I love bike riding. I also love reading. For safety reasons, I don’t bike and read at the same time. I confess, I am not a fast bike rider. I wish I was, in fact, I’ve trained to go fast, and sadly, it never happened for me. Nonetheless, when I’m out biking and the wind is blowing in my hair as I ride, I FEEL like I’m going fast! That’s uplifting.
Thanks to a speed reading class I took when I was in 6th grade, I am a pretty fast reader. I love escaping into a good book. Is that true for you? They say that people who are good writers are often good readers. I do believe that is part of why I like writing, stories capture my heart.
I’m in the process of finishing this book that I’ve been working on for the past 8 or 9 years. Okay, apparently I’m not a fast writer either! The editor I hired, Kitty Shea, she made some suggestions that were challenging to take in. Namely she suggested I switch my book from a “how to” to memoir/sports. She noticed that when I told stories from my athletic and personal life I captivated her as the reader. Kitty encouraged me to be more vulnerable, tell more details, to share more stories.
After several months of digesting and reflecting on Kitty’s insights, I decided I would make this shift in my book. That meant I needed to explore this new-to-me genre “memoir/sports & recreation.” So, like any good reader, I took myself to the bookstore to see what I could find. Lo and behold, right there in the sports books were a number of sport memoir type books. I bought a few of them.
One I picked up is “Life’s Too Short To Go So F*ucking Slow: Lessons From an Epic Friendship That Went the Distance,” by Susan Lacke. It’s GOOD!!! I strongly encourage you to read it.
It’s the story of Susan who was a young, overweight college professor with a pack-a-day smoking habit and a bad attitude. Her boss was Carlos, a disciplined, accomplished Ironman triathlete. He had his act together, she did not. Essentially, it’s the story of their deep and abiding friendship that transcended career, sport, and even cancer. Yes, this book reaches out and grabs you. I was completely captivated. I loved how Susan tells the many years long story of their sporting, their friendship, and their time through a devastating cancer journey.
This book moved me to out loud laughter and a few times, to tears. In fact, it also inspired me to continue my shift to this sort of story for you. I am taking lots of deep breaths and going for it!! Another thing I really appreciated about this book is how it made me think about my own commitment to staying healthy by being active.
Since it is winter and an excellent time to read, I strongly encourage you to give this book a go.
And while you’re reading, dream about biking fast!! I do!
Please, let me know what you think of this book. And, do you have any suggestions for additional sport memoir books, I’d love to hear them!
I love to read as well. I usually buy my books at tag sales or on the bargain tables at Barnes and Noble. For what ever reason I love to read cook books too. I rarely make the recipes, but love reading them-weird, I know.
My husband and I have had our bikes set up in our basement since October. It is so damn cold down there that we have not yet used them and probably won’t until we can once again take them off the stationary set up and use them outside. We have good intentions. We are signed up for a red rider in May so we really need to start training. I speed walk and do hill climbs four times a week so my cardio is pretty good, but still not the same as training for the Red Rider on a bike. I wish not we lived somewhere we could ride outside year round!
Margie,
Great to hear from you! I love it that you like reading cook books, but you don’t cook the recipes! You made me laugh!!!! And, maybe consider putting your bikes on the trainers in a warmer room!! My office, where my bike and bike trainer are, and my bedroom are in the basement, but I like it a bit cold, so it works for me! Plus I have a little heater when the polar vortex is in full swing!
GO RED RIDER to you! And have a wonderful Tour de Cure where you are!!!
Mari
I love biking and reading too! You are very wise not to do both at the same time I am looking forward to being able to ride again.
I look forward to reading your book someday. Much love from snowy and cold Ontario
Cathy,
You made me laugh!!! We are smart, not reading and biking at the same time!!! I haven’t ridden my bike since September, I’m working up to setting it up on the trainer for some indoor riding!! Very soon!
Thanks for the love from snowy and cold Ontario!! Right back at you!! I’m working on that darn book today!!
Mari