You Are an Ironman

How Six Weekend Warriors Chased Their Dream of Finishing the World's Toughest Triathlon

By: Jacques Steinberg

Narrated by: Kirby Heyborne

Length: 11 hrs and 35 mins

Publisher's summary

As he did so masterfully in his New York Times best seller The Gatekeepers, Jacques Steinberg creates a compelling portrait of people obsessed with reaching a life-defining goal. In this instance, the target is an Ironman triathlon---a 2.4-mile open-water swim followed by a 112-mile bike ride, then finally a 26-mile marathon run, all of which must be completed in no more than 17 hours. Steinberg focuses not on the professional who live off the prize money and sponsorships, but on a handful of triathletes who regard the sport as a hobby.

Vividly capturing the grueling preparation, the suspense of completing each event of the triathlon, and the spectacular feats of human endurance, Steinberg plumbs the physical and emotional toll as well as the psychological payoff of the participants of the Ford Ironman Arizona 2009. His You Are an Ironman is both a riveting sports narrative and a fascinating, behind-the-scenes study of what makes these athletes keep going.

©2011 Jacques Steinberg (P)2011 Tantor

Critic reviews

"Anyone dreaming of completing a triathlon or just seeking to get off the couch and into better shape will find inspiration here." ( Kirkus)

Great book, annoying narrator at times.

I loved the story, though I had some trouble keeping the characters straight. I just really disliked the way the narrator used such an annoying voice when speaking for women.

Eh

I have been listening to a lot of inspirational endurance athlete type books while training for a marathon, and honestly this is not one of the best. There is a fascinating intro about the history of the Ironman, but then it drags into a very long and boring stretch (the vast majority of the book) of basically just doing through the training logs of the participants, and reading their blogs (which in turn are just descriptions of their training). Too many characters that are not distinct enough so in audiobook form it is easy to zone out as to whose cold swim or century bike ride you are hearing about. Lots of stories of minor injuries and getting over them which don't really go anywhere. I will say that it does impress upon you the sheer volume of training that an Ironman requires, which blows my marathon training out of the water.

For this type of book I would greatly recommend Born to Run, Eat and Run or Finding Ultra before this book.

Great story!

Very inspirational. Looking forward to my first 140.6 later this year in Panama City FL.

An Emotional Journey

Would you listen to You Are an Ironman again? Why?

I'd listen to it again whenever I need that extra boost of motivation to get through anything requiring endurance.

What was one of the most memorable moments of You Are an Ironman?

The most memorable moment of You Are an Ironman were when I heard the announcer call each person the story follows an Ironman.

Which scene was your favorite?

Hearing about the couple who met and spent quality time over training for the Ironman.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Each person's journey was moving.

Any additional comments?

Warning: May convince you to start training for 140.6 miles too ;)

Good Read!

What did you love best about You Are an Ironman?

Great stories...you got to know the people that were preparing for the race

Any additional comments?

This is a good book for entertainment as well for encouragement. Great read for those long bike rides or runs. Good book and good reader as well

Good listen if you're training for first event

This was a wonderful listen. I'm training for my first half ironman, and it was very helpful to hear a lot of characters going through the same challenges. This book has helped me understand the emotional struggle.

Great stories

It was a good book. Author is a little boring to listen to at times. But overall I enjoyed it.

Good listen to on a run

Thought it was a good book. Hard at times to keep everyone story fresh in your mind if you break it up. Sure it would be easier if I had the actually book. Recommend for people looking to get a boost on a run.

Interesting but droned on a bit

If you have ever wanted to understand what is involved in an Ironman, this book follows the backgrounds of a diverse group of people and how they approached training for and competing in Ironmans. I don't really have any interest in participating in an Ironman, but I thought it would be an interesting read. I would say it was an average book. It didn't particularly move me and it droned on a bit in parts, but it was interesting enough. I probably wouldn't recommend it unless it was on sale.

A good story, inspirational

Got a little too much into some of the kit but everall a good story.