Iron War by Matt Fitzgerald: Book Review

I just finished reading Iron War by Matt Fitzgerald. I enjoyed the book.
It did not focus only on Mark Allen and Dave Scott’s great attributes. It showed their weaknesses as well as their strengths. For instance I had always heard about Dave Scott’s amazing discipline with his workouts and with his diet (like rinsing his cottage cheese). I was surprised to hear that he would go through depressive low points when he would stop working out and sit in his bean bag chair for days at a time and gorge himself on food. He once called Scott Molina to tell him that he skipped a workout sat down in his bean bag chair and ate 12 power bars.

Mark Allen is CRAZY, literally crazy. He sees visions, hears voices and he once had a nice chit chat with a deer while he was meditating by himself in the wilderness.

Dave Scott is CRAZY, literally crazy. He has an intense physical mental and emotional addiction to large amounts of intense exercise.

I will never even sniff the level of success of the two greatest Ironman athletes of all time, but I did see some of their less desirable attributes in me. I’ve never had a conversation with a deer but I can see a bit of Mark Allens weirdness in me. I also have Dave Scott’s addiction problem, the difference being that my addiction has taken different forms throughout my life. (I have been addicted to football, missionary service, my job and now triathlon.) The biggest difference between myself and these two amazing athletes is they got paid a lot to do what they did. I on the other hand pay a lot to do what I do. I guess that makes me the crazier (less intelligent) one.

I recommend Iron War, it’s a very good book.