Book of the Day: Endure

Title: Endure: Mind, Body, and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance

Author: Alex Hutchinson

From the book: “You have to teach athletes, somewhere in their careers, that they can do more than they think they can. The brain rules the body. If races were really just plumbing contests — tests of whose pipes could deliver the most oxygen and pump the most blood — they would be boringly deterministic — but science has confirmed what athletes have always known: that there’s more in there— if you’re willing to believe it.”

Takeaway: As a young coach, I was drawn to tactical and theoretical texts. As I age, books on the so called “grey areas” of sport are more attractive. Alex wrote a really useful book. Steve and I had him on the podcast a while back to talk with him about it — you can listen to this lively episode here. The brain is the master organ. And Alex does a quality job exploring the brain and its impact on performance through a sports science, antidotal, and practical lens. This is a good book for endurance athlete and coach alike. If you haven’t read it — it’s worth it.

Shop: Get your copy of Endure here.