Dirty Inspirations offers inspiring and motivational stories from the life of world-class triathlete and elite international adventure racer Terri Schneider. Direct from the trenches of endurance racing, mountaineering, and adventure travel, her stories create a unique perspective of women participating in endurance sports and pushing limits.
Terri Schneider is an ultra-endurance athlete, speaker, author, coach, and sport psychology consultant. A former 10-year professional triathlete focusing on the IRONMAN distance, she expanded her challenges to include adventure racing with the inception of the Eco Challenge in 1995, as well as ultrarunning and mountaineering. Terri earned a degree in exercise physiology as well as a master's degree in sport psychology with a research emphasis on risk taking and team dynamics. She is co-author of Triathlete's Guide to Mental Training and author of Triathlon Revolution- Training, Technique and Inspiration. While Santa Cruz, CA remains her home base, she spends time each year volunteering in Bhutan while continuing to explore and adventure around the globe, sharing her experiences through her speaking, writing, and photography. For more information, visit www.terrischneider.net.
“Armed with a Master’s Degree in Sport Psychology and over 20 years
of amazing adventures all over the planet, Dirty
Inspirations provides a terrific journey into the mind of an
ultra endurance athlete. Both exciting and inspirational…simply a
great read for anyone with a taste for adventure and stepping out
of one’s comfort zone.” —Barry Siff, endurance athlete and
President of USA Triathlon
“Terri is the person you hope is seated next to you on an overseas
flight. Not only would she rescue you if the plane went down, but
she'd fill you with the richest stories of physical pursuits and
adventures in exotic venues. Dirty Inspirations is that overseas
flight as Terri packs the book with delightful and penetrating
experiences that will help you be a smarter, more understanding,
and more devoted athlete and person.” —Adam Chase, President of
American Trail Running Association, gear and adventure editor, and
co-author of The Ultimate Guide to Trail Running
“Terri lives and breathes adventure, all the while tuning into the
thought-provoking questions that each mile, each mountain, each
experience tapping into her highest highs and deepest lows both
asks and answers. She's a true adventurer, a thoughtful scholar,
and an insightful and introspective woman who lives a raw and
exciting life, and this book shares her passion and insights.”
—Lisa Jhung, contributing editor to Runner's World and author of
Trailhead: The Dirt on All Things Trail Running
“For everyone who has ever dabbled in extreme-endurance sports,
myself included, Terri Schneider is the voice and the Virgil we've
been waiting for. She has been all over the world, struggled
through countless adventures and every great endurance race we'd
all love to try. Dirty Inspirations is a gripping, hard-won,
brutally honest, and beautifully written account of that journey.”
—Daniel Duane, journalist and author of seven books including
Caught Inside, A Surfer’s Year on the California Coast
“Dirty Inspirations takes the reader into the mind of Terri
Schneider as she describes how she trains her mind to focus, flow
with her body, to overcome doubt and physical discomfort to
achieve extraordinary goals in sports and life.” —Lynne Cox,
inductee into the Swimming Hall of Fame, author of five books
including Swimming to Antarctica
“When Terri Schneider sets her heart upon something, she makes it
happen. Fearlessly adventurous, her exploits are both bold and
original, following a path uniquely her own. Terri’s stories are
gripping, oftentimes harrowing, yet she navigates through seemingly
impossible feats of endurance with poise and grace, and she shares
her lessons and insights with candor and honesty. Dirty
Inspirations is a compelling read and is sure to captivate and
motivate you, whether you’re a hardened endurance athlete or just
someone looking to put a little more spark in your weekend
adventure.” —Dean Karnazes, ultra marathoner and New York Times
best-selling author
“Dirty Inspirations is direct and straightforward; if you have any
reservations about confidence, taking risks, and exposing your
fears, this book is an absolute must read! Terri Schneider’s candor
and openness is going to expose your vulnerabilities. Athletes
seemingly have this shield of invincibility, but Terri hits a raw
nerve. Her nuggets of information are not just for the
athletic minded; if you want moments of brilliance laced with a bit
of doubt, Dirty Inspirations will fulfill your needs.” —Dave Scott,
six-time IRONMAN® World Champion and first inductee into the
IRONMAN® Hall of Fame
“Dirty Inspirations celebrates the unique and hard-earned rewards
of the endurance lifestyle. If you like testing your body's limits,
you will love this book!” —Matt Fitzgerald, author of Iron War
“Terri Schneider shows us through her adventures that every calling
we have must be followed. When worn and raw, Terri saw that the
true gold we all gain from our down and dirtiest moments is not
what we will eventually be able to define like a finishing place or
time, but rather the inspiration our soul gains when we go beyond
our ordinary and touch the extraordinary that is just waiting to be
sparked inside each of us.” —Mark Allen, author, speaker, and
six-time Hawaii IRONMAN® World Champion
“Very rarely will a book come along that shares insights such as
Dirty Inspirations. It is a celebration of life and a testament to
what the human body—and spirit—is capable of enduring. Terri is a
master of painting a psychological picture that can only be had by
digging deeper than one can imagine. The stories are riveting but,
more than that, she shares her deep, innermost thoughts. Inspiring
and personal, honest and humble, this book has it all.” —Marshall
Ulrich, extreme endurance athlete and author of Running on
Empty
“If you’re content with your life as it is, this book is not for
you. Reading it will challenge you to question your beliefs about
what is possible, see them as limits, and invite you to transcend
them. Dirty Inspirations provides practical, time-honored virtues,
spiritual vitamins for your athletic soul that will light the fire
in your belly while expanding your view of what is personally
possible in your life.” —Jerry Lynch, Ph.D., athlete and author of
The Way of the Champion
“In high-altitude mountaineering we used to quote Nietzsche, and
that seems a fitting axiom for Terri’s stories: ‘What doesn’t kill
you makes you stronger.’” —Rick Ridgeway, film maker,
conservationist, and author of six books including The Big Open: On
Foot Across Tibet's Chang Tang
“What makes Terri so incredible, beyond her ability as an athlete,
is her ability to give us a window into what it takes to do these
things, and what we can each take from them. Truly inspirational,
truly adventurous...and truly empowering… that’s Terri.” —Ray
Zahab, adventurer, author, and founder of
impossible2Possible.com
“Terri Schneider gives a fascinating glimpse into the minds and
motivations of endurance athletes. She vividly describes the
ordeals of adventure racing in some of the world’s most challenging
landscapes, and the huge personal rewards she has gained by pushing
her body and spirit to their limits. If you’ve ever wondered why
someone might choose to run 150 miles across the Sahara Desert
carrying a backpack, read this book!” —Bryon Powell, founder of
iRunFar.com and author of Relentless Forward Progress: A Guide to
Running Ultramarathons
“Terri seamlessly blends sports psychology and gritty anecdotes
from the trail into an approachable invitation into the mind of an
ultra athlete. Although I've run for a quarter century, this book
had me asking questions I'd never thought to or, perhaps, never
dared to ask myself.” —Maria Coffey, author of Explorers of the
Infinite
“Inside each of us there is an inner athlete. Terri walks the talk
and lives every day connected to her inner athlete. In Dirty
Inspirations, she shares the personal confidence and power that
comes from that practice. A must read for those who want to
understand both the “why we do it” as well as the ‘how we do it’
regardless of the suffering and the consequences.” —Sally Edwards,
professional athlete, educator, businesswoman, author, keynote
speaker, and founder of Heart Zones, Inc.
“Those of us in the endurance community have known Terri Schneider
is the real deal for a long time. I remember watching her race on
TV when I was a kid; Terri ranked among the crew of a select few
ultra endurance athletes who would inspire my own
quest. Through compelling narrative and tangible principles,
Dirty Inspirations celebrates and describes what those of us who've
been in the thick of it know: pushing our bodies and minds on the
race course and out in the mountains teaches us to be better in
family, business, relationships, and life in general.” —Travis
Macy, professional endurance athlete, coach, speaker, consultant,
and author of The Ultra Mindset: An Endurance Champion's 8 Core
Principles for Success in Business, Sports, and Life
“Terri is the master of adventures and ultra racing around the
globe and her mental strength has always been her signature
characteristic. As you read through Dirty Inspirations, the
stories will resonate on so many fronts for those who like to
challenge themselves to push beyond. Enjoy the journey of
these stories and be inspired to achieve your long-term goals.”
—Wayne Kurtz, author of Stronger Than Iron, Not Finishing Was Not
and Option, Never Say “I Wish I Had”, and Beyond the Iron
“To say Terri is an endurance athlete greatly undermines the
totality of her being. Dirty Inspirations may get you motivated to
sign up for an event, but getting into the trenches of this book
will definitely get you to question your personal adventure of
living every day.” —Adam Kelinson, performance nutritionist and
author of The Athlete’s Plate: Real Food for High Performance
“Want to know what's happening inside the mind of an elite
endurance athlete? Terri offers a fascinating and insightful look
at what drives her—and others like her—to push themselves to the
limit physically and mentally. Reading this book may help you to
push through those boundaries too!” —Kraig Becker, founder of The
Adventure Blog
“Terri Schneider’s indomitable spirit shines through these
well-spun, inspirational stories, lending deep insight into the
blood, sweat, and tears of endurance sports. These tales elevate
the Virtue of Endurance to new heights, inspiring us to achieve our
goals in Sport and the whole of Life.” —Dia North, video
producer/director and best-selling author
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