Synopses & Reviews
andldquo;Beresini uncovers the growing sportandrsquo;s most compelling characters and provides the most authoritative insidersandrsquo; guide to date.andrdquo; andmdash;Outside andldquo;Obstacle course racing has taken the endurance world by storm, and inand#160;Off Courseand#160;Erin Beresini gives us an insider perspective into the conflict and appeal of these masochistic suffer-fests, culminating in her quest to complete the granddaddy of them all, the Spartan Ultra Beast. A must-read for anyone currently competing in, or considering taking on, one of these newfangled racing events.andrdquo; andmdash;Dean Karnazes, best-selling author ofand#160;Ultramarathon Man
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Everyone has seen the pictures on their social media feeds: friends or family wearing mud-spattered athletic gear, holding a medal to proclaim theyandrsquo;ve crossed the finish line of an intensely grueling race. Indeed, obstacle course racing is the fastest growing sport in U.S. history. Every week, thousands of athletes shell out money to run through mud and fire, crawl under barbed wire, scramble over ten-foot walls, and dodge baton-wielding gladiators.
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Erin Beresiniandrsquo;sand#160;Off Courseand#160;chronicles the authorandrsquo;s period of training and competition in obstacle course racing. As she investigates the world behind this military-inspired amateur competition and the industry surrounding it, Beresini meets the diverse characters who compete in these races and uncovers the sportandrsquo;s biggest scandals, lawsuits, and rivalries. And through her own race training, Erin illuminates the history, science, and psychology of this sport that is taking the endurance world by storm.
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andldquo;[Beresiniandrsquo;s] narrative has humor and heart, and a carnival of characters .and#160;.and#160;. By the end of her riotous narrative, I had to wipe mud from my glasses at least twenty-six times.andrdquo;andmdash;Gary M. Pomerantz, author ofand#160;Their Lifeandrsquo;s Work: The Brotherhood of the 1970s Pittsburgh Steelers, Then and Now
Review
andldquo;Beresini uncovers the growing sportand#39;s most compelling characters and provides the most authoritative insidersand#39; guide to date.andrdquo; --
Outside Magazine andquot;Beresini chronicles her personal journey as she prepares for her race, detailing the regimen and questioning, in an engaging, self-deprecating style, what such a sadistic undertaking says about the participantsandrsquo; sanity. A fascinating insiderandrsquo;s view of endurance racingandrsquo;s latest craze.andquot; --Booklist
andquot;Funny, fast-pacedandquot; --American Way Magazine
andquot;Obstacle course racing has taken the endurance world by storm and in OFF COURSE Erin Beresini gives us an insider perspective into the conflict and appeal of these masochistic suffer-fests, culminating in her quest to complete the granddaddy of them all, the Spartan Ultra Beast. A must read for anyone currently competing in, or considering taking on, one of these newfangled racing events.andquot; --Dean Karnazes, bestselling author of Ultramarathon Man and 50/50
andquot;Erin Beresini has gone gonzo. In OFF COURSE, she puts herself to the ultimate test in an obstacle racerandrsquo;s world of alphas and ultras, and Tough Mudders. Her narrative has humor and heart, and a carnival of characters. Her sharp reporting puts the reader there. By the end of her riotous narrative, I had to wipe mud from my glasses at least twenty-six times.andquot; --Gary M. Pomerantz, author of Their Lifeandrsquo;s Work: The Brotherhood of the 1970andrsquo;s Pittsburgh Steelers, Then and Now
Synopsis
From a young journalist and seasoned athlete, a funny, fist-pumping ride through the wacky world of obstacle course racing (Tough Mudder, Spartan Race, etc)
Synopsis
Aand#12288;fun, funny, fist-pumpingand#12288;romp through the thriving new fitness culture of obstacle course racingand#12288; Obstacle course racing is the fastest-growing sport in U.S. history. Every week, thousands of marathoners, CrossFitters, and casual weekend warriors shell out money to run through mud and fire, crawl under barbed wire, scramble over ten-foot walls, and dodge baton-wielding gladiators. Some even sprint through electrically charged wires only to suffer muscle-seizing shocks and faceplant in the muck. Inand#12288;Off Course, Outsideand#12288;journalist and endurance athlete Erin Beresini dives straight into this strange world to reveal a new subculture of military-inspired amateur competition and the industry thatand#8217;s rapidly growing to support it. Having reached a crossroads in her own athletic pursuits, Beresini embarked on aand#12288;journey to train and compete in several obstacle races herself, culminating in the worldand#8217;s first marathon-length event, the grueling Spartan Ultra Beast. Along the way, she met a wild cast of characters, from frat boys to housewives, fitness buffs to financiers to fanatics, and uncovered the sport's biggest scandals, lawsuits, and rivalries.and#12288; As Beresini inches ever closer to her goal and#8212; and gets pretty buff in the process and#8212; she also illuminates the history, psychology, science, and sociology of this new sport thatand#8217;s taking the endurance world by storm.
About the Author
ERIN BERESINIandrsquo;s sports journalism has appeared in the New York Times, Outside, Triathlete, Inside Triathlon, and espnW.andnbsp;She is the former senior editor of Competitor Magazine. She currently writes Outsideandrsquo;s andldquo;Fitness Coachandrdquo; column. She is a world champion triathlete.andnbsp;
Table of Contents
and#160;and#160;and#160;
1.and#160;and#160;and#160;If Itand#8217;s Brokeand#8195;1
and#160;and#160;and#160;2.and#160;and#160;and#160;The Mud Kingsand#8195;17
and#160;and#160;and#160;3.and#160;and#160;and#160;Mouse vs Mudderand#8195;35
and#160;and#160;and#160;4.and#160;and#160;and#160;Vermonstersand#8195;55
and#160;and#160;and#160;5.and#160;and#160;and#160;Throwing a CrossFitand#8195;75
5.5.and#160;and#160;and#160;Training Dayand#8195;91
and#160;and#160;and#160;6.and#160;and#160;and#160;Hobie Call and the $100,000 Prizeand#8195;105
and#160;and#160;and#160;7.and#160;and#160;and#160;Unleashing the Ultra Beastand#8195;123
and#160;and#160;and#160;8.and#160;and#160;and#160;In the Army Nowand#8195;135
and#160;and#160;and#160;9.and#160;and#160;and#160;Endurance SandMand#8195;153
and#160;and#160;and#160;10.and#160;and#160;and#160;Injury Reportand#8195;169
and#160;and#160;and#160;11.and#160;and#160;and#160;This Is the Endand#8195;195
Post Mudemand#8195;211
Extrasand#8195;231