Book Review: A Life Without Limits

A few months ago I read Chrissie Wellington’s autobiography, “A Life Without Limits.” Truth be told, I didn’t know anything about Chrissie before I came upon the description of her book when I was browsing through the endless digital piles of Kindle books on Amazon.com. I am a runner, but I won’t pretend to know the names of all the elite runners and especially tri-athletes. None the less, the description sounded intriguing and the reviews were all good so I clicked the ‘buy now with 1 click’ button and moments later I was reading chapter 1.

I’ve always thought that elite athletes grew up as athletes. That they excelled in their sport from an early age. While Chrissie was a swimmer growing up, and apparently a very good one, she didn’t get into running and biking until later. And it was a while before she had a proper road bike for racing.

One thing is for sure, Chrissie leads a pretty interesting life. The places she’s visited and lived, the adventures she’s been on, the struggles she’s gone through to get where she is today. Sure, she’s definitely been pretty lucky to be able to pursue her dream, but I think it also takes a lot of guts to leave a safe, comfortable life for one that’s unfamiliar and both physically and mentally grueling. The life of a tri-athlete – amateur or elite – is completely unfamiliar to me. I was thrilled to learn that even as she wins an Ironman Championship, she is so inspired by the amateur athletes that she goes back out to the finish line after taking care of her ‘duties’ to cheer them across the finish line. She seems to really understand the intense commitment to the support that is required of the athletes who have full time jobs and can only train in their spare time. Likely because she spent years training in her spare time while working in the civil service.

A few of my favorite quotes from the book:

“Hard work and an open mind – it’s the only way to realize the potential that’s inside every one of us.”

“Just seize every opportunity you have, embrace every experience. Make a mark, for all the right reasons.” (This is attributed to her father)

“The brain is constantly trying to impose limits on what it thinks we can achieve. We should constantly question it, fight it. … The key is not to be afraid of failing.”

“Lastly, I would stress the need for an off-season.”

Whether you’re a tri-athlete or not, I think Chrissie’s story is an interesting and inspiring one. After reading this book I definitely had a strong desire to go out for a run, take chances and book a year long trip around the world.

For more information, check out Chrissie’s website HERE

• Have you read Chrissie’s book? What did you think of it?
• If you’re a tri-athlete, what are the hardest and best things about being a tri-athlete?
• Do you find biographies intriguing?

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Today’s workout -

• 40min elliptical
• 3x10 cable-pull side twists
• 3x10 seated row
• 3x10 single leg lifts
• 3x10 bridges
• ab exercises
• 1x50sec plank
• stretching