Rich Roll - Finding Ultra

If there’s one book I’d recommend to anyone who feels stuck, it would be Finding Ultra by Rich Roll.

It was July 2022. I was in the Netherlands, fresh out of university, trying to shake off the aftermath of years battling depression and burnout. My body was in the worst shape it had ever been. I had spent weeks in bed, barely moving, eating just to feel something. My mental health was still fragile, and my self-esteem felt like it had sunk to the deepest spot in the ocean.

I was desperate to find a way out.

That’s when my boyfriend handed me a book. It was Finding Ultra. Rich Roll’s story struck me immediately. The moment he described not being able to walk up a flight of stairs without dry heaving — that hit home. Something in me cracked open.

A week later, I signed up for the Half Ironman Westfriesland.

Yes. You read that right.

I couldn’t run a single kilometer without setting my lungs on fire. I didn’t own a bike. I hadn’t swum a pool length since middle school.

But I was hooked. My boyfriend and I started a beginner running plan, bought cheap bikes from Decathlon, and got memberships at the local pool. I dove headfirst into the world of triathlon — reading everything I could find: training plans, nutrition guides, gear reviews, and weight loss strategies. I was at my highest weight ever, but I was also more determined than ever.

My first runs were a clumsy mix of running and walking, usually ending with me dry-heaving on the cold floor while chewing weird protein bars. But it got better. Within two months, I could run 5 km without walking. It took longer to reach 10 km, but I got there.

Cycling was harder. I couldn’t go faster than 20 km/h, and longer distances left me sore for days. But swimming came naturally. After only three pool sessions, I could swim the full 1.9 km in under an hour — a reminder that my childhood swimming lessons hadn’t gone to waste.

By March 2023, I could run 10 km, bike 40 km, and swim 1.9 km. It didn’t feel like enough. Winter had been tough — motivation was low, and even though I’d lost 5 kg, I still felt heavy and stuck in slow progress. But progress was happening.

Ten kilometers more than I’d ever run.
Forty kilometers more than I’d ever biked.
And swimming better than I had in years.

I didn’t start my planned Half Ironman that year. I DNS’d — did not start. But I didn’t quit. The dream was alive.

Books kept fueling the fire: Eat & Run by Scott Jurek, Ultramarathon Man by Dean Karnazes, The Rise of the Ultra Runners by Adharanand Finn. I kept reading, running, researching. In September 2024, I signed up for Half Ironman Sweden.

This time, I was more prepared. I got Joe Friel’s book and built my own training plan from it. I bought a better bike, better shoes, and even enrolled in swim classes. I’ve kept training, kept showing up, and now… the race is three weeks away.

This time, I intend to show up.
And if I don’t finish? That’s okay.
Because DNF is better than DNS.