Part Three: Some Books for the Holidays
This is part three in a series. These books have all had a positive influence on my own training, health, or mental well-being, and I highly recommend them. The books are in no order. For full disclosure’s sake, know that if you click on the linked image to purchase the book, it will give me a small kick back. I am going to do two books every Monday between now and Christmas, so stay tuned.
Tim Ferriss is an author I like a lot, and I enjoy his podcasts every week . I know that this is not a cycling or even training book, but it is a book that will keep you learning. It's a great coffee table book, and at over 650 pages, it will fill lots of quiet moments without you having to grab your smartphone.
In Tools of Titans, Ferriss picks the brains of highly successful icons, and he shares their wisdom with you. He asks them things like "What book do you gift most?" and “What advice would you give your younger self?” He interviewed the likes of Derrick Sivers (CD Baby), Seth Rogen, Malcolm Gladwell, and Kevin Costner to just name a few. They are all highly successful and come from a plethora of backgrounds. There is something for everyone, as Ferriss compiles his notebook for improving YOU. I admit that I had never even heard of many of these folks, but I never cease to find something interesting when I pick it up off the coffee table or browse through it on the Kindle app on my iPad (on which I am typing this right now.)
The advice might be health related and simple, like from cross-fit guru Kelly Starrett who mentions the importance of drinking water and how he likes to put a pinch of salt in it to fight not dehydration but hyponatremia, the dangerous lowering of sodium in the blood. It might be from Rick Rubin who recommends the reader immediately go out into the sun upon awakening. The advice might be more academic, like from The Alchemist author Paolo Coelho who talks about becoming a writer and creating works of art.
The stories might be hilarious like from Ramit Sethi, who was originally names Amit until his mother realized that his initials would be “ASS,” and so they went back to the hospital and told a little white-lie that they had forgotten to put the R at the beginning of Ramit. (This saved them the fee for a name change! LOL!)
The answers as a whole are wide-ranging and fascinating, but as Ferriss says in the introduction, feel free to look at this like a buffet. Take what you want, and leave what you don’t. I think there is a lifetime of great advice such as knowing that it is action and not information that make people a success. Ferriss also interviews many of these folks on his excellent The Tim Ferriss show. Tools of Titans is an easy read, and it will keep you occupied for a long time in a good way. I plan on passing my copy onto my kids soon enough.
Feast.Fast.Fit.: Train Your Body to Torch Fat, Build Muscle, And Never Diet Again.
I wrote an Amazon review of Feast.Fast.Fit, but I have never wrote much about books on the blog until this series. I am determined to make my serious racing year next year for 2020, and I know that I need to drop some pounds. I also know that if I return to serious training that will happen as well. Duncan’s book and Metabolic Efficiency Training by Bob Sebohar (I plan on exploring this in posts next spring) are going to be the two books on the topic that I incorporate into my eating plan for next year. Fred is also a local guy, and I know he reached out to me after the review and offered to help me in any way he could. My initial review on Amazon below, remains my feelings on Duncan’s book today.
I really like this book for several reasons. I simply wanted to try this to slim down a bit on the bike and make sure I am properly fueled. I tend to eat the same every day, and I know that I do not always eat the right combinations of carbs, protein, and fats. I was hoping this would help after reading several other diets that were just too complex or limiting.
Duncan's wit goes a long way. The book is a quick read, but it doesn't weigh the reader down with too much science or fluff (pun intended). Duncan simply describes his plan and it is easy to follow. One thing I noticed is that I really need to up my protein intake. This came highly recommended by my brother and his coach, and I can see why they like this approach. I bought the Kindle version, and it is nicely formatted.
I feel that once I get used to the balanced meal targets and the fasting, this will be easy to follow to achieve my ideal race weight and just general good health.