Book Review: I’m Here To Win
Friday, December 9th, 2011
While I was stuck in the St. Lucia airport at the end of my honeymoon, facing another seven hours of flights ahead of me, I bit the bullet and downloaded the “I’m Here to Win” audiobook to my droid. I have been interested in cracking open the book since it came out, but hesitated to give any money to Macca because he has built up such a reputation as an arrogant douche bag within the triathlon community. (Plus, I was able to get the audiobook free as my first download from Audible.com, so that made me feel a little better about the download.)
More than anything else, I was curious to see if the book would change my perception of him as a person and athlete.
What It Covers
I’m not going to give a full synopsis of the book. If you want that, google some other reviews or just read it yourself. The book covers a wide range of stories about Chris growing up, dreaming of Kona, starting his career in short course racing, winning a TON of races and building up to his wins in Kona. While Macca has probably won more races than any other triathlete in history (I’m too lazy to verify that stat), I was surprised about how often he talked about major mistakes that he had made throughout his career. There were a lot more glimpses of humility than I expected. He readily admits that he wasn’t always the world-championship caliber athlete that he is today and that both mentally and physically, he has come a long way in his career.
What Surprised Me
Chris talks a lot about other athletes and his relationships with them on and off the race course. With the exception of a few athletes that he is very friendly with, almost every single mention of another athlete was a criticism sandwich. You know, when you want to give someone criticism, but sandwich it with to compliments to not make yourself look like an asshole? That is Macca’s MO for pretty much any discussions about other athletes.
I knew that Macca was very critical of other athletes, but the depth of his analysis really surprised me. He called out the triathlon media (and his fellow professionals) at only really sizing up the competition based on split times and places on the podium. A criticism that I think is absolutely valid. Especially since he calls out multiple scenarios where he is able to dissect his competition and come up with strategies to successfully beat them on race day. But he wasn’t just critical for the sake of being critical and stirring the pot. He is ridiculously analytical and breaks down other athletes, both physically and mentally, to find ways to give him an edge.
Is It Worth A Read?
The short answer is yes. An answer that I’m surprised to give.
There may be too much ego-driven chest pounding for some people, but if you can get over that, I think it is definitely worth a read. There are lots of great tips and talk about sports psychology to get you to rethink how you approach training and racing. The biggest thing that Macca brings is his ability to learn from other sports. Whether it is talking shit like a boxer, or understanding the nuances of vascular vs muscular hydration from body builders, he takes the best from other sports to make himself a better athlete.
It brought me back to my days of high school cross country when my coach taught me about the “duck and slide.” Rather than just trying to wear down another runner that is matching you stride for stride, get a few feet on him and wait for a blind corner. As soon as you are around the corner, let loose. The mental barrier of seeing you drift away in an instant, once he comes around the corner after you, is almost always crushing and they can’t come back. (At least in a 5k) It is that kind of mind game, both on and off the course, that Macca used to set himself apart.
But in the end, Macca still doesn’t seem to get how much reputation damage he has caused with his race strategy. He has at least acknowledged that public favor was never his mission. Like the book title says. He is here to win. He has done that. More than twice.
Do I still think he is a douche bag? No, he is just incredibly misunderstood. I really think he has no clue how the average triathlete (or at least the ones I talk to) perceive him. But that is fine. He got the wins he wanted, is raising a boat load of money for charity, and is backing away from traveling to spend time with his kids. Not a bad life he has made for himself. He still has a massive ego, but when you’ve won as much as he has, I can’t blame him.
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