Can't Swim, Can't Ride, Can't Run: From Common Man to Ironman

by Andy Holgate

This book is both a lesson in true grit and determination, but its goal is one that is attainable. Andy isn't a sporting superstar, he holds down a 9-5 job and all the pressures that go with it; he isn't blessed with speed and talent; there are no multi-million pound sponsorship deals; yet this remarkable "common man" is inspiring in a way that some of today's sporting superstars have forgotten how to be. You wouldn't recognize Andy in the street, yet his story provides valuable lessons to us "Never give up" and "Anything is possible." Can't Swim, Can't Ride, Can't Run follows Andy Holgate's epic journey from being an overweight librarian to an Ironman triathlete. Before he could even begin the rollercoaster ride which amassed more punctures than Andy cares to remember, this would-be Superman had first to buy a second-hand bike and take swimming lessons. Along the way, he ended up in hospital, dealt with family crises, encountered crocodiles and deadly amoebas, and persuaded his friends that doing an Ironman event is what normal people do on their stag weekend. This is the inspirational, amusing and moving story of how one normal bloke learnt how to fall off a bike and not injure himself, to run a marathon despite two dodgy knees, and most importantly how not to drown.

Genres: Nonfiction, Sports, Biography, Audiobook, Fitness, Memoir

282 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 1, 2011

Reviews

[Adina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am entertained by these types of triathlon memoirs. Nothing spectacular here but not a waste of time either. The most memorable story was when he hit his toe in the fridge right before the big event. Auch. It happens to me quite often and it always hurts like hell. Last time, I walked in pain for a week and I had to wear heels.

[Vicii · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic read. Extremely motivating and I've already checked out dates for the local triathlon - oddly enough it was actually today, but still that gives me a clear 12 months to train. Having said that I have set myself up a training plan to run a 10K in November!

The book itself was really inspiring, I really like autobiographies that are written when the author actually has something to say and haven't yet managed to finish one by a "famous" person only by interesting and inspiring "normal" people.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable biography though this recommendation comes with a caveat...you sort of have to have an interest in at least one of the three sports that make up Triathlon really to enjoy it.
It's a book that interested me from the point of view I'm back digging my running and cycling so I do understand something of the drive and commitment the author shows to his sports.
To be honest his journey has it all from highs of competing and outperforming himself to unfortunate lay offs due to injury.
Anyhow a fun read and for me a swift one.

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an easy and enjoyable read, even for couch potatoes who want to understand the suffering and torment that these people go to in order to complete an Ironman triathlon event. Finishing it, I have to say I have no compulsion whatsoever to complete a triathlon and wondered what drives the people who do? Andy Holgate does manage to come across as a pretty ordinary bloke as he takes us through the training and development programmes he pushed himself into in order to compete in an Ironman event. You do get the feeling that he loves it, pushing himself to the limit with his mates who he trains and competes with. There's no deep introspective psychological examinations about his motivation for doing this stuff though, and he wears the training and dedication lightly - he must have put in thousands of hours of training over the years, but the impression is given that a few lunchtime swims, weekend cycles and leisurely jogs along Morcambe Bay and, hey presto, you too could do an Ironman event. Methinks not. For example, I'm quite a keen swimmer, but I've never pushed myself to the stage that I would throw up during a swim and plough on through my own vomit. Andy seems to think this is a fairly normal experience, however, as is being hooked up to a saline drip after an event so your poor body can recover from what you've just put it through.
Andy writes with a breezy and positive style, although you don't quite get some of the in-jokes and fixations that he and his band of mates indulge in. Sometimes the triathlon fraternity does come across as a bit of a rugger-bugger crowd, quite insular in its outlook and standing apart from the mainstream - they'd love you to join in, but you'd have to join in, and it's a big commitment. I know I would struggle to find the time to do the training when there's so many other things you could be doing with any free time you get outside of work. (Maybe I should apply to become a librarian, like Andy!) Still, this was a really positive, enjoyable and somewhat inspirational story, and I wish him and his fellow Pirates all the best for their future events.

[Silpa Kohler · Rating 3 out of 5]

26/09/12: One thing is for sure: I don't ever want to do a triathlon in the cold, wet and miserable UK. Australia is a far more sensible place for the swim, ride, run combo!

02/10/12: Can't Swim, Can't Ride, Can't Run follows all-round nice guy, Andy Holgate, on his journey from becoming an overweight librarian to a fully-crazy, let’s-swim-2.4 miles-cycle 112-and-run-a-marathon-for-shits-and-giggles Ironman. Before I continue with the review, I have to mention that this book should really be called: ‘Can kind of swim, Can ride a bike sort of, Can actually run rather well’ (I appreciate that this isn’t quite as catchy as the actual title) as Andy’s starting position really isn’t as dire as the title suggests.

This book is an easy read and entertaining if you’re into (or trying to get into) all things triathlon. Andy has some moments and seems to see the funny side of situations which, to the untrained eye, don’t really seem that funny at all. Coming back to the comment that I posted earlier, I really can’t see the appeal of competing in triathlons/Ironman competitions in the UK. The swims sound dirty and cold, the bike rides hilly and slippy (slippery?) and the runs, well, just a bit miserable really. I’m glad I live in Australia.

Andy doesn’t start off with the most privileged of starts but shows that with A LOT of dedication, a handful of equally-crazy friends (some of which met online; it’s ok, I don’t judge) and a very understanding fiancé/wife, anything can be accomplished. It really is quite an inspiring story. I’m not sure how I feel about needing to be put onto a drip after finishing an Ironman (seems like unnecessary punishment to me) but luckily, I don’t think I’ll ever be participating in the must-complete-within-17-hours challenge. Maybe another half marathon. Yes, and maybe a sea swim. And then maybe in a few years, I’ll put it all together with a bike ride. There’s time people, there’s time.

Good book, easy to read, inspiring and motivating. 3 stars.

[Richard Wright · Rating 2 out of 5]

I suspect I'm the ideal reader for this kind of book - somebody who isn't fit, but who would like to be fitter. Stories about other people who've made that journey, well told and relatable to, are just what I need. In this the book fails. Holgate isn't really making the journey from ordinary man to ironman. Instead, he's journeying from lapsed but experienced athlete, to very good athlete indeed. This chain-smoking crisp-munche r struggled to wholly identify. That said, the book's still a good read during that initial journey, and you can't help rooting for him. Halfway through the book though, that first ironman is done. The rest becomes a repetitive list of other races of equal or lesser difficulty, and with the ironman story done I got bored before the final page.

[Autumn Pearson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic read. More of a 'blog style' than a well-written book, but once I'd started I just couldn't put it down. A truly inspirational 'zero to hero' story. Left me feeling all warm and fuzzy inside.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was struggling to focus on reading due to the background apocalypse, so I switched to the audiobook. All was going well until the narrator pronounced triathlon with an extra 'A' (tri ath A lon). It's a book about triathAlons so he said triathAlon a lot and now I can't remember how the word triathAlon should actually sound.

Book was good though.

[Radu · Rating 2 out of 5]

Title is misleading - Andy was an experienced athlete which get back in shape and became a triathlonist. Which is nice story, not extremely well written and not so easy to replicate for somebody which truly can't run, bike and swim :)

[Mark Bell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just the right book to read on holiday...
Anyone can do an Ironman... with enough hours to train and a bucket of grit and determination.
I thought this was an enjoyable read, but then I like these sort of "give it a go / self test" books.

[Jessie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic idea to finish this the day of gold nugget. I'll need the inspiration

[Mantas · Rating 1 out of 5]

A more accurate title would say From Common Man to Ironman-distance event finisher. Total demotivation

[Matthew Woodward · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very funny and an insight into what can be achieved when your mind is set on a target

[Tina Lambert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspirational

[Georgia Cassidy · Rating 2 out of 5]

The writing isn’t anything flash... but the story is pretty cool :)

[Aiden Clarke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspiring read and define motivator to keep myself active, Cheers Andy 😁

[Jon · Rating 3 out of 5]

It would have been nice to have more of the struggle of training, and less of the successes and pride, although I understand why you would be. Overall it was good to read of his success though.

[Mara · Rating 2 out of 5]

(2.5)

[Lewis Elsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

An easy read, interesting in parts but I was bored by the end

[Clark Goble · Rating 3 out of 5]

A few months ago I began a diet program. I’ve had mixed success in my endeavors having lost 30 or so pounds and then hitting a wall. My wall is more a failure of will rather than ability. I’ve grown tired of the effort it takes me to lose weight. In my twenties and thirties it seemed I could lose weight at will. In my forties it seems every pound lost requires excruciating effort. One of my favorite activities however is cycling and I have long harbored a desire to train for and complete a mini-triathlon, so I picked up Andy Holgate’s book looking for inspiration.

The title of his book is encouraging as the subtitle reads – From Common Man to Ironman. Certainly, the book would be filled to the brim with tips for my lazy butt to get into gear, right? Wrong. The book wasn’t exactly what I had in mind and Andy Holgate didn’t exactly go from “common man” to ironman. Rather, he went from being a fairly talented recreational runner to being an ironman. Holgate began his journey to ironman from a point much closer to the destination than I am currently located. However, I still found the book to be quite enjoyable.

Holgate has an engaging sense of humor. His book reads like a journal of his ironman accomplishments over the last few years and I couldn’t help but root for him as he attempted to challenge himself to new heights. When following his journey the reader can’t help but develop an affinity for Holgate and his assorted cast of friends. In the end, his journey does offer inspiration for the aspiring athlete … just not the type I had in mind.

I’m not sure if I will be able to get back on the fitness horse and ride to a mini-triathlon, but I did enjoy reading Holgate’s book. I recommend it for anyone interesting in learning more about the world of triathlon.

[Henri Hämäläinen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got as a Christmas present from my sister and her husband a book about common guy turning to an ironman. This book Can't Swim, Can't Ride, Can't Run: From Common Man to Ironman from Andy Holgate was their interpretation of my current triathlon enthuasism. I guess they hit it quite close.

This book is a journey without any technical jargon about training. It's a motivational story about ones life and how triathlon bug can hit hard. Andy Holgate turns from quite normal, bit overweight, librarian to an endurance maniac.
Andy Holgate had first written a blog and based on that he decided to turn it into a book. Book surely is written in enjoyable way. It was easy to get in to moods of Andy's by his writings. He also introduces lots of his training friends and describes them well. It really is a sneak peak to quite a normal life, filled with endurance sports.

What I like in this book, is that Andy surely teaches everybody to appreciate endurance sports. He himself went all the way to be an Ironman, but still he seems to cheer everyone for all the different endurance sports.

Andy Holgate is living proof that everyone can do triathlons if they wish. It's a mindset thing, not anything else. That's the best part of the book.

It's an entertaining book, which suits well for vacation times. I can happily recommend it to everyone. It a fun thing to read. This might give an extra push to take a endurance challenge. This book is not a how to train for ironman book, it's a book that motivates you to take the challenge.

This review was written first to my blog - here.

[Elena Tawney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. This is probably my favorite Ironman book out of the 3 I have read. Andy is just so affable and down-to-earth. He has a great sense of humor and you feel like you are there on the journey with him, through the highs and lows, as he trains and battles through various setbacks, crashes, and injuries. The book finished on such a positive note with both Andy, "IronHolgs," and his friend Viking finishing IM Germany. Andy very much embodies the regular bloke turned Ironman and it is easy to see that his positive thinking, determination, and commitment to training carried him across the finish line. The book really buoyed my spirits and made me think that I too can be an Ironman. Anything is possible.

[Tony · Rating 3 out of 5]

A witty, self-effacing account of one man's journey from being an out of shape every man to conquering that ultimate physical challenge, an Iron-distance triathlon. The writing style is a bit simple and conversational and there are several British-isms that are a unfamiliar to an American reader. Since I've caught the triathlon bug in a big way myself, I was fascinated by the technical details of the training considerations, equipment, and the races themselves, but I do wonder if it would be as accessible to someone who was not interested in the sport. Overall I enjoyed it.

[JimmiD · Rating 3 out of 5]

What my ratings mean:
5 – I felt this book was an exemplar in its genre/field. That does not mean I agree with everything it says (or the moral of the story). It is likely to be a book that will change my thinking about a topic.
4 – A very impressive book for its genre/field. It probably didn’t change me or my thinking though.
3 – An enjoyable way to spend the time reading it.
2 – This was a pain to read. It was probably difficult to finish.
1 – Life’s too short and/or I’m not smart enough to get the point of this book.

[Lee Ann · Rating 1 out of 5]

Found this book so poorly written that it was annoying and frustrating me so much I really had to force myself to stick with it. He should stick to writing blogs - the inane drivel doesn't transfer so well to a book. As they say in Glasgow - "his patter's pish''. Great achievement, but the book is pretty poor. Read Chrissie Wellington's book instead for a refreshingly well written sports autobiography.

[Heidi · Rating 1 out of 5]

I think that this book may be aimed for a reader who does not know anything about triathlon and needs a motivating story to try it. For that kind of audience the book may be a great read.

Although this book gives a very realistic picture of the sport, I found the book very boring. This is a sort of a story you hear at the triathlon group trainings again and again. I am sorry, but I had to struggle to read it through.

[Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tightly written, interesting through and not unnecessarily flashy, for someone interested in long distance endurance sports and the experience of pain and willpower in extreme, a very enjoyable read. I sometimes had the impression there was an overload of detail, but I read every word willingly and came away with a very impressive image of a slightly mad, stubborn bloke and a great urge to go on a long bike riding holiday. 6

[Ross Leckridge · Rating 3 out of 5]

For someone about to attempt their first Triathlon, the content was both inspiring and reassuring. The prose ain't great though, and I think there were parts that were unnecessary. The last chapter was my favourite part of the whole book.

[Mark Bell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just the right book to read on holiday...
Anyone can do an Ironman... with enough hours to train and a bucket of grit and determination.
I thought this was an enjoyable read, but then I like these sort of "give it a go / self test" books.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

i know Andy from a long time ago and was thrilled to find out was the same one!! i really enjoyed this book as did ny husband. so much so he has signed up to do a triathlon next year. a fun and inspirational read!!