This book was given to me by a friend at work. I just started reading it and it is already on my list of favorite books. Just the preface alone almost made me tear. This is a story about willpower, but I am finding, within the story, other mini-stories. One of them for example is on the preface. Rich is recounting day two of the Ultraman competition. Day one had been a success and he had finished in 1st place with 10 minutes ahead o the 2nd place competitor.
On day 2, the story was much more different. He fell off his bike and got hurt. His bicycle lost a pedal and it happened in the one area where the assistance crew was not allowed to park which meant he was all alone with no one to help. That was it for him. There was no way he could continue the race. He had no choice but to quit as there was no way he could race the one hundred thirty five miles he still had a ahead of him on a broken bicycle. What a shame, all his hard work was thrown away in a matter of seconds.
He got on his bike and pedaled with one leg while the other hanged loose. There was one more mile before he could get to where the assistance crew was waiting. There he would mount his bike on his truck and head back to the hotel. How embarrassed must he had felt. It was all over for him…or so he thought. This is where the assistance crew came into play and this is where you understand that no one makes it alone. His assistance crew was there to help him, but that was not what stroke me as that was expected. What impacted me the most was when he says “I’m suddenly surrounded by half a dozen crew members–from other competitors’ crews–all rushing to my aid.” What impacted me also was the action of Peter getting him a new pedal so that he could continue the race then looked him in the eye and told him “This is not over. Now, get back on your bike and get id done.”