Thursday, November 08, 2007

The Agony of Victory

The Agony of Victory: When Winning Isn't Enough is one of the most fascinating books I've read in a long time.

The book is a collection of essays that profile athletes in many different sports. The hook is that most of them are either champions or world-class, yet their triumphs have left them surprisingly hollow. It's remarkable to read about someone who sacrificed most of their adult lives to win a race, then felt no particular sense of satisfaction when they did.

Many of these athletes also fall into the ultra-endurance category, and finding out what drives them is particularly interesting as well. Everyone's looking for self-fulfillment, really--some people just look in different ways than others.

Most of these profiles make for riveting reading, and I highly recommend the book, particularly if you've done any crazy things related to fitness in your life (no comment). Here's an Amazon link: The Agony of Victory.

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