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Alison Pritchard

Alison Pritchard

About

I love all things arty, especially Art History.
Italy is my favourite country.
Ballet and tap dancing are my favourite pastimes, apart from writing and singing.

Learning to Breathe Fire: The Rise of CrossFit and the Primal Future of Fitness

Learning to Breathe Fire: The Rise of CrossFit and the Primal Future of Fitness

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<p><b>The absorbing, definitive account of CrossFit's origins, its explosive grassroots growth, and its emergence as a global phenomenon.</b><br /> <br />One of the most illuminating books ever on a sports subculture, <i>Learning to Breathe Fire </i>combines vivid sports writing with a thoughtful meditation on what it means to be human. In the book, veteran journalist J.C. Herz explains the science of maximum effort, why the modern gym fails an obese society, and the psychic rewards of ending up on the floor feeling as though you're about to die. <br /> <br />The story traces CrossFit’s rise, from a single underground gym in Santa Cruz to its adoption as the workout of choice for elite special forces, firefighters and cops, to its popularity as the go-to fitness routine for regular Joes and Janes. Especially riveting is Herz’s description of The CrossFit Games, which begin as an informal throw-down on a California ranch and evolve into a televised global proving ground for the fittest men and women on Earth, as well as hundreds of thousands of lesser mortals. <br /> <br />In her portrayal of the sport's star athletes, its passionate coaches and its “chief armorer,” Rogue Fitness, Herz powerfully evokes the uniqueness of a fitness culture that  cultivates primal fierceness in average people. And in the shared ordeal of an all-consuming workout, she unearths the ritual intensity that's been with us since humans invented sports, showing us how, on a deep level, we're all tribal hunters and first responders, waiting for the signal to go all-out. </p>

Story Behind The Book

Things rarely go to plan on holiday, and travelling round foreign parts in a second-hand campervan is fraught with mishaps! My dream initially was to take a 'van round Spain to follow in the footsteps of Laurie Lee in his book, 'As I walked Out One Midsummer Morning', where he walks through Spain on the cusp of the Civil War. The van wasn't as reliable as its former owner claimed, so my rather nervous disposition wasn't suited to this free-wheeling type of travel. Luckily my Other Half is practically minded, so things USUALLY could be sorted out without dire consequences. Unable to sell our little home-from-home for several years after this first trip, we continued to take the Eurotunnel to France and beyond for several years after ...

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Reviews

Review on Amazon by JAWSMC (John Smith)<br /><a href="http://bit.ly/uneasyrider">http://bit.ly/uneasyrider</a><br />&quot;This book is definitely worth a read if you own or are thinking of owning a motorhome. <br />Why ? <br />Well certainly not because it is full of handy hints and technical doodads, it isn't <br />It is written from the perspective of a really 'normal' young lady about her and her husbands travels throughout Europe in their various wheeled homes. <br />It is written in a way every one( men and women ) can and will empathise with, telling of the ups, downs, trials and tribulations of motorhome life. <br />It is probably the most entertaining 'factual' book I have ever read.. To call it merely a travel book would be a travesty. <br />There is one down side.. It ended too soon and left me longing for more of the same !&quot;<br /><br />Entry on my BLOG by Sue Lacosta<br /><a href="http://bit.ly/uneasyrider">www.campervantraveller.weebly.com</a><br />&quot;HI I've laughed so much reading extracts from your book. I'd already ordered it from Amazon before reading (i'd seen it on some camper van web site) and I'm so glad I did. I'm trying to talk my french/spanish husband into the purchase of a campervan particularly for my (our) dream trip of just wandering around europe when we retire in just a few years time. We both know Arcos well and I felt I was there with you on that trek up to the parador. We've had some hairy moments in our car when travelling through Spain and have also been helped by locals who didn't seem to understand what the fuss was about! ...Anyway, just wanted to say that I know that I'm going to enjoy the read and wait in anticipation of delivery... Keep on writing as you've got a great style. Kind regards Sue&quot;