"I love the sense of satisfaction that I get when I’ve done a swimming workout or race, and know that I gave my whole being and heart to God in every moment of the swim. It’s the best worship I can offer him."
Swim, Bike, Run
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Alistair Brownlee and Jonathan Brownlee, London, Viking/Penguin, 2013. ISBN: 978-0-670-92312-0
I am not really interested in triathlon but I found this an amazing book. It gives real insight into the psyche of the competitive athlete with the unique dimension of the sibling rivalry.
The style of the book is unusual with the brothers’ being responsible for alternate sections – but it worked. Brother on brother is fascinating – especially when we get both brothers’ differing perception of the same incident.
The overwhelming impression is of two ordinary brothers. As Jonny puts it, “What I found hard to comprehend was that something as routine to us as riding our bikes, swimming and running, could suddenly transport us to the Olympics”.
Their strategy for dealing with the pressure of the Olympics was to tell themselves: “It’s an ordinary race in Hyde Park, racing the same rivals, wearing familiar kit”. Ironically this backfired for Alistair who writes of the medal presentation: “This was supposed to be the best moment of my life, but what did it feel like? It felt like every other podium I’d been on. The same people were presenting the medals”. He continues that the Olympics are like Christmas – you can’t wait but when it is over you ask “Was that it?” Even the time they spent in the Olympic Village after competing was an anti-climax as everyone wanted a photo with them.
Poor old Jonny passed out and threw up at the finish, an incident that he describes with great humour. “At one point they pulled a black cloth off the photographers’ position and tried to cover me with it, which concerned some people who were watching as that’s what they do at the Grand National when they’re about to shoot an injured horse. ..They wedged a thermometer up my backside. It wasn’t quite what I’d imagined the moment of Olympic glory might feel like”.
Other aspects of the book which are gripping are the relationships between the brothers who train together yet are each other’s greatest rivals. Alistair reflects at one point that Jonny is physically capable of beating him but “Does he really believe he can beat me?”
The cost of their profession is well expressed. What they miss “most as an elite athlete is spontaneity. At the elite level there is a complete lack of it”. When friends ask them if they want to go out or go karting, the answer is always the same – either “Sorry, I’m training” or “Need to get to bed as I am training in the morning”.
The brothers come across as people who love what they do – it’s not a job, it’s a passion. At the same time there is a great amount of sacrifice along the way.
An outstanding book. Infinitely superior to the average sports autobiography.