Book Review: Hot Flashes and Half Iron Mans

A few months ago, I got a new follower on Twitter by the name of Eric,  I noticed he would tweet his wife's blog posts and thought it was so cute. I love a good blog and decided to give it a read, I spent twenty minutes reading old posts on Pamela's blog. I was hooked by her writing style, she is witty, charming, funny and a top notch writer. There are blogs and then there are blogs that are so well written, they make you want to be a better writer. I would put mine in the first category and Pamela in the second category.

Flash forward a few months and I got the awesome opportunity to read the new book Hot Flashes and Half Iron Mans by Pamela Fagan Hutchins. I had read of their trials training for triathlons on Pamela's blog and couldn't wait to read more. After training and completing for my first triathlon I was ready to read about others training and glean as much information as I could.

I had no clue what I was in for reading this book. In the first chapter, it hit home this was so much more than a book about training for races. This is a book for any woman over 30 who is experiencing changes in her monthly cycle and her body. I had been slowly experiencing some of the things Pamela described in the first chapter even going so far as to ask my doctor about them. My doctor blew me off, after reading Pamela's book I realize this is very common and there is help out there. The candor of her struggles in this book is bar none, she doesn't hold back to make herself look better and even lets the reader laugh at her expense. This candor allows you to relate to her as a person not a writer up on a pedestal who has it all together.

My favorite story from her blog makes a appearance in the book. The story of their canoe trip on a frozen tundra lake on their honeymoon is my absolute favorite. I guarantee you will be holding your stomach while crying laughing at this story. Eric is the sweetest guy and there is a story about him in running shorts in a restaurant full of cowboys that made me laugh so hard out loud. Marty was watching a movie while I was reading and I was making it hard to hear. If you buy the book for these two stories alone, you will not be disappointed!

It's no secret I have been getting fit and trying to lose weight. I am going to try the detailed step by step diet plan in her book. Not only for weight but for hormonal reasons also, its a yeast free diet. She also recommends several vitamins to help out.

Conner wants to be a bike mechanic when he grows up. This book has a whole section written by Eric who owned several bike stores detailing bike care. We already have used a tip on tire inflation that has made a huge difference.

There are so many benefits to the reader, I was soaking it all in. I had been embarrassed to ask them for advice before my teeny tiny triathlon and now I have so much wisdom to go on for my next race.

I cannot say enough wonderful things about this book. Of course, I expected it to be funny as a reader of her blog, what I wasn't expecting was to learn invaluable information for me as a women over 30 and a rider.


This book is a must for any runner, triathlete, husband of a women over 30, your friends, your sister, mom, anyone suffering from PDD or perimenopause or trying to lose weight. I can't wait to give this book as a gift  to a couple of my friends who are runners. Head on over to Smashwords and buy this book. You can also purchase other titles by Pamela on Skip Jack Publishing

I have great news and a Just Jules first. I have graciously been given a e-book copy of Hot Flashes and Half Iron Mans to give away to one of my readers. All you have to do is leave me a comment on this blog to be entered into the drawing. I will use a random number generator to pick a winner next Monday May 7th. So leave me a comment below and lets make this the most commented post ever on Just Jules.