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.

Rich Roll's book is one heck of a riveting, good read. And NOT, only for the subject matter it covers. Which of course, is deeply engaging in its own right. As, there are not many who sink to such lows as did the author, and then come back to perform so well, on a such a grand, public stage. Yet, I've not heard many speak of it from another, 'angle.' It is a concisely-penned, well-organized, often heart-breakingly honest narrative - one that'll keep your eyes, some might say, 'nailed to the book.' It'll have you understanding, even 'feeling,' what it is like to watch a life spiral out of control, toward addiction. Yet it'll also have you cheering, in mind, as things take turn for better. A good aspect, there. Ah yes: And if you're anything like me, the story'll likely have you laughing out loud, in sections. As in case of author sharing true tale of showing up to law school, among the many, well-read, well-prepared souls - whereas he, after months of alcohol addiction? Well, he claims: 'The only thing I was prepared for was happy hour.' Yep, I believe I DID 'laugh out loud,' at that admission. Hilarious. Most memoirs, at least the ones I've read with an athletic bent to them, cannot do that to you. 'That,' being bring about such a wide range of emotion. Tell such a worthwhile story, one that needs to be told - particularly, as so many can use it to help bolster true notion that 'it's never too late.' And do it all, in such a concisely-written, engaging, enjoyable way, so as to make it a read - no matter length! - that demands to be read in a sitting or two. Good stuff, I say... To put it mildly! I downloaded the Kindle version - worth each, every penny, and more.

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.

Ottimo

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.