I enjoy reading books, specifically biographies and autobiographies on athletes. Does anyone have any recommendations on any good books about athletes?
I am interested in books about skiers, ski jumping, bobsled, skeleton, running, cycling, or anything else you would recommend.
Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
Best advice? Learn to speak any language other than english. Would probably multiply your options by about a zillion times.
In the english world however, there are still some good ones.
Slim for th cross country skiers, Obviously Momentum by Vordy is a good one, also good is Endless Winter by Luke Bodensteiner.
Running With The Buffaloes is an awesome running book.
For cycling, Lance's first one is pretty good, In Pursuit of Glory by Bradley Wiggins is pretty sweet, and Boy Racer by Cav is awesome.
Gold in the Water by PH Mullen is also pretty good, about swimmers.
Next on my list that I haven't read yet is Beneath the Surface by Michael Phelps, I've heard good things about it.
That oughta get you started.
I remember Marty Hall calling Bedensteiner's Endless Winter the bible for overtraining.
Randy
I highly recommend a novel, "Once a Runner" by John L. Parker, Jr. as a great look into the athlete's mind. It was written in 1978 and picked up by Schribner for rerelease in 2010.
It is well written and has many parallels to the XC ski world.
In terms of cycling autobiographies, these are really good:
Laurent Fignon - We Were Young and Carefree
Bernard Hinault - Memories of the Peloton
Joe Parkin - Dog in a Hat
Of other cycling books, Day of Glory, Day of Pain by Laurent Watiez is really good, as is Michael Barry's Inside the Postal Bus. I haven't read his book Le Métier but suspect it is even better.
"Born To Run" by Christopher McDougall. A good insight into the ultra-running world and the Tarahumara Indian runners.
"The Perfect Mile" by Neil Bascomb. Good perspective of amateur versus pro runners during the 1950's.
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