Listen free for 30 days
-
Finding Ultra
- Revised and Updated Edition
- Narrated by: Rich Roll
- Length: 9 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: Sports & Outdoors, Triathlon
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wish list failed.
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Audible Membership
$14.95 a month
Buy Now for $30.67
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Listeners also enjoyed...
-
Born to Run
- A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen
- Written by: Christopher McDougall
- Narrated by: Fred Sanders
- Length: 11 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Why we think it’s a great listen: Want to join the “superhumans”? Luckily you don’t have to run to catch up with them, thanks to McDougall’s and Sanders’ inspiring (and motivating) journey through history, science, physiology, health, entertaining characters and unlikely friendships. Full of incredible characters, amazing athletic achievements, cutting-edge science, and, most of all, pure inspiration, Born to Run is an epic adventure.
-
-
Fantastic story!
- By Annalise M Bekkering on 2019-04-04
Written by: Christopher McDougall
-
Eat and Run
- My Unlikely Journey to Ultramarathon Greatness
- Written by: Scott Jurek, Steve Friedman
- Narrated by: Scott Jurek
- Length: 8 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Eat and Run, Scott Jurek opens up about his life and career - as an elite athlete and a vegan - and inspires runners at every level. From his Midwestern childhood hunting, fishing, and cooking for his meat-and-potatoes family, to his early beginnings in running (he hated it), to his slow transition to ultrarunning and veganism, to his world-spanning, record-breaking races, Scott's story shows the power of an iron will and blows apart all the stereotypes of what athletes should eat to fuel optimal performance.
-
-
Captivated by Scott's Journey
- By Suzy-Q on 2021-03-10
Written by: Scott Jurek, and others
-
North
- Written by: Scott Jurek, Jenny Jurek
- Narrated by: Scott Jurek, Jenny Jurek
- Length: 8 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Scott Jurek is one of the world's best known and most beloved ultrarunners. Renowned for his remarkable endurance and speed, accomplished on a vegan diet, he's finished first in nearly all of ultrarunning's elite events over the course of his career. But after two decades of racing, training, speaking, and touring, Jurek felt an urgent need to discover something new about himself. He embarked on a wholly unique challenge, one that would force him to grow as a person and as an athlete: breaking the speed record for the Appalachian Trail.
-
-
Pure inspiration
- By Rainson on 2019-10-06
Written by: Scott Jurek, and others
-
Running Man
- A Memoir
- Written by: Charlie Engle
- Narrated by: Charlie Engle
- Length: 10 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
After a decade-long addiction to crack cocaine and alcohol, Charlie Engle hit bottom with a near-fatal six-day binge that ended in a hail of bullets. As Engle got sober, he turned to running, which became his lifeline, his pastime, and his salvation. He began with marathons, and when marathons weren't far enough he began to take on ultramarathons, races that went for 35, 50, and sometimes hundreds of miles, traveling to some of the most unforgiving places on earth to race.
-
-
Perfect
- By jason harrison on 2019-12-31
Written by: Charlie Engle
-
Hal Koerner's Field Guide to Ultrarunning
- Training for an Ultramarathon, from 50K to 100 Miles and Beyond
- Written by: Hal Koerner, Adam W. Chase - contributor, Scott Jurek - foreword
- Narrated by: Josh Bloomberg
- Length: 5 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ultramarathons don't leave much room for mistakes. Don't learn the hard way: Get a jump on training for an ultramarathon with Hal Koerner's Field Guide to Ultrarunning, a comprehensive handbook to running 30 to 100 miles and beyond, authored by one of the most experienced and recognized athletes in the sport.
-
-
Awesome!
- By fab on 2020-01-29
Written by: Hal Koerner, and others
-
Ultramarathon Man
- Confession of an All-Night Runner
- Written by: Dean Karnazes
- Narrated by: James Yaegashi
- Length: 6 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Karnazes reveals the mind-boggling adventures of his nonstop treks through the hell of Death Valley, the incomprehensible frigidity of the South Pole, and the breathtaking beauty of the mountains and canyons of the Sierra Nevada.
-
-
chapters dont line up.
- By Amazon Customer on 2020-09-14
Written by: Dean Karnazes
-
Born to Run
- A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen
- Written by: Christopher McDougall
- Narrated by: Fred Sanders
- Length: 11 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Why we think it’s a great listen: Want to join the “superhumans”? Luckily you don’t have to run to catch up with them, thanks to McDougall’s and Sanders’ inspiring (and motivating) journey through history, science, physiology, health, entertaining characters and unlikely friendships. Full of incredible characters, amazing athletic achievements, cutting-edge science, and, most of all, pure inspiration, Born to Run is an epic adventure.
-
-
Fantastic story!
- By Annalise M Bekkering on 2019-04-04
Written by: Christopher McDougall
-
Eat and Run
- My Unlikely Journey to Ultramarathon Greatness
- Written by: Scott Jurek, Steve Friedman
- Narrated by: Scott Jurek
- Length: 8 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Eat and Run, Scott Jurek opens up about his life and career - as an elite athlete and a vegan - and inspires runners at every level. From his Midwestern childhood hunting, fishing, and cooking for his meat-and-potatoes family, to his early beginnings in running (he hated it), to his slow transition to ultrarunning and veganism, to his world-spanning, record-breaking races, Scott's story shows the power of an iron will and blows apart all the stereotypes of what athletes should eat to fuel optimal performance.
-
-
Captivated by Scott's Journey
- By Suzy-Q on 2021-03-10
Written by: Scott Jurek, and others
-
North
- Written by: Scott Jurek, Jenny Jurek
- Narrated by: Scott Jurek, Jenny Jurek
- Length: 8 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Scott Jurek is one of the world's best known and most beloved ultrarunners. Renowned for his remarkable endurance and speed, accomplished on a vegan diet, he's finished first in nearly all of ultrarunning's elite events over the course of his career. But after two decades of racing, training, speaking, and touring, Jurek felt an urgent need to discover something new about himself. He embarked on a wholly unique challenge, one that would force him to grow as a person and as an athlete: breaking the speed record for the Appalachian Trail.
-
-
Pure inspiration
- By Rainson on 2019-10-06
Written by: Scott Jurek, and others
-
Running Man
- A Memoir
- Written by: Charlie Engle
- Narrated by: Charlie Engle
- Length: 10 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
After a decade-long addiction to crack cocaine and alcohol, Charlie Engle hit bottom with a near-fatal six-day binge that ended in a hail of bullets. As Engle got sober, he turned to running, which became his lifeline, his pastime, and his salvation. He began with marathons, and when marathons weren't far enough he began to take on ultramarathons, races that went for 35, 50, and sometimes hundreds of miles, traveling to some of the most unforgiving places on earth to race.
-
-
Perfect
- By jason harrison on 2019-12-31
Written by: Charlie Engle
-
Hal Koerner's Field Guide to Ultrarunning
- Training for an Ultramarathon, from 50K to 100 Miles and Beyond
- Written by: Hal Koerner, Adam W. Chase - contributor, Scott Jurek - foreword
- Narrated by: Josh Bloomberg
- Length: 5 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ultramarathons don't leave much room for mistakes. Don't learn the hard way: Get a jump on training for an ultramarathon with Hal Koerner's Field Guide to Ultrarunning, a comprehensive handbook to running 30 to 100 miles and beyond, authored by one of the most experienced and recognized athletes in the sport.
-
-
Awesome!
- By fab on 2020-01-29
Written by: Hal Koerner, and others
-
Ultramarathon Man
- Confession of an All-Night Runner
- Written by: Dean Karnazes
- Narrated by: James Yaegashi
- Length: 6 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Karnazes reveals the mind-boggling adventures of his nonstop treks through the hell of Death Valley, the incomprehensible frigidity of the South Pole, and the breathtaking beauty of the mountains and canyons of the Sierra Nevada.
-
-
chapters dont line up.
- By Amazon Customer on 2020-09-14
Written by: Dean Karnazes
-
80/20 Running
- Run Stronger and Race Faster by Training Slower
- Written by: Matt Fitzgerald, Robert Johnson
- Narrated by: Rob Grgach
- Length: 5 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This revolutionary training method has been embraced by elite runners - with extraordinary results - and now you can do it, too. Respected running and fitness expert Matt Fitzgerald explains how the 80/20 running program - in which you do 80 percent of runs at a lower intensity and just 20 percent at a higher intensity - is the best change runners of all abilities can make to improve their performance.
-
-
loved it
- By phil on 2021-01-02
Written by: Matt Fitzgerald, and others
-
The Rise of the Ultra Runners
- A Journey to the Edge of Human Endurance
- Written by: Adharanand Finn
- Narrated by: Adharanand Finn
- Length: 10 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ultra running defies conventional logic. Yet this most brutal and challenging sport is now one of the fastest growing in the world. But is it an antidote to modern life or a symptom of a modern illness? Adharanand Finn travelled to the heart of the sport to find out - and to see if could become an ultra runner himself. His journey took him from the deserts of Oman to the snow-capped peaks of the Rockies, and from a 24-hour track race in Tooting to his ultimate goal, the 105-mile Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc.
-
-
Great book!
- By Krista Salter on 2020-06-20
Written by: Adharanand Finn
-
Living with a SEAL
- 31 Days Training with the Toughest Man on the Planet
- Written by: Jesse Itzler
- Narrated by: Jesse Itzler
- Length: 5 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Entrepreneur Jesse Itzler chronicles his month of living and extreme fitness training with a Navy SEAL in the New York Times and number one LA Times best seller Living With a Seal, now with two bonus sections. Entrepreneur Jesse Itzler will try almost anything. His life is about being bold and risky. So when Jesse felt himself drifting on autopilot, he hired a rather unconventional trainer to live with him for a month-an accomplished Navy SEAL widely considered to be "the toughest man on the planet"!
-
-
Motivated!
- By Amazon Customer on 2020-08-13
Written by: Jesse Itzler
-
Training for Ultra
- Ultra Running Stories from the Middle of the Pack
- Written by: Rob Steger
- Narrated by: Robert Steger
- Length: 6 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This book has a single purpose - to inspire you to run! Through sharing a detailed account of my first three years of pursuing running from the middle to back of the pack, it will hopefully show you you are capable of much more than you may think. After my dad's major health scare, it was time for me to change everything. Little did I know how much I would learn after taking on some physical exercise. A radical diet change allowed me to lose a forth of my body weight and it gave me boundless energy to get outside and explore.
-
-
loved it all!
- By Luke White on 2019-10-07
Written by: Rob Steger
-
Broken Open: Mountains, Demons, Treadmills and a Search for Nirvana
- Written by: David Clark
- Narrated by: David Clark
- Length: 11 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
David Clark is a formerly obese alcoholic and fast food junkie who found a new life in running. Now, 13 years after his transformation, he shares his inspiring story of taking running to the extreme edge of his physical and spiritual breaking points. Having run more than a hundred races, including the Leadville 100-Mile Trail Run and the Hardrock 100, David has achieved unimaginable success in the ultramarathon world, considering his humble start.
-
-
Exceptional
- By JV on 2021-11-21
Written by: David Clark
-
The Plant-Based Athlete
- A Game-Changing Approach to Peak Performance
- Written by: Matt Frazier, Robert Cheeke
- Narrated by: Jamie Rennell
- Length: 8 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Plant-Based Athlete by Matt Frazier and Robert Cheeke offers a persuasive body of evidence for adopting a plant-based lifestyle to achieve endurance, flexibility, sport, training, or lifting goals. Featuring more than 60 recipes, insights from famous plant-based athletes, and explosive scientific research, it is the ultimate invitation for joining the growing community of athletes (from elites to weekend warriors) who use plants to power their workouts and their every day.
-
-
EXCELLENT BOOK (more like a manual for life)
- By Anonymous User on 2021-07-04
Written by: Matt Frazier, and others
-
The Proof Is in the Plants
- How Science Shows a Plant-Based Diet Could Save Your Life (and the Planet)
- Written by: Simon Hill
- Narrated by: Simon Hill
- Length: 10 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
What if there was a way of eating that may help us live healthier for longer and protect the future of our planet, too? The good news is that evidence now shows a plant-based diet may offer us exactly that – and straight-talking nutritionist Simon Hill has done the hard work translating the science into actionable advice for everyday life. Before transitioning to a plant-based diet Simon held many of the common misconceptions.
-
-
Vegans can eat Oysters and Mussels
- By Amazon Customer on 2022-05-15
Written by: Simon Hill
-
A Runner’s High
- My Life in Motion
- Written by: Dean Karnazes
- Narrated by: Andrew Eiden
- Length: 7 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
New York Times best-selling author and ultramarathoning legend Dean Karnazes has pushed his body and mind to inconceivable limits, from running in the shoe-melting heat of Death Valley to the lung-freezing cold of the South Pole. He’s raced and competed across the globe and once ran 50 marathons, in 50 states, in 50 consecutive days.
-
-
Just what you'd expect
- By Shaun Sanders on 2021-05-28
Written by: Dean Karnazes
-
26 Marathons
- What I Learned About Faith, Identity, Running, and Life from My Marathon Career
- Written by: Meb Keflezighi, Scott Douglas
- Narrated by: Holter Graham
- Length: 6 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Meb Keflezighi - the first person in history to win both the Boston and New York City marathons as well as an Olympic marathon medal - ran his final marathon in New York in 2017, it marked the end of an extraordinary distance-running career. Meb's last marathon was also his 26th, and each of those marathons has come with its own unique challenges, rewards, and outcomes. In 26 Marathons, Meb takes listeners on those legendary races, along every hill, bend, and unexpected turn of events that made each marathon an exceptional learning experience, and a fascinating story.
-
-
loved it!!
- By Lisa on 2019-07-04
Written by: Meb Keflezighi, and others
-
Running to the Edge
- A Band of Misfits and the Guru Who Unlocked the Secrets of Speed
- Written by: Matthew Futterman
- Narrated by: René Ruiz
- Length: 11 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the dusty hills above San Diego, Bob Larsen became America's greatest running coach. Starting with a ragtag group of high school cross country and track runners, Larsen set out on a decades-long quest to find the secret of running impossibly fast, for longer distances than anyone thought possible. Running to the Edge is a riveting account of Larsen's journey, and his quest to discover the unorthodox training secrets that would lead American runners (elite and recreational) to breakthroughs never imagined.
-
-
Not what I was thinking…
- By Amazon Customer on 2021-09-10
Written by: Matthew Futterman
-
Endure
- Mind, Body, and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance
- Written by: Alex Hutchinson, Malcolm Gladwell - foreword
- Narrated by: Robert G. Slade
- Length: 11 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Writing from both the cutting edge of scientific discovery and the front-lines of elite athletic performance, National Magazine Award-winning science journalist Alex Hutchinson presents a revolutionary account of the dynamic and controversial new science of endurance.
-
-
Not an endurance guide
- By Maurmesa on 2020-05-07
Written by: Alex Hutchinson, and others
-
Bravey
- Chasing Dreams, Befriending Pain, and Other Big Ideas
- Written by: Alexi Pappas, Maya Rudolph - foreword
- Narrated by: Alexi Pappas, Maya Rudolph - foreword
- Length: 9 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When “Renaissance runner” (New York Times) Alexi Pappas - Olympic athlete, actress, filmmaker, and writer - was four years old, her mother died by suicide, drastically altering the course of Pappas’s life and setting her on a search for female role models. When her father signed his bereaved daughter up for sports teams as a way to keep her busy, female athletes became the first women Pappas looked up to, and her Olympic dream was born. At the same time, Pappas had big creative dreams, too: She wanted to make movies, write, and act.
-
-
Game Changer
- By Amazon Customer on 2021-08-13
Written by: Alexi Pappas, and others
Publisher's Summary
Finding Ultra is Rich Roll's incredible but true account of achieving one of the most awe-inspiring midlife physical transformations ever.
One cool evening in October 2006, the night before he was to turn 40, Rich experienced a chilling glimpse of his future. Nearly 50 pounds overweight at the time and unable to climb the stairs without stopping, he could see where his current sedentary lifestyle was taking him. Plunging into a new way of eating that made processed foods off-limits and prioritized plant nutrition and daily training, Rich morphed - in a matter of mere months - from out-of-shape midlifer to endurance machine. Ninety days into his physical overhaul, Rich left the house to embark on a light jog and found himself running a near marathon. It was time to scale up his goals.
Finding Ultra recounts Rich's remarkable journey to the elite Ultraman World Championship competition, which pits the world's fittest humans against each other in a 320-mile ordeal of swimming, biking, and running. Following that test, Rich conquered an even greater one: the Epic5 Challenge - five Ironman-distance triathlons, each on a different Hawaiian island, all completed in less than a week.
But this is much more than an edge-of-the-seat look at a series of jaw-dropping athletic feats and much more than a practical training manual for those who would attempt a similar transformation. Yes, Rich's account rivets, and yes, it instructs, providing information that will be invaluable to anyone who wants to change their physique; but this book is most notable as a powerful testament to human resiliency, for as we learn early on, Rich's childhood posed numerous physical and social challenges, and his early adulthood featured a fierce battle with alcoholism.
Ultimately, Finding Ultra is a beautifully written portrait of what willpower can accomplish. It challenges all of us to rethink what we're capable of and urges us, implicitly and explicitly, to go for it.
This revised and updated edition of Finding Ultra includes a new and original foreword, a bonus chapter, and updated resources.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.
More from the same
Author:
Narrator:
What listeners say about Finding Ultra
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous User
- 2021-06-21
Turned me right off.
I started this book in the midst of a 32km run - I needed company, and this autobiography from a master of ultra running was supposed to be it! Instead I found myself bemused: he was a geek, but discovered swimming and made friends; he was a poor student who started getting straight A's and a ticket to the Ivy league; he had humblish beginnings but attended the premier boys school in DC. Which is it?! Buckle up, you get both in nauseating detail. "I wasn't really an athlete" followed by "And then I made the swim team at Stanford". There's humblebrags and there's whining. I shut it off when he "ran his first marathon effortlessly after not having run more than a few miles in 20 years". *Barf* I finished my run in silence, grateful NOT to be listening to more of someone so disingenuous.
5 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Ken M
- 2019-11-02
Awesome story of life and rebirth
Rich Roll's life journey has impacted me and set in motion within me that spark I needed to set me on my renewed life journey. Thank you for sharing your inspirational journey.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- KA
- 2020-01-24
Good read
The story was super interesting. Change of narrator was confusing a little. Great story!! Not too preachy...
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Jonny
- 2018-11-09
Great listen
Easy book to listen too. I got to know Rich Roll a lot better and enjoyed the journey he takes you through of his life and struggles and achievements. I listened to most of the book running myself. The best way possible to listen to this book on reflection. It made it that much better. Highly recommend for any runner.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Jayne
- 2019-09-04
Had to stop listening
I'm definitely the minority here but I couldn't even get halfway with this one. There's no denying that Rich Roll has made amazing achievements physically/athletically - that's why I got the book. And I'm not minimizing his struggle with alcoholism and overcoming it.
But this guy was so privileged, yet so ungrateful, and unapologetic in how he slacked off, checked out, and instead of being appreciative when yet ANOTHER chance, ANOTHER opportunity is handed to him, he passes them off as "I got away with it again!"
Don't know how many times I thought 'what a jerk.' To his credit, he could have portrayed himself in more flattering way but even so, people seem to be giving him a pass, like so many other times in his life. Even describing his first 'marathon' as effortless, with no training, no planning (it was the plants) when other people have to train months and months, I couldn't listen any more. Unsubscribed from his emails/podcasts too.
5 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Scalzo
- 2022-02-01
Great story to be better than we are.
Not at all what I expected which was very refreshing and a breath of fresh air. enjoyed audio so much I bought the book.
Thank you Rich for sharing yyc our story and then some.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Christian H.
- 2021-05-23
Highly recommend….
Impressive story. Easy to listen to and and excellent final chapter showing the universe is on everyone’s side of you listen…and respect the words. Well done Rich…..
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- John Hoffman
- 2021-05-06
Tempting 1 star review
After reading the original Finding Ultra which I thot was awesome, I struggled with this book for most of what I listened to. My preconceived idea was that he left out too many “details” and needed to come clean. But no. It was risky business just to add a couple of chapters to the original book- that’s why I was tempted to give it only 1 star on the review.
In the middle, perhaps about chapter 4 it is new- going into his diet regime. I thot helpful, and I appreciated. Then it’s back to continuing the original story and finishing Epic 5. Still amazing but I really didn’t want to hear it again. But the closing chapters are where the money is in the redux.
I don’t know, lots of what was said in the end is really nothing new, just said by RR. But somehow some of what he says actually resonates with me especially about making mistakes and moving on. Maybe the way HE says it, maybe because I’m 55 not 25 anymore and so much failure in my life happened in my 20’s that even Anthony Robbins cassettes didn’t help me.
I don’t imagine myself ever attempting ultraman, but my sights are on a triathlon when I turn 60. The idea of an Ironman was in my mind before reading the book, but now I actually have some tools and a map- and a reason to quit telling myself I hate running, I don’t like running, I’m not a runner, I dropped out of cross country in high school...... you get the picture.
I am amazed at Rich Roll, and what he has accomplished, and proud of him to have been able to find his way, and chart his course, and I think that Julie has certainly contributed to his personal success. Behind every great man is a great woman.
If you haven’t read the original Finding Ultra, I’d say skip it and read the updated redux version.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Mat
- 2021-04-28
really enjoyed
great book! inspiring story! loved listening to it for motivations while running in the morning
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- sean gallant
- 2021-04-09
The truth can set you free!
It's easy to listen to his heart felt journey. much respect and admiration. loved it!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Daniel
- 2018-04-27
Underdog He Is Not
In the beginning of this book, Finding Ultra, Rich Roll tries so hard to make himself out to be an underdog. Calling Rich Roll an underdog is like calling Warren Buffet an average investor.
He's an Ivy League swimmer and says on one of his first college swim meets he was hung over, but still got 2nd place. Or he didn't apply himself in college, but still got mostly Bs. Or passing on Harvard instead going to Stanford. One point in the book he's like because I didn't really know what else to do went to law school at freaking Cornell mind you, then got a job at a NY Law Firm then later became an entertainment lawyer, and finally got into endurance racing. He tries to dramatize everything and even tries to sound like an underdog.
At his heaviest he was around 207 I believe (At 5′ 11″ that's not that very big by modern standards) and once he beats addiction goes into endurance racing and places very well pretty much immediately. The book is like a 400 page humble brag, but even though some of it annoyed me I did really enjoy this book and learned a lot. Especially about what it takes to live your life at a very high standard, even when life throws you curve balls. It's a fascinating page turner from someone that had it all, good family, good genes, intelligence, good education, then self-sabotaged, but came back even stronger. Recommend this book especially if you like fitness/sports/athletics.
166 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Mike
- 2018-06-24
Gave Up
The people here calling this a humble brag are spot on. But more than that, half of the book is about his alcoholism. That's fine; more power to him for getting clean and sober. But it felt like I kept waiting for him to move forward. I didn't want to hear hours of details about his alcoholism. Just.... wasn't what I was expecting and I couldn't make it though
113 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Ruth Calisch
- 2018-06-21
Mastery of the humble brag!!!
I've never heard the word "I" as many times as in this book. While Rich Roll says that he's humbled by a myriad of difficulties in his life, there's nothing humble about him. Here is a man who had every advantage in life, yet somehow made his upbringing sound pitiful and difficult. I get that life is hard for everyone at some moments, but he made the lavish gifts of his parents seem like hardships.
While gifted with genuine athletic ability and opportunity in his youth, he threw all of that away for a life of drug abuse and then gets really preachy about how his recovering body enjoys a vegan life and can perform outstandingly well with very little training. He also gets on his high horse about how bad all meat is for everyone and how eating meat is the worst thing for the planet, I'm not exaggerating. He states outright that we should all eat simple veggies to make the world a better place, and then the concoctions and extreme vegan super foods that have been made in a lab that help him get through his extreme sports, seem ridiculous and extravagant, to say the least. I can imagine the amount of waste that goes into making his super foods is pretty profound.
I almost threw up when he talked about his ungrateful and even mean attitude towards the woman who helped him get through his 5 ultras. That woman was a saint and she did it all for his vain glory. And when it comes down to how much he put his own vain pursuits in front of the welfare of his family, you realize what a messed up set of priorities this man has.
I have recently listened to "The Pursuit of Endurance," and "Born to Run" and both of those books have inspired me to be more athletic and hopeful of accomplishing long hikes and learning how to run better to improve my life. So when I picked up this book, I was hoping for more of that inspiring love for the big, beautiful outside and all that working hard on our own two feet can do for a person. Instead, Rich's inspiration just made me want to make sure and never turn into him. The only reason he seems to want to accomplish his long, dramatic, made up ultra races (specifically the 5 ultras on 5 islands) is for his own pride: something no one else has done, but for the benefit of no other soul, but his own.
And don't get me started on his overly dramatic reading of his own self glorifying book. His rise and fall of his voice made sure that I knew when he was feeling sorry for himself that life dealt him any blows; even though most of his blows were 100% his own lack of self control and self awareness.
Don't listen to this book unless you want to learn how to be more self important, or how to recognize self importance in others.
277 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- jbru13
- 2018-06-28
Worthwhile listen, not entirely relatable
While it’s impressive that Rich Roll overcame alcohol addiction and turned himself into an elite endurance athlete, he can be hard to relate to. He seems to be a person who is always addicted his pursuits, whether it be his trademark “plant power diet” (which he endorses a bit too much) or risking all his finances to run in races of enormously long distance for not much purpose. Luckily it worked out for him in the long run and he’s able to essentially self-promote for a living thanks to social media and the like. I do admire his success, but there is a certain lack of humility in this story that is annoying. I find he’s a bit too quick to ascribe his success to his plant diet and following his dreams, and not quick enough to be like “ok, so maybe it helps that I was an Olympic level athlete in college.” Nevertheless, Roll is an interesting guy who has a lot of interesting things to say. I personally just like to take him with a grain of salt (is salt allowed on the plant power diet?)
The performance would have benefitted from a professional narrator as well.
48 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- J. Delgado
- 2021-05-11
wanted to love it but just pushed through it
bought it to support Rich, feel like he had lot's of opportunities in life and squandered it. Lot's of us weren't lucky to grow up in his shoes. Glad he is still changing lives though and support his works.
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Amazon Customer
- 2021-01-11
It will speak to someone
I usually go for an underdog type story and this wasn't it. The last chapter was much appreciated but it was a struggle getting there. It read as a person with privileges squandering some great opportunities.
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- jronaldlee
- 2019-07-15
Prepare to be Prosthelytized
Masquerading as a story about becoming an ultra athlete, Rich Roll is here to encourage you to become more spiritual, give up the drink, and for the love of all that is holy, become a vegan.
Along the way he performs some amazing feats of endurance that are truly epic. This part, at least, was interesting.
One part giving up alcohol (which can't be done without god), two parts convert to veganism, three parts athletic memoir, with a heaping does of humble brag thrown on top. I saw a few comments about the humble brag in other reviews, and at first, I dismissed it. Anyone writing about completing 5 Ironman length triathlons in a week has some bragging to do. But when he talks about running over 52 miles in 9 hours, he says, "Nine hours even. Certainly not a time I could brag about to a true runner."
Dude. I'm a true runner... but I've never gone beyond 28 miles, so maybe Rich doesn't consider me a true runner. When/if I ever run 52.4 miles in one sitting, you can bet your last dollar I'll brag about it. And so did Rich, in his book. But in a way that made me want to gag.
The book's greatest sin is its constant harping on veganism. Or as Rich likes to say, whole food plant based diet. Whatever. Having raised two vegans, I can tell you there's a way to talk about your food choices, and there's a way that comes across as pushy and preachy. Rich found option two, and embraces it fully. He suggests that you could never achieve his feats of endurance if you didn't follow his example. He references some studies, which is fine, but then he proclaims his sample size of one (it worked for me!) to be all the proof you need. Right before insisting that we all go adopt his diet for the next 30 days. If he kept it to a chapter, or a section of the book, it might be forgiven, but once he broaches the topic he can't let it go. The man literally can't describe having lunch without pointing out that his sandwich has veganaise on it. Over and over and over again. Look, I get it, you ate a lot of avocado sandwiches while on your adventures... but you don't have to prove your vegan bona fides every time you have a snack.
I tried very hard to finish the book so I could leave a more detailed review, but I just couldn't. I'm glad for Audible's good listen guarantee.
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- DM
- 2018-08-06
More of a Testimony than Instructional
First off, let me say that regardless of how I characterize the content, this book is inspirational. It allowed me to self-reflect on my goal-setting, during which I realized that I fail because I seldom set deadlines. It caused me to set a measurable, firm, and publicized goal. More than anything, his testimony motivated me to pursue my goal.
I would characterize this book as follows:
30% childhood-college testimonial dealing with athleticism cast aside in favor of alcohol
10% college/grad/early career alcoholic testimonial
10% couch-attached family man testimonial
10% becoming healthy testimonial
10% anti-meat, pro vegan rant
20% triathlon challenge highlights
10% motivational speaking
...roughly in that order. That said, I feel it was written quite well, with the exception of the vegan rant. It was perhaps because of him familiarizing me with his backstory that lended more weight to the instructional. I simply mention the amount of testimonial so that the reader will know what to expect. I expected less testimonial, and although surprised, not disappointed.
My only issue is with the anti-meat rant. Not with the lifestyle so much as with the way he presented making the decision to adopt a vegan diet. In short, he goes from eating platters of hamburgers, to a diet of what he deems “vegetarian junk food” (simple carbs, gluten, sugars), to a plant-based, vegan diet. Even by his own admission, he remained overweight during his vegetarian phase. Yet he villainizes MEAT rather than sugars and simple carbs. Never once does he mention trying a plant and meat-based diet, which could have worked out just as well. From personal experience, a plant and meat-based diet yielded me the same feeling of well-being he describes achieving with veganism. Please just try something (or mention you did) before you bash. And certainly don’t hastily generalize solely based on your own body.
What I really loved about this book was how he explain all of the triathlete and nutritionist jargon, breaking down the complex concepts into language anyone who is not athletic can understand.
I would recommend this book to anyone looking to rekindle or make changes to
their health.
18 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- C. Spencer
- 2018-04-12
Presently Surprised
So, I'm on chapter 9 and this book does not disappoint...I'm not even sure what prompted me to buy this book initially as I'm not a runner at all and the book cover can be quite intimidating. Let's just say I was drawn to it beyond my understanding. It's a raw and fantastically written biography about life's ups and downs and how we're the only ones holding us back but, more than that, it digs deeps and leaves you with no excuse as to why you are not meeting every challenge with one foot in front of the other. For me, consciously, I do not have an addiction but, unconsciously it speaks to my core, knowing we all have some type of dependency on something...it's about facing yourself, letting go of your fear and allowing your brightest version of yourself to shine through. If you're looking for a book that touches every emotion and reaches way beyond the surface, you've found it! P.S. My favorite statement is his reference to his wife, "To this day she's the coolest woman I've ever met." Awesome job Rich Roll.
13 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Amazon Customer
- 2021-04-08
Great story
Rich Roll’s story is very inspiring and a lot of what he said and experienced resonated with me. I also really enjoy listening to him speak so I found it even better that it was his voice on this audiobook and not someone else’s. Overall I give this 4 out of 5 stars.
1 person found this helpful