Finding Ultra, Revised and Updated Edition: Rejecting Middle Age, Becoming One of the World's Fittest Men, and Discovering Myself

What could I, a 40 year old plus-sized woman, find interesting in a book about running, swimming, and cycling? Plenty! Rich Roll had a bright future when he enrolled at Standford. He was an amazing swimmer who had already had great success. Unfortunately, he became an alcoholic and that ended his chances for glory in the pool. Years of drinking nearly ruined his professional life as an attorney. He was lucky enough to have caring individuals around him who helped him enter into rehab and find sobriety. Years later, Rich is 40 years old and finds himself breathless when climbing the stairs of his house. He decides to make a change there and embark on a mission to become an endurance athlete. He beings training for an Ironman competition, eventually finding the Ultraman competitions. He also completely changes his diet to a plant-based one. I really enjoyed the story behind his success. The book is well-written and difficult to put down once you get into it. It's amazing how perseverance and dedication can completely change your life. I was concerned at one point that the book was more of a sales pitch for Rolls' website, Jai Lifestyle. I like reading about plant-based diets, but I don't want to be preached to or sold to either. Thankfully, the book didn't come across that way in more than a couple of places. My favorite quotes from the book: *Unfortunately, I'd once again brought myself with me. *You're what I call terminally unique. You think you're special. Your problems remarkable and singular. People like you die. ~ Therapist to Rich *"The prize never goes to the fastest guy," Chris replied. "It goes to the guy who slows down the least." True in endurance sports. And possibly even truer in life. *So if that was it, would you be satisfied with how you'd pursued your life? ~ Rich's wife to him I truly enjoyed this book. I may even buy it in hard copy for the nutritional information in the appendices. Highly recommend.

This is one of the most helpful books I've read in a long time for surprising reasons. It reminded me to put pride aside, try hard if it's really important, set a goal and and don't give up, remember to rest, and how important it is to use food for fuel. I've never run a race, but this book is applicable for whatever "race" you are running in your life. The chapter "There are no finish lines", is, in essence the best, most succinct summary of every self help book I've ever read. The author is humble and open about his struggles and even his arrogance at times. This book has been an unlikely but indispensable resource for me as I struggle through my own "ultra marathon" of grief and depression. I think of this book when I don't want to get up and run or go to the gym. Our health is everything, and my mental health depends on moving my body. Most of us don't have the luxury and opportunities that the author had in this book, but the life lessons can be applied to anyone's journey, no matter the situation. I am grateful to Rich Roll for this book. I dislike using the overused cliche, but it really has changed, maybe even saved my life.

Finding Ultra certainly is an interesting book. Rich Roll is a phenomenol athlete, no question about it. Gifted and talented genetically, no question. However, his diet is very advanced. Many of the food items discussed are either not readily obtainable or not realistically affordable. To boot, it appears that Rich supplements like crazy. In fact he has a whole side business of supplements and recovery products that fit in with the extreme plant diet. If the diet works, why the need to supplement? Basically, the diet is scant on protein, but the question of the healthiness of the foods he eats and recommends is without doubt. The foods certainly are healthy. Everyone should at least try to incorporate as many of Rich's food recommendations as often as possible. Some things I did not like about the story - we here have an obviously nice, talented, and charming person, movie star looks, all the right things. But then again, we don't hear any real remorse where he nearly killed someone due to his callous and viciously intoxicated driving. There's an actual tone of glee in the book's voice as he describes a supposedly "lost" conviction for his first DUI, thus letting him avoid a mandatory jail sentence. There are ways to convey deep remose for the wrongs one has done. However, the book doesn't really display this. Second, as other reviewers mention, we basically see an obsessive compulsive addictive personality, driven to abnormal extremes in just about every facet of life, whether it be diet, exercise, time spent "on the bike" and in pursuit of other activities. He certainly wasn't a blessing, and was what I read as quite a pain in the butt to the closest people around him while he was drinking. He was extremely fortunate and very lucky to have family and friends that cared for him and supported him through a really intense, expensive, and lengthy rehabilitation process which no question saved his life. Unfortunately for most readers, the same luck, love and opportunity simply would not be available. So he's a lucky guy. Now some good things about the story. For all of Rich's faults, he is a fun, flawed, interesting, inspirational, talented, unique person with gifts certainly worth admiring, and lessons certainly worth considering. He makes exercise sound gruesomely fun, and the more of it, the better. He brings a whole new wicked focus into the plant based vegan diet. This enthusiasm is very cool. Just remember, this is a very hard act to follow. Rich's compulsions are not average at all. His is an experiment of one among many plans which might work or might not for any number of people. I think that's the bottom line on the book. As Rich says, "Nothing changes if nothing changes."

This book changed my life, I was going through a complicated period in my life. Overweight, didn’t love my job, no purpose in life, etc. Rich Roll was my inspiration to regain control of my life and change everything. Thanks Rich

L'histoire de Rich Roll est passionnante, bouleversante et tout simplement magique. Un livre à recommander à tout le monde, sportif ou non, pour se donner l'impulsion de changer sa vie. Ce livre est rempli d'espoir et d'émotion, le récit des différents challenges rencontrés n'est jamais monotone et se dévore en quelques heures.

The book can be best described as consisting of three sections. The first section is the author's journey from a bright and promising childhood to an adult life of alcoholic addiction, followed by sobriety, then followed by junk food and screen addiction, then followed by his journey to being an ultra-athlete and a triathlete. The book is very honest about life situations faced by the author, which led him to the decisions that he made. The author's journey from someone who had the ticket to join a number of ivy league universities (Havard, Stanford) to getting into rehab for alcohol addiction is very honest. The books lay bare all the wounds suffered by the author. The second section is about the training and experience of the author while training and participating in Endurance events. The author also reveals to a certain extent his spiritual discoveries as he prepares for Ultraman competition. Once again author is very forthcoming with the challenges faced, making him look like an ordinary guy who is trying to juggle so many things. The books also document the author's journey of EPIC5 - Five ironman distance triathlons, each on a different Hawaiian island, all completed in less than a week. The third section is about Nutrition. This talks about author's discovery of Plant-based nutrition. The book talks in detail about the food choices that the author makes and the reason behind it. The book goes in detail in debunking lots of food myths, especially in the fitness/endurance field. The appendices offer lots of information, indices, as well as resources for anyone interested in switching to a plant-based (read Vegan) nutrition or diet. I loved reading the book and there were lots of takeaways. I will strongly recommend this book to anyone who is or looking forward to being an endurance athlete. If you are planning to lose weight or have a dream of running a half-marathon or complete a triathlon event, then this is a must-read.

I bought this book as a gift for a friend but ended up reading it myself! I found it informative and inspirational. I find myself in a similar situation as Rich did - middle aged, low energy, unhealthy. I have a young child and want to be there for her with more energy for the long haul despite living in a cold climate that’s somewhat isolated and a lifetime of food addiction. Rich is a wonderful example of how you can completely transform your life with hard work and dedication. We are all capable of so much more than we think, we just need to take those first steps. I revisit Rich’s podcast often and it has been helping me move closer to my healthier life despite the challenges. Thank you Rich.

Ich nehme es gleich vorweg: Finding Ultra ist eines der besten Bücher, die ich jemals gelesen habe, auf jeden Fall unter den Top 3, wenn nicht sogar Platz 1. Ich war sowas von geflasht von diesem Buch. Rich Roll beschließt einen Abend vor seinem 40. Geburtstag, dass sich in seinem Leben radikal etwas ändern muss. Eigentlich hat er das perfekte Leben, eine tolle Frau, tolle Kinder, eine super Karriere und den damit erreichten Wohlstand. Doch körperlich merkt er, dass er einfach nicht mehr der Fitteste ist. Es reicht ihm aber nicht einfach ein bisschen mehr Sport zu machen und sich gesünder zu ernähren, nein, er wird innerhalb kürzester Zeit zum Vegetarier, dann zum Veganer und sucht sich ambitioniertes sportliches Ziel: Ultraman. Dabei handelt es sich um eine besondere Art des Triathlons, bei dem 10km geschwommen, 421km Rad gefahren und 84km gelaufen werden. Hammer hart oder? Zum Zeitpunkt seines Entschlusses hat er ein halbes Jahr Zeit, um darauf zu trainieren. Die Story beginnt mit einem Preface, in dem man als Leser unmittelbar in den zweiten Tag des Rennens katapultiert wird, und zwar zu einem bösen Sturz, der nichts Gutes erahnen lässt. Ob es Rich dennoch am Ende ins Ziel schafft nehme ich mal nicht vorweg. Nur so viel: Schon allein das Preface hatte mich in seinen Bann gezogen, sodass ich das Buch am liebsten gar nicht mehr weglegen wollte. Leider kam ich nur in der Ubahn wirklich zum Lesen, aber freute mich auf jede einzelne Fahrt und konnte es gar nicht erwarten weiterzulesen. Das erste Kapitel beginnt dann mit besagtem Abend vor dem 40. Geburtstag und die Entwicklung der folgenden Tage. Anschließend erzählt Rich aber erst einmal wie es soweit kommen konnte, was ihn in seiner Jugend geprägt hat, wie er während des Studiums zum Alkoholiker wurde, davon wieder loskam, mit welchen Struggeln er zu kämpfen hatte und wie er letztendlich zu dem Leben mit seiner Frau Julie kam, das er jetzt führt. Der Großteil des Buches widmet sich natürlich dann der Vorbereitung, dem Training und den Rennen selbst. Wirklich beeindruckend. Das siebte Kapitel widmet sich komplett der Geheimwaffe von Rich, der Pflanzenpower. Dabei geht er sowohl auf die gesundheitlichen Vorteile für ihn als auch auf die allgemeine Durchführbarkeit einer veganen Ernährung ein. Auch die ökologischen und ethischen Gründe reist er kurz an. Rich kam „zwar“ aus gesundheitlichen Gründen zum Veganismus, ist aber nun durchaus auch ein Verfechter der ethischen Gründe für den Veganismus. Der Appendix 1 am Ende des Buches widmet sich ebenso der veganen Ernährung. Es zeigt die Grundlagen eben dieser auf. Dabei geht Rich neben Fragen, wo man bestimmte Vitamine und Eiweiß herbekommt, auch auf das Prinzip der alkalischen Ernährung, Hintergründe zu Gluten, Getreide, Sprossen und Keimlingen ein. Im Appendix 2 wird ein typischer Tagesablauf bzw. Mahlzeitplan vorgestellt sowie Strategien fürs Essen außer Haus. Im letzten Teil des Buches, dem Appendix 3, werden relevante Quellen, Links, Bücher und weitere Informationsmöglichkeiten genannt. Ich konnte da den ein oder anderen Tipp mitnehmen. Insgesamt ist das Buch ein unheimlich motivierendes uns inspirierendes Buch. Mich hat es fasziniert, in seinen Bann gezogen und nachhaltig bewegt. Nicht zulesetzt der angenehme und packende Sprachstil macht es für mich zu einem ganz besonderen Buch. Finding Ultra ist keine Anleitung wie man einen Ultraman läuft, noch ist es nur für Menschen geschrieben, die vorhaben einen zu laufen. Es geht um weit mehr als nur den körperlichen Akt des Laufens. Rich Roll fasst das in einem Interview ganz gut zusammen: [It is] much more of a spiritual journey, a return to the heart, a return to a more authentic way of living in alignment with one’s soul purpose.[It is about] finding that thing inside you that you always wanted to do and determining a way to unlock it and unleash it, whatever that is. Ultraman is only a metaphor for whatever that dream deferred is that we all have that life seems too busy to ever attend to. Ich würde mir sehr wünschen, dass das Buch in weitere Sprachen, insbesondere ins Deutsche, übersetzt wird. Ich würde das Buch so gerne meinem Vater und meinem Onkel zum Lesen geben.