The Unforgiving Hours - by Shannon Hogan (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

An exploration of incredible physical feats--some well-known and some only passed around watering holes and campfires--"that will have readers cheering" by endurance athlete and journalist Shannon Hogan that takes us into the world of those who have pushed themselves through the "unforgiving hours" to achieve greatness and redefine modern outdoor adventuring. (Publishers Weekly)

From the frozen wilds of Alaska's treacherous trails to the unyielding currents of Puget Sound and Canada's Inside Passage, from the rugged majesty of Colorado's peaks to the vibrant depths of Costa Rica's rainforests, Hogan offers us an intimate window into the toughest contests in sports. Whether it's a blistering race across the furnace trails of gold country in the Sierra Nevadas, a grueling swim in frigid water to break the Ice Mile Distance record, or a competition on the biggest triathlon stage with a determination beyond perceived limitations, each journey reveals the resilience and humor it takes to face the unknown with only the guarantee of discomfort ahead. These stories of ordinary women and men who kept going even when things went wrong, especially when the weather and tides did not cooperate, attest to the drive, grit, and patience that exists in all of us. Through exhaustion, setbacks, and moments of darkness and doubt, these athletes prove that greatness isn't about perfection--it's about perseverance. Their triumphs, large and small, are a testament to the power of adaptability, passion, and the sheer will to keep going, one breath, one step, one stroke, and one mile at a time.

In the pages of The Unforgiving Hours, you will read the stories of:

• Gunhild Swanson running the Western States 100 Endurance Run five days shy of her seventy-first birthday
• Kelly Danielson and team Sail Like a Girl, the first all-female sailing team to win the Race to Alaska
• Gordon Wadsworth racing the hardest mountain bike race in the world while opting for only one bike gear
• Lynne Cox breaking the record for swimming across the English Channel at age 15
• Yuichiro Hidaka dreaming of eating potato chips while running the Boston Double for the fourth time
• Seana Hogan, the current cycling transcontinental female record holder (set at age 35) fighting the race clock and Father Time to finish Race Across America at age 60
• John Stamstad voyaging to Alaska for an all-night February bike race in the bush of the Last Frontier
• Melissa Kegler training for two years to break the American Ice Mile Distance record in 39.2°F water
• Chris Jones embarking on The Last Great Race--six 100-mile ultramarathons to be completed over the course of one summer
• And Tina Ament, along with Anne Thilges, crossing the finish line at 16 hours, 18 minutes, and 5 seconds to establish one of the most inspiring records in endurance sports.

Blending top-notch sports writing, armchair adventure and travel, and an insightful thesis on the human spirit, The Unforgiving Hours is an indelible chronicle of odysseys that showcase the determination, creativity, joy, strength, and inspiration at the heart of endurance sports.

Review Quotes

"Need something to read this summer? Check out this collection of some of the gnarliest, most death-defying tales in the history of endurance sports....fascinating."--GearJunkie.com

"Hogan's book [is] difficult to put down. With a writing style that rivals Christopher McDougall's (Born to Run) penchant for abandoning the story line to investigate culture and historical background, Shannon Hogan, herself an endurance athlete, provides an aside-laden approach to each accomplishment."--TrailRunner

"Inspiring....The vivid recreations of grueling races capture the adrenaline of endurance competition, serving as testaments to the virtues of grit and perseverance. This will have readers cheering."--Publishers Weekly

"Magnificent. I started noting the turns of phrases that caught my eye, and soon it was evident that I was marking every paragraph. So good. Thank you, Shannon Hogan, for doing this for the sport of cycling in America."--Michael Shermer, Race Across America co-founder and former race director

"Shannon Hogan's The Unforgiving Hours is a powerful ode to the endurance athletes who inspire us to dream bigger and dig deeper. Each page is a testament to the courage and determination that push humanity forward."--Billy Yang, filmmaker, ultrarunner and Western States 100 board member

About the Author

Shannon Hogan is a former pro mountain biker, ultrarunner, and open-water swimmer based in the Cascade Mountains of Washington state. She is the first female finisher of La Ruta de Los Conquistadores mountain bike race in Costa Rica. She holds the women's course record for the Pigtails Challenge 100K run and has successfully navigated multiple ridiculous-distance ultraruns, including a buckle-finish at Leadville Trail 100 and a sub-24-hour finish at the Javelina Jundred 100-mile run. Hogan has crewed every kind of endurance race on land and sea, including over eight hours of kayak support for an English Channel-qualifying swim. The mother of two graceful girls raised on the trail, Hogan has completed the Escape from Alcatraz swim, is a five-time finisher of the Ironman 140.6-mile triathlon and is a seven-time finisher of the Leadville Trail 100 bike race. A devotee of salt water, she swims year-round in Puget Sound without a wetsuit as a proud member of the Notorious Alki Swimmers. After ten consecutive Boston Marathon finishes, the merciless hills of Newton still leave her cracked. Lately her favorite recurring adventure is the Breck Epic, a six-day mountain bike stage race in Breckenridge, Colorado once described as "Part chess match. Part recovery contest. Part DISCO INFERNO." She is old enough to know better, but young enough to do these things anyway. Hogan has written about cycling for The Colorado Sun, running for Ultra Running Magazine, and open-water swimming for The Seattle Times.