What Makes Olga Run?: The Mystery of the Ninety-Something Track Star Who Is Smashing Records and Outpacing Time, and What She Can Teach Us About How to Liveby Bruce Grierson
First let me mention that these records are in track and field competitions for older adults by age bracket, typically starting with a minimum age of 35. When Olga was 91, she held 23 age-graded world records in the World Masters Games. And incidentally beat the scores of people who were "only" 70. Don't be disappointed when you realize they're not talking about Olympic or World Championship records--you know she could whoop the heck out of you and me and a goodly percentage of those young whippersnappers.
Even if you're not trying to learn anything, read this book just to get a kick out of the phenomenon that is Olga Kotelko. She wasn't a distance runner but an all-around top athlete, so maybe the book should have been called, What makes Olga tough? She competed in long jump, triple jump, high jump, shot put, discus, javelin, weight throw and the 100-metres, 200-metres and 400-metres and 4 x 100-metre relay sprints. Not to mention hammer throw--whatever that is. Or Sudoku, her time-killing hobby.
If all you care about is what what makes her do what she does, you can skip to the end and swallow the author's conclusions, but I suggest you can read it all and come up with your own theories. I noticed that one reviewer downgraded it because it only spoke to "what Olga does" and not to "why other older athletes can't." That was tacky of him--the book doesn't pretend to be answering that question. I say that Mr. Grierson did a great job...although it would be interesting to get some different opinions from Olga's trainers, teammates and friends. But that would be a whole another book.
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