"I'm Here to Win" Book Review

I recently finished the autobiography of 2x Ironman champion, Chris McCormack, entitled "I'm Here to Win: A World Champion's Advice for Peak Performance." It seemed I couldn't go a day without someone tweeting about this book on Twitter or creating a thread on the message board that I frequent. I'm not much of a reader (in fact this is the first book that I've finished in recent memory), but I thought I'd give this one a shot.

He takes you on his journey from his Australian upbringing to his training and racing in Europe and eventually to America. Along the way he works his way up through the various triathlon distances - from sprints to the full Ironman - all while winning more than losing. He was a natural talent and he knew it. He let his competition know it too.

McCormack writes mostly about his journey to Kona or Ironman Hawaii, which is the premier event for triathlon. It plays host as the World Championship and served as Chris' biggest challenge. His extreme confidence had him believing he could conquer the lava fields and take home the crown in his first attempt. However, it took him many tries before finally overcoming his demons in 2007 to win. He became the oldest champion in 2010 at the age of 37 when he won for the 2nd time.

McCormack shares a lot his secrets concerning nutrition, race tactics and how to mentally prepare for a race and your opponents. He spends a lot of time explaining how he analyzes his opponents, studying their weaknesses and strengths. He talks of his heroes and his intense preparation. McCormack also shares his biggest trick during the grueling Ironman - drinking Coke.

While I enjoyed the insight into this champion triathletes mind, I didn't care to read about the chip on his shoulder that he seems to carry. He comes across with a 'me against the world' type attitude and just beats on that throughout the book. Always one to point out the fear he could sense in his opponents on the starting line, McCormack seemed to be driven by his own fear of failure (or perhaps to back up his smack talk). It's almost as if he created the animosity of his competitors to give him something to focus his training on.

McCormack comes across very confident in his abilities (read: conceited). I found myself re-reading some of his comments in the book with a "he didn't just say that, did he?" As a person who doesn't care much for those with overly-confident personalities, I found myself struggling to read parts of the book where he was boasting about himself, his abilities and his tactics.

With that said, Macca does have a softer side. He is involved in a handful of charities and foundations. Perhaps his biggest efforts are with the MaccaNow Foundation which raises money for breast cancer research - a disease that claimed the life of his mum at a fairly young age.

I give the book a 6/10.