Survival of the fittest- Mike Stroud
Posted: Mon 02 Aug, 2004 12:50 pm
If you ever think you're hard done by the next time you're marching with a loaded bergen, read this book. Some of the things this bloke has done in his life are incredible.
He tells stories of marathons in the sahara desert, dragging sledges unaided accross the antarctic, and explains how we are all capable of such feats.
He goes into detail on diet, and how we are designed to eat a mainly vegetarian diet, with a lot of fish. He explains that we are designed for constant exercise, and goes on to say that if we don't exercise enough and get the right nutrients, our bodies fall ill. Sounds like common sense, but it does all make sense when he explains it. We are all capable of marathons, he says. Most people just aren't disciplined enough to keep themselves healthy.
Also, according to this book, before the turn of the last century, heart disease and some cancers were rarely heard of. It's because we have become less active over the years, and ready meals full of salt, fat, sugar and chemicals have emerged. Obesity is a fairly new health problem, and it's because we are not doing the things we are designed to do.
All in all, this book is a good read, especially if you're training. There was a pont where I thought I was overtraining, but after reading this book, I've realised that I do f**k all compared to this bloke, and he's almost double my age. More to the point, he took his father on one of his eco-challenges (an ultra-endurance race accross extreme terrain) and he's in his seventies! If he can do an eco-challenge, I sure bloody hope I can pass the AACC...
Since reading this book, I have read that the author, Mike Stroud, along with Sir Ranulph Fiennes (An ex-SAS soldier who was thrown out for blowing up a movie set, if anyone didn't know.) ran 7 marathons in 7 continents...in 7 days. If any book will give you drive and determination, this will. Forget any other books about diet and fitness. This bloke is a doctor, an expert on diet and metabolism, and if he's capable of doing the things he tells in his book, don't you want to listen to his advice?
He tells stories of marathons in the sahara desert, dragging sledges unaided accross the antarctic, and explains how we are all capable of such feats.
He goes into detail on diet, and how we are designed to eat a mainly vegetarian diet, with a lot of fish. He explains that we are designed for constant exercise, and goes on to say that if we don't exercise enough and get the right nutrients, our bodies fall ill. Sounds like common sense, but it does all make sense when he explains it. We are all capable of marathons, he says. Most people just aren't disciplined enough to keep themselves healthy.
Also, according to this book, before the turn of the last century, heart disease and some cancers were rarely heard of. It's because we have become less active over the years, and ready meals full of salt, fat, sugar and chemicals have emerged. Obesity is a fairly new health problem, and it's because we are not doing the things we are designed to do.
All in all, this book is a good read, especially if you're training. There was a pont where I thought I was overtraining, but after reading this book, I've realised that I do f**k all compared to this bloke, and he's almost double my age. More to the point, he took his father on one of his eco-challenges (an ultra-endurance race accross extreme terrain) and he's in his seventies! If he can do an eco-challenge, I sure bloody hope I can pass the AACC...
Since reading this book, I have read that the author, Mike Stroud, along with Sir Ranulph Fiennes (An ex-SAS soldier who was thrown out for blowing up a movie set, if anyone didn't know.) ran 7 marathons in 7 continents...in 7 days. If any book will give you drive and determination, this will. Forget any other books about diet and fitness. This bloke is a doctor, an expert on diet and metabolism, and if he's capable of doing the things he tells in his book, don't you want to listen to his advice?
