內容介紹
在四十多歲時,格溫多琳·邦茲 (Gwendolyn Bounds)參加了一個晚宴,有人問一個小女孩:「你長大後想成為什麼?」
這句話讓 格溫多琳·邦茲深受觸動:到了中年,沒有人再問你這個問題了。所以她在心中反覆思考這個問題。答案讓她走上了一條意想不到的五年轉變之路,她從一個整天盯著屏幕、缺乏運動的辦公室主管變成了一名障礙跑競賽獎牌得主和世界錦標賽參賽者。障礙跑競賽是一項要求速度、耐力、靈活性和力量的嚴格軍事風格運動。
在《永遠不嫌晚: 在任何年齡突破自我的力量》這本書中,格溫多琳·邦茲探討了挑戰新事物和困難如何顛覆了她對中年的期望,同時也幫助她化解了年輕時的種種遺憾。她從操場和健身房開始重新學習童年時的動作(如在單杠上盪秋千、爬繩子);到遙遠的斯巴達競賽場地努力掌握在困難地形中奔跑,並克服如攀越高牆、在鐵絲網下匍匐前進以及扛著重石爬山等挑戰。
格溫多琳·邦茲的旅程為任何渴望從生活中獲得更多的人提供了靈感和路線圖。在《永遠不嫌晚: 在任何年齡突破自我的力量》中穿插了來自科學家、長壽醫學醫生、哲學家、精英運動員的見解,這些見解教我們如何重新想像我們的極限和我們認為自己是誰。通過格溫多琳·邦茲的故事,隨著她改變身體和心態的過程,我們學習到人類如何利用內在儲備的能量動力,面對各種恐懼,在任何人生階段都能突破自我。
作者格溫多琳·邦茲 (Gwendolyn Bounds)平常久坐辦公室整天盯著屏幕,她因為一次晚宴的一句話被打醒。當時一位男子問了一個女孩「你長大後想成為什麼?」,當時格溫多琳·邦茲驚覺再也不會有人問她這個問題了,已經中年的她想了一晚,隔天早上喝著咖啡她無意識的google了what are the hardest thing you can do,然後一頭栽入了障礙跑競賽。
作者在書中建議讀者嘗試任何新事物時
★不要設門檻自我限制
★接受讓自己看起來愚蠢
★準備好忘記學過的技能與重新學習
★找到你的極限和平衡點
★專注於做出更好的小決定
格溫多琳·邦茲在一場和斯巴達競賽(Spartan)創辦人喬·德·塞納(Joe De Sena)對談中提到她有一次搭飛機的時候看到一個女生沒有辦法把一個小包放到座位上的行李艙,當時這個女生和格溫多琳抱怨「放行李和拿行李是旅行中最困難的部份」,格溫多琳覺得難以置信。自從她參與了障礙跑競賽與斯巴達競賽後,她的心得是這些競賽中其實訓練的是讓每個人能夠在日常生活中運用這些肌肉與耐力,當你在大賣場要拿層架上的東西或是搭飛機要放隨身行李到行李艙不應該讓人心生恐懼,也許有些人覺得斯巴達競賽太難,但格溫多琳覺得每個人都應該為自己的身體負責,做到fit for life。
格溫多琳覺得健康沒有捷徑,現在太多的速食健康養生書(5 minute health hacks)寫的一副不用花時間不要流汗就可以輕輕鬆鬆擁有六塊肌,對她而言健康並沒有捷徑而是每天持之以恆的微小決定,健康不是只有上健身房才能得到,公園裡就有免費的健身器材、學校裡有免費的操場可以練跑,生活中有很多我們可以做的事來保持身體的健康。
這不是一本單純鼓勵參加障礙跑競賽的書,而是透過作者親身的經驗來分享她如何透過障礙跑競賽面對自己的恐懼、鍛鍊意志決心、讓自己成為自信健康的女子,相信是本看完會讓人熱血沸騰想馬上改變生活惡息的一本好書。
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作者介紹
書評
“An inspiring guide on how to unearth a “second wind,” from someone who’s been there.”—Kirkus Reviews
“Thrilling.”—Gretchen Rubin, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Happiness Project and Life in Five Senses and host of the Happier with Gretchen Rubin podcast
“A must-read for anyone at a crossroads!”—Rich Diviney, retired Navy SEAL and bestselling author of The Attributes
“A fantastic page-turner of a story.”—Alex Hutchinson, New York Times bestselling author of Endure
“Those of us tethered to our devices or trapped by our own perceived limits will find inspiration here.”—Kai Ryssdal, host of Marketplace
“No matter your age, Not Too Late will inspire you to make big positive changes—to do hard things you didn’t think you could.”—Michael Easter, New York Times bestselling author of The Comfort Crisis and Scarcity Brain
“A must-read for anyone seeking to break free from the constraints of age and redefine what is possible in their life.”—Joe De Sena, Spartan founder and CEO and New York Times bestselling co-author of 10 Rules for Resilience and Spartan Up!
“Bounds captures the powerful lure of discovering ‘flow’ in midlife as she embraces something bold and once unimaginable.”—Chip Conley, bestselling author of Learning to Love Midlife
“Not Too Late is so addicting that I was torn between reading another page and getting out the door to power through a run.”—Deena Kastor, Olympic marathon medalist and New York Times bestselling author of Let Your Mind Run
“An ode to the value of sport: a sense of belonging, intimacy, and mastery that’s good for not just the body and mind but also the soul.”—Brad Stulberg, bestselling author of Master of Change and The Practice of Groundedness
“Bounds not only changed her own life; her irresistible story will change yours.”—Joanne Lipman, bestselling author of Next!: The Power of Reinvention in Life and Work
“Anyone who has ever felt the pull of the couch and midlife malaise will want to dive in.”—Matthew Futterman, author of Running to the Edge
“Honest, humble, and very funny.”—Jason Gay, New York Times bestselling author of I Wouldn’t Do That If I Were Me and Little Victories
“Not Too Late will resonate with anyone who has hit midlife only to wonder: Is this it?”—Jeff Bercovici, author of Play On: The New Science of Elite Performance at Any Age
“For anyone who has ever wondered if there’s more juice to squeeze out of life. So—basically everyone.”—Scott Keneally, writer/director of Rise of the Sufferfests: A Film About Mud, Masochism and Modern Life
“An intimate first-person story of pivoting in midlife to embrace challenge, persevere, and triumph.”—R. Douglas Fields, PhD, author of Electric Brain and Why We Snap