It's About the Heart

Hey y'all! So my wife took this picture when I wasn't looking during my long ride on the trainer the other day! (We just had a major cold front move in and it's pretty much miserable to ride outside right now, not to mention dangerous.) She thought it was cute that I was reading while cycling (hey you've got to get through a two-hour aerobic ride somehow!) but this post is actually about the book I was reading.

It's called It's Not About the Bike by Lance Armstrong.

Now Lance has taken a ton of heat in the past year for admitting to using performance enhancing drugs (granted, so was every other athlete, they just didn't get caught) but that doesn't change the fact that he is still a phenomenal cyclist and a great triathlete! So, always being a huge fan of Lance's training, I picked up this book at my local library. You might expect the book to primarily be about training (for that see his other book, The Lance Armstrong Performance Program.)
But it's not. It's primarily about his battle with cancer.

 

Armstrong was diagnosed with testicular cancer at the age of 25. The book chronicles his life from his childhood bike racing to his early professional career, but especially focuses on his battle with cancer and the aftermath. Armstrong underwent chemotherapy, brain surgery, and aggressive treatments, and still survived to win the Tour De France 7 times in a row.

Nobody realizes exactly how hard that was. Armstrong reveals in his book how he came close to being administered a chemotherapy medication that would have destroyed his lungs and made his comeback impossible. He got a different drug at the last minute but still talks about struggling to bike down the block due to a low hematocrit count after the chemo. He talks about the grueling training that brought him back from the brink and his struggles with sponsors who failed to believe in him.

It's an absolutely inspiring read. Besides the cancer and struggle bits, Armstrong also talks race strategy and shows his mindset during his first Tour win. The book is full of team member banter and race reviews, enough to keep people who don't care so much about the inspirational parts interested.

I liked to read it while on the trainer just because it felt right. But that's just me. I started reading and two hours later finished both the book and my ride. And I've got two sore spots on my sit bones to prove it. (I had to sit straight back on my saddle to read it) Check it out and see what inspiration does for you!