Description

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An award-winning journalist tells the inspiring story of her unlikely midlife journey to master the daunting sport of obstacle course racing—a powerful, science-based account of the change possible at any age when we push limits.

“This story of personal transformation is thrilling.”—Gretchen Rubin, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Happiness Project and Life in Five Senses

In her midforties, Gwendolyn Bounds attended a dinner party where someone asked a little girl: “What do you want to be when you grow up?”

It struck Bounds: In middle age, no one asks you that anymore. So she put the question to herself. The answer set her on an unexpected five-year path of transformation from an unathletic office executive glued to her screens to an age-group medalist and world championship competitor in obstacle course racing—a demanding military-style sport requiring speed, endurance, mobility, and strength. 

In Not Too Late, Bounds explores how tackling something new and hard upended her expectations for middle age—while also helping her reconcile regrets of her youth. Her story takes us from playgrounds and gyms, where Bounds relearns childhood movements (swinging from monkey bars, climbing a rope); to far-flung Spartan Race courses, where she strives to master running in difficult terrain and to conquer challenges such as scaling tall walls, crawling under barbed wire, and carrying heavy loads of rocks up mountains. 

Bounds’s journey offers inspiration and a road map for anyone craving more out of life. Woven through Not Too Late are insights from scientists, longevity doctors, philosophers, elite athletes, and performance experts on how to reimagine our limits and who we think we are. Through Bounds’s story, as she changes her body and mindset, we learn about humans’ capacity to tap inner reserves, face fears, locate intrinsic motivation, and push boundaries at any life stage.

Ultimately, one message prevails: When unleashing our full potential, age can be a secret weapon.

About the Author

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Gwendolyn Bounds is an award-winning journalist and author whose career spans influential media brands including The Wall Street Journal, ABC News, Consumer Reports, CNBC, SmartNews, and more. Her first book, Little Chapel on the River, earned wide acclaim for its poignant portrayal of life inside a small-town pub after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Raised in North Carolina, Bounds now lives in New York’s Hudson River Valley.

Praise For…

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“This story of personal transformation is thrilling. Gwendolyn Bounds shows that at any age, it’s possible to expand our sense of possibilities and redefine our potential.”—Gretchen Rubin, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Happiness Project and Life in Five Senses and host of the Happier with Gretchen Rubin podcast

“A must-read for anyone at a crossroads!”—Rich Diviney, retired Navy SEAL and bestselling author of The Attributes

“A fantastic page-turner of a story . . . Bounds’s dreams and doubts and insecurities are highly relatable for anyone staring into the headlights of middle age.”—Alex Hutchinson, New York Times bestselling author of Endure

“An emotional and at times harrowing journey . . . Those of us tethered to our devices or trapped by our own perceived limits will find inspiration here.”—Kai Ryssdal, host of Marketplace

“No matter your age, Not Too Late will inspire you to make big positive changes—to do hard things you didn’t think you could.”—Michael Easter, New York Times bestselling author of The Comfort Crisis and Scarcity Brain

“Packed with wisdom and practical advice, this book is a must-read for anyone seeking to break free from the constraints of age and redefine what is possible in their life.”—Joe De Sena, Spartan founder and CEO and New York Times bestselling co-author of 10 Rules for Resilience and Spartan Up!

“Bounds captures the powerful lure of discovering ‘flow’ in midlife as she embraces something bold and once unimaginable.”—Chip Conley, bestselling author of Learning to Love Midlife

“A no-nonsense, everything-to-gain approach to a life without boundaries, Not Too Late is so addicting that I was torn between reading another page and getting out the door to power through a run.”—Deena Kastor, Olympic marathon medalist and New York Times bestselling author of Let Your Mind Run

“Wendy Bounds is an inspiration! In Not Too Late she proves that reinvention is possible at any age—and gives you the tools you need to triumph over your fears and embrace your next adventure. Bounds not only changed her own life; her irresistible story will change yours.”—Joanne Lipman, bestselling author of Next!: The Power of Reinvention in Life and Work

“In a world plagued by isolation, alienation, and apathy, Not Too Late is an ode to the value of sport: a sense of belonging, intimacy, and mastery that’s good for not just the body and mind but also the soul.”—Brad Stulberg, bestselling author of Master of Change and The Practice of Groundedness

“[Bounds'] journey to that self-discovery, to embracing the inner badass that rests within so many of us, even if we don’t think it does, is something that anyone who has ever felt the pull of the couch and midlife malaise will want to dive into.”—Matthew Futterman, author of Running to the Edge