The art of resilience : strategies for an unbreakable mind and body
/Ross Edgley
- London HarperCollins Publishers 2020
- xx, 364 pages : illustrations, maps ; 24 cm.
Part 1. Life on land (before the swim) -- Why did I do it? -- Why the body does not break? -- Why the mind does not quit? -- Part 2. Life at sea (during the swim) -- Lesson 1. Stoic sports science is philosophy forged in battle -- Lesson 2. Learn the power of spiritual sports science -- Lesson 3. The body bruises and bleeds but cannot be beaten -- Lesson 4. To walk your own path, write your own plan -- Lesson 5. Make the body an instrument, not an ornament -- Lesson 6. Build resilience by 'getting wintered' -- Lesson 7. Fast can be fragile and slow can be strong -- Lesson 8. Strength improves stamina and stamina improves strength -- The Great Britain swim training plan -- Lesson 9. Learn how to cruise or kill -- Lesson 10. Learn to limit limitations -- Lesson 11. The two ways to process pain -- Lesson 12. Combat fear with 'feral fear theory' -- Lesson 13. Learn the power of a higher purpose -- Lesson 14. Accept the uncontrollables -- Lesson 15. Control the controllables -- Lesson 16. Resilience cannot be rushed, but quitting can -- Lesson 17. You're stronger when smiling -- Lesson 18. You can sleep yourself stronger -- Lesson 19. Heroics in hunger -- Lesson 20. Resilience is best served with food -- The Great British swim diet -- Lesson 21. Stomach of steel -- Lesson 22. Resilience is suffering strategically managed -- Epilogue.
Bestselling author and award-winning adventurer Ross Edgley has been studying the art of resilience for years, applying all he has learned to become the first person in history to swim around Great Britain, breaking multiple world records. Now Ross focuses on mental strength, stoicism and the training needed to create an unbreakable body. Ross Edgley famously ran a marathon pulling a 1.4-tonne car and climbed a rope the height of Everest (8,848m), after living with Yamabushi warrior monks in Japan and partaking in Shamanic pain rituals with fire ants in the Amazon jungle. On his epic 1,780-mile journey around Great Britain, which lasted 157 days, Ross swam through giant jellyfish, arctic storms, 'haunted' whirlpools and polluted shipping lanes, going so hard, and so fast, his tongue fell apart. Ross's previous book, The World's Fittest Book, was a Sunday Times No.1 bestseller and explored the science of physical fitness. Now, in The Art of Resilience, Ross uses his swim experience and other amazing endurance feats, where he managed to overcome seemingly insurmountable pain, hardship and adversity, to study the performance of extreme athletes, military and fitness specialists and psychologists to uncover the secrets of mental fitness and explore the concept of resilience, persistence, valour and a disciplined mindset in overcoming adversity. This ground-breaking book represents a paradigm shift in what we thought the human body and mind were capable of and will give you a blueprint to become a tougher, more resilient and ultimately better human - whatever the challenge you face.