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26th out of 68 books
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101 voters
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Slow Fat Triathlete: Live Your Athletic Dreams in the Body You Have Now
The idea of participating in a triathlon may sound out of the realm of possibility for those without a typical jock-athlete's honed build, intense focus, and competitive mindset. But now Slow Fat Triathlete opens the door to those who may not come quite so equipped. After years of obesity, poor health, and self-doubt, Jayne Williams took part in her first triathlon in 2002...more
Paperback, 192 pages
Published
April 8th 2004
by Da Capo Press
(first published April 7th 2004)
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Nicole
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A self-proclaimed “Slow, Fat Triathlete”, author Jayne Williams announces to the health and fitness world that a person does not need to fit a slim-trim mold to compete in athletic endeavors! From page one, Williams describes various types of road and off-road challenges that may appear daunting to someone not seasoned in the arena of self-inflicted torture! William’s realistic ability to view herself as not in perfect shape, in her forties, and willing to laugh at her “foibles” prevails. Rep...more
fuck yeah dude. this totally got me through my triathlon. she's all like, "yeah, you're going to do dumb stuff like fall and be sweaty and muddy and gross and you're going to look like an asshole. and people are going to take one look at you and think you can't do shit because you're a fatty. but you know what? fuck them and do it anyways." really realistic and awesome and inspiring. a little light on the technical stuff, though, but there's a million other books out there for tha...more
I've been waiting for a book like this for a long time. I run, I bike, I swim, and yet I'm still the weight that I am and this book tells me to forget that and train anyway.
Don't let her account of her many ailments throw you off at first - she is leading to a very good point about working around these things and knowing your limits and surpassing what you thought you could do.
It's a feel good book that doesn't get all sappy.
Don't let her account of her many ailments throw you off at first - she is leading to a very good point about working around these things and knowing your limits and surpassing what you thought you could do.
It's a feel good book that doesn't get all sappy.
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Unapologetically NOT written by an expert, Jayne Williams simply tells her story of being almost 300 pounds with a variety of injuries and health issues to competing in triathlons. It's packed with humor and aimed for those who want to try something that they may never excel in, but who think the journey is worthwhile. Excerpt from page 2: "Hang with me for a couple of pages while I convince you just how unlikely it was that I would ever even start training for a triathlon, let alone work...more
I think this book serves its purpose well. You will need to read this book with another triathlon book if you want to get all of the knowledge that you need to really get started. However, this book does put a personal face on triathlons.
I found the writing style to be too cutesy for my tastes. I did enjoy the fact that she made triathlon sound fun, but I would prefer "just the facts."
I found the website that accompanies the book, and I was a little disappoin...more
I found the writing style to be too cutesy for my tastes. I did enjoy the fact that she made triathlon sound fun, but I would prefer "just the facts."
I found the website that accompanies the book, and I was a little disappoin...more
I bought this book because, after seeing the title, I thought it was a book about athletic pursuits geared to those of us who are not made completely of muscle.
Like my rating, I thought it was ok. It wasn't horrible, and the organization of it flowed in a pattern that made sense to me. I felt like I learned a few things too, and it made me go from no desire to try a triathlon to perhaps doing one once the kids are older.
But the writing was not that great. The conversat...more
Like my rating, I thought it was ok. It wasn't horrible, and the organization of it flowed in a pattern that made sense to me. I felt like I learned a few things too, and it made me go from no desire to try a triathlon to perhaps doing one once the kids are older.
But the writing was not that great. The conversat...more
We sell this book in the store where I work my second "get out of the house and meet people" job, and the title alone intrigued me. As a wannabe triathlete myself, I wanted to see what it was like for someone more athletically challenged (as well as fighting the battle of the bulge). Williams delights and amuses throughout the story. She offers excellent training tips interspersed with her "race reports," narratives describing her experience at a particular event. It made me ...more
I wanted to love this. I'm slow (really slow), not exactly fat but certainly not endurance-athlete skinny, and training for my first triathlon. While Williams is very encouraging that anyone can do a tri, she's trying so hard to be funny that it got annoying quickly for me. I'd recommend Triathloning for Ordinary Mortals over this as an accessible beginners guide to triathlons.
Jayne Williams is an unapologetic slow, fat, triathlete and she wants us to know that we can be, too. More motivational than how-to, Williams tears down triathlon myths (for example, I totally thought it was all Ironman stuff) and lets the truth hang out in all its glory by using her own experiences as an example. Her strategy works...I actually do think I could be a triathlete, someday...if I really wanted to, that is.
I loved this book. Main idea: no need to look like a greyhound in order to enjoy sports. This book is very funny but also very effective. Made the training approachable and enjoyable. It was my main source for doing my first-ever triathlon and it worked really well. After the race I sent her a note and she wrote me back to say congrats. I'm a big fan!
As an aspiring athlete who identifies strongly with the title (which I'll admit took me aback a bit at first) I found this book to be a great resource. It's full of encouragement, mystique-busting information (for instance describing the details of what transitions are and explaining much of the lingo) and really practical advice. It's also often extremely funny - I didn't expect to laugh out loud while reading about triathlon training! I've been thinking of doing a sprint triathlon for over a y...more
Dreaming about doing a triathlon next October. Quite funny as sit sick in my recliner in Dec. But hopefully I'll get some ideas for the upcoming months.
Finished this book the first week in February a week after getting back into the exercise swing. Now I'm doing PRE training following lots of Jayne's advice. This book was funny as well as informative and an excellent reminder that I'm doing this MOSTLY for fun and partly for fitness. I find it works well to "train" for some...more
Finished this book the first week in February a week after getting back into the exercise swing. Now I'm doing PRE training following lots of Jayne's advice. This book was funny as well as informative and an excellent reminder that I'm doing this MOSTLY for fun and partly for fitness. I find it works well to "train" for some...more
Not the how-to I was hoping for, but it was motivating and made the goal of completing a triathlon seem attainable. Ray and I went on to finish two sprint triathlons last season, and I'm signed on for one long sprint 4/10/10 and one international on 4/25/10.
I hope to NOT actually be a slow, fat triathlete by August. But Jayne certainly shares my view of why I'm really doing this whole thing - to get out there and just have a good time. So this was an important read to get my head in the right mind set.
Colleen S.
rated it
Recommends it for:
athletes, nonfiction readers, sports fans
Shelves:
interlibrary-loans,
nonfiction
A fun nonfiction book detailing how one "normal" woman in her forties went from couch potato to triathlete. Lots of self-deprecating humor, how tos, and useful lists for anyone interested in learning about the sport, the book is also worth the read even for those of us who have no intention of going tri. My younger sister is a triathlete, and learning a lot about the sport helps me to talk to her about her hobby and feel like I'm keeping up with her lingo.
Excellent, earthy, funny book by a woman who started running triathlons before she had an "athlete's" body. I found the book funny, insightful, and inspiring. She made me rethink my own fitness goals.
This book was pretty funny although not a lot of new info. I like the overall message of striving for fitness goals even though you might not be in perfect shape.
This book is hilarious! Great, straightforward advice and motivation, especially for beginners like me. It really got me excited to sign up again!
I enjoyed Jayne's humor, honesty, and reality checks. Nice to read a book that gives you tips and tricks, but is also realistic.
Jayne Williams is a woman who once weighed 269 pounds who decided to lose weight and get into shape to pursue her dream of competing in triathlons. She shares much practical advice, hard-earned wisdom, enthusiasm, and encouragement. She inspires my more than zaftig self to keep on keeping on in the pursuit of my own dream of hiking fourteeners and canyons once again.
Great read for those starting exercise from the couch -she tells her own story through the book...very inspiring
Awesome!!!! The writing is hilarious. Good advice. Honest. Simply inspirational. Sad that I gave my copy away.
Inspired me to do my first triathlon! Jayne Williams is fun and entertaining and very real.
Great information for beginners. The writing wasn't really my cup of tea, though.
I am inspired. This is my goal for next summer.
funny and helpful information.
Sandra Hammack Boyle
added it
Funny title, but a very "real" book
Inspirational in the sense that it tells the story of a slightly overweight, well-off woman who decided to start training and competing in triathlon. Nice in the sense that it keeps your expectations slight, encouraging you to train for shorter distance competitions instead of doing the full Ironman from the get go. Frustrating in that less time is devoted to the ins and outs of training than I would like and much more is devoted to shopping for gear than I like.
A good motivational...more
A good motivational...more
Very inspiring and helpful.
This was recommended by a friend at work. It's what I was hoping the The Nonrunner's Marathon Guide for Women would be—a motivational book for athletes like me. I was slightly discouraged that the author ran her first 5K faster than I've ever done one but felt better when I reminded myself that she's a lot younger than I am. I was very intrigued to learn that some triathlons have a separate division for women over 150 pounds; I might have a hope of competing in that class.
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