Flying Scotsman

I finished Graeme Obree's autobiography - Flying Scotsman - this morning over breakfast. It's a fairly interesting account of a Scottish cyclist who is primarily known for breaking Francisco Moser's world hour record and holding several world championship titles on the track. He invented two new riding styles that were outlawed by the UCI shortly after proving enormously fast. And he did it all, largely without big-name sponsorship. While I'm always interested in what drives top athletes, I thought this account was particularly interesting because Obree not only talks about his cycling but also his battle with manic depression and alcoholism. He also talks about how he measured himself by what he was about to achieve - the next race, the next business venture, the next whatever. He never raced simply for the passion of the sport alone.

Final verdict: Honest, heartbreaking, and at times pretty funny - I'd recommend Flying Scotsman for anyone tired of reading about Lance Armstrong.

P.S. Nick picked this book up on our vacation in England. Unfortunately, I can't find it anywhere on this side of the Atlantic. It's not listed on Amazon or on the publisher's web site. If you find it somewhere, drop me a line and let me know. Otherwise, talk to Nick about borrowing the book!

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