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It's Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life
It's Not About the Bike My Journey Back to Life Author:Lance Armstrong, Sally Jenkins The inspiring journey of world-class hero Lance Armstrong, from the dark night of advanced cancer through his dramatic victory in the 1999 Tour de France, and beyond. In 1996, twenty-four-year-old Lance Armstrong was ranked the number-one cyclist in the world. But that October, "The Golden Boy of American Cycling" was sidelined by excr... more »uciating pain. Tests revealed advanced testicular cancer that had spread to his lungs and brain. His chance for recovery was as low as twenty percent. Armstrong embarked on the most aggressive form of chemotherapy available and underwent surgery to remove cancer that the treatments couldn't reach. Five months after his diagnosis, he resumed training under a cloud of uncertainty, and the path back to competition wasn't smooth. It took a ride with friends through the mountains of North Carolina for Armstrong to rediscover his genuine love of the sport, and to rededicate himself to its pursuit. Scarred physically and emotionally, Lance Armstrong considered his cancer "a special wake-up call," one that crystallized for him the blessings of good health, family, friends, and marriage. In October 1999, just months after his astonishing triumph in the Tour, his wife, Kristin, gave birth to their son, Luke David Armstrong. Filled with the nutritional, physical, emotional, and spiritual details of his recovery, IT'S NOT ABOUT THE BIKE traces the wondrous journey of one of America's greatest athletes to a singularly inspiring appreciation of life lived to the fullest.« less
While Lance Armstrong is on the arrogant side, his life story is compelling and worth knowing. He is a champion in the true sense of the word. I was even inspired.
A wonderful inspiration for people going through cancer treatment (I've been through it), or for people looking to be inspired to not give up on any kind of life journey. I enjoyed the parts about the bike racing also since I'm an amateur biker.
AS a cancer survivor myself, I found this really inspiring. He overcame a lot through sheer strength of will and I know, first-hand, that stubborn refusal to give in to the disease is the first step toward beating it. I rode right with him on his "journey back to life."
Very inspirational. If you think Lance is a bit arrogant & self-centered, this story of his battle with cancer and struggles through life should change your mind a bit about his character & why he's who he is today.
I requested and received this book when my 25 year old nephew was very ill with testicular cancer. I learned a lot from it and it was certainly inspiring. However, Mr. Armstrong comes across as a bit of a jerk - especially in the way he treated his girlfriend and later his wife. Very easy reading and great overview of the Tour de France.
My nephew died last week so his ending did not turn out as well as Mr. Armstrong's.
I've always been amazed by Lance's focus and determination. A few weeks ago, I was out for a bicycle ride, and two other riders passed me. I overheard part of their conversation. One said to the other "I know a journalist, and he had interviewed both Floyd Landis and Lance Armstrong. He said that Lance was a jerk, and Floyd was real nice. This is why I think Lance doped". I thought of the many charismatic criminals we have been faced with, and shook my head. As though a journalist's personal thoughts on whether someone doped or not has any merit.
I'm not a sports "hero" worshiper, and never will be. But I found this story a really good read, finished in a couple of days. It is an inspiring story, and I found a deeper respect for Lance, his character, and the many challenges he overcame in order to pursue his career. I found the end of the book to be a humble attempt to explain how he believes he survived cancer. Overall, this was a good read.
