In 1997 journalist Karin Evans walked into an orphanage in southern China and met her new daughter, a beautiful one-year-old baby girl. In this fateful moment Evans became part of a profound, increasingly common human drama that links abandoned Chinese girls with foreigners who have traveled many miles to complete their families.At once a compelling personal narrative and an evocative portrait of contemporary China, The Lost Daughters of China has also served as an invalua...

SISTER MADONNA BUDER is 80 years old, has run more than 340 triathlons, and doesn’t know what all the fuss is about. In The Grace to Race, she shares the no-nonsense spirit and deep faith that inspired her extraordinary journey from a prominent St. Louis family to a Catholic Convent and finally to championship finish lines all over the world.As a beautiful young woman, she became an elegant equestrian and accomplished amateur actress. But as she describes in this intimate ...

One part personal quest to discover running greatness after age 50, one part investigation into what the women's running boom can teach athletes about becoming fitter, stronger, and faster as we age, Older, Faster, Stronger is an engrossing narrative sure to inspire women of all ages. A former overweight smoker turned marathoner, Margaret Webb runs with elite older women, follows a high-performance training plan devised by experts, and examines research that shows how endurance tr...

A New York Times bestselling author takes readers inside the Ironman triathlon.As he did so masterfully in his New York Times bestseller, The Gatekeepers, Jacques Steinberg creates a compelling portrait of people obsessed with reaching a life-defining goal. In this instance, the target is an Ironman triathlon-a 2.4-mile open-water swim followed by a 112-mile bike ride, then finally a 26-mile marathon run, all of which must be completed in...

In his follow-up to the best-selling Ultramarathon Man—which Sports Illustrated called "fascinating" and the New York Times said was "full of euphoric highs"—world-renowned ultramarathoner Dean Karnazes chronicles his unbelievable exploits and explorations in gripping detail. Karnazes runs for days on end without rest, across some of the most exotic and inhospitable places on earth, including the Australian outback, Antarctica, and the Tenderloin District of San ...

An incredible but true account of achieving one of the most awe-inspiring midlife physical transformations everOn the night before he was to turn forty, Rich Roll experienced a chilling glimpse of his future. Nearly fifty pounds overweight and unable to climb the stairs without stopping, he could see where his current sedentary life was taking him—and he woke up.Plunging into a new routine that prioritized a plant-based lifestyle and daily training, Rich mo...

“The holy grail for disillusioned cycling fans . . . The book’s power is in the collective details, all strung together in a story that is told with such clear-eyed conviction that you never doubt its veracity. . . . The Secret Race isn’t just a game changer for the Lance Armstrong myth. It’s the game ender.”—OutsideNEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • WINNER OF THE WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARDThe Secret ...

Some people run for weight loss, general fitness, or the ability to eat whatever they want. In The Summit Seeker, Vanessa Runs explores trail and ultra running on an emotional, psychological, and spiritual level.Vanessa started running to battle her demons, to heal her deepest wounds, and ultimately, to find her peace in the mountains. Her vivid descriptions of spectacular trails call you into wild places where you will find rugged beauty, expansive wilderness, and deep personal in...

In "Chasing the Runner's High", Ray Charbonneau tells the story how he pushed his addiction to running up to, and then past, his limits. There are plenty of hard miles, but there's lots of fun along the way too as Ray shares what he learned, what he should have learned, and what he still has to learn from running.Marshall Ulrich, 4-time winner of the Badwater Ultramarathon and author of "Running on Empty", calls Chasing the Runner's High "a look at one man's life and obsession with...

**NATIONAL BESTSELLER • The astonishing and hugely entertaining story that completely changed the way we run. An epic adventure that began with one simple question: Why does my foot hurt?“Equal parts quest, physiology treatise, and running history.... The climactic race reads like a sprint.... It simply makes you want to run.” —Outside Magazine**Isolated by Mexico's deadly Copper Canyons, the blissful Tarahumara Indians have honed the ability to run hundreds of mil...

The Marathon des Sables is billed as the toughest footrace on Earth. It consists of around 150 miles of running across scorching desert plains and peaks, in temperatures soaring above 40 degrees C. As if the distance, the heat and the terrain were not enough, the whole race must be completed carrying all the food and kit required for the seven days of the event. The Marathon des Sables is an incredible event. The single biggest piece of advice that I received during my preparatio...

Are you ready to be inspired? This book contains amazing tales of extreme endurance from athletes around the globe. These aren't pros or elites these are everyday people who decided to step outside their comfort zone and attempt to achieve the extraordinary. You'll get to read stories that include:- An amateur athlete's emotional journey through his first 50 mile race.- An amazing weight loss journey that resulted in crossing the Ironman finish line with jus...