Snyder, Amy Hell on Two Wheels (1600785255)
This is a stunning inside account of what it's like to take part in one of the most epic endurance sport events in the world. RAAM - The Race Across America - is a bicycle race like no other. This epic contest is the most brutal organized sporting event you've never heard of and one of the best-kept secrets in the sports world. Contestants have died, been injured, even descended into the realms of madness. Half of them don't finish - in fact, only 200 racers have ever made it to the end of the 3,000 mile, 12-day course. 'Hell on Two Wheels' is a thrilling and remarkably detailed account that follows a group of athletes before, during, and after the 2009 race. By experiencing the race from the perspective of the racers themselves, 'Hell on Two Wheels' breaks new ground in helping us appreciate how such a grueling effort can be so cleansing and self-revelatory. This is more than just a race - it's an unforgettable allegory about the human experience of pain and joy and self-discovery.