Review
"Laced with self-deprecation and sharp observation, [Inside the Box] reads as a CrossFit origin story. Throughout the book Murphy is most compelling as a cultural guide. With uncanny “noticings” and clever descriptions he pulls you into the CrossFit community, its people and its ethos. As a forceful diary, Inside The Box speaks to those merely curious about CrossFit and to the fire breathing monsters hooked on its potent thrill. Vibrant and life-affirming, Murphy urges the reader on.” -- WOD Talk magazine
“For me, Inside the Box was like a walk down memory lane. I highly recommend it to anyone who has been considering starting CrossFit but just hasn’t been sure if it’s right for them.” -- Greg Amundson, the original CrossFit Firebreather, former SWAT officer, and founder of the CrossFit Goal Setting Course
“Murphy’s experience [in Inside the Box] is one that will be lived thousands of times in the coming years. It is an awakening not only of the physical but of consciousness to one’s ability and what is possible. He eloquently takes you on the ride of finding community and bringing purpose back into one’s own life.” -- Brian MacKenzie, founder of CrossFit Endurance
“In his book Inside the Box, journalist T.J. Murphy goes deep into the high-intensity, gut-testing world of CrossFit.” -- ESPN.com
“Interwoven with [Murphy’s] personal journey is the backstory on CrossFit and its evolution, along with the tales of other CrossFitters he met along the way…For anyone who hasn’t experienced CrossFit, it’s hard to understand what goes on inside the gym, but this book does a good job explaining it.” -- Duathlon.com
“In his book, Murphy also does an effective job of explaining what a typical CrossFit “box” (an actual gym) looks like, what a CrossFit experience is bound to be like for the first-timer (humbling and exhausting, and, depending on the first-timer’s nature, either utterly addictive or completely off-putting), and the importance of community in contributing to CrossFit’s popularity.” -- BreakingMuscle.com
“Inside the Box made me very nostalgic of my own beginning with CrossFit. And it really made me proud of this community that I am involved in. CrossFit is unique as a sport, but even more special because of the community it has created. Inside the Box is a wonderful representation of why and how we are all so dedicated to our own fitness, but more importantly, to the success of our peers.” -- Annie Sakamoto, CrossFit trainer and elite athlete
From the Back Cover
IN BIKE RACING, IT ALL COMES DOWN TO THE HEAD AND THE LEGS.
One hundred years ago, bicycle races were ridden on single-speed bikes and won by margins of hours, with mid-stage stops for naps and wine amid grueling tests of will. Today, contests pedaled on featherlight, high-tech bikes are won by minutes, seconds, or a mere tire width. But how the race is won still demands tactical know-how and physical strength.
Leading cycling journalist Peter Cossins looks back at the tactics and outright dominance of legends like Fausto Coppi, Jacques Anquetil, and Eddy Merckx, and he illuminates new strategies that emerged with the rise of con-temporary heroes, bringing the racing to life with vivid action and frank, first-hand accounts. The riders, managers, and directors who have shaped the sport share their insights on the measured pacesetting of Team Sky; the improvisation and calculated tactics of breakaway artists such as Jens Voigt or Thomas De Gendt; and the differences, at 40 miles per hour, between the leadout trains of Mario Cipollini, Mark Cavendish, and Marcel Kittel.
How the Race Was Won reveals the stealth racing tactics used by the sport’s brightest minds and most talented finishers to navigate the invisible undercurrent that sweeps top riders across the line.
About the Author
Peter Cossins is a veteran sports writer who has covered cycling since 1993.A former editor and contributing editor at Procycling magazine, he has also contributed to the Guardian, The Times, the Sunday Telegraph, the Sunday Express, and the Sunday Herald. Cossins collaborated with Tour de France winner Stephen Roche on his autobiography, Born to Ride. He has also written Le Tour 100, The Monuments, Two Days in Yorkshire, Alpe d’Huez, and Ultimate Etapes.
