I'm Here To Win: A World Champion's Advice for Peak Performance [Hardcover]

Chris McCormack (Author), Tim Vandehey (Contributor)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 23, 2011

In I'M HERE TO WIN, Chris "Macca" McCormack opens his playbook and reveals everything it takes-mind, body, and spirit-to become a champion. Now he shares the story of his triumphs and the never-say-die dedication that has made him the world's most successful triathlete.

In 2010, at the age of 37, Macca beat the odds and won the Ford Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii for a second time in what many called the most dramatic finish in the race's history. Macca's journey to athletic greatness is more than just one of physical perseverance. After coming in fourth in Hawaii in 2009, Macca returned to the island on a mission: He was there to win. A game plan containing a new strategic approach to winning brought him first across the finish line.

Chris McCormack has dedicated his life to training for-and winning-the Ironman Hawaii, one of the most grueling tests of mental and physical endurance in the world. The race challenges athletes to swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles, and run a full marathon, 26.2 miles, using all their strength and willpower to overcome the incredibly harsh conditions.

In I'M HERE TO WIN Macca provides concrete training advice for everyone-from weekend warriors who casually compete to seasoned veterans who race every week to armchair athletes looking for an extra push-and provides insight into the mind of a great champion with excitement and inspiration on every page.

I'M HERE TO WIN is also available as an enhanced e-book with embedded video and audio.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"McCormack recaps important races throughout his career with candor...He shares training expertise while offering readers advice to develop their own routines, exercise programs and race strategies... not for the faint of heart." (Forbes.com)

"If you're a competitive athlete and want to focus on your mental game, read I'm Here to Win. "Macca" is straight up and honest, putting forth embarrassing moments, times of doubt, and how he made it to the top of the podium so many times." (Stack.com)

About the Author

Chris McCormack "Macca" was born in Sydney, Australia on April 4, 1973. He won titles and awards for his participation in sports during his school years, but initially chose education over a pro sports career and became an accountant after graduating from the University of New South Wales. He began competing professionally in 1996, and most recently, won the 2010 Ironman World Championship in Honolulu.

Tim Vandehey is a professional ghostwriter, book collaborator and "book doctor." Since 2004, he has ghostwritten or co-written more than 30 books in the self-improvement, memoir, sports, spiritual, health, business, and financial genres. They include Produced by Faith with DeVon Franklin, Running on Faith with Jason Lester, and How to Make the Rest of Your Life the Best of Your Life with Mark Victor Hansen and Art Linkletter. Tim lives on Bainbridge Island, Washington, with his wife and two daughters.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Center Street (May 23, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1455502677
• ISBN-13: 978-1455502677
• Product Dimensions: 6.2 x 1.1 x 9.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (51 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #195,696 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #82 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Exercise & Fitness > Triathlons
  • #90 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Individual Sports > Triathlon

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 25 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great detail and and honest portrait May 24, 2011

By Joe P.

Format:Hardcover

I'm not an Ironman; my triathlons are strictly sprint distance. But as a cyclist and swimmer, I've followed the career of Chris McCormack for years, and I both anticipated and dreaded this book. Anticipated because who wouldn't want insight into the mind of the greatest athlete in the history of triathlon? Dreaded because I was afraid it would be some publicist-softened puff piece that glossed over Macca's trademark cockiness, mental game and trash talking.

Well, I worried needlessly. "I'm Here to Win" is brilliant and exhaustive. Chris bares his soul to talk about everything from his mother's death from breast cancer to the death of his best friend on the very day that he qualified for Ironman Hawaii. You get a lengthy look inside the mind of this great athlete and realize that as incredible as his talent and training regimen are, his mind is truly what gives him the edge over younger, faster triathletes. There is gold in here, and the blow-by-blow account of the incredible 2010 Kona finish with Andreas Raelert is worth the price of the book all by itself!

Then there's the "Macca is cocky" stuff. This book pulls no punches there, either. Macca comes across as totally real and authentic, which means that sometimes, he does come across as a cocky SOB. The section that relates his "war" with Normann Stadler and Faris al-Sultan after the 2006 Ironman World Championships is absolutely priceless. I found myself alternating between thinking the guy was an obsessive egomaniac and rooting for him to take down the people who disrespected him. Of course, all that ego is balanced out by accounts like his honest, agonizing story of dropping out of the 2004 Kona race because of heat cramps only to watch a bloodied age group racer carry his bike after a terrifying crash...and finish the race.

"I'm Here to Win" is a triathlon in itself: part memoir, part training guide, and part expose of the inner workings of a sport that fascinates and punishes so many of us. Whether you love Chris McCormack or can't stand him, you've GOT to read this book.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Inspirational July 12, 2011

By Lisa Wright

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I loved this book. It's more than just a book on training, it's about balance in life, finding what you love, and being successful at it. I found Macca to be a true inspiration.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great and Inspiring Read! June 28, 2011

By Marc Geraldez

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Really enjoyed reading this book and often found myself laughing out loud every time he talked about the mental games with the other athletes. He really opened up a lot in this book and cemented the fact that he is my favorite athlete.