness more than sacrifice, and presence more than achievement. Honestly, I would have appreciated learning more of his backstory, he didn’t mention much about what he was leaving behind, but I respect that he focused on sharing his experiences on the trail rather than indulging in endless “What if?” and “What’s next?” inner monologues. It is a fun read that is a vacation for the mind.

The next book falls under the Necessary Reading category as an endurance coach, athlete, and woman, Dr. Stacy Sims Physiology textbook, Roar. I have known about this book for years, and I am embarrassed to admit that it took me so long to read it, especially since I met and heard Dr. Sims speak at the Outspoken Women In Triathlon Summit in 2018, but I am so glad that I finally did read it, because it opened my mind up to very important topics that affect me and my athletes. For example, she goes into detail about how menstruation and menopause affect athletes, and provides clarity on the most annoying and confusing topic this Vegan deals with, how much protein is necessary to thrive as a female athlete? I did a full assessment of my daily diet and it turns out I am just about right on for the number of grams of protein I should be taking in, (about 1g per pound, I weigh 153 - 157lbs), and I clock in at about 127g of protein per day sans meat sources.:) That amount is still under what she recommends, but I feel good, and will add more pea protein powder to my daily smoothies when my training load picks up again. Moreover, Roar is an essential read for every woman, athlete, and reader of this blog.

The final book of the month, a dare I gave myself because reading six books in one month is a hefty ask, was an absolute delight and very quick read because it covered my favorite topic of interest, the brain-body connection for high achievement, The Art Of Impossible, by Steven Kotler. I read one of Steven’s other books, The Rise of Superman a couple of years ago, and loved it, so I knew I would enjoy this one, too. I took numerous notes and highlighted dozens of paragraphs because this book nailed down the scientific formula for achieving impossible goals. That might seem like an impossible task, but Kotler breaks in down in digestible bites that make complete sense, (at least to a goal-oriented person like myself), but I believe his methodology could lend confidence to a broader audience by providing the simple, yet elusive equation to join the infinite game: motivation + learning + creativity + flow = Impossible. Everyone should read this book.

Alrightly, that will do it for now, I need to go run.:)

Happy reading and living!

The song and video choice is an astonishing tune that is storming the charts, Olivia Rodrigo’s haunting ballad, “Driver’s License.” I could not love this song more. Enjoy.:)