Book Review: Heft on Wheels: A Field Guide to Doing a 180

A co-worker loaned me the autobiographical account of Mike Magnuson’s journey from overweight, alcoholic smoker to, 100 pounds later, avid cyclist. The book is a quick read and kept me interested. I even was familiar with some of the cycling routes described in the book. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

As I got deeper into the book, I grew increasingly antsy about the lack of mention of his wife and kids, who didn’t seem to cross his mind as he spent all his time cycling with his training buddies. Despite his impressive turnaround, I was starting to dislike him for the lack of husband and father time. Fortunately, though, he did address this toward the end in a way that salvages the respect I wanted to have for him in making such a dramatic lifestyle change. I also liked the honesty with which he described his job and how it fit into his priorities and life in general. This is something a lot of amateur adult athletes can relate to.
-Jan