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  • Broken Open: Mountains, Demons, Treadmills and a Search for Nirvana

  • By: David Clark
  • Narrated by: David Clark
  • Length: 11 hrs and 6 mins
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (76 ratings)
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Broken Open: Mountains, Demons, Treadmills and a Search for Nirvana cover art

Broken Open: Mountains, Demons, Treadmills and a Search for Nirvana

By: David Clark
Narrated by: David Clark
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Summary

David Clark is a formerly obese alcoholic and fast food junkie who found a new life in running. Now, 13 years after his transformation, he shares his inspiring story of taking running to the extreme edge of his physical and spiritual breaking points. Having run more than a hundred races, including the Leadville 100-Mile Trail Run and the Hardrock 100, David has achieved unimaginable success in the ultramarathon world, considering his humble start. From barely finishing his first 5k to running 100 miles in less than 18 hours, David shatters the notion that the front of the pack is a birthright.

Among his many outlandish adventures, David talks about doing 10 epic events in one year to celebrate his 10th year of sobriety. This mind-bending year of running included running the Boston Marathon four times in one day, running 343 laps around a high school track, and running 48 hours on a treadmill. You will feel like you are running alongside him as he navigates his vision quest - all the while hallucinating and breaking from reality in one of the most epic Badwater 135 race experiences ever told.

David’s story is raw, honest, and pure adrenaline-laden inspiration as he shares his unique brand of Americana and heavy metal Buddhism. This book has far more to offer than just miles traveled and mountains climbed. It's about trying to find a way station of balance somewhere in a world of extremes. It’s about running to create a legacy and develop your own inner strengths. After listening to Broken Open, you’ll never doubt how strong you can be, how much you can endure, or whether or not you are capable of finding true happiness.

©2018 David Clark (P)2019 David Clark

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What listeners say about Broken Open: Mountains, Demons, Treadmills and a Search for Nirvana

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

possibly the best audiobook I've heard.

just a shame he isn't here for me to thank for the pleasure of listening. rest in Peace David.

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3 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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David is an amazing narrator !!! Loved this book

This book is so inspirational, David is an amazing Narrator such a treat that he narrated his own book. His accomplishments are so inspirational, he also shares personal struggles which makes the book very authentic. Thank you David for sharing your life with us :)

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1 person found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

what an inspirational guy, how can my heart hurt for a guy I don't even know 💔 I can't believe he has passed ..

thankyou David for your story, I loved both your books you make me want to be strong , you had the most carming voice you will be missed ❤️

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Biased

Was ok of a book till the vegan propaganda, nothing against vegan was even one myself for a while but don’t like the propaganda put me off after that , shame

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  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

Terrible

Really bad. To be fair I didn’t listen to the whole thing. What I did listen to was so dull and self-indulgent with humble bragging I couldn’t listen to any more.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Legacy Beyond The Grave

This book is nothing short of phenomenal. It is a story about life, how to overcome and achieve miraculous results and how each day should be cherished.

David dying so young was a tragedy, but he has helped and continues to help so many people through his writings. True gifts to the world.

RIP you Legend and thank you.

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  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

Demotivational - How to give up and rationalise it

I had decent expectations for this book and quite enjoyed the first half. It goes off the rails in the second half though and is demotivational at best. Maybe if you have tried ultra running and given up then you would like this book because it will help you justify why giving up was the right thing to do?

Broadly this book focusses on the pain, overthinking any one situation and then making poor decisions anyway before rationalising failure into success when it was still failure with a lesson that needed to be learned. I am a big fan of setting large goals, occasionally failing and then getting back up again. Ultimately in this book the author fails and doesn't get back up again.

The one lesson to be learnt from this book that is valuable for any ultra runner is that your mind will say all sorts of things to try and get you to stop and what gets you through one race might not get you through the next. Unfortunately the author seems to suffer some kind of mental breakdown during one particular race and then gives up running almost entirely only to somehow consider that a success before blaming it on the running. This coincided with a poor life choice that wasn't anything to do with running....

The author may be a great guy (he certainly thinks he is), but it doesn't come across that way in the book. It is read very well though and I continuously hoped it would turn itself around, but it only seemed to get more depressing.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Wow.!

The most enlightening story about a person I have ever heard. Incredible openness and honesty showing that real men talk and share and think and diagnose and love and open up. It's OK to be and show vulnerability as a guy.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Brilliant Listen

Loved this book. David tells his story very well. Highly recommend. He really describes well the ability to find balance with your warrior and your monk.

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

first book great, this one not so good

not really my cup of tea. loved the first book, but I felt in this one he was just reaching for book content where there wasn't. events seemed to drag a bit and not go anywhere. fair play to him for doing these events, but not that interesting.

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