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beeeeg's review against another edition
5.0
Really enjoyed this, a nice overview of the sport, a good read for me as someone who's read loads of ultra running books, but also would be good for someone who was interested in knowing more.
cpardonme's review against another edition
2.0
If this book was trying to be as arduous an experience as an ultra-race then it succeeded .
runeclausen's review against another edition
5.0
An extremely insightful, captivating and inspirational book.
Ultra running is the pinnacle of the running genre, people pushing themselves to the outer limits of human endurance, running anything from 50 km to 100 miles to several hundred miles over multiple days, both on track and in the mountains. It is absolutely mind-boggling how anybody can undertake such feats. Adharanand himself starts out as a complete newcomer to this discipline, but throughout the course of researching the book starts running ultra-races himself, eventually competing in one of the hardest and most prestigious races in the world, the UTMB, a grueling 171 km course with over 10 km of total elevation gain around Mount Blanc in France.
Setting the tone for the book, and the project he is about to undertake, is the very first ultra-run he completes, a 6 day 160 km race through the scorching deserts of Oman. That sets the mood. From here it's only getting tougher and tougher as he completes one daring ultra race after the other to qualify for the UTMB.
Along the way we get to meet a host of characters from the ultra running world, many who are legendary rockstars in the world of ultra running, but virtually unknown to anyone else. These people all have fascinating back-stories about how they ended up becoming ultra runners, and it's fascinating getting a glimpse into their mind-sets and philosophy that manage to keep them going through these extreme challenges.
Adharanand gives us a good overview over the history of ultra running and some of the most mythic races, which serves as good entry point for any lay-person who wants to know more. He also describes his own attempt to bring african marathon stars into the world of ultra running, since the world of ultra running, unlike the more traditional race distances has almost no african representation. His few attempts are mostly unsuccesful, as the mindset between a marathon and ultra-race is very different. Ultra running requires reaching the edge of pain, and instead of getting stopped by it, you have to leap over the edge and push on through some of the most intense mental and physical struggles you can possibly undertake, and this is simply not something the super fast marathoners are willing to do as he learns.
Furthermore, ultra running is not a sport where speed is alfa-omega, it of course helps, but the mental fortitude is at least as, if not more, important. Endurance and stamina are the most important traits. Being able to completely stay in the here-and-now, take 1 kilometer at a time and not focus on how many tens or hundreds of kilometers still lay ahead is key to winning.
For all this, ultra running is also a sport where men does not outperform women. Women even exceeds men in some of these races, because it is not about speed.
You don't have to be a runner or even interested in running to enjoy this book, as it is more a tale of human endurance, of undertaking impossible physical and mental challenges, of reaching the edge of human endurance and not just live through it, but blossom from it. This is also a book about some of the most inspirational people on this planet. Highly recommended for anyone.
Ultra running is the pinnacle of the running genre, people pushing themselves to the outer limits of human endurance, running anything from 50 km to 100 miles to several hundred miles over multiple days, both on track and in the mountains. It is absolutely mind-boggling how anybody can undertake such feats. Adharanand himself starts out as a complete newcomer to this discipline, but throughout the course of researching the book starts running ultra-races himself, eventually competing in one of the hardest and most prestigious races in the world, the UTMB, a grueling 171 km course with over 10 km of total elevation gain around Mount Blanc in France.
Setting the tone for the book, and the project he is about to undertake, is the very first ultra-run he completes, a 6 day 160 km race through the scorching deserts of Oman. That sets the mood. From here it's only getting tougher and tougher as he completes one daring ultra race after the other to qualify for the UTMB.
Along the way we get to meet a host of characters from the ultra running world, many who are legendary rockstars in the world of ultra running, but virtually unknown to anyone else. These people all have fascinating back-stories about how they ended up becoming ultra runners, and it's fascinating getting a glimpse into their mind-sets and philosophy that manage to keep them going through these extreme challenges.
Adharanand gives us a good overview over the history of ultra running and some of the most mythic races, which serves as good entry point for any lay-person who wants to know more. He also describes his own attempt to bring african marathon stars into the world of ultra running, since the world of ultra running, unlike the more traditional race distances has almost no african representation. His few attempts are mostly unsuccesful, as the mindset between a marathon and ultra-race is very different. Ultra running requires reaching the edge of pain, and instead of getting stopped by it, you have to leap over the edge and push on through some of the most intense mental and physical struggles you can possibly undertake, and this is simply not something the super fast marathoners are willing to do as he learns.
Furthermore, ultra running is not a sport where speed is alfa-omega, it of course helps, but the mental fortitude is at least as, if not more, important. Endurance and stamina are the most important traits. Being able to completely stay in the here-and-now, take 1 kilometer at a time and not focus on how many tens or hundreds of kilometers still lay ahead is key to winning.
For all this, ultra running is also a sport where men does not outperform women. Women even exceeds men in some of these races, because it is not about speed.
You don't have to be a runner or even interested in running to enjoy this book, as it is more a tale of human endurance, of undertaking impossible physical and mental challenges, of reaching the edge of human endurance and not just live through it, but blossom from it. This is also a book about some of the most inspirational people on this planet. Highly recommended for anyone.
dogearedandfurry's review
4.0
Very enjoyable read, and certainly makes you want to try an ultra. Only so many ways you can describe quads as being trashed, shot, destroyed, I guess...!
kennethtcox's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
5.0