Book Review—Fit Soul, Fit Body
By Brant Secunda and Mark Allen
Back in 1989, Mark Allen, who had failed on his previous six attempts at winning the Ironman World Championship in Kona, was neck and neck with the legendary Dave Scott at the halfway point of the marathon in the race at Kona when he saw a vision of a shaman. The vision, he says, gave him enough mental strength to hold on and eventually pull away for his first world title.
Earlier that week, Allen had seen an advertisement in a magazine that had a picture of Secunda and his grandfather, a Huichol healer named Don Jose. The two were having a workshop on the way Native Americans lived, in harmony with nature and in peaceful accord with life. It was the image of Don Jose in full tribal dress that popped into Allen’s head during that crucial moment.
Allen began working with Secunda after that race and went on to win another five straight Ironman World Championships.
But, Fit Soul, Fit Body isn’t about winning Ironman triathlons. It’s about simplifying your life and taking care of your body. While written for anyone, triathletes and runners from the novice to the elite can benefit from the information in Secunda and Allen’s book, which delves deep into the benefits of eliminating stress.
Secunda and Allen offer tips on not just exercise but how to relax your mind, how to establish and achieve personal goals, how to eat properly, and how to reconnect with the natural world. It also offers get-fit plans for beginners, intermediates, and advanced athletes. The plans include low-intensity aerobic activity a few times a week along with specific instructions on different strength training exercises.
If you want to make your training and your life work together in balance and harmony, Fit Soul, Fit Body is an excellent and informative source of information.
