(Part 3) Best sports & outdoors books according to redditors

Putin co-authored a book on the subject. Judo: History, Theory, Practice

Finally, I get to participate!

The best source for information on this is Mike Sowell's book The Pitch that Killed, which covers both the context of Chapman's death and the pennant race of 1920. Statistical information is generally taken from Baseball-Reference.com.

Baseball was in a transitional period already when Chapman died. The game, which had been nominally professional since 1867 and truly professional a few years after that, had only recently consolidated around the National and American Leagues as the true, major leagues. The game had been dominated by pitchers for much of its 20th century history; huge bats, fast players, improving fielding technology, and a variety of other factors had combined to pull down what had been very high scores in the 19th century. The game had been growing rapidly in popularity for a couple of decades, and was seen as a fast-paced, rowdy alternative to other, more gentlemanly pursuits such as cricket.

But in 1920, baseball was undergoing a true, existential crisis unlike any that it has seen since. Though emblematized in the Black Sox scandal of 1919, which was unfolding through the 1920 season, gambling had become a plague on the game, as many players openly took bribes and few were punished for it -- Hal Chase, who was about as big a star as baseball had in the 1910s, was famous for it, and may have been a go-between for Arnold Rothstein and the Black Sox conspirators, and he wasn't alone in doing this sort of thing.

Though star players were well-paid (Ty Cobb made $20,000 in 1919, or about $275,000 in today's dollars), most players in this period were working class guys who went home and worked in the offseason. For many men, including most of the Black Sox, the hint of real riches that came from game-fixing and side-betting was more than just greed: it could materially change their financial situation, and all for a modicum of effort (though a fair amount of risk). With its credibility shot and its finances vastly more precarious than they are today, MLB faced ruin.

Meanwhile, the way the game was played was being revolutionized by Babe Ruth. I won't wax too poetic about Ruth, but it's important to understand some bullet points about him, because what happened after Chapman plays into how Ruth changed the game:

1. It's not just that Ruth had those seasons in which he was hitting as many home runs as the rest of the league combined; to some degree, it was almost inevitable that someone would start swinging for the fences and discover that it worked. It's that Ruth's descendants and contemporaries explored the area near, and under, his records, but almost never surpassed them.
   
   
2. The way Ruth played the game was not only incredibly successful, but it was hugely profitable. Why do the Yankees have the highest payroll in baseball, while the Giants play in San Francisco? The Giants had been a vastly more successful and profitable team to that point -- but Ruth revolutionized the game, and along the way, revolutionized the Yankees' finances.
   
   
3. For more than 40 years after Ruth's advent, baseball was played in a slow, station-to-station manner that emphasized home runs, a state of affairs that did not begin to change until massive integration and westward expansion changed the environment in the 1960s.
   
   Okay, now that we've got that out of the way, Chapman, Mays, and the pitch that killed. Mays was Ruth's teammate, a submariner, the Yankees' ace, and not a popular man within the game. He was a hard man, a bit of a loner, and he threw pitches that took full advantage of batters' fears of being hit to get his outs. This was in the days before night baseball, remember, and one of the jobs of a pitcher was to dirty up a ball, using dirt, spit, tobacco, shoe black, and any number of other things that might obscure the ball; too, umpires were not nearly so quick to replace balls, and so, as the game wore on, the ball came to take on a gray-brown color, and was often misshapen and prone to flying in unpredictable ways when pitched or hit. Mays, as a right-handed submariner, used this (and was not alone in using this) as a way of disguising his pitches and keeping batters off guard: especially in early- and late-season games, later innings were often played in semi-crepuscular conditions, meaning that any batter digging in against Mays and his brown ball was literally gambling his life on his ability to pick a speck of brown out of the darkling skies.
   
   Now, is this actually why Chapman was hit? It was the middle innings of an August game in New York, a game that only lasted a couple of hours and would have been started in mid-afternoon -- in other words, probably not, at least the weather conditions part of it. But Mays was famous for dirtying the balls, and it's probably true that a brown ball would be harder to see in almost any conditions than a shiny white one. And a lot of people assumed it was. The death of Chapman, coming at the same time as the Black Sox scandal, put a real fright into people. It contributed to the culture of reform that brought forth increasing professionalism, the hiring of a commissioner (the vastly overrated Kenesaw Mountain Landis), and similar things.
   
   The main thing that happened to the culture of the game is that the practice of scuffing the ball became much less common, as rules that were already on the books started to be enforced. Also, though it's hard to find hard data on the matter, umpires were instructed to constantly cycle in new, white balls, so even those that were doctored never became brown and flat. These two changes, along with Ruth's teaching the world to play baseball, fed into the game changing massively -- the game changing, basically, into what it is now.
   
   Mays was left bitter after the incident, if later interviews he gave were any indication. He'd always been a rough-and-tumble pitcher with a reputation for throwing at people, including a notorious incident with Ty Cobb several years earlier. He felt he became a pariah within the game, though he'd never been popular, and there is evidence to contradict him (a substantial raise over the offseason, for instance). Some were shocked that he, unlike some Yankees teammates, never went to Chapman's assistance; he also pitched several more innings that day. It's true that, despite a fairly illustrious career that continued for several more years, he received only passing support for the Hall of Fame -- though he, like Chance and the Black Sox, was dogged by gambling rumors that he denied but couldn't shake.
   
   Were guys scared of Mays? Well, yeah. But they'd always been scared of him. It was how he got outs. Baseball was a tough man's game in those days, and though I'm sure it gave guys pause, there wasn't a wave of people refusing to play when Mays pitched. I can't imagine there were a lot of illusions about what was possible when playing baseball for those guys. Chapman wasn't the first guy to get beaned. He was just the first one (that we know of) who died.
   
   Interestingly, the Indians -- who won on the day Chapman was hit -- would overtake the Yankees in September to win the pennant even without their star shortstop, and eventually beat Brooklyn in the World Series. (Chapman was a good hitter and known to be a good fielder, though there's no statistical data to give us any accurate reading on the latter statement.) This may have been because the man who took over for Chapman was a 21-year-old former football star named Joe Sewell, who would end up in the Hall of Fame himself eventually.
   
   EDIT: Additional sources: The New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract, retrosheet.org
   
   FURTHER EDIT: I noticed two minor errors in rereading this. They are:
   
   
4. Though there were rules about ball conditions that were generally not enforced, I left a clause off that sentence -- after the Chapman incident, and almost directly as a result of it, the spitball per se was disallowed, with a small list of pitchers grandfathered in. Mays was not on that list, but still had his best season in 1921.
   
   
5. The 1920 pennant race was tight straight through, but I implied that the Indians were behind the Yankees in the standings on 16 August, the day Chapman was hit. They were, in fact, tied with the White Sox, half a game ahead of New York, on that date. Both the Indians and Yankees fell behind Chicago after the Chapman game, and Cleveland would be behind New York and Chicago both as late as 30 August.

People love to hate on the MLS, and it's funny a lot of the time, but it has actually come a long way. Give it a chance people!

This book really changed my opinion on the entire sport, as an American who is flooded with football, basketball, and baseball. It's a wonderful read. You'll thank me later. :)

Inverting the Pyramid - Jonathan Wilson

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Inverting-Pyramid-History-Football-Tactics/dp/1409128644

He literally wrote the book on Judo

(1) Read, bruh. I can't vouch for it personally, but I've heard the book Watching Baseball Smarter recommended with high regard. And it's almost literally the exact thing you asked for. Here are some other good book recommendations:

• Moneyball by Michael Lewis. Hard to believe that the book is sort of old hat at this point, but it still serves as a very readable introduction to advanced statistics.
  
  
• The New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract by Bill James (mostly). This book is good toilet reading, if you have a massive toilet on which to perch it, and your bowel movements are glacially paced. James ranks the best players at each position, and goes on a witty, decade-by-decade jog through the history of the game.
  
  
• The Book: Playing the Percentages in Baseball by Tom Tango. Are you a "math person"? Read this book, you'll like it. It's an introduction to sabermetrics that explains the important first principles of statistical analysis, builds an important statistic (wOBA) from the ground up, and then applies all of that knowledge to answer specific questions about baseball strategies and to debunk, verify, or qualify some of baseball's hoary "conventional wisdom."
  
  
• The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon. This book is not about baseball, but it's still great and you should read it.
  
  (2) You'll want to start watching the game more, if you can. Find a method (like MLB.tv or, you know, your television) to do so. Massive exposure does help you learn, and it's a fun, if inefficient, method. Osmosis. That's just science.
  
  (2b) Depending on the broadcast crew, it's sometimes addition-by-subtraction to mute the television.
  
  (2c) If you have MLB.tv Premium and intend to follow your favorite team, I recommend watching the other team's broadcast. You know enough about [TEAM X] already. Learn something new about [TEAM Y], instead. Unless, of course, (2b) applies, in which case maybe your best bet is MLB.tv's option to overlay the radio broadcast on the TV video. Barring that, the liberal application of the DOWN VOLUME button is always an option, and then, like, listen to Chopin's Preludes. Don't be That Guy and lean too heavily on No. 15, though. There are 23 others. Expand your horizons.
  
  (3) When you go to games, keep score. Sure, there's a guy a few seats over in a striped button-down and pre-faded jeans (Chad or something) who will mock you mercilessly for it. Sad for you, you've lost Chad's respect. But, oh, the things you'll gain. A free souvenir. A better grasp on the flow of the game. The priceless power to answer the "what did I miss" and "what the fuck just happened" questions that litter the air at ballgames, tragically disregarded and forgotten like the syllabi from Chad's last semester at Bromaha State. You can learn how to score ballgames here. Fuck Chad.
  
  (3b) Go to games alone now and then. Did I mention that, in some company, it's rightly considered rude to score a ballgame like a trainspotting anorak? Not in all company, mind you. But I like going to some games alone to avoid the messy politics of divided attention altogether.
  
  (4) Bookmark a few websites. Quick stat references include FanGraphs, Baseball-Reference, and Brooks Baseball. Grantland, Baseball Prospectus, Baseball America, and the Hardball Times are all good. FanGraphs and Baseball-Reference both have subscription options that allow you to access enhanced content for a small fee, which is worth it if only to support the yeoman's work that they do compiling and sorting our beloved numbers.
  
  (5) German chess great Emanuel Lasker is believed (incorrectly) to have said that "if you see a good move, look for a better one." Good advice. Too much of the history of baseball analysis is the history of people getting stuck in comfortable places and refusing to interrogate their own ideas about the game. Sabermetricians have made careers out of just pointing this out, and even some of them do it from time to time. Also, on the level of pure self-interest, baseball ignorance and bad teeth have this much in common: Keeping your mouth shut hides them both. If you have a good opinion about a baseball topic, look for a better one.
  
  (6) Watch a some decent movies about baseball. Sugar is excellent and disturbing. Baseball: A Film by Ken Burns is available on Netflix and worth watching. You drink his nostalgic Flavor-Aid at your own peril: At times, Baseball is about as edifying as having a good, 19-hour stare at a Norman Rockwell painting. It's still in a class all its own as a baseball documentary. You should also watch Ed, starring Matt LeBlanc, because it'll teach you not to take strangers on the internet seriously when they give you advice.
  
  (7) When you go to games, wear whatever the hell you want. This has nothing to do with understanding baseball, but it annoys me when people make a big deal out of policing the clothing that others wear to sporting events. Sitting front-row at a Yankees-Tigers game in your best Steelers jersey and a pink Houston Astros BP cap? Whatever. You be you. You be you. I once watched as a perfectly innocent college student was denied a free t-shirt from a Nats Park employee because he (the student) was wearing a Red Sox shirt with his Washington cap. That was pretty fucked.
  
  (8) Take the EdX Sabermetrics course. Others have recommended this, with good reason. It's a wonderful introduction to advanced analytics, and you get a taste of programming in R and MySQL as well. You don't need a CompSci background. I sure didn't.
  
  Hope this helped.
  
  Footnote: Chad-hating is actually too easy. Truth is, I've never really been mocked for scoring games. Once, I even bonded with a Chad-esque guy sitting next to me at a Braves-Nats game here in Washington. He was pretty drunk, but we talked Braves baseball while he drank and I drank and I scored the game and he drank more. He seemed utterly engaged by the scoring process in that guileless, doe-eyed way that only the drunk have mastered. That's the Chad I loved.

He literally wrote a book on judo. One of the instructors at a dojo I used to attend helped translate it.

Literally wrote the book on Judo.

Most journalists can't put together an article.

> A third group, headed by Chicago marketing executive Jim Paglia, envisioned a league tied to a series of new stadiums constructed adjacent to new shopping malls.

There's a lot more about this group in Beau Dure's Long-Range Goals. Paglia had some pretty radical ideas about changing the rules of soccer, with color-coded uniforms based on positions, larger goals, more points for goals from further away...

https://www.amazon.com/Mountaineering-Freedom-Hills-Mountaineers/dp/1680510045

The Complete Sailor

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Extremely easy to read and well written.

Darn Tough socks, Membership to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, REI gift certificate those seem like solid gifts.

Edit: How could I forget Andrew Skurka's [The Ultimate Hiker's Gear Guide] (http://www.amazon.com/The-Ultimate-Hikers-Gear-Guide/dp/1426209207)?!

He also wrote the only history of MLS to date. People should read it.

Saulo Ribeiro's Jiu-Jitsu University

Renzo Gracie and John Danaher's Mastering Jujitsu

Kid Peligro's The Essential Guard

Neil Melanson's Mastering Triangle Chokes

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Inverting-Pyramid-History-Football-Tactics/dp/1409128644

History of football tactics. Basically the essential start if you want to get deep on it, and learn about it.

A backpack should be the very last thing you buy since it carries all the other stuff.

Hiking shoes or trail runners + socks + insoles should be the first. They must fit you perfectly and don’t go cheap

The second thing to buy for only $10 is https://smile.amazon.com/Ultimate-Hikers-Gear-Guide-Second/dp/1426217846/

They started out as a ultralight backpacking company. They were successful at that and had some of the best gear out there.

They abandoned the designs that they started with, and replaced them with gear that I really didn't even consider ultralight. I'm not sure if they got rid of the breeze, and cave because Jardine owned the designs or because they didn't fit their new business model.

Even after the Jardine era some of their gear was quite nice, and still pretty light. But over the next few years they seemingly decided to compete with companies like The North Face, started selling 'lifestyle clothing' and things like that.

If you need proof that they completely abandoned their original mission check out their history page. http://www.golite.com/Info/Values/History.aspx
They go out of their way to not mention Ray Jardine, or Beyond Backpacking/the pct hikers handbook. In fact they use the phrase "lighten up" which IMO is a cheap way to plug this book http://www.amazon.com/Lighten-Up-Complete-Ultralight-Backpacking/dp/0762737344 as opposed to anything Jardine may have in publication.

And besides how can a company called Golite have a founder who is overweight?

Take a look at Hansons Marathon Method. Their plan is relatively high mileage, with shorter long runs. I have read the book, but not followed the plan.

99 Critical Shots is overrated and one of the worst books for a beginner in 2018. Before you jump down my throat, remember that being old and popular doesn't make something good.

It was a good book in 1977.

I'll let Bob Jewett point out the issues (page 13). He's much more generous than I am—I honestly don't think 99CS worth reading considering the wealth of other excellent material that's available.

Better books would be Illustrated Principles, Byrne's Standard, and Byrne's Complete Book of Pool Shots. Even PYBP or Science of Pocket Billiards would be better.

99CS is outdated and surviving largely on nostalgia, and personally there is not a single piece of information in the book that I didn't learn better from somewhere else.

Actually it gives some 100% incorrect information at least once, regarding rail shots. I literally had a guy defending it by saying "well beginners won't understand the complicated truth so the (incorrect) rule of thumb is fine." Right then is when I realized that some fools will defend the book because they think they should, rather than on its merits.

Don't be that guy.

Rant: Over

PoSM is easily the best book ever written on the mental game.

Kinda funny, the best and the worst right next to each other.

You should pick up a copy of Freedom of the Hills.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1680510045/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_SeUWBbTQDT8PX

Did you know Amazon will donate a portion of every purchase if you shop by going to smile.amazon.com instead? Over $50,000,000 has been raised for charity - all you need to do is change the URL!

Here are your smile-ified links:

https://smile.amazon.com/Chelsea-FC-Biography-Rick-Glanvill/dp/0755314662/ref=sr_1_1

---

^^i'm ^^a ^^friendly bot

I really enjoy Lighten Up! and Ultralight Backpackin' Tips as well. Those two really helped me think about what I was carrying on my trips. It made me a lot more weight conscious.

The Complete Sailor, Second Edition, by David Seidman is the best beginner book I have found. It covers a lot of ground and is very clear in what it covers.

My brother gifted me this book one year for christmas. I highly recommend it. Filled with tips like OP. Helped me drop my pack weight to 20lbs for a 5-day trek. And that was actually too much food.

I can practically run all day fulled loaded.

read these:

• https://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Hikers-Gear-Guide-Second/dp/1426217846/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1492221108&sr=8-1&keywords=ultimate+gear+guide
  
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Ultralight-Backpackin-Tips-Inexpensive-Lightweight/dp/0762763841/ref=pd_sim_14_1?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=0762763841&pd_rd_r=MZ4RTRT92D49PH60B9RZ&pd_rd_w=ZqXZ0&pd_rd_wg=U1fFw&psc=1&refRID=MZ4RTRT92D49PH60B9RZ

Whether or not you hit the wall not only is a matter of training but also having and carrying out a solid in-race nutrition plan. The wall hits people because their lower bodies run out of glycogen, and they haven't sufficiently re-fueled those stores with carbohydrate during the race.

Matt Fitzgerald and the Hanson brothers are among the few experienced running writers who seriously get into fueling during races, and they may be worth a read for finer points.

But in general you need to work on fueling during long runs. Thankfully, Chicago's drink stations use Gatorade (which contains carbs; low-cal drinks like Ultima do not), and if you prefer to fuel that way you can practice hitting the Gatorade every 1.3 miles during training runs. You could also practice with gels or gummy-style fuel like Shot Bloks, but that gets a lot more pricey than Gatorade, and Gatorade has the added benefit of also rehydrating you.

Again, others get into the finer points of marathon fueling much better than I just did, but that's a place to start if you want to avoid the wall.

What's your normal training schedule like? Are you comfortable running 30 miles a week? 40? Do you want a plan to finish a marathon or a plan that will kick your ass for 18 weeks and set you up to race a marathon to the best of your ability?

The two most common plans are found in books (check your library): Pfitzinger's Advanced Marathoning 18/55 (18 weeks, peak mileage of 55 miles in one week) plan always gets solid reviews but if you've run once I don't know that you're ready for it.

Haonson's Marathon Method has a few differences but their beginner plan is effectively 13 weeks long and goes from 39 miles up to 57. Technically it's 18 weeks with the first 5 taking you from 10 -> 39 miles of easy running per week but I've yet to hear from anyone who relied on that.

In the just getting it done department, there is always Higdon check out his intermediate plan for something that runs from 23 -43 miles per week if the Novice looks too easy.

BLM feild Ranger checking in!!

I work out of the BLM office in Kremmling, we frequently go down to Moab to help out their office during busy times.

You can camp anywhere, explore and shoot anywhere on BLM land, It is public use land and unless its posted otherwise you're good.

this is true nationally, we are federal, BLM laws do not vary much by state.

But, be aware, it is not in anyway ok to go everywhere with your vehicle, this gets abused in Moab (we don't have enough people to patrol), stay on the existing trails and don't contribute to homemade trails.

Some links for you;

http://staythetrail.org/

http://publiclands.org/Get-Books-and-Maps.php?plicstate=CO

EDIT: also, buy this book you wont regret it =)

I was pretty much you last summer. Land locked state, no sailing club close by, no relatives or friends who sail, and a burning desire to get out on the water.

I was able to learn to sail in four steps:

1. Read a beginners book on how to sail. The book I chose to read was The Complete Sailor by David Seidman. http://www.amazon.com/The-Complete-Sailor-Second-Edition/dp/0071749578 This was a fantastic book that was only $10 bucks for the pdf version. It is well written and contains some fantastic illustrations. Talks about everything from keeping a sailors eye on the wind and weather, to docking and anchoring, and even has a chapter on trailering your sailboat if I recall correctly. Also Inspecting the Aging Sailboat by Don Casey was a fantastic read to help a brand new buyer have some idea of what to watch out for and what questions to ask when buying a used boat. http://www.amazon.com/Inspecting-Sailboat-International-Marine-Library/dp/0071445455/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1449298309&sr=1-1&keywords=inspecting+the+aging+sailboat
   
   
2. Buy a small, cheap boat. I decided to start small and limited myself to getting a dinghy sailboat that was under a thousand dollars. I have heard that starting on a dinghy is ideal. Learning sailing theory in small, responsive craft will help you when/if you move up to larger keel boats where it isn't as obvious that you are making small mistakes. A thousand dollars is easy to make at a summer job. The repairs on small boats are really cheap and if things break your not usually out much money. You will learn the fundamentals in an environment where mistakes like bumping into the dock are not overly disastrous.
   
   
3. Watch YouTube videos. I ended up purchasing a Hobie 16 after reading the books. I had the gentleman I purchased it from help me step the mast and raise the main before I finally bought the boat. No test sail, just did it right there in his front yard. Most people will be more than happy to help you rig it up the first time if you just ask. Afterwards I hit Youtube and watched videos on how to rig the boat to make sure I had it right. Searched for more videos about "How to sail a Hobie 16" and watched all the videos I could find.
   
   
4. Practice, practice, practice. After I had watched several videos, read the books, and set the sails up in the yard it was time to get out on the water. I literally just picked a day with 2-3 mph of wind, put the boat in the water and went for it. Once I was actually out and sailing, the details worked themselves out. I watched even more videos and asked Reddit the occasional question.
   
   I was able to go from no sailing experience to flying hulls in 20~ mph wind inside of a summer with this method. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c105II-L8OA Far from perfect, but we are having a blast. I think a teenager would be able to pull of a similar feat with no problems. You will find fumbling around on the water is far better than dreaming from the shore.
   
   
   
   
   

> decided to change that and after doing some research, settled on Chelsea and now I have some questions about the blues

Hmm, must have been a terribly difficult decision...https://www.premierleague.com/tables

Most people have covered the basics but there's a great and colourful history that goes beyond the last decade that people keep talking about, and for that reason you won't find a better resource than this:

https://www.amazon.com/Chelsea-FC-Biography-Rick-Glanvill/dp/0755314662/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1482160513&sr=8-2&keywords=rick+glanvill

I'll leave you with the following advice: one cannot pick his club. You may want to follow Chelsea now and think it's for you, but it's not for everyone and forcing support for a club doesn't work.

I suggest you continue to watch football and find out what more you like about it, and whenever that moment happens that makes a club yours, you will know it - and that could be any club, including us, and I hope you find that, no matter what club you end up on.

I read this earlier this year. It gets a bit in the weeds at times, but a good read to learn more of the history of the club.


https://www.amazon.com/Chelsea-FC-Biography-Rick-Glanvill/dp/0755314662/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?keywords=chelsea+fc+book&qid=1575154608&sr=8-2

I can recommend Chelsea FC: The definitive story of the first 100 years by Rick Glanville, it is an excellent read

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0755314662/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_i30avb150AZ4Q

If you do three consecutive years, you won't really need to worry about getting in shape, just staying in shape during the off seasons (I assume you won't be hiking in the winters). If you live in the south, you can still get outdoors to hike. If you live in the north, then treadmills and stair steppers are the way to go if you can't stand the cold (like me). The bigger concerns, at least for me, are personal health and money. Injuries and sickness happen, so you have to avoid those. And you need to make sure you're insured while on the trail. You also won't have much, if any, income for 3 years. That's tough. I have an AT thru-hike slated for 2015 and a PCT thru-hike for 2016, but it's already tough on me financially. Things keep popping up and eating into the PCT fund.

For general long distance hiking, here are some of my favorite books:

Andrew Skurka

Michelle Ray

Jan Curran

The Logues

Back in 1998, History Channel made one called "The Unreal Story of Professional Wrestling."

But if you really want to learn about those days, I suggest you read three books: (1) National Wrestling Alliance: The Untold Story of the Monopoly That Strangled Pro Wrestling; (2) Gorgeous George: The Outrageous Bad-Boy Wrestler Who Created American Pop Culture; and (3) The Legends of Wrestling - "Classy" Freddie Blassie: Listen, You Pencil Neck Geeks.

The recent WWE 50 book may also be useful, but I've yet to read it.

Bloody Confused!: A Clueless American Sportswriter Seeks Solace in English Soccer -- The book for the novice soccer fan. It explains how one can get caught up in the sport even if they deride it or have no history with it. Amazon: After covering the American sports scene for fifteen years, Chuck Culpepper suffered from a profound case of Common Sportswriter Malaise. He was fed up with self-righteous proclamations, steroid scandals, and the deluge of in-your-face PR that saturated the NFL, the NBA, and MLB. Then in 2006, he moved to London and discovered a new and baffling world—the renowned Premiership soccer league. Culpepper pledged his loyalty to Portsmouth, a gutsy, small-market team at the bottom of the standings. As he puts it, “It was like childhood, with beer.”

The Ball is Round: A Global History of Soccer -- Be warned this book can be mistaken as a blunt object. One of the most global histories I've ever read. If you like information about how world soccer got to where it is now, I highly recommend this book. Amazon: In this extraordinary tour de force, David Goldblatt tells the full story of soccer's rise from chaotic folk ritual to the world's most popular sport-now poised to fully establish itself in the USA. Already celebrated internationally, The Ball Is Round illuminates soccer's role in the political and social histories of modern societies, but never loses sight of the beauty, joy, and excitement of the game itself.

Long-Range Goals: The Success Story of Major League Soccer -- Amazon: From the league’s formation in 1993 to the David Beckham era, this book reveals all the action on and off the pitch: the politics, the lawsuits, the management of its teams, and the savvy business deals that helped MLS rebound. It also revels in the big personalities of its stars, the grace of its utility players, and the obstacles the league faces in meeting its long-range goals.

Corner Offices & Corner Kicks -- Amazon: The Bethlehem Steel soccer team of 1907-30 and the New York Cosmos of 1971-85 were very much alike in a number of ways beyond their status as the two greatest soccer teams the United States has ever produced. The most important way that they are alike is that both were owned by major corporations, which is the exception in professional sports, and both experienced the benefits and the pitfalls of corporate ownership. Here are the stories of these two teams, and in particular the roller-coaster rides that their ownership situations sent them on.

the two freedarko books are excellent, but i suggest the undisputed guide to pro basketball history.

To credit the source, this is from David Seidman's Complete Sailor (p17 on the 1st edition) which I highly recommend.

I really wish I could describe how good this book is - I've read two other beginners books and Seidman makes them look quite poor. I don't think this is because the other books are really so poor, but a reflection on the brilliance of Seidman's writing.

I believe this book may be exceedingly and rarely well-written - it starts off talking about the wind, in basic terms that anyone can understand, and every topic thereafter uses terms and concepts that have already been explained.

Here are some more sample pages which I copied when someone asked for some more details on a previous occasion.

Don't go on /r/soccer. Chelsea fans are not welcome there, North American Chelsea fans even less so.

That being said, when I became a fan I read Chelsea FC The Official Biography which really helped with the history.

Also, weaintgotnohistory is a great site for transfer rumours and match discussions, and the Daily Hilario is always great.

I've found Backpackinglight's forum very helpful. In the gearlist section, people post their lists and get comments on them. Lighten Up is a short and simple book on the topic if you are completely new to lightweight backpacking. Also, "ultralight" is a loaded term. It implies a base weight (all the gear without food and what you're wearing) in the single digits. If this is what you really want, check out Ultralight Backpackin' Tips Otherwise, a baseweight in the teens are usually considered "lightweight" backpacking.

Also, don't just stick with stuff from REI. There are a lot of cottage industry stores that sell quality backpacking products. A few that I can think of off the top of my head are: Tarptent, Gossamer Gear, Six Moon Designs, Jacks R Better, ULA, Feathered Friends, Nunatak, Tenkara, and Bushbuddy. Of course, they are a bit more expensive, however, they are all well tested and trusted by a lot of backpackers.

Get your backpack last.

Gear is expensive so I'll give you a range, from cheapest you may find to very expensive but awesome.

Pack - get one that fits or face the back pain consequence - $50 for an ASolo UL to $500+ for Custom bag.

Sleeping bag - consider a quilt instead - All depends on where you live. I have a $35 dollar bag and a $450 bag I use one in the tropics on one in the alpine or arctic.

Tent - If you're camping alone, in a treed area, get a henessey hammock. They're $150 or so. You can also get a tarp ($50) and bivy ($100 used) combo. Don't lug a 4 person tent around for 1 or 2 people.

Next purchase - Stove. Make (check r/myog or cat food camp stove for info) or buy. You can also get a bomb proof msr stove for $35 + fuel.

Getting a pack that fits is the most important thing. A sleeping bag will fit in any pack because it's just fabric and fuzz.

Tent basics:
Big Agnes, TarpTent are the reasonably priced and best performing UL tents.
If you are 1 person get a 1 person tent. If you are 2 people, get a 2 person tent.
Look into hammock, bivy/tarp, and tent options and pick the one that suits where you'll be camping.

You'll want a 50-70L pack for trips longer than a weekend.

Mike Clelland has a really cheap and great tip book, he was a NOLS leader forever and knows his shit, and explains it with cartoons.

I'd recommend either Andrew Skurka's book or Dan Ladigan's book.

Andrew Skurka's website is also a good resource.

The Backpacking Light forums are excellent.

Ten Pound Backpack is pretty helpful for gear comparisons, once you know roughly what you're you're looking for.

For a complete beginner I usually recommend you pick up a book. There's so much information that it's hard to get anything from Reddit replies. Backpacking becomes a very personal activity after a few years and everyone has different ideas about the best set ups for gear and what not. So start with one of these books and really get an understanding of all the different types of gear. Also if you're in the states and have an REI close by you should see what kind of courses they offer. Most REI's have some kind of free intro to backpacking course. If you're cautious and prepared, going solo is just as safe as going in a group.
The top 3

The Ultimate Hikers Guide

The Backpackers Field Manual

The Complete Walker IV

The first one is probably the most easily digestible. The 3rd is my favorite but that's just because I enjoy the writing style. It's also arguably the most comprehensive.
I'd suggest you grab one or more of those books and start getting an understanding of all the gear. You could start with some easy overnight trip.

Edit: I just want to add, if you've never been backpacking at all you should look into gear rental and plan a quick trip. I've known plenty of people that think they want to do it until they do and they hate it. REI's have gear rental, some colleges have Outdoor Rec departments that rent gear. You could also look for a meetup.com group near you and message them about wanting to learn. I used to go out with a Meetup group and we would always gladly put a bag together for someone wanting to try it out.

This is an eternal one. There is no guaranteed "good way" as it is a still a matter of discussion how to approach a "matter of football" to be able to fully (or at least as good as possible) understand it.

For day to day performances, you can always follow services that even scouts use (like Opta, even FM and stuff) or free online sites like Squawka. However, I highly recommend to apporach them critically and with hindsight. It never tells a full story. Full story is watching the match, several times in a best way, not that almost anyone who is not paid for it, does.

Even though, you need to see what you are looking at. I think it is ideal, as in any research, to collect all sources. There is a great literature about a history and development of tactics (eg. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Inverting-Pyramid-History-Football-Tactics/dp/1409128644) or you can just follow some websities dedicated to it like http://www.zonalmarking.net.

I haven't actually read it myself so not a recommendation, but Jonathan Wilson's Inverting the Pyramid is supposed to be an excellent book on tactics: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Inverting-Pyramid-History-Football-Tactics/dp/1409128644

Skurka's 2nd edition book is excellent.

https://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Hikers-Gear-Guide-Second/dp/1426217846/ref=dp_ob_title_sports

Hi!

I am new to this as well. I've found a few different websites that have been very helpful for me.

Andrew Skurka's blog - Has a lot of great information in it. If you have some extra cash I highly recommend his book The Ultimate Hiker’s Gear Guide

Paul's blog - Gives a different perspective on things. Has budget friendly lists to work with.

I also have really liked the reviews from Man Makes Fire it has helped me tremendously with my gear selection.

Like /u/farkoman noted, high dans are about politics and general "life achievement", probably. Putin is a very visible character and widely known of practicing judo, so that alone probably would count. I think he also has written a few books about self-defense, amongst them at least this book about judo. (Yes - he's not the only author, so there is a chance he's the first author for celebrity power.)

there are a lot more training options other than Hal Higdon!

Pfitzinger

Daniels

Hansons


to name just a few

The techniques behind Lachlan and Danaher's insanely tight triangles definitely have some universal principles. Ryan Hall also popularized the hamstring curl method. However I think Neil Melanson's book Mastering Triangle Chokes covers their variations in really great detail. It won't break the bank like Danaher's dvd. It also came out in 2013 so it goes to show that this information has been out for a while now.

Pfitzinger Advanced Marathoning is what I base most of my training on. The first time I did one of his plans is the major turning point from me being "meh" to actually kind of decent at marathons.

Daniels' Running Formula is a staple, with a wider focus. I tend to lift specific workouts/weeks from his plans.

Hansons also has a great reputation, but I haven't used it personally. They mainly approach it as trying to train you to run the last part of the marathon.

Hal Higdon has good plans if your goal is to just finish and not die.

Most of these guys have plans for various levels of runner. The "easiest" Pfitz plan peaks at about 55 miles per week. Daniels is more "you pick your peak mileage, and then adjust according to a % for each week". It is pretty important to not bite off more than you can chew. As you learned, the most important thing is to get to the start line healthy.

Two great books with excellent marathon training plans are:

• Advanced Marathoning by Pete Pfitzinger and Scott Douglas
  
• Hansons Marathon Method
  
  Both have good intermediate plans in the ~50-55 mpw range that take 12-18 weeks. They also both contains tons of good info for a new marathoner.
  
  Good luck!

The other one is great too, love the art and diagrams.

FreeDarko Presents: The Undisputed Guide to Pro Basketball History
http://amzn.com/1608190838

I'm mostly a basketball guy so...


You don't need to have ever seen a basketball game to appreciate these first two books.

Breaks of the Game by David Halberstam which it probably the best NBA book. It follows the 1978 Portland Trail Blazers and gets way more access than anyone could get now. Plus Halberstam was a great writer so he gets the most out of excellent material.

The Last Shot by Darcy Frey this is probably my favorite basketball book. It follows high school basketball players and it works as biography as well as an exploration of sports culture, race, class, and youth. The Hoop Dreams of books. Great journalism on a great subject.

Freedarko's The Undisputed Guide to Basketball History Captures the visceral and intellectual thrill of watching basketball better than any other book. Manages to capture big picture and little picture.

Seven Seconds or Less Lifelong basketball writer follows one of the funnest teams in NBA history for a year


Pistol Biography of Pistol Pete and his insanely driven father. Manages the rare feat for a sports biography of not slipping into hagiography.


Baseball

Moneyball How baseball teams were run a decade ago. Really well written and somehow manages to make baseball and business really entertaining. Great for fans and non-fans.

Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills https://www.amazon.com/dp/1680510045/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_77PlDbB369K90

Trad Climber's Bible (How To Climb Series) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0762783729/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_U8PlDbW6VBDK9

https://coloradomountainschool.com/product/multi-pitch-rock-climbing/

https://www.cmc.org/Classes/CMCClassesandSchools.aspx

https://denvermountainguiding.com/rock-climbing

Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills is a must-have.

Start with a good book or two. I recommend Beyond Backpacking, Lighten Up!, and The Ultimate Hiker’s Gear Guide. Any of these books will give a good 50,000-foot view of the world of things you should be thinking about when introducing yourself to backpacking.

Inverting the Pyramid is probably a great place to start

This the one? I was thinking of getting it for my grandad for Christmas. ^^^^.

Buy these books before you spend any more money on anything else. They can save you a lot of money over the course of your upcoming months of gear-nerding out.

http://www.amazon.com/Ultralight-Backpackin-Tips-Inexpensive-Lightweight/dp/0762763841

http://www.amazon.com/The-Ultimate-Hikers-Gear-Guide/dp/1426209207

You're probably going to be disappointed in the responses you get to this question. "Best Gear" is sort of like asking for best ice cream flavor, or best color - you're going to get a lot of opinions based on personal preference, but very few hard-and-fast "best" verdicts.

Best Gear will be whatever works for your needs and hiking style. Take sleeping pads for example: my "best" might be a luxurious thick, heavy pad so I can sleep really well and rest my sore back, but your "best" might be a super thin and light pad to reduce your pack weight. Both are right answers, just for different reasons.

But the good news is you've got time. You can start researching, and doing little test trips to try out different things to see what works for you. If you want to get started learning about gear, and the philosophy behind it, Andrew Skurka's book is a pretty good read.

National Wrestling Alliance: The Untold Story of the Monopoly That Strangled Pro Wrestling

It's a great, very detailed book that goes back to even before the NWA was initially started.

Pain and Passion: The History of Stampede Wrestling

Another great book all about the Harts promotion.

I mean, territories falling apart had been inevitable for a long time, starting with AWA breaking away and Lou Thesz's ego not allowing him to give Verne Gagne a test-run.

But the downfall sped up in the 80s, when the cracks from the 60's started to appear again. Territorial promotions were starting to use cable to put their wrestling on TV, where fans outside of the territory could see it. This flew in the face of NWA's business model - which required the territorial bubbles so fans couldn't see how the angles in their own areas conflicted with the what other territories were doing.

The NWA, as an organisation, wouldn't support national television because they no longer had control over what fans could see, and they got left behind because of it. It really screwed over smaller territories. Their larger promotions who had TV deals, the ones that arguably had the stars to match the WWF, were under poor management from people who were drunk on success. They pissed away money and expanded too quickly.

A lack of unity, resistance to embrace cable TV, and financial mismanagement by the bigger promotions opened cracks that Vince took advantage of. There's still debate as to whether Vince's tactics were unethical or not - I think the answer is somewhere in the middle, as the NWA left themselves wide open to be taken advantage of. And a lot of Vince's tactics were tactics that the NWA themselves had used decades before to take over wrestling in America.

But 'Vince killed the territories' is a very oversimplified version of events, which doesn't give the NWA their due blame for not changing with the times, and treating both fans and wrestlers badly.

For more information, this book is really useful: https://www.amazon.co.uk/National-Wrestling-Alliance-Strangled-Professional/dp/1550227416

But hey, the counter-arguments you made were totally valid as well.

judo

If you're interested in a history of how MLS formed here in the US and you're like me and enjoy reading about soccer, I recommend Dure's Long-Range Goals.

FreeDarko Presents: The Undisputed Guide to Pro Basketball History Hardcover

Easy read, really cool illustrations, very informative.

The Free Darko basketball history book is in the same vein, plus it has cool illustrations.

Unrelated, but am I alone in thinking the end of the Book of Basketball was incredibly corny? It’s been 10 years since I read it and one of the few things I remember about it is that he ended it by unironically quoting 2pac.

The Complete Sailor is an awesome book - use the Look Inside feature to check out the illustrations - they give the book a lot of character so it's great for a coffee table or for casual reading. Might be a little too novice for a 1-year sailor, unless your dad hasn't had much formal instruction.

As mentioned already, Chapman's is good - it's the bible for any waterman. However, it has so much stuff there's very little on sailing (only 40 pages on the topic). It won't tell you much about sail trim, for example. But it covers a lot - I read it cover to cover last year and if I retained anything (I didn't) I'd be a damn genius.

I can't wait for The Annapolis Book of Seamanship to come out with it's much needed 4th edition in January. I hear this is the bible for sailors, but I haven't picked it up since I'm waiting for that new edition. But only because it has more electronics/GPS mentions - I'm sure all the actual sailing stuff is the same between the two.

tl;dr: I think you can improve a lot just with more knowledge. I reached APA7 pretty fast, despite a shitty stroke and bad habits, by just absorbing a ton of books, videos, and websites. I had to work on execution and fixing those habits to reach APA9 speed. At no point did I ever become any kind of serious tournament or money player, it's very possible to improve without doing those things, despite what "they" say. But there's a limit to how far you can go on knowledge only, you WILL need to practice and spend hours at the table, and you will need to enter pressure situations if you want to perform well in tournaments, league, etc.

--------------------------

● Playing better players is a bit overrated - you don't just magically absorb someone's skills by playing against them. I'm not saying it's bad, but find people that are willing to teach and answer questions... don't just hit balls with someone and be their rackboy.

If you figure watching the better player shoot will help you learn, then you can double your learning by just watching 2 better players shoot against each other.

There's a lot to be said for shooting people who are very close to your level, or just a hair better. You both learn together, and (hopefully) talk things over and figure stuff out. And you both feel like you can win, which is important. It makes things more competitive. A lot of people improve simply because their ego can't tolerate losing to 'that one guy'.

● People will also tell you that you need to just enter a bunch of tournaments, or gamble. That's only half-correct. Tournaments train one specific skill - handling pressure. They don't teach you stuff like advanced cueball control, or how to compensate for english, or how to aim a kick shot. You don't get those skills just because you paid your $20 and now you need them to win.

● So how do you get better? Well, there are two areas where everyone could stand to improve - knowledge and execution.

Of these two things, knowledge is much easier to get. You can get it from the internet, books, or by watching and talking to those local pros. It's free/cheap, and takes very little effort... there's no reason you can't max out your knowledge ASAP.

The trick is to make sure you get correct knowledge, because the pool world is unfortunately full of bad info. I wanna recommend some books which I know are good, because the info is easily tested and confirmed, and that's exactly what I did in a lot of cases.

Byrne's Standard Book of Pool and Billiards - comprehensive explanation of all sorts of useful concepts, explanations of how the balls will react on certain shots, and why, and how to take advantage of it... lots of specific shots to master... safety and runout strategy... pretty much everything you could need.

The 99 Critical Shots - If you want specific shots to practice, and a lot of the same useful info, but much shorter and cheaper... this is for you. As a 6 you maybe know most of this, but I bet you don't know all of it, and you can get a copy for $1.50.

If you feel like reading is for losers, you can learn off websites too -

Everything on Dr. Dave's website and videos is outstanding. Tested and proven both on paper, on video, and in the real world. http://billiards.colostate.edu/pool_tutorial.html ...see also http://billiards.colostate.edu/threads.html ...and http://billiards.colostate.edu/pool_secrets_gems.html .

Or, just watch his videos - it's great to actually see the info put into action: https://www.youtube.com/user/DrDaveBilliards

These tips I think are just about right for someone around your speed - https://www.reddit.com/r/billiards/comments/6oo5e7/tip_compilation_various_tips_kicking_systems/

--------------

As far as execution goes, you do need to spend hours on the table. But before doing anything else, you want to first make sure you have good fundamentals and a normal, textbook stroke. I can't say it strongly enough:

IF YOU DON'T FIX YOUR BAD HABITS NOW THEY WILL FUCK YOU LATER.

I had several that I needed to unlearn, and they still screw up my game to this day. I wish I could go back in time and learn how to stroke straight, not spin the cue ball all the time, and develop a correct stance. Don't be me, get your bad habits and stance issues under control now. Everything after that will come much easier. Don't hesitate to pay for a lesson from a pro instructor to have them go over your stroke and fix any problems they see. If you don't wanna spend money, you can video yourself and try to evaluate it, or upload it here and we'll give you some feedback.

Other key things that helped me learn how to execute better:

● Get out of your comfort zone and try new things. Don't just stick to the shots you know, try new shots. That doesn't mean try 2-rail banks every time you step to the table, I mean try "new" shots that you know you need to master, but haven't yet.

For example, maybe you suck at jumping and this situation comes up where you're hooked on the 5. You might be tempted to just kick it, but you KNOW any pro player will jump this ball and make it. So suck it up and try the jump, even though you suck at it. You need that practice. Don't chicken out and kick just because you're scared of missing and losing.

Whatever shots you hate and you're tempted to avoid, make yourself do them. Hate shooting the CB off the rail with heavy inside spin? Of course you do, we all do. But there will be times when you have to do it, so when the situation comes up, don't avoid it.

● Practice while you play. When you shoot with friends for fun, don't just stick to the safe comfortable stuff because you're worried about losing. You gotta make self-improvement a higher priority than winning every rack. If you miss and lose, so what? It doesn't cost you anything.

You might think "I don't need to try that spin shot right now, I'll just hit 50 of them when I go practice on sunday afternoon". Don't kid yourself... most people don't have the discipline to do that. They either don't practice at all, or do it for a few weeks and then lose interest, or they forget about that spin shot they said they'd practice. Even if you DO practice religiously, you will probably spend far more hours playing than practicing. Don't let those hours be wasted by refusing to learn new skills.

● If you do drills, do them with a specific purpose. Don't ever just hit balls without a goal. You're too advanced for that to help you much. Work on a specific shot... rail cuts, thin cuts, long straight shots, position drills, banks, whatever. And keep track of your results, so you know if you're improving or not. For example, don't just bank 50 balls and say "ok I practiced banks". Keep track (you can use your phone) of how many you made out of 50. Is it more than you made last week? Or 5 weeks ago? If not, why not?

● If you miss a ball, set it up and shoot it again, and don't just shoot it until you make it once. Shoot it until you make it several times in a row.

● Always be paying attention to your fundamentals. Even if they're already pretty good, bad habits can creep in if you don't pay attention.

● Be careful of laziness and wishful thinking. I explain more on that here: https://forums.azbilliards.com/showpost.php?p=2429822&postcount=16

● For the jump specifically from 6 to 7, I'd say mastery of inside english and uncommon position routes is crucial. You gotta get good at moving the cue ball along the safest path. Good pool is identifying 10 potential fuckups and identifying the solution that should prevent at least 9 of them. That sometimes means moving the cue ball with funky english or more force than you're comfortable with.

Here are some example shots that hopefully show what I mean. Some may disagree with the routes or say "I'd do this instead" or "you could totally do the other route here" or whatever... that's fine, focus on the theory more than on whether everyone agrees which route is best.

https://pad.chalkysticks.com/97d8d.png

https://pad.chalkysticks.com/6d4f3.png

https://pad.chalkysticks.com/1bee7.png

https://pad.chalkysticks.com/2a00b.png

...ok, this thing is long enough. If you made it this far, I guarantee you'll be a 7 in less than 24 hours, or your money back :)

Byrne's New Standard Book of Pool and Billiards


Tor Lowry YouTube

Our favorite!

https://www.amazon.com/Chelsea-FC-Biography-Rick-Glanvill/dp/0755314662/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1502324744&sr=8-1&keywords=rick+glanvill

• How to Climb Series: Climbing Anchors by John Long
  
  
• Climbing Anchors, 2nd by John Long and Bob Gaines
  
  edit: formatting

no pic. here's a link to what I had in 2011, not sure how outdated that is but it'd give you a sense. I did it again in 2013 or so and added a pound or two to my pack, mostly in the form of a 1p tent. I MUCH preferred a single person tent. I got one of those Solong ones made for tall dudes.

re-reading that list there's nothing I brought that I didn't end up wanting. Lots of lessons in general, mostly stemming from this book. Essentially think about the need, and alternatives to fill that need. Think about overlapping items and how to pare it down. Think about how happier you'd be hiking 200+ miles if you left 5lb of stuff at the trailhead and try to find ways to do that.

No substitute for hiking! Can't complain against cardio and strength training though, hitting the gym will sure enforce mental discipline which is a big helper. When you guys do get outside remember that its not a race and sometimes objectives can't be reached. Learn to judge the difference between being uncomfortable and setting yourself up for injury.

If you're at the gym killing time on a stationary bike or treadmill check out navigation and backpacking at least for starters.

Having 5 up front was very common. It was also a lot more common back then to see scores like 6-3, 5-2 etc often. The modern "defender" is a very new concept when you look at football as a whole.

In fact, the earliest "formation" in football was notoriously known as "the pyramid", because it was a 2-3-5 formation in the shape of a pyramid. The 2-3-2-3 is probably the most common formation through football history.

Also, ever wondered why a CB is referred to as a "centre half"? The central midfielder was once known as the centre half, but many teams started shifting their centre half into the defensive line while attacking, in a ploy to concede less goals on the counter attack, which was a new concept at the time. Think of Michael Carrick or Steven Gerrard in the modern era, when they slide into a back 3.

Jonathan Wilson wrote a very interesting book called Inverting the Pyramid. Well worth picking up if you're interested in tactics or football history in general.

I learned too late to save me any money but if I knew then, or if the one thing I wish I'd known; go UL (ultra light). The lighter and smaller your kit the more places you can go. My current set up can be put into a backpack and making ten or twenty miles a day on trail. Put into water proof stuff sacks and strapped to my mountain bike or slid into the cargo holds of my kayak. Add my fly fishing kit and throw it all in my Jeep.

If this sounds good then I would read Andy Skurka's gear book.

I'd recommend picking up a few books. Ultralight Backpackin' Tips by Mike Clelland, and Ultimate Hiker's Gear Guide by Andrew Skurka for starters. These will help you a ton.

Then, what was just said, ask yourself with each item, "Am I packing my fears?" "Do I really need this?" and "What would realistically happen if I left this at home?" I'm seeing a ton of unnecessary and/or redundant stuff, not to mention all the heavy stuff.

For example, paracord, multitool, lantern, lots of heavy stuff sacks, an ultra-heavy water reservoir, full bottle of soap (you only need a few drops of that stuff), 3 heavy knives (a tiny swiss army classic or even a razor blade would do the trick), tons of excessive, heavy and redundant clothing (use a simple, versatile layering system with no redundancy), etc. Your first aid kit weighs almost 13oz! You can easily make a good one for under 3. You have a space blanket and two redundant fire starters (emergency only items) when you are carrying a gas stove and a sleeping bag (actual versions of the things your survival kit is supposed to improvise). The list is quite long.

Also, I'd take a serious look at some of the UL/SUL hammock guys on YouTube and get some ideas from their videos on how to dramatically simplify and lighten your hammock system. It seems incredibly complicated and heavy to me, esp. based on what I've seen online from other Hammock guys. For instance, a +6oz gear pouch? A suspension system that weighs more than your actual hammock? Yikes. Definitely take a look at lots of the lighterpack links you see in people's flairs on here too and just get some ideas for how to simplify, reduce, and eliminate items in your gear list. YouTube is your friend. There are tons of UL and SUL guys on there who camp in Hammocks. Learn from their experience and save yourself from having to re-live their mistakes.

Good luck and have fun! I know it probably seems overwhelming now, but just whittle down one thing at a time and you'll get there. You're already off to a good start with having all your gear in a list online to create accountability and show you the true weights of everything. It's fun to see how light you can go with your gear list and your back will thank you for it!

As a newb, and with slightly different goals (more interested in motocamping, than backpacking, personally), I may be mistaken, but I don't think there is a list. Identify your goals and your needs, and that will inform your gear decisions.

I'd recommend checking out Andrew Skurka's book. It's well-written, and informative. https://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Hikers-Gear-Guide-Second/dp/1426217846/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1505101910&sr=8-1

There's also some good info on his website if you want to save a few dollars (I haven't looked too much into the site, so I don't know how much the site and the book differ).

The sidebar here has some links that look really promising, and there are plenty of shake-down requests you can read to get an idea of what you might want.

The TL:DR version is that when Wrestling from a regional industry to a national one in the 1980's, the NWA territories put their eggs in the Jim Crockett Promotions basket. It's an interesting, but too long for this post history why. Crockett did well for a time, but a combination of behind the scenes mismanagement and WWF ended up driving Crockett into bankruptcy in 1988. Turner Broadcasting bought the TV company side(overly simplifying that) that's how WCW was born.

As far as fans knew NWA = WCW. In reality, WCW was the TV and wrestling company. The NWA was a committee that controlled the booking the NWA titles. In 1991 there was controversy regarding who should be NWA Champion. Some complicated title history shenanigans happened and basically you needed up with two titles. The WCW title and the NWA title. The title histories of both belts criss cross through between 1991-1993 with some reigns being recognized by both, and some recognized by only one side. There was also a WCW international title in 1993-1994. It's all very complicated. In 1994 WCW and the NWA finally 100% split.

The NWA decides to crown a Champion based out of Philadelphia's NWA: Eastern Championship Wrestling booked by Paul Heyman. They pick Shane Douglas. Douglas and Heyman swerve the NWA and disown the title forming Extreme Championship Wrestling. By that point the NWA is basically a joke. Nothing but a bunch of indie promotions with no hope calling themselves the NWA. The NWA did crown Dan Severn as NWA champion in 1995. He wore it to UFC and WWE, which was cool, and the title did pop up in New Japan and Mexico a few times over the years, but basically the people that where in charge of the NWA from this point on didn't have any sort of power or money to compete. They were local indies basically. TNA started as an NWA indie and that brought the title back into prominence a little bit in the early 2000's. TNA eventually grew big enough that they felt like they didn't need the NWA name any more. After that the NWA went back to being a local indie thing until Billy Corgan bought it.


The history of the NWA is basically the history of professional wrestling on a global scale. I recommend this book. It's a long, but very interesting read.

[edit]

I think I first heard about this track in FreeDarko Presents: The Undisputed Guide to Pro Basketball History, but I don't have my copy handy to confirm. If not, I'd still recommend that book very highly.

C denotes a style of aid climbing know as "clean aid". Basically it means that you can ascend the route without a hammer (i.e. you're not going to need pitons, bashies, etc.). In fact, a lot of routes, like the one your asking about, is technically C0. Seriously though, two books that are worth the time for any aspiring aid climber:

Freedom of the Hills

Big Walls

Have you heard of the Hansons Marathon Method?

Hansons First Marathon: Step Up to 26.2 the Hansons Way https://www.amazon.com/dp/1937715795/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_F-b2CbYJDP0PT

Hansons Half-Marathon Method: Run Your Best Half-Marathon the Hansons Way https://www.amazon.com/dp/1937715191/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_w1b2CbF4SNEZR

Hansons Marathon Method: Run Your Fastest Marathon the Hansons Way https://www.amazon.com/dp/1937715485/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_nSb2CbR4V7518

Once you get into the longer distances, it's worth buying a book on the program you will use. You can find the plan online for free but it's best to understand the ins and outs of a program so you are following it correctly. The hansons marathon method is amazing. The book is structured to help you understand what running does to your body, how to adapt your body through the various workouts (how to do the workouts and which paces) and the concept of cumulative fatigue. It goes over goal selection, the workouts, schedule modifications, diet, rest, cross training, etc.


Luke Humphrey has online community forums (Facebook and elsewhere) as well as blogs and podcasts that help to reinforce the content of the book.


I was amazed at the quality of the program and I'm a full believer in the program. I used this program for my first marathon and I'm starting it again in July for the Philly marathon.

IF you have a chance, grab a copy of Neil Melanson's Mastering Triangle Chokes.

It is literally the triangle bible....it must have 600 triangle setups from every possible position

http://www.amazon.com/Mastering-Triangle-Chokes-Submission-Grappling/dp/193660809X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1405011348&sr=1-1&keywords=mastering+triangle+chokes.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1934838047?pc_redir=1412277252&robot_redir=1

And

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1934838055/ref=pd_aw_sims_1?pi=SY115&simLd=1

>Colorado sometime in early August, but I can't find any published routes.

Wut.

Here's a hardcopy book:

You can get GPX tracks for 4x4 roads here:

As well as here if you join the site:

And of course, there's the Bible of what's accessible, updated annually straight from the USFS:

And you can download free GeoPDFs of those MVUMs here:

Now then. Let's answer your main question. Weeklong route in the Four Corners area? There are literally tens of thousands of combinations of tracks to take. I've started in Carson NF in the dead of the sand off of 285 on a whim one time. Just pulled off the highway straight onto an NF-designated road and threw my plans to power through to the Sand Dunes out the window. Doing some quick scouting, I think it was NF 558 from the bend in the road I remember passing and approximate location. I digress.

You could start there and spend a whole day pretending you're in a Baja truck hitting those sandy whoops. I finally gave up on seeing how far back the road ran when sundown was on my back. Then you could snake all the way to the border adjacent to the highway and burn another two days easily. Or you could just hop on 285, run up to the Dunes, camp and hike there, then roll over Medano Pass and start heading towards Buena Vista. Or swing west and go hit up Telly/Ouray.

You need to remember the large swath of res land in NE AZ and NW NM, but other than that, the Four Corners states are absolute spiderwebs of 4x4 roads that will take you to hiking, biking, camping, crawling, fishing, hunting, and anything else you can imagine.

Haha, This is the one! There are different areas within it. I always use it!

Guide to Colorado Backroads & 4-Wheel-Drive Trails, 3rd Edition https://www.amazon.com/dp/1934838047/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_Q9TxzbJ1P6647

• Buy some books, sit in a chair, and actually read them.
  
  
• Pay attention to your mistakes. You can't learn from them if you ignore what happened. What went wrong? Did it curve left? Did you twist your cue? Did you jump up? It'll be exhausting to pay attention to so much, but it'll help you learn.
  
  
• Repetition. Shoot as many balls as you can, but remember to pay attention to every shot. Don't half ass them because you're planning on doing 10 in a row.
  
  
• Work on your cueing. Setup the cueball on the spot, shoot it forward as straight as you can, stay down, try to get it back to your cue tip. Analyze what happened after. Did it go left? Why? Did you mishit it or did you accidentally add English? If you're not sure... stroke slower.
  
  
• Work on a routine. Look at the table, step up to the cue ball, eye the object ball, get into your stance, put your bridge down, get over the cue, do your strokes, and fire. You don't have to follow that specific routine, but find one that works for you and stick to it. If you mess up while you're down... get up and do it all over again.
  
  
• More repetition mixed with paying attention. If you're able to do something over and over... try to think about why. If things are going wrong, try to think about why. Make adjustments. You'll be shooting a lot of balls over and over, but that's what it takes.
  
  There are probably some more tips of course, but this could be a good start.

Check out the works from Robert Byrne, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Byrne_(author), if you would enjoy reading and watching instructional materials about pool. I don't know if there's anyone on the planet who knows more about the game than he does.

Here would be my recommendations:

Byrne's Standard Video of Pool Volumes 1, 2 and 5. (3 and 4 are trick shot videos so they're not that important). The only issue is that only 5 is on DVD. 1 and 2 are on VHS and you'll need to grab them used off Amazon or Ebay.

If you want to read I would suggest Byrne's New Standard of Pool and Billiards

These are the materials that helped me, hopefully they can help you too. Good luck!

This book helped me tremendously. It's not over-complicated and teaches you pretty much everything you need to know. I'm not a pro, but it seriously boosted my game. http://www.amazon.com/Byrnes-Standard-Book-Pool-Billiards/dp/0156005549

In Bill James' New Historical Baseball Abstract, he talks about being part of George Bell's arbitration team one off-season. One of the things he did was compile a list of all the errors that George Bell made the previous season and show that NONE of them actually accounted for a run in a game the Jays lost that year.

This could very well be one of them.

Side note: If you haven't had a chance to read that book, I HIGHLY recommend it. It's VERY out of date now (it came out in 2001), and his "Win Shares" method of determine player value has been picked apart (and replaced by WAR), but it is probably the single best book ever written for learning about the history of baseball and the players. He has entries for the top 100 players at each position, and lengthy stories/explanations about every decade of baseball. One of my favourite from the 1980s section:

> Most Aggressive Baserunner: Alfredo Griffin

> One thing I have always wanted to do was to document Alfredo's baserunning exploits. He really was phenomenal. I personally saw him score from second on a ground ball to second, scoring the lead run in the top of the ninth. I have heard about Alfredo doing things like going first-to-third on infield outs, moving second to third on a pop up to short, scoring on a pop out to the catcher, and taking second after grounding into a forceout. Alfredo figured that if you left the base ahead of him unguarded, it was his. Somebody ought to make a documented list of those basepath heroics, with dates and specifics, before it gets away from us.

The New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract is a lifetime's worth of idle baseball reading.

Is the book Chelsea FC: The Official Biography: The Definitive Story of the First 100 Years considered a good read on the club?

I forgot to add, there are some great books out there that are super inspiring and useful.

Climbing Anchors, 2nd Edition, by John Long

Self-Rescue, by David Fasulo, Mike Clelland

Big Walls, Paul Piana

Look into it. I do know some people that learned to lead trad from friends. If so, make sure you do the following:

1. Follow a friend and inspect his placements as you clean them.
   
2. Practice placing pieces while standing on solid ground, and have an experienced friend check out and critique your placements.
   
3. If you can get two other people, try a "mock lead" on TR, with one person on TR belay and another person on lead belay. Make sure the TR belay is nice and loose and try hanging on a piece on your lead rope. Maybe even try a bit of a fall. If you can only get one other person, still do the mock lead, but trail the rope with no belay. You won't get the experience of weighting or falling on gear, but placing a piece while on the rock is still way, way different from placing a piece on solid ground.
   
4. Read Traditional Lead Climbing by Heidi Pesterfield. Cover to cover. http://www.amazon.com/Traditional-Lead-Climbing-Climbers-Taking/dp/0899974422/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1309779139&sr=8-2
   
5. Only after you have done all of the above, try a lead climb on something stupid easy. Have an experienced friend inspect your placement. Ask him if any cams walked or tipped out; if cams were undercammed; if nuts or hexes were too close to the edge and liable to blow; etc.
   
6. Read Climbing Anchors, by John Long. http://www.amazon.com/Climbing-Anchors-2nd-How-Climb/dp/0762723262/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1309779148&sr=8-1 This is must-know stuff; without a bolt line to follow, you could go off-route and need to build an anchor to bail off.
   
7. Read up on rock rescue; this is a good book: http://www.amazon.com/Climbing-Self-Rescue-Improvising-Mountaineers/dp/089886772X/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1309779184&sr=8-5
   
   Good luck, and climb on.

Guidebooks to the climber's local crags would be a great gift if they don't already have them.

If they already have those, then Climbing Anchors is definitely one every climber should read.

Regarding TR anchors: read Anchors in EARNEST and John Long's Climbing Anchors. On top of the reading, please seek instructions from an experienced person and have them look over your work for the first few times. (If I were in Jersey, I'd take you up on the offer for teaching, climbing, and boozing.)

//EDIT: Corrected link format.

I'm pretty sure most people will be reticent to give advice over t'internet about setting up anchors because when you teach someone you want to be sure that they've got the hang of it before they try it in the wild. Try and go out with an experienced friend and set up some dummy anchors and then go through your first proper anchor with experienced friend(much cheaper than paying instruction)

In the mean time this is a cheap good book full of diagrams. Good luck with your outside climbing, totally different experience from the(slightly sterile) indoor climbing world

Find someone with experience to show you how to do it. There are subtle mistakes that can be made setting up an anchor - cross-loading biners, chafing webbing, equalization issues, directional issues, etc.

A good book by a great writer and a Yosemite Stonemaster is Climbing Anchors by John Long

http://www.amazon.com/Climbing-Anchors-2nd-How-Climb/dp/0762723262/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1269897510&sr=8-1

But seriously, you only get one life. Find someone with experience to "show you the ropes".

Climbing Anchors by John Long is a good concise reference for, well, climbing anchors.

Specifically it covers stuff like what to avoid when placing nuts and cams, what to look for in natural protection, warning signs for bad bolts, and the pros and cons of the various rigging systems. It's pretty cheap too so I think it definitely has a place on your shelf.

Check out these books if you haven't seen them yet.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0762737344/ref=tmm_pap_used_olp_sr?ie=UTF8&condition=used&qid=&sr=

https://www.amazon.com/Ultralight-Backpackin-Tips-Inexpensive-Lightweight/dp/0762763841/ref=pd_bxgy_14_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=0762763841&pd_rd_r=KECR7BQ2FKBK8YEB8R5E&pd_rd_w=oEMgW&pd_rd_wg=jbk23&psc=1&refRID=KECR7BQ2FKBK8YEB8R5E

https://www.amazon.com/Allen-Mikes-Really-Cool-Backpackin/dp/1560449128/ref=pd_sim_14_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=1560449128&pd_rd_r=XKZNM6QW1FAMRP4Z1FPM&pd_rd_w=qJgYG&pd_rd_wg=AQN7T&psc=1&refRID=XKZNM6QW1FAMRP4Z1FPM

All very cheap used.

What do you already have? Not everything needs to be replaced. A list with weights is always helpful. We like to weigh stuff, and we are obsessed with that (okay, not everyone is).

There are two books that really helped me Lighten Up! and Ultralight Backpackin' Tips.

Check out http://bandofbackpackers.com/ for a gear list. It has some ultralight ideas with pack weights on one of the pages. It's divided by ounce so you can get a feel for utility vs. weight. You may want to buy lighten up the book with cartoons to understand where you'll need to invest and what's really important. It's easily readable in a night or two and really fun too!

Book 1 is good.
Try these as well

Book3

Book 4

Book 5 - I have not read this book but I trust the author

This book has lots and lots of information about planning trips for groups: http://www.amazon.com/Backpackers-Field-Manual-Revised-Updated/dp/1400053099/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1415212401&sr=1-1&keywords=backpacker%27s+field+manual

Edit: sloppy typing

I was in a similar situation as you a few years ago. In an unpopular locale for backpacking (north TX) and had zero friends that were into it.

There's endless resources online but I wanted an all encompassing guide in my hands to start. The Backpackers Field Manual was really helpful. It was originally used as a textbook for a backpacking class at Princeton until it was published. It's organized really nicely with everything from equipment to weather and navigation.

I started with this book and then began sifting through websites like www.backpackinglight.com, Erik the Black's blog, Section Hiker and various other websites.

Hope this is helpful. Good luck.

Don't waste your money on a course. First thing I would do get a book or two for about $15 each. This and this look like two good books. I'm Swedish so the books I use wouldn't be much use to you.

Next is to get a backpack and some gear. Once you have the gear pack it up in the backpack and go car camping for a couple of weekends. Only use what you have in the backpack.

Then you can progress to going on overnight trips. You should be able to find organized groups that go on backpacking trips. Start with simple overnights and progress from there. Or you can just go with friends.

Inverting the Pyramid: The History of Football Tactics
by Jonathan Wilson


https://www.amazon.co.uk/Inverting-Pyramid-History-Football-Tactics/dp/1409128644

So I was drafting a blog post on books this weekend. Copypasta:

Ultimate Hiker's Gear Guide - Andrew Skurka

Ultralight Backpacking Tips - Mike Clelland

Lightweight Backpacking and Camping - Ryan Jordan

Trail Life: Ray Jardine's Lighweight Bapackpacking

Beyond Backpacking: Ray Jardine's Guide to Lightweight Hiking

Here is one option:

• https://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Hikers-Gear-Guide-Second/dp/1426217846

Pick up Andrew Skurka's book on gear.

The Ultimate Hiker's Gear Guide, Second Edition: Tools and Techniques to Hit the Trail https://www.amazon.com/dp/1426217846/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_kbrSAbAWHJAHE

Wrestling's as real as theater or opera; instead of verses or arias, they do spots and promos. The latter is one of the reason the indy scene gets a more passionate following, as they understand that they cannot push the product as a con or rigged show; the only reals marks are kids until they figure it out, which, with the Internet, is quite easy.

Their history as a whole is quite intricate, from a carnival attraction in the late 1800s to a "legitimate" sport in the 1930 (at the time you had to be a real wrestler to hold the title, as you either could be betrayed by the opponent, the referee, the booker, the territory or the wrestling institution). It's only when you get to the 70s that we get a glimpse of the perverse effect of sensationalism had on the squared circle, which we see in full effect in Natch's article, such as cocaine, steroids, ring rats, ludicrous contracts, alcohol, etc.

We were lucky to have a solid 20 years of awesome wrestling, such as the WWF and NWA in the 80's and the WCW/WWE feuds in the 90s which prompted the consolidation & the end of the territory system across North America. However, it was a steep price: Natch is only one of many troubled performers that, when everything settle down, became a lost asset; and that's without including roster attrition to drug & physical abuse and crime-related incidents, which are at an all-time high in the sport's 150 year existence. Moreover, there is the lost integrity of the martial art, which at the time was for self-defense and competition, that, if performed correctly (e.g. Piledriver or chokehold) can be devastating for an opponent; most wrestlers today cannot wrestle efficiently to fully compete with another martial artist.

If you want to learn more, I can easily recommend the following books:

• National Wrestling Alliance: The Untold Story of the Monopoly that Strangled Pro Wrestling
  
• Eric Bischoff: Controversy Creates Cash
  
• Have A Nice Day: A Tale of Blood and Sweatsocks
  
• The World According To Dutch
  
  I'm still looking for books regarding: Eddie Quinn and the Quebec territory from 1950 to 1980, The Japan scene from the NWA days to today and The indy scene from 1990 to today (including ECW).
  
  There is a lot of interesting material for such a fake show. :)

He's quite well-known for judo- he has been a black belt since 1970, is a former champion and has co-authored a judo manual.

https://www.amazon.com/Judo-History-Practice-Vladimir-Putin/dp/1556434456

Definitely possible. I went from 290lbs couch potato to 230lbs full marathoner in 11 months. Big help was "The Non Runner's Marathon Trainer"
http://www.amazon.com/Non-Runners-Marathon-Trainer-David-Whitsett/dp/1570281823

Long Range Goals is also an excellent recap of why MLS is set up the way it is and the US Soccer landscape in the mid 1990s. Then the book summarizes the first several seasons. My favorite parts of the book surrounded the initial birth of the league and the MLS players union lawsuit that reinforced MLS' single-entity structure.

http://www.amazon.com/books/dp/1597975095

Here is the book in question. And no, they chose the name Free Darko as a bit of a joke I think.

I personally hated Simmons book. FreeDarko's "The Undisputed Guide to Pro Basketball History" came out around the same time and I think is 10 times the hoops book.

http://www.amazon.com/FreeDarko-Presents-Undisputed-Basketball-History/dp/1608190838/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1377872046&sr=8-1&keywords=free+darko

this is the book you are looking for

I have a copy of that book - I don't remember it as being very good.

David Seidman's The Complete Sailor - it's so good that it defies words; it's hard to explain how clear and well-structured it is.

Highly highly recommend The Complete Sailor by David Seidman. Not sure why but I find myself reading and re-reading this one more than Chapman (which is another must have). Happy hunting!

I've kind of amassed a library. I'm a rank amateur, but here's what I've found helpful in at least orienting myself so far (I'm still working my way through these on a "total readthrough" basis, but I've flipped through and skimmed all of them) in the order that you should probably read them. Also, I've spent the last six months skulking around every sailing forum on the Internet.

I've found the greatest barrier of sailing for someone trying to get into it for the first time is understanding the language, and the second greatest is understanding the mechanical workings of the rig and how it physically interacts with the wind. These books have been super helpful in that respect. I can't speak to how much in the way of practical skill they may have imparted, but I know infinitely more about the subject than I did a few months ago.

• The Complete Sailor, Second Edition (mentioned already)
  
• The Sailing Handbook
  
• Don Casey's Complete Illustrated Sailboat Maintenance Manual
  
• The Sailmaker's Apprentice
  
• The Complete Rigger's Apprentice
  
• The Gaff Rig Handbook
  
• Hand, Reef, and Steer
  
  Those last two are because I despearately want a Gaff rig. If you're not planning on ever dealing with a Gaffer, you don't need them at all. If you only want to buy one of the books on the list, make it The Complete Sailor.
  
  There's also a bunch of online resources, such as about.com's "how to sail a small sailboat" article and ESPECIALLY the boating section of Animated Knots which can teach you a ton of knots.
  
  Hope that helps!

https://www.amazon.com/Byrnes-Standard-Book-Pool-Billiards/dp/0156005549

I picked up the 2003 copy. This one

The New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract https://www.amazon.ca/dp/0743227220/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_dEWByb8ASVHM2

How much reading do you want to do? If you want to just get caught up on every team/player for next season in a long but fun to read book format, I'd suggest putting in your order now for this years Baseball Prospectus. It's more thorough than any sane person would ever need it to be, but I can't recommend it enough if you're looking for detail. For more current news, Fangraphs and Baseball Reference are solid for stats and info, while the various SB Nation sites have more team based stuff.

If you want more history, the Ken Burns Baseball series is on Netflix, and is a ton of fun to watch. If you're more of a reader, the Bill James Historical Abstract doubles as a nice doorstop, but has a nice, fun look at the past.

Other than that, lurk around here to catch up on big news and general public opinion, and maybe try to get yourself into a fantasy league.

Edit: Almost forgot podcasts (I love podcasts, but I'm new to baseball podcasts, so grain of salt and all). Productive Out's PRODcast is pretty fun, it's two guys from Thrice and Kowloon Walled City (if you're into music at all) basically shooting the shit. Effectively Wild is more baseball-centric, but updates more frequently. I've heard mixed reviews on the Fangraphs podcast, both rave positives and really negative, but haven't given it a listen yet myself.

Sports writing has a long, rich tradition and it's probably worth tapping into some of the older stuff.

The New Yorker has printed some great sports writing, and this collection has articles going back almost 100 years. The most famous is John Updike's description of Ted Williams' final at bat at Fenway.

Dr. Z has some great stuff. His book "The New Thinking Man's Guide to Pro Football", published in 1984, blends statistics and subjective insight in a way that anticipates modern sports writing. The chapter on Marion Motley is wonderful.

You've heard of Bill James. I like this abstract but he has a lot of good work.

Boxing has a long tradition of being elevated by great writing. My favorite boxing writer is AJ Liebling, some of his best work is collect in The Sweet Science.

There's a ton of great stuff out there I didn't mention. I think it would be a mistake to draw mostly from writing from the last 10 years.

I like your approach but "comprehensive" may be difficult. The game is old and a lot's happened. That being said, The New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract is excellent. From there, you may want to read up on certain teams/players that you're interested in. Welcome to baseball.

I am a pretty big fan of the analysts on MLB TV. I have no idea if you have access to it, but they are great.

As far as a strategy guide, I really have no idea. I mean, there must be one (or a thousand), but I have never heard of it. (For instance, I would have no problems recommending The Art of War by Sun Tsu, if you asked about tactics and strategy in battle... I can't think of a baseball book like that. It might be because strategy and tactics in a baseball game are so fluid, even pitch to pitch, not to mention season to season.)

I can recommend the Historical Baseball Abstract by Bill James. He is one of the statistician guys that started the "Money Ball" school of thought, and the Abstract is a great read. Large and LARGE, but great.

And, of course, watch the games. If you are in the Los Angeles area, the Dodgers broadcasts with Vin Scully are nothing short of the best, ever.

Bill James is considered the grandfather of baseball analytics and just retired from his gig working for the Red Sox after 17 years. His book, The New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract is a great starting point in your journey because it really does a nice job of melding the historical with the analytical. Certainly, his seminal work isn't as math-focused or cutting-edge as a lot of the newer stuff involving things like spin rates and launch angles. But as a resource, it lends context to the development of sabermetrics and gives insight into the thinking involved.He also produces the Bill James Handbook prior to each season. He's written a number of other great books regarding baseball, all with an analytics bent.

His writing is lively and opinionated. A few years ago he took issue with Wins Above Replacement (WAR) as the one-stop arbiter of player value. He believed that that just like his win-shares system, there is folly in believing that any stat is truly capable of painting the entire picture of a player's contribution. This elicited quite a bit of discussion among statheads, including a reasoned response from Dave Cameron of Fangraphs.

He also maintains a website with free and paid content, billjamesonline.com.

check out baseballprospectus.com

Baseball Between the Numbers is good:
http://www.amazon.com/Baseball-Between-Numbers-Everything-About/dp/0465005470/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1278466320&sr=8-4

Bill James Historical Abstract is an awesome read. Ranks players throughout history, by position. Needs updating, but still a great read
http://www.amazon.com/Bill-James-Historical-Baseball-Abstract/dp/0743227220/ref=pd_sim_b_4

Also, Fangraphs.com is a good, up and coming site as well.

this should be required reading, http://www.amazon.com/Chelsea-FC-Official-Biography-Definitive/dp/0755314662/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1394051036&sr=8-2&keywords=rick+glanvill

Thanks for doing this! If anyone wants a more in depth account of the clubs history I'd recommend Rick Glanvill's (Chelsea's official historian) book "Chelsea FC: The Official Biography - The Definitive Story of the First 100 Years"
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Chelsea-FC-Official-Biography-Definitive/dp/0755314662/ref=sr_1_1/275-7402753-0250068?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1374076570&sr=1-1

Climbing Anchors - John Long, Bob Gaines.
https://www.amazon.ca/Climbing-Anchors-2nd-John-Long/dp/0762723262

Rock Climbing Anchors: A Comprehensive Guide Book - Craig Luebben.
https://www.amazon.com/Rock-Climbing-Anchors-Comprehensive-Mountaineers/dp/1594850062

I've used different methods: (1) find a patient belayer willing to belay you on top rope while you climb and set gear. I have one good buddy who had done a lot of trad back in the day but wasn't interested in leading any more so this approach was great because he was experienced enough to check my gear and give advice. (2) set a bunch of gear and build anchors while on the ground. (3) bring along some trad pro while sport climbing and try to find somewhere to place it even if it's unnecessary. (4) while seconding and cleaning look closely at the gear you're taking out and understand why it was placed however it was. (5) a lot of reading - the books on anchor building by John Long and Craig Luebben are great. I prefer Luebben's because he tends to be more descriptive of why certain placements are better/worse.

Buy this book, it might save you from having some really rough "learning" (near death) experiences:

http://www.amazon.com/Climbing-Anchors-2nd-How-Climb/dp/0762723262

I recommend this:
(http://www.amazon.com/Climbing-Anchors-Edition-Climb-Series/dp/0762723262)
It goes a long way toward explaining what makes a good anchor, what makes a bad anchor, and how to tell the difference.

As for variations, you could extend both slings to their full length and connect them with two biners (gates opposite and opposed). You would get nearly the same overall length without the possibility of a sudden extension if one bolt pulls.
If you're just using it for top roping, just remember that you stand a far greater chance of dying in a wreck on the way to Stoney Point than you do of dying from any of those slings breaking.

There's a really good series of cartoon books about lightweight backpacking and mountaineering by a few guys from NOLS which really helped me adjust what I thought was "necessary".

Mountaineering

Ultralight

General Backpacking

I had a really solid mountaineer once tell me that the key to success on the mountains is camping like a champion. If you're poorly rested, poorly fed or angry with your partners because of a crappy camp setup, you're less likely to achieve your goals.

I mostly do ski mountaineering with some summer stuff thrown in for kicks (I'm in the Canadian rockies so "Summer" is relative). Typically I'll have my ski touring day pack 35L+ and my wife carries a 45L+ bag (she tends to carry but not wear more layers) on any trip where I'm based out of a base camp or hut. We'll drag our gear in on a pull sled or we'll both bring our 65 or 85L bags (depending on trip length) to camp, then ditch em.

First, yer gonna die. I say this only partially in jest, because your question indicates you haven't done the initial research on your own, and I can make a fairly good guess at how the story will play out, particularly if you were to attempt it this late in the year.

Now that that's out of the way, I suggest you start with these two books:

• Lighten Up!: A Complete Handbook For Light And Ultralight Backpacking
  
• The Ultimate Hiker's Gear Guide by Andrew Skurka
  
  You'll also need to learn how to use a map with both compass and GPS. (That link is just to get you started.)
  
  As others say, you need to do smaller trips at the very least to know what you can carry and how much elevation and distance you can cover in a day. If you don't know that, you can't budget your food and fuel, and so you'll fail. You also need to test all your gear beforehand. Oh, and leave a note with someone.
  
  

Lighten Up! - A book about effectively preparing backpacking gear to prevent injuries and strain.

Thanks for the contest /u/Internal_Cannon!

I keep The Backpackers Field Manual by Rick Curtis in my EDC bag and on take it on all my adventures. It has some very helpful information and is easy to navigate.

An ounce of preparation is worth a pound of work later / cure / whatever the saying is.

Note that I have no experience in this geographical region, but I've done quite a bit of hiking / camping in other places.

Most important: Research the hell out of the area you're going before you go. Does it rain there? What are average / extreme temps? You can find this all at park websites, NOAA, other organizations that track average / historical weather. What is the elevation profile of the hike? Sure its 26 miles, but 26 miles in the Alps is way different than 26 miles in Kansas. How high will you be going in elevation? above 3 - 3500 meters you might start thinking about how your body will react to the higher elevations. Plus, a huge elevation gain in short amount of time is, well, taxing, and you're all apparently pretty new.

On to gear: Sleeping bags are really the only place you get warmth. Three season tents don't really contribute to how warm you feel, especially if it is ventilated well so that condensation doesn't collect in the tent. It is all about your bag and whatever you're wearing. If it gets colder than 30 degrees (see why you should check the averages and extremes?) you're gonna have a bad time, especially because there is (AFAIK) no exact standard or science to how those numbers are derived. It also depends on personal preference, and women versus men. Men are comfortable colder than women when sleeping, apparently. EDIT: also, those numbers don't always indicate comfort, but just "survivability." You'll be up all night shivering your ass off, but you'll live... not all warm and toasty maybe...

Hiking that long brings up some other questions. What do you do about water and food? I don't know the trail, but you should know before you go out there, how easy is it to resupply water. How will you purify / filter it? Food: it gets heavy, and so does water, so you don't want to take too much, you also don't want to take too little. Beyond that, knowing how often you come upon streams, lakes, etc. to resupply your water will help you reduce weight. Why carry 5 liters when there's a stream 1 hour away where you can get some new water. Yea, it takes 5 minutes to stop and filter, but it drops weight.

Other thoughts: Critters and bears. Are there any there? You've got to worry about that then, to make sure they don't get into your food.

Leave no trace (LNT): We can go into some long discussions here about how to reduce impact on the wilderness. How and where you clean your dishes, wash, where to cook, where to shit, how to shit, etc. Where to put your tent, more importantly, where NOT to put it to reduce risks of problems...

Ok so all that aside, can you do it? why not, you've got a month to get ready, but you need to actively start researching both the area of your trip, and general camping /backpacking tips / guides. Its not rocket science, and the chances are high that if you go into the woods with some friends on a well known trail, you'll come back out alive. However, it would be good to think of what could go wrong, and then what you would do to fix it, and then learn any/all skills needed just in case.

i.e. Your friend falls, breaks ankle. Well that sucks. And now its snowing. also sucks. You're like 5 miles from the trailhead, but that's pretty far if your friend can't walk, or can just hobble with 2 people's assistance. What do you do now? It's super cold, can you make a fire? Did you leave a note (ALWAYS LEAVE A NOTE) telling someone where you'd be, so that if you don't come back on time, they know something's wrong? Do you send one friend out in the snow to find help (at risk of losing the trail maybe) and you wait with friend, or do you stay and hope that your Mom calls the Rangers (how embarrassing :-)

Far fetched? Maybe, but its not outside the realm of possibility. Now you don't have to turn into Survivorman and be able to start a fire with nothing, and build a shelter in any environment, but you should think about what can go wrong, and what you could do in that situation. And then go in your backyard and practice it, don't just read it. In the end, its about minimizing risk and preparing.

But most importantly, have fun! I have lit countless campfires, and I still love it, there's some satisfaction in seeing a flame take off (note: not an arsonist) and the best food you'll ever eat is whatever comes out of your pot after a long day of hiking. Getting out of all this terrible crap, internet, job, cities, and into some beautiful landscapes, is the best thing on Earth.

So, my thoughts? If you're gonna do it, all 3 of you need to get serious now with checking out resources and preparing yourselves, make a plan, research the trail a bit, think of what might happen and be ready for it, and know how to camp without leaving a trace! Oh, and tell someone responsible what the plan is, just in case.

EDIT: Sorry for wall of text...

Also, maybe check out a book like: http://www.amazon.com/Backpackers-Field-Manual-Revised-Updated/dp/1400053099/ref=cm_lmf_tit_5

This is all assuming you all have limited to no experience outside.. if this isn't the case, forgive me for stating things you probably already are aware of...

I don't have any in particular in mind. I was referring to the general subject of setting up camp, building a fire, and some basic do's and don'ts in the outdoors.

Something like this from Peter G. Drake would fill the bill nicely. Here's another one oriented more towards backpacking and camping from Rick Curtis

My point was survival manuals are good for a specific audience but most people who go camping aren't going to be interested in which insect larvae contains the most protein or how to set dead fall traps.
Edit : Added second book

If you want to start right at the bottom, Inverting the pyramid by Jonathan Wilson is a great book on the history of tactics from the 1900's all the way up to now. A lot of good stuff in there to make you think about why certain positions and tactics exist. https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1409128644/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_L3NXDbSMFSTCP

Um. no. It's really not. It's a fantastic book, written by arguably one of THE best hikers in the world. Andrew Skurka. The book answers the types of questions many people come here and ask like: 'hey, I'm going X, what type of gear is best for this trip'. Take a look inside at Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Hikers-Gear-Guide-Techniques/dp/1426209207#reader_1426209207 Sure, he names some specific product names...but there is far more information on just general gear selection in there.

Read Skurka gear guide before you buy anything & Ultralight Backpackin' Tips to get you in "UL mode', there rest will be sort of easy..

Learn to love trail runners - it changed everything for me

the bible

Your mileage may vary with that.

Perhaps a better option, I've always liked the idea of hanging topo-maps on my walls when they aren't in use, just never got around to buying an actual map (so much more convenient to print it from caltopo).

Most of the stuff you mentioned will depend on the hiker's personality and what they like - I don't have a use for keychains - even if they are cool, they will end up in a drawer and I won't feel bad about that. On the other hand, I would adore a book thats simply pictures of various trails around my area, doesn't even have to have words (though a rough idea of the area they were taken at sure helps for when I see those amazing views and want to go inspect up close). Still, my hiking buddy is the exact opposite.

^^You ^^seriously ^^can ^^never ^^go ^^wrong ^^with ^^park ^^passes ^^though

https://www.amazon.com/National-Wrestling-Alliance-Monopoly-Strangled/dp/1550227416

The Death of WCW by R.D. Reynolds and Bryan Alvarez

National Wrestling Alliance: The Untold Story of the Monopoly That Strangled Pro Wrestling by Tim Hornbaker

The Rise & Fall of ECW (though it's basically just the DVD in written form)

I believe this is a really good one https://www.amazon.com/National-Wrestling-Alliance-Monopoly-Strangled/dp/1550227416/ I've heard anything by Tim Hornbaker is really good, but that might be a bit earlier than you are wanting

If you are interested in the origins of prowrestling in the US, I highly recommend National Wrestling Alliance: The Untold Story of the Monopoly that Strangled Pro Wrestling.

It reads more like a history book than entertainment, and it's pretty far back in time. But I appreciated getting a thorough look at the behind the scenes politics that helped create what we know now as the professional wrestling industry.

None I can think of that are all interviews as wrestling was protected. Try this though or Lou Thesz's book.

As for some good Mania era dirt, check out Sex, Lies, and Headlocks. It ain't perfect but it's a good read.

And check out Dave Meltzer's Tributes books. They're reprintings of obituaries from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter but they're most likely new to you. If they're not new to you, don't bother.

Hope that helps.

Seriously. He even knows Judo

As someone who only recently got into running I was given this: Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer to help me out. It's a 16 week training program designed to train you to complete a marathon. It starts out slow so that your body gets used to the trauma of running, hopefully preventing the stress fractures that you've had issues with in the past.

For shoes, you need to go to a real running shoe store. They will analyze your gait, and show you the type of shoes you need. They should give you a handful of the "right" (for you) shoes to try on, and let you spend some time on a treadmill in each pair, allowing you to ask plenty of questions. The shoes should be pretty big, since over a long run your feet will swell. You should at least be able to press your thumb (width) between your toes and the end of the shoes.

Regarding stretching, there ARE a lot of schools of thought out there. I am sort of lazy about stretching beforehand, but I recommend doing dynamic stretches (not the static kind) ... marching in place, jumping jacks, body twists, things like that.

I also recommend (strongly) stretching afterwards ~ these can be static.

For your first marathon, I can't recommend strongly enough this book. I used it, and know at least 5 others who did, as well. Every single person finished their first marathon injury-free.

If you DON'T get the book, the rules I consider to be unbreakable are:

• good shoes
  
  
• excellent hydration
  
  
• good nutrition
  
  
• good recovery (rest or do light cross-training the day after a long run. Refuel. Rehydrate. Start getting a good night's sleep if you don't already.)
  
  
• FLEXIBILITY (in terms of your schedule. If you are "supposed" to run, but sick or more sore than just achy, then wait a day. No point in setting yourself up for injury. Also, if you are supposed to run, say, 12 miles, and you start, and then halfway through you are out of water and it's 90 degrees out, then STOP. Don't be an idiot in your training.)
  
  Breakable rules, but still good to follow:
  
  
• train your brain. Mantras, positive thinking, etc., are great
  
  
• learn what works for your GI system. Don't change anything on race day, and only make small tweaks throughout your training.
  
  
• practice hydrating with whatever they will provide on the course.
  
  
• try to find a friend or group to run with, at least sometimes.
  
  
  Good luck and have fun :)

Once you can run for 30 mins straight you are ready to start a 15 week program to run a marathon, (26.2 miles) for reals!

This book is a great next step.

Some titles that come to mind:

• Soccer in a Football World: The Story of America's Forgotten Game
  by David Wangerin
  
  
• Distant Corners: American Soccer's History of Missed Opportunities and Lost Causes
  by David Wangerin
  
  
• The Encyclopedia of American Soccer History
  by Roger Allaway, Colin Jose and David Litterer
  
  
• Corner Offices & Corner Kicks
  by Roger Allaway
  
  
• North American Soccer League Encyclopedia
  by Colin Jose
  
  
• Offside: Soccer and American Exceptionalism
  
  by Andrei S. Markovits and Steven L. Hellerman
  
  
• Long-Range Goals: The Success Story of Major League Soccer
  by Beau Dure
  
  
• Star-Spangled Soccer: The Selling, Marketing and Management of Soccer in the USA
  by Gary Hopkins
  
  
• Once in a Lifetime; the Incredible Story of the New York Cosmos
  by Gavin Newsham
  
  
• Love Thy Soccer (pre-order)
  by Sean Reid

I believe the match went ahead because it had a national TV time slot on ABC. If they postponed it, they could lose the slot (Source: Long Range Goals)

David Halberstam is probably the most well-known NBA author in long-form content. "The Breaks of the Game" is an incredible account of the Blazers 79-80 season. "Playing for Keeps" is a narrative about MJ's career and impact. These are older works though.

As far as newer stuff, the Bill Simmons "Book of Basketball" is a monstrosity that has amazing in-depth content, provided you like Simmons.

The "FreeDarko Presents: The Undisputed Guide to Pro Basketball History" is from 2010 and has amazing artwork and a unique perspective. I would highly recommend it.

https://www.amazon.com/Mastering-Triangle-Chokes-Submission-Grappling/dp/193660809X?crid=291V4UUD7YK9K&keywords=neil+melanson+mastering+triangle+chokes&qid=1540698197&sprefix=neil+melan%2Caps%2C203&sr=8-1&ref=sr_1_1

Check out Hansons Marathon Method.

Higher weekly mileage than your typical beginner program and a much shorter taper and you don't ever come close to the full marathon distance in training.

No problem, you'll find a lot of people in the same boat as you (I sort-of was, once) on /r/advancedrunning, which is a really great sub with everyone from average runners who simply like following the sport, to sub-4 milers. Really excellent knowledge base there. You might also benefit from picking up a copy of a few running books, such as Daniels' Running Formula and Hanson's Marathon Method (valuable information here even if you don't have a marathon in mind). Both books include a lot of research, as well as training plans and information based on different coaching methods, both of which work well for different athletes.

No problem with waiting until January 2nd, but if between now and then you get the itch to run, I say just go with it.

I used the Hanson Marathon Method (HMM) for my second marathon. I did a much longer breakdown of how it went and my previous training here: http://www.reddit.com/r/running/comments/nb53z/44_minute_marathon_pr_after_following_the_hansons/c37q09f

TL;DR that long post: I didn't bonk at 16 and finished feeling as good as could be expected. After I found out there offered custom training schedule and such I started using their online coaching service. But, they've also published a book that I highly recommend.

http://www.amazon.com/Hansons-Marathon-Method-Renegade-Fastest/dp/1934030856

It depends on your goal. You have plenty of time to train properly for a December Marathon, if you desire the challenge of moving up in distance. On the other hand, some people prefer to work on their speed at shorter races before moving up in distance. That's less common these days, but it's a legitimate strategy.

Higdon, Pfitzinger, and Hanson have good books that offer training plans. You could do well with any of them.

Some suggestions for things you can do in Toronto to prepare:

• Buy the book Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills which will give you a basic understanding of the skills, gear, and systems used in the mountains, including a lot of the lingo you'll hear.
  
  
• Buy the book Training for the Uphill Athlete which will give you a good understanding of how to train for the mountains. They also have an older book Training for the New Alpinism, but it has a slight bias towards technical climbing. Both are very similar and both would teach you what you need to know. The stick figure version is do a LOT of very easy trail running (slow enough to converse in full sentences) and work on general strength (lots of core work). Gradually increase the amount you are doing and then start to mix in things like carrying a heavy pack up a steep hike or stairs in the months leading up to your climb. Their website uphillathlete.com has a lot of good info, and premade training plans if you just want to drop $50 and be told what to do.
  
  
• Train lots based on the above.
  
  
• Get really good at backpacking. You'll want to be very comfortable doing an overnight trip with minimal gear. This isn't strictly necessary since some routes can be done car-to-car, but many mountains will involve at least one night camping on the mountain so being good at overnight backpacking trips will really open up a lot more options.
  
  Once you are "mountain fit" and have the basic book learning done, there are a couple of ways to actually get on to a mountain. One way is to take a multi-day course offered by a guiding company that includes an ascent of a mountain. This will cost in the ball park of $1000 for the course itself, plus travel to get to the mountain. This teaches you many of the skills you need and gets you onto big routes quickly, but costs more.
  
  The other way to is learn the basic skills of crampon usage, self belay, self arrest, camping in the snow, etc. by finding people willing to show you. A common source of those people are climbing clubs (the Mountaineers in Seattle, Mountain Ascent Association in California, I'm sure there are plenty in Canada). This also gives you a way to meet people to climb mountains with in the future. You could also take a 1-2 day skills course from a guide company, these will generally be cheaper (~$200-400) but probably won't involve a summit climb and you'll still have to figure out how to find people to climb mountains with in the future. Then once you have those basic skills you start small and easy and build up your skillset yourself over multiple trips to the mountains. This takes way longer to get to big impressive mountains, but many people get more satisfaction out of climbing a mountain if they aren't relying on a guide to get them there safely. You could probably do a lot of this early learning in the Whites as mentioned elsewhere in this thread before moving on to the ranges with bigger routes.
  
  One thing I like to do is pick a goal mountain that you really want to do. I personally love climbing climbing the Cascade volcanos so my first goal mountain was Mt. Rainier. Lots of stuff in the Rockies, both in the US and Canada, the Sierra in California, Coastal range in Canada. Just find a mountain that inspires you. Hard to give recommendations since there are just so many options if you include all of the US and Canada and its largely personal preference of what you are looking for.
  
  If going with the first option of taking a mountaineering course, often you can find one that includes your goal mountain and you are done, move on to a bigger goal mountain. :)
  
  If going the second route, research the common/easiest route up that mountain and see what skills you need to climb it. Then find some routes that teach you the skills you need but don't have but are still within your comfort level and go climb them. Rinse and repeat. I think the hardest part here is finding people that are just a little more advanced than you are to do these routes with and learn from them. As you do more climbs your network of people to climb with will grow.

If you live in the Seattle area, and can get in this year, sign up for a scrambling class with The Mountaineers. You'll learn everything you need to know about beginning mountaineering. Including wilderness first aid, navigation, appropriate gear, rock scrambling and snow traversing techniques. If you're not close enough to one of their branches to take a class(or can't spare the money right now, can't get in this year, etc.), definitely get Freedom of the Hills. In it is everything you'll need to know to get into mountaineering. And, as others have said, you'll need gear such as mountaineering boots(doesn't have to be the heave duty ones used on Rainer, Denali, etc), ice axe(and know how to use it! walking in balance, arresting, etc), and a helmet. If you're in the Seattle/Western WA area I can recommend some beginner scrambles to get your toes wet too.

For mountaineering a good start would be to pick up a used copy of Mountaineering: Freedom of the Hills. Here's a link to the current 9th edition. I have the 7th edition from when I started climbing. Used copies of the 7th are going for under $2.

I definitely recommend reading their book . Even if you end up going with a different plan, the book has very valuable information on the different types of workout and the science behind each of them.

Drive up Peak 10 in Breck. That's a fun and fairly tame one.

Buy this book.

https://www.amazon.com/Guide-Colorado-Backroads-4-Wheel-Drive-Trails/dp/1934838047/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1468947717&sr=1-1&keywords=colorado+backroads+%26+4-wheel+drive+trails

Bushducks.com and Traildamage.com

Based on the Advanced plan in Hansons Marathon Method

Here's what I put together: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1e8jA8rkztZCARBXYecGUSjmfsuSQyxU_08Az4LhADeQ/edit?usp=sharing

The sheet uses some formulas to add up weekly mileage -- specific workout distances are further to the right

• Tuesday workouts are speed sessions on the track for 7 weeks, and HMP intervals thereafter
  
• Thursdays are goal pace workouts
  
• Sundays are long runs
  
• All other running is easy (goal-pace + 1-2min/mile)

Hansons Marathon Method: Run Your Fastest Marathon the Hansons Way https://www.amazon.com/dp/1937715485/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_MC1QzbJFVENZQ

This is easy to follow and myself and some friends have had success with it.

+1 for paper maps.

We also use the Guide to Colorado Backroads and 4-Wheel-Drive Trails when riding the included trails.

The book you are thinking of is Colorado Backroads and 4-Wheel Drive Trails ... TrailDamage went subscription based but there are 2 new sites being worked on ... 1 from the state that is horribly inaccurate currently and another from a couple of guys in the Denver area. If I can find a link I will add it later.

I recommend these:

https://www.amazon.com/Guide-Colorado-Backroads-4-Wheel-Drive-Trails/dp/1934838047/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1527274746&sr=8-1&keywords=colorado+off+road+trail+books

https://www.amazon.com/Northern-Colorado-Backroads-4-Wheel-Drive-Guidebooks/dp/1934838055/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1527274746&sr=8-2&keywords=colorado+off+road+trail+books

Since no one else threw it out there, I would say the other popular plan aside from Daniels and Pfitzinger is Hansons.

It's somewhat unique in that is has no runs longer than 16 miles for most plans/runners. That part specifically incites some spirited debate among runners. I will say that if you follow the plan, it's not any easier and you'll still be running a lot; the idea is just to cap all runs to be less than 2-2.5 hours.

If you’re a fan of sweat elite, I could also recommend you look to the NOP (I know, unpopular opinion) training logs, it’s quite the opposite. Their sample week is something like . Additionally, training for a marathon, and training more specifically for 10-mi and down are two different things.

Also, the easy pace isn’t an indicator of race performance, obviously. It’s an indicator of ability to handle work volume (see Daniels , Hansons , Heinonen & Heinonen , Fixx , and especially Noakes ), which actually supports your statement about the intersection between speed and endurance (threshold runs, tempo-oriented intervals, etc - is at least what I’m assuming you’re talking about).

Furthermore, as I stated in an above comment, this is casual pace. I could tape a one-person podcast at these paces. Granted, because I’m running the audio quality wouldn’t be that great; but these paces feel like a trot. I’m painfully bored, and barely exerting. I’m never above an 11RPE on the 6-20 scale.

Thank you for the notes and article recommendation, though.

EDIT: All About Road Racing link addition.

It is important to note how they explain the paces for each of the runs. There are mixes of easy/hard runs for a purpose and you should make sure your easy runs are actually easy. Use a recent race to determine your training paces using a calculator like VDOT or McMillian Running.

• Higdon (I would advise on selecting one of these for a beginner, probably novice 2)
  
• Hanson
  
• Pfitz (probably too advanced for you right now since it is designed for people that have finished a marathon)
  
  Another option is to join a running group. Many running stores such as Fleet Feet or Jack Rabbit offer marathon training programs. They will provide you with their own plan, running routes for the plan, and coaches and more experienced runners to gain advice from which is valuable for things like knowing your paces and learning about fueling. Plus it is much easier to run 20-milers when you are talking to others.

As far as improving your headgame goes, leading easy but long runouts is super helpful, as well as falling onto (well-placed) gear. Alpine multipitch is an admirable goal, but it is a far cry from what most people think of as trad climbing. You should be confident on long runouts, with potential no-fall zones. There are a lot of skills that are important for alpine climbing that often are not learned in a typical trad climbing mentor relationship, such as self-rescue, alpine route finding, and depending on your goals, snow climbing skills. There are several ways to learn these skills such as books or hiring a guide. Ultimately, your safety is much more dependent on yourself when alpine climbing. I say this not to scare you away from alpine climbing, as it has been responsible for some of the most amazing memories I have, but it has also been responsible for some of the scariest.

Some books that you might find beneficial:

Climbing Self-Rescue - Just what it says in the title.

Vertical Mind - I found this book useful for improving my head space.

Training for the New Alpinism - Probably the best book to help a climber transition into the backcountry.

[Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills] (https://www.amazon.com/Mountaineering-Freedom-Hills-Mountaineers/dp/1680510045/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=freedom+of+the+hills&qid=1562736585&s=gateway&sr=8-1) - This book is excellent, but probably isn't extremely helpful until you are climbing more serious alpine routes.

As far as advice, just get as much mileage on lead outdoors as you can, with 1-2 indoor bouldering sessions per week. If it doesn't impact your bouldering, you could add a couple strength sessions as well. If you want to get into alpine climbing, or even just multipitch climbing, practice your systems at the top of single pitch routes. Belay your partner from the top, practice building an anchor at the top off of the bolts, set up simple pulley systems. Just spending 15 minutes per session will help you get muscle memory down for when it really matters.

Edit: As you get into more alpine climbing, you should increase the strength training and cardio. Climbing efficiently after four hours walking with a pack full of gear and food is harder than it sounds. Increasing your physical strength will reduce the mental load a lot, allowing you to think more clearly and be more confident.

You may want to check out the "Dummies" or "Idiot's" books. Not to say you are either, just that they really are good books... it's unfortunate that there's a stigma attached to them. You might want to go to B&N or your local library and just read through them rather than ask someone to buy them.

Camping for Dummies

https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dummies-Michael-Hodgson/dp/076455221X

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Backpacking and Hiking

https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Idiots-Backpacking-Lifestyle-Paperback/dp/1592579604

The Backpacker's Handbook has been recommended, but I haven't read it myself.

https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/007175489X

The Complete Walker; I read this 30 years ago(?) A great reference.

https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Walker-IV-Colin-Fletcher/dp/0375703233

And of course Mountaineering: Freedom of the Hills

https://www.amazon.com/Mountaineering-Freedom-Hills-Mountaineers/dp/1680510045

M:FotH is a comprehensive tome, which may be a bit advanced for someone who is starting out with some car camping. As the name implies, it's aimed towards mountaineers, with sections on rock climbing, belaying, first aid, mountain safety... as a beginner you might pick up some invaluable information, but most of it may be far beyond what you need, it might be a bit overwhelming. Though you may be the type that just loves to soak up everything you, in which case it's a great reference.

If you want to check it out, the Kindle version of the 8th edition has a "Look Inside" which lists the sections and chapters, and has a bit of the first chapter. The latest 9th ed doesn't have the "Look Inside" yet.

https://www.amazon.com/Mountaineering-Freedom-Hills-Mountaineers-ebook/dp/B0049P1ZTC

Welcome to the journey! Have you considered Hanson’s? It’s an absolutely fabulous plan. Very solid theory and science, a great community on FB, and once people try it they’re raving fans. It’s based on the concept of cumulative fatigue during training. As a result the longest long run is only 16 miles.

Hansons Marathon Method: Run Your Fastest Marathon the Hansons Way https://www.amazon.com/dp/1937715485/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_OFPcBb30SPJ11

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/193660809X/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1520313950&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=neil+triangles&dpPl=1&dpID=51nbY6G%2BgmL&ref=plSrch

They just did a new printing and it's like 27 bucks now. I grabbed it just because I know at some point I'm going to want to get dope with it, and this is the cheapest it's gonna get. Did finish my first triangle in ages though, so thumbs up.

https://www.amazon.com/Mastering-Triangle-Chokes-Submission-Grappling/dp/193660809X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1496117512&sr=8-1&keywords=mastering+the+triangle

The whole asshole thing is possible. I'm super friendly, but I'm sure there's a handful of people who only took away negative impressions of me from short interactions, and if I was famous they'd remember "Oh yeah so and so is a dick," whenever I was mentioned.

I follow the Hanson Running Method for Marathon based off http://www.amazon.com/Hansons-Marathon-Method-Renegade-Fastest/dp/1934030856

If anyone is interested to run a Marathon in less than 4:15:00 in April, can follow https://www.google.com/calendar/ical/0p8c4ojstad9eqqllqa7gln4f4%40group.calendar.google.com/public/basic.ics

https://www.google.com/calendar/embed?src=0p8c4ojstad9eqqllqa7gln4f4%40group.calendar.google.com&ctz=America/New_York

The calendar is still WIP and will update with pace info in sometime, so downloading the iCal after a week will be more useful

I used Hanson's to train for my first marathon. I thought it was a good plan and would recommend it. You can find the basic plan outlines online but I'd recommend reading the entire book as they go into the individual workouts in more detail.

http://smile.amazon.com/Hansons-Marathon-Method-Renegade-Fastest/dp/1934030856/

I really like the Charles Wells Fun Treks books

Pretty good representation with pictures and trail descriptions, though keeping in mind that everything can change from year to year. He's got two for Colorado at this point, and one for Moab. I also have one for Northern California back when I lived in SF. You can even go to his website and download GPS data to put directly into your GPS.

Long Slow Distance burns a higher percentage of body fat as fuel.

NOTE: I did NOT say "Burns ONLY stored body fat as fuel." At 60% V02 max, your body utilizes stored fat for 45% of it's fuel vs 55% carbs. At 80% VO2 max, your body relies much more stored muscle glycogen: 75% vs only 25% stored fat.

Which makes sense. The more intense the run, the quicker the muscles need fuel so the body utilizes a higher percentage of easy to reach glycogen. For slower, less intense run, the body can utilize more fat for fuel.

Taken from the Hansons Marathon Method

https://www.amazon.com/Guide-Colorado-Backroads-4-Wheel-Drive-Trails/dp/1934838047
There is an another volume that covers northern CO.
Not every trail but good information on the ones they have.

I have this book and it's great:

http://www.amazon.com/Guide-Colorado-Backroads-4-Wheel-Drive-Trails/dp/1934838047/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1421346654&sr=1-2&keywords=colorado+trails

I did some red trails in my stock '99 Sahara...probably not again as I feared dropping into Devil's Punch Bowl and dying, but it handled them fine.

Go out and get this book, or whatever the most current edition is, and start ticking them off.

Sitting beside me while I'm in work today;

x1 Blue Belt.

x1 Ankle brace/sock thing.

x1 Manto Shorts.

x1 Grey Lidl (or maybe Aldi) Rashguard/Compression top.

x1 Black Lidl (or Aldi) Spats/Compression leggings.

x1 Red T-shirt.

x1 Black tracksuit pants

x1 Red Flipflops

x1 Gumshield

x2 Grip tape

x1 Padlock and key

x1 1L bottle of water

x1 Mastering Triangle Chokes

x1 Bag of Jelly babies.

x? Multiple plasters of various sizes

x1 Pair of runners

Only difference is if it's gi or (tonight) no-gi.

You're probably OK distance-wise, you need speed.

I would find the lowest-level plan you can that includes some speedwork.

I like Hanson's: http://www.hansons-running.com/training-plans/beginner-training-plan/

Book: http://www.amazon.com/Hansons-Marathon-Method-Renegade-Fastest/dp/1934030856

I would suggest that you use a plan, it will help you not overdo, something quite common when you start running.

I've used Hanson marathon program (https://www.amazon.fr/Hansons-Marathon-Method-Renegade-Fastest/dp/1934030856). There's plenty of others

It has good info and the programs are achievable. In my case, I shaved off 30 minutes from my usual time on marathon. The biginner plan is good too

when you train for a marathon, the fact that you're fine to do more one day doesn't mean you should. It's a construction, you build up capacities, speed, strengh, endurance... Rest and easy days are part of your training.

For example, If you do an interval run, something that improve your maximum speed, the next day, you shouldn't do a long run, otherwise, you'll just hurt yourself. But instead, do an easy slow run

Also, if you have knee problems, check if your shoes are right for the job or if they're dead.

When I did my first race, I was 110kilos, my shoes were for some guy weighting 70... It didn't end well

https://www.amazon.com/Mastering-Triangle-Chokes-Submission-Grappling/dp/193660809X

Ask, and ye shall receive. It was out of print when i first looked for it, but last week, this appeared in my Amazon feed. New editions, ~$26.

Neil Melanson's Mastering Triangle Chokes

​

Hopefullly its cheaper somewhere else then Amazon: https://imgur.com/a/5UExkq9

​

For those who dont want to hit the link:

Amazon has it listed for: 3,214.79

This book?
https://www.amazon.com/Mastering-Triangle-Chokes-Submission-Grappling/dp/193660809X

Check out Neil Melanson’s book “Mastering Triangle Chokes”.

His setups are awesome, but the biggest take away for me - and this applies to all sub setups, not just triangles - is his philosophy of giving your opponent a problem to solve. Their reaction to solving that problem will have them give you the setup.

Here’s Neil demoing this - hand choke setup for the triangle.

Ryan Hall calls this “your money or your life”. The hip bump triangle is an example of this. The hip bump forces them to post, to prevent getting swept. Posting puts their arm a long way from their body, giving you the leg-through triangle setup.

Anyone who has been doing bjj for more ham a few months will recognize undisguised and unforced setups a mile away, and shut them down.

In addition to the other great advice, I'd suggest reading The Complete Sailor, and to emphasize, sail as much as you can.

I've been playing for years. Few things that helped me... other than constant practice.

Read this: Byrne's Book of Pool and Billiards
This book explains tons of different 'pool' games, as well as theory and whatnot.

Watch this:Pool Hall Junkies If your not pumped for playing pool after watching this, you should just quit now.

Consider reading the below while watching. Great for beginners, but anyone would learn a lot from it, and it will really help you understand what you're watching for.

http://www.amazon.com/Byrnes-Standard-Book-Pool-Billiards/dp/0156005549/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1344037432&sr=1-1&keywords=byrne+billiards

Here is the mobile version of your link

The first thing you should do is brush up on the rules. Baseball isn't as complicated as something like American Football, but compared to something like soccer or tennis it's pretty complex. You know those card games where you try to tell someone how it's played and they get so confused and you end up saying "Just watch us play for five minutes and you'll get it." That's about how complicated baseball is. This website looks like it's a decent introduction. Although nothing beats just sitting and watching a game.

You should absolutely subscribe to MLB.TV when the season starts. It's a bit expensive, but it's worth it. You will be able to watch every single game live, or later on if the time difference is an issue. Watch as many games as you can to figure out which team and players you like the best. And be aware that the two leagues have different rules. The National League plays pure, unadulterated baseball the way it was always intended. The American League is an abomination upon all that is holy to the game and features an old fat guy called the DH batting in lieu of the pitcher, this has tainted the game like a homeless man blasting malt-liquor fueled diarrhea on freshly fallen snow. There's a total of 2,430 games a year, so the cost is about a nickel per game...or at least that's how I justify the price to my wife every April.

For a history of the game check out the documentary series "Baseball" by Ken Burns. All of them are available on YouTube. I've seen the whole thing quite a few times, but still watch it all the way through every January or February while I'm waiting for Spring Training to start.

And if I could give one gift to every baseball fan on earth it would be the The New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract. Think of it an a more in depth companion to Burns' documentary series. It's a MASSIVE book, but one I pick up every few months to skim through or to reference something. The first section (roughly 300 pages) covers the game, decade by decade from the 1870's through the 1990's, covering historical events, the construction and destruction of stadiums, the negro leagues, how the equipment and tactics changed etc. The second section gives bios of a ton of different players throughout history and then ranks the top 100 by position. It may not be THE book for a complete baseball novice, but its something every fan should have. It helps me get through the off season every year.

The official Chelsea biography is awesome.

Chelsea FC: The Official Biography https://www.amazon.com/dp/0755314662/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_tl-azbV95J52R

The Official Biography of Chelsea FC

Anyone who reads it will never again be able to accuse us of having no history, which is idiotic to begin with anyway. Brilliant read.

I'm a (relatively) newer, American (assumed that because you said soccer) fan as well (right before the 2014/2015 season, did the same as you then saw right after I chose CFC that club was title favorites... honestly it spoiled it just a tad and a part of me was almost relieved the club did so poorly last year because it proved to myself I wasn't just glory hunting), so I figured I could give you that perspective on the last two! (1. and 2. I'm sure have been answered sufficiently and aren't changed by me being newer)

Kits: you're absolutely correct to go the club legend route. I've found classicfootballshirts.co.uk to be simply superb, they ship internationally and since they're shirts from the past, they're all cheaper. That includes the Hazard 2014/2015 shirt I bought in the middle of last season (hell yeah I believed he was bouncing back with us- but this was a risk I do not recommend you take with your first kits, I was fortunate), which I paid less than half for than if I'd bought it from the official team store only a few months earlier. But that's the only current player I plan to buy for a while (although Dave and Kante are certainly testing my mettle, haha), and I've already got Drogba and Lampard shirts and plan to add more. I'm specifically recommending those two because they're fairly recent but absolutely undeniably two of the greatest to play at the club, and gentlemen who enjoy a continued relationship with the club. You get the best of both worlds- they're still fairly connected to the club but also firmly part of our past as well, and short of some horrible and shocking off-field situation, are assuredly club legends.

History: If you don't mind spending a few dollars, I found the Glanvill official club biography to be a fantastic read, and was most happy to get a perspective of the club pre-modern era that's hard to just get from the Internet. Outside of that, wikipedia is underrated- I've learned a lot about history, rivalries, major games/seasons, etc. just from following links; the club website's history portal is really cool too.

Hope you become as hooked as I am! Like you, I passively followed the sport for a while and would keep an eye on the table and of course watch international tournaments (this really helped with learning the major players quickly), but knew I wouldn't really latch on unless I picked a club. I'm really happy I ended up choosing Chelsea, don't think I'd be as into it if I'd picked a different club!

to be clear, this is a reference to Cesar Azpilicueta, not David Luiz! It is, IIRC, a reference to some bit of British pop culture from years back that got applied to Cesar because his last name is so intimidating to pronounce and spell. (Please correct me if I'm wrong, long-term fans!)

Take a class from a certified mountain guide.

No, seriously. Take a class.

Failing that, find a partner who has 1) many many years of mountain experience. Offer to belay them anywhere and everywhere. Learn from them. 2) REALLY has many years of experience. There are quite a few folks who present themselves as experts but know fuck-all - it's terrifying.

Read read read and practice practice practice. Some good books are:

Moutaineering: Freedom of the Hills

How to Rock Climb! - John Long

Climbing Anchors - John Long

More Climbing Anchors - John Long

Training for Climbing - Eric Horst

Climbing Self Rescue - Tyson and Loomis


It is very important to realize that these skills should be second nature to you. When you are tired, cold, or frightened you should not be trying to remember how to rig a clove hitch on an equalette or set up a 3-to-1 to haul your partner over the crux of the 2nd pitch, in the dark. Buy gear, watch videos, read books and practice at home. Be confident without being over-confident.

Mountaineering (in all its forms) is a long slow progression of skill and judgement.

everything you will ever need to know is in here https://www.amazon.com/Backpackers-Field-Manual-Revised-Updated/dp/1400053099/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1469109212&sr=8-1&keywords=backpacker+field+guide

The Backpacker's Field Manual, Revised and Updated: A Comprehensive Guide to Mastering Backcountry Skills

i would say this book has everything you need. http://www.amazon.com/Backpackers-Field-Manual-Revised-Updated/dp/1400053099/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1301881124&sr=8-1

The Backpacker's Field Manual by Rick Curtis

> formations are largely the same

Year to year this is mostly true (varying between countries and even divisions based on skills of players) but over a longer period it has changed quite a lot. If you're interested in this sort of thing I really recommend Inverting the Pyramid which is an amazing overview of how the "standard" formation has changed

This is the correct answer. It's also why we have the terms full-back and why centre backs are sometimes referred to as centre-halves (they used to be the central half-backs). It's also where the inside-forward comes from (8 and 10 being the inside-right and inside-left).

There's a very informative book called Inverting The Pyramid which is a history of tactics and includes this information. The Pyramid was what the old 2-3-5 formation was called.

I haven't read it myself (planning too though), but I've heard a lot of praise about inverting the pyramid:The History of Football Tactics.

Andrew covered that. Saves you from rebuying the whole kit until you finally get it right: https://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Hikers-Gear-Guide-Techniques/dp/1426209207

All the data says pepper spray is more effective than guns in bear attacks, so I'd lose that right quick. Second, read Ray Jardine, Justin Lichter, and Andrew Skurka.

http://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Backpacking-Jardines-Lightweight-Hiking/dp/0963235931/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1341345684&sr=8-2&keywords=ray+jardine

http://www.amazon.com/Trail-Tested-Thru-Hikers-Insights-Backpacking/dp/0984855009/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1341345701&sr=1-1&keywords=trail+tested

http://www.amazon.com/The-Ultimate-Hikers-Gear-Guide/dp/1426209207/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1341345724&sr=1-1&keywords=andrew+skurka

You will find every suggestion we could come up with on here and more. Personally I find ponchos to be a shitty option, and sleeping bags and quilts are very nice. If you're on the Kenai, you will want a bugproof shelter, too.

You're actually better off getting a pack that's 'too small' - It forces you to be a little more disciplined in what you pack. I would suggest nothing larger than 50 Litres. I highly recommend reading 'The Ultimate Hikers Gear Guide by Andrew Skurka' - Your body will be thankful. It's seriously worth the investment. Guaranteed your backpack will be more than 10lbs lighter after reading it.

This book by long distance backpacker Andrew Skurka is quite useful. Anybody can pick it up and read it. He's all about taking only what you need via thorough preparation before your trip, but he isn't "stupid light" nor elitist about gear.

I was in a similar position four years ago. For some things I regretted not going lighter, for other things I regretted not getting something more durable and functional. But for the most part I was and am happy with my gear.

Some random tips I wish I knew 4 years ago.

• Get a quilt slightly warmer and wider than you think you'll need. It's better to have a quilt too warm than a mummy that's too warm. Mummy's don't ventilate well and are really meant for Winter use.
  
• Get a good sleeping pad to go with that with atleast an R-value or 2-3. Heavy and reliable is better than light but fragile for this one.
  
  
• Get a Tarptent with bug netting and side entry. Their Products Page is super useful in helping you find what you need.
  
  
• Get some MSR groundhog knock-offs and extra long guy-line. You can pound groundhogs in with a rock or use the extra long guy-lines to tie off to trees or boulders.
  
  
• Get some cheap but light carbon fiber trekking poles. Lots of recommendations in this Sub.
  
  
• Dig some water bottles out of the recycling bin to re-use. Aquamira Droplets are what I use, but Sawyer & Katadyne water filters have gained a lot of popularity.
  
  
• Comfort is king for trail runners. Durability, tread, and other features are secondary.
  
  
• Goldtoe 100% nylon dress socks are cheaper,more breatable, and more durable than wool socks. I wear them doubled up.
  
  
• Follow Andrew Skurka's Core 13 Clothing List. And while you're at it, buy his book as a resource.
  
  
• Get a backpack that can carry it all. The backpack is what you buy last. Make sure it's fitted well and set-up correctly. I used my Ohm 2.0 for years before realizing that I hadn't set-up the straps properly. It made a night and day difference once I followed ULA's video on backpack fit.
  
  
• Get out there!

If you'd like to know the history, this book is a good place to start.

• Bret Hart's Book
  
• Dynamite Kid's Book
  
• Ted DiBiase's WWE Book
  
• Ring of Hell by Matthew Randazzo - Re: Benoit - The Amazon rating is bad, but methinks it's just butthurt fanboys
  
• Hardcore History - The Unauthorized History of ECW by Scott E. Williams - Some of the dates are off and the name spellings aren't consistent, but a great read, especially if you're interested in the early days of ECW
  
• The NWA - The Untold Story of the Monopoly that Strangled Pro Wrestling by Tim Hornbaker - Extremely detailed.
  Fixing the Indies by Norm Kaiser - Some of what he talks about is beyond the means of some indies, but the model is very sound.
  
• The Death of WCW by RD Reynolds & Bryan Alvarez - It reads like a dirtsheet, but the detail is there.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1550227416?pc_redir=1408084640&robot_redir=1

I had this book a few years ago. I cannot recommend it though as it was stolen before I could really get into it.

I think Tim Hornbaker's great NWA book covers it too. Just a warning, it's written more like a history book than mass market non-fiction. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1550227416/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1503624950&sr=8-4&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=nwa+wrestling&dpPl=1&dpID=51zwoNaeUIL&ref=plSrch

You're right that Putin didn't force anyone to do anything - he encouraged it. Putin is a devoted follower of judo, the art of adding to your enemy's own momentum in order to defeat him. He wrote a book about it. So when Bush does something that makes people distrust us, Putin does everything he can to maximize the effect.

>the unpopularity for the war came from very different political and social parties.

That's how you know an external force was behind it. When you're trying to destabilize your enemy, you don't fund only his right wing, or his left wing - because your goal isn't to make him right-wing or left-wing - you fund extremists on both right and left. The goal of destabilization is to divide and paralyze your enemies, so they can't stop you from doing something like invading Ukraine, for example. Russia does that in the US too - in 2016 they supported not only right-wingers like Trump, but also extreme leftists like Jill Stein. Anything to encourage our instability.

No, I wasn't in Europe at that time, but it's still true.

Edit: quote from Putin's book:

>This decisive victory gave judo's creator the chance to confirm that he was right about the importance of a set of techniques - like kuzushi - for putting an opponent off-balance in preparation for a throw. Any novice judoka knows that today. But at the time, for many people, the technique was a revelation. Jigoro Kano himself maintained that kuzushi was an important stage of a throw, since an opponent, even a more powerful one, can be overcome without too much effort after being properly off-balanced.

https://www.amazon.com/Judo-History-Practice-Vladimir-Putin/dp/1556434456

Putin literally wrote the book on Judo

I really doubt it, Victory Belt was/is a pretty small publisher- for a while it was a hard enough to find an English version of some their books. Is there any Russian BJJ books? I am sure there is a shitload of good and bad Judo books in Russian written or not written by Putin.

https://amzn.com/1556434456

Congrats on taking the plunge to Marathoning! I am new too, but I wanted to suggest this book, The Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer (used, loved, and suggested to me by a 5x marathoner) it's pretty much a 5K to marathon 16 week starters guide with excellent tips on nutrition and hydration, stretching and cross training, mental strength for the long runs, and of course the mileage plan, goal to finish without injury. It suggests 4-day per week running (Mon, Wed ,Thurs, Sat for me) starting at 15 miles (3,4,3,5) and increasing 1-2 miles a week until week 13 where you start to taper. Week 12 and 13 are 5,8,5,18.

It is not a 4 hour plan but is pretty much guaranteed to get you to the finish

I personally feel that visualization and a positive attitude go a long way. If you dread it to begin with...it's going to suck. Sounds silly and simple but it works for me. Other than that, I totally agree with increasing your mileage. Not only will you hit your stride later on, but you will enjoy once you do and that will make you look forward to your next run. I recommend a fabulous training book (even if you're not training for a marathon). It got me past the initial "this sucks" period.

http://www.amazon.com/Non-Runners-Marathon-Trainer-David-Whitsett/dp/1570281823/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1314227232&sr=8-1

http://www.amazon.com/Non-Runners-Marathon-Trainer-David-Whitsett/dp/1570281823

Run a marathon:

http://www.amazon.com/Non-Runners-Marathon-Trainer-David-Whitsett/dp/1570281823/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

(Just to be clear: I am in no way affiliated with the authors.)

It's one of those things that you think that you can't do, but this book shows you that you CAN do it. It teaches you to think positively. It teaches you to keep your goals realistic - yes, they make running a marathon realistic. I just ran my first 10 mile run today and I feel that I can do ANYTHING. Doing this course has helped me with work, with my personal life, you name it. I've started eating better, sleeping better... I know I'm sounding like an informercial, but an endorphin rush does that to you.

It sounds to me like you need an experience of persevering and succeeding. So run a marathon :)

Get this book Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer. It will take you from couch to marathon in 16 weeks (I believe) and I used it to complete my first marathon- granted I probably started off in better shape than you but I recommend it highly.

Cheers for wanting to do a marathon- and good luck.

Congrats on your 100 days!

On a side note, if you don't have a plan for your marathon training, check out The Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer. I signed up for one on a whim after getting out of a long hospital stay and this book was great. It's not for serious runners but it was just what I needed to get me through my first one.

I used The Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer and it worked wonderfully. It includes info on training schedule, taking care of your body, and mental preparation.

Training schedule can be halved to work with 13.1 but I have a feeling you'll do a full soon. Actually I would guess you could train for a full now. This book is a 16 week schedule.

If you are just interested in completion and not pace, I highly recommend The Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer by David Whitsett

Holy moly, 30 pounds since February is awesome!! That is absolutely awesome and I look forward to hearing about your continued success!

I hear you on meditation. Perhaps not meditation per say, but a few months ago my girlfriend convinced me to go to bikram yoga and I found it to be tremendously helpful for all the fitness stuff. Not really because of anything physical as much as the mental fortitude and discipline it requires. I actually REALLY enjoyed how the meditation/introspection of those sessions trickled into my every day.

Honestly, my view on running is that it is 80% mental. I remember training for my first half marathon, someone told me "if you can run 6 miles, you can do a half marathon" which sounded insane to me. But I think they were absolutely right-- those remaining miles are a mental hurdle far more than a physical one. Right now I am training for the NYC marathon and honestly most of my training is on regulating my attitude while working out. I know you're doing the 5k program, but you may enjoy the meditative aspects of the book I am using to train-- The Non Runners Marathon Trainer. It's ALL about how to approach running from a meditative, psychological standpoint. While the physical program is for a marathon, the mental training program is (I think) 100% applicable to anyone who slips on their sneakers and hits the pavement :)

The Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer. worked like a charm. had just enough perspective and information on all the crucial topics to get me through all the injuries and doubts.

If you are a big picture "how we got here" reader, this is pretty good:

http://www.amazon.com/Long-Range-Goals-Success-League-Soccer/dp/1597975095/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_z

I also recommend Inverting the Pyramid which someone else did too.

You mentioned all sports so I have four on soccer in the US. Long-Range Goals: The Success Story of Major League Soccer tells the story of the first 14-15 years of MLS. Star-Spangled Soccer: The Selling, Marketing and Management of Soccer in the USA is a business based book, but covers the utter insanity of soccer in the US from the the announcement of the US getting the World Cup until the book was published. Soccer in a Football World is a must read for the entire history of the sport from it's boom in the 1920's until mid-2000s. Finally, we have The Beckham Experiment which covers the story of David Beckham coming to the US and what followed. If I had to pick one of the bunch, go with Soccer in a Football World.

The Movie "Once in a lifetime" is a good place to start.

http://www.dailysoccerfix.com/2012/1/10/2696541/at-the-10-year-anniversary-of-very-dark-mls-days

http://homepages.sover.net/~spectrum/nasl/naslhist.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_Soccer_League <- the current problems with NASL and USL which make any discussion of relegation silly at this point.
Another article on the current mess that the second division/third division is: http://blog.oregonlive.com/timbers/2010/10/the_usl_and_nasl_saga_timbers.html


http://www.ussoccerplayers.com/ussoccerplayers/nasl-the-last-commissione.html <- The last years of the first NASL

http://www.amazon.com/Long-Range-Goals-Success-League-Soccer/dp/1597975095

and a quote from Don Garber " I don’t think the ghost of the NASL will ever leave the offices of Major League Soccer. It always sort of seems to hang above the sport, and I think it will for the next number of years,"

Start with The Art of a Beautiful Game by SI's Chris Ballard. It will make you fall in love.

I also recommend both the books from FreeDarko collective (buy them in hardcover for the fantastic artwork).

• Undisputed guide to pro basketball history
  
• The Macrophenomenal Pro Basketball Almanac
  
  I started with The Breaks of the Game by David Halberstam because literally everyone recommends it, but I found it dry like a boring history textbook or a Wikipedia entry on the Blazers.

FreeDarko Presents: The Macrophenomenal Pro Basketball Almanac: Styles, Stats, and Stars in Today's Game

FreeDarko Presents: The Undisputed Guide to Pro Basketball History

Both were forerunners to the type of books Shea and Goldsberry wrote. Long form essays, an attempt to apply a taxonomy to great players, and awesome art. Also some irreverent humor.

They've actually got two books out, but this is the only one I read and the one that has a chapter on the pre-history of the NBA:

FreeDarko Presents: The Undisputed Guide to Pro Basketball History

One really great place to start is the FreeDarko books--the first one is a history of the sport, which is a hell of a lot more interesting than you'd expect. The other book is a look at some of the greatest players of all time. Both these books are beautifully illustrated and have a totally unique take on basketball you won't find anywhere else.

As for being a Wolves fan, the SBNation blog is Canis Hoopus, which has a ton of really bright fans who keep up an active community and great game threads. Some other Wolves blogs:

http://www.awolfamongwolves.com/
http://www.thedailywolf.com/
www.punchdrunkwolves.com

This is one of my favorites:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1608190838?pc_redir=1404576599&robot_redir=1

If you like reverential overanalysis of the history of basketball then this is for you.

I was in your shoes 25 years ago, and picked up Byrne's standard book of pool and billiards, and it was excellent. I have given copies out over the years to friends who wanted to learn. I still own a copy myself. Check it out: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0156005549?pc_redir=1411030730&robot_redir=1

Awesome, I'll give it a whirl!

So far my knowledge comes solely from Climbing Anchors and How to Rock Climb, but I am definitely planning on taking a course!