Psychology – The toughest, bloodiest, toughest challenge in the world – BionicOldGuy

This is an interesting book by Helen Summer about some of the most difficult ultramarathons in the world. It combines jaw-dropping course descriptions with first-person accounts from course administrators. Most of the events are ultra running events, but there are also some other adventure events like kayaking and triathlons. , some of the coldest regions, such as Canada’s Yukon Arctic region. One of my favorite quotes is a description of runners from China who read about a race in the Sahara Desert in Jordan and were inspired to run the race themselves. As the author points out, “Reading can be a dangerous sport.” My wife would agree, which is usually why she tries to take books like this away from me. But I like them because they make my own adventures seem sane by comparison. It’s also safe since I can no longer run after two hip replacements. If I had read this 20 years ago, when I still had cartilage in my hips, it might have been dangerous.

I absolutely loved this book and its descriptions of various incredible adventures.