Synopses & Reviews
Life is better when youre a triathlete. That is what author and illustrator Jef Mallett believes. This light-hearted declaration of love for triathlon is colored with humor, personal experience, and felicitous connections to literature, history, and music. Beginning with the alluring excitement (and terror) of the new triathlete, Mallett delves into the intoxicating subculture of the sport that is three sports. Sweeping text and amusing illustrations bring to life the countless conundrums a triathlete embracesfrom the glory of training to the lasting rewards of racing. Triathletes and those who love them will find this book a fun and worthy indulgence.
Review
"A funny, heartfelt, serious work of evangelism." — Peter Sagal, host of NPR's Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me! and contributor to Runner's World magazine
"Jef Mallett's comics seem to frequently express something I've done or thought of myself while training. Trizophrenia is no different. Jef has a good sense of what others in the sport are thinking. If you're a triathlete, I'm sure you will enjoy the book. It's a quick read and will leave you contemplating what you do so seriously many hours a day while chuckling at the same time." — Joe Friel, founder of TrainingBible Coaching and author of The Triathlete's Training Bible
“Jef Mallett is a gifted, funny fellow. I enjoyed dipping in and out of Trizophrenia.” — Scott Tinley
"Following Frazz is like seeing my favorite racer winning every stage of the Tour de France. Just when I think he can't be any cooler he comes up with yet another funny truth to show me how spectacular the world really is." — Andy Hampsten
"Jef Mallett fearlessly mines truths—sometimes uncomfortable truths—with humor and wit, and occasionally with a poignancy that can summon tears." — Gene Weingarten, Below the Beltway columnist for The Washington Post
"I love Frazz—the way he deals with real problems and people, and makes it look so easy. He's a cool guy. Frazz says more in a few words than anyone on the comic strip page. I love him. Once you see Frazz talking about you, you know you've arrived." — Elmore Leonard, author
"Whether you're twelve years old or pushing eighty, Frazz is the smartest comic strip going—sly, satirical, and unabashedly literate." — Carl Hiaasen, author
"Trizophrenia would make a great gift for someone who's cheered at a lot of triathlons, someone thinking about getting into triathlons, someone training for their first triathlon, or someone who's been competing in triathlons for years." — Steve in a Speedo
"Trizophrenia is a wonderfully humorous and informative book. I was instantly pulled into the world of a triathlete and soon realized that they may even be slightly crazier than long-distance runners. By the time I finished reading the book, I was thinking, "Hey, maybe I can actually complete a triathlon." — Runner Dude
"Jef Mallett, the award-winning creator of the syndicated comic strip Frazz, unravels the sport's mystery and madness while raising it to new heights of hilarity." — Humble Triathlete
"Trizophrenia is no snobbish elite-athletes-only affair. Mallett’s raucous humor abounds, his illustrations are hilarious, and the footnotes add to the guffaws." — Grand Rapids Press
“Combining great wit, detailed footnotes and comical cartoons, Trizophrenia is a great read for any cyclist, swimmer, runner, tri geek.” — BicycleSmile.com
"I understand the compulsions that come with triathlon; the training, the cost, the competition, the early mornings, the energy gels that masquerade as food. Jef Mallett makes these easily accessible to the great unwashed. His writing is smooth and clear and carries you along with a sense of fun the surrounds every sentence. Trizophrenia is a fun and informative read for anyone who loves time on a bike, on the road, or in the water." — Greg Moody, author and critic for CBS 4 Denver
“In Trizophrenia, Mallet uses humor to make pain interesting and entertaining, as he presents the trials and tribulations of the elite athletes who swim, bike and run, all in the same race.” — Lansing City Pulse
Synopsis
Trizophrenia celebrates the seemingly obsessive-compulsive rituals of the triathlete. Eat, swim, eat, work, eat, run, eat, go to bed early. Get up at dawn and do it all over again. The schedule of a triathlete demands focus and coordination, but with three sports, a job, and a family, it can be a lot to juggle. With humor, insight, and perhaps a bit of pride, Mallett spins out the story that begins with a whim or a friend’s prodding and then takes on new meaning. Mallett’s colorful anecdotes capture all the glory of training and the lasting rewards of race day, relishing the legs of the race that went so well and replaying the one that did not. Humorous illustrations bring to life the countless conundrums a triathlete must face and embrace. Mallett’s light-hearted declaration of love for his sport draws from a wide range of personal experiences and sources—literature, music, and science—that will convince anyone that life is more worth living when you’re a triathlete.
About the Author
Jef Mallett is the author and illustrator of the nationally syndicated comic strip "Frazz", which runs in over 160 newspapers in the U.S. and Canada and at comics.com/frazz. Jef has published three collections of "Frazz" illustrations, Frazz 3.14159…, Frazz, Live at Bryson Elementary, and 99 Percent Perspiration. He also illustrated Jamie Smith's book, Roadie: The Misunderstood World of a Bike Racer. Jef writes a regular column for Inside Triathlon and Triathlete magazines and is a contributing artist for VeloNews magazine. Jef has been racing triathlons on and off since the early '80s, alternating between triathlon and bike racing. He finished his first Ironman in fall 2008.